In his first press conference in post, Assembly President Dennis Francis briefed journalists on highlights from the 78th general debate of Heads of State of Government from the 193 countries that comprise the UN, which concluded earlier this week. It marked the first time the gathering has been fully in-person since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Elevating…
Attacks on local populations, roadblocks and denial of humanitarian access, continue to fuel suffering in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, Special Representative Bintou Keita told the Security Council in New York. “As I speak today, over six million people remain displaced in [these places],” she stated, urging continued support for underfunded relief operations….
Among the growing trends noted in the report was the increase in people choosing not to cooperate with the UN due to concerns for their safety, or only doing so if kept anonymous. Victims and witnesses in two-thirds of the States listed in the report requested anonymous reporting of reprisals, compared with just a third…
“The situation underscores the urgent need for the immediate collective involvement of governments from origin, transit and destination countries to provide humanitarian assistance, especially to vulnerable groups like women and children,” said Michele Klein Solomon, IOM Regional Director for Central America, North America and the Caribbean. Perilous journeys IOM cited statistics that reveal the…
During the last three months, more than 10,000 housing units were advanced, Tor Wennesland told ambassadors at the UN Security Council in New York. “Settlements further entrench the occupation, fuel violence, impede Palestinian access to their land and resources, and systematically erode the viability of a Palestinian State as part of a two-State solution”, the…
They called for his immediate release and for the US “to comply with its obligations under international law…and drop all charges against him.” Allegations Mr. Saab was appointed as a Special Envoy by the Government in Caracas in April 2018 to undertake official missions in Iran to secure humanitarian deliveries, including of food and medicine,…
“Azerbaijan must also promptly and independently investigate alleged or suspected violations of the right to life reported in the context of its latest military offensive…during which dozens of people, including peacekeepers, were killed,” said, Morris Tidball-Binz, the UN Human Rights Council-appointed Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. Thousands have moved into Armenia from…
They also underscored the need to slash carbon emissions and bolster early warning systems to safeguard nations across the world which are becoming increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather. Speaking at the UN Headquarters, in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres said how the world responds now to Pakistan’s struggles is a “litmus test” for climate justice….
Briefing the UN Security Council in New York, Geir Pedersen urged political leaders and the international community to act now to “arrest the downward slide in Syria” as suffering and the sense of hopelessness among the population deepens. Deliver hope “We cannot simply accept the status quo, because it will get worse and worse, it…
According to findings from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 130 million students worldwide experience bullying, which has been exacerbated by the spread of digital technologies. UNICEF estimates that one in every three students from 13 to 15 is a victim. Suicide risk The Council heard heartfelt testimony from 15-year-old Santa Rose Mary, a children’s advocate…
