Palestine’s current status Right now, Palestine is a “Permanent Observer State” at the UN, enjoying the status that allows it to participate in all of the Organization’s proceedings, except for voting on draft resolutions and decisions in its main organs and bodies, from the Security Council to the General Assembly and its six main committees….
“Failure to make progress towards a two-State solution will only increase volatility and risk for hundreds of millions of people across the region, who will continue to live under the constant threat of violence,” he said. Regional conflict, global impact With the Middle East “on a precipice”, he appealed for maximum restraint, warning against the…
Since the brutal 7 October attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian militants on southern Israel, and the ensuing military assault by Israel, over 5,800 students and teachers have been killed and a further 8,575 have been injured across the enclave. Many others have been arrested, while attacks on places of learning have left more than…
1948: UN invention records multiple languages Precision, speed and accuracy were the hallmark of a brand-new machine the UN developed and deployed in 1948 to record multilingual meetings. At the time, note takers hired to cover the meetings had to pass a 200-words-a-minute test. Alas, human beings are only human and could suddenly become ill…
The huge central African nation has seen years of violence in the restive but resources-rich east, which have uprooted millions of people – some 2.7 million in North Kivu alone and more than seven million nationally. “What breaks my heart is to see a population exhausted by violence, exhausted by conflict, exhausted by the horrors…
In a special meeting dedicated to building resilience and promoting sustainable development through infrastructure connectivity, Dennis Francis emphasized the importance of quality and endurance. “Quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure – including regional and transborder infrastructure – is important to sustain trade and commerce, facilitate effective transportation, connect us to virtual grids, maintain energy flows,…
In a vote of 12 in favour to one against, with two abstentions, the Council did not adopt a draft resolution that would have recommended the General Assembly to hold a vote with the broader UN membership to allow Palestine to join as a full UN Member State. The draft resolution is among the shortest…
Opening its High-level Meeting on Sustainable Transport, Assembly President Dennis Francis urged countries to seize the opportunity to shape a green, inclusive and prosperous future for today and generations to come. “From public transport to maritime transport, we must embrace innovation-driven approaches – to make sustainable transport a reality for all,” he said. Ensure equal…
The development came amid reports of ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip including Gaza City in the north, Rafah in southern Gaza and central Gaza, where more than dozen people were believed to have died in an apparent missile attack on a refugee camp on Tuesday. Video images reportedly from Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir…
3:15 PM ‘Insidious campaign’ to end UNRWA aid operation in Gaza: Lazzarini UNRWA is the backbone of the aid effort to stop Gaza slipping into famine, Mr. Lazzarini told ambassadors, and beyond that it has championed Palestinian development for decades. “Today an insidious campaign to end UNRWA’s operations is underway, with serious implications for international…
