The global security environment has entered a phase of heightened and extended volatility, with increased threats of civil unrest and a steady rise in instability across the globe, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says in his report on the “Safety and Security of Humanitarian Personnel and Protection of United Nations Personnel”, released today.
Honduras deposited the fiftieth instrument of ratification to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, resulting in it being entered into force in January 2021. The Secretary-General said the Treaty is a commitment towards the elimination of nuclear weapons, which is the Organization’s highest disarmament priority.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, as delivered, at the informal meeting of the General Assembly Observance Ceremony in Commemoration of United Nations Day, today:
The General Assembly today concluded its high-level meeting to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, with several Member States remembering how the Organization’s peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts lifted them out of conflict and put them back on the path to a better future.
Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on UN Day, observed on 24 October:
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the General Assembly meeting marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, in New York today:
In a high-level meeting to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, world leaders in the General Assembly gathered in a virtual format today to adopt a declaration honouring the multilateral framework put in place by its founders in 1945 and pledging to better live out the promise to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.
The World Meteorological Organization launched today FOCUS-Africa, an $8.2 million initiative funded by the European Commission to increase resilience and adaptation in Southern Africa over the next four years. It will deliver tailored services in agriculture and food security, water, energy and infrastructure.
The Independent Audit Advisory Committee of the United Nations (IAAC) held its fifty-first session from 22 to 24 July 2020. Due to ongoing challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the meetings were held virtually. The session was presided over by the Chair, Janet St. Laurent. All the other members of the Committee — namely Richard Quartei Quartey (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Bradley, Anton Kosyanenko and Agus Pramono — were in attendance.
The General Assembly established the United Nations Board of Auditors in 1946 as an important mechanism to promote accountability and transparency in the Organization.
An estimated 4.1 million girls will be subjected to female genital mutilation this year and if programmes and services stay shut for six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that figure will reach 6.1 million by 2030, according to the United Nations Population Fund’s “State of World Population 2020” report issued today.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the annual memorial service for fallen staff, in New York today:
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Charter of the United Nations, in New York today:
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned in a new report that millions of children in Yemen could be pushed to the brink of starvation due to huge shortfalls in humanitarian aid funding amid the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, the COVID-19 response is only 10 per cent funded, as UNICEF appeals for $53 million.
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message on social media for the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, in New York today:
For the first time since 2018, the World Food Programme has been able to send a humanitarian convoy from Kenya directly into South Sudan through the Nadapal Border crossing. The nine-truck convoy carried 280 metric tons of food, enough to feed 20,000 people for a month. The route’s reopening cuts travel times in half.
The Independent Audit Advisory Committee of the United Nations (IAAC) held its fiftieth session 29 April-1 May. Due to the ongoing challenges associated with the pandemic (COVID-19), the meetings were held virtually.
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at a meeting with the Executive Boards of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and the World Food Programme (WFP), in New York today:
United Nations humanitarian agencies and their partners are asking donors for an initial $350 million to rapidly scale up logistics services, aimed at supporting countries disproportionately affected by cancelled flights and disrupted supply routes to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is sending equipment to more than 40 countries to help them use nuclear-derived technology to rapidly detect COVID‑19. Dozens of labs will receive diagnostic machines to speed up national testing, biosafety supplies and personal protection equipment.
