UN-League of Arab States relationship remains robust in collective security efforts, USG DiCarlo tells Security Council
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On 8 June, Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo addressed the Security Council at a meeting on the UN’s cooperation with the League of Arab States. She noted the collaboration between the two organizations on Sudan and said that the Jeddah Agreement had given rise to much hope. However, the parties had failed to implement it.
Read her full remarks here
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Special Representative Abarry briefs Security Council on the situation in Central Africa
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On 6 June, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), Abdou Abarry, briefed the Security Council on the current situation in Central Africa. He underscored the need for provisions to ensure calm and security during political and electoral processes to be held by the end of the year in several countries falling within its mandate. “We will work to ensure […] that the episodes of violence, fueled in particular by hate speech, which have marked elections in the past, are avoided at all costs,” he pointed out.
Read more here
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PBC discusses Youth, Peace and Security
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On 7 June, the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) convened an Ambassadorial-level meeting to discuss regional efforts in advancing Youth, Peace and Security and the linkages between regional, national and local efforts. The participants included Jayathma Wickramanayake, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Youth Envoy; Chido Cleopatra Mpemba, the African Union Youth Envoy; Khaled Mohamed Almanzlawi, the Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the International Political Affairs Sector of the League of Arab States; and Ahmad Afryan, representative of ASEAN Youth Organization, a youth-led civil society organization. The Commission members reiterated the important role of young people as agents of positive change and stressed the need to support their full, effective and meaningful participation in peacebuilding efforts.
Read more here
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UN welcomes Colombia-ELN ceasefire agreement
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On 9 June, the third cycle of peace talks took place in Havana, Cuba, where the Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) agreed on a six-month bilateral national ceasefire. President of Colombia Gustavo Petro and First Commander of the ELN Antonio Garcia took part in the signing ceremony. In a statement, Secretary-General António Guterres noted that such important steps send hope to the Colombian people, especially the communities who are most affected by conflict. He took note of the requested role for the UN Verification Mission in Colombia to monitor the agreement and added that he stood ready to accompany the dialogue process through his Special Representative, Carlos Ruiz Massieu.
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DPPA Donors visit Colombia
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On 5-6 June, the UN Verification Mission in Colombia hosted representatives of 18 Member States in Bogota, Colombia. Participants were able to see first-hand how their support aids in fully implementing the 2016 Peace Agreement. The group met key figures in the negotiation and implementation of the Peace Agreement, civil society representatives, and transitional justice authorities. They continued their visit with trips to productive, or income-producing, projects for former combatants in the departments of Antioquía and César and listened to their hopes and concerns regarding reintegration.
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Indigenous community experienced "Pathways Colombia"
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On 8 June, the Verification Mission shared the virtual reality experience "Pathways Colombia" with the indigenous community of the Mesones village, in the rural area of Ortega, Tolima, in the southwest of Colombia. Through this experience, the community got closer to the mandate of the Mission of verifying the reintegration of FARC-EP into civilian life in economic, social and political matters and the security guarantees of former combatants, communities and organizations across the country, as well as the mandate related to the ethnic chapter, learning about the work of peace and reconciliation in other regions of the country.
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New Special Representative arrives in Mogadishu
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New Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) Catriona Laing arrived in Mogadishu on 5 June. She was welcomed by Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Daud Aweis and other government officials.
Read more here
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Promoting the participation of women and youth in the mining sector in the Great Lakes Region
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From 7-9 June, the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, in collaboration with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), organized a meeting in Kampala, Uganda on strengthening women and youth ownership of the regional initiative against illegal exploitation of natural resources. The meeting brought together participants from 12 countries in the Great Lakes region. Speaking during the opening session, Serigne Bassirou, who represented the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region Huang Xia, highlighted the role of women and youth as agents of change and their inclusion in regional efforts aimed at promoting sustainable peace and development. During the meeting, participants discussed ways to enhance the knowledge of women and youth regarding national, regional, and international legal instruments governing the mining sector.
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Special Coordinator Wronecka underlines need to end Presidential vacancy
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Special Coordinator of the Secretary-General for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka held this week a round of meetings with Lebanese Members of Parliament from different sides of the political spectrum ahead of the presidential election session on 14 June. Noting the impact of the seven-month presidential vacuum on the work of the country’s state institutions and public services, the Special Coordinator encouraged the 128-member Parliament to complete the presidential election milestone in line with the country’s democratic practices and the aspirations of the Lebanese people and to pave the way for the formation of a government that can implement reforms. She also met with caretaker Finance Minister Youssef Khalil on 6 June to discuss the urgency of implementing fiscal reforms, the status of the 2023 and 2024 state budgets and the importance of strengthening revenue generation to preserve the public sector and public services.
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Special Coordinator visits Jordan and discusses impact of regional developments
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From 7-8 June, Special Coordinator Wronecka held consultations in Amman with Jordan’s Foreign Ministry Secretary General (FMSG) for Diplomatic and Expatriate Affairs, Ambassador Lina al-Hadid. She also met with the Director of the Center for Strategic Studies (DCSS) at the University of Jordan, Professor Zaid Eyadat. The meetings focused on recent regional developments and their implications for Lebanon and Jordan, as well as Jordanian Lebanese bilateral relations. Interlocutors emphasized the importance of keeping the issue of Syrian refugees a priority on the international agenda.
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UNAMI Human Rights Office in Kirkuk organizes training for young lawyers on human rights principles
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On 7 June, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Human Rights Office in Kirkuk organized a training for young lawyers on basic human rights principles. This training was scheduled as part of the Human Rights 75 initiative, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with activities planned throughout the year. A group of young lawyers were introduced to the fundamental rights inscribed in the Universal Declaration via interactive exercises.
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UNAMI delegation visits IHEC Office in Baghdad, discusses climate change and role of civil society
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On 5 June, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Political Affairs and Electoral Assistance of UNAMI Claudio Cordone visited the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) office in Baghdad, accompanied by Chief of the Office of Electoral Assistance Dr. Aamir Arain. The UNAMI delegation met the new IHEC Chair, Judge Omar Ahmad Muhammad, the Board of Commissioners and staff, and discussed the preparation for the forthcoming provincial elections.
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DSRSG Cordone also participated in a panel discussion on climate change and the role of civil society organized by the Hikma national movement in Baghdad. He emphasized the importance of joint action by the government, non-governmental and international organizations in implementing adaptation and mitigation measures and highlighted the UN technical and diplomatic role in support of Iraq.
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UNRCCA organizes workshop on water governance
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On 5 June, the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) organized a thematic workshop on “Hydropower and Gender Equality for Effective Water Governance in view of Climate Change: Challenges and opportunities for Central Asia”. The workshop was devoted to gender mainstreaming related to transboundary water governance and climate change in Central Asia. It was the only event within the Conference addressing the gender topic at the regional level. Representatives of the Central Asian states had an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen gender responsiveness in water governance, and exchange relevant experience in this field.
Read more here
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