An attack by a notorious gang in the town of Pont Sondé, Haiti, left at least 70 people dead on Thursday, after gunmen armed with automatic rifles opened fire, a spokesperson for the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday.
An attack by a notorious gang in the town of Pont Sondé, Haiti, left at least 70 people dead on Thursday, after gunmen armed with automatic rifles opened fire, a spokesperson for the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday.
How does a Security Council resolution get adopted?
People in Lebanon uprooted by Israeli airstrikes including in central Beirut have described being forced to flee “total destruction”, amid fresh reports of Hezbollah projectile attacks into Israel and close-quarter clashes along the UN-patrolled line of separation between the two countries.
Armed conflict puts children at an increased risk of grave violations while their risk of being trafficked similarly increases, including in transitional periods, a new UN study has revealed.
Russian shelling has hit another apartment block in Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv, UN aid teams said on Thursday.
Peacekeepers positioned along the “Blue Line” of separation between Israel and Lebanon remain committed to their mandate, and will remain in place until conditions allow, the UN’s peacekeeping chief said on Thursday.
The UN-designated human rights expert on Sudan has called for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with their allied militias, to take immediate steps to protect civilians in greater Khartoum amid escalating violence and alarming reports of summary executions.
The global peace and security environment remained critical in the first half of 2024. The work of diplomacy led by the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) continued patiently, painstakingly, often discreetly, in large part thanks to the contributions its partners channel through the Multi-Year Appeal (MYA). Our experience is that relatively modest investments in conflict prevention and sustaining peace yield measurable dividends, in the short, medium and long term.
Despite the significant peace and security challenges facing Africa, there are reasons to be hopeful, the head of the UN Office to the African Union (UNOAU) told ambassadors at the Security Council on Wednesday, urging their continued focus on the continent.
A breakdown in law and order and a wider humanitarian emergency across Haiti have displaced more than 700,000 people – one in two of them children – the UN migration office, IOM, said on Wednesday.
Security Council members met in emergency session on Tuesday morning in New York with the Middle East on the brink of all-out war. App users can reprise our live coverage here.
Hours after Iran fired a reported 200 missiles at Israel in response to Israeli military incursions in southern Lebanon raising fears of a wider Middle East escalation, UN human rights chief Volker Türk insisted on Wednesday that “peace must prevail” in the Middle East, while UN Member States meeting in Geneva reiterated calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and beyond.
Madam President,
Distinguished members of the Security Council,
The unanimous adoption of Security Council resolution 2719 (2023) marked a major milestone in the partnership between the African Union and the United Nations. It built on the enduring relationship between the two organizations, taking into account their respective strengths and comparative advantages. With this resolution, the Security Council responded to longstanding calls, including by the Secretary-General, to support African Union-led peace support operations — including peace enforcement and counter-terrorism operations — with mandates from the Council and through United Nations assessed contributions, on a case-by-case basis.
Since the adoption of Security Council resolution 2719 (2023), the United Nations Secretariat has intensified its collaboration with the African Union Commission. And as a result, significant progress has already been achieved towards the operationalization of the resolution.
We worked to develop a common understanding of this resolution and its implications for both the African Union and the United Nations. The focus of our collective work was on achieving greater institutional and operational readiness to ensure its effective implementation. In this regard, we established a joint African Union-United Nations Task Force, comprising representatives from all relevant entities within both the Secretariat and the Commission, to shepherd the process. Meetings were held at senior and technical levels. The Joint African Union-United Nations Task Force met at the technical level twice — first in Addis Ababa, from 23 to 24 May 2024, and then in New York, from 29 to 31 July 2024. The Joint Task Force has also held a series of virtual consultations.
During these consultations, the Joint African Union-United Nations team discussed four key areas:
The Joint Task Force agreed on a draft Joint African Union - United Nations roadmap on the operationalization of Security Council resolution 2719 (2023). This draft roadmap builds on decades of shared lessons learned, operational experience and collaboration between the two organizations. We recognize that strengthening institutional and operational readiness of the Secretariat and Commission will be an ongoing process. Therefore, the roadmap will serve as a framework for continuously strengthening overall performance and impact.
The Secretary-General and the African Union Commission Chairperson are expected to endorse the draft roadmap at their annual conference in Addis Ababa later this month.
Madam President,
Distinguished members of the Security Council,
The African Union and the United Nations have adopted a flexible and forward-leaning approach to institutional and operational readiness for the implementation of Security Council resolution 2719 (2023). In that regard, the full implementation of the Joint African Union-United Nations roadmap — once officially endorsed by the Secretary-General and the African Union Commission Chairperson—does not constitute a prerequisite for implementing Security Council resolution 2719 (2023) in a specific context.
Accordingly, should the African Union Peace and Security Council decide to mandate an African Union-led peace support operation, and the Security Council decide to authorize it under the 2719 framework, the African Union Commission and the United Nations Secretariat will be ready to launch and support this peace operation.
A possible first test-case for the implementation the 2719 framework is currently being discussed. Indeed, based on Security Council resolution 2748 (2024), the African Union Commission and the United Nations Secretariat, in consultation with the Federal Government of Somalia and relevant international and regional stakeholders and partners, are jointly planning for the successor mission to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) -- the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). As requested by the Council, we are preparing a report that “articulates clearly a range of options for financing it [AUSSOM], including, but not limited to, the framework established by resolution 2719 (2023), other suitable alternatives, or some combination of these options.” We will also provide an update to the Council on the status of implementation of Security Council resolution 2748 (2024) on 10 October.
More broadly, a report on the overall implementation of Security Council resolution 2719 (2023) will be submitted by the end of the year. The report will provide further details on this new and critical aspect of the partnership between the African Union and the United Nations.
Madam President,
Distinguished members of the Security Council
The support of this Council, as well as of Member States of the African Union and of the United Nations, will remain essential for the successful deployment of an African Union-led peace support operation under the resolution 2719 framework. Together, the African Union Commission and the United Nations Secretariat stand ready to translate Security Council resolution 2719 (2023) into tangible actions that would contribute to lasting peace and stability on the African continent and beyond.
Thank you for your attention.
Madame President, Excellencies,
The raging fires in the Middle East are fast becoming an inferno.
Exactly one week ago, I briefed the Security Council about the alarming situation in Lebanon.
Since then, things have gone from bad to much, much worse.
As I told the Council last week, the Blue Line has seen tensions for years. But since October, exchanges of fire have expanded in scope, depth, and intensity.
...A former combatant fighting for the rights of her people on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines has been talking about how she has swapped her combat fatigues for jilbabs [outer garment] and her life in the jungle for a more peaceful rural community.
With war ramping up across the Middle East on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealed for the violence to end now.
Diplomats have been highlighting Security Council resolution 1701 in official meetings and in the corridors over the busy High-Level Week at UN Headquarters.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine condemned a deadly Russian strike in Kherson on Tuesday morning and underscored the need to protect civilians caught in the war, which is entering its 30th month.
The UN Secretary-General on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants, as Israel launched what it described as a “limited” ground incursion into Southern Lebanon.
UN humanitarians launched a $426 million appeal for Lebanon on Tuesday to support one million people uprooted by widespread Israeli shelling amid what Israel has described as a “limited, localised and targeted” ground operation into Lebanon, across the UN-patrolled line of separation.
I condemn the broadening of the Middle East conflict, with escalation after escalation.
This must stop. We absolutely need a ceasefire.
Beirut, Lebanon
1 October 2024
What we feared has materialized. With strikes throughout Lebanon, including in the heart of Beirut, and incursions across the Blue Line, violence is spiraling to dangerous heights.
Every rocket and missile fired, every bomb dropped and every ground raid conducted pull the parties further from the vision set out in Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and the conditions needed for the safe return of civilians on...
Mobilization at the national, regional and international level are needed to support the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the face of continued violence in the east, trafficking of natural resources, and other challenges, the UN Security Council heard on Monday.
The UN Security Council on Monday re-authorized the deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti for 12 months.
More than one million people across Lebanon have been uprooted by ongoing and deadly Israeli airstrikes across the country, including one reported early Monday morning in a residential area of central Beirut, adding to fears of a full-scale invasion.
UN humanitarians on Monday warned of the potentially dire consequences that could arise from disruption to the flow of food imports into Yemen following Israeli strikes on the crucial Red Sea port of Hudaydah.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed grave concern on Saturday over the dramatic escalation of events in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, in the past 24 hours.
The top UN aid official in Ukraine has condemned Russian attacks in the northeastern city of Sumy on Saturday which damaged a hospital and killed and injured several people.
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The Secretary-General is gravely concerned by the dramatic escalation of events in Beirut in the last 24 hours.
This cycle of violence must stop now, and all sides must step back from the brink. The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war.
He urges the parties to recommit to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and immediately return to a cessation of hostilities. He also...
Women and girls in the midst of the brutal conflict between rival militaries in Sudan are being disproportionately impacted, including 5.8 million who are now displaced, according to an alert released by UN Women on Friday.
The UN Security Council debated the current situation on the ground in war-torn Gaza on Friday, where Israeli strikes have killed more than 41,500 Palestinians amid mass displacement and stymied humanitarian efforts as Israel continues hampering the entry of lifesaving aid. UN News app users can catch up with our live coverage here.
At least 11 schools being used as shelters by internally displaced Gazans have been hit so far this month, with nearly 100 deaths reported, said UN aid coordination office, OCHA, on Friday.
The sudden and massive escalation between Israel and the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon has created widespread fear that even worse is to come, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
Remarks for Ms. Rosemary A. DiCarlo,
Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs
Peacebuilding Commission Ministerial-Level Meeting
New York, 26 September 2024
Mr. Chair, Mr Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, President Türk,
Excellencies, distinguished guests,
I am honored to address you today on how the United Nations can further strengthen its peacebuilding work following the adoption of the Pact for the Future.
The Pact aims to reinvigorate “global action to ensure the future we want and to effectively respond to current and future challenges”. In our fraught times, it represents an important achievement.
Indeed, over the last decade armed conflict has surged. Global division and tensions have grown. Cooperation on matters of peace and security has diminished. It is urgent to mend the ties that bind us, to rebuild trust, and recommit to address the monumental challenges before us together.
With the Pact, the global community is pledging to do just that. And, importantly for our work, the Pact places strong emphasis on prevention and peacebuilding, and on their link to sustainable development.
The 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review is an opportunity to further develop and operationalize the political commitments that Member States have made in this regard in the Pact.
The Review aims, of course, at enhancing the UN’s peacebuilding efforts and their impact in conflict-affected societies. It also serves as a platform for deliberation on recommendations in A New Agenda for Peace.
Mr. Chair,
Allow me to briefly highlight five areas where the 2025 Review can help translate into reality the Pact’s objective to bring a more strategic approach and coherence to peacebuilding efforts, particularly through the work of the Peacebuilding Commission.
First, the Commission could further support national prevention and peacebuilding strategies by providing a platform for sharing experiences, by highlighting how various countries address the root causes and drivers of violence and conflict within their societies.
The Commission can also provide political accompaniment, solidarity and visibility for a Member State’s peacebuilding and prevention efforts.
And it can help tailor support for the country, with potential contributions of the broader UN system, international financial institutions, regional organizations and the private sector. Key to this enhanced role for the PBC will be adequate logistical and substantive support.
Second, the advisory role of the Commission to the Security Council regarding countries in transition could be more action-oriented, as elaborated in the founding resolutions of the Commission. The Pact underscores this vital support role.
The Commission’s mandate and activities could further complement and enhance the work of the Council, sustaining peacebuilding gains and continuing valuable accompaniment.
A good example of this action-oriented approach is the Commission’s efforts to helping ensure a smooth transition in Liberia as the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was closing. The Commission and key partners advised Liberian officials on their peacebuilding plan, identifying financial and capacity gaps.
Third, the Commission should continue to champion inclusive approaches to peacebuilding. I commend the Commission for being the only intergovernmental body with a gender strategy and a youth action plan, and for continuing to advocate for the full and meaningful participation of women and youth in peacebuilding.
Regarding Colombia, for example, the Commission has been active in highlighting the important role of Colombian women in the implementation of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace.
The upcoming twenty-fifth anniversary of resolution 1325 is an opportunity to showcase the Commission’s added value in supporting women peacebuilders.
In line with commitments in its Gender Action Plan, we can collectively advance implementation – by increasing the number of women peacebuilders briefing the Commission and supporting, in all relevant PBC meetings, the inclusion of gender analysis.
Engagement with civil society is especially relevant here. The Commission’s exchange with more than seventy civil society representatives from around the world during the CSO-UN Dialogue on Peacebuilding was an important step in broadening the conversation on peacebuilding.
We look forward to continuing to engage with new constituencies during the next Dialogue in December of this year.
Fourth, let me underline the importance of the role of partnerships.
The Secretary-General has stressed the need for robust partnerships with regional organizations to address complex peacebuilding and prevention challenges.
The Commission’s recent decision to formalize its engagement with the African Union is a positive step towards a stronger collaboration with Africa. We hope to see the Commission partner with other regional and sub-regional organizations.
Further, the Pact for the Future reinforces the call for multilateral development banks to better address global challenges, which includes implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 16 on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies.
Regional development banks have an increasingly important role to play in this regard. Several have recently adopted tailored strategies in fragile and conflict-affected settings.
For example, the African Development Bank has set up the Transition Support Facility, a financing mechanism that has disbursed more than $5 billion to date in member countries in transition or affected by fragility. The PBC should be encouraged to build stronger and more systematic linkages with these institutions.
Excellencies,
My fifth, and final point, is a call for us to recommit to adequate, predictable and sustained financing for peacebuilding.
The landmark General Assembly resolution on Financing for Peacebuilding (A/RES/76/305) emphasizes the need to close the critical peacebuilding funding gap.
While the achievement of assessed contributions for the Peacebuilding Fund is commendable and has been welcomed in the Pact, we need more financing to reverse the backsliding in investments in prevention and peacebuilding.
The upcoming Review will provide an excellent occasion to further explore and operationalize various elements of this resolution.
Mr. Chair, Excellencies,
The Pact for the Future provides a comprehensive framework for advancing our peacebuilding agenda. We cannot miss this opportunity. We look forward to working with all of you in turning these commitments into reality.
Thank you.
World leaders, senior government officials and civil society representatives joined forces at UN Headquarters on Thursday to reaffirm commitment to nuclear disarmament as a global priority.
The call for a more inclusive and representative Security Council resonated loud and clear at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, as African leaders demanded global powers address the longstanding inequity in the Council’s composition.
A new humanitarian crisis is unfolding at Lebanon’s border with Syria as thousands of people flee Israeli shelling linked to the war in Gaza, UN humanitarians said on Thursday, just as Israel premier Benyamin Netanyahu arrived in New York for the UN General Assembly.
The UN agency that supports Palestine refugees, UNRWA, is the only “outpost of hope” left in the hellscape that is Gaza, the UN Secretary-General told a high-level ministerial meeting on Thursday in New York.
