Briefing ambassadors at the Security Council, Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, said that like the previous year, the year 2023 has been devastating for the people of Ukraine. The UN human rights office (OHCHR) has verified 10,065 civilians killed and a further 18,679 injured since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Read More“Today, the United Nations system is sclerotic and hobbled by hostile forces. We must assume our responsibility. That means being engaged to put multilateral cooperation back on solid ground. For that, we need to: Restore trust. Resolve the most pressing problems. Repair the United Nations system. Protecting the Charter Trust and confidence between Member States
Read More“Regardless of who you are, the current UN system still makes you less influential than the veto power possessed by a few and misused by one: Russia. That is to the detriment of all other UN Members,” he said, speaking through an interpreter. Viable reform process World leaders and Foreign Ministers attending the annual debate
Read MoreThe Council meeting was convened following the missile strikes on Sunday which damaged the centuries-old Transfiguration Cathedral, the first and foremost Orthodox church in the historic city. Other landmarks in the city centre, a protected World Heritage Site, were also damaged in the attack, which killed one person and injured several others. Culture under fire
Read MoreAddressing the Human Rights Council, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk noted that the tome was the “core of faith” for well over one billion Muslims. Those who had burned the Quran most likely did so “to express contempt and inflame anger”, Mr. Türk said, as he warned that these acts also aimed
Read MoreBriefing ambassadors on Africa Day, Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo presented the latest UN report on securing predictable, sustainable and flexible resources for AU-led peace support operations mandated by the Council. The changing nature of conflict in Africa has forced the partners to adapt their operations in response to new and evolving challenges. Secure funding stream “The
Read MoreSpeaking only days since a large majority of the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the UN chief stressed that Russia’s decision to go to war against its neighbour on 24 February 2022 had unleashed “widespread death, destruction and displacement”. Also present at the opening
Read More“Life is a living hell for the people of Ukraine,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Council, which has held more than 40 debates on the conflict since Russia’s full-scale invasion one year ago. On the occasion, the 15-member organ held a ministerial-level meeting on the heels of the UN General Assembly’s new demand that
Read More“We are not here to set up a trial in the Security Council”, Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said during discussions. He said Moscow was presenting a request for an independent investigation in light of doubts about the integrity and transparency of Denmark, Germany and Sweden in their ongoing inquiries. Instead, he said, the UN Secretary-General
Read More“Peace is not just about signing an agreement,” said Miroslav Jenča, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas, who briefed members during a meeting requested by the Russian Federation – as the one-year mark nears, since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Mr. Jenča stressed that turning words on paper into action
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