Dialogue, political will and respect for international law must continue to guide the decolonization process, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today. Established in1961, theSpecial Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples— also known as Committee of24 — […]

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day of the Girl Child, observed on 11October: Every three seconds, child marriage cuts a girl’s childhood short. One in five girls worldwide is married before the age of18. Child marriage compromises the education, health and safety of millions of girls across the globe. Fundamentally, […]

Following is the text of UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ video message on World Food Day, observed on 16October: Food is a basic human right. Yet around 645million people faced hunger last year. And nearly 2.7billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. Overlapping shocks and crises are adding to these pressures.Disrupting production and supply chains.Driving up […]

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Mental Health Day, observed on 10October: On this year’s World Mental Health Day, we reaffirm the expertise and leadership of people with lived experience of mental health challenges. This year’s theme — “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change” — reflects the fact that people are […]

Climate change, poverty, conflict and rapid technological change are placing mounting pressure on social development and human rights, the Third Committee heard today, amid concerns over the role of the United Nations human rights system and the devastating toll of war on civilians. The social consequences of environmental change took centre stage, as Mongolia’s representative […]

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres: The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the serious incident involving a Tel Aviv-bound FlyDubai flight. He is relieved that tragedy was averted. The Secretary-General strongly condemns any act that places civilian lives and the safety of civil aviation at risk. The […]

Pursuant to itsveto initiative, speakers in the General Assembly today weighed in on the vetoesrecently cast by China and the Russian Federation concerning a Security Council resolution that would have extended the mandate of thePanel of Experts tasked with monitoring implementation of United Nations sanctions on Iran. At the centre of this issue is disagreement […]

As the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) began its debate today on “Eradicating colonialism in all its forms and manifestations”, speakers highlighted modern-day manifestations of that phenomenon. While decolonization is one of “the most significant transformations that we saw in the twentieth century”, Cuba’s delegate said, “regrettably colonialism is not a relic of the […]

The Security Council will hold two signature events in October — on children and armed conflict and on emerging technologies with an emphasis on maritime security — the representative of Greece, its President for the month of October, told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference today. “We feel particularly honoured to be serving the Council […]

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Brian Williams of the United States as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kyrgyzstan, with the host Government’s approval. He takes up his post on 1October. Mr. Williams brings more than 30 years of experience in international development, peacebuilding, public health, humanitarian work and development coordination. He most […]

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) opened its eighty-first session today, approving a programme of work covering international trade and development, international cooperation to combat illicit financial flows, poverty eradication and information and communications technology (ICT) for sustainable development. Introducing the Bureau, Committee Chair Suela Janina (Albania) welcomed Vice-Chairs Hussain Azhaan Mohamed Hussain (Maldives), Walter […]