Africa

In a report published ahead of World Children’s Day, marked on 20 November, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) noted that racism and discrimination against children based on their ethnicity, language and religion are rife in countries across the world.

Growing terrorism and violent extremism in the Sahel calls for a comprehensive response that integrates human rights and international humanitarian law, a senior United Nations peace operations official told the Security Council today, as speakers expressed concern about the overlapping security, humanitarian and political crises in the region.

Today is International Day for Tolerance. The resolution proclaiming the Day was adopted by the General Assembly in 1996, and among other things, the Day aims to foster mutual understanding among cultures and peoples.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for Africa Industrialization Day, observed on 20 November:

In Ukraine, the United Nations, NGOs and the entire humanitarian community continue to work to sustain aid operations and reach those impacted by the war with the life-saving support they need. Since February, aid workers have provided critical assistance to some 13.5 million people across all regions of Ukraine.

Urging support for regional organizations and sustainable financing to counter terrorism in Africa, the Deputy Secretary-General stressed that the spread of terrorism is a concern for the entire international community and requires a preventive approach that includes respect for human rights and international law, as the Security Council held a high-level debate on counter-terrorism in Africa today.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, delivered by United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, to the Security Council high-level debate on “Counter-terrorism in Africa:  An imperative for peace, security and development”, in New York today:

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Michel Xavier Biang (Gabon):

In Chad, the United Nations and partners have assisted some 250,000 people affected by flooding; however, only one quarter of the $70 million needed to help 8000,000 people has been received. The water rise has stabilized in the capital but is forecasted to move upstream to the already crisis-impacted Lac region.

The Security Council today voted to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 October 2023, calling on the parties to resume negotiations in good faith towards a mutually acceptable political solution for the region.