Americas

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs of Costa Rica as Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ opening remarks to the forty-third regular meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), in Paramaribo, Suriname, today:

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today released new data showing that while reported numbers of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean to Europe are fewer than in 2015, journeys are becoming more fatal.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres remarks at the Summit of the Americas, in Los Angeles today:

The World Investment Report 2022 was released today by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).  It shows that flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) recovered to pre-pandemic levels in 2021.  But, the report warns that the prospects for 2022 are grimmer.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the opening ceremony of the fifth meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development, in Costa Rica today:

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ virtual remarks to the opening session of the fourth Caribbean Community (CARICOM)-Central American Integration System (SICA) Summit, in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, today:

The World Food Programme (WFP) is substantially scaling up its assistance in Myanmar, where ongoing security challenges, humanitarian access restrictions and COVID-19 cases are impacting the population.  It is targeting at least 4 million people across the country, where 1 in 4 is facing food insecurity.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the situation in the northern part of Ethiopia is rapidly deteriorating, amid fighting in and around Dessie and Kombolcha in the Amhara region, which led to large-scale displacement and increasing humanitarian needs.  The two towns were already hosting a large number of displaced people from nearby areas.

In Sudan, the United Nations is working with partners to provide life‑saving aid to 9 million vulnerable people.  Operations must continue unimpeded to prevent the humanitarian situation there from deteriorating further. However, the 2021 response plan, which seeks $1.9 billion, remains only 30 per cent funded.