Blog

The Security Council will hold a briefing at 3 p.m. on Middle East at the request of Bahrain, following a reported drone strike on 17 May near the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi is expected to brief. In a statement, Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep alarm over reports that drone strikes set fire to an electrical generator within the plant’s perimeter, recalling that he had "consistently warned" against any further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. "This incident provides yet another reason for all sides to halt the fighting completely," he said, emphasizing that attacks to nuclear installations are a violation of international law and must be condemned.

At 3 p.m., the General Assembly's Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) will discuss improving the UN's financial situation following the UN Controller's semi-annual presentation of the UN's finances A/80/440/Add.1 on 7 May.

At 10 a.m., the Security Council will address the political and humanitarian situations in Syria. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher are expected to brief.

The UN Forum on Forests will begin its twenty-first session, which will run from 11 to 15 May. In the morning, the Forum Chair, Economic and Social Council President, President of the General Assembly and Assistant-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs will make opening remarks. The launch of the Global Forest Goals Report 2026 will follow.

At 10 a.m., the Security Council will hold a debate on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with High Representative Christian Schmidt expected to brief on the latest report of his office.

The Security Council meets on the United Nations Interim Force in Abyei.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) meets on the UN financial situation.

The two-day Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals, held 6-7 May, will focus on the theme "Transformative, equitable and coordinated science, technology and innovation for the 2030 Agenda and a sustainable future for all”. In the morning, Economic and Social Council President Lok Bahadur Thapa and Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Bjørg Sandkjær will make opening remarks. Wednesday will feature a ministerial session under the theme “Strengthening the science-policy nexus to drive sustainable development” and a session on "Transforming water systems with science, technology and innovation".

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) will begin the second part of its resumed session from 4 to29 May with a discussion on its organization of work for the session: A/C.5/80/L.31. Afterwards, it consider the Board of Auditor's reports on UN peacekeeping operations as well as various reports related to the administrative & budgetary aspects of financing peacekeeping operations, namely: the support account; Regional Service Centre in Entebbe, Uganda; United Nations Logistics Base; closed peacekeeping operations and financing of current peacekeeping.