With military front lines still largely frozen, the time is ripe to push for a political process that can help end the decade‑long war in Syria, the Secretary‑General’s Special Envoy for that country told the Security Council today, as speakers hailed news that negotiations aimed at crafting a fresh constitution look set to resume after an eight‑month hiatus.
Enduring challenges to international peace and security in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere took centre stage today — along climate change and the COVID‑19 pandemic — as major issues which demand robust global action as the General Assembly concluded its annual general debate.
The nuclear test ban treaty adopted 25 years ago has already established a powerful norm against atomic testing, achieving near‑universal compliance before its entry into force, speakers told the Security Council today, denouncing just one country for being the only violator in this century.
With just over a month to go before a major United Nations climate change conference in Scotland, leaders of small island developing States took centre stage before the General Assembly today, saying their nations are facing an existential threat if rich countries fail to make good on their promises to turn the tide on global warming.
World leaders appealed to the United Nations to facilitate resolutions to longstanding disputes, human displacement, and climate disaster, as the General Assembly continued its general debate today.
The issue of vaccine equity animated day three of the General Assembly’s annual general debate today, with leaders from nations large and small hailing the development of COVID-19 vaccines as a testament to human ingenuity, as well as pointing to the vast fissure between the haves and have nots in their availability and rollout.
Amid clarion calls for bolder action to prevent the worst outcomes of the climate crisis, speakers in a high‑level Security Council debate diverged today on how best to address the phenomenon’s intersection with global security, as several delegations advocated for urgent changes to the 15‑member organ’s work.
World leaders, gathering at United Nations Headquarters today, vowed to accelerate the fight against racism in their respective countries, also renewing their commitment to implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action – a landmark anti‑discrimination framework adopted 20 years ago.
Developing countries are suffering the brutal economic effects of COVID-19 disproportionately and require more comprehensive financing assistance in the wake of the pandemic, the General Assembly heard today as it continued its general debate with in-person and pre-recorded video messages from 29 Heads of State and Government.
Secretary-General António Guterres issued a wake-up call that the world is on the edge of an abyss and “moving in the wrong direction”, as he called on leaders gathered for the annual General Assembly high-level debate today to urgently restore trust and act in unison to tackle myriad challenges.
