The Security Council underlined the need for more support and adequate resources for the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) today amid increased demands from Guinea-Bissau and post-transition countries in the region.
Calling attention to the plight of tens of thousands of children detained in war-torn countries and 420 million others growing up in conflict-affected places, delegates told the Security Council that much more must be done to ensure they fully enjoy their right to be protected.
The Security Council reiterated today its grave concern over the most recent outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, highlighting the urgent need to respond since the disease could spread rapidly, possibly with serious humanitarian consequences and impacting regional stability.
The General Assembly, by a recorded vote of 137 in favour to none against with 12 abstentions, adopted a resolution today urging the United Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum to strengthen their joint pursuit of sustainable development outcomes, while also underlining the need for coherent approaches to build resilience to extreme weather in the region.
The Security Council’s failure to respond to the conflict in Syria, now in its ninth year, is a clear weakening of its responsibility to protect, a human rights advocate stressed today as briefers presented details of the humanitarian impact of fighting in Idlib, including attacks on medical facilities.
Several recent tragedies involving migrants and refugees in Libya have spotlighted the extreme vulnerability of those groups, the senior United Nations official in that country told the Security Council today, as he described a rapidly worsening conflict exacerbated by external support.
The international community must stand with the women of Afghanistan and ensure that their hard-won gains since the collapse of the Taliban regime in 2001 are not sacrificed in any peace agreement, a leading Afghan human rights activist told the Security Council today ahead of presidential elections in September.
The General Assembly today adopted five resolutions, establishing an international year to end child labour, fostering cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, and promoting a culture of peace.
The Economic and Social Council will prioritize development financing, transparent institutions, good governance and anti-corruption in 2020, its newly elected President pledged today, as arrangements were finalized for the forthcoming session.
Extending the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 January 2020, the Security Council today expressed regret over the lack of progress since 2017 and urged all sides to renew their political will to achieve a settlement under United Nations auspices.
