The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reports that heavy fighting has resumed between the Congolese army and the M23 armed group in North Kivu Province. The Mission reiterates its call for restraint and its peacekeepers in the area remain on high alert.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
With violence continuing unabated in parts of Syria, says the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, areas known to have considerable humanitarian needs remain inaccessible and bureaucratic processes continue to delay aid delivery and impede the efficiency of the emergency response.
Marking Nelson Mandela’s ninety-fifth birthday in the General Assembly today, the Secretary-General described him as a giant of our times, having given 67 years of his life to the struggle for human rights and done as much as anyone to shape the very conscience of the international community.
In remarks to the Security Council this morning, the Deputy Secretary-General said freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and it depends on independent and pluralistic media.
He noted that in the past decade, more than 600 journalists have been killed while exercising their critical role and service in society.
In the Security Council today, the High Commissioner for Refugees called on all States to keep their borders open to Syrians seeking protection; Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs said nearly 7 million need urgent assistance; and Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights said supply of weapons to must stop.
The joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur held a memorial service to pay tribute to the seven Tanzanian peacekeepers killed on Saturday morning in an ambush by unidentified armed assailants in South Darfur.
This morning the Secretary-General welcomed Malala Yousafzai and her family to the United Nations. After that initial encounter, the Secretary-General addressed the Youth Assembly. In his speech, the Secretary-General noted that Malala had chosen to spend her sixteenth birthday at the United Nations. He praised her courage, humanity and resilience, and said that on her special day, she is calling on us to put education first.
The Secretary-General will travel to Paris this weekend. He will first attend France’s National Day military parade which this year will include peacekeepers from the newly established United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSMA.
In a presidential statement today, the Security Council said that, as the impact of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon’s stability became more apparent, Lebanese parties should renew their unity and determination to resist a slide into conflict. The Council was also gravely concerned at the dramatic influx of refugees from Syria.
The Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights, deploring killings in Egypt since the events of 3 July, calls on military and law enforcement officials to show utmost restraint and ensure their compliance at all times with international human rights obligations and international standards on policing.