Twenty years after the genocide in Rwanda had claimed the lives of nearly 800,000 people, there had been much talk, but not nearly enough action, by States to prevent mass atrocity crimes and punish the architects, a panel said today, recalling a 1994 “genocide fax” sent to the United Nations by its Force Commander in the central African country signalling the rapidly unfolding tragedy.
Press Conference
Describing the Sustainable Development Goals and post-2015 agenda “at the very heart” of the work of the United Nations, Martin Sajdik (Austria), speaking at a Headquarters press conference in his new role as President of the Economic and Social Council, said it was a time of great transition, including with regard to the Council’s own structural reforms.
The Central African Republic was at a critical stage, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the Central African Republic, Babacar Gaye, told correspondents today during a Headquarters press conference, added to the schedule following the resignation of interim President Michel Djotodia last week.
SG/SM/15577
Following is a transcript of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s press conference, held in New York, 10 January:
Food security, poverty reduction and creating sustainable ways to protect the Earth were among the world’s most pressing issues, Bolivian President Evo Morales said at a Headquarters press conference today, following the handover ceremony of the chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China.
The Central African Republic would figure prominently on the Security Council’s agenda in January, Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein (Jordan), that body’s President for January, said at a Headquarters press conference today.
With the crisis in South Sudan continuing into its second week, the United Nations mission in that country was awaiting delivery of critical assets from other peacekeeping operations over the next 48 hours to bolster the protection of more than 50,000 civilians seeking refuge in its premises, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative said at a Headquarters press conference today.
SG/SM/15554
Following is a transcript of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s press conference, held in New York, 23 December:
DSG/SM/735
Following is an unofficial transcript of UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson’s press briefing on the Rights Up Front Action Plan, held in New York, 19 December:
The global economy had recuperated, but continued to be subdued, according to a United Nations report, entitled World Economic Situation and Prospects 2014, launched today at Headquarters.