During an era of “profound uncertainty” and as the international rules-based order “is being rigorously tested”, the Head of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) told the Security Council today that belief in the multilateral system is at the core of the regional group’s agenda for 2024, as it focuses on resolving conflicts in the region including the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine.
Urging maximum restraint following recent escalations in the Middle East, the Head of the United Nations urged an end to the deadly cycle of retaliation and called on the international community to work together to avert a full-scale regional conflict, first by ending hostilities in Gaza and ultimately by realizing the two-State solution, as the Security Council today convened its quarterly open debate on the situation in the region.
The Security Council today blocked Palestine’s bid to become a full member of the United Nations due to a United States veto on a draft resolution that would have recommended the granting of such status.
The Head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) told the Security Council today that the Agency is the “backbone” of the humanitarian response in Gaza, noting that — while its mandate is supported by an “overwhelming” majority of Member States — it faces efforts to push it out of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The multifaceted challenges facing the Mediterranean amplify the region’s fragility and pose a fundamental obstacle to peace and security, the Security Council heard today as delegates underscored that the region’s youth are both the greatest victims of the security challenges and a key to resolving them.
The obstinance of the rival Governments and other key players in Libya is exacerbating the country’s political impasse and obstructing plans to hold elections this year, risking further instability, the UN’s top official there told the Security Council today.
In the wake of recent attacks on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — Europe’s largest — the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog warned the Security Council today that the first-ever war to be fought amid the facilities of a major nuclear power programme is bringing the prospect of nuclear accident “dangerously close”.
While April 2024 marks two years since the United Nations-brokered truce — providing relief for the humanitarian situation long past its expiry — the crisis in and near the Red Sea continues to threaten progress and stability in Yemen, senior United Nations officials warned the Security Council today, as some delegates noted Iran’s role in supporting the Houthis and destabilizing the region.
A day after Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles from its territory towards Israel - most intercepted - the people of the Middle East are confronting a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict, the UN chief told the Security Council today during an emergency meeting, as delegates urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint.
Western countries’ provision of military assistance to Ukraine is intended to support that country’s self-defence against the Russian Federation’s aggression, their representatives told the Security Council, refuting Moscow’s argument that such aid is turning Kyiv into a terrorist State.
