#COVID-19

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the meeting of the European Union on the G5 Sahel, in New York today:

Notwithstanding limited strides in youth empowerment, the world’s young people continue to suffer disproportionately from conflict, poverty and now the most severe effects of COVID-19, experts told the Security Council in a 27 April videoconference meeting, as they urged Governments to make youth a centrepiece of — and active participants in — their pandemic recovery plans.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the launch of the statement of commitment and call for support for the global collaboration to accelerate the development, production and equitable access to new COVID-19 tools.

Plans to close the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) by 31 October have been rendered impractical by the spread of COVID-19 and challenges envisioned around the June rainy season, the head of United Nations Peace Operations told the Security Council in a 24 April videoconference meeting, as delegates outlined their views on extending the drawdown beyond the current mandate.

Political leaders in Belgrade and Pristina should take a cue from health‑care workers jointly fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, put aside their political agendas and engage anew in a European Union-facilitated dialogue that leads to sustained peace, the top United Nations official in Kosovo told the Security Council during a 24 April videoconference meeting.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for International Delegates Day, observed on 25 April:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message on human rights and COVID-19 response and recovery, “We Are All in This Together”, in New York today:

While Israelis and Palestinians are cooperating in unprecedented ways to combat the expanding COVID-19 pandemic, Israel must do more to safeguard the health of all people under its control, the senior United Nations official in the region told the Security Council in a 23 April videoconference meeting.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, observed on 24 April:

The onset of COVID-19 is hampering efforts to implement the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Great Lakes region and already taking a significant economic toll on countries still working to emerge from years of conflict, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy told the Security Council in a 22 April videoconference meeting, as he called for greater international support to consolidate gains.