Democratic Republic of the Congo

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

Costa Rica will be the first country in Latin America to have a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, having concluded a Government agreement with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on an ethical approach supportive of human rights.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in China today said he is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives and destruction caused by the 5 September earthquake in Sichuan Province. He said the Organization stands ready to assist and support the Government of China’s valiant rescue efforts.

​​​​​​​On 16 February 2023, the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo briefed members of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004), as well as regional and interested Member States on the Group’s midterm report.

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) reports that protection efforts by peacekeepers in Leourou in Ouham-Pende Prefecture resulted in the release of over 100 people who were being held by armed elements who had attacked their village.

In Malawi, the United Nations and its partners are appealing for $45.3 million to help the Government there provide health, water, sanitation, nutrition, education and protection services to 4 million people devastated by the country’s deadliest cholera outbreak in recent history.

World leaders announced today over $826 million to Education Cannot Wait, the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, to support the education of millions of girls and boys living in crises.

The United Nations continues to mobilize emergency teams and relief operations in response to the earthquake that hit Türkiye and Syria. A Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team is supporting the coordination of the International Urban Search and Rescue Operations and assisting with situational and humanitarian needs analysis.

Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths today announced an extra $25 million grant to boost aid efforts and address urgent needs of hundreds of thousands of people in the earthquake-stricken parts of Syria. Some 130 search and rescue teams are working in affected areas in Türkiye; another 57 teams are on their way.

According to a new report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP), one in three schools in the world still lack access to drinking water and basic sanitation facilities.