Environmental issues and sustainable development

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ briefing to the General Assembly meeting on the priorities of the Organization for 2023, in New York today:

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today released a regional refugee and resilience plan, which is seeking $5.7 billion to reach 6.8 million Syrian refugees and 6.1 million people in host communities with assistance in 2023.

Marking peacekeeping’s seventy-fifth anniversary, the Peacekeeping Department is launching a campaign, Peace Begins with Me, which promotes understanding of challenges faced by communities in conflict, demonstrates peacekeeping’s impact and calls for a global movement for peace.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, today:

Voting by secret ballot, the General Assembly today elected Inger Andersen (Denmark) — on the nomination of the Secretary-General — as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for a second term of four years, commencing on 15 June 2023 and ending on 14 June 2027, following the defeat of a request to the Secretary-General to invite Member States to present candidates for that position.

In the Central African Republic, the United Nations peacekeeping mission there launched a countrywide campaign on 16 January to promote efforts to protect civilians and to build confidence between the internal security forces and the population.

Following the recommendation of the Secretary-General, after consultation with Member States, the General Assembly confirmed Inger Andersen of Denmark as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for a further four-year term beginning on 15 June 2023 and ending on 14 June 2027.

A report released today by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) notes that children from the poorest households benefit the least from national public education funding. According to the report, children living in poverty are less likely to have access to school and drop out sooner.

Following is the text of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the thirteenth session of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Assembly “World Energy Transition — The Global Stocktake”, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, today:

The Secretary-General has extended the mandate of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon from 1 March until 31 December to complete non-judicial residual functions and ensure its orderly closure. Mandated to conduct the trials of those accused of carrying out the 14 February 2005 attacks in Beirut, its work is coming to an end.