Greece

The number of reported cases worldwide of the coronavirus stands at 95,265, with 3,281 deaths, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said today, noting encouraging signs from the Republic of Korea, where the number of newly-reported cases appears to be declining.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message on the Prespa Agreement, issued today:

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

The United High Commissioner for Human Rights today condemned this week’s protests in Venezuela and called for effective investigations into the violence that has led to several deaths and injuries.  She urged all sides to conduct immediate talks to defuse the increasingly incendiary atmosphere.

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

The High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed deep alarm today at persistent reports of human rights violations and abuses in Cameroon’s English‑speaking north‑west and south‑west regions, as well as in the extreme north.  He said it is regrettable that the Government failed to grant the Human Rights Office access to the two regions despite repeated requests.

The Chef de Cabinet to UN Secretary-General António Guterres read out a message on his behalf to the third Review Conference on the Programme of Action on Small Arms, telling the delegates that every year, over half a million people are killed violently around the world, mostly through small arms fire.

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator said he is increasingly concerned by the situation in the Sahel, where nearly 6 million people are struggling to meet their daily food needs.  The crisis has been triggered by scarce rainfall in 2017, which resulted in acute water, crop and pasture shortages and livestock losses.

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

The United Nations mission in the Central African Republic says investigations are ongoing in Bria (in Haute Kotto prefecture), where United Nations police arrested an anti‑Balaka leader suspected of involvement in an attack on a Formed Police Unit patrol that resulted in the death of a peacekeeper last December.