Human rights

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed María Soledad Cisternas Reyes of Chile as his Special Envoy on Disability and Accessibility.

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

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council at the open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, in New York today:

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks to the open debate of the Security Council on sexual violence in conflict, in New York today:

Taking stock of progress and future challenges, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues closed its sixteenth session today with a batch of strong recommendations for improving the lives of indigenous peoples, and the message, “nothing about us without us”.

Without respect and recognition for traditional environmental practices and land rights, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development would fail to achieve its full potential to protect the Earth and all its inhabitants, speakers told the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues on the penultimate day of its sixteenth session.

Extractive industries and energy projects continued to broach ancestral lands, threatening their environmental health and the people living on them, speakers told the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues today.

The very survival of indigenous peoples depended on States taking swift action to rapidly recognize and respect all human rights, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues heard today, concluding the first week of its sixteenth session.

The empowerment of indigenous women as powerful agents of change could only strengthen their communities and nations in the face of environmental and other challenges, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues heard today.

Calls demanding respect for traditional lands, resources, knowledge and cultures rang through the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues today, with participants from the North Pole to New Zealand pressing Governments to move beyond “paper promises” and uphold their rights.