Iraq

The Secretary-General strongly condemned the terrorist attacks on the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and the Parliament (Majlis) building in Tehran today. Expressing hope that those responsible be brought to justice, he called on all countries to work together in fighting terrorism while upholding universal rights and values.

Speaking to reporters in Saint Petersburg, Russia, today, the Secretary-General said that climate change is undeniable, and added that climate action is unstoppable.  He urged all the Governments around the world to stay the course and to remain committed to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

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

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is appealing for urgent safe passage and admission for 41 Syrian refugees stranded in dire circumstances on the remote Algerian-Moroccan border since 17 April.  Both Algeria and Morocco consider the group not to be in their respective territory.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said today that it is concerned by the recent prosecution, arbitrary arrest, detention and ill-treatment of men perceived to be gay in Indonesia.  In the past two months, more than 150 men were reportedly arrested in Aceh, Surabaya and Jakarta and subjected to public humiliation.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, expressed serious concern today at the mass hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons that began 38 days ago and has yet to be resolved.  He is especially alarmed by reports of Israel’s punitive measures against the hunger strikers.

With the liberation of Mosul imminent, the international community must maintain a dual focus on defeating the remaining Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) forces in Iraq, and on working towards post-conflict security and reconstruction, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative said in a briefing to the Security Council today.

Almost 3,000 migrants were rescued yesterday, after trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe, according to the International Organization for Migration, which said several ships were involved in more than a dozen rescue operations.  The total number of casualties is not yet known.

Medical experts are racing the clock to contain the Ebola outbreak in the remote Likati Health Zone area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo bordering the Central African Republic, the World Health Organization said today.  The Zone is 1,400 kilometres from Kinshasa and 350 kilometres from Kisangani, the nearest major town.

The Secretary-General welcomed the return of calm in Côte d’Ivoire following the unacceptable acts of violence committed by soldiers of the Forces Armées de Côte d’Ivoire over the past few days.  He commends the Government of Côte d’Ivoire for its efforts to address the unrest and restore security.