Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, Turkmenistan 2025

#LLDC3

5 August 2025

Press Release

SG/SM/22754

Unlock Potential of Landlocked Developing Countries, Secretary-General Tells Awaza Conference

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ opening remarks at the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Development Countries, in Awaza, Turkmenistan, today:

Highlights

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Highlights of the Security Council

Daily Noon Briefing

11 June 2026

The United Nations **Muscat Action Plan Alright, good afternoon, welcome back to me, happy to be back with you. Just a programming note. At 3:00 p.m. today, in the Chamber of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Secretary-General will deliver remarks on the launch of the Muscat Plan of Action, which - for those of you who don’t know what the Muscat Plan of Action is - it is an initiative aimed at countering hate speech and help prevent genocide and atrocity crimes. The Plan highlights the role of traditional and Indigenous leaders in promoting peace and strengthening social cohesion. It is the result of a collaborative process led by the Sultanate of Oman, the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, and the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, and is co-hosted by the UN Alliance of Civilizations. In his remarks, the Secretary-General is expected to stress that hate speech is a growing threat to peace and security, and to call for breaking this cycle through education, support for those targeted, and stronger action by governments and technology companies. **Middle East Turning to the situation in the Middle East: The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by continuing escalation in the Middle East, including the strikes by the United States on Iran and the strikes by Iran on neighbouring countries in the Gulf and beyond that are not parties to the conflict and significant increase in hostile rhetoric.  He urges the parties to return to the full implementation of the ceasefire, to avoid any further deterioration, which, as he told the Security Council yesterday, could trigger a full resumption of the conflict, with unpredictable consequences for the region and the world, especially the most vulnerable countries.  The Secretary-General underscores that the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms, in accordance with international law, must be respected. He further calls on all parties to uphold their obligations under international law and to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians. He reiterates that the only way forward is through genuine dialogue and negotiations.  He calls on the United States and Iran to redouble their efforts towards a peaceful, comprehensive and durable agreement that advances regional and international peace and security. **UN Interim Force in Lebanon Turning to the situation along the Blue Line in southern Lebanon: This morning, a strike impacted near a UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) logistical convoy in the village of Harris, in Sector West. Two Malaysian peacekeepers were injured – thankfully, light injuries - and two UN vehicles were damaged. The convoy returned to a nearby UNIFIL base, where the injured peacekeepers are receiving treatment, we were told. Their condition is stable. UNIFIL will investigate the incident. In a separate incident yesterday, an IDF (Israel Defence Force) tank fired near a UNIFIL convoy northwest of Bint Jubayl, in Sector West. The convoy took a detour and was able to safely resume its movement. UNIFIL peacekeepers also observed significant drone activity in the Bayyadah area in Sector West yesterday. Seven drones were seen flying north, including a reconnaissance-type drone that overflew a UNIFIL position, followed by four-armed drones that flew over the same UNIFIL base at altitudes ranging from 50 to 250 metres. Two-armed drones subsequently crashed in the area, one of them directly in front of the UNIFIL position. No damage to UN facilities and no injuries to our personnel. All these incidents are unacceptable. We once again remind all actors of the inviolability of UN personnel and the UN assets. UNIFIL is serving the cause of peace and must be able to carry out its mandate given to it by the Security Council without harassment or obstruction. Meanwhile, UNIFIL peacekeepers yesterday recorded 86 violations of Lebanese airspace by Israel, amounting to more than 128 hours of overflight. They also reported 14 Israeli airstrikes, alongside extensive ground movements and dozens of incidents of indirect fire across the area. In total, UNIFIL recorded 449 projectile trajectories yesterday. Of these, 431 originated from south of the Blue Line or from within the area of operations in south Lebanon. Eighteen trajectories were observed transiting from north to south, with only one actually crossing the Blue Line. On the humanitarian front, UNIFIL facilitated nine humanitarian missions yesterday: eight to Tyre in Sector West and one to Fardis and Hasbaya in Sector East. **Occupied Palestinian Territory Turning to the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, and this time I will focus on the occupied West Bank, where our colleagues at the Office of the Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) inform us that the number of settler attacks causing casualties or property damage this year in the West Bank has now surpassed 1,000. These attacks have affected more than 230 communities across all parts of the West Bank. More than 2,200 Palestinians have been displaced this year due to settler violence and other access restrictions, alongside hundreds more who have been displaced due to home demolitions by Israeli authorities. Just last week, settler attacks resulted in the injury of more than 30 Palestinians and widespread damage to property, essential infrastructure as well as livelihoods. The current pace of settler attacks causing casualties or property damage – an average of six incidents per day – is higher than in any year on record. Meanwhile, our partners on the ground are supporting people in need, especially in Area C, East Jerusalem and other areas where the Palestinian authority is not allowed to provide basic services directly. The latest report by the World Food Programme (WFP) indicates that more than 300,000 people across the West Bank received food and cash assistance in May. On the health front, our partners helping deliver essential services through a network of 870 service points, including 230 locations that they reach with mobile clinics. They warn that some health facilities in the West Bank have had to reduce their operating days and working hours, because of the shortage of operational capacity, medicines, medical supplies and consumables, as well as because of access restrictions. Turning to Gaza, our mine action colleagues there say that in the first week of June, they conducted 50 assessments of explosive hazards. Through these assessments, they supported the removal of debris and other humanitarian efforts. They are also raising awareness among children, who are often the victims of unexploded ordinances, and also of adults of risks associated with explosive ordnance and how to avoid those risks. And our nutrition partners say that, in May, they screened more than 77,000 children between the ages of 6 and 59 months. More than 4 per cent of them were identified with acute malnutrition and were admitted to treatment. Of over 53,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women who were also screened in May, just over 3 per cent were admitted for treatment. **Sudan And turning to Sudan, where the situation there remains challenging, to say the least, where our humanitarian colleagues report that aid delivery continues in several parts of the country despite ongoing access constraints. In South Kordofan State, UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) delivered life-saving health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies this week to the towns of Dilling and Kadugli. Delivered via an eight-truck convoy, the assistance is expected to support nearly 39,000 people who have been largely cut off from humanitarian support due to the ongoing fighting between the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) and the government. Meanwhile, in Blue Nile State, the World Food Programme and its partners have distributed food rations to some 25,000 displaced people near the state capital, Damazine. At the same time, violence continues to affect civilians and to hinder humanitarian operations. Yesterday alone, drone strikes in the capital of North Kordofan State, El Obeid, reportedly killed at least four civilians and injured several others. In Dilling in South Kordofan State, a vehicle was reportedly struck by a drone, resulting in two deaths. And we continue to condemn all deaths of civilians, in this conflict and others. We reiterate our call on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to facilitate the rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained delivery of humanitarian assistance. **Uganda/Ebola A quick update from our UN team in Uganda, on Ebola, where our colleagues are supporting the national response plan to the Ebola outbreak. UNICEF, IOM (International Organization for Migration) and UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) are assisting with risk communication, border screening, surveillance and services in refugee settings, while the World Food Programme (WFP) has transported 33 metric tonnes of relief supplies to Bunia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our UN team and humanitarian partners are appealing for $15.8 million to support Uganda's Ebola response through August. While $3.1 million has been mobilized, a funding gap of $12.7 million remains. Earlier this week, also, Dr. Tedros [Adhanom Ghebreyesus] was in Uganda, where he met with Government officials and UN and partners and he, of course, reaffirmed WHO's commitment to the work to fight Ebola. **Global Alliance for Human Rights Today, Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights,, Volker Türk, launched today the Global Alliance for Human Rights to mobilize people from all sectors, regions and generations and to inspire hope, strengthen collaboration and generate collective action for human rights.