Malaysia

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are deeply saddened over the tragic capsizing of a boat off the coast of Malaysia and Thailand carrying up to 70 people from Myanmar, including Rohingya. Some 13 people were brought ashore by Malaysian authorities; at least 21 people died.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, early on Sunday, 26 October, to take part in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-UN Summit, chaired by Malaysia.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the Executive Talk for the eightieth United Nations Day Programme, in Kuala Lumpur today:

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

The UN Department of Peace Operations has launched its annual report on women, peace and security. The report highlights the work done by UN peacekeepers on gender equality, and it says that the rapid spread and intensity of armed conflicts and protracted crises has heavily impacted women and girls worldwide.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, today expressed serious concern at the recent rise in killings of civilians across Burkina Faso, with allegations of responsibility pointing to both armed groups and State actors.

The new Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations, Ahmad Faisal Muhamad, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

In Afghanistan, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed an agreement to provide funds for housing and infrastructure in Khost and Paktika Province.  The programme will assist families impacted by the earthquake there.

The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is deeply concerned about renewed violence in the south of the Area, which has led to deaths and the displacement of thousands, saying long-standing grievances and disputes between communities in Abyei and neighbouring areas have resulted in weeks of violence.

United Nations peacekeeping officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to sound alarms over deadly attacks perpetrated by fighters — presumed to be with the militant coalition known as CODECO — against displaced civilians in Ituri Province.  There are currently 1.7 million people displaced in Ituri.