The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf will hold its fiftieth session from 1 July to 16 August.

Today is Micro-, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Day.  Under the theme “Big Money for Small Business:  Financing the SDGs”, it focuses on how small businesses can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular, those related to promoting innovation, creativity and decent work for all.

In view of Mr. Gressly’s assumption of the Emergency Ebola Response Coordinator functions, the Secretary-General also announced today the appointment of François Grignon of France as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Protection and Operations ad interim in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

The Secretary-General has also recently announced a strengthened coordination and support mechanism in the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, led by David Gressly of the United States of America as United Nations Emergency Ebola Response Coordinator.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of David McLachlan-Karr of Australia as his Deputy Special Representative ad interim in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), where he will also serve as United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, for the Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy, in New York today:

Fighting in Syria’s Idlib Governorate presents a powder keg for regional escalation, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy in that country warned the Security Council today, as he urged the Russian Federation and Turkey to help stabilize the area and called more broadly for renewed support for the creation of a constitutional committee as a central component of plans for peace.

The Security Council, acting unanimously, today decided to extend for four months the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), while also “temporarily and exceptionally” extending the period allocated for the mission’s drawdown.

On 12 April 2019, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2374 (2017) concerning Mali was briefed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten.

The Security Council received an update today on recent work carried out by the Sudan sanctions committee, in particular, its coordination with the expert panel monitoring activities of Darfuri armed groups in neighbouring countries.