Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day of Peacekeepers, observed on 29 May:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the Caritas General Assembly, held in Rome from 23 to 28 May:

Along with holding perpetrators to account, the experiences and needs of civilian communities who suffer the daily brutalities of armed conflict must be incorporated into measures that protect them, speakers told the Security Council during an open debate today as it marked the twentieth anniversary of placing “the protection of civilians” on its agenda.

The General Assembly adopted a resolution today welcoming a 25 February 2019 International Court of Justice advisory opinion on the legal consequences of separating the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965, demanding that the United Kingdom unconditionally withdraw its colonial administration from the area within six months.

The tasks of restoring cooperation between Somalia’s two tiers of government and denying Al-Shabaab the space to prepare and launch its attacks are vital for the country’s progress, senior officials told the Security Council today.

With the recent flare-up of violence in Gaza as the central topic of discussion in the Security Council today, members also considered the funding shortage affecting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, to session VI of the Economic and Social Council’s operational activities for development segment, in New York today:

Regional commissions contain a wealth of information, assets and expertise, but greater transparency and efficiency are required to boost their role in supporting sustainable development, panellists and Member States told the Economic and Social Council on the second day of its segment on operational activities for development.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks to session V of the Economic and Social Council’s operational activities for development segment, in New York today:

Algeria and Argentina have been certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as being malaria-free.  The head of WHO said today that the nations have eliminated malaria thanks to the unwavering commitment and perseverance of the people and leaders of both countries.