The Security Council today adopted a resolution condemning attacks by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and their role in exacerbating the country’s ongoing Ebola outbreak, while demanding full, safe, immediate and unhindered access for the humanitarian and medical personnel working to save lives and prevent the virus from spreading across the region.

While it is extremely easy to violate human rights anywhere, justice systems in too many places remain unable to adequately deal with these crimes, the President of the International Criminal Court told the General Assembly today, calling for the requisite support for the institution to deliver on its mandate of prosecuting the world’s worst atrocities.

Drawing attention to the daunting challenges and long-term consequences posed by explosive remnants of war, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its debate on conventional weapons as delegates pointed to progress made through multilateral instruments in clearance operations.

Racism, bigotry, xenophobia, nationalist populism, white supremacy and hate speech are on the rise, and often made more casual by public figures, experts told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, sounding an alarm bell against a “general indifference” to the perilous uptick in such behaviour.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on World Cities Day, observed on 31 October:

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

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the twentieth Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in Dubai today:

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it is concerned about the resurgence of insecurity in the Lac region in the west of Chad.  The situation has forced some aid agencies to suspend operations leaving tens of thousands of people without food and health services.

Despite recent reductions in hostilities in parts of Syria — and some acceleration of humanitarian aid delivery — the United Nations and its partners still lack comprehensive access to millions more in need of assistance, the Organization’s senior humanitarian affairs official told the Security Council in a briefing today.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the International Metropolis Conference on Global Migration in Turbulent Times, in Sydney today: