The Board of Auditors has approved 28 reports at its seventy-second regular session at United Nations Headquarters in New York, held from 24 to 25 July.

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

The United Nations has verified that more than 7,000 children lost their lives or were maimed since the crisis in Syria erupted in 2011, the Secretary‑General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict told the Security Council today, noting that unverified reports escalate that figure “way beyond” 20,000.

The General Assembly today adopted a resolution outlining the elements for a high-level review of the progress made, lessons learned and constraints encountered by small island developing States in the implementation of the Samoa Pathway.

Members of the Security Council joined the Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia today in welcoming progress in the implementation of the South American nation’s landmark peace agreement, while expressing worries over a rash of violence that risks imperilling hard‑won gains.

While upcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have generated “great expectations” for shoring up the county’s stability, the electoral process continues to suffer from distrust between the political opposition and the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Secretary‑General’s Special Representative in that country told the Security Council today.

The United Nations country team in El Salvador will meet tomorrow to develop a plan of action following the Government’s declaration of a red alert emergency due to the severe drought affecting some 77,000 farmers growing corn, one of the country’s main staple foods.  Eastern El Salvador has reported 33 consecutive days without rain, and record temperatures reaching 41°C.

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

Opening the first meeting of its 2019 session today, the Economic and Social Council elected, by acclamation, Inga Rhonda King (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) as its new President and adopted its provisional agenda and other organizational matters for its upcoming session.

The Security Council authorized a six‑month mandate renewal for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) today, and called upon the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities as well as all parties involved to commit fully to a settlement process, using United Nations consultations to restart negotiations.