The Security Council today reiterated its strong condemnation of the recruitment and use of children by parties to armed conflict, as well as their killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) sent 14 draft resolutions and 1 draft decision to the General Assembly today, including one aimed at preventing terrorist groups from accessing materials to build improvised explosive devices.
Staff members were the United Nations main asset, but greater efforts must be made to bring more women into the Organization’s ranks and to tackle long-standing concerns over geographical underrepresentation, speakers said today as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) turned its attention to human resources management issues.
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum: “Achieving the SDGS [Sustainable Development Goals] through Entrepreneurship and Innovation”, in Manama, Bahrain, today:
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the Security Council open debate on children and armed conflict, in New York today:
Delegates called for adequate resourcing of peacekeeping missions, informed by each situation on the ground, in order to avoid jeopardizing “Blue Helmets”, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) concluded its annual general debate on the comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects.
Despite progress in the de‑escalation of fighting in certain parts of Syria, civilian suffering, as well as impediments to aid delivery, continued, the United Nations top humanitarian official told the Security Council this afternoon, stressing it was crucial to ensure that cross-border delivery of aid was maintained.
Innovative actions would be needed to support the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (Sahel G-5) countries (Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger) as well as development efforts, United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres told the Security Council this morning, stressing that the situation in that region was a challenge for all.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned today that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached a level not seen in 800,000 years, rising at record speed in 2016. The WMO’s Greenhouse Gas Bulletin reported that globally averaged carbon dioxide concentrations reached 403.3 parts per million in 2016, up from 400 parts per million in 2015 due to human activities and a strong El Niño.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the fifteenth meeting of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre Advisory Board, in New York today:
