In the wake of a day-long open debate on protecting civilians in armed conflict that it held on 21 May, the Security Council today adopted a resolution calling on States to respect and protect United Nations and humanitarian personnel in accordance with their obligations under international law, recalling those established 75 years ago in the Geneva Conventions of 1949.

The Security Council today unanimously adopted a presidential statement aimed at addressing security, political and humanitarian challenges in West Africa and the Sahel.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN peacekeepers are conducting day and night joint patrols with the Congolese armed forces in several areas in North Kivu province to ensure the protection of civilians and prevent the free movement of armed groups, particularly the Allied Democratic Forces.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the United Nations Security Council debate “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Strengthening the Role of the African State in Addressing Global Security and Development Challenges”, in New York today:

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Mari Yamashita of Japan as the Deputy Head of Mission of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA).

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

The General Assembly today adopted a resolution on the Srebrenica genocide, designating 11 July as the “International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica”, to be observed annually, amid a flurry of abstentions and votes against the measure, including from Serbia, which decried the “highly politicized” nature of the resolution.

The Security Council today unanimously adopted a presidential statement aimed at strengthening the role of African countries in addressing global security and development challenges, as speakers debated the intricate and complex dynamics between peace and development in those States and across their continent.

In Burundi, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator has allocated $2.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to provide life-saving assistance to over 63,000 people, including water and hygiene kits, latrines, health support and cash, affected by severe flooding and landslides across the country.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres flew from Muscat, Oman, to Manama, Bahrain, in the early evening of Wednesday, 15 May.