The Security Council today adopted a resolution requesting the Secretary-General to appoint a Special Envoy for Afghanistan, provided with robust expertise on human rights and gender, as it also stressed the critical importance of a continued presence of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for New Year’s 2024:

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Andrew Paul Saberton of the United Kingdom as Assistant Secretary-General to serve as Deputy Executive Director (Management) of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2720 (2023).

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President José Javier De La Gasca (Ecuador):

Concluding the main part of its seventy-eighth session, the General Assembly today adopted 28 resolutions and 1 decision, including a $3.59 billion budget for 2024, the establishment of a financing mechanism for the Peacebuilding Fund and the strengthening of a Secretariat office meant to curb the presence of racism in the Organization.

Following is the transcript of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ press conference, in New York today:

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

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of James Eugene McGoldrick of Ireland as his new Ad Interim Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator, Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO). Mr. McGoldrick will also serve as Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim.  He succeeds Lynn Hastings of Canada, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedication and service.

The Security Council today requested the Secretary-General to appoint a Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for the Gaza Strip as it demanded the parties to the conflict to allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to Palestinian civilians throughout that territory.