BALI, Indonesia, 26 May — Achieving progress for the world’s 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories will require prioritizing inclusion and sustainable development, Indonesia’s Deputy Foreign Minister said today, as the three-day Pacific regional seminar on decolonization concluded.

BALI, Indonesia, 25 May — Speakers stressed the need for more inclusive decision-making, cooperation and a greater United Nations role in decolonization to ensure the world’s remaining 17 Non-Self-Governing Territories are not left behind, as the Special Committee on Decolonization continued its Pacific regional seminar.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks to the closing session of the Economic and Social Council’s operational activities for development segment, in New York today:

The Acting Humanitarian Coordinator in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Yvonne Helle, today warned of repeated demolitions, settlement expansion and settler violence after a Palestinian herding community in the West Bank was dismantled Monday. The United Nations and its partners will continue to provide assistance.

The 2023 Economic and Social Council operational activities for development segment “has fulfilled its role”, a senior United Nations official observed as the organ concluded its three-day annual meeting, with delegates underscoring the importance of regional approaches and spotlighting the pivotal role of resident coordinators and country teams in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

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

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, the World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Cindy McCain and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Director General Qu Dongyu announced today the appointment of Carl Skau of Sweden as WFP Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, to serve at the Assistant Secretary-General level.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal Ceremony and the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award event, in New York today:

African Union-led peace support operations need predictable, adequate and sustainable support in light of a demonstrably inadequate current international peace architecture, senior officials from both the United Nations and the African Union told the Council today, as members discussed how best to leverage the latter organization’s regional expertise to address current and future crises in a context-specific manner.

As reform of the United Nations development system continues — aiming to reinvigorate and fund a stalled and even backsliding 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — the support of resident coordinator and country teams systems remains crucial in coordinating national policies and action on the ground, speakers today told the Economic and Social Council as it continued its annual operational activities for development session.