Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, in Astana today:

​​​​​​​Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, observed today:

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today began its line-by-line consideration of a proposed $3.22 billion regular budget for 2023, which includes funding for 10,122 posts and would likely swing upward to $3.4 billion after re-costing.

Continuing its emergency special session, the General Assembly today condemned the Russian Federation’s attempted illegal annexation of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, and demanded it immediately withdraw all its military forces from Ukraine territory.

Despite progress made before the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people worldwide have slid back into extreme poverty, and some 130 million more will do so over the next decade unless the international community takes urgent action, speakers stressed today as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) took up the issue.

As the Sixth Committee (Legal) commenced its debate on the scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction, delegates deliberated on how the principle should be engaged, both nationally and internationally, and under what conditions were necessary when activating national judiciaries.

While steps are being taken to empower and recognize the painful history of indigenous peoples, they are still disproportionately affected by poverty and climate change, the Third Committee (Social Humanitarian, Cultural) heard today as it took up the rights of indigenous peoples.

The gravity of the problems threatening the global village were so immense that it was living on borrowed time, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard as it concluded its general debate.

Colombia is experiencing a period of new expectations due to the total peace policy of newly elected President Gustavo Petro, anchored in the implementation of the Final Agreement with the former Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia‑Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP), the Special Representative for the country told the Security Council today.

The United Nations team in Cuba launched a $42 million Plan of Action to support authorities to address the needs of people impacted by Hurricane Ian. The plan is expected to benefit almost 800,000 people and includes $3.7 million repurposed from the team’s funding and an additional $7.8 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund.