United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said the goal of a zone free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East is “becoming more urgent by the day,” with “regional conflicts raging and tensions reaching a boiling point”.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, as delivered by Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, to the Security Council on Ukraine, in New York today:
The General Assembly today adopted six draft resolutions underscoring the imperatives of continued cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations. Delegates also raised specific concerns on matters capable of advancing or jeopardizing these partnerships.
A convoy of 109 trucks with food supplies for the World Food Programme and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, originally scheduled for 17 November, was instructed by the Israel Defense Forces to depart at short notice via an unfamiliar route on 16 November from the Kerem Shalom crossing and was looted inside Gaza.
Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, observed on 25 November:
The Security Council, meeting once again amid the 19-month brutal war raging in Sudan that has led to the world’s largest displacement crisis, rejected today a draft resolution intended to bolster measures to protect civilians and increase humanitarian aid access.
Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message to the fifth session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction, in New York today:
Despite pledges to slash methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 — key to getting global warming under control, only 1 per cent of the Methane Alert and Response System in the past year were responded to, a UN Environment Programme report released today states. The system is an untapped opportunity for climate action.
Citing an “apocalyptic” situation in northern Gaza, delegates in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today reaffirmed their funding commitments and support for UNRWA’s life-saving work and urged the Israeli Knesset to stop its attempts to dismantle the Agency, as that could fuel “hopelessness and radicalization”, and lead to a humanitarian catastrophe.
Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Children’s Day, observed on 20 November:
