The Security Council’s agenda for February will feature two major meetings — one on climate security risks and the other on equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in conflict-affected areas, its President for the month said during a video press conference today.
Clashes and administrative hurdles are limiting humanitarian access to Ethiopia’s Tigray region, including two refugee camps that have been inaccessible since November 2020, according to officials. United Nations personnel are working with the Government to ensure clearances for aid workers, many of whom are waiting with supplies in Addis Ababa.
The General Assembly concluded its discussion of the Secretary-General’s report on the work of the United Nations today, taking note of his report (document A/75/1), as delegates resoundingly called for a renewed multilateralism that prioritizes the needs of countries in varying degrees of distress as they struggle to emerge stronger than ever from the onslaught of COVID-19.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
Following a year of devastating economic, social and development setbacks, Secretary-General António Guterres briefed the General Assembly today on his urgent priorities for 2021, calling upon nations to embrace bold, green and equitable shifts “or risk locking the world into harmful practices for decades to come”.
Recognizing the efforts of the League of Arab States towards regional stability, the Security Council today further encouraged the bloc to contribute to collective endeavours aimed at peacefully resolving conflicts in the Arab region.
The United Nations and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research hosted an online discussion on how to prioritize actions to recover more equitably from the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 100 participants from 60 countries attended, including those responsible for $100 billion annually in global research investments.
The Security Council, acting through its temporary silence procedure amid the ongoing COVID‑19 pandemic, decided today to extend the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for a further period ending on 31 July 2021.
Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message for the second breakfast meeting on the Sustainable Infrastructure Investment Facility, held today:
Following is the transcript of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ press conference, held in New York today:
