With fighting intensifying in Yemen and the threat of famine looming large as donor countries fail to deliver on their humanitarian pledges, the parties to the conflict — which flared in 2015 — must choose the path of peace and work with the United Nations to finalize a joint declaration on a nationwide ceasefire, briefers told the Security Council today.

The Economic and Social Council, holding the first plenary meeting of its 2021 session in the General Assembly Hall today, adopted four resolutions and one decision, took note of more than 50 texts adopted by the silence procedure during COVID-19-related restrictions at Headquarters and filled subsidiary body vacancies, but failed to agree on a draft ministerial declaration on sustainable development ahead of the Decade of Action on achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In Sudan, nearly 720,000 people have been affected by floods, with more than 100 deaths reported, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.  While the United Nations and its partners have reached 200,000 with health, food and other assistance, the $1.6 billion Humanitarian Response Plan is less than half funded.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day of Democracy, observed on 15 September:

The General Assembly adopted two resolutions today on the global response to COVID-19, nearly six months after the novel coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside a third resolution on the fight against malaria under way in Africa.

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

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, in Doha today:

Until the outstanding issues related to Syria’s initial declaration of its chemical weapons stockpile and programme are closed, the international community cannot have full confidence that its activities have ended, the United Nations top disarmament expert told the Security Council in a 10 September videoconference meeting.

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

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the General Assembly and Security Council on the 2020 Report on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace, in New York today: