The Security Council, in a videoconference meeting on 28 August, announced its adoption of a resolution calling for greater action to bolster the role of women — both uniformed and civilian — in all levels of peacekeeping.

The Security Council, in a videoconference meeting on 28 August, announced its decision to renew the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until 31 August 2021 while reducing the maximum number of authorized troops from 15,000 to 13,000.

The new Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations, Robert Rae, presented his credentials to the Secretariat today.

The new Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations, María del Carmen Squeff, presented her credentials to the Secretariat today.

The spread of COVID-19 in Syria is likely more severe than official data suggests, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council during a videoconference meeting on 27 August, adding that food insecurity remains a nationwide concern and that humanitarian convoys are suffering delays after the 15-member organ in July reduced the number of authorized border crossings to one.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed deep concern over death threats against Congolese rights defender and Nobel Prize Laureate Denis Mukwege, calling for a swift investigation and action to bring the perpetrators to justice.  The threats followed his condemnation of the killing of civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the nineteenth Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture, “The Rise of Renewables:  Shining a Light on a Sustainable Future”, in New York today:

Since its unanimous adoption on 28 April 2004, resolution 1540 (2004) has been a vital component of the international non-proliferation architecture and main guidance for the international community’s efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, their means of delivery and related materials to and by non-State actors.

Despite positive first steps by Iraq’s new Prime Minister, the country continues to operate in “the eye of multiple storms”, from popular discontent to mounting hunger to economic woes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the top United Nations official in the country told the Security Council during a 26 August videoconference meeting.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has put two reports online, one detailing violations in eastern Ukraine and Crimea, and the other warning that accountability for violations committed in the context of demonstrations remains elusive, despite promising steps by the Government of Iraq.