More than 150 religious actors and prominent leaders today welcomed the momentous step taken by the representatives of the Christian, Kakai, Shia, Sunni and Yazidi communities in Iraq through the adoption of an Interfaith Statement on the Victims and Survivors of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) in March.  This was convened as part of a virtual conference hosted jointly by the Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, the United Nations Investigative Team to promote accountability for the crimes committed by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD) and Religions for Peace. 

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the launch of United Nations postage stamps to support the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, in New York today:

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Christoph Heusgen (Germany):

The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund warned today that disruptions in the delivery and uptake of immunization services caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is causing an alarming decline in the number of life-saving vaccines for children around the world, threatening hard-won progress.

Addressing what has become the worst human crisis in decades requires a new dynamic to overcome the widespread negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Economic and Social Council’s President said at its 2020 high-level political forum on sustainable development, held from 7 to 17 July via videoconference due to coronavirus-related restrictions at United Nations Headquarters.

On the recommendation of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the General Assembly adopted two decisions on 13 July, one deferring financial discussions around the closure of the United Nations operation in Côte d’Ivoire, and the second keeping the issue of a global service delivery model — aimed at consolidating the Organization’s administrative services — under review.

The United Nations Department of Global Communications Civil Society Association Committee approved the association of five civil society organizations with the Department on Friday, 26 June.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed’s keynote remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the High-Level Political Forum side event on Sustainable Finance’s Role in Reducing Modern Slavery:  COVID-19’s Lessons on Protecting the Most Vulnerable, in New York today:

Attacks against community leaders, human rights defenders, former combatants and women — along with the COVID-19 pandemic that is exacerbating them — are the gravest threats now facing Colombia’s five-year-old peace process, the United Nations senior official in the country told the Security Council today.

The Security Council today underscored the role of youth in preventing and resolving conflict, as well as in building and maintaining peace, encouraging Member States to include young people in decision-making processes across these areas.