Following an initiative by Jordan, 167 Member States and Permanent Observers have issued a statement of solidarity and appreciation to the City of New York in the midst of COVID-19.  New York City, the statement says, has been the home that has welcomed and nurtured collective action against global challenges.

Political leaders in Belgrade and Pristina should take a cue from health‑care workers jointly fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, put aside their political agendas and engage anew in a European Union-facilitated dialogue that leads to sustained peace, the top United Nations official in Kosovo told the Security Council during a 24 April videoconference meeting.

Following is a transcript of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s press conference on the launch of the “Rise for All” initiative, held in New York today:

Plans to close the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) by 31 October have been rendered impractical by the spread of COVID-19 and challenges envisioned around the June rainy season, the head of United Nations Peace Operations told the Security Council in a 24 April videoconference meeting, as delegates outlined their views on extending the drawdown beyond the current mandate.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres remarks to the Security Council videoconference on “Youth, Peace and Security towards the fifth anniversary of the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda:  Accelerating Implementation of Resolution 2250 and 2419”, in New York on 27 April.

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

COVID-19 is has pushed nearly 4 million Haitians – about 1 in 3 people – into acute food insecurity, with 1 million people now in a situation of severe hunger, a Government study found.  In the first four months of 2020, the World Food Programme reached 200,000 people, and restarted emergency food and cash distributions.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for International Delegates Day, observed on 25 April:

While Israelis and Palestinians are cooperating in unprecedented ways to combat the expanding COVID-19 pandemic, Israel must do more to safeguard the health of all people under its control, the senior United Nations official in the region told the Security Council in a 23 April videoconference meeting.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the launch of the statement of commitment and call for support for the global collaboration to accelerate the development, production and equitable access to new COVID-19 tools.