Addressing the closing session of the General Assembly’s debate on the world economy, the Secretary-General said another worldwide recession could be even more devastating since there are less resources and fiscal capacity to respond. This is a reason to recommit to sustainable development, not shrink from it, he said.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
Addressing today’s General Assembly’s thematic debate on the world economy, the Secretary-General said the old economic model is broken, and we need to create a new one for dynamic growth. This, he said, would be the focus of the Rio+20 Conference, adding his concern with the pace and ambition of negotiations so far.
Speaking at the General Assembly’s thematic debate on security in Central America this morning, the Secretary-General noted that the armed conflicts that once burned through the region are no more, that political violence has been greatly reduced, and that democratic processes are being consolidated.
The Joint Special Envoy for Syria remains extremely concerned about the plight of 1 million Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance. He strongly urges the Government to accept the conditions for a scaling up of the humanitarian assistance without further delay. He underlines the need for a speedy agreement consistent with the Government’s commitment to allowing unimpeded access to and provision of assistance to Syrians in need.
The UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reports that seven peacekeepers were wounded by gunfire in an area of South Kivu on Monday. Several other peacekeepers were also injured after being hit by stones when a group of some 1,000 people surrounded a base belonging to the Mission in the area.
The United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) continues to step up its deployment on the ground. Today, the Mission has 145 observers and 56 civilian staff deployed in Syria. The Mission is also carrying out patrols, one day after the attacks that took place in Damascus.
The United Nations-League of Arab States Joint Special Envoy for Syria, Kofi Annan, has condemned in the strongest possible terms the attacks that took place earlier today in Damascus. These abhorrent acts are unacceptable, he said, calling on all parties to avoid further bloodshed and to protect civilians.
This morning in Syria, an explosion occurred in the vicinity of a convoy of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria, soon after it had crossed a military checkpoint on the road approaching the town of Dar’a. The Head of the Mission, Major General Robert Mood, was in that convoy, and there were no casualties among the members of the Mission.
Kofi Annan, the UN-League of Arab States Joint Special Envoy for Syria, briefed the Security Council today by videoconference from Geneva on the latest developments. Hervé Ladsous, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, briefed on deployment of the UN Stabilization Mission in Syria.
The Secretary-General is in Washington, D.C., today, where he is speaking at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies about the growth of UN peacebuilding. He is talking about how peacebuilding saves lives, protects human rights and promotes the rule of law.