Peacekeeping

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

Angela Merkel, the former Chancellor of Germany, was announced today as the recipient of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) 2022 Nansen Refugee Award. The award is given to an individual, group or organization that has worked to protect refugees, internally displaced or stateless people.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Michel Xavier Biang (Gabon):

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

Despite progress in preparations for its general elections, as well as in its financial governance, the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to face a deteriorating security situation amid ongoing violence by armed groups against civilians, the top United Nations official in the country told the Security Council today ahead of ongoing plans for the mission’s withdrawal.

Today is International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction and this year’s theme is “Stop Food Loss and waste, for the people, for the planet”. Food loss and waste account for 8 to 10 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions.

The United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide welcomed the opening of the trial against Félicien Kabuga before the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague.  Mr. Kabuga, among other offenses, is charged with genocide and crimes against humanity, committed in Rwanda in 1994.

In Cuba, the United Nations took part in the consultation process to make reforms to the country’s Family Code. Almost 75 per cent of Cubans voted on 25 September in a referendum on the diversity of families, affection and solidarity as key social values and strengthening the protection of a host of vulnerable groups.

In Syria, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator there expressed serious concern yesterday over the ongoing cholera outbreak in the country. The number of confirmed cholera cases so far is 20 in Aleppo, 4 in Lattakia and 2 in Damascus.

On Saturday, accompanied by Pakistan’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, the Secretary-General travelled to Balochistan, Larkana and Sukkur, in Sindh Province, and met with a group of women and men who abandoned everything to help their neighbours reach safety as their houses flooded. He said he had never seen climate carnage on this scale.