As Headquarters observes the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers on Friday, 29 May, Secretary-General António Guterres will lay a wreath to honour all “Blue Helmets” who have lost their lives since 1948, and preside over a ceremony to award posthumously the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal to the 83 military, police and civilian peacekeepers who lost their lives in 2019.
Following are Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, to Session 2 of the Africa Dialogues Series 2020 on COVID-19 and Silencing the Guns in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities; Global Solidarity and Stronger Partnerships for Africa’s response to COVID-19 and Silencing the Guns:
The United Nations and the Government of Bangladesh are making preparations as Super Cyclone Storm Amphan approaches landfall tomorrow, potentially impacting more than 14 million people in the country. The Humanitarian Coordination Task Team and the Government are working on preparedness and response activities.
In Bangladesh, the United Nations and partners have bolstered the response to COVID-19 in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar following the first confirmed case there, amid serious concerns that the virus could severely impact the densely populated settlements, which shelter some 860,000 refugees.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) warned today that devastating gaps in social protection coverage in developing countries could compromise COVID-19 recovery plans and expose millions to poverty, as 55 per cent of the world’s population is not covered by social insurance or assistance.
Today on International Nurses Day, the World Health Organization remind us that as the world struggles to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic there is an urgent shortage of nurses worldwide. Almost 6 million more are needed, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Sven Jürgenson (Estonia):
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
Ahead of Mother’s Day — observed in May in nearly 130 countries — the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is spotlighting ways that COVID-19 has recast motherhood and overwhelmed health facilities. It is calling on Governments to help pregnant women receive check-ups and delivery care.
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.
