Serbia

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Matilde Mordt of Sweden as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Serbia, with the host Government’s approval, starting on 1 June.

In Ukraine, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that attacks on Kharkiv, in the east of the country, continued over the weekend and today. Local authorities report civilian casualties, including among children, and damage to civilian infrastructure.

Amidst a steady influx of people to Vakaga prefecture from Sudan, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) is maintaining a temporary presence in the village of Tiringoulou following recent attacks against Central African defence forces.

As senior representatives from Serbia and Kosovo traded divergent opinions about the cause of regional insecurity and the reasons for the lack of progress in discussions between both parties, the United Nations top official in Pristina called for restraint and constructive dialogue through all available channels, as some delegates continued to question the need to maintain the Organization’s transitional administration mission in Kosovo.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said it is deeply concerned by recent incidents in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia that saw individuals glorify atrocity crimes and convicted war criminals target certain communities with hate speech, warning of a potential uptick in such acts in 2022, an election year.

The new Permanent Representative of Serbia to the United Nations, Nemanja Stevanović, paid a courtesy call on UN Secretary-General António Guterres today. He earlier presented his credentials to the Secretariat on 12 March.  (See Press Release BIO/5385.)

The new Permanent Representative of Serbia to the United Nations, Nemanja Stevanović, presented his credentials to the Secretariat today.

The United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Mari Yamashita of Japan as his Representative and Director of the United Nations Office in Belgrade.

The Food and Agriculture Organization said it is working to bolster the global response to the Fall Armyworm, considered one of the top 10 devastating plant pests, which places at risk up to 80 million metric tons of maize worth $18 billion per year in Africa, Asia and the Near East.

A new United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report finds that universal child benefits such as cash payments or tax transfers — crucial to fighting child poverty — are only available in 1 out of 10 countries.  Officials say that they are needed now more than ever amid the economic fallout of COVID-19.