The launch of a credible Constitutional Committee for Syria should be the beginning of a political process to end the conflict in that country in accordance with the legitimate aspirations of all its people, the Security Council said in a presidential statement today.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Imran Riza of Pakistan as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Syria, with the host Government’s approval. Mr. Riza will also serve as United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator.
Following days of protests in Haiti, the United Nations peacekeeping mission — concerned by reports of violence and arson — says it is in discussions with local stakeholders and international partners to find a peaceful way out of the crisis. It praised the Haitian National Police, which has done its utmost to provide security.
Sketching out the contours of a newly agreed Constitutional Committee for Syria today, the senior United Nations official in that country urged all parties there, as well as Security Council members, to seize that new development as a “sign of hope for the long-suffering Syrian people”.
The Security Council failed to adopt two draft resolutions on the situation in Syria today — one tabled by Belgium, Germany and Kuwait; the other by China and the Russian Federation — amid heated debate on their content and concern over the fate of civilians in Idlib Governorate.
With winter fast approaching, funding and supplies will be essential to meet the growing needs of Syria’s people, a top United Nations humanitarian official told the Security Council today, laying out the extensive challenges confronting aid workers working tirelessly to reach civilians with life-saving assistance.
In the Central African Republic, violence in the town of Birao has displaced more than 14,000 people, who are now being protected by United Nations peacekeepers in a camp next to the United Nations base and airstrip. The United Nations Mission has taken additional steps to prevent new clashes and restore calm.
In Ukraine, the United Nations and aid agencies are urgently calling for $52 million to address the most acute, time-critical humanitarian needs before sub‑zero temperatures arrive. Only 32 per cent of the Organization’s $162 million Humanitarian Response Plan for the country in 2019 has been funded so far.
The United Nations Network on Migration reiterated today its call to end the detention of children for immigration purposes in every region of the world. They said detaining children in such a context – whether they are travelling alone or with their families – has been recognized as a violation of children’s rights.
