The General Assembly today adopted — by an overwhelming majority, though short of the near-unanimous support seen in previous years — a resolution calling for an end to the decades-old United States embargo against Cuba, before turning its attention to the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the complex challenges it faces in an increasingly divided world.
As the Caribbean region prepares for the devastation that will be caused by Hurricane Melissa, speakers at the General Assembly’s annual meeting about the embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba highlighted its impact on ordinary citizens’ lives in that country.
The United States’ recent military strikes against Venezuelan vessels alleged to be transporting drugs — and the heightened response by Caracas — constitute an alarming escalation that must be urgently defused through dialogue, the senior UN official in the Americas told the Security Council today, as Washington, D.C., defended its offensive operation against “non-State terrorist” drug cartels killing thousands in his country.
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo reports that last night, they sheltered approximately 3,500 civilians at the Gina Temporary Operating Base, in Ituri, following clashes between armed members of an armed group, the CRP, and the Congolese Armed Forces.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
The new Representative of the United States to the United Nations, Michael G. Waltz, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.
In the Central African Republic, United Nations peacekeepers have handed over a newly constructed court building to national authorities in N’délé, in the country’s north-east. This marks a first for the town, which until now had no judicial infrastructure meeting minimum standards.
In South Sudan, the World Food Programme (WFP) reports that they have begun airdropping emergency food assistance to thousands of people in the Upper Nile State, where surging conflict since March has pushed some communities to the brink of famine.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
A World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report notes that Asia is currently warming twice as fast as the global average. This is fuelling more extreme weather and taking a heavy toll on the region’s economies, ecosystems and societies.
