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

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 Uganda, the United Nations is supporting authorities to tackle the impacts of climate change and restore degraded forest lands. In the north-eastern region of Karamoja, which is affected by climate change-induced drought and food insecurity, the Organization has helped rehabilitate 122 hectares of land.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Nicolas de Rivière (France):

In Thailand, the United Nations is helping authorities improve green technologies. The Organization is partnering with nearly 300 companies to cut food waste by up to 10 per cent.

In Afghanistan, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing a programme to protect rural livelihoods amid continuing drought and extreme economic crisis and will support more than 9 million people across 34 provinces in 2022.

In Chad, torrential rains have killed 22 people and destroyed more than 2,000 hectares of farmland since June. The United Nations, along with its partners, are supporting the Government in providing emergency assistance of food, shelter, malaria management and other critical help.

Encouraged by the extension of a truce in Yemen until 2 October, the United Nations top official for the country told the Security Council today that he aims for an expanded agreement that would lead to a durable ceasefire and resumption of a Yemeni-led political process as speakers voiced their concerns about the ongoing humanitarian crises and the blocking of roads to Taiz.

The Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) just completed a visit to Kidal, where he met with officials and other stakeholders. Discussions focused on means of improving cooperation and supporting the acceleration of the implementation of the Peace Agreement.

On 10 June, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014) was briefed by Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba on the situation of children and armed conflict in Yemen, upon invitation by the Committee.