In a video message to the opening of the 2017 session of the Conference on Disarmament, the Secretary-General described disarmament as an integral element of a peaceful and prosperous world, spotlighting its potentially important role in ending existing conflicts and preventing the outbreak of new strife.
Yemen
The Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council today that despite the relative tranquillity of the Israel-Palestinian conflict compared to other regional crises, the spectre of violence is always near. He said that all stakeholders must avoid any unilateral action that would prejudge a negotiated final status solution.
This morning the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations briefed the Security Council on Darfur. Although there been a decrease in armed conflict in Darfur, he said, civilians had remained exposed to significant sources of insecurity such as intercommunal conflict and criminality.
The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations briefed the Security Council today saying that the 31 December 2016 agreement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had contributed to defusing tensions there. However, he noted that major efforts would need to be made to ensure all parties follow and implement the agreement.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) launched today two international emergency appeals totalling $813 million to meet the critical humanitarian needs of refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and those affected by the conflict in Syria.