Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– UN Economic and Social Council
– Deputy Secretary-General
– International Day of Education
– Security Council
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Lebanon
– Syria
– Syria/Kobani
– Afghanistan
– Iran
– Mozambique
– Nigeria
– Noon Briefing Guests
– Honour Roll
UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
The Secretary-General spoke this morning to mark the 80th anniversary of the first meeting of the Economic and Social Council, or ECOSOC. He said that for eight full decades, ECOSOC has been an engine of progress. And yet he noted that despite signs of real progress, our world is in a precarious state. He said that today’s intertwined crises demand urgent, collective responses, and ECOSOC can help lead the way.
Mr. Guterres urged Member States to take immediate steps to implement the reforms they committed to in the Pact for the Future, including steps to strengthen ECOSOC’s work as a principal organ for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue, and decisions on economic and social development.
The Secretary-General said that ECOSOC has a vital role to play in our divided and unequal world — and we must waste no time in strengthening it.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
Today, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed was in Paris to take part in a UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) event to mark the International Day of Education.
In her remarks, she underscored the role of young people as co-creators in shaping education. She also highlighted education as one of the most powerful tools to change the world, and emphasized its importance for sustainable development, inclusion, and peace. Ms. Mohammed also stressed the need to prepare young people for a rapidly changing digital future, while addressing both the opportunities and risks of new technologies, and reaffirmed the importance of safe, inclusive learning environments, particularly in contexts of conflict and crisis. The Deputy Secretary-General met with the newly appointed Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Khaled El-Enany. They discussed strengthened collaboration between the United Nations and UNESCO, as well as priority actions for the post-2030 education agenda, with youth at the center.
She also met with the Chair of the UNESCO Executive Board and a group of Member States. Discussions focused on UNESCO priorities and the UN80 process, including the role of UNESCO within broader United Nations system-wide reform efforts.
She is expected to return to New York this weekend.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-01-23