Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Briefings
Secretary-General/India
Peace Bell
Deputy Secretary-General’s Travel
Strait of Hormuz
Lebanon
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Sudan
Central African Republic
Myanmar
Ebola/Rwanda
International Day to Protect Education from Attack
Financial Contributions
Secretary-General/India
Trip announcement for you on Thursday. The Secretary-General will travel to New Delhi in India to attend the 18th Summit of the BRICS.
The Secretary-General has been invited to speak at the Open Session on “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth”. That will take place on 13 September. In his remarks, the Secretary-General is expected to note that today’s economic, demographic, and geopolitical realities are not those of 1945, and that countries represented at the summit speak for that changing reality.
He’s also expected to underscore that multipolarity can help bring balance to global systems and institutions, but this requires forming multilateral institutions, reforming multilateral institutions, including the Bretton Woods system, the Security Council, among others, to reflect today’s realities.
He is expected to have a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and he’s also expected to have bilateral meetings with some other officials who will be attending the summit, but we’ll share those details as we get them.
Peace Bell
Earlier this morning, he rang the Peace Bell at our yearly tradition at the start of each General Assembly session, and remarks delivered there.
The Secretary-General said that each year the toll of the Peace Bell reminds us of the most important and consequential job we have, building peace. In our world today, Mr. [António] Guterres said action for peace is faltering and violence and division are tearing apart communities. But where governments are failing to deliver peace, he said people are showing up in other ways.
Around the world, volunteers, advocates, civil society leaders, peacekeepers, and peacemakers are doing the heavy lifting of peace. As world leaders prepare to gather at the United Nations during the coming weeks, the Secretary-General urges them to follow the lead of these champions of peace, adding that this is the last time he will ring the Peace Bell, but he will always stand with the champions of peace around the world.
Those remarks were shared with you.
And this afternoon he will also speak at the General Assembly at the official commemoration following the passing of the late Emir of Qatar.
Deputy Secretary-General’s Travel
Turning to Nigeria, I just want to flag that our Deputy Secretary-General is on a visit there. Today in Imo State, she joined the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to launch a nationwide programme on women’s economic empowerment. It will support vulnerable women across the country to build sustainable livelihoods and strengthen resilience.
She also met with the governor and other senior government officials and visited a UNDP project in Imo Digital City, which supports efforts to expand digital skills and innovation and job opportunities.
Strait of Hormuz
Turning to the Strait of Hormuz, I can tell you the Secretary-General is deeply concerned by reports of further escalations in and around the Strait of Hormuz over the past days, including attacks against commercial vessels and threats of additional action against maritime and energy infrastructure. Navigational rights and freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz must be fully restored and respected in accordance with international law.
We recall the Secretary-General’s appeal to all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and refrain from actions and rhetoric that could further inflame an already volatile situation. Any further escalation risks grave consequences for civilians, regional stability, international peace and security, and the global economy, as we’ve been telling you. The Secretary-General urges the parties to make full use of diplomatic channels and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiations.
The United Nations Secretariat, as we’ve said, is ready to support all credible efforts aimed at de-escalation and a comprehensive and durable settlement.
Lebanon
Turning to Lebanon, our humanitarian colleagues on the ground tell us that hostilities continue to affect communities across the southern part of the country. The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned by the continued Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon, particularly in Nabatieh and surrounding areas.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-09-09