Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Bintou Keita knows instinctively that some moments call for a more human response than words alone can offer. Once, at a ceremony to mark the end of the devastating Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, she found herself hesitating to deliver her pre-prepared statement to a grief-stricken crowd.

“I have my statement, but I can’t deliver [it] because there’s something else I have to do before. And in that moment, what came to me was humming, so I did it. And at that moment, the tears – my own, the tears in the audience – came out. These people were grieving, were still mourning.”

Bintou Keita has retired after 36 years with the UN, most recently the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and head of the peacekeeping mission there. In this episode, she reflects on times when peacekeepers saved thousands of lives, on hopes for a people reeling from decades of violence, and shares why she learned to never say never again.

[00:00] Introduction
[01:57] Conflict in the DRC and the fluctuating will for peace
[05:23] When violence becomes normalized
[07:49] Empowering communities to use their own voice
[12:52] Making the case for peacekeeping
[16:18] The UN family in action during crisis
[20:33] Unprecedented funding cuts and their human cost
[23:03] Pride and hope for the DRC’s future
[24:36] The Ebola crisis and taming fear
[29:18] The power of human connection over protocol
[32:36] Bringing humanity into work
[36:24] From a military family to peacekeeping
[39:57] What keeps Bintou awake at night
[42:44] Looking to the future
[45:14] Closing remarks

Listen to more Awake at Night episodes: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwoDFQJEq_0b6hu1e8oxsch9W0D7vkNqt
#podcast #UnitedNations #AwakeAtNight #Peacekeeping

About Awake at Night
Hosted by Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, the podcast ‘Awake at Night’ is an in-depth interview series focusing on remarkable United Nations staff members who dedicate their career to helping people in parts of the world where they have the hardest lives – from war zones and displacement camps to areas hit by disasters and the devastation of climate change

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bM-ybpuEjU

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Syria/Humanitarian
Syria
Lebanon/Israel
Somalia
Ethiopia
Madagascar
Ukraine
New Resident Coordinators – Nepal and Iran
World Wetlands Day
Honour Roll
Briefing

————————————————————-
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

Turning to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, we welcome the re-opening of the Rafah crossing. As we have said before, civilians must be allowed to leave and return voluntarily and safely, as international law requires. Ultimately, essential humanitarian supplies must enter in sufficient quantities and with fewer restrictions through Rafah and all other crossings.

Also today, WHO supported medical evacuation efforts from Gaza. The limited re-opening of the Rafah crossing allowed some patients and companions to exit directly to Egypt, while others transited through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom/ Kerem Abu Salem crossing. 

The World Health Organization tells us that the last medical evacuation through Rafah crossing dates back to May 2024.  

Over the weekend, the UN system, including our colleagues from OCHA, UNDP and the Department of Safety and Security, undertook an advance mission to assess road conditions, and the World Health Organization carried out a technical mission to examine the compound area and access roads, to ensure appropriate and dignified conditions. 

OCHA – together with several UN entities and NGO partners – has set up a reception area at the Nassar hospital in Khan Younis.

We also saw the reports of violence over the weekend and we are very concerned about the killing of civilians and Israeli airstrikes. Again, we condemn all killings of civilians.

And just a note on the reception centre at the Nassar centre. It is staffed with psychologists and protection specialists and equipped with food, information materials and internet access to provide returning people with support. Our colleagues from the World Food Programme and the UN Human Rights Office are among those operating the reception. 

SYRIA/HUMANITARIAN

The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to reach thousands of people in the northeast with critical assistance.

Today, a convoy consisting of two dozen trucks and one mobile clinic arrived in Ain Al Arab/Kobani in Aleppo Governorate, delivering ready-to-eat food, health supplies and fuel. This is the second convoy to reach the area in a week, as the city continues to face shortages of water, communications, medical supplies and food, among other basic services, with communities relying on bakeries as the primary source of sustenance.

Since the fighting broke out in Aleppo in December, more than 150,000 people have received humanitarian assistance. Yesterday, a 50-truck UN convoy carrying humanitarian aid from Damascus reached the city of Qamishli in Hasakeh Governorate.

That is the third such convoy in a week.

As of 25 January, more than 170,000 people have been forced to flee their homes across 178 communities across the northeast of Syria, mostly in Al-Hasakeh governorate. The vast majority of these people are women and children, who face heightened risks of violence and abuse.

Nearly three quarters of displaced families are living with host communities, putting additional strain on housing, water, basic services, and livelihoods in already challenging situations for the hosts.

While some have returned home, many remain displaced due to explosive ordnance, infrastructure that is damaged, winter conditions, and limited access to the most basic of essential services.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-02-02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ew4z0ulmGQ

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The UN Spokesperson addresses recent reports of IDF activity along the Blue Line, reiterating calls for restraint, respect for international law, and the importance of maintaining stability.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0t6EULi4WHU

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Delegates from around the world gather in New York for the 64th session of the Commission for Social Development. The conference looks to turn the commitments of the Doha Political Declaration into concrete actions, in the areas of poverty eradication, decent work and social integration.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/1gMoHOMXqvE

Source: United Nations (video statements)

On 4 February 2026, on the UN International Day of Human Fraternity, the UN Movie Society of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council is honoured to present a special conversation with filmmaker Cherien Dabis, director of the Oscar-shortlisted feature film – ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU – Jordan’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2026 Academy Awards.

ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU is a sweeping intergenerational epic that spans over 70 years of Palestinian history. rough the story of one family—led by a patriarch and his descendants—the film illustrates what has been called the "continuous Nakba" (catastrophe) and traces the evolution of Palestinian resistance and identity. The film meticulously chronicles four primary historic periods: the 1948 Nakba, life under occupation in the 1970s, the First Intifada in 1988, and the contemporary era ending in 2022. One of the film’s central questions asks: is it possible to heal? ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU was intended to honor Palestinian healing and explore how trauma and memory are inherited across generations.

The International Day of Human Fraternity reminds us that we belong to one human family: diverse in culture and belief, equal in dignity, and stronger when we choose respect over suspicion. At a time of growing tensions and polarization, human fraternity is not only an ideal; it is a practical commitment to live together peacefully and to protect the rights and dignity of every person. ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU powerfully embodies these principles through cinema. In a world where cinema often focuses on conflict and division, ALL THAT’S LEFT OF YOU is deeply rooted in love, kindness, generosity, and peace. At its heart, the film also explores one of humanity’s most profound acts of generosity—organ donation—through an intimate lens that challenges audiences to consider questions of identity, legacy, and connection that transcend borders.

On this occasion, the event will be opened with remarks delivered by H.E. Ms. Feda M. Abdelhady, Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations. The United Nations is dedicated to humanitarian support, human dignity, and international cooperation—and this film speaks directly to these shared values. As the UN observance emphasizes, human fraternity is grounded in the recognition that people of all backgrounds make valuable contributions to humanity, and that mutual understanding can deepen through dialogue and storytelling.

Movies hold the unique power to promote universal ideals, principles, and values so deeply enshrined by the United Nations, including peace, development, respect for human rights, cultural appreciation, the dignity of the human person, and equal rights for all. Founded at the United Nations Headquarters by Brenda Vongova, the UN Movie Society is committed to championing the goals and values of the United Nations through the universal language of motion pictures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vve_xDH6-4