Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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

Highlights:
– World Food Programme/Appointment
– UNGA 81 Statistics
– Secretary-General/SDG Moment
– Security Council/Peacekeeping
– Peacekeeping Ministerial Handover
– UN System Data Commons
– Pakistan
– Yemen
– Djibouti
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Haiti
– Haiti/Peacebuilding Fund
– Ukraine
– International Days

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME/APPOINTMENT

The Secretary-General and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General QU Dongyu announced their appointment of Luke J. Lindberg of the United States as Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), to succeed Cindy H. McCain of the United States. The Executive Board of WFP has confirmed its concurrence with the appointment.

The Secretary-General and FAO Director-General express their deep appreciation to Ms. McCain for her leadership and dedicated service to WFP. She has led the Programme through one of the most demanding periods in its history, serving as a steadfast voice for people affected by conflict, disaster and severe hunger, and for the courageous personnel serving them on the front lines. Both also wish to express their appreciation to Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of WFP, who will continue to serve as Acting Executive Director of WFP until Mr. Lindberg assumes his position.

Currently serving as Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Mr. Lindberg is the principal diplomat for U.S. agriculture and brings Cabinet-level experience in food assistance policy, trade promotion, and international financing operations as well as overseeing large, decentralized organizations and multi-billion-dollar portfolios.

UNGA 81 STATISTICS

And today we have some numbers for you ahead of the high-level week.

This week, so far, we expect 73 Heads of State, 45 Heads of Government, 49 Ministers, 11 Vice-Presidents and one Crown Prince.

Alongside the mandated meetings, 168 events are scheduled during the high-level period at Headquarters, and Member States so far have submitted 1,000 requests for bilateral meetings amongst themselves.

These numbers are changing, and we’ll update you more on Monday.

SECRETARY-GENERAL /SDG MOMENT

This morning, the Secretary-General delivered remarks at the 2026 SDG Moment. He stressed that the Global Goals are the shared promise made by governments to eradicate poverty and hunger, fight inequality, protect the planet and leave no one behind.

However, this promise is not being kept. Conflicts, the climate crisis, growing inequality and a lack of financing, he said, are placing sustainable development under increasing pressure.

The Secretary-General called for greater investment in education and food security, decent work, healthcare and social protection, as well as firm action on human rights and gender equality. He also urged countries to accelerate a just transition to renewable energy and to increase financing for development to build a fairer, safer and more sustainable world.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-09-18

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGGYol5pZ7w

Source: United Nations (video statements)

From its founding in 1945 to today, the General Assembly has been at the centre of the UN’s story: navigating Cold War tensions, decolonization, apartheid, global crises and the push for reform. UN expert Richard Gowan looks back at how the Assembly evolved and why, eight decades on, it remains the world’s main forum for nations to make their voices heard.

00:00 — The UN is born – In 1945, 50 nations gathered in San Francisco to create the United Nations — with hopes for international law, human rights and a new era of cooperation.
01:20 — The General Assembly takes centre stage – The Security Council was quickly divided by Cold War tensions, while the General Assembly became a key forum for debates on Palestine, Korea and other global crises.
01:39 — Suez and the first peacekeeping mission – The 1956 Suez Crisis put the General Assembly to a major test — and led to the creation of the UN’s first peacekeeping operation.
02:44 — Decolonization changes the UN – As countries gained independence in the 1960s, the General Assembly grew rapidly and became a powerful forum for newly independent nations to challenge the established powers.
03:25 — The fight against apartheid – The Assembly made apartheid in South Africa a major issue, passing resolutions against the system and eventually suspending South Africa’s participation.
04:03 — A new era after the Cold War – The end of the Cold War opened a less confrontational period, giving Member States new opportunities to work together and debate the future of the UN.
04:52 — The push for UN reform – At the turn of the millennium, the General Assembly became an important forum for discussions on reform — including changing the composition of the Security Council and strengthening multilateral cooperation.
06:52 — Why the General Assembly still matters – From Khrushchev and Arafat to Gaddafi, the Assembly has always been part diplomatic forum, part global stage. Today, leaders still come to make their voices heard on the major issues of the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVb_tPfp9FU

Source: United Nations (video statements)

From its founding in 1945 to today, the General Assembly has been at the centre of the UN’s story: navigating Cold War tensions, decolonization, apartheid, global crises and the push for reform. UN expert Richard Gowan looks back at how the Assembly evolved and why, eight decades on, it remains the world’s main forum for nations to make their voices heard.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jE1rexQhvOw

Source: United Nations (video statements)

From its founding in 1945 to today, the General Assembly has been at the centre of the UN’s story: navigating Cold War tensions, decolonization, apartheid, global crises and the push for reform. UN expert Richard Gowan looks back at how the Assembly evolved and why, eight decades on, it remains the world’s main forum for nations to make their voices heard.

00:00 — The UN is born – In 1945, 50 nations gathered in San Francisco to create the United Nations — with hopes for international law, human rights and a new era of cooperation.
01:20 — The General Assembly takes centre stage – The Security Council was quickly divided by Cold War tensions, while the General Assembly became a key forum for debates on Palestine, Korea and other global crises.
01:39 — Suez and the first peacekeeping mission – The 1956 Suez Crisis put the General Assembly to a major test — and led to the creation of the UN’s first peacekeeping operation.
02:44 — Decolonization changes the UN – As countries gained independence in the 1960s, the General Assembly grew rapidly and became a powerful forum for newly independent nations to challenge the established powers.
03:25 — The fight against apartheid – The Assembly made apartheid in South Africa a major issue, passing resolutions against the system and eventually suspending South Africa’s participation.
04:03 — A new era after the Cold War – The end of the Cold War opened a less confrontational period, giving Member States new opportunities to work together and debate the future of the UN.
04:52 — The push for UN reform – At the turn of the millennium, the General Assembly became an important forum for discussions on reform — including changing the composition of the Security Council and strengthening multilateral cooperation.
06:52 — Why the General Assembly still matters – From Khrushchev and Arafat to Gaddafi, the Assembly has always been part diplomatic forum, part global stage. Today, leaders still come to make their voices heard on the major issues of the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVb_tPfp9FU

Source: United Nations (video statements)

For decades, nuclear weapons were tested around the world. Since the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) opened for signature in 1996, that era has changed dramatically. This video, tied with its 30th anniversary being marked during the United Nations high-level week, shows how thanks to the CTBT, a global network of more than 300 monitoring stations can detect the telltale signals of a nuclear explosion anywhere on Earth. Discover how science, technology and diplomacy are helping turn the norm against nuclear testing into law.

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

Source: United Nations (video statements)

We asked AI to show us a CEO… then a secretary.
The results highlight a much bigger issue.

A new UN Women report warns that artificial intelligence can reinforce gender stereotypes and existing inequalities if gender equality isn’t built into AI from the start. Studies cited in the report found gender bias in 44% of AI systems tested, with more than one in four showing both gender and racial bias.

Watch to learn why experts say building better AI for women means building better AI for everyone.

🔗 Learn more from UN Women: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/media-advisory/2026/06/ai-is-already-rewriting-reality-for-billions-of-people-it-is-getting-women-wrong

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cRjsOctcYkQ