Category: MIL-OSI

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

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Briefing by Claudio Cordone, Deputy Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, on the situation in the Middle East.

Briefing the Council on his latest visit to the country, the Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Claudio Cordone, said, “I have seen further progress in institutional development, while Syrians continue to grapple with dire economic conditions and the country confronts internal and external security challenges.”

Cordone said he had the opportunity “to hear from local officials and civil society in different parts of the country a strong commitment to build a Syria where everyone feels they belong, with representative institutions, a culture of accountability for both past and present, and tangible improvements in people’s lives with sustained international support.”

He told the Council he had “also discussed with the Syrian authorities’ preparations for the holding of future parliamentary and presidential elections, and possibly other elections, in line with a new constitution.”

The Special Envoy stressed that “the heavy lifting needed for the implementation of these electoral plans within the remaining three-and-a-half years of the transition must not be underestimated.”

He said, “Israeli presence and military activity in southern Syria has continued in violation of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, with near-daily incursions, temporary checkpoints, searches of homes and artillery fire, particularly in Quneitra and western Daraa.”

Cordone noted that “two Syrians who were taken to Israel and held there were returned home, but others remain in Israeli custody” and on 9 September, “Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu visited Israeli forces on Jabal al-Sheikh / Mount Hermon, reiterating that Israel would not permit hostile forces to establish themselves along its border.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aARdGf-GhrA