Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Human Rights Day
Secretary-General Travel
Security Council
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Lebanon
Sudan
Democratic Republic of the Congo/Humanitarian
Ukraine
Central Emergency Response Fund
Global Humanitarian Policy Forum
UN Children’s Fund
Nansen Award
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
Today we mark Human Rights Day. Nearly eighty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, its promise remains essential. Yet civic space is shrinking and serious violations persist, showing disregard for dignity and suffering.
In his message for the Day, the Secretary-General underscores that the UN works every day with partners to help people access their basic rights — from food, shelter and education to peace, equality and a healthy planet. But safeguarding rights requires action from everyone, everywhere.
And in a press conference today in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that human rights are underfunded, undermined and under attack — yet they remain powerful, undeterred and mobilizing. A groundswell of activism, especially by young people, is pushing back against injustice and demanding dignity, equality and accountability. He added that their courage reminds us that universal rights still inspire action and that defending them is essential to our shared future.
SECRETARY-GENERAL TRAVEL
The Secretary-General arrived in Riyadh today to start his official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
A few hours after arriving, the Secretary-General met with the Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Mohammed Bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The Secretary-General commended the long-standing UN-Saudi partnership and support to multilateralism. The Secretary-General and the Crown Prince also exchanged views on a range of regional developments and an analysis of the current geopolitical situation.
On Thursday, the Secretary-General will continue his visit to Saudi Arabia, which will incudes meetings with His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and a separate encounter with His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz, the Minister of Energy.
SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning, the Security Council held a briefing on Afghanistan. The Deputy Special Representative and UNAMA’s officer in charge, Georgette Gagnon, told Council members that the situation of Afghan people demands both urgent attention and greater international support.
Women and girls continue to be systematically excluded from almost all aspects of public life, she said. Media freedom is increasingly restricted, but, she added, the deteriorating human rights situation is not the only crisis affecting the Afghan people. She highlighted how the return of nearly 2.5 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan this year, often under duress, represents a 6 percent population increase, and is compounding the deep-rooted economic, climate and humanitarian crises the country already faces.
As the de facto authorities continue to prevent UN female national staff from accessing UN premises countrywide, Ms. Gagnon called on the support of Council Members to ensure this situation does not become normalized.
Turning to the issue of tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, she welcomed efforts of countries in the region to find a solution through dialogue. She also urged the parties to address the core issues and for both sides to respect the ceasefire in place.
For his part, Tom Fletcher, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, said overlapping shocks, restrictive policies affecting women and girls, the longstanding impact of decades of conflict and chronic poverty, and massive funding cuts, have left Afghanistan in a severe humanitarian crisis.
Despite limited funding, he said that we and our partners have continued to deliver, but as we reach the end of the year, underfunding has forced service closures, resulting in scaled-back assistance to millions. Ultimately that has cost lives.
Mr. Fletched conclude his briefing with three requests for the Security Council:
He asked them to continue to support the implementation of the humanitarian exception in Resolution 2615, to insist that women humanitarian staff can do their jobs without restrictions. and to fund the humanitarian appeal.
Full Highlights:
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2025-12-10