Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu told reporters in New York that because of today’s “extremely challenging international peace and security environment,” this year’s Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is “more important than ever.”
Nakamitsu called upon all state parties “to take their collective responsibility very seriously and call on them to engage in good faith and also flexibility.”
She said, “I am not sure if there is a high ambition as such, that, you know, extremely ambitious, detailed disarmament, commitments will be forthcoming in the NPT. But I think that shared sentiment of crisis that, my God, we need to protect this regime. Otherwise, the world will suffer from even further instability and insecurity. That shared sentiment, I think, will help states parties to engage with each other.
Taking questions from reporters, the disarmament chief said, “Israel has never admitted formally or denied. but, generally speaking, it is recognised as possessing, nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons, as, non-party. They’re not a party to the NPT.”
She said four states have been called upon “to accede to NPT as non-nuclear weapon states. Those four states are Israel, India, Pakistan, and South Sudan.”
When it comes to nuclear weapons, Nakamitsu said, “we are in a very, unfortunate situation where the gains of past, I mean, gains that we have made towards the end of the Cold War, by the INF treaty – which also does not exist anymore – and during the post-Cold War era disarmament gains, now really, one by one, gone. And we are beginning to see a reversal, in that trajectory.”
The 11th NPT Review Conference is set to take place from 27 April to 22 May 2026 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. This conference will bring together representatives from 191 states-parties to assess the implementation of the NPT and seek agreement on a final document that outlines action steps to advance its core principles and objectives.
As the architects of everyday peace, young people are driving change and expanding opportunities in their communities and beyond. In a dynamic conversation, on Everyday Peace: Youth on the Frontlines of Change, youth leaders, grassroots activists, and experts will dive into the impact of youth agency.
The conversation will showcase how young people are co-creating stability locally and globally, while also previewing how this evidence will feed directly into the UN Secretary-General’s forthcoming independent study on youth’s positive contributions to peace which aims to politically advance the youth, peace and security agenda.
Moderator
Ishaan Shah, Lead Next Generation Fellow, UN Foundation
Speakers
Kenan Fehrić, Member, UN Youth Advisory Board in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Rahaf Abu Mayyaleh, Generation17 Young Leader, UN Development Programme
Opening remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of United Nations, on the Pact for the Future and the UN80 Initiative: From Commitments to Delivery – General Assembly, Interactive Dialogue, 80th session.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
-Lebanon/Israel
-Lebanon/Humanitarian
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– UN80
– Deputy Secretary-General
– Food Insecurity and Malnutrition
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– ABYEI
– Somalia
– peace-building Fund
– Trust Fund in Support of the Gang Suppression Force
– EXPO 2027
– International Days
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LEBANON/ISRAEL
We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of yet another Blue Helmet, who died earlier today. The Secretary‑General expresses his deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of 31-year old Corporal Rico Pramudia, of Indonesia, as well as to the Government and people of his country.
Corporal Pramudia succumbed to his wounds sustained in an incident that took place on 29 March, when a projectile hit his position at Adchit Al Qusayr, in southern Lebanon. At that time, his position came under fire, amidst hostilities between Israel and Hizbullah.
[On that weekend, another incident], you will recall tragically claimed the life of Indonesian peacekeeper Cadet Fahrizal Rambe. As previously shared, preliminary findings of the investigation indicate that a shell fired from an Israel Defense Forces Merkava tank struck a UNIFIL position, leading to the death of [Cadet Fahrizal Rambe.]
In order to mitigate risks to UN personnel, UNIFIL has repeatedly provided the Israel Defense Forces with the coordinates of all UN positions and facilities.
The Secretary‑General once again calls on all to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel, as well as the inviolability of UN property and assets at all times.
As a tragic reminder of the dangers of these hostilities, With Corporal Pramudia’s passing, six peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL have now been killed and several others seriously injured amidst the recent hostilities between Hizbullah and Israel. These incidents are unacceptable and they must stop. We have requested that the relevant parties ensure these cases are investigated and, where appropriate, prosecuted by national authorities in order to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure accountability. Attacks against UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.
On the political front, the Secretary-General welcomes the announcement yesterday of a three-week extension to the cessation of hostilities arrangement agreed to by the Lebanese government and Israel. Mr. Guterres urges all to fully respect the cessation of hostilities and to cease further attacks.
Despite this agreement, our peacekeeping colleagues in the South did report a concerning incident earlier this afternoon. As a UNIFIL patrol was clearing a roadblock near the village of Tiri, in Sector West, an Israeli drone dropped a stun grenade a few metres from the peacekeepers. Roadblock clearance is essential to ensure the freedom of movement of all UNIFIL patrols. Thankfully, no peacekeepers were injured, and the patrol was able to continue on its work.
LEBANON/HUMANITARIAN
Moving to the humanitarian front in Lebanon, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs say that while the ceasefire has slowed down displacement, people are still on the move as families trying to return to their communities face damaged homes, disrupted services and continued security risks.
There are nearly 116,000 people that are still registered in collective shelters countrywide. That is down by about 4 per cent just from yesterday. These are the registered numbers. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced outside of these shelters, and they are staying with relatives, host communities and other makeshift arrangements.
In Beirut, displacement has increased as instability persists in parts of southern Lebanon.
Some families are going back briefly to check on their homes, but returns remain limited in the South, Nabatieh, in Beirut’s southern suburbs and parts of the Bekaa valley.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs yesterday released a new mapping of access restrictions that Israeli forces have set up across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
It shows that restrictions on movements and access of Palestinians across the West Bank is tightening. On at least three occasions last month, Israeli forces installed obstacles, which can include checkpoints, gates, trenches and earth mounds, across Nablus, Salfit and Tubas governorates in the West Bank. These obstacles disrupt people’s access to services, homes and livelihoods and come on top of other restrictions that have been imposed for decades.
Full Highlight: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-04-24
The choice of the tenth UN Secretary-General, who will take office in January 2027, could shape global diplomacy, the response to crises across the world and the direction of the multilateral system for the next decade.
The four candidates so far in the running participated in a series of “interactive dialogues” at UN Headquarters in New York.
Current General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, explains the process and shares her views on the road ahead.
Briefing by Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, on the question concerning the country.
He said, “When I last briefed you in January, I underscored that Haiti was entering a decisive phase requiring sustained efforts across the political and security tracks. This phase is clearly now fully underway.”
On the political transition, Ruiz Massieu said, “The transfer of executive authority on 7 February to the Council of Ministers, under the leadership of Prime Minister Fils-Aimé, ensured institutional continuity at a moment of significant vulnerability.”
Turning to the humanitarian situation, he added, “Today, as the Council is aware, more than 1.45 million people are internally displaced, mostly because of violence, and an estimated 6.4 million Haitians will require humanitarian assistance in 2026. Behind these figures are communities under immense strain, where insecurity and humanitarian needs are increasingly intertwined. Without tangible improvements on the security front, progress will be difficult to sustain.”
On international coordination, Ruiz Massieu said, “The Coordination Mechanism established on 14 April — bringing together BINUH, the recently established United Nations Support Office in Haiti and the Gang Suppression Force — is instrumental in ensuring that international support is coherent, coordinated and aligned with national priorities determined by the Haitian authorities.”
He added, “As this Council has recognized, the security response alone will not suffice. Renewed national efforts on disarmament, dismantlement, reintegration and community violence reduction play a significant role in consolidating security gains and creating space for further political and electoral progress.”
Comments to the media by Carlos Ruiz Massieu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, on the question concerning the country.
A UNICEF relief mission reached the town of Tebnine in south Lebanon on Thursday, only to find massive destruction and staggering needs.
As a fragile ceasefire with Israel beginning 16 April still holds, an unknown number of people are streaming back to their homes in the south facing major challenges over access to water, electricity, health and education.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Haiti
Trust Fund in Support of GSF
Lebanon
Lebanon/Humanitarian
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Yemen
Central African Republic/Peacekeeping
Central African Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mexico
Unctad
International Days
Financial Contribution
Briefing Tomorrow
HAITI
This morning, at the Security Council, Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, briefed on the situation in Haiti. He said that Haiti stands at a pivotal moment, he said, where political and institutional progress is laying the foundations for a credible path forward.
Haitian stakeholders are clear, Mr. Ruiz-Massieu said, that elections remain the only legitimate path back to constitutional order and our political mission continues to support national efforts and to coordinate international assistance to help deliver credible and inclusive elections in the country.
But, without tangible improvements on the security front, progress will be difficult to sustain. As national security forces continue to be strengthened, the full and timely deployment of the Gang Suppression Force is essential to reinforce these efforts.
Mr. Ruiz-Massieu told Council members that with sustained national commitment and coordinated international support, it is possible to turn this critical phase into a genuine turning point for the country. He renewed our commitment to work alongside the Haitian authorities to help turn this window of opportunity into tangible progress towards restoring security and re-establishing democratic institutions.
TRUST FUND IN SUPPORT OF GSF
The State of Qatar has confirmed a pledge of $30 million to the UN Trust Fund in support of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF), with $10 million to be paid annually over 3 years.
We thank the State of Qatar for their support to the Gang Suppression Force and Haiti.
The Trust Fund has now received a total of $203.3 million, with $174.1 million received in cash.
LEBANON
The Secretary-General was saddened to learn of the death of a second French peacekeeper in the attack that happened on 18 April when peacekeepers came under fire from non-state actors, presumed to be Hizbullah. Corporal Anicet Girardin, succumbed to his wounds in Paris yesterday.
Further on the situation in Lebanon, we condemn the killing of Lebanese journalist, Amal Khalil, in a reported Israeli airstrike in Tiri, in Southern Lebanon yesterday. We extend our condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Amal, and we express our hopes for a full and swift recovery of the second journalist injured in the same incident.
Following the strike, UNIFIL contributed to deconfliction efforts with the Israel Defense Forces to facilitate access for the Lebanese Red Cross to provide assistance to the affected journalists.
The Secretary-General recalls that civilians, including journalists, must be respected and protected at all times. He calls for a prompt and impartial investigation into this killing. Targeting civilians and obstructing aid are violations of international humanitarian law. He reiterates that journalists must be able to perform their essential duties without interference, intimidation or harm.
And as an update on the resupply issue I raised over the past few days, following further deconfliction efforts with the IDF, UNIFIL was able to resupply several isolated positions.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-04-23
