Source: United Nations (video statements)
Press Conference by Julius Van Der Walt, UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) on the situation in the West Bank and Gaza as it concerns unexploded ordnance and access.
Iran, Lebanon & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (30 April 2026) | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights
Press Freedom/Women Journalists
Secretary-General/Iran
Security Council
Lebanon
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Somalia
South Sudan
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cameroon
The Gambia
Solomon Islands/Micronesia
Senior Personnel Appointment – Colombia
Jazz Day
PRESS FREEDOM/WOMEN JOURNALISTS
Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, which falls on Sunday, a new analysis from UN Women and their partners, sheds light on a growing and deeply troubling reality. The toll of online violence on women in public life, especially women journalists and media workers.
The findings are stark. Nearly half of women journalists say they self-censor on social media, and more than one in five in their professional work, just to avoid abuse. Many report harassment ranging from non-consensual sharing of personal images to so-called “deepfakes” which are as you may know are AI-generated or AI-altered images, videos, or audio to that make it look like someone said or did something they never actually did. This abuse is often coordinated and designed to silence women’s voices and undermine their credibility, according to the analysis.
Beyond limiting expression, the impact is deeply personal. Significant numbers report anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress linked to the violence they face online.
The report also underscores the serious gaps in legal protection, leaving billions of women and girls without adequate safeguards against cyber harassment. The full report is available online.
Also related to the World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO today announced the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate as the laureate of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. This in recognition of the role the Syndicate has played in condemning the deliberate targeting of journalists in the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/IRAN
The Secretary-General this morning spoke to you about the continuing crisis in the Middle East, where, he said, the consequences grow dramatically worse with each passing hour.
Even in the best-case scenario, he said, this year’s global economic growth will still drop, from 3.4 to 3.1 percent, while inflation will climb from 3.8 to 4.4 percent. By contrast, in the worst scenario, inflation skyrockets past 6 percent, growth plummets to 2 percent, and immense suffering takes hold, especially among the world’s most vulnerable countries and people.
Mr. Guterres appealed to the parties: Open the Strait. Let all ships pass. Let the global economy breathe again.
He said that the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, is, as you know, developing a framework to securely evacuate ships and seafarers from the conflict zone, obviously, if it is safe to do so.
Meanwhile, Jorge Moreira da Silva, the head of the UN Office of Project Services (UNOPS), who is leading the Task Force for the Strait of Hormuz for the UN, will be heading to the region to continue his active consultations for a possible humanitarian corridor to be ready if the worst-case scenario materializes.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-04-30
Non-proliferation: DPRK continued ballistic missile launches – DPPA Briefing | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Briefing by Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, on Non-proliferation/Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
UN Women & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (30 April 2026) | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights
Press Freedom/Women Journalists
Secretary-General/Iran
Security Council
Lebanon
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Somalia
South Sudan
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cameroon
The Gambia
Solomon Islands/Micronesia
Senior Personnel Appointment – Colombia
Jazz Day
PRESS FREEDOM/WOMEN JOURNALISTS
Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, which falls on Sunday, a new analysis from UN Women and their partners, sheds light on a growing and deeply troubling reality. The toll of online violence on women in public life, especially women journalists and media workers.
The findings are stark. Nearly half of women journalists say they self-censor on social media, and more than one in five in their professional work, just to avoid abuse. Many report harassment ranging from non-consensual sharing of personal images to so-called “deepfakes” which are as you may know are AI-generated or AI-altered images, videos, or audio to that make it look like someone said or did something they never actually did. This abuse is often coordinated and designed to silence women’s voices and undermine their credibility, according to the analysis.
Beyond limiting expression, the impact is deeply personal. Significant numbers report anxiety, depression, and even post-traumatic stress linked to the violence they face online.
The report also underscores the serious gaps in legal protection, leaving billions of women and girls without adequate safeguards against cyber harassment. The full report is available online.
Also related to the World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO today announced the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate as the laureate of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. This in recognition of the role the Syndicate has played in condemning the deliberate targeting of journalists in the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/IRAN
The Secretary-General this morning spoke to you about the continuing crisis in the Middle East, where, he said, the consequences grow dramatically worse with each passing hour.
Even in the best-case scenario, he said, this year’s global economic growth will still drop, from 3.4 to 3.1 percent, while inflation will climb from 3.8 to 4.4 percent. By contrast, in the worst scenario, inflation skyrockets past 6 percent, growth plummets to 2 percent, and immense suffering takes hold, especially among the world’s most vulnerable countries and people.
Mr. Guterres appealed to the parties: Open the Strait. Let all ships pass. Let the global economy breathe again.
He said that the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, is, as you know, developing a framework to securely evacuate ships and seafarers from the conflict zone, obviously, if it is safe to do so.
Meanwhile, Jorge Moreira da Silva, the head of the UN Office of Project Services (UNOPS), who is leading the Task Force for the Strait of Hormuz for the UN, will be heading to the region to continue his active consultations for a possible humanitarian corridor to be ready if the worst-case scenario materializes.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-04-30
Strait of Hormuz: Concerned about the curtailment of navigational rights – UN Chief | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
“I am deeply concerned about the curtailment of navigational rights and freedoms in the area of the Strait of Hormuz,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said.
Briefing reporters in New York City, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, “The longer this vital artery is choked, the harder it will be to reverse the damage. And the higher the cost to humanity. Developing countries will be hit the hardest, as crushing debt impedes their ability to cope. With lost jobs, deeper poverty, and more hunger.”
He added, “The crisis has already locked in losses for months to come. Every day that ships cannot move escalates these costs and amplifies their reverberations across the global economy.”
The Secretary-General outlined three possible scenarios. In the best case, even if restrictions are lifted immediately, recovery would be slow, with weaker growth, higher inflation and lingering trade disruptions. A prolonged mid-range disruption would significantly slow global growth, push tens of millions into poverty and deepen hunger due to fertilizer shortages. In the worst-case scenario, disruptions lasting through the end of the year could trigger a global recession, soaring inflation and widespread humanitarian suffering, particularly in developing countries.
Turning to the path forward, Guterres sent a message to all parties involved: “Navigational rights and freedoms must be restored immediately, as affirmed by the Security Council in Resolution 2817. Open the Strait. Let all ships pass. Let the global economy breathe again. That requires more than physical reopening. It requires shipping to be safe, predictable and insurable.”
The Secretary-General also urged all parties “to refrain from actions that could undermine the ceasefire.”
He said, “I have remained in close contact with a number of parties, as has my Personal Envoy Jean Arnault. All our interlocutors – independent of their different perspectives – recognize the need to work towards a peaceful, comprehensive, and durable resolution to the conflict.”
On UN efforts to address the crisis, Guterres stated, “The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, is developing a framework to securely evacuate ships and seafarers from the conflict zone provided it is safe to do so. And the head of the UN Office of Project Services, Jorge Moreira da Silva, who is leading the UN Task Force for the Strait of Hormuz, will be heading to the region to continue his active consultations for a possible humanitarian corridor to be ready if the worst-case scenarios materialize.”
Gaza farmers struggle
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Gaza’s farmers struggle amid price hikes and devastated lands.
Across damaged agricultural lands in Gaza, farmers attempt to resume work while income sources shrink and production costs rise to unprecedented levels.
Why transition away from fossil fuels?
Source: United Nations (video statements)
As the situation in the Strait of Hormuz has shown, a global economy that is built on fossil fuels is inherently volatile and unstable. Assistant Secretary-General of the UN Climate Action Team, Selwin Hart, explains how the just transition away from fossil fuels is no longer just a climate imperative – it’s an economic and development imperative.
2026 International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert (Chicago, USA) | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Renowned musicians from around the world will gather on 30 April in the US city of Chicago for an All-Star Global Concert to mark International Jazz Day. The concert, now in its 15th edition, brings together celebrated artists and audiences to reaffirm the power of jazz in fostering intercultural dialogue, unity and artistic exchange.
The event’s lineup, announced by UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, includes musicians Gregory Porter (United States of America), James Morrison (Australia), Tiger Okoshi (Japan), Mandisi Dyantyis (South Africa), Antonio Sánchez (Mexico), Mino Cinélu (Martinique, France) and many more.
Established by the General Conference of UNESCO in 2011 and recognized by the United Nations General Assembly, International Jazz Day brings together countries and communities worldwide every 30 April. The annual International Jazz Day celebration highlights the power of jazz and its role in promoting peace, dialogue among cultures, diversity and respect for human dignity.
International Jazz Day has become a global movement reaching more than 2 billion people annually on all continents through education programmes, performances, community outreach, radio, television and streaming, along with electronic, print and social media.
More information: https://jazzday.com/
The Uniting Force of #Jazz: The Village Vanguard | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
The Village Vanguard is the oldest jazz club in New York City, founded by Max Gordon in 1935. The club worked as a platform to present all kinds of cultural and political events and became primarily a jazz music venue in 1957. Since then, the club has hosted many renowned jazz musicians from around the world, including Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, and Thelonious Monk.
UN News and UN Video interviews the current owner of the club, Deborah Gordon and three-time Grammy Award-winning American jazz pianist Sullivan Joseph Fortner for the International Jazz Day on 30 April.
The Day was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2011 to celebrate the power of jazz as a force for peace, dialogue and mutual understanding.
Nuclear expansion testing: “It may never be able to be stopped” – Press Conference | United Nations
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Press conference by Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), on the vital role of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in advancing the NPT’s (Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) non-proliferation and disarmament objectives.
Floyd addressed the press on the vital role of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in advancing the non-proliferation and disarmament objectives of the Eleventh Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
He said, “The NPT Review Conference and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference here this week, but for the next four weeks, is an important review of the cornerstone of the nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament architecture.”
He said that CTBTO “is about implementing a treaty that sits within that architecture, and that is a treaty, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, banning nuclear explosions of any size – from the tiniest to the largest. That is an essential part of being able to stop the spread of nuclear weapons around the world from state to state, and also to limit the further development of nuclear weapons.”
He continued, “The Treaty has not yet entered into force, and therefore is not legally binding, but our international monitoring system will detect a nuclear weapon explosion of 500 tons of TNT or above, anywhere across the face of the planet, or underwater, underground, it will be detected. And that is a powerful benefit to all humanity, because any state that thinks of developing a nuclear weapon would need to test one, and if they did, it will be known to all.”
He highlighted, “In the current situation, the CTBT and the ban on testing is a little bit more in front of mind than what it has been for a long time, particularly when states are threatening to return to testing and the likelihood that if one state tests, others would and even more would potentially then go into a spiral of expanded testing. That is a spiral that we do not want to see start, because it may never be able to be stopped.”
He reported, “We have 187 states have signed. 178 have ratified. But there are nine specific ones that still need to ratify so the treaty could become legally binding. That is an important issue.”
Answering a question, he said, “We need to see a way that the United States of America, the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, might be able to address the treaty and its ratification together. It is, I think, quite unlikely that any one of them would move on that without the others simultaneously moving together. And that certainly is something that I would encourage all of those states to consider, and that would certainly be a powerful step forward.”