Briefing by Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, on Energy, Critical Minerals, and Security.
"First the extraction of these resources must deliver just and equitable outcomes. Across the United Nations system, we are working closely with national authorities to help them strengthen institutions that manage their natural resources, enhance their regulatory frameworks, and maximize their peacebuilding benefits.
We help governments strengthen their ability to negotiate fair mining agreements, build domestic capacity for processing and refinement and mitigate any adverse effects of mining.
Second, we need multilateral and regional action to strengthen governance, improve the traceability of minerals to curb illicit flows, and build more resilient supply chains. Dialogue between producing and consuming countries — as well as with industry and regional organizations — is necessary.
Third, we must deploy our peacemaking instruments to mitigate and resolve natural resource disputes. Our mediators factor in considerations related to natural resources in peace talks.
This can help conflict parties identify ways to share benefits and develop cooperative relationships. With this Council’s support, we will continue to prioritize diplomacy and create the political space for engagement on these issues.
The opportunities ahead of us are significant. The fair and responsible harnessing of critical minerals can help lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. And it can help promote peace.
Achieving these goals will require concerted action – by Member States, the private sector, civil society and the United Nations".
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Senior Personnel Appointment – Mr. James Swan
– Senior Personnel Appointment – Major General Junhui Wu
– Security Council
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Iran/Middle East
– Lebanon
– Yemen
– Sudan
– International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness
– Guest Tomorrow
SECURITY COUNCIL
Today, the Security Council will convene at 3:00 pm for a briefing on “Energy, Critical Minerals, and Security”. Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, will brief.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Amid the expanding problems throughout the Middle East, we should not lose sight of the situation in the Gaza Strip, which continues to face challenges, including some related to the regional escalation, such as the closure of some crossing points.
As we informed you this week, our teams have been able to bring fuel and other critical items into Gaza since Tuesday, when the Israeli authorities reopened the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing.
Today, the UN was able to bring into Gaza some 570,000 litres of diesel through Kerem Shalom. Our partners were also able to collect critical supplies from the crossing. Other crossing points are still closed, including Rafah, impacting our ability to bring in more much-needed assistance.
Furthermore, while coordinated movements within Gaza have resumed, international personnel rotations remain suspended.
OCHA once again reiterates that safe, sustained and unimpeded access is vital for the UN and our humanitarian partners to carry out life-saving work. More crossings must be open for the movement of cargo and people. In addition, the entry of items critical for timely and effective response must be facilitated.
Meanwhile, our partners are doing everything in their power to ensure that people’s needs are met. Over the past week, our partners leading on mine action conducted nearly 70 explosive hazard assessments in support of debris management efforts across Gaza.
Living conditions remain dire across the Strip. In a recent assessment by our partners who manage displacement sites, findings showed that only 11 per cent out of nearly 1,000 sites have communal lighting. Open sewage was observed in more than half of all sites surveyed.
The UN and our partners are working tirelessly to ensure dignified and safe shelter conditions, but, in the absence of changes in the operating environment, the needs continue to outpace our ability to respond.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-03-05
Suzuka Nakamura, a Japanese peace activist and third‑generation hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) from Nagasaki, has been advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons since high school. Selected as one of the UN Youth Office’s 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2025-2027, she is now determined to create a mobile atomic bomb museum as a new way to bring the urgent call for nuclear disarmament to communities across the world.
Learn more about Suzuka: https://www.un.org/youthaffairs/en/suzuka-nakamura
#japan
#YouthLead
#IDDNPA
A UN Women spokesperson said, “No country in the world has achieved full legal equality between women and men."
Sarah Hendriks, Director of UN Women’s Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division addressing the press at the launch of the Secretary-General’s report “Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for All Women and Girls.”
Hendriks said, “More than half of the world’s countries do not actually define rape by law on the basis of consent. Nearly three quarters, specifically, 74 percent of the world’s countries actually still allow child marriage by law, allows girls to be married as children. And in 44 percent of the world’s countries, the law does not mandate equal pay for work of equal value.”
She said, “Across the world today, violations of the rights of women and girls are indeed accelerating in a growing culture of impunity. This spans courts. It spans also online spaces and, of course, conflict, and also increasingly enabled by backlash against gender equality.”
She added, “Just in the past two years, the total percentage of women and girls who become victims to conflict related sexual violence has risen to 87 percent. And globally, when we look at the online spaces, digital technologies are being weaponized, through harassment, through abuse, through deep fakes that silence women, that force women to deplatform, and far too often, perpetrators face absolutely no consequences.”
She continued, “And a justice system certainly that fails half the world’s population cannot claim to uphold justice at all. And yet – and there’s always a ‘and yet,’ there’s always a ‘but’ – justice systems actually can evolve. They can transform, and certainly when they do, the impact is indeed transformative. Access to justice is one of those powerful forces for advancing equality in the lives of women and girls: when laws change, we see those changes very practically, very concretely.”
She highlighted, “In fact, since the year 1970, family law reforms have led to more than 600 million women accessing new economic opportunities, all because the law was reformed on the family.”
She stressed, “We know what works; the evidence is there. The question, I think, before the Commission on the Status of Women is whether we will confront impunity and invest in justice systems that deliver equality in both law and life.”
The report shows how laws are being reshaped to restrict women’s freedoms, silence their voices, and allow abuse without consequence.
It warns that women and girls are being failed by the very systems meant to protect them, leaving them exposed to abuse, injustice and impunity as backlash against gender equality intensifies and violations of their fundamental rights are on the rise.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Iran/Middle East
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Afghanistan/Pakistan
Iraq – Yanar Mohammed
UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
Peacebuilding Fund
Financial Contribution
IRAN/MIDDLE EAST
The UN continues to follow developments in the Middle East very closely. In answer to questions about the Secretary-General’s contacts, the Spokesman said that yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General accepted a request to meet with the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani. During the meeting, the Secretary-General reiterated his position as stated during Saturday’s Security Council session. He expressed his hope for a swift end to the conflict and return to dialogue in the interest of regional stability.
The Secretary-General also met yesterday with Omar Said Omar Al Kathiri, the Permanent Representative of Oman to the United Nations. During the meeting they discussed the situation in the region and the urgent need to end the current military activities and escalation, and return to dialogue, also, of course, in the interest of regional stability.
The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for Oman’s important role in the negotiations and the Sultanate commitment to diplomacy.
In a short while, he will be meeting with Abdulaziz Alwasil, the Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia.
These diplomatic engagements come amid continued regional tensions.
The Secretary-General continues to be very concerned about the situation in Lebanon where the Lebanese people are once again in the crosshairs of a conflict. He’s particularly concerned about the impact of the hostilities on the civilian population. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that more than 50 people have been killed and hundreds more have been injured in the past two days, according to local authorities.
Overnight and throughout today, widespread Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon, Baalbek, Chouf and the southern suburbs of Beirut, causing further casualties and significant destruction. Yesterday, three paramedics were killed and six injured while responding to an airstrike.
In southern Lebanon, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reports continued exchanges of fire across the Blue Line, including Hizbullah’s rocket fire towards Israel and the Israel Defense Forces’ airstrikes and extensive fire north of the Blue Line. Peacekeepers have observed Israel Defense Forces vehicles moving north of the Blue Line at several locations reaching up to 1 kilometre beyond the Blue Line and firing towards the surroundings. The UN also notes with serious concern the IDF statement calling for evacuation of residents of South Lebanon to north of the Litani River.
Forced displacement orders continue to be issued, including one today covering the entire area south of the Litani River – approximately 850 square kilometres and home to hundreds of thousands of people.
Civilians are continuing to flee in Lebanon, often with little more than the clothes they are wearing and what they can carry. Since the onset of hostilities, at least 80,000 people have sought refuge in collective shelters in Lebanon, according to local authorities. However, the UN believes this represents only a fraction of all people who have been displaced.
UN partners are working closely with national and local authorities. Rapid response teams are assessing needs and distributing emergency supplies in affected areas and collective shelters. So far, UN partners working in food security have reached more than 20,000 displaced people with hot meals and over 15,000 with ready-to-eat food across Lebanon.
UN health partners, working with the Ministry of Public Health, are providing medicine and scaling up mobile primary health care services in shelters and other locations. Water and sanitation partners are supporting the continued operation of critical water and wastewater facilities, including by providing fuel to operate those stations.
Even prior to this escalation, the humanitarian community was aiming to reach 1.5 million vulnerable people with humanitarian aid through the $1.6 billion 2026 appeal. UN partners are now responding with fewer financial and human resources than in previous years. That of course limits the scale and speed of assistance at a time when needs are rising sharply. Urgent additional funding and capacity are required to sustain and expand life‑saving operations.
All UNIFIL positions remain manned and remain in place along the Blue Line. The Mission’s operational activities prioritize monitoring and logistical movements, including resupply. UNIFIL continues to assess the situation to ensure the safety and security of the personnel.
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-03-04
Highlights:
Iran
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Independent International Scientific Panel on AI
Afghanistan/Pakistan
Sudan
Ukraine
Resident Coordinator – Costa Rica
EU/UN Strategic Committee on Peace and Security
World Wildlife Day
Rafeeuddin Ahmed
Financial Contribution
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IRAN
Concerning the situation in the Middle East, I can tell you and you will not be surprised, the Secretary-General continues to follow the situation in that region with great concern. He is particularly worried about the multiplication of new fronts.
We are also witnessing an increasing number of civilian casualties and a severe humanitarian impact on the well-being of people throughout the region.
In addition, the continued attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf can have a dramatic impact on the global economy, which is still very dependent on fossil fuel.
The situation is also of particular concern to us along the Blue Line.
Over the past two days, our peacekeepers from UNIFIL have recorded dozens of rockets and missiles fired into Israel claimed by Hizbullah and several airstrikes and incidents of firing from south of the Blue Line from Israel into Lebanon.
This morning, peacekeepers observed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers crossing North of the Blue Line near Markaba, Adeisse, Kafr Kela in Sector East and Ramyah in Sector West before returning south of the Blue Line from some of these locations.
Our Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, has also been in touch with all concerned actors in Lebanon and Israel to urge both sides to avail of existing diplomatic channels and to avoid a further escalation.
UNIFIL remains in constant contact with both parties, as well as the cessation of hostilities monitoring mechanism. Despite extremely challenging conditions, peacekeepers continue to carry out their mandated tasks, as mandated by resolution 1701 and they will keep reporting developments publicly and to the Security Council.
We call on both sides to exercise restraint and recommit to the full implementation of the cessation of hostilities arrangement of November 2024 as well as Security Council Resolution 1701.
Meanwhile, on the humanitarian side in Lebanon, airstrikes yesterday reportedly caused more than 50 deaths and over 150 injuries. That is what the Ministry of Health in Lebanon is telling us.
Israeli authorities have issued forced displacement orders to people living in more than 100 towns and locations in southern Lebanon, in the Bekaa valley, and in Beirut’s southern suburbs. This is done ahead of anticipated attacks.
Displacement has also increased significantly, with nearly 60,000 people now reported to be in newly opened emergency shelters, and many more people reportedly on the move. This is primarily affecting southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut as well.
Our partners are working with the Lebanese authorities to ensure a coordinated response to the unfolding crisis. This includes providing food, health, water and sanitation support.
More generally, our humanitarian colleagues in Lebanon tell us that falling missile and drone debris, restricted airspace, and active hostilities continue to cause civilian casualties, damage infrastructure, and disrupt essential services.
In Iran, sustained airstrikes since Saturday have reportedly affected more than 1,000 locations, resulting in about 790 deaths and nearly 750 injured. This is according to what local authorities and the Iranian Red Crescent Society are telling us. Some strikes have reportedly hit dense residential areas, and early reports indicate damage to civilian infrastructure.
In Israel, continued airstrikes, also in dense residential neighbourhoods, have reportedly resulted in 10 deaths and dozens of injuries as well as damage to civilian infrastructure.
Humanitarian operations across the region are being severely affected by insecurity, supply chain disruptions and airspace closures. The movement of humanitarian personnel remains restricted.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that the Israeli authorities today reopened the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing for the entry of 500,000 litres of fuel and humanitarian assistance that is arriving through Israel and Egypt, and that is welcomed.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-03-03
Informal comments to the media by Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations, on the situation in the region.
