“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is the largest and longest war in Europe since the Second World War,” Elina Valtonen, Finland’s foreign minister and current OSCE Chairperson-in-Office told the UN Security Council.
She said Moscow is violating the UN Charter and “each of the ten Helsinki principles,” adding that assistance to Ukraine and work on accountability have been central to her tenure. “I call on all to support Ukraine in achieving a just and lasting peace – as soon as possible.”
Valtonen said the way the conflict concludes will shape regional and global stability, as well as expectations regarding adherence to international law by a permanent Security Council member.
She outlined steps the OSCE has taken on accountability, including support for documenting the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. “Through the OSCE Support Program for Ukraine, we have helped register missing children and support their rehabilitation,” she said.
Valtonen also underscored the importance of existing security commitments. “There is no need to re-invent the European security order,” she said.
Georgette Gagnon, UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, said that the de facto authorities “continue to miss or reject opportunities to engage multilaterally with the international community, risking disengagement particularly from donor countries that are frustrated with Afghanistan’s refusal to seriously address their concerns.”
Addressing the Security Council, Gagnon said, “Afghans—women and men—continue to experience systematic infringements into their daily lives through the enforcement of the de facto authorities’ law on the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice.”
She also said, “Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan over the presence and activities of the TTP are rising, with deadly cross-border exchanges of fire and airstrikes resulting in civilian casualties. The tensions have led to the closing of key border posts between Afghanistan and Pakistan for the past two months, with economic consequences for Afghanistan and Pakistan and people on both sides.”
Speaking at a Council meeting on Ukraine, the UN senior political affair official Kayoko Gotoh reiterated, “attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, are prohibited under international law.”
Gotoh noted to the Council that the United Nations has repeatedly warned against any action that could further escalate or expand this devastating war, now well in its fourth year.
Following repeated alleged violations of airspace of several European countries, she said the world body is following with concern the recent reported incidents involving shipping and port infrastructure in the Black Sea.
Applying the same concern over nuclear safety, the UN political affairs official reiterated, “Any military actions endangering the safety and security of nuclear plants are unconscionable, irresponsible and must immediately cease.”
She also highlighted, “We remain deeply concerned about systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the areas of Ukraine occupied by the Russian Federation, as reported by OHCHR.”
“These violations undermine the principles of international humanitarian law set to safeguard human dignity and the protection of civilians,” Gotoh added.
She said, “We recall the international obligations with regards to treatment of prisoners of war, including related to access to information regarding their places of detention.”
The Security Council was briefed on the widening humanitarian and human rights crisis in Afghanistan: women still denied their rights, girls barred from education for a fourth year, and millions of children at risk of severe malnutrition. Members underscored that Afghanistan cannot move forward while half its population is excluded.
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
The human rights situation in Sudan and Syria remains urgent and deeply concerning. Years of conflict and repression have left thousands of victims without justice, while the conditions for documenting violations continue to deteriorate. The UN Human Rights Office warns that impunity will only end through political commitment, proper resources, and justice processes that reflect the needs of survivors and communities. This video explores the challenges, the demands for accountability, and what must change to protect human dignity.
The human rights situation in Sudan and Syria remains urgent and deeply concerning. Years of conflict and repression have left thousands of victims without justice, while the conditions for documenting violations continue to deteriorate. The UN Human Rights Office warns that impunity will only end through political commitment, proper resources, and justice processes that reflect the needs of survivors and communities. This video explores the challenges, the demands for accountability, and what must change to protect human dignity.
Joint statement delivered by Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, with Representatives of over 45 member states, on Human Rights Day.
A life-long humanitarian, Matthias Schmale has borne witness to a number of seismic moments in world history. Currently United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, he is overseeing efforts to help Ukrainians prepare for a fourth winter at war.
“The longer this lasts, the more the resilience will go down, the more the psychological damage will take hold […] There are nights where I lie in bed thinking, why can’t this nightmare for civilians end?”
Ukrainians have endured four years of hellish conflict that continues to devastate civilian lives and infrastructure, leaving 36 percent of the population in need of aid. In this episode, Matthias Schmale looks back on a long career of humanitarian service, reflects on the deep scars of war and explains why daily life in Kyiv can be both heaven and hell.
