Category: United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda
Lebanon
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon
Lebanon/Humanitarian
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Sudan
Abyei
Deputy Secretary-General/Travels
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ukraine
Haiti
Mediterranean shipwrecks
International Day/Health Day

GENOCIDE AGAINST TUTSI IN RWANDA

Today is the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. This year marks 32 years since one of the darkest chapters in human history. In 100 days, more than one million people were systematically killed, overwhelmingly Tutsi, but also Hutu and others who opposed the genocide. Today, we honour the memory of those who were murdered and stand with the survivors.

This morning, a ceremony was held in the General Assembly Hall, organized by the Department of Global Communications in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations. The Chef de Cabinet Courtenay Rattray delivered remarks on behalf of the Secretary-General, underscoring that the genocide shows where this path can lead, when words are weaponized and the world waits too long to respond.

The Secretary-General stressed that we must do more than remember the dead, we must protect the living by defending truth and rejecting the narratives that make violence seem acceptable. He called on all countries to become parties to the Genocide Convention without delay and to implement it fully.

LEBANON

Regarding the incidents on 29 and 30 March, which tragically took the lives of three of brave peacekeepers from Indonesia, Major Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, First Sergeant Muhammad Nur Ichwan, and Corporal Farizal Rhomadon, the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General shared the preliminary findings of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon at this stage.

The UN has shared these preliminary findings with the Government of Indonesia, as well as Israel and Lebanon.

Regarding the incident on 29 March, based on the available evidence, including analysis of the impact site and notably the fragments of the projectile discovered in United Nations position 7-1, the projectile was a 120 mm tank main armament round, fired by an Israel Defense Forces Merkava tank from the east, in the direction of Ett Taibe. It is recalled that, to mitigate the risk to United Nations personnel, UNIFIL had again provided the Israel Defense Forces with the coordinates of all its positions and facilities on 6 March and 22 March.

With reference to the incident on 30 March, based on the available evidence, including analysis of the site of the explosion, the impacted vehicle, and a second improvised explosive device (IED) discovered nearby the same day, the explosion was caused by a victim-activated (tripwire) IED. The investigation has assessed that, given the location of the incident, the nature of the explosion, and the current context, the IED was most likely placed by Hezbollah.

The Spokesperson reiterated that these are preliminary findings, based on initial physical evidence. The full investigation processes of the UN continue, including required procedures and engagement with the parties concerned to understand the full context and circumstances amidst ongoing hostilities, and Boards of Inquiry will be convened in both cases, in accordance with established UN procedures.  The UN reiterates its deepest condolences to the families of the fallen peacekeepers and the Government of Indonesia, wishing for a full recovery to all those injured in these and other incidents.

These incidents are unacceptable. The UN has requested with the relevant parties that the cases be investigated and prosecuted by national authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure criminal accountability for crimes against peacekeepers. Attacks on United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. All actors must adhere to their obligations to ensure the safety and security of the peacekeepers at all times. The inviolability of United Nations installations must be respected.

Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-04-07

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-aWmr8C1wk

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Informal comments to the media by Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain and President of the UN Security Council for April, on the situation in the Middle East.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBJwwew_BSw

Source: United Nations (video statements)

A permanent memorial at UN Headquarters in New York honours more than one million lives lost in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Vilified.
Hunted.
Murdered.
We remember — because remembrance keeps hope alive.
Kwibuka. Remember. Unite. Renew.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6I5XgNf2kwg

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Press conference by Francisco Pichon, Resident Coordinator in Cuba, on Cuba’s Grid Collapse and Launch of the Action Plan.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cuba, Francisco Pichon told journalists in New York that the country “has gone for more than three months without sufficient fuel” and the humanitarian consequences “continue to deepen every day.”

Briefing remotely from Havana, Pichon noted that ten days ago, the UN system together with the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and in close dialogue with national authorities, launched “a restructured action plan in response to the ongoing energy contingency and the remaining impacts of Hurricane Melissa.”

He said the energy crisis “is having rather systemic and multiplying humanitarian impact, affecting all aspects of daily life in Cuba, health, water and sanitation, food systems, education, transportation, telecommunications.”

Pichon said, “the energy crisis is having rather systemic and multiplying humanitarian impact, affecting all aspects of daily life in Cuba,” including health, water and sanitation, food systems, education, transportation, and telecommunications.

The UN, he said, “is actively working with partners and member states to identify solutions” to guarantee the viability of its operations,” as well as “exploring with other actors who can contribute logistical solutions, including fuel. And we are doing this with the private sector in Cuba.”

The humanitarian official said the action plan “is designed to complement the national response” and is focused “on traceable and equitable use of limited fuel resources, which we adapt to the specificities of each focused sector,” including logistic, health, water and sanitation, food security, shelter, and protection of vulnerable, populations and education.

Pichon said there are “ongoing dialogues” between the OCHA and the US, “with support of some member states to try to secure concordance to be able to bring fuel to Cuba to support our humanitarian response and ensure that we can safeguard essential services.”

On January 29, 2026, the United States Government issued an Executive Order further restricting the supply of oil or fuel from third countries to Cuba.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p4JtwoKDqM

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
Sudan
Sudan/Humanitarian
Lebanon/Humanitarian
Lebanon/Israel
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ukraine
BBNJ
Sport for Development and Peace
Financial Contribution

SUDAN

The Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, is continuing his engagements in the region. He is currently in Nairobi, where he met today with the head of the Rapid Support Forces Commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Hemedti. This follows his recent meeting with General Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, the President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Republic of Sudan, and also meeting with the authorities in Khartoum as part of his continuing inaugural discussions.

The meetings afforded a constructive opportunity to exchange views and explore practical avenues for de-escalation and the protection of civilians.

All stakeholders engaged by Mr. Haavisto throughout these visits have expressed their readiness to cooperate with the United Nations and the Personal Envoy.

This is encouraging and must swiftly translate into concrete progress towards ending the suffering of all Sudanese, once and for all.

And just to flag that over the weekend, Mr. Haavisto was in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, where he met with Egyptian officials there, as well as representatives of the League of Arab States and members of the Sudanese diaspora in Cairo.

SUDAN/HUMANITARIAN

On the humanitarian front, UN teams on the ground are scaling up their presence in Khartoum, to expand humanitarian operations. Our Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Denise Brown, is returning to Khartoum with a core team from our humanitarian unit. Most of the OCHA team is remaining in Port Sudan for now, but a number of other agencies have opened up offices in Khartoum over previous months. These offices were closed since the start of the war, as you well know. The arrival of Ms. Brown and her team signals a renewed commitment to expanding humanitarian operations in the capital and beyond, at a time when needs are skyrocketing. More than 1.6 million Sudanese people have also returned to Khartoum in recent months, even as explosive remnants of war and damaged infrastructure continue to pose serious risks.

As the three-year mark of hostilities in Sudan approaches, we reiterate our call for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including health facilities, an immediate cessation of hostilities, and rapid, safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access.

Once again, our humanitarian colleagues are sounding the alarm that drone attacks continue to endanger civilians and deepen humanitarian needs throughout Sudan. In White Nile State, an attack on Al Jabalayn Teaching Hospital last Thursday reportedly killed 10 health workers and injured 22 others, obviously severely disrupting all services at the teaching hospital. We reiterate that medical personnel and facilities must be protected, as international humanitarian law requires.

Since the conflict began nearly three years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) has verified more than 200 such attacks, with over 2,000 people killed. In the first quarter of this year alone, 13 attacks against health targets have been verified, killing 184 people and injuring nearly 300 others.

We need adequate funding to deliver humanitarian assistance in Sudan. The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which requires $2.9 billion to reach more than 20 million people across the country, is only 16 per cent funded, with just $465 million in the bank.

Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-04-06

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uho3vjnMQDc

Source: United Nations (video statements)

At just 14 years old, Tobago native Anthurium Lewis launched an innovative initiative to address food insecurity while promoting environmental sustainability. Today, her nonprofit plants fruit trees in her community and inspires other young people to take action for a greener, more food-secure future. Selected as one of the UN Youth Office’s 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2025–2027, she is recognized for advancing youth-driven solutions that empower communities and protect the planet. As an archer, Lewis uses the power of sport to engage youth in the SDGs. Today, 6 April is the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/usn1bAuAda0

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Anthurium Lewis is a nonprofit leader and child’s rights ambassador from Tobago who, at just 14 years old, launched an innovative initiative to address food insecurity while promoting environmental sustainability. Through her nonprofit work, she plants fruit trees within her community and inspires young people to take action toward a greener, more food-secure future. Selected as one of the UN Youth Office’s 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2025–2027, she continues to amplify youth-driven solutions that empower communities and protect the planet.
Learn more about Anthurium: https://www.un.org/youthaffairs/en/anthurium-lewis
#YouthLead
#SDGs
#FoodSecurity
#Tobago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvBmexWAkSY

Source: United Nations (video statements)

In an era where social media algorithms shape public opinion faster than ever, the battle for accurate information has become critical to addressing climate change, maintaining peace, and building resilient societies. This conversation explores how current information dynamics are undermining collective action on global challenges, and how innovative communications approaches like the UN’s Verified initiative are cutting through the noise to reach audiences with trusted, actionable content.

Speakers:

Jeremy Heimans, Co-founder and Chairman, Purpose

Moderator:

Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications

SDG Media Zone website: https://www.un.org/en/sdgmediazone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45X_CK-5YYQ

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Football is the world’s most popular sport, with unparalleled reach and the power to advance the SDGs. This discussion will bring together legends of Liverpool FC and Manchester United with Soccer Forward, the foundation of the US Soccer federation responsible for the social impact legacy of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US.

Speakers:

Lex Chalat, Executive Director, Soccer Forward

Rishi Jain, Director of Impact, Liverpool Football Club

Robbie Fowler, former Liverpool Football Club and England forward

Moderator:

Christine Cupo, Soccer Analyst, Host, CBS Sports

SDG Media Zone website: https://www.un.org/en/sdgmediazone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mppiX-3mes

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator, Alexander De Croo, told reporters in New York that Syria is at a “pivotal moment” and stressed that as more than 1.6 million people have returned to Syria last year, there are increased “needs on housing, needs on government services, needs on jobs.”

De Croo, briefing jointly from Damascus with humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher, told reporters that “after a too long period of an atrocious war with too many casualties,” Syria is “at the moment where we can shift from purely humanitarian to also doing development work.”

He said returnees had “left often in dramatic circumstances” and providing services is “really crucial because if we’re not able to provide those services, well, actually people who had the intention to return might at some point make the choice to not return at all.”

The UNDP Administrator said the region “is in urgent need for a success story, and Syria could be a success story if we are able to stand on the side of the Syrian people and provide the services that are needed.”

He appealed to the international community “to do the necessary investment, support and advocacy for making sure that we can shift into development work.”

De Croo said the impact of the Iran war “is really reversing progress” in the region, pointing out a UNDP estimation “that it would lead to a scaling back of one-and- a-half-year of progress, an economic loss of 190 billion and more than 4 million people being pushed into poverty.”

For his part, Fletcher said, “there has been real progress in the last 15 months since I was here in December 2024, progress that has defied a lot of predictions and many expectations. And we have to build on that progress now, which means we accelerate the humanitarian work that we’re doing, including that vital mine clearance.”

Noting the launch of the United Nations 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Syria, Fletcher highlighted the importance of “this transition, this recalibration, as we face down the humanitarian response and phase up the development, resilience, long term recovery response.”

He said, “about 200,000 refugees or displaced people have crossed the border in the last 3 or 4 weeks. The vast majority, about 175,000 of those are Syrians coming home. But that leaves about 25,000 others, mainly Lebanese and of course, Palestinians. People who have often been displaced multiple times. So, while the government is preparing and is very focused on creating the conditions where they can close the camps within Syria, these are very, very significant numbers.”

The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Syria, launched today, identifies primary areas of intervention, including critical infrastructure, essential services, socio-economic resilience, institutional building, and mine and unexploded ordnance clearance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m05Xfno_VM