Iran, Lebanon/Israel & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (3 June 2026) | United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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

Highlights:
– Iran
– Lebanon/Israel
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Yemen
– Sahel
– Ebola
– Haiti
– Resident Coordinator – Colombia
– World Bicycle Day

IRAN

The Secretary-General is alarmed by the reported exchange of fire overnight between the US and Iran and by reports that Iran has targeted Kuwait and Bahrain. He is deeply troubled by reports of civilian casualties. The Secretary-General calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid any further escalation that risks undermining ongoing diplomatic efforts. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be fully respected.

The Secretary-General condemns all attacks on civilian infrastructure and recalls that international humanitarian law strictly prohibits the targeting of civilian objects. He calls on all parties to uphold their obligations under international law and to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians.

The Secretary-General reaffirms his full support for all ongoing mediation efforts, including those led by Pakistan, and urges all parties to engage constructively and in good faith with diplomatic initiatives.

LEBANON/ISRAEL

From Lebanon, we are deeply concerned by the impact of the hostilities, as people continue to be forced to leave their homes searching for safety.

In Beirut alone, an estimated 200,000 people were displaced from the southern suburbs following the evacuation order issued by the Israeli Defense Forces on June 1st. And according to local authorities, 30,000 families in South Governorate and 4,000 families in Nabatieh have escaped violence in recent days. The latest wave of displacement is putting severe pressure on already overstretched systems.

Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that as of today, nearly 135,000 people are registered in collective shelters, which are increasingly overcrowded, with thousands more staying on the streets and seaside, among other places.

We are also alarmed by the continued impact of hostilities on healthcare.

According to the Ministry of Public Health, night strikes on June 1st killed five people and injured 48 others, including a doctor and five hospital workers at Tebnine Governmental Hospital in Nabatieh Governorate. This marks at least the fourth strike since 2 March affecting this hospital, which is the only operating trauma hospital in the area.

We and our partners continue to deliver assistance wherever and whenever possible, including clean water, hygiene kits and other forms of aid to the people who need it most. We continue to call for the protection of civilians, including health workers, and for sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to meet rising needs across the country.

Meanwhile, UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to monitor the tense situation along the Blue Line.

Yesterday, the Blue Helmets observed intensive ground and air activities by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) across their area of operations. These activities included armored movements, large-scale engineering works and demolition, sustained logistical traffic, and air strikes.

UNIFIL detected 70 violations of Lebanese airspace by the IDF and approximately 24 airstrikes conducted across both sectors by Israeli fighter jets, as well as one rocket attack by an IDF helicopter.

Yesterday, peacekeepers detected 21 launches of projectiles from north to south, presumably launched by Hizbullah, including one that crossed the Blue Line. In addition, UNIFIL recorded approximately 826 trajectories of projectiles fired from IDF positions south of the Blue Line and within the area of operations, marking, for the third consecutive day, a concerning record high since 17 April.

The escalating intensity and growing number of IDF strikes in south Lebanon, alongside the continued launches by Hizbullah, are deeply alarming and heighten the risk of further escalation. We call on parties to exercise maximum restraint, respect the cessation of hostilities arrangements, and fully comply with their obligations under Security Council resolution 1701.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-06-03

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LGjAo4RQIE

President-elect of the General Assembly on his election and priorities – Stakeout | United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Informal comments to the media by Khalilur Rahman, President-elect of the 81st session of the General Assembly, on his election and his priorities as the new President of the General Assembly.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman was elected President of the UN General Assembly’s 81st session today (2 Jun) after defeating Andreas Kakouris of Cyprus in a closely contested vote, positioning himself to steer the world body through a pivotal year marked by intensifying global crises, UN reform efforts, and major leadership transitions.

In a secret-ballot election, Rahman secured 99 votes to Kakouris’s 91. A total of 190 ballots were cast, with no invalid votes or abstentions.

The election comes amid what the current General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock described as “not only headwinds, but immense pressure.”

Addressing Member States after the vote, Baerbock said, “the role of the President of the General Assembly is no longer simply procedural, reading out notes, because even in the procedural rules themselves, they are being challenged, as we have experienced many times before. The role, therefore, and indeed that of the wider General Assembly, has to be evolved in an era where consensus is no longer a given.”

Rahman brings more than four decades of diplomatic and multilateral experience to the role. Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister since February, he previously served as National Security Adviser and High Representative on the Rohingya Issue. A career diplomat, he joined Bangladesh’s foreign service in 1979. He also held senior UN positions in New York and Geneva.

Accepting the position, Rahman expressed “deep appreciation to the member States of the United Nations for the trust and confidence they have reposed in me.”

He said, “the UN will commence its 9th decade at a time when trust in our organisation is being tested on multiple fronts. Scourges of conflict and war, from which our organisation aimed to save our succeeding generations, continue to inflict untold sufferings. Development gains remain fragile and uncertain, and in some cases are regressing. Despite advancements in human rights, we witnessed a general backsliding of certain rights and freedoms across the world and shrinking humanitarian space. All this is happening at a time when multilateralism has come under increasing pressure, and our organisation faces financial stress.”

The President-elect said, “we must collectively demonstrate that the UN can adopt reform and better deliver and justify every penny Member States – all of you – contribute in order to restore trust in our organisation.”

Rahman said his presidency would focus on six broad priorities: peace and security; accelerating progress on the SDGs; climate action and environmental protection; human rights; governance of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, and UN reform.

Drawing on Bangladesh’s experience in peacekeeping, he pledged to support preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding, and civilian protection.

He also highlighted the need to address development financing gaps, advance implementation of the Global Digital Compact and strengthen the UN’s effectiveness at a time of growing pressure on multilateral institutions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPljZ18zo-w

UN Chamber Music Society | “Don’t Ruin My World” with Julian Marley – on World Environment Day

Source: United Nations (video statements)

On Friday, 5 June 2026, the UN Chamber Music Society presents “Don’t Ruin My World – Soil of Life” with Julian Marley — son of reggae legend Bob Marley — in celebration of World Environment Day at the United Nations. The event will be broadcasted internationally through the global platforms of the United Nations: UN Web TV and UN YouTube.
Julian Marley — a Grammy Award-winning musician, singer-songwriter — carries forward his father Bob Marley’s lifelong message of justice, love, and reverence for the earth. Just as Bob Marley used music to speak truth across borders, Julian’s “Don’t Ruin My World – Soil of Life” channels that same spirit of conscience into one of the defining crises of our time: the climate emergency.

Climate change is no longer a distant warning — it is a humanitarian crisis unfolding now. As the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documents, floods, droughts, extreme heat, and super-storms are driving surging displacement, food insecurity, and suffering on every continent. Since the year 2000, climate-related needs within humanitarian appeals have risen by 800 per cent. In 2026, humanitarians aim to assist 135 million people in need, with climate change identified as one of the two primary drivers of global humanitarian crises alongside conflict. Every fraction of a degree of warming matters — and every act of solidarity matters too.

In this spirit, the UN Chamber Music Society is dedicating 100% of its streams from this release to UN OCHA — so that this music does more than move hearts: it funds the frontline humanitarian response to the climate crises Bob Marley warned us about, and Julian Marley is calling us to face.

On this occasion, opening remarks will be delivered by Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. Founded in 2016 by Brenda Vongova, the UN Chamber Music Society of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council is dedicated to promoting the United Nations’ goals and values at large – through the universal language of music.

Listen to the UN Chamber Music Society’s remix of “Don’t Ruin My World – Soil of Life” with Julian Marley on Spotify, Apple, Deezer, Tidal, YouTube, TikTok, Pandora,
and all the major music distribution platforms worldwide.
100% of the UN Chamber Music Society’s streams will be donated to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) — supporting its frontline response to climate-driven humanitarian crises worldwide.

Support the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
by donating to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
https://crisisrelief.un.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kri-jsl2vf0

General Assembly, SG Update & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (2 June 2026) | United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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

High lights:
– General Assembly
– Secretary-General / El Niño and La Niña Update
– Ukraine
– Lebanon
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Sudan / Consultations
– Sudan
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Haiti
– Bangladesh
– Global Dialogue on AI Governance

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the General Assembly meeting, in which Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh was elected as the forthcoming President of 81st session of the General Assembly. The secretary-general said that the new President-Elect’s theme is an inspiring call to action for the multilateral system — “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All.”

The Secretary-General also paid tribute to Annalena Baerbock of Germany for her outstanding leadership during the 80th Session of the General Assembly. He noted how Ms. Baerbock, over her term, pushed Member States forward on the implementation of the Pact for the Future and had organized interactive dialogues with the candidates for the next Secretary-General.

He said that the Pact for the Future and the UN80 Initiative represent a blueprint for action, a blueprint for solutions and bold reforms to carry the United Nations into the future

The work of the General Assembly, he added, is critical to bringing these commitments to life and delivering real solutions and results that can renew the world’s faith in the work that the UN does.

And Morocco was selected to be the first seat for the next General Assembly session

SECRETARY-GENERAL/ EL NIÑO AND LA NIÑA UPDATE

In a video message released today on the World Meteorological Organization El Niño / La Niña Update, the Secretary-General noted that the science is clear: El Niño is arriving on our doorstep in the coming months with 90 per cent certainty. He stressed that the world must treat it as the urgent climate warning that it is.

The Secretary-General warned that El Niño conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world. He emphasized that the only effective response is climate action equal to the crisis, ending out addiction to fossil fuels, accelerating the shift to renewables, protecting the most vulnerable, and delivering early warning systems for all.

UKRAINE

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the latest overnight large-scale missile and drone attacks by the armed forces of the Russian Federation on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv. These attacks reportedly killed at least 20 people, including two children, injured more than 100 others, and resulted in widespread destruction of residential and other civilian infrastructure.

Once again, we emphasize that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international humanitarian law and must end immediately. We also reiterate the Secretary-General’s urgent appeal for immediate de-escalation leading to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire in this conflict.

The Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, also condemned the attacks. Our humanitarian colleagues noted that rescue operations were ongoing as of this morning.

Mr. Schmale pointed out that, instead of enjoying the start of the school summer break, children and their families spent the night in shelters, awakened by air raid sirens and explosions.

Humanitarian organizations, including our own UN agencies, are fully mobilized and providing first aid and psychological support, distributing emergency relief items, and registering affected people for humanitarian cash assistance.

And as you know, yesterday afternoon, the Security Council met to hold a briefing on Threats to International Peace and Security, following a request by Romania.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-06-02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0zL-zo5K58

‘Don’t close borders’, IOM asks Ebola-affected countries

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Closing borders in reaction to Ebola ‘may push people to less monitored informal border crossings’, warns the International Organization for Migration.
Speaking at the UN news briefing in Geneva, spokepersons from IOM and the World Health Organization stressed that the reactive measure would hinder the response to the virus, as well as harming the population even further.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mdA0lzSjfMs

UN Development system: Increasingly under-resourced – UN Chief | United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Secretary-General António Guterres said, “the United Nations development system today is more coherent, more accountable and more closely aligned with national priorities than it has ever been before,” however, it is “increasingly under-resourced.”

The UN chief spoke at the opening of the ECOSOC Operational Activities for Development Segment in New York.

Guterres highlighted four areas where action is essential to ensure the UN can deliver with the scale and urgency needed.

First is more effective alignment with country and regional priorities, he said, reiterating “we must ensure that Resident Coordinators can optimally lead Country Teams in fast-evolving contexts and apply the full extent of the UN development system’s support on key issues, including climate change.”

Guterres continued, “We are also assessing potential mergers — between UNDP and UNOPS, and UNFPA and UN Women — to strengthen our ability to advance sustainable development and gender equality, while advocating for the rights of women, girls and youth.”

“At every step, we will respect mandates, consult with Member States and ensure that reforms do not affect ongoing UN operations,” the Secretary-General said.

Second, on continuing the next phase of reform under the UN80 initiative, Guterres said the Initiative contains key proposals to identify efficiencies and ensure a greater share of resources — human and financial — are allocated for development results. He noted joint knowledge hubs to streamline knowledge in priority areas; an expertise-on-demand mechanism for countries to access specialized UN capacity; a unified service roadmap to expand shared services; and a technology accelerator platform and a system-wide data commons so countries can access the tools and information they need.

On funding, the Secretary-General emphasized the need for “more stable, predictable and flexible funding.”

He urged Member States to “reach the 30 per cent core funding target called for by the Funding Compact, and help equip the system to deliver and succeed.”

And fourth, in the final years towards 2030, the Secretary-General urged Member States to continue the push to achieve the SDGs.

He said, “in the context of today’s out-of-control military spending, countries need to reprioritize, and spend more on the instruments of peace and development and less on the instruments of destruction and death.”

The UN chief renewed his call to Member States to support UN’s efforts to “reform the global financial architecture and deliver meaningful debt relief to countries swamped by debt.”

The Operational Activities for Development Segment (OAS) is held from 1 to 3 June 2026.

The Segment meets annually to provide overall coordination and guidance to the governing bodies of the United Nations development system. It reinforces the linkages between policy and operational functions while continuing to focus on improving the overall impact of operational activities for development of the United Nations system in support of issues relating to national development priorities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZSPbeMYZN8