Category: United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The UN Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan expressed grave alarm at escalating atrocities surrounding the fall of El Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), having gathered direct and harrowing testimonies from survivors that reveal systematic and ongoing attacks against civilians.

Despite immense challenges in accessing information, initial investigations point to a deliberate pattern of ethnically targeted executions of unarmed civilians, assaults, sexual violence, widespread looting and destruction of vital infrastructure, and mass forced displacement.

The Fact-Finding Mission’s latest report — published today and to be presented to the UN General Assembly in New York the same day — details a devastating pattern of atrocities by both warring parties, including war crimes of violence to life and person, outrages on personal dignity, and intentional attacks on civilians. It found reasonable grounds to believe both sides have subjected civilians to serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, amounting to atrocity crimes, while depriving them of genuine justice.

Entitled “Paths to Justice: Accountability for Atrocities in Sudan,” the report found that entrenched impunity remains one of the principal drivers of ongoing violence. The demands of victims can no longer be ignored and that accountability is both urgent and achievable, it said.

With justice in Sudan is being systematically obstructed and all warring parties unwilling or unable to investigate or prosecute grave crimes, the report urged the international community to create an independent and impartial judicial body to end decades of impunity and prosecute those responsible for the most serious crimes under international law. The new judicial institution, the Mission said, should work in partnership with the International Criminal Court.

Given the magnitude of violations committed, the report also called for the expansion of the International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction across Sudan, the establishment of a specific victim support and reparations office for Sudan backed by a dedicated trust fund, and technical training and capacity-building for those involved in documenting violations and crimes.

The ferocious conflict has dragged on for over two years with no end in sight. Fighting has trapped countless civilians between the warring parties, including in the siege and ultimate takeover of El Fasher and surrounding areas of North Darfur.

The Rapid Support Forces have been implicated in ethnically targeted attacks, rape and sexual violence, starvation tactics, and the destruction of essential infrastructure, amounting to starvation as a prohibited method of warfare. Its systematic and large-scale conduct also amounts to crimes against humanity such as persecution, and potentially extermination.

The conviction of Ali Kushayb on 6 October by the International Criminal Court represents a landmark legal breakthrough — the first international judgment on atrocity crimes committed in Sudan. With reparations proceedings now anticipated, the case signals a pivotal moment for justice and accountability.

The collapse of the rule of law has fueled the conflict, as has the February 2025 constitutional amendment delaying the transition to civilian rule, and by the Rapid Support Forces’ opaque parallel justice structures.

“The Sudanese people have shown extraordinary resilience,” said Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, Member of the Fact-Finding Mission. “They ask not for pity, but for solidarity — solidarity that turns words into action and resolutions into justice.”

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

Source: United Nations (video statements)

President of the Human Rights Council (HRC) Jürg Lauber said that “In a divided world,” the ability to keep dialog on human rights alive is “an achievement in itself.”

Addressing the press in New York, Laubersaid said, “At its 60th session concluded earlier this month, the Council adopted 35 resolutions, including those establishing a new Investigative Mechanism on Afghanistan, merging the mandates of the Special Rapporteurs on slavery and human trafficking and taking steps to strengthen the Council’s efficiency under resource constraints.”

He continued, “The Council renewed a number of country and thematic mandates on Sudan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Russian Federation, while bringing others to conclusion, such as those in Somalia and the DRC. It also postponed the adoption of Nicaragua’s UPR outcome, while inviting continued engagement.”

He noted, “The challenge now is to ensure that the Council can sustain this work as it enters its 20th year in 2026. The budgetary outlook may be difficult, but the commitment of member states to dialog, cooperation and accountability remains strong.”

Answering a question, he said, “If states, and we have some examples, disengage in the work of the Council, disregard the importance of human rights in relation also to peace and security and development, and turn the wave. That’s, for me, the threat, and that finds an expression in the budgetary constraints we have. It’s not the only reason, but it’s among them.”

He stressed, “And we see increasing these decisions taken by the Council not being implemented because the money is missing. I give you one particular example: we had the special session upon request of the Democratic Republic of the Congo concerning the human rights situation in eastern Congo in February, where it was decided, among other things, to establish a commission of inquiry. I recently was able to nominate the three experts, but we’re still waiting to have money for the commission to start.”

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

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The Chair of the United Nations Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, Jan-Michael Simon, said the Government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, “has demonstrated a cynical and calculated approach to international cooperation.”

Briefing journalists in New York, Simon said, “they have been leveraging Interpol anti-money laundering and counter financing and terrorism cooperation frameworks to persecute transnational opponents. And this includes abuses of the Interpol retinal system and the circulation of false alerts on travel documents, misusing, databases dedicated to this by Interpol.”

He said, “they have also been circulating misinformation to trigger on the anti-money laundering compliance warnings within the financial compliance systems, leading to freezing of closure, of bank accounts and, of the targets.”

The Group Chair said, “the goal is to avoid scrutiny and accountability while continuing to perpetrate human rights violations. But the second point, which is less evident is, here, more important even, in this consists in a direct and aggressive, challenge to the international legal order.”

Ariela Peralta Distefano, a Member of the Group, said, “we continue to raise alarm over the increase of simultaneous mass arrests and prolonged incommunicado detention. Authorities refuse to disclose their fates and whereabouts of thousands of detainees, which amounts amount to enforce two disappearances. The resurgence of enforced disappearances is one of the most alarming developments we have seen since the group began its mandate in 2002.”

Distefano said, “it is important to underscore that international human rights law does not require a minimum duration for an act to qualify as an enforced disappearances. In this regard, the November 2024 detention of at least 40 political opponents whose whereabouts work on sale for two weeks constitute clear violation of international law, regardless of their duration.”

The third Member of the Group, Reed Brody, said, “the state and the ruling Sandinista party have virtually fused into a unified machine of repression, operating a wide intelligence network, surveilling the population and selecting the targets for violation of rights.”

Brody said, “our reports have identified 54 officials responsible for grave human rights violations, abuses and crimes. In addition, Nicaragua’s large-scale use of the arbitrary deprivation of nationality as a mechanism of targeted political repression is a manifest violation of the UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, and we are urging states to bring Nicaragua before the International Court of Justice for that violation.”

The Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua is an independent body mandated by the UN Human Rights Council. Established in March 2022, it is tasked to conduct thorough and independent investigations into all alleged human rights violations and abuses committed in Nicaragua since April 2018.

The expert members of the Group of Human Rights Experts were appointed by the President of UN Human Rights Council to gather data on alleged human rights violations, collect unbiased information and provide independent analysis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY8kcypHxmI

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The Second World Summit for Social Development takes place from November 4 to 6, 2025, in Doha, Qatar, focusing on social development issues and reaffirming commitments to the Copenhagen Declaration. World leaders come together to redefine strategies for social progress, strengthen global partnerships, and promote inclusive policies that foster equitable opportunities for all. The goal: to build societies that are more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.

Subject to the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, Member States, members of the United Nations specialized agencies and observers of the General Assembly to be represented at the level of Head of State or Government or at the highest possible level are invited to make statements in plenary of up to five minutes.

Thirty years after the landmark 1995 World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, the global community will gather once again — this time in Doha, Qatar, from 4 to 6 November 2025 — for the Second World Summit for Social Development. In a world facing growing inequalities, demographic shifts, and rapid technological transformation, the need for a renewed commitment to social progress has never been more urgent.

Building on the 10 Commitments of the 1995 Summit and the Copenhagen Declaration, the Second Summit will accelerate action on poverty eradication, the promotion of full employment and decent work, and social inclusion, ensuring that no one is left behind in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It aims to address persistent gaps, reaffirm global commitment to social development, and give new momentum to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In Doha, world leaders will come together to redefine strategies for social progress, strengthen global partnerships, and promote inclusive policies that foster equitable opportunities for all. The goal: to build societies that are more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable.

The Summit will serve as a pivotal platform for dialogue, cooperation, and joint solutions, convening governments, international organizations, the UN system, civil society, cooperatives, academia, the private sector, and experts to strengthen international cooperation for inclusive social development.

More info: https://social.desa.un.org/world-summit-2025/about

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QWNZ_rw2lw

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The head of the Independent, Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, Nicholas Koumjian, said, “the situation in Myanmar, unfortunately, is only getting worse. The intensity, the frequency and the severity of war crimes being committed in the country is increasing.”

Koumjian spoke to reporter after presenting the Mechanism’s report on Tuesday to the General Assembly’s Third Committee.

The head of the independent mechanism said, “We’re sharing evidence about the Rohingya situation with several ongoing processes, including an investigation by the federal court in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Also with the International Criminal Court, which is investigating because the Rohingya were forced over the border onto the territory of a Member State of the ICC, Bangladesh, and that could constitute the crime of deportation.”

He added, “the judges of the Court have authorized an investigation in that regard, and the prosecutor in November of last year said he would be seeking arrest warrants against the Commander in Chief and several others would be presented later.”

Koumjian also said the Mechanism has “shared evidence with parties that the International Court of Justice, where the Gambia filed a case alleging that Myanmar has failed to fulfill its obligations under the Convention for the Prevention, Punishment of Genocide.”

“That case now, the written proceedings closed at the end of last year. We anticipate hearings to start early next year, and I think that’s an exciting development. We have shared evidence with both parties, and I believe our evidence will play an important role in those in that case,” he added.

Koumjian also highlighted, “The so-called elections are coming up and expected, anticipated to begin according to the current de facto authorities in December.”

“We’re very concerned with what’s going on with these elections. These are, I use the word elections, but these are elections without a choice,” he said.

The head of the independent mechanism reiterated, “if the opposition forces are targeting individuals simply because they are participating in the election in some way, or facilitating the election. These are not combatants, and this would be a violation of the laws of war.”

Asked about challenges, Koumjian said that it begins with the lack of access to the country. “Unfortunately, the authorities are not cooperating with us. We can’t go to the crime scenes. We can’t access many of the witnesses and even witnesses who are outside of the country now, in some of the neighboring countries, we don’t have the consent of those States to cooperate with us and allow us to collect evidence on their territory,” he explained.

The financial challenges, especially in for next year, “are really great despite the expanding number of crimes, that are occurring, we have shrinking resources,” Koumjian also said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzhR37h6ciw

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Virtual guests: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Deputy Director General for Operations, Ugochi Daniels; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Deputy High Commissioner, Kelly Clements; United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Deputy Executive Director, Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, Ted Chaiban; and World Food Programme (WFP) Assistant Executive Director, Valerie Guarnieri. They brief reporters on their recent visit to Sudan and a joint press release on that topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pny7HWQbJYI

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, also briefed the Council, describing the horrific humanitarian situation in El Fasher.

He said that the Sudan crisis is fundamentally a failure of protection, and of our responsibility to uphold international law. The violence extends beyond Darfur as well.

Fletcher noted that across Sudan, and despite the massive threats, cuts, and constraints to our work, the humanitarian community has reached 13.5 million people between January and August.

He said, “Stop arming this violence and insist that stopping this conflict is more important than any narrow political or commercial interests. Those who want to leave El Fasher must be able to do so safely. Those who remain must be protected. There must be accountability for those carrying out the killing and the sexual violence. For those giving the orders. And those providing the weapons should consider their responsibility.”

He also said, “Humanitarians simply asking that we be allowed to do our jobs and save lives is not working. You must demand that we are able to operate everywhere, including by deploying national and international staff into areas of greatest need. We ask you to use your muscle to create genuine pressure to ensure this.”

In this context, he added, “I am furious that the World Food Programme’s Country Director and Emergency Coordinator have been expelled by the Sudanese authorities, without explanation.”

Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, Permanent Representative of Sudan to the United Nations affirmed that the World Food Program “supports the Sudan and that the decision to evict some of those persons who work for the program doesn’t reflect on a relationship with the program. We are, we are determined to facilitate Mr. Fletcher’s work in the Sudan.”

He concluded, “I want to be clear: there will be no negotiation with this terrorist militia unless it lays down its arms and ceases its aggression against the Sudanese people.”

After the meeting, the members of the Security Council issued a press statement expressing grave concern about the violence in and around El Fasher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClrUm0bh5YA

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Media Stakeout by Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Deputy Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN, and Sidi M. Omar, Representative of Frente POLISARIO, following the Security Council vote on the draft resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpbMAB68XvY

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Video message by Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, for World Cities Day 2025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnvZ25zz0qY

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Highlights:

-Trip announcement / Qatar
-Sudan
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Hurricane Melissa
-Central African Republic
-Libya
-International Days
-Guest and briefings – today and on Monday

TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT/QATAR
The Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, will arrive in Doha, Qatar, on Monday morning, to attend the Second World Summit for Social Development.
In his address to the Summit’s opening session, the Secretary-General is expected to highlight the progress made since the first Social Summit that took place in Copenhagen in 1995, when governments pledged to make poverty eradication, full employment and social integration central to development. He will also underscore today’s major global challenges, including deepening inequalities, unemployment, poverty, conflicts and widespread human suffering.
While at the Summit, the Secretary-General is expected to participate in a side event on education.
He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. The Secretary-General is also expected to meet Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned.
We also expect the Secretary-General to hold a number of other bilaterals, with heads of delegations. We will keep you posted on those as they come.

SUDAN
Turning to the situation in Sudan, which continues to be horrific to say the least. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that North Darfur State remains catastrophic, with ongoing attacks against civilians, humanitarian access to El Fasher cut off, and desperate people continuing to flee towards Tawila and other towns, seeking safety.
The International Organization for Migration now estimate that at least 62,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher and surrounding areas, that is just between 26 and 29 of this month, with insecurity along routes continuing to restrict movements. These people leave their homes, their livelihoods, carrying very little of their belongings, as you can only imagine.
Telecommunications need to be restored to the area. They are cut and the situation is chaotic on the ground, making it difficult to obtain direct information from inside the city.
On the ground, in the locality of Tawila, we are working with local partners to register new arrivals as they come in, and to provide emergency support for them. Huge gaps persist, as you can imagine, including shelter materials, medicines and trauma care supplies, food assistance as well as psychosocial support.
Local sources continue to share extremely worrying reports of displaced civilians on the move as they are being abducted and facing extortion. We call again for securing a safe passage for people trying to flee, protecting those who remain in El Fasher, and for full and unimpeded humanitarian access across Darfur and in all other areas in need in Sudan.
The humanitarian situation in North Kordofan State also remains alarming, with IOM estimating that close to 36,000 human beings have been displaced from Bara town, north of the state capital El Obeid, and that was just this week.
Reports are also emerging of serious violations in the context of the RSF capture of Bara town in North Kordofan, including the alleged summary execution of five Red Crescent volunteers. Our human rights colleagues have also received alarming reports of sexual violence. Humanitarian partners tell us that at least 25 women were gang-raped when RSF forces entered a shelter for displaced people near El Fasher University.
These latest reports of serious violations potentially amount to numerous crimes under international law, in and around El Fasher, and in Bara. We echo the calls of the Human Rights Office: there must be independent, prompt, transparent and thorough investigations into all such potential breaches of international law, and for those responsible to be held to account. The rights of victims and their families to truth, justice and reparations must be ensured.

Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2025-10-31

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R969RgWcrlE