Category: United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Briefing by Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, following the presentation of his report to the General Assembly’s Third Committee.
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UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said that the humanitarian conditions in the country are “significantly worse” in 2025. “Nearly 22 million people in Myanmar now require humanitarian aid. 16.7 million people face acute food insecurity,” he said.

Special Rapporteurs and other human rights experts appointed under the special procedures mandate of the Human Rights Council are not UN staff and are independent of any government or organization. They receive no salary for their work.

Andrews spoke to reporters today (29 Oct) following the presentation of his report to the General Assembly’s Third Committee yesterday.

The Special Rapporteur highlighted that the humanitarian situation was made “much worse” after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on 28th of March.

He said, “The earthquake impacted an estimated 17 million people, damaged 157,000 buildings, left about 200,000 people homeless. The world Bank has estimated that it caused $11 billion in damage.”

Andrews also said, “The military junta of Myanmar took that natural disaster and turned it into a humanitarian catastrophe.”

The Special Rapporteur explained that “they did so by trying to turn this disaster to its own advantage. It blocked systematically the delivery of humanitarian aid from reaching many devastated areas in Myanmar. It employed tactics such as threatening, harassing, interrogating, extorting humanitarian aid workers. It confiscated, medical supplies. Its soldiers looted the homes of those who were displaced by the earthquake. They rounded up a young people involved in relief efforts, forcibly, conscripting them into the military to become human shields, while otherwise using them as forced labor.”

“Young people, are drawn into the promise of good jobs find themselves trafficked into scam centres, imprisoned and forced to scam people literally out of billions of dollars all over the world. So this is a crisis that is not only impacting the people of Myanmar. It is indeed impacting the people around the world,” Andrews added.

He implored the members of the United Nations to “step up and take action that it is simply fail to do.”

The Special Rapporteur added, “We have seen in the midst of this spike in the need pursuit of incredible needs for humanitarian aid, we have seen a systematic decrease in the availability of humanitarian aid.”

On the upcoming elections in the country that is scheduled on 28 December, Andrews said, “These elections are a sham. They’re a fraud. You cannot have a free and fair election when you arrest, detain, imprison and torture the leaders of the political opposition.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu6FOslaWSQ

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Deir al-Balah Co-educational Primary School in central Gaza has become a shelter for hundreds of displaced families — one of dozens of schools that now serve as both classrooms and shelters after two years of war.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), continues to open more temporary learning spaces inside its shelters across the Gaza Strip, as well as providing remote learning services to students.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4S4S2Ai3vI

Source: United Nations (video statements)

After presenting the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for 2024, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi today (29 Oct) spoke to reporters in New York about the situations in Iran and in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as well as his own candidacy to be the next Secretary-General.

Following the reported test firing of cruise missiles by the DPRK on Tuesday, Grossi said, “the IAEA as such is not looking at missile capability but is aware of that. And so, it’s part of an effort which is very determined. It runs counter to several United Nations Security Council resolutions. We continue to observe and monitor the nuclear part of it, and it goes unabated.”

He expressed concern over nuclear safety and said the DPRK has “a gigantic program that has enrichment, reprocessing, a nuclear reactor, another one being built, without any view outside from their own people.”

The Director-General said, “it’s been overlooked, and we should perhaps start thinking about this as well.”

Turning to Iran, he said, “after the 12-day war, as it is called, we had to withdraw our inspections from Iran for safety reasons, obviously, because they were there. And ever since I have been trying to reconstruct this relationship. I’m frequently in contact with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and with others. We saw that in July I went to Cairo, and we signed under the auspices of President Sisi and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty we signed a good understanding that would allow for our inspections to proceed. So, all of this is working, not perfectly though, but it is working.”

On his candidacy, Grossi said, “some people say, well, because you are a candidate for the position, then you are going to be doing this to please a certain country. Well, if that logic was correct, then if I please this country, I will displease the other candidate. And you know that the process, the selection process, is one that has certain characteristics with vetoes and votes and these and that. So, you know, for me it’s a very clear thing. And I’m ready to discuss this with anybody.”

He said, “what I do, what I do at the head of the IAEA, speaks more than words and visions and promises and ideas that I could have as how good a Secretary-General I could be. Just look at what I’m doing. This is me.”

Responding to an Iranian journalist’s question, Grossi said, “you say that a report of the IAEA led to a war. This is something that I vigorously reject. You know, no one can believe that any military activity would be triggered by a report. And one, since you are from IRNA, a very respected news agency, you know my reports. I’m sure you have been reading my reports for many, many years. And you will remember, I’m sure, that in that particular report there was nothing fundamentally different from what we had been reporting and saying for many, many years.”

On the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), he said, “for some, apparently JCPoA is over and done with. Others think maybe not so much, which leaves, you know, us international organisations in a little bit of a difficult situation. However, however, we do have when it comes to Iran, something which is very important. We still have a comprehensive safeguards agreement that they have to abide by.”

Grossi said, “this is not a voluntary measure or an agreement that can or, you know, cannot be observed depending on the mood of the day. So, the moment they decide to stay in the NPT and the comprehensive safeguards agreement with the IAEA stays valid. There are, there’s a regime of inspections which is applicable to Iran.”

A proposal to continue sanctions relief for Iran under the 2015 JCPoA, or Iran Nuclear Deal, was rejected in the UN Security Council in September in a vote that revealed deep divisions over the so-called “snapback” process.

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

Source: United Nations (video statements)

“Without social justice, there will never be long-lasting peace and security,” said Annalena Baerbock, President of the UN General Assembly, as she previewed next week’s World Social Summit in Doha.

Baerbock recalled that “30 years ago, world leaders underlined in Copenhagen that dignity, opportunity and inclusion must be at the heart not only of development, but at the heart of the United Nations.”

Briefing the reporters in New York today (29 Oct) she noted that while the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development had been “another milestone for social development and also the strong push for our SDGs,” progress remains uneven. “Still today, 30 years after Copenhagen and ten years after the Agenda 2030, over 800 million people still live in extreme poverty,” Baerbock said.

The President of the General Assembly stressed that the upcoming summit in Doha would aim to “underline the purpose of Copenhagen, to act and to bring forward solutions to reduce poverty once and for all.”

Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, said her country was “delighted to welcome the international community: more than 8,000 participants from member states, the United Nations, civil society, academia, the private sector, workers and employers and youth all coming together in Doha to recommit to social justice and put people at the center of sustainable development.”

She added that “Doha has emerged as a symbol of dialogue and global solidarity by hosting these milestone moments for the United Nations,” noting that “at the heart of the Summit will be the adoption, of course, of the Doha Political Declaration on Social Development.”

Touching on recent developments in the Middle East, Sheikha Alya said, “Doha has been intensively engaged in the reaching of a ceasefire in Gaza. Our leadership has been highly engaged in this matter, and we very much look forward to what comes next. For us what is important is to sustain this ceasefire.”

She emphasized that “if you don’t address education in Gaza immediately, you will not sustain the situation, because education gives the stability element in any situation.” The ambassador said the summit’s strength lies in bringing together different angles like peace and security, human rights and development.

Returning to the link between development and conflict, Baerbock said, “Social justice is very hard to deliver on in wartime, obviously, but the other side is also true. Without social justice, there won’t be lasting peace.” She added that deprivation and lack of opportunity often drive displacement and extremism, underscoring that “social justice is the base for a better and safer and more secure world.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdX3EY1W5uM

Source: United Nations (video statements)

UN Resident Coordinator in Jamaica Dennis Zulu said that Hurricane Melissa has caused “unprecedented” devastation across its path in Jamaica, calling international community for support.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Bermuda, The Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands, Dennis Zulu, spoke to reporters today via a video link today (29 Oct).

He said, “There’s been massive dislocation of services. We have people living in shelters across the country. And at the moment, what we are seeing in preliminary assessments is a country that’s been devastated to levels never seen before.”

Zulu said at the moment the United Nations is working in partnership with the national authorities and other partners, both bilateral and multilateral partners, to undertake the first assessment of the extent of the problem.

This aims to see how the UN can respond expeditiously to alleviating those who are in need.

At the moment, the Resident Coordinator said that the UN does not have the actual figures of how many people are impacted, “but we estimate to be a very large number,” Zulu added.

The Resident Coordinator reiterated, the devastation is calling upon “all partners in goodwill wishes across the world to support Jamaica.”

He added, “Jamaica has been making tremendous progress towards sorting out its economic situation. It was upward looking – sorted out its debt issues. But now with what has happened, it will take a lot of resources to be able to reconstruct and get it back on the upward trajectory.”

“So the country of Jamaica and the government, the people of Jamaica need the support of all of us really to get them back to some state of normality,” Zulu stressed.

Asked about challenges, the Resident Coordinator said, “we’ll see now is how does Jamaica finance this unprecedented devastation to the country,” adding that this will definitely need additional financial resources.

He also noted that Hurricane Melissa has negatively impacted tourism, adding that “we are obviously going to see reduced arrivals because the facilities, the resorts that were accommodating the tourists have been affected and they did affect Montego Bay, which is a principal destination here and the Ocho Rios”

There will be a reduction of incomes coming in from tourism, Zulu added.

Agriculture will be seriously affected as well, the Resident Coordinator said, “we’re bound to see a spike in agriculture products. And that obviously is not good for the economy.”

“It will have to be a lot of soul searching around how we can get this economy back on its feet and how we can finance the devastation that has been caused by Melissa going forward,” Zulu said.

He also noted that some of the roads have been cut off, making it difficult to reach certain area.

“This impacts us quite badly because we can’t undertake the needed assessments that we need to do. And secondly, we can’t get the resources that these people need in those areas that have that affected,” the Resident Coordinator explained.

He also mentioned the fear of landslide as the soil is still wet. “So at the moment, what we’re trying to do is trying to see how safe it is, to get to these areas. And we’ll have to assess this using drones, for instance, but also some satellite imaging, which some of the UN agencies are providing, as well as other development partners, to be able to ascertain the level of damage.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8QaZo4sedw

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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

Hurricane Melissa /Secretary-General
CEB
Sudan
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ukraine
Adaptation Gap Report
Climate Change / Health
Brazil
Peacekeeping
Care and Support Day

HURRICANE MELISSA

From the Caribbean, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that Hurricane Melissa is now battering Cuba. The storm made landfall overnight near Santiago de Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of some 120 miles per hour. The hurricane is anticipated to cross the Bahamas later today and continue to bring winds, storm surge and heavy rainfall across the region, including Turks and Caicos and Haiti.

Yesterday, it struck Jamaica as the strongest storm to make landfall on the island and one of the strongest on record in the Atlantic. You’ll hear more shortly from our guest.

Turning to Cuba, authorities have reported the evacuation of some 735,00 people to 900 shelters and other locations. With the Anticipatory Action Plan activated ahead of landfall, UN agencies have been able to deliver early assistance made possible by a $4 million allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund

The World Food Programme transported and pre-positioned nearly 700 metric tons of food, including rice, grains and oil, for more than 180,000 people for 12 days.

UNICEF delivered 1,300 hygiene kits for 6,500 people and deployed portable water-treatment plants serving 16,000 people per day. Public messaging campaigns are underway and learning materials for more than 20,000 children are being distributed.

The Food and Agriculture Organization moved agricultural inputs and seeds to the east of the country to help farmers protect irrigation systems.

The Pan American Health Organization airlifted 2.7 tons of medical supplies, including emergency health kits, generators and water tanks, from Panama.

The UN Development Programme has sent tarpaulins, generators and mattresses, while the UN Population Fund is distributing sexual and reproductive health and dignity kits.

Two OCHA staff are now in Havana to support the Resident Coordinator and UN agencies. A UN Plan of Action to support 170,000 is being finalized.

And turning to Haiti, the Haitian government has declared a public holiday today to allow emergency teams to focus on operations.

Authorities warn of possible flooding and landslides in several departments. Early information from our partners shows damage in the West department. In the commune of Petit-Goâve, authorities report 20 deaths, including 10 children.

OCHA is working closely with authorities and humanitarian partners to share information, plan collectively and monitor local conditions, despite limited logistical capacity in several areas. Our partners have pre-positioned key supplies, including hundreds of hygiene kits in the departments of Artibonite and North-West departments, as well as in the town of Cap-Haïtien. The International Organization for Migration is preparing to help 2,000 households in Gonaïves with shelter materials and other essential items, while the World Food Programme plans to distribute cash assistance for about 4,000 households in the same area. The Haitian Red Cross and UNESCO are supporting community outreach and public information campaigns. OCHA Haiti continues to coordinate response efforts, ensuring that the Government and our partners work together efficiently to reach people in need and avoid duplication.

CEB

On Thursday and Friday, the Secretary-General will chair the biannual session of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), bringing together the heads of the UN system organizations. The CEB session will be held at the Greentree Estate in Manhasset, NY.

CEB Members will reflect on current world affairs as they affect and are related to the UN system, and they will engage in deliberations on the “Impact of the present disruptions in the global economy on the Sustainable Development Goals” and “State of Play of the UN80 Initiative”.

Full highlights:
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1C5Ew5srUk

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Joint stakeout by the Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine Crisis, following a meeting of the group. Fu Cong, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, Sérgio França Danese, Permanent Representative of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the United Nations, and other representatives from Global South countries.

The Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine Crisis reaffirmed, “only a negotiated political solution, including through inclusive diplomacy and political means based on the UN Charter, can bring this conflict to an end.”

The Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine Crisis held a joint press encounter today (29 Oct) after a meeting. Ambassador Sérgio França Danese of Brazil and Ambassador Fu Cong of China spoke on behalf of the Group. Other representatives from Global South countries were present at the press encounter.

Brazilian Ambassador Sérgio França Danese said, “Our group has consistently called for an early peaceful settlement of the conflict, remained dedicated to fostering dialog and engagement, and actively engaged with relevant parties with a view to promoting common ground across the international community.”

“All efforts have been guided by our strong commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of any States and the peaceful settlement of disputes,” Ambassador Danese reiterated.

He reiterated that the Group remains committed to “promoting the spirit of solidarity and partnership between nations that’s emphasized by the Bandung Principles inter alia.”

Ambassador Danese also said, “Deeply troubled by the prolonged hostilities and the immense negative impacts, this Group was among the first to call for an immediate and complete ceasefire – a call we firmly reiterate today.”

He underscored the need to “observe principles for de-escalation and the importance of non-expansion of the battlefield, and non- intensification of fighting.”

The Brazilian Ambassador said, “We believe that avoiding actions that could further fuel the conflict, including the proliferation of weapons and other means of war into the parties of the conflict, would help pave the way toward a ceasefire and political settlement.”

For his part, Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said, “The shared goal must be to find a comprehensive, just and lasting solution – one that addresses mutual concerns of the parties of the conflict and leads to a peace agreement, negotiated directly by and acceptable to them.”

He said that the Group “stands ready to support the next steps agreed by the relevant parties to the conflict, including the possible discussion on the roadmap.”

“We believe that the UN has a role to play in fostering the diplomatic efforts, and in the implementation of any peace agreements,” Ambassador Fu said.

The Group also called for “increased humanitarian assistance and the strengthening of the protection of civilians, in particular women, children and the humanitarian personnel.”

“All parties are obligated to strictly, comply with international humanitarian law. Civilian infrastructure and objects, including nuclear facilities and other installations containing dangerous forces, must never be the target of military operations,” Ambassador Fu said.

The Group also stressed that all parties are “bound by the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in the conduct of hostilities”

The Group emphasized the “obligation of the humane treatment of prisoners, and encourage and support initiatives to facilitate the safe exchange of prisoners of war as a confidence building measure that alleviates human suffering,” Ambassador Fu concluded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nlDx8IHPmE

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) announced the appointment of Professor Brian Cox as United Nations Champion for Space.

As the Champion for Space, Prof. Cox will assist UNOOSA in promoting space as a tool for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. He told UN News that he would use his new role to explain why space is ‘vitally important and wonderful to as wide an audience as possible.’

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/82kCR_6DbwU

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Thirty years after Copenhagen, the world comes together again — this time in Doha — for the Second World Summit for Social Development. At a time of rising inequality and global uncertainty, leaders, innovators, and communities unite under the Doha Political Declaration to accelerate social progress and put people back at the center of development.
Join us in Doha, Qatar, from 4–6 November, as the world recommits to dignity, opportunity, and justice for all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXr25vn6Z0M

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Hybrid press briefing by Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 (oPt). following their presentation to the General Assembly’s Third Committee. Ms. Albanese briefs reporters virtually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBUMalWIx78