The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rose from the ashes of the Second World War with the founding of the United Nations. Set up as its judicial arm, the ICJ has two roles: to settle legal disputes between States, and to give advisory opinions on legal questions.
The Court’s first-ever contentious case was brought by the United Kingdom against Albania over mine explosions that damaged British warships passing through the Corfu Channel in 1946.
In their speeches to the judges, officials from both countries voiced confidence in the Court. “It is our profound conviction that in that great task of peace, this tribunal will, in its appointed sphere, play a worthy and an ever-increasing part,” said Hartley Shawcross of the United Kingdom. Khareman Ylli of Albania stressed that “the equality of parties is an essential condition” at the Court.
Utilizing material from the UN Audiovisual Library, this production offers a unique view into pivotal moments of this historic event. https://www.unmultimedia.org/avlibrary/
In this episode, take a front seat to how it all began.
In the summer of 1945, leaders from 50 countries gathered in San Francisco to agree upon an international treaty to enshrine the equal rights of all people and maintain peace. This resulting treaty, the UN Charter, is the founding document of the United Nations, which pledged to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.
In over 70 years since its creation, the United Nations maintains international peace and security, protects human rights, delivers humanitarian aid, supports sustainable development and climate action, and upholds international law.
The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945, at the conclusion of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, and came into force on 24 October 1945.
The United Nations can take action on a wide variety of issues due to its unique international character and the powers vested in its Charter, which is considered an international treaty. As such, the UN Charter is an instrument of international law, and UN Member States are bound by it. The UN Charter codifies the major principles of international relations, from sovereign equality of States to the prohibition of the use of force in international relations.
On 17th September, 1948, Count Folke Bernadotte, a United Nations Mediator for Palestine, was murdered in Jerusalem by a Zionist militant organization.
Count Bernadotte’s presence in Palestine followed the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine and the subsequent unilateral Israeli Declaration of Independence. In this capacity, he succeeded in achieving an initial truce during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and laid the groundwork for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, paying tribute to the memory of His Highness the Father Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.
Speaking live from Kathmandu, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nepal Lila Pieters Yahia reported that confirmed fatalities from the August 26 disaster have reached 1,367, with more than 5,100 people still unaccounted for, including 587 foreign nationals. Yahia highlighted ongoing search-and-rescue efforts in flooded hydropower tunnels and pushed for swift international backing of the UN’s $49.6 million flash appeal, framing Nepal’s devastation as a stark reminder of the urgent need for global climate justice and loss-and-damage financing.
Addressing the Resident Coordinator for Nepal Lila Pieters Yahia said, "I’m speaking to you from Kathmandu two weeks after the disaster that struck Nepal on 26th of August, where things stand as of this evening.
We have 1,367 people confirmed dead.
Around 5,132 people are still missing, including about 587 foreign national.
102 bodies have been handed over.
13,646 people have been rescued.
On Saturday, I visited the worst affected areas.
What I saw whole settlements are gone, the riverbed has moved.
People are still searching for family members they know they may never find.
They are doing it along the military, police, international experts, and volunteer.
People told me five things.
They witness the loved one, the community members being taken away by the 20 meters high wave.
They lost their livelihood, they lost their loved one, they lost their home, and they lost in many cases, the breadwinner of their family.
But they also told me that aid has reached them.
They are receiving food, non food item, My colleagues from WFP, from UNICEF, from WHO have reached those communities along with NGO partners and the government.
The aid is reaching.
However, still some people have not been able to be reached because access remain extremely difficult.
Last Friday with the government of Nepal and the United Nations, we launched a flash appeal for $49.6 million to reach more than 84,000 people by the end of December.
It covers logistic food, clean water, healthcare, mental health care, protection, shelter and cash.
It is designed to put money directly into people hence whatever markets are working.
It is a life saving appeal.
It does not cover reconstruction, which will follow the government post disaster need assessment.
Where are we so far in terms of funding?
Out of the 49.6 million we have received the pledge of $22 million.
I’d like, as a next point to discuss the point which has been making headline news everywhere now, which is the issue of climate justice and loss and damages.
As Stephan said, the devastation Nepal has experienced is an extraordinary stark illustration of the losses and damages that climate vulnerable countries are increasingly facing.
Nepal has contributed very little to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Yet it is experiencing profound human and economical consequences from a changing climate.
The government of Nepal has approached the fund for responding to loss and damages for support, and that request will be considered through the fund established governance and decision making process.
It will not be appropriate for us the UN team here in Nepal to prejudge that process or the amount of financing that may ultimately be approved.
More broadly, Nepal calls for climate justice speaks to a principle that lies at the heart of the international climate Framework.
Countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate change need adequate and accessible support to respond to losses and damages they did little to cause.
Question of the legal responsibility or liability of individual state as distinct from the fund financing process.
It will be also very inappropriate for me, the resident coordinator, to make determination on those question.
Our immediate priority is to support Nepal and its people in responding to the enormous human consequences of this disaster and the urgent need for humanitarian need.
My plea tonight to the international community, we need to demonstrate solidarity towards the people of Nepal, a time where they needed the most.
Thank you."
Secretary-General António Guterres rang the Peace Bell at United Nations Headquarters, and said, “I will always stand with the champions of peace around the world.”
On the occasion of the 45th Anniversary of the International Day of Peace, Guterres called on world leaders “to stand with us: Take action; Invest in solutions; And do the hard work of building lasting, sustainable peace.”
He concluded, “This is the last time I will ring the Peace Bell. But I will always stand with the champions of peace around the world.”
Khalilur Rahman, President of the General Assembly’s 81st session, said “To invest in peace is to invest in trust and, 81 years on, in the confidence that multilateral action can still deliver for those it exists to serve. This year theme – “Investing in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”- reminds us of this calling.”
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly.
Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.
Growing up in rural Spain, Alvaro Lario’s parents managed a small fruit farm that sold melons in local villages. Now he is President of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and is helping small scale farmers to thrive all around the world.
“All of these people are extremely entrepreneurial. They’re extremely creative. They have a lot of willingness and energy. Many times it’s just the lack of opportunity or the lack of means, and I think that’s what makes this job or this role very rewarding.”
The UN supports rural communities around the world as they gain economic self-reliance through agricultural activities. In this episode, Alvaro Lario reflects on attracting private sector investment for those projects, on what indigenous groups can teach others about resilience to global shocks, and shares how building one new road can transform thousands of lives.
UN agencies and humanitarian workers are delivering food and emergency assistance to more than 84,000 people affected by last week’s catastrophic floods in Nepal.
UN News spoke with UN Resident Coordinator Lila Pieters Yahia about delivering shelter, healthcare, clean water and protection to the hardest-to-reach communities before winter closes in.
On 26 August, a glacier on the border between Nepal and the Tibet autonomous region of China collapsed, triggering floods that have now claimed more than 1,360 lives and left thousands missing.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Briefings
Secretary-General/India
Peace Bell
Deputy Secretary-General’s Travel
Strait of Hormuz
Lebanon
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Sudan
Central African Republic
Myanmar
Ebola/Rwanda
International Day to Protect Education from Attack
Financial Contributions
Secretary-General/India
Trip announcement for you on Thursday. The Secretary-General will travel to New Delhi in India to attend the 18th Summit of the BRICS.
The Secretary-General has been invited to speak at the Open Session on “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth”. That will take place on 13 September. In his remarks, the Secretary-General is expected to note that today’s economic, demographic, and geopolitical realities are not those of 1945, and that countries represented at the summit speak for that changing reality.
He’s also expected to underscore that multipolarity can help bring balance to global systems and institutions, but this requires forming multilateral institutions, reforming multilateral institutions, including the Bretton Woods system, the Security Council, among others, to reflect today’s realities.
He is expected to have a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and he’s also expected to have bilateral meetings with some other officials who will be attending the summit, but we’ll share those details as we get them.
Peace Bell
Earlier this morning, he rang the Peace Bell at our yearly tradition at the start of each General Assembly session, and remarks delivered there.
The Secretary-General said that each year the toll of the Peace Bell reminds us of the most important and consequential job we have, building peace. In our world today, Mr. [António] Guterres said action for peace is faltering and violence and division are tearing apart communities. But where governments are failing to deliver peace, he said people are showing up in other ways.
Around the world, volunteers, advocates, civil society leaders, peacekeepers, and peacemakers are doing the heavy lifting of peace. As world leaders prepare to gather at the United Nations during the coming weeks, the Secretary-General urges them to follow the lead of these champions of peace, adding that this is the last time he will ring the Peace Bell, but he will always stand with the champions of peace around the world.
Those remarks were shared with you.
And this afternoon he will also speak at the General Assembly at the official commemoration following the passing of the late Emir of Qatar.
Deputy Secretary-General’s Travel
Turning to Nigeria, I just want to flag that our Deputy Secretary-General is on a visit there. Today in Imo State, she joined the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to launch a nationwide programme on women’s economic empowerment. It will support vulnerable women across the country to build sustainable livelihoods and strengthen resilience.
She also met with the governor and other senior government officials and visited a UNDP project in Imo Digital City, which supports efforts to expand digital skills and innovation and job opportunities.
Strait of Hormuz
Turning to the Strait of Hormuz, I can tell you the Secretary-General is deeply concerned by reports of further escalations in and around the Strait of Hormuz over the past days, including attacks against commercial vessels and threats of additional action against maritime and energy infrastructure. Navigational rights and freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz must be fully restored and respected in accordance with international law.
We recall the Secretary-General’s appeal to all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and refrain from actions and rhetoric that could further inflame an already volatile situation. Any further escalation risks grave consequences for civilians, regional stability, international peace and security, and the global economy, as we’ve been telling you. The Secretary-General urges the parties to make full use of diplomatic channels and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiations.
The United Nations Secretariat, as we’ve said, is ready to support all credible efforts aimed at de-escalation and a comprehensive and durable settlement.
Lebanon
Turning to Lebanon, our humanitarian colleagues on the ground tell us that hostilities continue to affect communities across the southern part of the country. The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned by the continued Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon, particularly in Nabatieh and surrounding areas.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-09-09
Remarks by Danny Danon, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, on the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism – Security Council Media Stakeout.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon announced the launch of the Task Force on Combating anti-Semitism, a coalition of UN Member States that “will identify emerging threats, develop policies and tools, and coordinate diplomatic action” and will “ensure that Jews around the world feel safe.”
Danon, flanked by a group of ambassadors, said, “it is time for action because words, declarations and statements are not enough to fight the rising anti-Semitism on the streets, in synagogues, in universities, and even here at the United Nations.”
The Israeli Ambassador said it was “a great opportunity where we’re going to have a new leadership at the UN, to change.”
He said, “even if you have structural issues in the institution, we can reform it. And we believe and we hope that the new Secretary-General will adopt the recommendations that will bring him. We are in the process of putting it together and hopefully we will see a change also here at the UN.”
A new UN Secretary-General is expected to be chosen by the General Assembly later this year.
