Category: United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Outgoing Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation Corinne Momal-Vanian previously spent three decades serving with the United Nations. For her, the UN’s founding values have always been a north star, not just for her career, but also for her family and her whole life.

“It’s really putting the human dignity at the center. That every human being deserves to live a fulfilling life and life in dignity, that’s also at the heart of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and those are truly universal aspirations.”

From working against apartheid to stabilising post-genocide Cambodia, Corrine Momal-Vanian has deployed for the UN at compelling moments across the world. In this episode, she looks back on serving two Secretary-Generals during some of the darkest and dangerous moments in the organization’s history, and shares why the UN was always so much more than a job.

[00:00] Introduction
[00:36] Beginning a UN career in Baghdad and finding love
[04:16] Choosing the UN and a life of public service
[07:53] Cambodia, peacebuilding and Sergio Vieira de Mello
[13:00] Rwanda, Srebrenica and the lessons learned
[16:27] Travelling the world with Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali
[19:44] The power of determined leadership
[21:51] Working alongside Kofi Annan
[27:35] What keeps Corinne awake at night
[31:19] Why the UN still matters
[31:30] Carrying forward Kofi Annan’s legacy
[36:19] Why young people give her hope
[38:08] Closing remarks

Listen to more Awake at Night episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwoDFQJEq_0b6hu1e8oxsch9W0D7vkNqt

#podcast #UnitedNations #AwakeAtNight #KofiAnnanFoundation #genocide

About Awake at Night
Hosted by Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, the podcast ‘Awake at Night’ is an in-depth interview series focusing on remarkable United Nations staff members who dedicate their career to helping people in parts of the world where they have the hardest lives – from war zones and displacement camps to areas hit by disasters and the devastation of climate change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShsqmkX9akc

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Briefing by Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, on the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.

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

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said, “The people of Sudan need food, water and medicine. Yet the world sends drones, weapons and mercenaries. The people of Sudan need sustained, courageous diplomacy. Yet the world is indifferent and distracted. The people of Sudan need peace and dignity. Yet others use Sudan’s land and people as pieces in a regional struggle for power, gold and pride. This Council is not powerless. The international community is not powerless. The tragedy of Sudan is not that we do not know what to do. It is that we have not yet found the will to do it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS5rdPCva0Y

Source: United Nations (video statements)

UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said that despite sustained efforts to advance peace in Sudan, the parties “remain locked in a zero-sum military logic. Greater international attention, and action, are urgently needed for them to change that calculus.”

Addressing the Security Council, DiCarlo reported, “Thirteen million people have fled their homes, including around 8.7 million who are displaced internally across all 18 states. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has documented around 1400 civilian deaths from January to June this year, including 1100 people killed by drone strikes.”

She added, “Brutal mass killings and atrocities, abductions of women and girls, and mass rapes have been recurring patterns. Since the start of the conflict, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has been able to document 838 victims of sexual violence, almost all women and girls, but these figures may only be the tip of the iceberg. Drones launched by both sides have repeatedly struck markets, schools, fuel stations, water infrastructure.”

She said, “In recent weeks, fighting in Sudan has been characterized by the heavy use of drones and localized ground combat in areas less affected by rainy season conditions. Hostilities have concentrated in North Kordofan, West Darfur, North Darfur and Blue Nile states.”

She highlighted, “Another worrying aspect of the conflict in Sudan is its increasing complexity. The sophisticated weaponry used continues to point to ongoing external support to both parties. And while external actors sustain the conflict, the proliferation of armed actors within Sudan is contributing to its fragmentation. Beyond the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, numerous armed movements and local militias are pursuing their own territorial, political and security interests. This fragmentation complicates prospects for a cessation of hostilities, undermines the path toward a political settlement, and increases risks for civilians.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN6UXsYnaVU

Source: United Nations (video statements)

As the deadliest Ebola outbreak in DR Congo’s history continued spreading, UN responders renewed their urgent appeal for immediate international support, with existing funding for lifesaving work critically low.

Since the outbreak was declared on 15 May, 5,290 people have been infected 2,516 have died, according to latest health authority data published on Friday.

Of the total confirmed number of cases, 1,152 people have recovered and nearly 840 people remain in isolation or hospitalized.

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

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Joint Stakeout by Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the European Union. It was read by Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark and President of the Security Council for the month of August, on behalf of others, on Ukraine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dv0fze403c

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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

Highlights:

– Secretary-General/Press Encounter
– South Sudan/UN Peacekeepers
– South Sudan/Humanitarian
– Sudan/Security Council
– Security Council/Afternoon
– Sudan/Humanitarian
– Myanmar
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Gaza/UNICEF Report
– Deputy Secretary-General/Travels

SECRETARY-GENERAL/PRESS ENCOUNTER

This morning, speaking to the press, the Secretary-General noted that conflicts in different regions are converging in their impact on the world’s most vulnerable people. Mentioning ongoing attacks and the disruption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, as well as the conflict following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Secretary-General pointed out that these crises are choking arteries of global trade and squeezing global food systems especially hard.

The Secretary-General noted that in March, he established a Task Force to develop and propose a practical mechanism including to address humanitarian needs triggered by the Strait of Hormuz crisis. He underscored that the mechanism would not authorize passage through the Strait or alter the rights and obligations of Member States in terms of international law.

He highlighted that sovereign decisions remain entirely with participating Member States and that we would serve as a neutral facilitator. What is needed now, he said, is the cooperation and political will of the parties.

The Secretary-General urged all concerned to engage seriously and constructively, adding that this mechanism is not a substitute for a fully restoring navigational rights and freedom of navigation, or for the political solutions needed to end these conflicts, but should be a practical first step.

SOUTH SUDAN/UN PEACEKEEPERS

Today, a UN patrol in South Sudan was ambushed in Jonglei state. Two UN peacekeepers were killed, and seven other people were injured. Among the injured are three UN peacekeepers, two police officers from South Sudan and two civilian staff. The two peacekeepers who were killed were Ethiopian.

The Secretary-General strongly condemns this attack. In no uncertain terms, he extends his condolences to the families and loved ones of the fallen peacekeepers, as well as to the people and government of Ethiopia. The Secretary-General wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured.

This brings to nine the number of peacekeepers killed in militia’s acts since January 1st of this year.

The UN Mission deployed a Quick Reaction Force in the area to secure and to help support the emergency response.

The UN reiterates that attacks against UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. The Secretary-General Special Representative in South Sudan and Head of the UN Peacekeeping Mission, Anita Kiki Gbeho, also called on relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and prompt investigation to ensure that all those responsible are brought to justice.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-08-24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF2zO6NdSGs

Source: United Nations (video statements)

“Today, conflicts in different regions are converging in their impact on the world’s most vulnerable people,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said.

The Secretary-General spoke to reporters at a stakeout at UN Headquarters in New York, warning that attacks and the disruption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea – around Bab al-Mandab – are “constraining the movement of energy, fertilizers and other essential commodities.”

Guterres said that in the conflict following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, “attacks are threatening shipping routes vital for the export of oil, grain and other agricultural products,” adding that the crises “are choking arteries of global trade and squeezing the global food system especially hard.”

“In the Strait of Hormuz alone, transits have come to a near standstill,” the Secretary-General said, noting that “oil prices remain about 33 per cent higher since the start of the conflict” and that “global container rates are 84 per cent higher than a year ago.” He said the costs of fertilizers and other essential inputs are also sharply increasing.

Setting out his appeal, the UN chief called for “full respect for international law – including the law of the sea and international humanitarian law,” protection for civilian shipping, infrastructure and seafarers, and “the upholding of navigational rights and freedoms.” He demanded “an immediate end to attacks against commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the Black Sea,” the full restoration of navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz, and an end to attacks against shipping in the Red Sea and around Bab al-Mandab.

Guterres recalled that in March he established a Task Force “to develop and propose practical mechanisms, including to address humanitarian needs triggered by the Strait of Hormuz crisis,” led by the Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services and including UNCTAD, the International Maritime Organization, and the International Chamber of Commerce.

The Secretary-General stressed that the mechanism “would not authorize passage through the Strait of Hormuz or alter the rights or obligations of any Member State under international law,” and that “sovereign decisions remain entirely with participating Member States.” He said the United Nations would serve as “a neutral facilitator,” with the purpose of reducing immediate risks, supporting “more orderly and predictable transit,” and helping rebuild “the confidence necessary for diplomacy and de-escalation.”

International support for the effort has been encouraging, Guterres said, “particularly from vulnerable countries that understand what is at stake when maritime lifelines are disrupted.”

“What is needed now is the cooperation and political will of the parties,” he concluded, urging all concerned to engage seriously and constructively. He said the mechanism “is not a substitute for fully restoring navigational rights and freedoms, or for the political solutions needed to end these conflicts,” but called it “a practical first step.”

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

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Under the leadership of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, the AI and Human Development convenings are part of a global conversation moving from region to region and culminating at the United Nations, our global town hall, during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Hosted in locations of historical and cultural significance, the series creates space for reflection on how technological change intersects with the evolution of societies, institutions, human values and relationships.

Following convenings in Cairo, Mexico City and Xi’an, the series will continue in Rome before culminating in New York during UNGA81. In 2027, the initiative will expand to support country-led, community-based dialogues worldwide in the lead-up to the SDG Summit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T673H572nP0

Source: United Nations (video statements)

The Ebola outbreak in the DRC is spreading faster than containment efforts can manage.

United Nations Senior Ebola Coordinator, Julien Harneis, briefs on how the Bundibugyo strain has moved across a massive region in just three months, the escalating response, the growing death toll and the urgent need for more resources to contain the outbreak.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wmFDhLoK85M