In 1987, the United Nations officially marked a massive milestone: the global population hitting 5 billion people. UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar traveled to Zagreb to meet the symbolic five-billionth baby. UN officials said this milestone was less of a celebration and more of a time to reflect on what must be done to support the future of humanity.
As of 2026, the world’s population has climbed past 8 billion people. This classic archival footage features Dr. Nafis Sadik presenting the Secretary-General with a global population clock, highlighting a historic demographic shift that changed our planet forever.
“In the past week alone, three massive waves of Russian aerial strikes targeted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, further raising the alarming civilian death toll and widening the destruction,” UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council.
Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs DiCarlo briefed the Security Council (9 Jul) on the situation in Ukraine, warning that recent attacks had left a “devastating” toll on civilians.
“These attacks show a clear pattern. They targeted urban centers with large civilian populations and destroyed or severely damaged residential buildings, with devastating consequences for the people living there. We condemn these attacks in the strongest terms,” she said.
DiCarlo noted that Ukraine had also continued drone attacks inside the Russian Federation, targeting oil, industrial and military infrastructure. “Some of these attacks have reportedly resulted in civilian casualties and damage to civilian, including residential, infrastructure,” she said.
She told Council members that since the start of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the UN Human Rights Office had verified that at least 16,402 civilians, including 802 children, had been killed in Ukraine, while 548,428 civilians, including 2,948 children, had been injured.
“Russian authorities have reported that 250 civilians were killed and 1,596 injured in the Russian Federation in the first six months of 2026. The United Nations is not in a position to verify these reports,” she added.
Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Commemoration of Genocide in Srebrenica
– Civil Society Special Event on UN80 Initiative
– DOS
– Lebanon/Israel
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Sudan
– Sudan/Personal Envoy
– Ebola
– Uganda
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Venezuela
– Security Council
– Haiti
COMMEMORATION OF GENOCIDE IN SREBRENICA
This morning in the General Assembly, Courteney Rattray, the Secretary-General’s Chef de Cabinet, delivered an address on behalf of the Secretary-General at the observance of the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.
The day, as you know, honours the over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys, many who had sought refuge in a UN compound, who were killed during the genocide in 1995, as well as the thousands of women, children and older persons who were forcibly displaced.
The Secretary-General called on Member States to pursue accountability for the atrocities in Srebrenica and to take action against genocide and its warning signs, including the rise in hate speech that is fuelling discrimination, division and extremism globally.
And as a reminder, the International Day itself is marked on 11 July, which is Saturday. Our UN team in Bosnia and Herzegovina will participate in those events.
CIVIL SOCIETY SPECIAL EVENT ON UN80 INITIATIVE
This afternoon, the Secretary-General will deliver remarks at a civil society special event on the UN80 initiative.
In his remarks, he is expected to tell participants that UN80 is vital to our ability to succeed in an age of profound instability. The challenges we face are complex, but they point to a simple truth: and that is that the United Nations can only deliver on its promise if we dare to evolve.
The Secretary-General will also highlight that UN80 will only succeed if it strengthens our ability to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals, implement the Pact for the Future and work in partnership with civil society.
DOS
The Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support, Atul Khare, will be heading to Tokyo from 13 to 17 July, then Seoul from 20 to 21 July, and Beijing from 22 to 24 July. During the visit, he will meet with senior government officials to discuss operational support priorities for United Nations field missions, including capacity-building for troop- and police-contributing countries through the Triangular Partnership Programme, support for uniformed peacekeepers, mission transitions and UN80-related reforms and initiatives.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-07-09
They survived the Srebrenica genocide. Today, they keep its memory – working as curators and archivists at the memorial built on the site of the worst atrocity on European soil since the Second World War.
In July 1995, over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were murdered by Bosnian Serb forces at Srebrenica, in a town the UN Security Council had declared a safe area. International courts have ruled it a genocide.
Three decades on, "The Memory Keepers of Srebrenica" follows three survivors who returned to work at the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center, built on the grounds of the former UN base where thousands once sought refuge.
Their work of remembrance now confronts a rising tide of denial – described as the final stage of genocide itself. Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, President of the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, reflects on why justice is a precondition for reconciliation, and why the facts, once proven, must be kept.
The film was produced with the The Srebrenica Genocide and the United Nations Outreach Programme, which works to preserve the judicially established facts of the genocide, counter denial, and support remembrance and education for new generations.
Released for the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica, 11 July:
00:00 Surviving the genocide
01:00 Working at the Memorial
02:51 The checkpoint at Potočari
03:12 Coming back to stay close to the dead
04:07 Judge Gatti Santana on justice and truth
05:12 The belongings from the mass graves
05:56 Denial — and what comes after it
06:54 Teaching the warning signs
They survived the Srebrenica genocide. Today, they keep its memory – working as curators and archivists at the memorial built on the site of the worst atrocity on European soil since the Second World War.
In July 1995, over 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys were murdered by Bosnian Serb forces at Srebrenica, in an town the UN Security Council had declared a safe area. International courts have ruled it a genocide.
Three decades on, "The Memory Keepers of Srebrenica" follows three survivors who returned to work at the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center, built on the grounds of the former UN base where thousands once sought refuge.
Their work of remembrance now confronts a rising tide of denial – described as the final stage of genocide itself. Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, President of the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, reflects on why justice is a precondition for reconciliation, and why the facts, once proven, must be kept.
The film was produced with the The Srebrenica Genocide and the United Nations Outreach Programme, which works to preserve the judicially established facts of the genocide, counter denial, and support remembrance and education for new generations.
Released for the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica, 11 July:
00:00 Surviving the genocide
01:00 Working at the Memorial
02:51 The checkpoint at Potočari
03:12 Coming back to stay close to the dead
04:07 Judge Gatti Santana on justice and truth
05:12 The belongings from the mass graves
05:56 Denial — and what comes after it
06:54 Teaching the warning signs
“Instead of defending lifesaving progress, we are defunding lifesaving programmes. Instead of punishing these crimes, we see increased persecution of those who dare to denounce them,” the UN’s envoy on sexual violence in conflict told the Security Council.
Briefing the Council today, Pramila Patten, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, said the annual report before the Council “holds a mirror up to the changing face of war.”
“The promise of international law has never been more relevant – or more severely tested,” she said.
Patten’s remarks drew on the Secretary-General’s latest annual report on conflict-related sexual violence (S/2026/321), which was made public on 29 May.
According to the report, the UN verified 9,788 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in 2025, “more than double the number recorded last year,” Patten said, adding that the true toll is far higher, with humanitarians in the field estimating that for every case reaching a clinic, 10 to 20 go unreported.
“The highest number of UN-verified cases were recorded in the DRC, Haiti and Sudan,” she noted. The report also names the Central African Republic among the worst-affected situations, out of 21 contexts covered overall.
Patten pointed to two new state listings in the annex to the report. “New listings this cycle include non-State actors in the DRC and Haiti, and two State actors in Israel and the Russian Federation. At this time last year, both State parties were put on notice due to protection concerns, including patterns of sexual violence and systematic denials of access to independent UN monitors,” she said.
The Secretary-General formally communicated required measures to both parties on 11 August 2025, she added, but “neither the violations nor the conflicts have ceased.”
“We do not compile these reports simply to count the victims; we compile them because the victims are counting on us. They are counting on this Council to turn documentation into accountability, rights into protection, and atrocities into assistance – to chart a path to peace out of the wreckage of war,” Patten said.
She warned against a broader erosion of the international system. “Eighty years ago, this Organization was founded to replace the law of force with the force of law. We cannot afford to allow an inversion of these hard-won values, whereby human rights, equality, and respect for diversity are disparaged, and institutions built over decades are dismantled overnight,” she said.
Kenyan content creator and story teller, Tonee Ndungu joins world experts on artificial intelligence at the AI for Good Global Summit in #Geneva, to discuss "how we can make AI
work for people’s good."
He says, sharing "that AI Dialogue is going to help
to add folks’ value in my country, in my continent: that’s important."
Remarks by Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet, on behalf of António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General at the United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS 2026).
This SDG Media Zone conversation explores using sport’s universal appeal to accelerate SDG 6 action ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final and HLPF. The #PassTheWater campaign urges leaders to prioritize universal water and sanitation access, building momentum for the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi this December. Speakers will discuss scaling proven solutions, investing in water, and utilizing cross-sector teamwork. Additionally, the SDG6 Synthesis Report 2026 will highlight how collaboration can turn commitments into winning goals.
Speakers:
– Retno L. P. Marsudi, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water
– Dr. Mohamed C.B.C. Diatta, Sherpa of the 2026 UN Water Conference, Republic of Senegal
– Agnes Fritz, Viva con Agua ARTS gGmbH
Moderator: Stephanie Rambler, Senior Sustainable Development Officer, UNDESA
Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Middle East
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Venezuela
– Ukraine
– Sudan
– South Sudan
– Central African Republic
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Afghanistan
– Security Council
– UNCOPS
– Cancer/Report
– Commemoration of Genocide in Srebrenica
MIDDLE EAST
The Secretary-General is alarmed by the renewed military confrontations in the Gulf. These incidents that we have seen in the last 24 hours risk derailing the diplomatic progress achieved between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States.
A return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences for the peoples of the region, for international peace and security, and for the global economy as a whole. The Secretary-General calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid further escalatory action and take immediate steps to de-escalate. He further recalls the obligation of all parties to fully comply with international law, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and respect for navigational rights and freedoms.
The Secretary-General urges Iran and the United States to urgently resume negotiations and to address outstanding issues through diplomacy.
We remain committed to supporting all efforts to prevent a return to conflict, to restore stability and advance a comprehensive and durable resolution to this conflict.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, earlier today, Tom Fletcher, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, who is in Venezuela, did also have a virtual meeting from Venezuela with the Prime Minister of Palestine, Mohammad Mustafa. They underscored the importance of close collaboration and accelerated efforts to improve living conditions in Gaza, particularly around safe water and waste management. Both agreed that the urgency of needs in Gaza is too great to wait for progress on broader political and security tracks. They both welcomed the encouraging milestone of 41,000 students in Gaza were able to sit for their high school exams this year. They also discussed the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, including increased settler violence, as well as, Palestinian displacement.
Also today, Humanitarian Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov, who is also the Deputy Special Coordinator, started a two-day visit to the Gaza strip.
In Gaza City, he visited a UN Mine Action Service team, whose teams have been assessing and mitigating the risks of explosive hazards, which as you know, continue to be very big in this area.
Accompanied by the representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Dr. Alakbarov visited the Firas market dumping site, also in Gaza city, to review solid waste management efforts.
Since 2023, that market had been used as an improvised dumping site, after municipal crews lost access to Gaza’s two landfills near the Strip’s eastern land perimeter.
Since April, thanks to a project supported by the Occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarian Fund and implemented by UNDP, teams have transferred about 300,000 metric tonnes of solid waste from that improvised site to another location, farther away from where people are seeking shelter. But access to sanitary landfills, which are east of the so-called “Yellow Line,” remains banned.
Dr. Alakbarov then met with colleagues from UNICEF to discuss ongoing efforts to reduce infestations associated with rodents and parasites, something we have been telling you about regularly. And he also met with WHO and they discussed ongoing medical evacuations.
You might recall that the medical referral route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, remains closed. That is of course undermining efforts to expand medical evacuations from Gaza. According to data from the WHO, a little more than 2,100 patients were able to be evacuated since the declaration of a ceasefire in October of last year. However, thousands more need medical services that are just not available today in the Gaza Strip.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-07-08
