The President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, said, “we meet in challenging times, but if our predecessors could emerge from devastation with the resolve to chart a better path forward, how can we credibly argue that we are incapable of doing the same?”
Baerbock said, “we need to summon the same resolve found by the delegates in this Hall eighty years ago, to form a cross-regional alliance to defend our international rules-based order and the Charter every single day.”
She said, “how many blows can an international order, can our United Nations endure? Or can any country truly sleep in peace if we simply accept that more and more Member States, including some Permanent Members of the Security Council, violate the Charter’s core principles? When compromise shifts from mutual accommodation to the slow erosion, or the deliberate dismantling of the very foundations of this institution, it is no longer a compromise but compromising.”
At the beginning of 2026, the PGA said, “we are not only standing at a crossroads, but history will show whether we find the same courage and determination as our founding fathers and our founding mothers did 80 years ago.”
Organised by the United Nations Association-UK, Saturday’s anniversary event gathered over 1,000 delegates from across the world. The event also marks the 80th anniversary of the first UN Security Council, which took place on 17 January 1946 at nearby Church House.
Press conference by Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), virtually from Jerusalem, on his ongoing trip to the region.
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UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva visited the Gaza Strip and met with UNMAS teams at a site in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, alongside the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ramiz Alakbarov.
Da Silva also visited the headquarters of Gaza’s main and only power generation company, inspecting the plant that has been out of service since the outbreak of the war in October 2023. The visit comes as part of UN efforts to support the restoration of critical energy infrastructure in the Strip.
Da Silva stated that energy is a key enabler for all vital sectors, including health and education, and that rehabilitating the power plant is an urgent priority.
He added that immediate support to repair the plant, its fuel tanks, and the electricity grid could be provided with a sum not exceeding $10 million, emphasizing the need to allow all necessary spare parts to be brought in to ensure a sustainable return of electricity to Gaza’s residents.
Addressing a landmark event in London today (17 Jan) commemorating the 80th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly, Secretary-General António Guterres said the multilateral system “is under threat” and called on civil society “to take a stand.”
Speaking at Methodist Central Hall, the very same venue where the first-ever UN General Assembly was held on 10 January 1946, Guterres said, “for eight decades, the General Assembly has been the place the world comes together to help advance peace, promote sustainable development, and safeguard human rights,” and is “the stage on which our shared story plays out.”
He said, “today, we are entering a new chapter of that story.”
The Secretary-General said, “if this period has taught us anything, it is that our challenges are ever more borderless, and ever more interconnected. And the only way to address them is together. And that requires a robust, responsive and well-resourced multilateral system. Yet as we speak, that system is under threat.”
He highlighted the “quiet victories of international cooperation” such as “the wars prevented, the famine averted, the vital treaties secured,” stressing that “if we wish to secure more such victories, we must ensure the full respect of international law and defend multilateralism, strengthening it for our times.”
Guterres said, “the world of 2026 is not the world of 1946. As global centres of power shift, we have the potential to build a future that is either more fair — or more unstable.”
He said, “in this moment when the values of multilateralism are being chipped away, it is up to us — in our capacity as professionals, as voters, and as members of organizations like the UNA-UK — to take a stand. More than ever, the world needs civil society movements that are fearless and persistent — that make it impossible for leaders to look away.”
To conclude, the Secretary-General said, “the General Assembly which we celebrate today exists because of a simple truth — humanity is strongest when we stand as one.”
Addressing a landmark event in London today (17 Jan) commemorating the 80th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly, Secretary-General António Guterres said the multilateral system “is under threat” and called on civil society “to take a stand.”
Speaking at Methodist Central Hall, the very same venue where the first-ever UN General Assembly was held on 10 January 1946, Guterres said, “for eight decades, the General Assembly has been the place the world comes together to help advance peace, promote sustainable development, and safeguard human rights,” and is “the stage on which our shared story plays out.”
He said, “today, we are entering a new chapter of that story.”
The Secretary-General said, “if this period has taught us anything, it is that our challenges are ever more borderless, and ever more interconnected. And the only way to address them is together. And that requires a robust, responsive and well-resourced multilateral system. Yet as we speak, that system is under threat.”
He highlighted the “quiet victories of international cooperation” such as “the wars prevented, the famine averted, the vital treaties secured,” stressing that “if we wish to secure more such victories, we must ensure the full respect of international law and defend multilateralism, strengthening it for our times.”
Guterres said, “the world of 2026 is not the world of 1946. As global centres of power shift, we have the potential to build a future that is either more fair — or more unstable.”
He said, “in this moment when the values of multilateralism are being chipped away, it is up to us — in our capacity as professionals, as voters, and as members of organizations like the UNA-UK — to take a stand. More than ever, the world needs civil society movements that are fearless and persistent — that make it impossible for leaders to look away.”
To conclude, the Secretary-General said, “the General Assembly which we celebrate today exists because of a simple truth — humanity is strongest when we stand as one.”
Speaking at Methodist Central Hall, the very same venue where the first-ever UN General Assembly was held on 10 January 1946, Secretary-General António Guterres reflected on the symbolic location of the commemoration. The first General Assembly took place within the same walls four months after the end of the Second World War, in a heavily bombed London where tens of thousands had been killed, a powerful reminder as to why the UN had been created
Press conference by Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, on his recent trip to the Middle East.
After visiting the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Lebanon and Syria, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix told journalists in New York that “a number of aggressive incidents” have been putting peacekeepers “in danger coming from the Israel Defence Forces.”
Briefing remotely from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Lacroix said, “until 31 December 2026, UNIFIL will continue to support Lebanese Armed Forces, will continue to deliver on its mandate. So, there is no pre-drawdown mandate. We want to do our best and our colleagues in UNIFIL want to support as best as they can the further progress in the implementation of resolution 1701.”
UNIFIL’s mandate was granted a final extension until the end of the year by the Security Council.
The peacekeeping Chief said, “the number of aggressive incidents or hostile incidents or at least incidents that have been really putting our colleagues in danger coming from the Israel Defence Forces, the frequency of these incidents has been quite high, has been increasing.”
He said, “when meeting with the Israeli counterparts, I indicated to them that this was extremely concerning, that a number of these incidents could have been, could have had very tragic consequences on our peacekeepers. And I called upon them to do what it takes to avoid, these incidents moving forward.”
Regarding UNDOF, Lacroix said, “the military observers operate under a context that has changed dramatically since the Israel Defence Forces entered in the area of separation, where there can be only UNDOF as a military presence, and there are currently ten positions from the IDF in that area, the so-called area of separation. And that is of course creating a different environment, which of course the impact of which we are trying to mitigate.”
He stressed that “UNDOF’s mandate is based on the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Syria and Israel. And of course, the, what we would want is a return to the situation where, you know, that agreement is fully implemented. That is to say, where UNDOF would be the only military presence in the area of separation and the other provisions of that agreement would be fully respected.”
Lacroix Middle East trip included visits o UN peacekeeping in Lebanon and Syria, as well as Jordan and is currently in Jeddah discussing regional stability and UN peacekeeping roles amidst ongoing tensions, particularly concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Security Council adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution extending until 15 July the Secretary-General’s monthly reporting requirement on Houthi attacks against merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions.
Humanitarian officials said insecurity and continued restrictions on UN operations are worsening an already dire crisis. Ramesh Rajasingham said, “the continued detention of 73 UN staff continues to severely restrict critical humanitarian work,” reiterating the Secretary-General’s call for the immediate release of detained UN, NGO and diplomatic personnel.
Rajasingham said “any further deterioration in security will worsen Yemen’s already dire humanitarian crisis,” warning of increased displacement and loss of access to life-saving assistance. He said more than 18 million Yemenis – or half the population – “will face acute food insecurity next month,” adding that “tens of thousands” face famine-like conditions and that “women and girls are hit hardest, often eating last and least.”
After enlisting at 18, Cheryl Pearce battled rigid gender barriers to rise through the military ranks. Now the UN’s Acting Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations, the Australian-born Lieutenant General is the highest ranking woman in uniform within the United Nations.
“Peace for me, is seeing communities having food security, having water security, education, knowing, you know, as a mum myself, knowing that my children can grow up to feel like that. They can have a life and a future and fulfill their dreams and goals.”
Lieutenant General Pearce knows what it takes to serve in some of the most difficult places on earth, from East Timor to Afghanistan. In this episode, she reflects on the sources of her mental and physical resilience, on making a robust case for peacekeeping in an age of disinformation, and shares why her family wants her to show her chaotic side once in a while.
[00:00] Introduction
[01:05] Advising global missions and supporting peacekeepers worldwide
[03:46] Service, sacrifice, and belief in the UN’s purpose
[04:32] Peacekeeping in a more dangerous world
[08:51] Redefining peace
[09:34] What keeps Cheryl awake at night
[10:49] Why invest in peacekeeping?
[11:57] The dangers of misinformation and disinformation
[13:52] Navigating gender barriers in a male-dominated space
[17:35] Perseverance over fear of failure
[19:06] A single moment of belief that changed everything
[22:08] Leadership, vulnerability, and letting go of perfection
[25:55] Motherhood, career, and community
[27:58] Deploying while raising a family
[30:40] Staying grounded under pressure
[34:19] Closing remarks
Listen to more Awake at Night episodes https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwoDFQJEq_0b6hu1e8oxsch9W0D7vkNqt
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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.
The Secretary-General arrived in London earlier today in advance of his participation of the 80th anniversary of the first meeting of the General Assembly in London in 1946.
Today, the Secretary-General just met with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The Secretary-General thanked the Prime Minister for the UK’s continued support to multilateralism. They discussed the war in Ukraine. Among other topics, they discussed Sudan and UN reform.
Earlier today, the Secretary-General met with Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London. They discussed the role of cities in dealing with climate change.
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will deliver the keynote address at the UNA-UK conference, entitled, “UNGA at 80: From 1946 to Our Future”. This will take place at Methodist Central Hall in London, where the first meeting of the General Assembly took place in 1946.
In his remarks the Secretary-General is expected to say that as we wish to make the world fairer, it is critical that the international system reflects today’s reality, including the drive to update the Security Council and to reform the unjust and unfair international financial architecture. He will say that at a time when the values of multilateralism are being chipped away, the world needs civil society movements everywhere that are fearless and persistent and that make it impossible for leaders to look away.
BBNJ
Tomorrow, the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, known as the BBNJ Agreement, will enter into force, after receiving the necessary ratifications from Member States.
In a video message, the Secretary-General will say that the day marks a watershed moment for the ocean. He will say that this is a historic achievement – for people and planet; for international cooperation and the United Nations.
This treaty establishes the first legal framework for conserving and sustainably using marine biodiversity in the two-thirds of the ocean that lie beyond national borders.
The Secretary-General will commend the Parties to the Agreement and will urge all States to join.
GAZA
In a statement we issued yesterday, we said that the announcement on 14 January of the launch of Phase Two of President Trump’s 20-point plan — including the establishment of a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza and of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza — is an important step.
Any initiative that contributes to alleviating the suffering of civilians, supporting recovery and reconstruction, and advancing a credible political horizon is a positive development.
The Secretary-General recalls Security Council resolution 2803 (2025) and underscores that all efforts must be guided by relevant United Nations resolutions and international law.
UNRWA
In a statement we issued yesterday, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the Israeli authorities’ unlawful entry on 12 January 2026 into a United Nations property in occupied East Jerusalem, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Jerusalem Health Centre, and the order of its temporary closure.
The Secretary-General is also deeply concerned that UNRWA has been informed that utility providers will soon cease supplying electricity and water services to multiple UNRWA facilities in occupied East Jerusalem.
The Secretary-General deeply regrets that the Israeli authorities have continued to take further action inconsistent with its obligations under international law, including the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations.
The Secretary-General urges the Government of Israel to immediately take steps to return and restore the UNRWA Sheikh Jarrah compound and the UNRWA Jerusalem Health Centre, and to ensure that essential utilities to UNRWA premises are maintained.
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-01-16
Families across Ukraine are in ‘constant survival mode’ amid ongoing waves of Russian missile and drone strikes that have left blocks without power for days at a time, while temperatures plunge to deadly lows, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
