Category: United Nations

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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

Highlights:
Transforming Education Summit +4/DSG Travel
UN Women
Security Council
Lebanon
Occupied Palestinian Territory
South Sudan
Venezuela
International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide In Srebrenica
World Population Day
World Horse Day
International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms
International Day of Hope
Noon Briefing Guests/Monday

TRANSFORMING EDUCATION SUMMIT +4/DSG TRAVEL

The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, arrived in Paris this morning for the Transforming Education Summit +4 (TES+4). That summit was convened by the Secretary-General and the Director-General of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

In her opening remarks, she stressed that education remains one of the most powerful drivers of sustainable development, peace, and opportunity. She called for financing in education to be treated as an investment in people, an investment in economies and an investment in sustainable development. The Deputy Secretary General stressed that education becomes the great enabler of every learner, every economy, and every hope we have for 2030 and beyond.

The Summit brings together leaders and partners to take stock of progress since the 2022 Transforming Education Summit and accelerate action on SDG 4. While in Paris, the Deputy Secretary-General met with the President of South Africa and Co-Chair of the High-Level Committee on SDG4, and that is Cyril Ramaphosa. They discussed the strong cooperation between South Africa and the United Nations. She also met with a number of senior UNESCO officials, civil society representatives, youth partners, and others who are attending the summit.

She will be back in New York on Saturday.

Also today, UNESCO launched a report warning that international aid to education could fall up to 30 per cent between 2023 and 2027. According to them, 113 countries spend more on debt servicing than education. The report brings concrete recommendations to help countries break the debt trap and invest in education.

UN WOMEN

The UN Women today released a report warning that deep cuts in humanitarian funding are forcing women’s organizations to scale back or even shut down, with at least one million women and girls losing access to critical support since January 2025.

The report notes that some 120 million women and girls worldwide require humanitarian assistance and protection. Yet, almost half of the 855 women’s organizations surveyed across 52 crisis- and conflict-affected countries, that includes Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti, are at risk of shutting down temporarily or even permanently within a year due to a lack of funding. 65 per cent of these women-led organizations say their staff are working without pay to keep services running; more than three-quarters say they have cut staff.

The report also warns that the consequences extend beyond humanitarian response, threatening to reverse progress on women’s rights, reduce women’s participation in community leadership and decision-making.

UN Women is calling for sustainable investment in women’s organizations, which it describes as indispensable first responders and a foundation for protection, recovery and peace.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-07-10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFMMXIj0z-M

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Informal comments to the media by Zénon Mukongo Ngay, Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and President of the Security Council for the month of July 2026, on the process of appointing and selecting the next Secretary-General – Security Council Media Stakeout.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-FhESu7poY

Source: United Nations (video statements)

On Saturday, 18 July 2026, the UN Chamber Music Society of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council (UNCMS) presents “Madiba” with Wouter Kellerman, a three-time Grammy Award-winning South African flautist, producer, and composer, who has also earned nine South African Music Awards.  The event will be broadcasted internationally through the global platforms of the United Nations: UN Web TV and UN YouTube.

Honouring the enduring legacy of the former South African President and his commitment to peace, freedom, and service, “Madiba", a musical prayer, offers a heartfelt tribute that blends power and tenderness.  Founded in 2016 by Brenda Vongova, the UN Chamber Music Society is dedicated to promoting the United Nations’ goals and values at large – through the universal language of music.
 
Learn more about Mandela Day at the United Nations:
https://www.un.org/en/events/mandeladay/
 
 
Listen to the “Madiba” on Spotify, Apple, Deezer, Tidal, YouTube, TikTok, Pandora, and all the major music distribution platforms worldwide. 

100% of the UN Chamber Music Society’s streams will be donated to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) — supporting its frontline response to climate-driven humanitarian crises worldwide.

Support the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) by donating to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
https://crisisrelief.un.org/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2YkU6Wb-gI

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Indrika Ratwatte, Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefed the Security Council (9 Jul) on the situation in Ukraine.

He said the intensifying fighting was narrowing opportunities to reach civilians safely. “For example, in parts of Donetsk region, humanitarian access has been intermittently suspended, making it harder for humanitarians to help civilians leave and for humanitarian relief to reach those who remain,” he said.

He said a humanitarian convoy was struck by a drone last week in Ukraine-controlled Dnipro region, the third such incident in two months, while attacks also damaged a Ukrainian Red Cross warehouse, destroying humanitarian supplies intended for civilians. “Overall, attacks harming humanitarian personnel and damaging their assets have increased by more than 20 per cent compared with the same period last year,” he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko3nlCGAOrE

Source: United Nations (video statements)

As governments assess SDG7 progress, global crises are driving a shift toward domestic renewables, boosting solar trade across Asia and Africa. Meanwhile, AI and data centers are spiking power demand, yet 2,500 GW of renewable projects remain stalled in grid queues. Investing in modern grids and digital infrastructure offers a massive opportunity; AI alone could optimize transmission and save $110 billion annually.
The insights in this discussion draw from Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report and the SDG7 Policy Briefs for the HLPF, launching July 8.

Speakers:
– Alexander De Croo, Administrator of UNDP
– Damilola Ogunbiyi, SRSG on Sustainable Energy for All

Moderator: Cherisse Bovell, Consultant to the United Nation Foundation’s Our Future Agenda Programme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpWz-qxhe9g

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy-ooKdrSXY

Source: United Nations (video statements)

“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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF6jQWQcKK0

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rdzdNhFXVI

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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:

https://www.un.org/en/observances/srebrenica-genocide-commemoration-day

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK060SfOAC4

Source: United Nations (video statements)

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:

https://www.un.org/en/observances/srebrenica-genocide-commemoration-day

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK060SfOAC4