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Source: United Nations (video statements)

Briefing by Milbert Dongjoon Shin, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), on Kosovo.

Briefing Council members, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of the Mission, Milbert Dongjoon Shin, commended and congratulated the people of Kosovo on the peaceful and inclusive atmosphere of the local elections held on 12 October.

He called on all parties to maintain the same calm and inclusive environment in the run-off elections set for 9 November.

He also noted, “Since the legislative elections in February, divisions between political parties had prevented the constitution of the Assembly of Kosovo and the formation of a government. This stalemate had constrained the functioning of central institutions. On October 10th, with the election of a Kosovo Serb Deputy President, the Assembly was declared to be constituted by its President. Subsequently, ten Assembly members, including the nine members from the Srpska Lista party, contested this election before the Constitutional Court.”

He continued, “Pending the Court’s decision, we reiterate that respect for the independence of the judiciary remains a cornerstone of democratic society. And we express hope that, in line with the Court’s ultimate decision, political divisions can soon be overcome, so that the people of Kosovo will be represented and served by their institutions.”

Shin reiterated the concerns regarding the potential impact of the closures of Serbia-run institutions, on access to health, education and culture.

He said, “Authorities in Kosovo recently announced that the full enforcement of the Law on Foreigners, and the Law on Vehicles, would begin on November 1st. This could introduce administrative challenges affecting access to essential rights and services, including healthcare, education and employment. This is concerning, for those habitual residents of Kosovo from non-majority communities, who continue to face difficulties in obtaining the necessary documentation.”

He stressed that it is important that Pristina authorities genuinely engage all concerned communities, prior to enforcing decisions that affect everyday lives, and that they seek viable alternatives in order to avoid or minimize negative impacts.

He said, “We are concerned by arrests relating to the display of cultural, national, or religious symbols. We underscore the need to respect the legal framework that exists in Kosovo and strike a proper balance between protecting the freedom of expression and preventing the incitement of hatred or violence.”

He reiterated UNMIK’s calls for the return of Kosovo Serbs to public institutions, “Kosovo’s vibrant multi-ethnic society should be reflected across its institutions, which can only strengthen democratic governance.”

“Recent pressures on civil society warrant close attention. Media freedom and the freedom of expression also remain under pressure. The Association of Journalists of Kosovo has reported personal attacks against journalists, and the public TV broadcaster has faced challenges to its independence.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq7EtRcbQVc

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Press Conference by Mr. Luke David Irving, Chief of the UN Mine Action Programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, on the situation with unexploded ordnance in Gaza.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=847KI9STa2w

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
– Security Council
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Deputy Secretary-General
– UNIFIL
– Sudan
– Ukraine
– Forest/Report
– Briefing Today and Tomorrow

This morning, the Security Council held a briefing on the UN Mission in Kosovo. Briefing Council members, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of the Mission, Milbert Dongjoon Shin, commended and congratulated the people of Kosovo on the peaceful and inclusive atmosphere of the local elections held on 12 October. He called on all parties to maintain the same calm and inclusive environment in the run-off elections set for 9 November.

Mr. Shin reiterated the concerns regarding the potential impact of the closures of Serbia-run institutions, on access to health, education and culture. He stressed that it is important that Pristina authorities genuinely engage all concerned communities, prior to enforcing decisions that affect everyday lives, and that they seek viable alternatives in order to avoid or minimize negative impacts.

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The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that families in the Gaza Strip continue to move towards areas that are newly accessible since the ceasefire, with some seeking shelter in displacement sites that are already overcrowded.

Our partners monitoring the flow of people across the Strip report that on Sunday, they recorded nearly 13,800 displacements towards Gaza City and North Gaza, and about 4,100 movements towards the east.

OCHA reports that humanitarian partners on the ground continue to scale up their operations as outlined in the 60-day plan, expanding their presence in areas that were previously inaccessible and increasing assistance to meet growing needs.

Our partners working on food security report that, as of Sunday, food parcels were being distributed at over two dozen locations in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, reaching more than 15,000 households there. These food parcels include rice, lentils, beans, chickpea paste, tomato paste and fortified sunflower oil. Partners are working to expand the number of distribution points to ensure that people can obtain food closer to where they live.

Additionally, on Sunday, 21 partners prepared and delivered some 944,000 meals through 178 community kitchens. This is an increase of some 286,000 daily meals in about three weeks. Sunday’s total included 69,000 meals from 13 kitchens in the north, and 875,000 meals from 165 kitchens in the south and central areas.

Yesterday, the World Health Organization reported that it had dispatched four pallets of medical supplies from its southern warehouse to key health facilities and partners to help ensure the continuity of health services across the Gaza Strip. The supplies included medicines for diabetes and other chronic conditions, treatments for infections and malnutrition, and pain management medication.

Our partners providing shelter materials are also doing everything possible to scale up. On Sunday, they distributed 300 tents to vulnerable households in Khan Younis and 14,700 blankets to families in 16 displacement sites across the Al Mawasi area, also in Khan Younis.

Our partners stress that far greater volumes of shelter materials must be allowed into Gaza before the winter season begins. This will require Israeli authorities to authorize more humanitarian organizations to bring in those supplies. So far, only a limited number of UN agencies and partner organizations have such permissions.

Meanwhile, OCHA reports that we and our partners continue to collect humanitarian supplies brought in through the UN 2720 mechanism via the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Kissufim crossings.

Overall, since the ceasefire came into effect on 10 October – and as of this past Sunday, 19 October– our teams have been able to collect 10,638 metric tonnes of essential supplies from those crossings. This is based on UN 2720’s tracking, and those efforts are ongoing.

The UN and our partners also continue to offload supplies at the available crossings. Between 17 and 19 October, 303 UN and partner trucks with 6,455 pallets of aid were offloaded at the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Kissufim crossings, according to the UN 2720 Mechanism. More than two thirds of that cargo was food – and about a fifth was water, sanitation and hygiene supplies.

Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Office says that two weeks into the start of the 2025 harvest, it has already seen severe attacks by armed settlers in the West Bank against Palestinian men, women, children, and foreign solidarity activists. In the first half of 2025 alone, there were 757 settler attacks causing casualties or property damage – a 13% increase over the same period in 2024.

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Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2025-10-21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mff4UU24XH0