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Source: United Nations (video statements)

Noon Briefing by Daniela Gross, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
Secretary-General/Japan
Secretary-General/Israeli Settlements
Deputy Secretary-General
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ukraine
Security Council
Libya
Lebanon
Sudan
Democratic Republic of the Congo
International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism

SECRETARY-GENERAL/JAPAN
The Secretary-General continues his visit to Japan. Today, he held a press conference in Yokohama on the sidelines of the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development. He reiterated the importance of reaching immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, and the unconditional release of all hostages held in the Strip, and to avoid the massive death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause.
On the TICAD Summit, Mr. Guterres said that discussions at the conference focused on how partnership with Africa can strengthen solutions the whole world needs – in peace, in global governance, finance, climate action, and digital transformation.
Today, the Secretary-General also held meetings with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Iwaya Takesh, and separately with the Mayor of Yokohama.
While in Yokohama, Mr. Guterres met with the President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani. They discussed cooperation between Ghana and the UN, as well as the situation in the region.
The Secretary-General also met with the Head of State and Head of Government of the Republic of Kenya, William Ruto. They discussed the Haiti Mission, and exchanged views on the regional situation in the Great Lakes, East Africa and the Horn of Africa.
The Secretary-General is currently on his way to Osaka where the EXPO is being held.

SECRETARY-GENERAL/ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS
In a statement issued yesterday evening, the Secretary-General condemned the decision of the Higher Planning Committee to grant approval for more than 3,400 housing units in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank. He notes that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are a violation of international law and run directly counter to UN resolutions.
The Secretary-General said that the advancement of this project is an existential threat to the two-State solution. It would sever the northern and southern West Bank and have severe consequences for the territorial contiguity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
He reiterated his call on the Government of Israel to immediately halt all settlement activity and to comply fully with its obligations under international law and to act in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions and in line with the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
The Deputy Secretary-General will depart later today for Abuja, Nigeria, to attend the inaugural Regional Security Conference of African Defence Chiefs entitled the "African Defence Chiefs Summit". The Summit will bring together defence leaders from across the continent to discuss collective approaches to peace and security and stability in Africa. At the Summit, she will highlight that sustainable development and peace and security are mutually reinforcing and must be advanced together to tackle today’s complex security challenges. While in Abuja, the Deputy Secretary-General will also meet with senior government officials of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), and other key stakeholders to advance cooperation on sustainable development, peace and security, and humanitarian priorities.
Following her visit to Nigeria, the Deputy Secretary-General will travel to Santiago, in Chile, to participate in the World Summit on Teachers where she will underscore the central role of teachers in advancing the SDG4 and the global education agenda. The Summit builds on the outcomes of the 2022 Transforming Education Summit and advances the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on the Teaching Profession, reinforcing the urgent need to invest in, and support, teachers worldwide. While in Chile, she will also meet with senior government officials, the UN Country Team, and other stakeholders to discuss national progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Deputy Secretary-General will return to New York on Friday, 29 August.

Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=21%20August%202025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5KavR2zGyE

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Blurb: Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, including a record number of children, are living with amputations amid severe shortages of medical care and supplies. Gaza has the world’s largest population of child amputees, many facing dire health conditions and limited access to treatment or rehabilitation. Amputations are often performed as life-saving measures due to the lack of medical resources. Ongoing evacuation orders in parts of Gaza City, combined with escalating violence, have forced residents into increasingly small areas, adding immense pressure on hospitals. Al-Shifa Hospital is operating at nearly 300 percent capacity, with a constant influx of complex trauma injuries.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubg7rCQ6xdI

Source: United Nations (video statements)

With intensifying Israeli activity in and around Gaza City reportedly continuing Thursday, Secretary-General António Guterres renewed his urgent call for a ceasefire, as Palestinians fled intense airstrikes, artillery shelling and gunfire.

Speaking today (21 Aug) at a press conference on the sidelines of the International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama, Japan, the UN Chief said, “I must reiterate that it is vital to reach immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, and the unconditional release of all hostages and to avoid the massive death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause.”

Guterres also condemned the Israeli Government’s decision to approve a long-shelved settlement expansion project in the occupied West Bank. He said, “the decision by the Israeli authorities to expand illegal settlement construction, which would divide the West Bank, must be reversed.” He added that all settlement construction “is a violation of international law.”

The UN chief also noted that around the world, “war rages – from Gaza to Sudan to Ukraine and beyond,” adding that “climate chaos is destroying lives and livelihoods.”

He also said that economies are straining under debt, uncertainty, and inequality. Guterres added, “in this time of fracture and fragility, we need collective action to restore trust and deliver global progress.”

Guterres also told reporters that discussions at the TICAD Summit focused on how partnership with Africa can strengthen solutions the whole world needs “ – in peace, in global governance, finance, climate action, and digital transformation.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYW0LHfiBAM