Secretary-General António Guterres rang the Peace Bell at United Nations Headquarters, and said, “I will always stand with the champions of peace around the world.”
On the occasion of the 45th Anniversary of the International Day of Peace, Guterres called on world leaders “to stand with us: Take action; Invest in solutions; And do the hard work of building lasting, sustainable peace.”
He concluded, “This is the last time I will ring the Peace Bell. But I will always stand with the champions of peace around the world.”
Khalilur Rahman, President of the General Assembly’s 81st session, said “To invest in peace is to invest in trust and, 81 years on, in the confidence that multilateral action can still deliver for those it exists to serve. This year theme – “Investing in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”- reminds us of this calling.”
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly.
Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.
Growing up in rural Spain, Alvaro Lario’s parents managed a small fruit farm that sold melons in local villages. Now he is President of the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and is helping small scale farmers to thrive all around the world.
“All of these people are extremely entrepreneurial. They’re extremely creative. They have a lot of willingness and energy. Many times it’s just the lack of opportunity or the lack of means, and I think that’s what makes this job or this role very rewarding.”
The UN supports rural communities around the world as they gain economic self-reliance through agricultural activities. In this episode, Alvaro Lario reflects on attracting private sector investment for those projects, on what indigenous groups can teach others about resilience to global shocks, and shares how building one new road can transform thousands of lives.
UN agencies and humanitarian workers are delivering food and emergency assistance to more than 84,000 people affected by last week’s catastrophic floods in Nepal.
UN News spoke with UN Resident Coordinator Lila Pieters Yahia about delivering shelter, healthcare, clean water and protection to the hardest-to-reach communities before winter closes in.
On 26 August, a glacier on the border between Nepal and the Tibet autonomous region of China collapsed, triggering floods that have now claimed more than 1,360 lives and left thousands missing.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Briefings
Secretary-General/India
Peace Bell
Deputy Secretary-General’s Travel
Strait of Hormuz
Lebanon
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Sudan
Central African Republic
Myanmar
Ebola/Rwanda
International Day to Protect Education from Attack
Financial Contributions
Secretary-General/India
Trip announcement for you on Thursday. The Secretary-General will travel to New Delhi in India to attend the 18th Summit of the BRICS.
The Secretary-General has been invited to speak at the Open Session on “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth”. That will take place on 13 September. In his remarks, the Secretary-General is expected to note that today’s economic, demographic, and geopolitical realities are not those of 1945, and that countries represented at the summit speak for that changing reality.
He’s also expected to underscore that multipolarity can help bring balance to global systems and institutions, but this requires forming multilateral institutions, reforming multilateral institutions, including the Bretton Woods system, the Security Council, among others, to reflect today’s realities.
He is expected to have a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and he’s also expected to have bilateral meetings with some other officials who will be attending the summit, but we’ll share those details as we get them.
Peace Bell
Earlier this morning, he rang the Peace Bell at our yearly tradition at the start of each General Assembly session, and remarks delivered there.
The Secretary-General said that each year the toll of the Peace Bell reminds us of the most important and consequential job we have, building peace. In our world today, Mr. [António] Guterres said action for peace is faltering and violence and division are tearing apart communities. But where governments are failing to deliver peace, he said people are showing up in other ways.
Around the world, volunteers, advocates, civil society leaders, peacekeepers, and peacemakers are doing the heavy lifting of peace. As world leaders prepare to gather at the United Nations during the coming weeks, the Secretary-General urges them to follow the lead of these champions of peace, adding that this is the last time he will ring the Peace Bell, but he will always stand with the champions of peace around the world.
Those remarks were shared with you.
And this afternoon he will also speak at the General Assembly at the official commemoration following the passing of the late Emir of Qatar.
Deputy Secretary-General’s Travel
Turning to Nigeria, I just want to flag that our Deputy Secretary-General is on a visit there. Today in Imo State, she joined the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to launch a nationwide programme on women’s economic empowerment. It will support vulnerable women across the country to build sustainable livelihoods and strengthen resilience.
She also met with the governor and other senior government officials and visited a UNDP project in Imo Digital City, which supports efforts to expand digital skills and innovation and job opportunities.
Strait of Hormuz
Turning to the Strait of Hormuz, I can tell you the Secretary-General is deeply concerned by reports of further escalations in and around the Strait of Hormuz over the past days, including attacks against commercial vessels and threats of additional action against maritime and energy infrastructure. Navigational rights and freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz must be fully restored and respected in accordance with international law.
We recall the Secretary-General’s appeal to all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and refrain from actions and rhetoric that could further inflame an already volatile situation. Any further escalation risks grave consequences for civilians, regional stability, international peace and security, and the global economy, as we’ve been telling you. The Secretary-General urges the parties to make full use of diplomatic channels and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiations.
The United Nations Secretariat, as we’ve said, is ready to support all credible efforts aimed at de-escalation and a comprehensive and durable settlement.
Lebanon
Turning to Lebanon, our humanitarian colleagues on the ground tell us that hostilities continue to affect communities across the southern part of the country. The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned by the continued Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon, particularly in Nabatieh and surrounding areas.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-09-09
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (video statements)
We recently celebrated 50 years of FBI Aviation—a legacy that began with a small group of dedicated pilots in the 1970s and has grown into a fully modern aviation program defined by innovation, expanded capabilities, and the establishment of the FBI Air Wing.
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Remarks by Danny Danon, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, on the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism – Security Council Media Stakeout.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon announced the launch of the Task Force on Combating anti-Semitism, a coalition of UN Member States that “will identify emerging threats, develop policies and tools, and coordinate diplomatic action” and will “ensure that Jews around the world feel safe.”
Danon, flanked by a group of ambassadors, said, “it is time for action because words, declarations and statements are not enough to fight the rising anti-Semitism on the streets, in synagogues, in universities, and even here at the United Nations.”
The Israeli Ambassador said it was “a great opportunity where we’re going to have a new leadership at the UN, to change.”
He said, “even if you have structural issues in the institution, we can reform it. And we believe and we hope that the new Secretary-General will adopt the recommendations that will bring him. We are in the process of putting it together and hopefully we will see a change also here at the UN.”
A new UN Secretary-General is expected to be chosen by the General Assembly later this year.
Secretary-General António Guterres rang the Peace Bell at United Nations Headquarters, and said, “I will always stand with the champions of peace around the world.”
On the occasion of the 45th Anniversary of the International Day of Peace, Guterres called on world leaders “to stand with us: Take action; Invest in solutions; And do the hard work of building lasting, sustainable peace.”
He concluded, “This is the last time I will ring the Peace Bell. But I will always stand with the champions of peace around the world.”
Khalilur Rahman, President of the General Assembly’s 81st session, said “To invest in peace is to invest in trust and, 81 years on, in the confidence that multilateral action can still deliver for those it exists to serve. This year theme – “Investing in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”- reminds us of this calling.”
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly.
Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.
Remarks by Danny Danon, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, on the Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism – Security Council Media Stakeout.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon today (9 Sep) announced the launch of the Task Force on Combating anti-Semitism, a coalition of UN Member States that “will identify emerging threats, develop policies and tools, and coordinate diplomatic action” and will “ensure that Jews around the world feel safe.”
Danon, flanked by a group of ambassadors, said, “it is time for action because words, declarations and statements are not enough to fight the rising anti-Semitism on the streets, in synagogues, in universities, and even here at the United Nations.”
The Israeli Ambassador said it was “a great opportunity where we’re going to have a new leadership at the UN, to change.”
He said, “even if you have structural issues in the institution, we can reform it. And we believe and we hope that the new Secretary-General will adopt the recommendations that will bring him. We are in the process of putting it together and hopefully we will see a change also here at the UN.”
A new UN Secretary-General is expected to be chosen by the General Assembly later this year.
51% of people in EU cities say housing affordability is an immediate and urgent problem. The European Commission the housing crisis that is happening in some cities and some countries.
On 9 September 2026, the European Commission proposed the Affordable Housing Act, the first-ever common EU framework to help local authorities tackle the housing crisis.
The proposed EU Regulation gives national, regional and local leaders a clearer toolkit to act.
If an area is identified as under housing stress, it’s still up to them to decide if they step in and how. Any measure has to be evidence-based, proportionate and targeted to the local pressure.
And because restrictions alone won’t create more homes, the Commission’s accompanying Recommendation helps cities build faster by unlocking land and empty buildings, cutting planning and permitting delays, and boosting affordable and social housing supply.
Learn more about the Affordable Housing Act: Affordable Housing Act
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Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.
The Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly ccelebrate the International Day of Peace in the Peace Garden at United Nations Headquarters by ringing the Peace Bell and observing a minute of silence.
