This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.
UN Secretary-General welcomes outcome of third inter-Korea summit
It’s time for concrete action on Korea, said the UN Secretary-General on Thursday, as the leaders of North and South Korea met for the third time this year.
Presidents Moon Jae-in of South Korea, and Kim Jong-un of the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, issued a joint declaration following a three-day summit in the North Korean capital Pyongyang.
António Guterres commended the “determination and diplomacy” of the leaders and welcomed a commitment by both sides to introduce military confidence-building measures, and a commitment by North Korea to dismantle missile engine testing infrastructure – part of its nuclear weapons programme.
He called for the international community to support the parties in their endeavours towards peace, security and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Zero tolerance for sexual harassment at the UN
There is “zero tolerance for sexual harassment” at the UN, with several initiatives already under way to ensure the Organization is an inclusive and effective workforce.
These comments by the UN Secretary-General came during a Thursday press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York, in which he outlined some of the key meetings he will be convening in the days ahead.
One year on from his launch of a system-wide gender parity strategy, Mr. Guterres told journalists that team leaders in the field are now made up of an equal number of men and women.
Internally, sexual harassment cases will be fast-tracked and investigated by a new, specialized team:
“Our aim is to shift the long-standing power imbalances that have held the United Nations back, and to elicit the best contributions from all the staff to take the Organization forward.
“And such a shift will also help to address sexual harassment. Our focus here is on prevention, responding rapidly to allegations, supporting victims through their trauma and ensuring accountability for perpetrators.”
Climate change and conflict causing high food insecurity levels
Conflicts and climate-related shocks are driving high levels of severe food insecurity.
That’s the finding of a new report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO.
The Crop Prospects and Food Situation report shows that some 39 countries need outside help: 31 of them in Africa; seven in Asia; and one, Haiti, in the Caribbean.
In several regions, poor rains have led to low cereal production, particularly in Southern Africa, the Near East and South America.
Conor Lennon, UN News.
