Peace and Security

UN Photo/Marco Dormino

‘Favour dialogue’ over violence, UN chief urges all parties following clashes in Mali’s capital

2 June 2018
Africa

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for “calm and restraint” on Saturday, following violent clashes between demonstrators and riot police in Mali’s capital Bamako.

UNICEF/Rezayee

Half of Afghan children out of school, due to conflict, poverty, discrimination: UNICEF

2 June 2018
Asia Pacific

Nearly 3.7 million Afghan children are missing out on school, due to on-going conflict, grinding poverty, and discrimination against girls, according to a new report from the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF.

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Security Council fails to adopt competing texts on protection of Palestinian civilians in Gaza

1 June 2018
Middle East

The United Nations Security Council on Friday failed to adopt two competing draft resolutions; one produced by Kuwait, in response to the killing of dozens of Palestinian protestors in Gaza, and the other tabled by the United States, which vetoed the initial resolution saying it was “grossly one-sided” against Israel.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

‘They are always in our hearts’ says Guterres, leading remembrance of UN peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice

1 June 2018
Global

Commemorating the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers at the Organization’s headquarters, in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres paid tribute to the service and sacrifice made by UN “blue helmets” for the cause of peace around the world.

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Gaza is ‘on the brink’ warns UN envoy, urging more international intervention

30 May 2018
Middle East

Rocket fire this week across the border between Gaza and Israel shows how close the region is “to the brink of war” a senior United Nations official warned on Wednesday, urging the international community to do more to help Israelis and Palestinians return to the negotiating table.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

After democratic elections, Iraqi leaders must form ‘truly national’ government, urges UN envoy

30 May 2018
Middle East

The low voter turnout for Iraq’s recent national elections was a “strong signal” to the country’s ruling political elites that they must work harder to ease sectarian divides and promote democratic accountability over nepotism and patronage, the United Nations envoy to the country said on Wednesday.

UN Photo/Marco Dormino

Mali: In Mopti, UN chief finds ‘a determination to fight for peace’

30 May 2018

On the second day of his visit to Mali, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres travelled some 460 kilometers outside the capital, Bamako, to Mopti, where he highlighted how insecurity in the region is threatening the country’s fragile peace process.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

UN chief condemns killing of police officers and civilian in Belgium’s Liège

30 May 2018
Europe

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned Tuesday’s attacks by a gunman in the Belgian city of Liège, which left two police officers and a civilian dead.

New political agreement for Libya a ‘welcome step’ says UN chief

29 May 2018
Africa

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed a new Political Declaration for Libya adopted by leading politicians and military leaders on Tuesday, pledging to “work constructively” with the world body to hold fresh elections this year.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

UN calls for ‘new political energy’ to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine

29 May 2018
Europe

The United Nations top political affairs official on Tuesday stressed the need to breathe life back into ongoing efforts to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, now in its fifth year, which has killed and injured thousands of civilians, plunging the country into a humanitarian crisis.