Secretary-General Calls on States to Tackle Climate Change ‘Time Bomb’ through New Solidarity Pact, Acceleration Agenda, at Launch of Intergovernmental Panel Report
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the press conference to launch the Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, today: Dear friends, humanity is on thin ice — and that ice is melting fast. As today’s report of the Intergovernmental Panel...
Redouble Efforts on Sustainable Development, Deputy Secretary-General Stresses, in Remarks to European Committee of Regions
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s virtual remarks to the European Committee of the Regions, in Geneva today: Thank you for the opportunity to address the Committee of the Regions and to help renew the impetus on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals at regional and local levels. I...
Hundreds of Children Die Each Day from Poor Sanitation, Secretary-General Says on World Toilet Day, Urging Action to Deliver Safe Conditions Worldwide
Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on World Toilet Day, observed on 19 November. Improving sanitation is a highly cost-effective way to transform people’s lives. The benefits of better sanitation go far beyond public health. Safe toilets and sanitation improve nutrition, help to manage scarce water resources, and promote school...
Secretary-General Strongly Condemns Attack on United Nations Logistics Convoy in Mali That Killed 2 Egyptian Peacekeepers, Seriously Injured 4
The following statement was issued by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres: The Secretary-General strongly condemns the improvised explosive device attack perpetrated yesterday against a logistics convoy of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) in the region of Mopti in central Mali, during which...
United Nations ‘Youth Champions for Disarmament’ Arrive at New York Headquarters
Six young professionals from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America arrived at United Nations Headquarters in New York this week to begin a 10-day immersive experience in the field of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. The “youth champions for disarmament”, who are between the ages of 18 and 24,...
Recovery from COVID-19 pandemic demands new commitment to multilateralism – UN expert
The world needs a strong renewed commitment to multilateralism to defeat an ever-mutating virus that does not respect borders and to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, a human rights expert told the UN General Assembly today. “Instead of an effective global and inclusive approach, what we have is a...
UN torture prevention body to visit Bulgaria
The United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) will make its first visit to Bulgaria from 24 to 30 October to assess the treatment of people deprived of their liberty, and examine the existing protection measures against torture and ill-treatment. The places to be visited by the SPT...
Belarus: Women paying heavy price for standing up for human rights – UN expert
Belarus denies women many rights and freedoms guaranteed by international human rights law, and is subjecting women activists to enforced disappearances, torture, ill-treatment and even exile, a human rights expert told the UN General Assembly today. “The Government’s efforts to promote some rights of women at policy level are...
Plastic pandemic: Time running out to prevent human rights tragedy – UN expert
Calling plastics a global threat to human rights, a UN expert today called for drastic action – including banning disposable plastic – to keep our planet habitable, and to safeguard the rights of those who already suffer the most from plastic production and pollution. “The only way to respond...
OHCHR Report on Promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers (A/HRC/47/53)
47th session of the Human Rights CouncilIntroduction by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Distinguished President,Excellencies,Colleagues, The murder of George Floyd was a tipping point, which shifted the world’s attention to the human rights violations routinely endured by Africans and people of African descent. In its subsequent...