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Category: UN Affairs

Guterres upholds UNRWA as a ‘lifeline’ following receipt of independent panel’s report

The final report, led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, was due to be released later on Monday. Ms. Colonna was also preparing to speak to journalists at a scheduled noon briefing in New York as Chair of the Independent Review Group on UNRWA. 

“The Secretary-General accepts the recommendations contained in Ms. Colonna’s report,” Mr. Guterres’s Spokesperson said in a statement. 

“He has agreed with (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini that UNRWA – with the Secretary-General’s support – will establish an action plan to implement the recommendations contained in the final report.”

The statement concluded that “moving forward, the Secretary-General appeals to all stakeholders to actively support UNRWA, as it is a lifeline for Palestine refugees in the region.”  

The review group presented interim report findings and recommendations to the UN Secretary-General four weeks ago. These included evidence that UNRWA had “a significant number of mechanisms and procedures to ensure compliance with the humanitarian principle of neutrality” although “critical areas…still need to be addressed,” Mr. Guterres’s office noted at the time. 

The review panel – working with respected research organisations the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, the Michelsen Institute and the Danish Institute for Human Rights – announced that it would proceed with developing concrete and realistic recommendations to strengthen and improve the agency.

Gaza, West Bank violence unabated

The development came amid reports of further Israeli bombardment across Gaza at the weekend and concerning levels of violence in the West Bank.

In Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, reported on Monday that a baby had been saved by emergency Caesarean section after its mother was critically injured in an airstrike and later died.

“Doctors in Gaza were able to save the life of the baby from the womb of the mother as she passed away from the head injury she’d sustained,” said Dominic Allen, UNFPA Representative for Palestine. The mother was 30 weeks pregnant when she died, along with her husband and the baby’s siblings, Mr. Allen noted.

Waiting for bombs to fall

In Geneva, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health highlighted the huge toll on mental health that recent months and decades of violence have taken on the enclave’s besieged population and medical professionals. 

“Imagine living under the constant anticipation of a bomb or a gun, or being shot while you’re trying to get food or water or play. That is in itself a form of violence,” said Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng. “To anticipate that your life could be extinguished in any moment and for children to grow up with that level of trauma is not normal. But, for decades, that has been normalised for the people of Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

On a daily basis, life continues to worsen for ordinary Gazans after nearly seven months of constant Israeli bombardment and a ground operation, launched in response to Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel that left some 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken hostage.

A child dies every 10 minutes in the enclave, UNRWA said at the weekend, in a fresh call to end the violence and allow desperately needed humanitarian aid into the enclave.

To date, Gazan health authorities report that more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and some 77,000 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since 7 October. 

Underscoring the looming health dangers from warmer spring conditions, UNRWA expressed renewed concerns over poor waste management and disease. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Scott Anderson, Senior Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, warned that substandard water and sanitation were far below what the population needed to stay healthy.

 

Donate to the humanitarian response in Gaza

Secretary-General calls for UN 2.0 to tackle 21st century challenges

Amid multifaceted crises ranging from conflicts and climate to poverty and inequality, the world looks to the UN “to help deliver the better, safer and greener world we need”, Mr. Guterres said.

“But, we cannot solve 21st century problems with 20th century tools. We need a UN 2.0,” he stressed in a message opening the UN 2.0 week.

The transformation in skills and culture, encapsulated in the UN chief’s vision of a UN 2.0, is focused on fostering cutting-edge capabilities in data, digital solutions, innovation, foresight and behavioural science to deliver stronger results and help countries accelerate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Secretary-General’s vision is elaborated in a policy brief launched last September.

‘Forward-thinking culture’

In his message on Monday, Mr. Guterres also underlined the need for a “forward-thinking culture” at the Organization, powered by rapid technological advances.

He said this was particularly important, given the fundamental changes proposed in Our Common Agenda, his vision for global cooperation and getting the SDGs back on track, as well as the Summit of the Future, which will be convened on 22 and 23 September in New York.

“We’re already seeing what is possible: From online resources for remote schools to humanitarian aid based on real-time data and technology that helps countries forecast and build resilience to disasters,” the UN chief said.

“Ultimately, UN 2.0 will make us better partners for countries as they achieve results for their people.”

UN 2.0 Week High-Level Opening

What is UN 2.0?

Also speaking at the opening, Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed explained that UN 2.0 is the Organization’s response to how “we will pivot and meet the world where it is at and where it needs to go”.

“Thinking about what that means for investing in our staff, but also attending to many of the ‘quintet of change’ issues,” she added, pointing to the five topics – data, digital solutions, innovation, foresight and behavioural science.

She expressed hope that the transformations will make the UN more fit for purpose.

“That we can actually get out there and raise the ambitions and be more responsive for the needs,” she added.

UN 2.0 Week

Taking place from 22 to 26 April, UN 2.0 Week showcases a series of virtual events, including panel discussions and best practice sharing dialogues. Over 40 speakers from across the UN system and partner organisations are slated to speak.

Click here to find out more about and sign up for UN 2.0 Week events.

Ukraine war ‘stark reminder’ of the trials facing multilateralism

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ian Borg briefed ambassadors during their annual meeting on cooperation between the UN and the regional body, which is comprised of 57 States spanning Europe, Central Asia and North America, representing one billion people.  

The Maltese Foreign Minister said OSCE countries and their societies “are confronted with an era of profound uncertainty”, given the challenging security situation in the region following more than two years of conflict in Ukraine.

Multilateralism under fire 

“Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine not only reverberates through the dark corridors of history, but also serves as a stark reminder of the trials our multilateral system currently faces,” he said. 

Mr. Borg told the Council that the international rules-based order designed to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war is being rigorously tested in the current unprecedented times. 

Multilateral frameworks established not only to prevent the outbreak of conflict but also to nurture lasting peace are now being eroded as they strive to meet the complex demands of today’s world.  

He said these “testing times” should galvanize the international community “to move beyond support for the cause of multilateralism and commit ourselves to effective, tangible and sustainable engagement.” 

Meanwhile, the OSCE must remain anchored in the principles and commitments members agreed to 50 years ago, aimed at restoring peace and security across the region. 

End the war in Ukraine 

“Using the organization as a platform for accountability for acts in breach of these principles, this is why we must, and we will, keep Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine at the top of the agenda,” he said. 

Mr. Borg visited Ukraine and saw firsthand the devastation caused by the war, which has left thousands dead and forced millions to flee their homes. While in the capital, Kyiv, he also reaffirmed the OSCE’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, in accordance with international law.  

“The ongoing attacks must stop. This war must come to an end,” he said, while reaffirming commitment towards securing the release of three OSCE officials who have been detained in eastern Ukraine since April 2022.  

Preventing escalation, strengthening democracy  

During his tenure, Mr. Borg will also prioritize other conflicts in Nagorno-Kharabakh, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria. 

“We aim to engage with all sides to improve the prospects for comprehensive resolution of conflicts by preventing escalation and restoring stability.”  

He also reported on recent visits to Serbia, Kosovo, and Moldova, where he underscored the OSCE’s readiness to support peace and strengthen democracy and the rule of law.  

Women, peace and security 

“We will continue leveraging our diplomatic initiatives here at the Security Council concerning the women, peace and security agenda,” he added. “Women’s agency, perspectives and capabilities are crucial for fostering meaningful dialogue, shaping more effective policies, and enhancing security.” 

Other areas of focus include strengthening the OSCE’s work on challenges in the cybersphere, addressing transnational threats, narrowing the digital divide, promoting greater collaboration on climate action, and ensuring the safety of journalists, both on and offline, with particular emphasis on the safety of women journalists. 

As Foreign Minister of Malta, which holds the presidency of the Security Council this month, Mr. Borg said he had accepted the OSCE chair because “any multilateral organization depends on the work and commitment of all its members, regardless of their size.” 

US vetoes Palestine’s request for full UN membership

In a vote of 12 in favour to one against, with two abstentions, the Council did not adopt a draft resolution that would have recommended the General Assembly to hold a vote with the broader UN membership to allow Palestine to join as a full UN Member State.

The draft resolution is among the shortest in the Council’s history: “The Security Council, having examined the application of the State of Palestine for admission to the United Nations (S/2011/592), recommends to the General Assembly that the State of Palestine be admitted to membership in the United Nations.”

For a draft resolution to pass, the Council must have at least nine members in favour and none of its permanent members – China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States – using their veto power.

Amid the ongoing war in Gaza, Palestine had submitted a request to the Secretary-General on 2 April, asking that a 2011 request to become a UN Member State be reconsidered.

In 2011, the Security Council considered the request but was not able to find unity in sending a recommendation to the General Assembly, which according to the UN Charter must hold a vote involving its 193 Member States.

Earlier this month, the Security Council sent the latest request to its Committee on the Admission of Member States, which met on 8 and 11 April to discuss the matter.

Palestine has been a Permanent Observer at the UN since 2012, before which it was an observer in the UN General Assembly.

Read our explainer to find out more about Palestine’s status at the UN here.

A detailed view at the start of the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
UN Photo/Manuel Elías

A detailed view at the start of the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

US completely isolated: Russia

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said this marked the fifth time the United States has vetoed a Council resolution since the start of the current hostilities in Gaza.

The US “once again demonstrated what they really think of the Palestinians”, he said. “For Washington, they do not deserve to have their own State. They are only a barrier on the path towards realising the interests of Israel.”

He said at present, an absolute majority of the global community supports Palestine’s application to become a full member of the UN.

“Today’s use of the veto by the US delegation is a hopeless attempt to stop the inevitable course of history. The results of the vote, where Washington was practically in complete isolation, speak for themselves,” he said.

Reforms needed: US

US Deputy Permanent Representative Robert Wood said Council members have a special responsibility to ensure that their actions further the cause of international peace and security and are consistent with the requirements of the UN Charter.

He said the report of the Committee on the Admission of New Members reflected that there was not unanimity among members as to whether the applicant met the criteria for membership, in line with Article IV of the UN Charter.

For example, there are unresolved questions as to whether the applicant meets the criteria to be considered a State, he said.

“We have long called on the Palestinian Authority to undertake necessary reforms to help establish the attributes of readiness for statehood and note that Hamas, a terrorist organisation, is currently exerting power and influence in Gaza – an integral part of the State envisioned in this resolution,” he said.

It is for these reasons, that the US voted “no”, he explained.

Mr. Wood said the US continues to strongly support a two-State solution.

“This vote does not reflect opposition to Palestinian statehood, but instead is an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties,” he said.

China: UN membership more urgent than ever before

Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said the decades-long dream of the Palestinian people has been quashed at a time when the admission of Palestine as a full member of the UN is more urgent than ever before.

Over the past 13 years, the situation in Palestine has changed, namely settlement expansion, so questioning Palestine’s ability to govern is not acceptable, he said.

The establishment of an independent State is an inalienable right that cannot be questioned, he continued. The admission of Palestine as a full member at the UN would indeed help in negotiations with Israel on a two-State solution.

The wheels of history are rolling forward, and Palestine and Israel will one day live in peace, side by side, Mr. Fu said, pledging China’s support with a view to seeing that day happen.

Palestine upholds right to self-determination

Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine, said his people’s right to self-determination has never once been subject to bargaining or negotiation.

It is a natural, historic and legal right “to live in our homeland, Palestine, as an independent State that is free and that is sovereign,” he said.

“We came to the Security Council today as an important historic moment, regionally and internationally, so that we could salvage what can be saved. We place you before a historic responsibility to establish the foundations of a just and comprehensive peace in our region.”

Council members were given the opportunity “to revive the hope that has been lost among our people” and to translate their commitment towards a two-State solution into firm action “that cannot be maneuvered or retracted”, and the majority of Council members “have risen to the level of this historic moment, and they have stood on the side of justice and freedom and hope, in line with the ethical and humanitarian and legal principles that must govern our world and in line with simple logic.”

Mr. Mansour expressed appreciation to the countries who supported Palestine’s request for UN membership and to those voted in favour of the draft resolution.

“The fact that this resolution did not pass will not break our will, and it will not defeat our determination,” he said.

“We will not stop in our effort. The State of Palestine is inevitable. It is real. Perhaps they see it as far away, but we see it as near, and we are the faithful.”

Israel: ‘Your vote will make peace almost impossible’

Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan said the Palestine Authority is a terror-supporting entity, “paying terrorists to slaughter us”, and Palestinians do not even recognise Israel as a Jewish State.

He said Hamas was not mentioned here today because the Palestinian representative here does not represent at least half the Palestinian population.

“Regardless of the Palestinians’ failure to meet the necessary criteria for UN membership, most of you sadly decided to reward Palestinian terror with a Palestinian State,” he said. “It’s very sad because your vote will only embolden Palestinian rejectionism even more and make peace almost impossible.”

For full coverage of this and other meetings of major UN bodies, visit UN Meetings Coverage in English and French.

Stories from the UN Archive: Retro cutting-edge tech at the UN

1948: UN invention records multiple languages

Precision, speed and accuracy were the hallmark of a brand-new machine the UN developed and deployed in 1948 to record multilingual meetings.

At the time, note takers hired to cover the meetings had to pass a 200-words-a-minute test. Alas, human beings are only human and could suddenly become ill or simply miss a word in the heat of a debate.

Enter a new-fangled device (pictured above).

Adapted from traditional recording equipment, it produced an automatic soundtrack capturing even the fastest spoken words in multilingual meetings.

The end product: a vinyl album that could then be referred to, if necessary, for verification purposes.

A meeting in progress is routed to a radio station by a double plug system (shown here) – one line carrying the meeting, or the interpretation, into the transmission board, the other carrying it out by telephone wire. (file)
UN Photo

A meeting in progress is routed to a radio station by a double plug system (shown here) – one line carrying the meeting, or the interpretation, into the transmission board, the other carrying it out by telephone wire. (file)

1950s: Live from New York, it’s the UN!

Producing news in as many as 25 languages daily during the mid-20th century, UN Radio would also broadcast and record official meetings at UN Headquarters.

Precis and verbatim reporters and press officers cover a First Committee meeting. (file)
UN Photo

Precis and verbatim reporters and press officers cover a First Committee meeting. (file)

Using modern (at the time) equipment, a dedicated team would monitor a meeting in progress, routing it to a radio station with a double-plug system (shown in the photo above).

One line carried the meeting – or the interpretation, depending on the language required – into the transmission board, and another carried it out by telephone wire to the station.

1950s: Every word stenotyped

In the meeting rooms, précis and verbatim writers alongside Meetings Coverage press officers were hard at work.

Skilled fingers raced silently over the keys of the latest stenotype machines or stenographers’ pads.

Every word was taken down on paper, both the original speech and its interpretation.

As members of the most highly qualified corps of verbatim reporters, many of these men and women had years of experience at international conferences, often with a League of Nations background.

1951: The lid is off

Once finalised, a document was ready for printing.

When the UN Secretariat opened for business at UN Headquarters in New York in 1951, an on-site print shop filled a large portion of the sub-basement with its gigantic printing presses, typesetting stations and other specialised publishing equipment.

A typesetter at work at UN Headquarters. (file)
UN Photo

A typesetter at work at UN Headquarters. (file)

The head of bookbinding at the Reproduction Unit, William L. Watson, helped to develop a new binding technique in 1952.

Typesetters started the day opening up large flat boxes containing tiny metal replicas of the alphabet and punctuation marks in various fonts, similar in size to manual typewriter letter strikers.

At the end of each day, the last typesetter working replaced the closed the boxes to protect the contents from dust before calling up the UN Spokesperson’s Office to report that “the lid is on”.

The phrase made its way into the UN Spokesperson’s Office daily announcements on the Secretariat intercom system, telling the press, staff and delegates alike that the day was done, with no official statements expected to be printed.

Head of bookbinding at the Reproduction Unit, William L. Watson demonstrated a step in a new technique he helped to develop in 1952. (file)
UN Photo

Head of bookbinding at the Reproduction Unit, William L. Watson demonstrated a step in a new technique he helped to develop in 1952. (file)

1960s: Hot off the press

From the minute words were recorded on paper, assistants would run the paper to editors via pneumatic tubes installed throughout the building.

UN Headquarters provides the most modern technical facilities to make the meetings, some conducted in five languages, intelligible both to participants and to visitors, and to make the proceedings available to listeners, viewers and readers. (file)
UN Photo/MB

UN Headquarters provides the most modern technical facilities to make the meetings, some conducted in five languages, intelligible both to participants and to visitors, and to make the proceedings available to listeners, viewers and readers. (file)

In addition, tiny dumb-waiter elevators that could accommodate several stacks of documents were embedded on certain floors as a quick link to and from the print shop to such offices as the Meetings Coverage Section and the UN Spokesperson’s Office for priority documents like the Secretary-General’s statements, daily summaries and press releases.

Journalists found these materials on specially made mid-century metal racks – that remain to this day – on the second floor of the UN Secretariat.

In various rooms and chambers, delegates visited conference officers at their built-in counters to collect the latest draft resolutions and records of former proceedings, or if they needed such items as pencils, note paper and ashtrays.

2012: Printing eliminated

While the frantic process of covering meetings largely remains the same today, the UN has adapted into the 21st century with ever newer technology and innovations.

Almost 80 years later, there are no ashtrays in conference rooms, and computers and the internet replaced the need for dumb-waiters, which were removed, and have helped to eliminate the rush or demand for printed material.

When Hurricane Sandy hit New York in 2012, flooding damaged much of the UN print shop, which then downsized when the world was already advancing towards sustainability.

Many documents were no longer printed in large quantities and instead were posted on UN websites.

Same mission in the 21st century: Precision, speed and accuracy

The Department of Global Communications, though it got a new 21st century name to replace its original one – Department of Public Information – still relies on the same 20th century mission: precision, speed and accuracy.

Journalists now can find informal summaries of meetings online shortly after a meeting ends or follow breaking UN news on social media platforms like X, formerly Twitter, in 10 languages – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Hindi, Portuguese, Russia, Spanish, Swahili and Urdu.

UN staff covering meetings can still verify their work, not on vinyl or audio cassettes produced hours after the gavel sounds, but instantly via UN WebTV.

Adapting itself during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns that shuttered the Secretariat in 2020, UN WebTV now broadcasts all official in-person and virtual meetings live and on-demand online in the UN’s six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish), also available on the UN’s YouTube website.

Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy for Syria, seen leaving the Security Council Stakeout area after briefing journalists following a meeting of the Security Council on the situation in that country. (file)
UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Staffan de Mistura, UN Special Envoy for Syria, seen leaving the Security Council Stakeout area after briefing journalists following a meeting of the Security Council on the situation in that country. (file)

Lingering history at UN Headquarters

Some history lingers at the UN Secretariat even today.

“The lid is on” did, even when the printing presses fell silent, and boxes of typesetting letters were retired. UN News named its flagship podcast series after the phrase, which still resonates via the second-floor UN Spokesperson’s Office intercom announcements as a cherished beacon to mark the end of the work day.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of decades-old official documents have been digitised thanks to the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library and the UN Audiovisual Library, from the longest ever speech delivered at the General Assembly to the Security Council resolution adopted to recognise the State of Israel.

Catch up on UN Video’s Stories from the UN Archive episodes here, and follow our accompanying series here. Join us next week for another dive into history.

And with that invitation, the lid is on.

UN Meetings Coverage press officers in the Security Council Chamber summarised a debate on Syria in 2016. (file)
UN Photo/Amanda Voisard

UN Meetings Coverage press officers in the Security Council Chamber summarised a debate on Syria in 2016. (file)

Stories from the UN Archive: UN-identified flying objects in space

UN tops NASA’s interstellar playlist

Before launching into space in 1977, the United States space agency, NASA, asked the UN to provide materials for a playlist to record an album – the “Golden Record” – to be sent to the stars. In fact, the first words on the vinyl record itself are those of the then-UN Secretary-General, expressing hope for peace and friendship with whoever discovers and plays it.

If you visit UN Headquarters, a replica of the Golden Record is on display alongside other space oddities, including an actual piece of the Moon.

Bill Nye, “The Science Guy” and CEO of the Planetary Society, walks viewers through how to decipher the Golden Record, its significance today and how reverence for the universe can inspire action for our planet.

Watch the full video here.

Did the General Assembly ever consider UFOs?

In 1977 and 1978, at the request of Grenada, the General Assembly took up the issue of UFOs.

Included on the Assembly’s agenda for its 32nd and 33rd sessions was the item “Establishment of an agency or a department of the United Nations for undertaking, co-ordinating and disseminating the results of research into unidentified flying objects and related phenomena”.

While draft resolutions sponsored by Grenada in each session were not pressed to vote and were not adopted, the world body did adopt decisions 32/424 and 33/426.

In 1978, the General Assembly decided to invite “interested Member States to take appropriate steps to coordinate on a national level scientific research and investigation into extraterrestrial life, including unidentified flying objects, and to inform the Secretary-General of the observations, research and evaluation of such activities”.

Find links to both Assembly decisions here, courtesy of Ask Dag, the service catering to inquiring minds in Chinese, English, French and Spanish, at the UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library.

United States astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins visit UN Headquarters in New York in 1969. (file)
UN Photo/J. Grinde

United States astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins visit UN Headquarters in New York in 1969. (file)

Fresh from the Moon walk

Jumping back further, United States astronauts fresh from a Moon walk visited UN Headquarters to much fanfare in August 1969.

Neil Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin and Michael Collins of Apollo 11, the first humans to land on the moon, were honoured at a ceremony at the north plaza of the UN General Assembly Building.

Listen to the full UN Radio episode in 1969 on their visit here.

Meet UNOOSA and COPUOS

Right after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, UNOOSA, the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, was established and has since been monitoring developments across more than 77 successful lunar missions as well as other journeys into space. These days, the UN space agency is getting ready to host the UN Conference on Sustainable Lunar Activities in Vienna in June.

Watch UNOOSA’s latest youth competition winners here.

In 1959, the General Assembly created a committee to govern the exploration and use of space for the benefit of all humanity for peace, security and development.

Instrumental in creating the five treaties and five principles of outer space, the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) has mandated duties that include keeping pace with rapid advances in space technology.

A view of the Earth and a satellite as seen from outer space.
© NASA

A view of the Earth and a satellite as seen from outer space.

‘Like entering a dream state’

What’s it like being in outer space?

In this photo, taken by astronaut Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin walks on the surface of the Moon in 1969. (file)
UN Photo/NASA

In this photo, taken by astronaut Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin walks on the surface of the Moon in 1969. (file)

In 1990, 17 astronauts from around the world shared their out-of-this-world experiences in Our Planet Earth, a timeless documentary produced for the UN by Lemle Pictures, Inc. with cooperation of the Association for Space Explorers and the Canadian International Development Agency.

“It was the greatest feeling I ever had in my entire life,” said one astronaut. “Seeing the black sky and the bright sun. This is really impossible, but I saw it.”

Another said he had to go to the bathroom, which meant draping a curtain around himself, and from a side window, he caught his first glimpse of Earth while hurtling through space.

One said he immediately gasped “God is great”.

Yet another said he tried clumsily manoeuvring in a state of weightlessness, finding himself awkwardly jammed against a window when he was awestruck by both the view and the magnificence of Earth.

One summed up a commonly shared feeling among the space travellers, saying “I felt a love for all the inhabitants of the Earth. I just wanted to love them all.”

On #ThrowbackThursday, UN News is highlighting epic moments across the UN’s past, cultivated from the UN Audiovisual Library’s 49,400 hours of video recordings and 18,000 hours of audio chronicling.

Visit UN Video’s Stories from the UN Archive playlist here and our accompanying series here. Join us next Thursday for another dive into history.

Paving the way for a sustainable future: A conversation with UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis

The upcoming Sustainability Week, which spotlights five key sectors from 15 to 19 April, and the #ChooseSustainability campaign, calling on Member States, UN entities, civil society as well as the wider public to pledge actions that make a difference towards a better future.

Mr. Francis sat down with Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communication, and outlined his plans for the Week as well as his own personal pledge for the #ChooseSustainability campaign.

“Sustainability is important because it has everything to do with the success of our existence on this planet,” he said in the exclusive interview.

Sustainability Week focuses the themes of debt sustainability and socioeconomic equality (15 April), tourism (16 April), transport (17 April), global resilience and infrastructure development (18 April), and sustainable energy (19 April).

The conversation highlights the importance of sustainability and the role each of us can play in creating a sustainable future. It serves as a reminder that sustainability is not just about the environment, but also about economic development and social equity.  

As Mr. Francis said, “there is no conflict. Between achieving economic success and achieving sustainability. there’s absolutely no conflict. It’s been done in some places. It requires commitment. And it requires vision and I think we have both. We have both.”

See the full conversation below. 

Assembly President announces first-ever ‘Sustainability Week’

To be held from 15 to 19 April, President Dennis Francis’ flagship initiative converges various mandated events into a singular, impactful week, elevating the discourse on such critical sectors as tourism, infrastructure, energy and transport.

“The Sustainability Week initiative is essentially designed to galvanise momentum around sustainability in a way that helps to supercharge implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” Mr. Francis told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York.

He added that high-level participation is anticipated from Heads of States and Governments, sector-specific ministers and key UN officials.

Sustainability Week highlights

  • 15 April: High-level thematic debate on debt sustainability and socioeconomic equality, highlighting the impact of surging debt on countries’ development trajectories
  • 16 April: High-level thematic event on tourism, addressing unsustainable practices within the industry and launching a statistical framework for measuring sustainability
  • 17 April: High-level meeting on sustainable transport, emphasising its importance in achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • 18 April: Informal dialogue on building global resilience and promoting sustainable development through infrastructure connectivity
  • 19 April: Global stock taking on sustainable energy, reflecting on progress and shortcomings over the UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All 2014-2024 and launching a call to action to accelerate implementation of SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy
Assembly President Dennis Francis briefing reporters on the inaugural Sustainability Week.

Beyond the 2030 Agenda

Assembly President Francis also highlighted initiatives beyond the 2030 Agenda, including the Choose Sustainability campaign, which encourages stakeholders to adopt pledges and sustainability practices.

“I encourage all permanent missions, stakeholders and the media to adopt pledges to promote sustainability and to declare their support on social media while adopting sustainability practices,” he said.

For its part, his office is, among other things, working to phase out the use of roll-up banners throughout the General Assembly and to replace them with long-lasting, energy-efficient LED screens.

Palestinian request for UN membership moves on to specialized committee

The proposal for the referral, made by Ambassador Vanessa Frazier of Malta, Security Council President for April, received no objections from the body’s 15 members.

“Unless I hear a proposal to the contrary, I shall refer to the Committee of Admission of New Members, the request that renewed consideration be given to the application of the observer State of Palestine, during the month of April 2024,” Ms. Frazier said, referring to Rule 59 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedures on new members.

Ms. Frazier also proposed that the admissions committee, a subsidiary organ of the Security Council, would meet at 3 PM the same day to consider the application. The Committee meetings are held behind closed doors, unless it decides otherwise.

Prior to the formal referral, the Council met privately to discuss the request submitted by Palestine that its earlier request for membership – made on 23 September 2011 – be reconsidered.

Palestine is a non-member observer State of the UN, the same status as held by the Holy See.

Any application for UN membership is considered by the Security Council, which then forwards it on to the 193-member General Assembly to adopt a resolution for the admission of a Member State.

Security Council recommendation

As per its rules of procedure, the Security Council shall decide whether in its judgement the applicant is committed to peace and able and willing to carry out the obligations contained in the UN Charter and, accordingly, whether to recommend the applicant State for membership.

If the Security Council presents a recommendation, it goes forward to the General Assembly along with a complete record of the deliberations.

If the Security Council does not recommend the applicant State for membership or postpones the consideration of the application, it submits a special report plus record of discussions, to the General Assembly.

Ambassador Vanessa Frazier of Malta, Security Council President for April, chairing the meeting.

UN says 758 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse reported in 2023

The findings published on Tuesday state that although progress has been made since 2017 through the establishment of new frameworks, policies and procedures, sexual exploitation and abuse continues to occur across the UN system.

Rising crises, rising risks 

Risks increased significantly last year, with the unprecedented rise in humanitarian crises along with significant reductions in funding, especially in high-risk and complex contexts where the UN operates. 

Last year, 758 allegations were received, compared to 534 the previous year and 265 in 2018. 

Of the 2023 figure, more than half, 384, were related to UN staff and affiliated personnel.  The remainder concerned personnel from partners and non-UN military forces not under UN authority.

One hundred allegations were reported in peacekeeping and special political missions, compared to 79 in 2022. 

Some 143 identified victims were associated with these allegations -115 adults and 28 children.  

Most allegations, 90 per cent, related to the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, and another in the Central African Republic, known as MINUSCA. 

Prevention efforts continue 

The report contains updates on the implementation of the UN Secretary-General’s strategy to improve efforts in preventing and responding to sexual exploitation and abuse.

“Our approach, which is centered on the rights and needs of victims, continues,” UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said during the daily media briefing in New York.

“We are intensifying efforts to uphold the rights of victims, and to end impunity. This also includes engagement with Member States to facilitate the resolution of paternity claims.” 

Guterres upholds accountability 

The Secretary-General’s Special Coordinator on improving UN response to sexual exploitation and abuse, Christian Saunders, has commissioned a comprehensive assessment to determine how to best integrate the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse in all UN activities and programmes.

The assessment will propose a strategy to ensure sustainable, effective prevention work across the UN system and options for predictable and adequate resourcing at headquarters and in the field.  

“Sexual exploitation and abuse violate everything the United Nations stands for,” Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message accompanying the report. 

“It is up to all of us to eradicate sexual exploitation and abuse from our work, support victims, and hold perpetrators and their enablers to account.” 

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