UN chief urges world leaders to keep two-State solution ‘alive’

UN chief urges world leaders to keep two-State solution ‘alive’

“It is absolutely essential to keep alive the two-State solution perspective with all the terrible things we are witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank,” Mr. Guterres told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York. He was responding to a question about his message to leaders gathering at a high-level international conference later this month […]

UN chief urges world leaders to keep two-State solution ‘alive’

UN chief urges world leaders to keep two-State solution ‘alive’

“It is absolutely essential to keep alive the two-State solution perspective with all the terrible things we are witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank,” Mr. Guterres told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York. He was responding to a question about his message to leaders gathering at a high-level international conference later this month […]

Gaza: UN rights chief condemns new killings around private aid hub

Gaza: UN rights chief condemns new killings around private aid hub

“Attacks directed against civilians constitute a grave breach of international law and a war crime,” the High Commissioner said in a statement, issued after Palestinians were reportedly killed seeking assistance for a third day running. Mr. Türk also urged Israel to respect “binding orders” issued by the International Court of Justice to fully cooperate with the […]

Biodiversity loss demands urgent global action, says UN chief

Biodiversity loss demands urgent global action, says UN chief

In a message marking Thursday’s International Day for Biological Diversity, the UN chief raised alarm over the “lightning pace” of degradation of the natural world. “Biodiversity is the bedrock of life and a cornerstone of sustainable development,” Mr. Guterres said. “Yet humanity is destroying biodiversity at lightening pace, the result of pollution, climate crisis, ecosystem […]

UN humanitarian chief demands resumption of aid in Gaza

UN humanitarian chief demands resumption of aid in Gaza

No aid has entered the enclave since Israel implemented a ban on 2 March and the entire population, more than two million people, is at risk of famine. “As we demonstrated during the ceasefire this year – and every time we’ve been granted access – the United Nations and our humanitarian partners have the expertise, […]

‘On thin ice’: UN chief sounds alarm over rapid Himalayan glacier melt

‘On thin ice’: UN chief sounds alarm over rapid Himalayan glacier melt

António Guterres issued the warning in a video message to the inaugural Sagarmatha Sambaad, or “Everest Dialogue,” convened by the Government of Nepal in Kathmandu. “Record temperatures have meant record glacier melt,” he said. “Nepal today is on thin ice – losing close to one-third of its ice in just over thirty years. And your […]

As funding cuts bite, UN chief announces new dawn for peacekeeping

As funding cuts bite, UN chief announces new dawn for peacekeeping

Addressing the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025 in the German capital, the Secretary-General told dozens of ministers from more than 130 countries that peacekeepers remain key to “help countries move from conflict to peace.” “In trouble spots around the world, blue helmets can mean the difference between life and death,” he insisted. “They are also a clear demonstration […]

UN chief calls for major reforms to cut costs and improve efficiency

UN chief calls for major reforms to cut costs and improve efficiency

Briefing Member States in New York on Monday Mr. Guterres outlined wide-ranging effort to revamp how the UN system operates – cutting costs, streamlining operations, and modernizing its approach to peace and security, development and human rights. “These are times of peril,” he said, “but they are also times of profound opportunity and obligation. The […]

Port Sudan: No let-up in drone attacks as UN chief urges peace

Port Sudan: No let-up in drone attacks as UN chief urges peace

The UN chief warned that any further escalation of the conflict could result in massive civilian casualties and worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian situation across the country. “The expansion of the conflict into an area that has served as a place of refuge for a large number of displaced people is alarming,” he said in […]

WHO chief laments most disruptive cuts to global health funding ‘in living memory’

WHO chief laments most disruptive cuts to global health funding ‘in living memory’

“We are living through the greatest disruption to global health financing in memory,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He cautioned that abrupt withdrawals of funding are jeopardising hard-won medical progress, including efforts to combat tropical diseases, which are now re-emerging in some regions. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” he told […]

Israel must end ‘cruel collective punishment’ in Gaza, urges UN relief chief

Israel must end ‘cruel collective punishment’ in Gaza, urges UN relief chief

In a powerful statement on Thursday, Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, condemned Israel’s decision to halt humanitarian assistance as a “cruel collective punishment” of the Palestinian population. “Two months ago, the Israeli authorities took a deliberate decision to block all aid to Gaza and halt our efforts to save survivors of their military […]