Rising instability and unpredictable geopolitical tensions have led to a “wind of madness” across the world, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday during his main annual press conference for journalists at UN Headquarters in New York. Following recent flare-ups in some hotspots, the UN chief observed that although de-escalation efforts indicated progress, the situation has now changed. “I have spoken about winds of hope. But today a wind of madness is sweeping the globe. From Libya to Yemen […]
Category: Politics
UN ‘determined to lead by example’ on disability rights: Guterres
© UNICEF/Christopher Herwig A 9-year-old girl plays on a seesaw in a new inclusive playground built in her school in Za’atari Refugee Camp, Jordan. The UN is determined to lead by example when it comes to the rights of people with disabilities, Secretary-General António Guterres said in a message to mark the International Day of […]
Protests around the world: Politicians must address ‘growing deficit of trust’, urges Guterres
UN Bolivia/Patricia Cusicanqui Demonstrators protest on the streets of La Paz, Bolivia. Protests in cities across the world in recent days show that “people are hurting and want to be heard” by political leaders who must now address a “growing deficit of trust”, said the UN chief on Friday. Speaking to correspondents at UN Headquarters in New York, António […]
All States have ‘primary responsibility’ to protect against hate attacks
The UN’s top rights official has added her voice to condemnation of the weekend mass-shootings in the cities of El Paso and Dayton, insisting on Tuesday that “not just the US, but all States” should do more to stop discrimination. Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet’s spokesperson, Rupert Colville, from the Office of the High Commissioner […]
‘Protracted crisis’ in Venezuela leads to ‘alarming escalation of tensions’: UN political chief
The “protracted crisis” in Venezuela has led to an “alarming escalation of tensions”, Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN’s political and peacebuilding chief, told the UN Security Council on Tuesday. She said that the “grim reality” facing the country, according to available information, showed a deteriorating economy, with citizens dying of preventable causes, and 3.4 million Venezuelans so […]
Prospect of lasting peace ‘fading by the day’ in Gaza and West Bank, senior UN envoy warns
The spectres of violence and radicalism in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are growing, and the prospect of sustainable peace is fading by the day, a senior UN envoy in the region told the Security Council on Wednesday. The Council was briefed by Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, as well as Ursula Mueller, […]