UN chief says Ethiopia has no right to expel UN staff
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that Ethiopia has no right to expel UN staff and it is violating international law in doing this.
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 21: The UN chief on Wednesday urged global policymakers to unlock better financing and tackle the great finance divide, as progress on some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has gone into reverse for the first time in decades.
"There is a stark
BAGHDAD, March 2: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with senior Iraqi leaders here on Wednesday during a visit aimed at showing the UN's solidarity with Iraq.
"I am here on a visit of solidarity and confirmation of the commitment of the United Nation
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for global solidarity to stop infectious diseases.
In his video message for the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, which falls on Dec. 27, the UN chief said that building global solidarity would "give every country a fighting chance to stop infectious diseases in their tracks."
COVID-19 continues to demonstrate how quickly "an infectious disease can sweep across the world," pushing health systems to the brink and upending daily life for all of humanity, the UN chief said.
"It also revealed our failure to learn the lessons of recent health emergencies like SARS, avian influenza, Zika, Ebola and others," said the secretary-general.
"And it reminded us that the world remains woefully unprepared to stop localized outbreaks from spilling across borders, and spiraling into a global pandemic," he said.
Noting that infectious diseases remain "a clear and present danger to every country," Guterres maintained that COVID-19 would not be the last pandemic for humanity.
Even as the world responds to this health crisis, he spelled out the need to prepare for the next one.
"This means scaling-up investments in better monitoring, early detection and rapid response plans in every country - especially the most vulnerable," he said.
"It means strengthening primary health care at the local level to prevent collapse... ensuring equitable access to lifesaving interventions, like vaccines for all people and ... achieving universal health coverage."
The first International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, marked on Dec. 27, 2020, was called for by the UN General Assembly to advocate the importance of the prevention of, preparedness for and partnership against epidemics.
The UN chief "emphasizes that attacks against United Nations peacekeepers may constitute a war crime. He calls on the Central African authorities to spare no effort in investigating and promptly holding accountable the perpetrators of this unacceptable attack."
UNITED NATIONS: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday strongly condemned the attack by members of the presidential guard of the Central African Republic (CAR) which wounded 10 peacekeepers.
Through a statement attributable to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief "emphasizes that attacks against United Nations peacekeepers may constitute a war crime. He calls on the Central African authorities to spare no effort in investigating and promptly holding accountable the perpetrators of this unacceptable attack."
"The secretary-general wishes a speedy and full recovery to the wounded peacekeepers and civilians, and reiterates his gratitude to the people and the Government of Egypt for their contribution to peace and stability in the Central African Republic. The secretary-general also expresses his deep condolences to the bereaved family of the Central African civilian who was killed during the incident," it said.
"The secretary-general reaffirms the solidarity and continued support of the United Nations to the Central African Republic," it added.
The presidential guard shot at peacekeepers of the mission, known as MINUSCA, in Bangui on Monday. The police officers from Egypt landed at Bangui's airport earlier in the day. They are part of the periodic rotation and deployment of troops in the country.
The United Nations chief is calling for an immediate end to violence in Afghanistan and urging the international community to unite to ensure that the human rights of all people,
UNITED NATIONS, July 12: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for efforts to protect people's reproductive health rights as the world marks the World Population Day, which falls on July 11 annually.
"As we mark World Population Day, let us pledge to ensure the reproductive health rights of everyone, everywhere," said the UN chief in his message for the international day.
"The COVID- 19 pandemic continues to upend our world, reaching one grim milestone after another. In addition to the millions of lives tragically lost, there has been a less visible toll: a shocking rise in domestic violence as women were forced into isolation with their abusers; empty maternity wards as women postponed motherhood; and unintended pregnancies due to curtailed access to contraceptive services," said the secretary-general.
"Our latest estimates indicate that COVID-19 will push 47 million women and girls into extreme poverty. Many girls who are out of school may never return," the top UN official continued.
"In every corner of the world, we are seeing a reversal of hard-won gains and an erosion of women's reproductive rights, choices and agency. With the onset of the pandemic, resources for sexual and reproductive health services were diverted," he said.
"These gaps in access to health rights are unacceptable. Women cannot be alone in this fight," the secretary-general added.
World Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989. It was inspired by the public interest in Five Billion Day on July 11, 1987, the approximate date on which the world's population reached 5 billion people. World Population Day aims to increase people's awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights
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