UN News Centre

Two Caribbean island nations took to the podium at the United Nations General Assembly today to highlight their vulnerabilities, including indebtedness and poor access to financing for development.

Senior United Nations officials today called for those responsible for human rights violations and crimes associated with human trafficking and forced migration to be held accountable, noting that some of the crimes committed in this respect may amount to atrocity crimes.

Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) mounted the podium of the General Assembly today to call for global cooperation in attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and United Nations reform in tackling the multiple crises facing the world.

The world has become an unsafe place for far too many people, and with so many challenges to address, at times, it seems all but hopeless, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, told the United Nations today, “but all of us politicians here have a choice – between resignation or engagement in the face of these crises” and working towards a better future for all.

South Sudan’s vice-president today assured the General Assembly of further steps toward deploying 4,000 more United Nations peacekeepers after this summer’s resurgence of a civil war that has engulfed the world’s newest country for most of its five years of life.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Nicaragua’s Vice-President today warned that endemic poverty and inequality have become more noticeable than ever, both in developing and developed countries, especially in vulnerable and marginalized groups, including peoples living under colonial occupation and foreign intervention.

Peace and security are vital conditions for security and development, leaders from Africa’s Sahel region told the United Nations General Assembly today, laying out their plans to end conflict, counter terrorism and press ahead with meeting the Gaols of the 2030 Agenda.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People&#39s Republic of Korea (DPRK) told the United Nations General Assembly today that while the Organization aspires towards sustainable development, the world is besieged by terrorism and a refugee crisis due to war and increasing global hotspots.

While political dialogue and multilateral negotiations might be tedious processes, they are nevertheless the surest way to secure lasting solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, the Prime Minister of Belgium said today, joining other European leaders at the United Nations today calling for broad-based diplomatic action to end five years of chaos and bloodshed in Syria.

Noting the progress made by Armenia in the past 25 years, including strengthening its democratic institutions, good governance, protection of human rights and advancing economic reforms, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted that the needs of the country’s most vulnerable groups form the core of its development strategy 2014-2025.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today warned that some Western countries’ supremacy and exclusiveness undermined equitable international cooperation, calling on world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly to support Russian initiatives in counter-terrorism and disarmament.

The United Nations envoy on youth today unveiled the inaugural class of 17 youth leaders who have been recognized for their leadership and contribution to the achievement of the 17 Global Goals, also known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today underscored the crucial role businesses play in the realization of Global Goals, or Sustainable Development Goals, adopted a year ago by 193 countries.

United Nations Secretary-General today expressed deep concern about the violent clashes between protestors and security forces in Kinshasa, and several other locations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Underscoring that millions of refugees around the world face food insecurity and the risk of malnutrition, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called today for stronger response to ensure that refugees are able to meet their food and nutrition needs.

In collaboration with partners, the United Nations has launched a mobile application to provide a global forum for industry, governments and individual citizens to collectively realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Condemning recent violence in Ndomete and Kaga Bandoro in Central African Republic (CAR), the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the country (MINUSCA) called on local communities to remain calm and underlined its right to take appropriate measures to prevent destabilization of the situation.

The United Nations and humanitarian agencies in Libya today issued an urgent appeal for $10.7 million to meet life-saving emergency assistance for close to 80,000 people located within the Libyan city of Sirte until the end of the year.

Speaking at the opening of the United Nations Summit for Refugees and Migrants, a number of senior UN officials stressed on the importance of the Summit and called on world leaders for collective action to address the global crisis.

In his address to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, the agency’s Director-General, highlighted work in various areas, including nuclear applications, nuclear safety and security, safeguards and technical cooperation, and modernizing a new pest control facility to tackle vector-brome diseases such as Zika.