Ahead of its most high-profile week, the General Assembly today overwhelmingly voted to permit Palestine’s representatives to participate virtually in its eightieth session, following the denial of their entry visas by the host country.
Meetings Coverage
In its 10,000th meeting, the Security Council today failed to adopt a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and for Israel to immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave, as the United States vetoed the measure despite affirmative votes by the other 14 members of the 15-nation organ.
Syrian authorities must prioritize genuine political reforms and build a Government that serves all Syrians, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as he called on the international community to provide sanctions relief, support domestic reforms and halt foreign interventions to ensure the country’s successful transition.
The Security Council will hold a briefing today on the situation in Afghanistan. Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), along with a civil society representative, are expected to brief the 15-member organ.
The Security Council today requested the Secretary-General to appoint a Senior Representative with a mandate focused solely on efforts to repatriate or return all Kuwaiti and third-country nationals — or their remains — and to ensure the return of Kuwaiti property, including the national archives.
The Security Council today condemned the arbitrary detention of United Nations personnel as envoys warned that Yemen’s conflict — exacerbated by regional hostilities, food insecurity and attacks on aid workers — demands urgent dialogue and a renewed focus on a Yemeni-led peace process.
In an emergency Security Council meeting requested by Poland, most Member States today condemned the Russian Federation’s alleged violation of Polish airspace with military drones, warning of an unprecedented, dangerous regional escalation, and urging Moscow to end its war of aggression against Ukraine.
Evidence of nerve agents was found in samples collected from a site in Syria, and information suggests that over 100 additional locations may have been involved in chemical-weapons-related activities in the country, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today.
Amid rising tensions across the Middle East, the General Assembly today adopted a text endorsing a landmark declaration concerning the realization of an independent State of Palestine, while Israel’s delegate rejected it as a "carefully staged performance for headlines".
The Security Council today extended for another year the 1591 Sudan sanctions regime, including targeted sanctions and an arms embargo, amid divisions over whether to reference Sudan’s worsening situation or limit the draft to a purely technical roll-over.