21 October 2017 – Condemning &#8220in the strongest terms&#8221 the terrorist attack that took place Friday in Egypt’s El Wahat desert, the United Nations Security Council underlined the need to bring the perpetrators and sponsors of such &#8220reprehensible acts&#8221 to justice.

According to reports, more than 50 police personnel were killed and many injured.

&#8220Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,&#8221 reaffirmed the Security Council members in a press statement issued today.

&#8220Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed,&#8221 they reiterated.

They also underlined the need for all UN Member States to combat by all means, in accordance with the UN Charter as well as other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

The Security Council members also expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government of Egypt, and they wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured.

21 October 2017 – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres met Friday with United States President Donald Trump and discussed, among others, tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the fight against terrorism.

According to a readout of the meeting, the Mr. Guterres and Mr. Trump discussed UN effectiveness and reform, as well as global issues of mutual concern, including Myanmar, the tensions in the Korean Peninsula, the situation in the wider Middle East, and the fight against global terrorism.

&#8220The two committed to work together to address these and other common challenges in the coming months,&#8221 the readout added.

The meeting was held on Friday, 20 October at the White House, Washington, D.C.

20 October 2017 – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned today’s attacks at mosques in Afghanistan’s Kabul city and Ghor Province during Friday prayers.

“This week alone, hundreds of Afghan civilians going about their daily lives, including practicing their religious faith, have fallen victims to brutal acts of violence,” the Secretary-General said in a statement from his Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric.

Through the statement, Mr. Guterres emphasized that those responsible must be swiftly brought to justice.

“The cycle of violence must end and dialogue commence,” he said.

The Secretary-General also extended his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured, while expressing his solidarity with the Afghan people and Government.

20 October 2017 – United Nations human rights experts have appealed to Iran to immediately release a jailed British-Iranian citizen, who is now facing fresh charges, and expressed “grave” concerns for her welfare.

Ms. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is already serving a five-year term in Tehran’s Evin Prison and could face an additional 16 years of imprisonment if convicted on the new charges.

“We consider that Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been arbitrarily deprived of her liberty and that her right to a fair trial before an independent and impartial tribunal has been violated,” the experts said in a news release issued Friday by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Last week, Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was taken alone to court to hear the new charges against her, and was not allowed access to a lawyer during the hearing. Her lawyer had also not been informed of the new charges.

“We are gravely concerned over the mental and physical impact that the new charges have had on Ms. Zaghari-Ratcliffe,” the experts said, calling on the Iranian authorities to release her at once and guarantee her physical and psychological wellbeing.

The experts are José Antonio Guevara Bermúdez, current Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and Asma Jahangir, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran.

20 October 2017 – Addressing the final event of this year’s Africa Week at the United Nations, General Assembly President Miroslav Lajčák on Friday highlighted the continent’s transformative changes facilitated by the African Union’s development agency.

“First, I want to acknowledge the importance of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD),” Mr. Lajčák told an Assembly plenary meeting, referring to the programme first established in 2001 and then integrated into the African Union’s structure to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of continental and regional priority projects.

“NEPAD was something of a trailblazer […] Since its adoption in 2001, NEPAD has led to transformative change,” Mr. Lajčák said, noting that it predates the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 by more than a decade.

For example, he said, NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme has improved agricultural productivity on the continent, changing the lives of many African farmers.

Additionally, NEPAD has led to big strides in the integration of African trade. The finalization of the tripartite free trade agreement this summer among the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community(SADC) and East African Community (EAC) was an important step.

“The continental free trade area is no longer a distant dream. It could very soon be a reality,” he said.

However, faster progress needs to be seen, not only in the two sectors of agriculture and trade, but also in infrastructure, industry, economic diversification and poverty eradication, said Mr. Lajčák.

He went on to stress that no development in Africa can take hold unless it is led from within, noting that there are many exciting developments at the national level, and African countries are also building their capacities for domestic resource mobilization, and tackling illicit financial flows.

Yet, in an increasingly globalized world, the efforts within Africa need to be supported by a revitalized partnership with development partners, including UN bodies and Member States, as well as by investment and financial and technical assistance.

Also the root causes of conflict and suffering must be addressed. “The signing of a trade agreement will mean little to a mother whose young child is very sick from malaria. Similarly, foreign direct investment is not on the mind of someone who is running from a shower of bullets,” he said.

“Africa has a very clear vision” – one which involves all layers of society benefiting from growth and development; one in which malaria or other diseases do not serve as death sentences for hundreds of thousands of people every year; one in which early warning signs of conflict lead more often to successful mediation than to violence; and one in which institutions are strong, women and youth both lead and participate, and good governance is the norm, he said.

“This vision is getting closer to reality,” he concluded.

The plenary featured a debate by UN Member States on NEPAD as well as the decade 2001-2010 to roll back malaria in developing countries, particularly in Africa.