26 September 2017 – The United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned the attack by unknown assailants against a UN mission convoy in the region of Gao, northern Mali, on 24 September, that left three Bangladeshi peacekeepers dead and injured four others.

Through a press statement, the Council expressed deepest condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, the Government of Bangladesh and the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), according to a statement.

Calling on the Malian Government to swiftly investigate the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice, Council members underlined that “attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.” Moreover, they stressed that involvement in planning, directing, sponsoring or conducting attacks against MINUSMA peacekeepers constitute a basis for sanctions designations pursuant to Council resolutions.

The members of the Council went on to reaffirm that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of the reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice.

Reiterating full support for MINUSMA and the French forces that support it, the Council also reiterated “strong support” for Mission chief Mahamat Saleh Annadif, and recognized the determination of the Group of Five Sahel States (G5) – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger – to address the impact of terrorism and transnational organized crime, including through the conduct of cross-border joint military counter-terrorist operations.

The Council members went on to express their concern over the security situation in Mali along with the transnational dimension of the terrorist threat in the Sahel region. They urged the Malian parties to fully implement the 2015 Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation without further delay, noting that its full implementation and the intensification of efforts to overcome asymmetric threats can contribute to improving the security situation across the country.

26 September 2017 – The United Nations envoy for the Israel-Palestine peace efforts has condemned today’s fatal shooting attack by a Palestinian perpetrator against Israeli security personnel in the West Bank, deploring that such an incident undermines the prospect of a peaceful future for both sides.

According to preliminary reports, one Israeli policeman and two security guards were killed, and another was seriously injured in the attack that took place this morning in the Har Adar settlement in the occupied Palestinian territory.

&#8220It is deplorable that Hamas and others continue to glorify such attacks, which undermine the possibility of a peaceful future for both Palestinians and Israelis. I urge all to condemn violence and stand up to terror,&#8221 said UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, in a statement.

He expressed condolences to the families and friends of all victims and wished the wounded a full and speedy recovery.

25 September 2017 – Echoing the sentiments of other speakers from the Latin American and Caribbean, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza Montserrat, told the United Nations today that countries in the region are suffering extreme weather and climate catastrophes due to rampant consumption and consumerism in which they played no part.

Calling for adherence to the principle of ‘shared and differentiated’ responsibility when tackling climate change, Jorge Arreaza Montserrat, voiced solidarity with those affected by recent natural disasters, noting that such events had made millions of people victims of “a war they did not choose; this is the war of the developed countries and their capitalist system against Mother Nature.”

Indeed, he said: “Let us not change the climate, let us change the system.” The responsibility must not fall on developing countries alone; it was especially unfair for the United States – the world’s largest emitter – to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.

He went on to say that while the UN is a “noble instrument” intended to serve as a podium for discussion of pressing issues like the State of the planet it nevertheless played host to “arrogant powers” such as the US, which “desecrated, disrespected and offended [this] the house for peace.” He said Venezuela’s people had been directly threatened by President Donald Trump, including by military threats and the imposition of unilateral sanctions.

While Venezuela would always deal with the United States and other nations through mutual respect, it was nevertheless prepared to defend itself “in any way,” he stressed.

As for the situation in his country, Mr. Arreaza said democracy in Venezuela is “active and popular” and the “violence of the opposition” had been eased after the July 30 elections in which Venezuelans went to vote to choose to the members of the National Constituent Assembly.

“Total political peace returned to the country from July 31. Our National Constituent Assembly is [in line] with the rest of the constituted powers,” he explained, calling it an instrument for national dialogue and dealing with the most urgent problems of the country.

Full statement (in Spanish) available here

25 September 2017 – A United Nations disaster assessment official visiting the small island nation of Dominica, which was battered by Hurricane Maria, said today that an estimated 60,000 to 65,000 people, or 80 per cent of the total population, have been affected and that food and water are the most immediate needs.

“There is a big, big urgency to get water and food,” said Sergio Da Silva, UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team leader, who spoke to reporters in New York by phone from the ground, adding that inaccessibility to remote areas has made it difficult to ascertain just how many people have been affected.

“And when you fly over, you see all the trees are down…debris everywhere and people are homeless,” he added.

Created in 1993, UNDAC is designed to help the UN and governments of disaster-affected countries during the first phase of a sudden-onset emergency.

Maria made landfall on the tiny island of 72,000 on the evening of 18 September, with maximum sustained winds of nearly 160 miles per hour.

Mr. Silva said he has been in Dominica since Thursday, assisting in the coordination of incoming international relief.

Along with food and shelter, getting clean water is a priority, he said, as water in the river is not consumable. Work is also under way to restore hospitals.

Delivering humanitarian aid to remote villages remains a huge challenge as many roads were destroyed.

25 September 2017 – Underscoring Peru’s endurance in its combat against terrorism, corruption, as well as its vulnerability to the effects of climate change, the country’s Permanent Representative to the united Nations, Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, said today that the Organization is fundamental for a “peaceful and sustainable” future in Peru, the region and beyond.

Enduring such challenges, he said in his address to the General Assembly’s annual debate, therefore means Peru welcomed special attention given to sustainable peace, and prevention of humanitarian crises, adding that access to weapons of mass destruction by terrorist groups “is a real threat.”

In addressing issues of climate change, he reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to the Paris Agreement, and the progress it could mean for a coastal country inundated by torrential rains wrought by El Nino, and the losses of biodiversity and ecosystems to extreme weather phenomena.

Turning to the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Ambassador Cuadra expressed concern about the threat of corruption at the global level, calling it an attack that “erodes democratic governance and legal stability of our countries.” He said corruption “triggers disenchantment and distrust in institutions, and bolsters inequality.”

Expressing concern for neighboring Venezuela during this heightened time of social instability, he said that while the answer to resolving the country’s crisis lies with Venezuelans themselves, the issue nevertheless requires international solidarity and support.

Full statement (in Spanish) available here