All articles tagged with #un secretary general
The UN Secretary General has warned that the Sudan civil war is spiraling out of control, with ongoing violence, atrocities, and a worsening humanitarian crisis, urging warring parties to negotiate and end the conflict.
Israeli forces have surrounded two more hospitals in the Gaza Strip, intensifying the conflict despite international pressure for a ceasefire. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported intense shelling and heavy gunfire around Al-Amal Hospital and Nasser Hospital, with medical teams in extreme danger. The Israeli military is still operating at Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza’s largest, after raiding it earlier in the week. UN Secretary General António Guterres has called for a ceasefire and the immediate release of hostages, while Israel and the UN continue to clash over the situation in Gaza.
U.N. Secretary General António Guterres visited Egypt’s border with Gaza, urging for a cease-fire as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to send forces into Rafah despite international warnings. The U.N. Security Council failed to pass a U.S.-sponsored resolution for a cease-fire, leading to growing international outrage over the humanitarian catastrophe in Rafah. Aid groups warn of famine risks in Gaza as Israel faces criticism for impeding humanitarian supplies. Cease-fire talks are ongoing, while Israel's military operation in Gaza continues to provoke alarm. The Biden administration faces pressure to reject Israel's claims of not violating international law and to consider suspending arms transfers.
U.N. Secretary General António Guterres warns that the world is running out of time to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, calling for urgent action to prevent a "planetary crash and burn" at the U.N. climate change conference, COP28. Guterres emphasizes the need to phase out fossil fuels and highlights the failure of leaders since the 2015 Paris agreement in reducing emissions. The summit aims to assess progress and determine if there will be an agreement to address the planet's dire situation. Notable leaders, including President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, are absent from the event.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will chair the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. UN Secretary-General António Guterres will report on the implementation of resolution 2712, and Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, will provide a briefing.
Israel has admitted to carrying out an airstrike on an ambulance near Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital, resulting in the deaths and injuries of dozens of people. Israel claims that the ambulance was being used by Hamas and that it targeted the vehicle because it was in close proximity to their position. The UN Secretary-General has called for a cessation of fire on Gaza, while Israel has rejected the appeal. The attack on the ambulance has further exacerbated the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, with hospitals struggling to function due to dwindling supplies and fuel shortages.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that Nepal's snow-capped mountains have lost nearly one-third of their ice in over 30 years due to global warming. He emphasized the urgent need to address climate change, as melting glaciers could lead to floods, droughts, and landslides. Glaciers in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya region could lose up to 75% of their volume by the end of the century, posing risks to the 240 million people living in the area. Guterres called for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent action to address the devastating effects of climate change during his visit to the Everest region in Nepal, where melting glaciers are endangering communities. Nepal has lost nearly a third of its ice volume in the past 30 years, with glaciers melting 65% faster in the last decade. Guterres warned that the disappearance of glaciers threatens the fresh water supply for over a billion people and could lead to catastrophic consequences, including the erasure of low-lying countries and communities. He emphasized the need to end the fossil fuel age and limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C to avert the worst of climate chaos.
Christoph Heusgen, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference and former adviser to Angela Merkel, is facing calls to resign after endorsing comments made by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres that outraged Israeli leaders. Heusgen characterized the killing of over 1,400 Israelis as a "Hamas action" and supported Guterres' statement that the attack "did not happen in a vacuum." His remarks have drawn condemnation from prominent figures in Germany and Israel, with some accusing him of being an enemy of Israel. Heusgen has previously faced accusations of holding anti-Israel views and has expressed opposition to a potential ground offensive by Israel in Gaza.
Israel's representative to the United Nations (UN) called for the resignation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after he made remarks acknowledging that the recent Hamas attacks on Israel did not occur in a vacuum, citing the "suffocating occupation" endured by Palestinians. Guterres had called for a humanitarian pause in Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israel's Foreign Minister criticized Guterres for his comments and demanded his resignation, accusing him of tolerating terrorism. The diplomatic conflict between Israel and the UN coincides with tensions between the Israeli military and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) over the distribution of resources in Gaza.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen pressured the families of Israelis taken hostage by Hamas to cancel their scheduled meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Guterres made controversial remarks regarding Hamas' attacks. Cohen himself had canceled a meeting with Guterres earlier in the day.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres criticized world leaders for their failure to take sufficient action on climate change, stating that "humanity has opened the gates of hell" and warning of a dangerous and unstable world. Guterres called for significant new climate pledges from world leaders and emphasized the need to make up for lost time in addressing the climate crisis. He also highlighted the importance of climate activists, Indigenous Peoples, business executives, mayors, and governments in phasing out fossil fuels. Guterres acknowledged his limited power but vowed to use his voice to make an impact.