Source: United Nations (Video News)
Noon Briefing by Mr. Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– UN Peacekeepers Day
– Deputy Secretary-General
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– West Bank
– Yemen
– Sudan
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Democratic Republic of the Congo/Humanitarian
– Security Council/Afternoon
– Economic Community of West African States
UN PEACEKEEPERS DAY
Today is International Day of UN Peacekeepers. In his message for the Day, the Secretary-General said we honour the service of peacekeepers who step into danger with courage to help those who need protection, to preserve peace, and to restore hope in some of the world’s most challenging contexts.
At 2:45 pm, the Secretary-General will lay a wreath to honour the more than 4,400 United Nations peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the line of duty since 1948.
And at 3:00 p.m., the Secretary-General will present awards to the Military Gender Advocate of the Year, Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme of Ghana and the UN Woman Police Officer of the Year, Superintendent Zainab Gbla of Sierra Leone.
Both of them serve with our peacekeeping mission in Abyei.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. She is attending the First High-Level International Conference on Glacier Preservation. She is doing that on behalf of the Secretary-General.
In the morning, the Deputy Secretary-General travelled to observe first-hand the impact of climate change on Tajikistan’s glaciers. She commended international efforts to protect glaciers ahead of COP30, noting their critical role in safeguarding water sources, ecosystems, and communities. In this context, she said that the “Early Warnings for All” initiative is key to strengthening climate resilience and helping vulnerable populations prepare for climate-related shocks.
Also today, she met with the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, as well as with Sirojiddin Muhriddin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country. She acknowledged Tajikistan’s progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and the it’s leadership in advancing the global climate, water, and glacier preservation agenda — rooted in cooperation and multilateralism.
Tomorrow, the Deputy Secretary-General will participate in the Opening Session of the International Conference on Glacier Preservation.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The UN Humanitarian Country Team of the Occupied Palestinian Territory issued a statement warning that the new militarized distribution system does not meet the needs of people in Gaza. It puts them at risk, and runs contrary to humanitarian principles.
The Humanitarian Country Team, which brings together UN agencies and NGOs, stressed that the Israeli authorities have undermined the capacity of our own teams on the ground to deliver genuine humanitarian assistance that would reach the most vulnerable groups. Despite these challenges, our team continues to deliver aid where possible. Once again, they reiterated that fundamental humanitarian principles are non-negotiable.
On the ground, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that air strikes and other attacks continue across the Gaza Strip.
There are reports that scores of people were killed, and hundreds injured over the past 24 hours, including children and other civilians.
Full Highlights:
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=29%20May%202025