Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)
Costa Rica has embarked over the years on a multi-dimensional reform program agenda, more recently supported by the successful completion of the EFF/RSF arrangements, that is helping reshape Costa Rica’s economy and advance its climate-related reforms. The Central Bank of Costa Rica has in parallel developed a centralized national digital payment system (SINPE) since early 2000s, which is currently used by more than 90 percent of Costa Rica’s population aged 18 and older. This event will first discuss Costa Rica’s achievements under the EFF/RSF programs and its reform agenda going forward. It will then showcase how SINPE has allowed the country to: (i) reduce transaction costs through a secure digital payment system; (ii) improve tax compliance by facilitating invoice payments; (iii) minimize the footprint of cash usage in an economy that is swiftly moving away from cash; and (iv) foster financial inclusion.
With Roger Madrigal Lopez, President of the Central Bank of Costa Rica
The Army Mission – our purpose – remains constant: To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt & sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force.
Interested in joining the U.S. Army?
Visit: spr.ly/6001igl5L
The Army Mission – our purpose – remains constant: To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt & sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force.
Interested in joining the U.S. Army?
Visit: spr.ly/6001igl5L
With a #DiscoverEU travel pass, Europe is yours to explore!
You still have a few hours to apply for the next round of #DiscoverEU, so get ready to live an unforgettable experience travelling all over Europe by train.
If you were born in 2006 and are a citizen or a resident of the or , , , , or , apply now on the European Youth Portal!
As the world’s collective focus is being channelled into tackling today’s most immediate crises, how can Global Future Councils pioneer novel approaches and share latest insights to advance cooperation and address global priorities?
The challenges we face are interconnected, and so are their solutions. Meet the Global Future Councils. This network of over 600 experts explores the issues, finds potential solutions, and makes recommendations to leaders and policymakers.
The councils will convene in Dubai from October 15th to 17th, and their critical dialogues have substantial impact: from improving workplace conditions to giving hundreds of millions of people access to quality education, promoting best practices in manufacturing and within governments, as well as safeguarding our air and fighting corruption.
Discover some of their innovative thinking and groundbreaking initiatives, contributing to a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future.
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
This session will introduce the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2024 and serve as a key media moment to introduce the meeting, its themes, objectives and intended outcomes to journalists.
The session will highlight the GFC’s role as a platform for advancing collaboration and action on pressing global challenges. Panellists will discuss the meeting’s focus on harnessing interdisciplinary expertise to address interconnected issues facing the world, such as geopolitical instability, economic inequality, emerging technologies and the energy transition. They will share insights on how innovative solutions and multistakeholder dialogue can help bridge divides and shape the global agenda in the face of emerging risks and opportunities.
Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.
In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.
The Leader of the Opposition, Rishi Sunak MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.
Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:
Prime Minister’s Question Time, also referred to as PMQs, takes place every Wednesday the House of Commons sits. It gives MPs the chance to put questions to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer MP, or a nominated minister.
In most cases, the session starts with a routine ‘open question’ from an MP about the Prime Minister’s engagements. MPs can then ask supplementary questions on any subject, often one of current political significance.
The Leader of the Opposition, Rishi Sunak MP, asks six questions and the leader of the second largest opposition party asks two. If another minister takes the place of the Prime Minister, opposition parties will usually nominate a shadow minister to ask the questions.
Want to find out more about what’s happening in the House of Commons this week? Follow the House of Commons on:
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
How does parents’ mental health influence their kids’ mental health?
Why are parents today feeling so overwhelmed?
How can parents let go of trying to be the perfect parent?
Given the resonance of the Surgeon General’s recent advisory on parent mental health & well-being, this episode digs into the House Calls archives. As the father of two young kids, parenting is a common theme the Surgeon General explores with guests. We revisit moments with guests including Dr. Lisa Damour and Dr. Aliza Pressman, as they share their expertise—walking through great practical advice about navigating disagreements with children, warning about the impacts of technology, and examining how parents and children share their nervous systems—while also sharing moving personal parenting moments.
(02:47) How are parents feeling these days?
(03:35) Why are parents so often feeling overwhelmed?
(07:00) How does parents’ mental health influence their kids’ mental health?
(09:28) How should parents think about their role in their kids’ mental health?
(12:43) How can men support each other to be more connected fathers?
(18:42) Why should we embrace being an imperfect parent?
(20:58) Why is it helpful to think through goals for parenting?
(22:24) A brief exercise to help us stay focused on what’s most important to us when we’re parenting our children.
We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.
Video message by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on World Food Day (16 october 2024).
“Something is very wrong with a world in which hunger and malnutrition are a fact of life for billionsof children, women and men.
On World Food Day, we remind ourselves of the 733 million people who are short of food because ofconflict, marginalization, climate change, poverty and economic downturns — including those whoface the threat of manmade famine in Gaza and Sudan…
Or the 2.8 billion people who cannot afford a healthy diet — including those who are overweight asglobal obesity rates soar.
The good news is that a zero-hunger world is possible.
The 2021 Food Systems Summit set us on a course to tackle the inefficiencies and inequities built intoour food systems.
Food systems need a massive transformation, with the contributions of businesses, academics,research institutions and civil society, to become more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable.
Governments must work with all partners to incentivize the production and sale of healthy, nutritiousfood at affordable prices.
On World Food Day, let’s step up the fight against hunger and malnutrition.
Let’s take action to uphold the right to food for a better life and a better future”.
Briefing the Security Council today (15 Oct) in New York City, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, called on Ansar Allah “to immediately and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained, including 17 United Nations personnel.”
SE Grundberg said, “in Yemen, Ansar Allah continues to hold UN personnel, civil society workers, and staff of diplomatic missions in arbitrary detention. With all this said, I echo the urgent call of the Secretary-General: an immediate ceasefire and regional de-escalation is needed to halt this widening conflict.”
He also said that four of those peacekeepers detained are women and one of them is from Grundberg’s team. The Special Envoy said, “I am counting on the support of this Council in sending this clear message.”
Hans Grundberg also said, “we must acknowledge the immense burden Yemeni women continue to carry in this conflict and recognize their bravery. Yemeni women have been at the forefront in driving peacebuilding efforts for years, and, now more than ever, it is crucial to amplify their voices. I call on all parties to ensure that women are empowered to shape the decisions that will pave the way for lasting peace in Yemen. To support this, my Office, in partnership with UN WOMEN have to date held specific consultations with over 400 Yemeni women and men to advance a vision for an inclusive peace process in Yemen.”
UN humanitarian affairs acting chief Joyce Msuya echoed the Special Envoy’s message saying, “the potential laying of ‘charges’ against our colleagues is unacceptable.”
On the humanitarian front, Msuya said, “2024 now marks the deadliest year for migrants crossing the sea between the Horn of Africa and Yemen.”
In addition to the food crisis, Yemen is battling a devastating cholera otbreak. Msuya said, “hunger continues to rise. In August, the number of people who do not have enough food to eat soared to unprecedented levels. And severe levels of food deprivation have doubled in areas controlled by the Houthi de facto authorities since last year. Cholera also continues to spread. Since March this year, more than 203,000 suspected cases have been reported and more than 720 people have lost their lives. Women and girls account for 53 per cent of cases.”
Yemen’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Abdullah Ali Fadhel Al-Saadi, said Houthi militias “have been committing the worst human rights violations. They’ve been destroying the lives of children by recruiting them and pushing them to the battlefield. By planting millions of mines, they’ve been pursuing the policy of systematic impoverishment and starvation to humiliate and subjugate Yemenis in areas under their control.”
He also reiterated a call from the Yemeni government for “relocating the headquarters of UN agencies and headquarters of international organizations to the temporary capital in Aiden to ensure environment that allows the agencies to work affectively and serve those in need.”
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
Spokesperson Matthew Miller leads the Department Press Briefing, at the Department of State, on October 15, 2024.
———-
Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.
The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
-Lebanon
-Lebanon/Humanitarian
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Yemen
-Ukraine
-Statelessness
-Women/Social protection
-International Day of Rural Women
-Briefings Tomorrow
LEBANON
The United Nations notes with concern the continued strikes across the Blue Line by Hizbullah and the Israel Defense Forces. Launches
In this regard, the airstrike on Aitou in North Lebanon which resulted in at least 23 fatalities, according to Lebanese authorities, is deeply concerning. The Secretary-General strongly condemns the civilian loss of lives.
The UN remains deeply concerned at the impact on civilians on both sides of the Blue Line but particularly in Lebanon. All actors must uphold obligations under international law, including International Humanitarian Law, and to protect civilians.
The UN also notes that clashes continue in southern Lebanon, where the Israel Defense Forces has conducted ground operations since 1 October.
In recent days the UN underscored our alarm about UNIFIL peacekeepers coming under fire, with at least five peacekeepers injured, and UN premises being impacted on at least 20 occasions since 1 October. The Secretary-General reiterates that UNIFIL personnel and its premises must never be targeted. Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law, including international humanitarian law. They may constitute a war crime.
As the President of the Security Council stated on behalf of all 15 Council members yesterday, “all parties [are] to respect the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises”.
The UN notes that the Council “… recalled that UN peacekeepers and UN premises must never be the target of an attack.”
The UN appreciates the stated support of the Council for the work of our brave peacekeepers who remain in position, in support of efforts to create space for a diplomatic solution to this crisis and support a return to a cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).
The UN reiterates its calls for an immediate ceasefire, noting this is the only way to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers as well as to protect the populations of Lebanon and Israel from further suffering.
LEBANON/HUMANITARIAN
This crisis has a huge impact on civilians on both sides, in Lebanon and in Israel.
In Lebanon, today, a 12-truck convoy carrying vital aid arrived in the villages of Marjeyoun [Marji-yun] and Klayaa in the south of the country.
The inter-agency mission – supported by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, the UN Refugee Agency, UNICEF and the UN Population Fund – delivered bottled water, family hygiene kits, blankets, pillows and mattresses, among other essential items.
The UN and partners continue to support the tens of thousands of men, women and children impacted by the ongoing crisis across Lebanon.
WFP provides ready-to-eat food and cash to some 200,000 people on a daily basis, while UNICEF and UNHCR continue to support primary health care services and provide water, hygiene kits, mattresses, blankets and other basic items.
OCHA reports that ongoing hostilities continue to displace people. The national authorities in Lebanon report that 1.2 million people have been affected or displaced.
As of October 13th, the International Organization for Migration has identified more than 740,000 people displaced by the escalation of hostilities within the country.
Of these people, more than 188,000 are staying in about 1,000 government shelters.
UNHCR is working with the Lebanese authorities to upgrade the shelters with weatherproofing and rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities, as well as assessing more sites to host displaced people.
Together with their partners, UNHCR continues to support people in Syria who have fled Lebanon at five border crossings by providing water, food, blankets and mattresses.
The UN reiterates that all civilians, both in Lebanon, Israel and elsewhere, must be always protected whether they leave or stay. And aid must be allowed to reach civilians wherever they are, safely and without impediment.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
Join us for a day of professional learning, cultura and inspiration at Secretary Miguel Cardona’s “Educación En Acción” Summit on from 10am – 5pm ET, in the LBJ Auditorium!
Hear from Secretary Miguel Cardona, federal education leaders, community change makers, leaders in higher education, and recognized teachers of the year.
Learn from best-selling authors as they discuss the importance of telling YOUR story.
Hear from Latino influencers and celebrities who are using their platform to advocate for Latino communities.
Enjoy student performances by Los Tigres de Tolleson Elementary School District Mariachi (AZ), Estrellitas de Sorto Latin dancers (DC), and Nino Clamp and the Hartt Salsa All-Stars from the University of Hartford (CT).
Connect with students, staff, and community members from all over the nation!
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
HHS Secretary Becerra announces the start of Medicare Open Enrollment, which runs from October 15 – December 7. Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, plans are changing for the better, so it’s more important than ever to review and compare plans to ensure people with Medicare get the right plan for them.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
“New things are possible—more things are possible—because we are going together. And we’re going together, as nations, now more than ever before.”
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson speaks to the power, the promise, and the potential of NASA’s international partnerships, and how those partnerships help humanity reach new possibilities.
Credit: NASA
Producer: Shane Apple
Music: Universal Production Music
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
After you’ve accepted your employment offer from CBP, you will receive your Final Selection Letter, which includes important information regarding your start date, work location, and more. This video outlines what to expect for your first day at CBP, key forms and documentation needed during onboarding, and important contact points to provide support during this process. The goal of this video is to equip you with all the necessary information to seamlessly begin your career and help you understand the onboarding process and timeline at CBP.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
-Lebanon
-Lebanon/Humanitarian
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Yemen
-Ukraine
-Statelessness
-Women/Social protection
-International Day of Rural Women
-Briefings Tomorrow
LEBANON
The United Nations notes with concern the continued strikes across the Blue Line by Hizbullah and the Israel Defense Forces. Launches
In this regard, the airstrike on Aitou in North Lebanon which resulted in at least 23 fatalities, according to Lebanese authorities, is deeply concerning. The Secretary-General strongly condemns the civilian loss of lives.
The UN remains deeply concerned at the impact on civilians on both sides of the Blue Line but particularly in Lebanon. All actors must uphold obligations under international law, including International Humanitarian Law, and to protect civilians.
The UN also notes that clashes continue in southern Lebanon, where the Israel Defense Forces has conducted ground operations since 1 October.
In recent days the UN underscored our alarm about UNIFIL peacekeepers coming under fire, with at least five peacekeepers injured, and UN premises being impacted on at least 20 occasions since 1 October. The Secretary-General reiterates that UNIFIL personnel and its premises must never be targeted. Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law, including international humanitarian law. They may constitute a war crime.
As the President of the Security Council stated on behalf of all 15 Council members yesterday, “all parties [are] to respect the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises”.
The UN notes that the Council “… recalled that UN peacekeepers and UN premises must never be the target of an attack.”
The UN appreciates the stated support of the Council for the work of our brave peacekeepers who remain in position, in support of efforts to create space for a diplomatic solution to this crisis and support a return to a cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).
The UN reiterates its calls for an immediate ceasefire, noting this is the only way to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers as well as to protect the populations of Lebanon and Israel from further suffering.
LEBANON/HUMANITARIAN
This crisis has a huge impact on civilians on both sides, in Lebanon and in Israel.
In Lebanon, today, a 12-truck convoy carrying vital aid arrived in the villages of Marjeyoun [Marji-yun] and Klayaa in the south of the country.
The inter-agency mission – supported by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, the UN Refugee Agency, UNICEF and the UN Population Fund – delivered bottled water, family hygiene kits, blankets, pillows and mattresses, among other essential items.
The UN and partners continue to support the tens of thousands of men, women and children impacted by the ongoing crisis across Lebanon.
WFP provides ready-to-eat food and cash to some 200,000 people on a daily basis, while UNICEF and UNHCR continue to support primary health care services and provide water, hygiene kits, mattresses, blankets and other basic items.
OCHA reports that ongoing hostilities continue to displace people. The national authorities in Lebanon report that 1.2 million people have been affected or displaced.
As of October 13th, the International Organization for Migration has identified more than 740,000 people displaced by the escalation of hostilities within the country.
Of these people, more than 188,000 are staying in about 1,000 government shelters.
UNHCR is working with the Lebanese authorities to upgrade the shelters with weatherproofing and rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities, as well as assessing more sites to host displaced people.
Together with their partners, UNHCR continues to support people in Syria who have fled Lebanon at five border crossings by providing water, food, blankets and mattresses.
The UN reiterates that all civilians, both in Lebanon, Israel and elsewhere, must be always protected whether they leave or stay. And aid must be allowed to reach civilians wherever they are, safely and without impediment.
Joint Statement by the Security Council signatories of the Statement of Shared Commitments for the Principles of Women, Peace and Security: Ecuador, France, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, on the situation in Colombia.
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
Spokesperson Matthew Miller leads the Department Press Briefing, at the Department of State, on October 15, 2024.
———-
Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.
The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.
U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center and Coast Guard Sector San Juan members test the uncrewed aircraft systems and uncrewed surface vessels capabilities Sept. 15, 2024, at San Juan, Puerto Rico. Operation Demonstration Coquí is a collaboration between the RDC, Customs and Border Protection, Coast Guard Seventh District and Sector San Juan.
(U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jose Hernandez, Petty Officer 2nd Class Ian Gray, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Erik Villa Rodriguez)
Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)
The national £2 bus fare cap was in the spotlight this week as members raised concerns ahead of its scheduled end on 31 December 2024. Topics raised included the need for better co-ordination between buses and railways, and reliable transport for young people to access jobs and education.
Source: International Criminal Court (video statements)
On 10 October 2024, ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC was honoured to provide the keynote address at the “Nuremberg Forum 2024 – For Every Child: Protecting Children’s Rights in Armed Conflict”.
In his speech, he outlined a renewed approach by the Office of the Prosecutor to crimes against and affecting children. If heard and seen, children can be powerful partners in delivering justice for international crimes.
The Army Mission – our purpose – remains constant: To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt & sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force.
Interested in joining the U.S. Army?
Visit: spr.ly/6001igl5L
Good afternoon. Let me start off with a couple of updates. First, I will start off with Gaza and then with Lebanon.
We are aware of the disturbing reports about an Israeli attack on the grounds of a hospital complex in central Gaza.
The Secretary-General condemns the large number of civilian casualties in the intensifying Israeli campaign in northern Gaza, including at schools sheltering displacing Palestinians civilians.
He strongly urges all parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law and emphasizes that civilians must be respected and protected at all times.
Humanitarian assistance into Gaza is woefully inadequate and is at the lowest level in months. The Secretary-General underscores that the parties must ensure the safe and secure delivery of humanitarian assistance to those in need, at the level of which they need it. There must be a safe environment as well, for the second phase of the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza which is to be completed – and more details on polio in a moment.
Today, a team from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – alongside colleagues from the World Health Organization, the UN Mine Action Service, and the UN Human Rights Office – visited the Al Aqsa hospital in Gaza to assess people’s needs following last night’s attack. And Al Aqsa hospital was also meant to be used as one of the polio vaccination sites.
Out of the hundreds of displaced families sheltering in the courtyard, some 40 families were affected, half of whom lost their shelter and other belongings in the fire.
Aid organizations are mobilizing the humanitarian response. Among the assistance most urgently needed are tents and tarpaulins, bedding, hygiene kits, clothing, children’s supplies, kitchen kits, as well as food. The assessment noted that patients at Al Aqsa hospital were referred to nearby medical facilities due to an influx of trauma injuries following the strike on UNRWA’s school in Nuseirat.
Despite all of this, the second round of the polio vaccination campaign began in the middle area of the Gaza Strip. Over the coming 12 days, colleagues at UNRWA, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and other aim to vaccinate around 590,000 children under ten years of age with a second dose of the novel oral polio vaccination type 2.
This follows a first round – as you will recall – which was successfully implemented from 1-12 September, which reached more than 559,000 children, or an estimated 95 per cent of eligible children at governorate level, that’s according to independently conducted post-campaign monitoring.
As with the first round, the second round will have three phases, each involving three campaign days and one catch-up day.
The polio vaccination campaign began, as I mentioned. UNRWA renews its urgent request to all parties to the conflict to implement the necessary humanitarian pauses in Gaza for the second round of vaccination to be successful.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that escalating violence in northern Gaza is having a disastrous impact on food security for thousands of Palestinian families. WFP says that the main crossings into the north have been closed and no food entering since 1 October.
Food distribution points, as well as kitchens and bakeries in North Gaza, have been forced to shut down due to airstrikes, military ground operations and evacuation orders.
The last of WFP’s food supplies in the north – that includes canned food, wheat flour, high-energy biscuits, and nutrition supplements — have been distributed to shelters, health facilities and kitchens in Gaza City and three shelters in North Gaza.
If the conflict continues to escalate at the current scale, it is unclear how long these limited food supplies will last, and the consequences for fleeing families will obviously be dire.
Turning north to the situation in Lebanon, I can tell you that the Secretary-General is in very frequent contact with Force Commander of UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping mission and that’s Lt. General Aroldo Lázaro.
The Secretary-General is extremely appreciative of the courage and dedication of the more than 10,000 uniformed peacekeepers and civilian staff serving in the mission.
Our UNIFIL colleagues continue to monitor the situation. On Sunday, the mission detected 1,557 instances of firing across the Blue Line – that’s the highest number in one day since 8 October 2023 – 1,441 of these originated from south of the Blue Line, primarily striking areas in Sector East of the UNIFIL area of operations.
Source: International Monetary Fund – IMF (video statements)
A panel discussion on Chapter 2 of our latest Global Financial Stability Report (GFSR) with:
– Mario Catalan, Deputy Division Chief, Monetary and Capital Markets Department, IMF
– Andrea Deghi, Financial Sector Expert, Monetary and Capital Markets Department, IMF
– José de Gregorio, Dean of the School of Economics and Business at the University of Chile, and former Governor of the Central Bank of Chile and former Minister of Economy, Mining, and Energy in Chile
– Moderator: Jeanna Smialek, Reporter, New York Times
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Nobel Peace Prize
– Noon Briefing Guest
– Secretary-General
– Lebanon
– Security Council
– Lebanon/Humanitarian
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Ukraine
– South Sudan
– West and Central Africa Floods
– UNHCR
– International Days
Nobel Peace Prize
The Secretary-General warmly congratulated the grassroots Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo on being awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.
The atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as the hibakusha, are selfless, soul-bearing witnesses of the horrific human cost of nuclear weapons. While their numbers grow smaller each year, the relentless work and resilience of the hibakusha are the backbone of the global nuclear disarmament movement.
In a statement, the Secretary-General said that he will never forget his many meetings with them over the years. Their haunting living testimony reminds the world that the nuclear threat is not confined to history books. Nuclear weapons remain a clear and present danger to humanity, once again appearing in the daily rhetoric of international relations.
It is time for world leaders to be as clear-eyed as the hibakusha and see nuclear weapons for what they are: devices of death that offer no safety, protection, or security. The only way to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons is to eliminate them altogether.
The United Nations proudly stands with the hibakusha. They are an inspiration to our shared efforts to build a world free of nuclear weapons.
Noon Briefing Guest
Izumi Nakamitsu, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs briefed reporters on the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Nihon Hidankyo for its work advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons.
Secretary-General
The Secretary-General this morning addressed the ASEAN-UN Summit in Vientiane. He underscored the importance of the relationship between the two organizations which, he said, is a strategic partnership. In a world with growing geopolitical divides, with dramatic impacts on peace and security and sustainable development, the Association of South-East Asian Nations [ASEAN] is a bridge-builder and a messenger for peace, he said.
He also underscored how much the United Nations is grateful for ASEAN’s important contribution to UN peacekeeping operations. The Secretary-General took the opportunity to express his solidarity with Indonesia, as two of its peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL were wounded yesterday by Israeli fire in south Lebanon.
The Secretary-General outlined the key areas of the recently adopted Pact for the Future, which offers a strong vision for the time ahead.
In a press conference, the Secretary-General was asked about the wounding of the two peacekeepers in Lebanon, and he condemned the shooting against the UN premises in which the two peacekeepers were wounded, adding that it was a violation of international humanitarian law. Peacekeepers must be protected by all parties of the conflict, he said.
Prior to the meeting, the Secretary-General also held bilateral meetings with the President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thongloun Sisoulith, and with the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Pham Minh Chinh. We have issued readouts of those meetings.
Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)
In September, Vice President Harris traveled to Arizona for official briefings on the latest work to secure the southern border and operations to stop the flow of illegal fentanyl into our country.