Briefing an emergency Security Council meeting on Lebanon in the aftermath of deadly explosions of communication devices in the country, UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo warns Member States of possible bigger conflagration and urges all actors to exercise maximum restraint to avert any further escalation. ‘They must abide by their obligations under international law concerning the protection of civilians’, she said.
The video was broadcast on 21 September 2024 during the session on Intergenerational Dialogue for Peace at the UN Summit of the Future #ActionDays. It features the voices of young peacemakers from around the world who are making a difference through their work.
Video message by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the International Day of Peace (21 September 2024).
“Everywhere we look, peace is under attack.
From Gaza, to Sudan, to Ukraine and beyond we see:
Civilians in the firing line;
Homes blown apart;
Traumatised, terrified populations who have lost everything – and sometimes everyone.
This catalogue of human misery must stop.
Our world needs peace.
Peace is the ultimate prize for all humanity.
And as this International Day of Peace reminds us – the solutions are in our hands.
Cultivating a culture of peace means replacing division, disempowerment, and despair with justice, equality and hope for all.
It means focusing on preventing conflict;
Propelling the Sustainable Development Goals;
Promoting human rights.
And tackling all forms of discrimination and hate.
This month’s Summit of the Future is a vital opportunity to advance these aims.
Let’s seize it.
Together, let’s lay the groundwork for peace.
And let’s nurture a culture where equality, peace and justice thrive.
Thank you”.
Artificial Intelligence is shaping our world in unprecedented ways, and its power, scalability, and potential for good is still evolving. But without effective guardrails, AI could become a major threat to our collective future.
The Summit of the Future (22-23 September 2024) at the United Nations in New York is an is an opportunity for world leaders to agree on ways to harness AI for the benefit of humanity. Together, we can pave the way for #OurCommonFuture.
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Summit of the Future Action Days
– Lebanon
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Syria
– Venezuela
– Ukraine
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Somalia
– Viet Nam
– Haiti
– International Day of Peace
– World Cleanup Day
Summit of the Future Action Days
This afternoon, at 1pm, the Summit of the Future Action days will kick off with a youth-led event.
Felipe Paullier, the Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, will lead the opening ceremony under the theme #Youthlead the future.
At 2pm, the Secretary-General will take part in a dialogue with youth advocates. This will also take place in the General Assembly Hall and you will be able to watch the conversation live on UN Webtv.
The action days, which are convened by the Secretary-General, will continue tomorrow. The Secretary-General will address Saturday’s opening session at 9 a.m, tomorrow.
Tomorrow’s programme will focus on three priority themes – digital and technology, peace and security, and sustainable development and financing.
There will also be a dedicated focus throughout the day on future generations.
The action days bring together representatives from Member States, civil society, the private sector, academia, youth, and more. The full list of events and side events is available on the webpage of the Summit of the Future.
Lebanon
We are very concerned at the heightened escalation across the Blue Line, including the deadly strike we saw on Beirut today. We urge all parties to de-escalate immediately. All must exercise maximum restraint.
We also urge the parties to immediately return to the cessation of hostilities and to fully implement Security Council resolution 1701.
The region is on the brink of a catastrophe. All efforts should focus on finding a diplomatic solution.
Our Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeannine Hennis-Plasschaert, has been insistently conveying these messages to her interlocutors in Lebanon and Israel.
And this afternoon, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, and our High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, will brief the Security Council in an open meeting on developments in Lebanon. They will convey similar messages. Those remarks will be shared with you.
Meanwhile, on the peacekeeping front, our blue helmets at UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to implement their mandate in, obviously, extremely challenging conditions, working to help avert further escalation and return to a cessation of hostilities.
The head of the UN peacekeeping mission there, Force Commander General Aroldo Lázaro, has been in constant communication with the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israel Defense Forces to help avoid any miscalculations along the Blue Line and to support humanitarian access in southern Lebanon.
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that Palestinians already displaced in the Strip are at risk of having to move again as the rainy season approaches, which is expected to bring flooding and high tides.
OCHA says that many of those displaced by hostilities in Gaza are sheltering along the Mediterranean coast, where Israeli-issued evacuation orders have instructed them to go. Several municipalities in Gaza have also warned of the risks, with some advising people sheltering in low-lying areas to leave and seek out safer places due to the danger of flooding. Displaced people in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah have been warned to move to higher ground and stay away from the shore, as high tides could cause their tents to drift, among other risks.
UNRWA, for its part, warns that people in Gaza are sheltering in open spaces with no sewage network or rainwater drainage systems. The agency says that as reptiles, rodents and insects spread, its teams are spraying pesticides and removing waste to protect families from diseases.
Meanwhile, OCHA also reports that water, sanitation and hygiene operations in northern Gaza have been forced to drastically reduce their operating hours to prevent shutdowns.
Our partners working on the response say it continues to be extremely difficult to get fuel to the north, with deliveries often delayed or rejected at checkpoints.
In addition to fuel shortages and the ongoing electricity outages that stall pumps, the current water crisis in Gaza has been worsened by damage to water infrastructure, the absence of safety to make repairs, and a lack of spare parts and chlorine.
To address the critical lack of clean water in Gaza, UNICEF says it is providing 15 litres of water per person per day for nearly 900,000 people, ensuring that part of their water needs are met for a duration of three months.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=20%20September%202024
Immediately before the Summit of the Future opening segment, a short video will be played in the General Assembly Hall summarizing the Summit of the Future Action Days.
Grammy winning singer Renée Fleming will then sing accompanied by a video produced by National Geographic.
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The Summit of the Future (22-23 September 2024) is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation on critical challenges and address gaps in global governance, reaffirm existing commitments including to the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Charter, and move towards a reinvigorated multilateral system that is better positioned to positively impact people’s lives.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
Watch live as NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson and Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Oleg Kononenko return home from the International Space Station. Their Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft will head for a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan at 8 a.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 23 (1200 UTC).
Dyson will conclude her fourth spaceflight with the landing of the Soyuz. Dyson’s mission spanned 184 days, 2,944 orbits of the Earth, and a journey of 78 million miles. While on orbit, she conducted an array of experiments and technology demonstrations that contribute to advancements for humanity on Earth and NASA’s trajectory to the Moon and Mars.
About the science highlights of her mission: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/iss-research/nasa-astronaut-tracy-c-dyson-scientific-mission-aboard-space-station/
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
Many agriculture products are prohibited entry into the United States from certain countries because they may carry plant pests and foreign animal diseases. All agriculture items must be declared and are subject to inspection by a CBP Agriculture Specialist at ports of entry to ensure they are free of plant pests and foreign animal diseases. Prohibited or restricted items may include meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, plants, seeds, soil and products made from animal or plant materials.
Visitors to the U.S. are encouraged to declare all agriculture items they are bringing into the United States. A traveler who declares an item that is prohibited or restricted may abandon the item at the port; however undeclared items that are prohibited or restricted can result in a civil fine.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
This video describes the development of incident after-action review observations. Observations summarize key topics and resulting recommended actions. The video considers why observations are important and how to write and validate them. Chapter two of the National Continuous Improvement Guidance (NCIG) provides more information on this topic. https://preptoolkit.fema.gov/web/cip-citap/ncig.
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
#HispanicHeritageMonth is an opportunity to celebrate the Latino students, teachers, staff, and families across the U.S. who are strengthening our schools every day.
Secretary Miguel Cardona’s message to them for their countless contributions: ¡Muchísimas gracias!
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
By leveraging his Hispanic heritage and his bilingualism, Jorge Torres – the American School Counselor Association’s 2023 Washington State School Counselor of the Year – connects with students who are multilingual & multicultural, helping them feel more seen in their school.
Briefing UN Security Council members today (19 Sep) on the situation in the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process expressed his “grave concern” on the “the series of explosions across Lebanon and rockets fired toward Israel in recent days,” warning that these incidents add to the overall volatility. Wennesland urged all parties to “refrain from steps that will further exacerbate the situation and take immediate steps to deescalate.”
In his briefing, Wennesland also highlighted the ongoing demolitions and seizures of Palestinian-owned structures in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. He noted that over 550 people, including 250 children, had been displaced. He said, “demolitions and seizures of Palestinian-owned structures continued… citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain.”
The Special Coordinator also expressed alarm over provocative actions and rhetoric on both sides. Urging all parties to reject such dangerous incitements, he said, “a joint statement from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad threatened a return to the use of suicide bombings… while an Israeli minister said, ‘Palestinian prisoners must be killed. Shot in the head.’”
Helen Clark, a member of The Elders and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, told the Security Council that the current approach to managing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has failed. She criticized member states that use their veto power to “protect allies” or “obstruct geopolitical rivals,” warning that this undermines the authority of the Council.
Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, referred to a recent advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, declaring Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as unlawful. “The Court reaffirmed the illegality of Israel’s settlements… stressing the obligations of the occupying Power to cease immediately all settlement activities,” Mansour said.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said, “this Council and the world must wake up to the reality of the threat Iran poses. The dark force driving the violence we see today is not a collection of independent groups; it is Iran pulling the strings,” He said, “the Iranian proxies, Hezbollah in the North, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria and terrorist cells in Judea and Samaria, are all Iran’s attack dogs unleashed to spread death and destruction across the region.” Danon further said that Iran is not only targeting Israel but is seeking domination of the entire Middle East, while the Palestinian Authority is being “utterly weak and impotent.”
From today, UN Video presents a series of videos addressing the most frequently asked questions by the public, aimed at demystifying and explaining the General Assembly. These eight short clips are available, please share! We appreciate your warm reception of these materials! We would like to thank Julia Foxen and Heyi Zou for their contributions to these explainers.
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
Secretary Blinken delivers remarks at the Advancing Sustainable Development through Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI event in New York City, New York., on September 23, 2024.
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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.
Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StateDept
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/
Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7Cw
State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken delivers remarks at the Freedom Online Coalition Ministerial Event on AI for Humanity: Charting the Global Course for Human Rights-Based Governance in New York City, New York, on September 23, 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.
Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StateDept
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/
Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7Cw
State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken hosts a G7+ Ministerial Meeting on Ukraine Energy Sector Support in New York City, New York, on September 23, 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.
Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StateDept
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/
Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7Cw
State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou
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
Connect with the U.S. Army online:
Web: https://www.army.mil
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
X: https://www.twitter.com/USArmy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
#USArmy #Soldiers #Military #Shorts #SoldieroftheYear #AUSA
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
Secretary Blinken participates at the High-Level Meeting to Launch the Friends of Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty in New York City, New York, on September 23, 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.
Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/statedept
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StateDept
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/statedept
Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/statephotos/
Subscribe to the State Department Blog: https://www.state.gov/blogs
Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
Subscribe to The Week at State e-newsletter: http://ow.ly/diiN30ro7Cw
State Department website: https://www.state.gov/
Careers website: https://careers.state.gov/
White House website: https://www.whitehouse.gov/
Terms of Use: https://state.gov/tou
On this edition of Army Cribs, we take you on a virtual tour of the all-new Volar Barracks at Fort Campbell, Ky!
About the U.S. Army:
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
Connect with the U.S. Army online:
Web: https://www.army.mil
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
X: https://www.twitter.com/USArmy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
#USArmy #Soldiers #Military #Shorts #Cribs #Barracks
Generative AI holds the potential to transform a broad range of economic activities and to help address the world’s most pressing development challenges. However, the benefits of this technological revolution are not yet shared by all globally.
What actions can policy-makers and innovators take now to realize AI’s promise while ensuring that its benefits lead to shared prosperity for all?
Building on the success of the previous editions, the Bank of Canada, the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York are organising the fifth joint conference on expectations surveys. The aim of the conference is to bring together scholars to present their current research involving expectations surveys.
Building on the success of the previous editions, the Bank of Canada, the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York are organising the fifth joint conference on expectations surveys. The aim of the conference is to bring together scholars to present their current research involving expectations surveys.
About the U.S. Army:
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
Connect with the U.S. Army online:
Web: https://www.army.mil
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
X: https://www.twitter.com/USArmy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
#USArmy #Soldiers #Military #Shorts
Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)
First Lady Jill Biden hosts an event to celebrate the opening of the White House Historical Association’s new educational and interactive center, “The People’s House: A White House Experience.”
Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)
President Biden hosts a quadrilateral meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan
Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)
The First Lady, a life-long educator, hosts the first-ever Back-to-School Night at the White House to celebrate the start of the new school year with educators, school professionals, students, and families.
Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)
President Biden and Vice President Harris are rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure. In November 2023, the Vice President visited the I-10 to mark its reopening weeks ahead of schedule.
This is what we can accomplish when we invest in America.
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
Connect with the U.S. Army online:
Web: https://www.army.mil
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
X: https://www.twitter.com/USArmy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
#USArmy #Soldiers #Military #Shorts #Navigation
The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today at 12:45pm September 23, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 8:45pm (USEDT).
In this episode of A View from Afar political scientist and former Pentagon Analyst, Paul G. Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning will discuss: The Murky World of Israel’s Booby-Trapped Pagers and Walkie-Talkies.
Today, Paul and Selwyn will reveal Israel’s long-form planning that led to it sabotaging hand-held communication devices that Hezbollah used to communicate with.
This episode’s questions will include:
Who was behind the manufacturing of the booby-trapped devices?
How long has Israel been planning last week’s attack – an attack that saw thousands injured and many killed in Lebanon after Israel remotely pulled the virtual-pin and exploded the devices indiscriminantly?
And why now? Presumably the devices were also programmed to be tracked. So why did Israel decide to abandon tracking Hezbollah and to attack?
Was it to cause chaos among its enemies in a preemptive move immediately prior to its widespread bombing and targeting of communities in Lebanon?
And what of international law? Has Israel gone so far beyond the Rubicon with Gaza that it senses international law no longer applies to Israel?
And, finally, has the United Nations abandoned its right to protect principles, its peacemaking and peacekeeping responsibilities in favour of aid, development and an overly bureaucratic institution?
Live Audience: Remember, if you are joining us live via the social media platforms, feel free to comment as we can include your comments and questions in this programme.
INTERACTION WHILE LIVE:
Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments.
To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/
Remember to subscribe to the channel.
For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below:
RECOGNITION: The MIL Network’s podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category.
You can follow A View from Afar via our affiliate syndicators.
Water is crucial for human life and the economy, with its economic use value estimated at 60% of global GDP. However, investment in water solutions remains significantly low.
This is the full audio from a studio session on 12 September, 2024 with leading investors and innovators discussing the untapped potential in water solutions and exploring the findings of the recently launched community paper ‘Investing in Water: A Practical Guide.’
Panelists:
Kelven Lam, Investment Manager, Emerald Technology Ventures Romeo Bütler, Principal, Verve Ventures Catalina Pfenniger, Strategy Director, Kran Nanobubble Anna Huber, UpLink Project Lead, Innovation Ecosystems, World Economic Forum (moderator)
You can watch the session here: https://www.linkedin.com/events/investinginwaterinnovation7237072505000067072/theater/
Links:
Investing in Water: A Practical Guide: https (https://wef.ch/4d6u9GA) ://wef.ch/4d6u9GA (https://wef.ch/4d6u9GA)
Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts (http://wef.ch/podcasts) :