About IMAD On 8 December 2005, the General Assembly declared that 4 April of each year shall be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. It called for continued efforts by States, with the assistance of the United Nations and relevant organizations, to foster the establishment and development of national mine-action capacities in countries where mines and explosive remnants of war constitute a serious…

JONGLEI – Women across South Sudan continue to be subjected to the horror of sexual and gender-based violence, which causes immense emotional, psychological and physical damage. In the Jonglei region, persistent conflict has driven a disturbing increase in rape, forced marriage, and sexual slavery—tactics used as weapons of war. On the frontlines of efforts to combat this scourge are the nation’s police force. To build the capacity of officers in…

As part of continued engagement between the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, met yesterday in Abuja, Nigeria, with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, to review recent political and security developments in the region and…

NORTHERN BAHR EL GHAZAL – When the dry season arrives, it’s time for the cattle to move. To protect these precious resources during this lean period, pastoralists from the north start migrating their herds southwards to fresh pasture and access to water. Their very survival depends on this process. However, the movement of vast numbers of livestock across the country creates tensions as the herders come into conflict with farmers who are trying…

Mister President, Excellencies, Today’s briefing is devoted to the thirty-seventh report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 (2016). It covers the period from 3 December 2025 to 13 March 2026. Security Council resolution 2334 (2016) calls on Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem” and to “fully respect all of…

The support of MONUSCO should speed up the work before the heavy rainy season, a period that could delay the progress of the construction.

Mr. President, It is over four years since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, nearly 1500 days of death, destruction and despair. And today, far from abating, the violence is worse than ever. Since February 2022, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has verified that 15,364 civilians, including 775 children, have been killed in Ukraine. Another 42,144 civilians, including 2,588 children, have been…

2026 Peacebuilding in Divided Societies: Larnaca workshop

WESTERN EQUATORIA - Bekia Mahadi Ali and her eight children literally ran for their lives when war erupted in Sudan. They fled across the border into South Sudan and then made their way down to the country to Makpandu refugee camp in Yambio, Western Equatoria. She expected to find safety here. Instead, growing insecurity in the area has left her and thousands of other refugee families living in fear again. “I fled with my children but without…

As Muslims gather to celebrate the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan, the United Nations in Somalia extends its warmest wishes to all Somalis