Press releases

Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General - on the Democratic Republic of the Congo   The Secretary-General strongly condemns Monday’s attack against a temporary position of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) in Beni territory, North Kivu, by suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). The attack resulted in the killing of one peacekeeper from Malawi.  

Dear Colleagues and family members, We gather to remember and honour United Nations personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty over the course of last year.  While we unfortunately cannot yet gather in person, this solemn ceremony powerfully reflects how those bonds transcend physical distance.  We may not be in the same room, but we are together -- with unity in purpose and solidarity in sorrow.  The year 2020 was like no other in the history of the United Nations. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is a tragic reminder of how deeply connected we are. There is a clear and urgent need for concrete multilateral solutions, based on common action across borders for the good of all humanity, starting with the equitable distribution of vaccines as a global public good. This need goes far beyond the pandemic. It applies to all the transnational threats we face: the climate crisis; air and water pollution; the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; the development of new technologies in the absence of agreed principles and norms.

Mr. President, Excellencies,   Let me first congratulate His Excellency Foreign Minister Bui Son on his appointment and welcome him to the United Nations. I thank Viet Nam for putting this important issue on the agenda and reminding us of the work left to do. Landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices maim and kill indiscriminately. They are left in the path of women walking to work, a family displaced by conflict and seeking safety, children on their way to school. They crush lives and end livelihoods.