The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of MONUSCO, Mr. James Swan, arrived in Goma on Friday, April 24, 2026, as part of his first field visit to the eastern part of the country since taking office and which started on 20 April with Beni. This visit comes amid persistent security challenges and ceasefire monitoring responsibilities for MONUSCO. Upon his arrival at Goma…
United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert held a round of meetings this week with Lebanese political, security and religious representatives. In exercising her good offices role, the Special Coordinator discussed with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam ongoing efforts to consolidate the cessation of hostilities and advance stability in Lebanon. Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert also met with the Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces…
New analysis underscores urgent need for coordinated responses to protect civilians. Bogotá, Colombia – 15 April 2026. The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Colombia has launched a new technical paper titled “Uncrewed Aircraft Systems with Explosive Payloads: Emerging Threats and Challenges for Colombia”, highlighting the growing humanitarian risks associated with the use of weaponized drones by non-state armed groups. Presented…
WAU – In 2016, clashes between armed forces caused almost 40,000 people to flee Wau town in search of a safe haven. By 2020, many had resettled in other parts of the country while about 10,000 former residents remained in the Naivasha protection site, established by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and partners. Since then, the site has undergone various changes regarding protection mandates and different partner organizations providing…
YAMBIO – Victoria* gazes lovingly at the upturned face of the four-month-old infant lying on her lap. She brushes her palm gently across his forehead and giggles as the baby coos and gurgles and kicks his tiny legs in the air. She leans back and smiles, her eyes glinting with pride, revelling in the newfound joy of motherhood. Just shy of 19, her smile and calm demeanour conceal the many horrors that she’s battled. And survived. Abducted by an…
À Obo, dans le Haut-Mbomou, 80 représentants de partis politiques ont bénéficié, le 21 avril, d’une formation organisée par la Délégation sous-préfectorale des élections (DSPE) avec l’appui de la MINUSCA, afin de renforcer leurs compétences dans les bureaux de vote le jour des scrutins. Les modules développés ont porté notamment sur les droits et devoirs des représentants des partis politiques dans les bureaux de vote, ainsi que sur le code de…
As Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory prepare to go to the polls on 25 April, the United Nations Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, welcomes the efforts of the Central Elections Commission to organize local elections in the West Bank and the municipality of Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip. “Saturday’s elections represent an important opportunity for Palestinians to exercise their…
The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) on 22 April, officially handed over the newly rehabilitated 37‑kilometre stretch Abyei–Agok road, a key supply route constructed by its Vietnamese Military Construction Engineering Contingent 4. The re-opening of the road, which serves as a lifeline for communities across Abyei, will support the delivery of humanitarian aid, economic recovery and peacekeeping efforts. The rehabilitation…
New York / Brussels, 23 April 2026 – The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Sudan has received new funding from the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) to support mine action activities aimed at improving civilian safety, humanitarian access, and early recovery in conflict-affected areas of Sudan. The €3 million contribution will support the implementation of the 18-month project “Rebuilding Sudan: Mine…
Senior South Sudanese prison officers received certificates after a week-long training on human rights, sexual gender-based violence and community policing. You are a prison officer and an inmate is trying to escape. What can…
UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Michael Beary, today attended the inauguration of a UNIFIL-supported Tactical Operations Center (TOC) of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in Tyre, south Lebanon. At the…
Last month more than 200 child soldiers were released in Pibor. SPLA has recommitted to make its army child-free. Senior officers in the South Sudanese army (SPLA) have been meeting in Juba with a view to getting removed from…
Eight United Nations police officers from Portugal, four women and four men, have recently joined the United Nations Mission in South Sudan for a one-year deployment. The new arrivals are the first Portuguese police officers…
You are a prison officer and an inmate is trying to escape. What can you do about it? Or more importantly: what should you do to stop the want-to-be fugitive? “How about you chase him? You may be faster than he is. Shooting…
The course aimed to enhance the understanding and application of electoral laws and the individual voter’s right to vote by law enforcement agencies designated with the responsibility of maintaining law and order to ensure…
Senior officers in the South Sudanese army (SPLA) have been meeting in Juba with a view to getting removed from the list of shame that bears names of perpetrators of grave violations against children. “We need to be serious…
“Events on the battlefield” are the main spoiler to the peace process in Yemen, but political negotiations are the top overall priority for resolving the conflict, according to the UN’s envoy for the country, speaking…
Personal Envoy for Western Sahara visits the territory Laâyoune, 28 June 2018 The Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, President Horst Köhler, arrived in Laâyoune on 28 June 2018. He was welcomed by…
Hundreds of colleagues and friends bid a final farewell to Lieutenant Commander Ashraf Siddiqui, a Bangladeshi peacekeeper killed in an ambush earlier this week. Colleagues and friends of fallen peacekeeper Lieutenant…
Personal Envoy for Western Sahara visits the Territory Laâyoune, 28 June 2018 The Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, President Horst Köhler, arrived in Laâyoune on 28 June 2018. He was welcomed by…
The G5, made up of representatives of the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the World Bank, the Economic Community of Central African States, France and the United States, condemns in the strongest terms…