The Secretary-General condemns today’s attacks on two Coptic Churches in Egypt. The Secretary-General expresses his deep sympathies to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of the Arab Republic of Egypt. He wishes a quick recovery to those injured and hopes that the perpetrators of this horrific terrorist act will be swiftly identified and brought to justice.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General
New York, 9 April 2017
The Security Council would hold two open debates this month, the first on the issue of counter-terrorism and the other concerning cooperation on peace and security matters between the United Nations and the African Union, Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta (Egypt), the 15-member organ’s President for May, said at a Headquarters press conference. Continue reading
In one round of voting, the General Assembly today elected Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for the next two years. Those elected will fill seats to be vacated on 31 December by Chad, Chile, Jordan, Lithuania and Nigeria. Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela will continue to serve as elected Council members during 2016, completing the second year of their respective terms. All new Council members will take their seats on 1 January 2016. Continue reading
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed “deep regret’ over the decision by the Egyptian court of Cassation to uphold the sentencing of several Al Jazeera journalists and has reiterated his appeal for their cases to be resolved expeditiously and in accordance with the country’s international obligations to protect free expression. Continue reading
The Secretary-General welcomes the decision of the Egyptian authorities to release the detained journalist Peter Greste. The Secretary-General notes that there are other journalists still detained in Egypt and hopes that their cases will also be resolved shortly.
The Secretary-General again underscores the importance of safeguarding freedom of speech and association in Egypt. He strongly believes that pluralism is key for achieving long-term stability, including the guarantee that all peaceful voices are heard and represented.
The Secretary-General reiterates his continued commitment to supporting the Egyptian people’s struggle for stability, democracy, and prosperity.
As the latest escalation in Syria “has raised the spectre of chemical warfare,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged members of the Security Council to explore all diplomatic options to bring all Syrian parties to the negotiating table, stressing there is no military solution to the crisis. “We must pursue all avenues to get the parties to the negotiating table Continue reading
The Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide, Mr. Adama Dieng , and on the Responsibility to Protect, Ms. Jennifer Welsh, express their serious concern on yesterday morning’s violence, allegedly involving the excessive use of force by Egyptian security forces against demonstrators in the city of Cairo. While the final number of casualties and injured is still to be confirmed, the Special Advisers regret the large loss of life and express their concern at the continuous escalation of violence in the country. Continue reading
Political transitions can offer unique opportunities to address violations of women’s rights and promote the transformation of traditional and societal norms that promote a subordinate position of women. However, a recent report of the United Nations Working Group on discrimination against Continue reading