Press Releases

New York, 15 September 2020 I am pleased to join you for the closing of the 74 th session of the General Assembly -- a session like no other in the past 75 years. The last seven months have been extremely difficult for the…

New York, 15 September 2020 It is a pleasure to be with you again for the opening of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Let me begin by warmly congratulating His Excellency Ambassador Volkan Bozkir of…

New York, 12 September 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic is devastating lives and livelihoods around the world. It poses the greatest risks to developing countries and to vulnerable people and communities. As we mark this year’s…

New York, 11 September 2020 I thank the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council for convening this joint briefing on my Report on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace – focusing on the 2020 review of the…

New York, 9 September 2020 Thank you very much. Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, I am pleased to join Professor [ Petteri] Taalas of the World Meteorological Organization for this launch of United in Science 2020, a multi…

New York, 9 September 2020 I am pleased to join you for the first observance of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack. I thank the State of Qatar, UNESCO, UNICEF and the Education Above All Foundation for…

New York, 7 September 2020 Around the world, nine out of every ten people breathe unclean air. Air pollution contributes to heart disease, strokes, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. It causes an estimated 7 million…

New York, 30 August 2020 The crime of enforced disappearance is rife across the world. We see new cases almost daily, including the disappearance of defenders of the environment, who are often indigenous peoples. Meanwhile…

New York, 29 August 2020 Commemorated annually since 2010 on the anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan, the International Day Against Nuclear Tests takes on special meaning in 2020 in also…