Press Releases

New York, 26 September 2020 Almost 75 years since the adoption of the first General Assembly resolution in 1946 committed the United Nations to the goal of nuclear disarmament, our world continues to live in the shadow of…

New York, 24 September 2020 The theme of this year’s World Maritime Day – sustainable shipping for a sustainable planet – has gained extraordinary resonance as shipping has continued to transport more than 80 per cent of…

New York, 24 September 2020 Fifteen years ago at the World Summit, at a pivotal moment in our common pursuit of peace, leaders from every region unanimously adopted the responsibility to protect. Unable to prevent the…

New York, 23 September 2020 On the International Day of Sign Languages this year, we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic that has disrupted and upended lives everywhere, including the lives of the deaf community. It has…

New York, 22 September 2020 Mr. President, Excellencies, In a world turned upside down, this General Assembly Hall is among the strangest sights of all. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our annual meeting beyond recognition…

New York, 21 September 2020 The International Day of Peace is devoted to urging warring parties everywhere to lay down their weapons and work for harmony. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the world, this call is…

New York, 21 September 2020 The ideals of the United Nations – peace, justice, equality and dignity — are beacons to a better world. But the Organization we celebrate today emerged only after immense suffering. It took two…

New York, 18 September 2020 Around the world, despite decades of activism, and dozens of laws on equal pay, women still earn less than 80 cents for every dollar men do. For women with children, women of colour, women refugees…

New York, 16 September 2020 There are few global agreements as successful as the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer. Today, on World Ozone Day, we celebrate 35 years of this convention, which was the…

New York, 15 September 2020 As the world confronts COVID-19, democracy is crucial in ensuring the free flow of information, participation in decision-making and accountability for the response to the pandemic. Yet since the…