"ISRAEL"

The Chair of the Elders, Mary Robinson, told the Security Council that “women’s rights are not Western rights, they are fundamental human rights,” stressing that “we cannot allow the women and girls of Afghanistan to be deprived of these rights, including the right to leave the country.” UNIFEED

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General 

"I am concerned by the continued tragic loss of life and serious injuries in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland told the Security Council on Monday, calling on Israel to “fulfills its obligation to protect Palestinian civilians from violence, including by Israeli settlers.” UNIFEED

Security Council Renews Mali sanctions, panel of experts monitoring implementation, unanimously adopting resolution 2590 (2021). Security Council extends mandate of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon for one year, unanimously adopting resolution 2591 (2021). Unanimously adopting Resolution 2592 (2021), Security Council extends Somalia mission mandate until 31 May, requests stronger presence as security situation allows.

“Ten years into this conflict, civilians in all parts of Syria continue to endure grave hardship,” the UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths told the Security Council on Tuesday, while the Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen reported an escalation in fighting in many parts of Syria. UNIFEED

The United Kingdom’s Ambassador, Barbara Woodward, told reporters that “the UK knows that Iran was responsible” for the attack against the MV Mercer Street vessel, operated by an Israeli-owned firm, off the coast of Oman last week, killing a British national and a Romanian citizen. UNIFEED

Informal comments to the media by Zahra Ershadi, Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations.

The UN is “concerned about the escalatory developments, including rocket fire into Israel and air strikes and artillery fire in response, across the Blue Line in recent days," and called on “all parties to exercise utmost restraint and maintain stability.” UNIFEED

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Ambassador Martin Kimani of Kenya announced that “for the first time” the outcome document from the biennial meeting on small arms contained language on ammunition, “a big shift” which means that “at long last the issue of ammunition is squarely in the agenda of the programme of action.” UNIFEED