"MIDDLE EAST"

The IMF announced a 4 percent pick up in the Middle East and North Africa region’s real GDP forecast and a 3.7 percent rise in the Caucasus and Central Asia’s in 2021 on Sunday in Washington, DC. However, despite the optimistic forecast, the outlook remains uncertain. IMF

Press briefing by Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of April, on the Council's Programme of Work for the month.

Briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Middle East Coordinator encouraged by steady advance towards holding Palestinian elections, urges parties continue dialogue, in briefing to Security Council.

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

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland told Security Council that he is “deeply concerned by continued Israeli settlement expansion, particularly into highly sensitive areas, which entrench the Israeli occupation, erode the possibility of a contiguous, independent and viable Palestinian State and further threaten the prospect of achieving a two-State solution.” UNIFEED

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

Yemen, South Sudan and northern Nigeria are on top of the list facing catastrophic levels of acute hunger, with families in pockets of South Sudan and Yemen already in the grip of, or at risk of, starvation and death according to a new report. UNTV CH

Special Envoy expresses regret over inability of United Nations to end Syria war, as Security Council considers crisis on prolonged conflict’s tenth anniversary.

Despite increases in the number of women at the highest levels of political power, widespread gender inequalities persist, according to the 2021 edition of the IPU-UN Women Map of Women in Politics. UNIFEED