"SANCTIONS"

Ambassador Mr. Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of China, and President of the Security Council for the month of May 2021, briefs the press on the Security Council’s program of work for the month of May.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is “disturbed by the use of unnecessary and disproportionate force by police special forces to dismantle a peaceful sit-in in Bahrain’s Jau prison on 17 April,” a spokesperson told reporters in Geneva. UNTV CH

With violence flaring across Syria, chief United Nations mediator calls for ‘new means’ of international discussion, as Security Council explores options.

Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen sounded “a warning to all – a warning to prioritize the proactive search for a settlement of the Syrian conflict,” adding that “despite more than a year of relative calm by Syrian standards, this month reminded us of the potential for the situation to further disintegrate or rapidly deteriorate.” UNIFEED

Security Council strongly condemns attacks against critical civilian infrastructure, unanimously adopting resolution 2573 (2021).

UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told the Security Council, “we need to continue to leverage political dialogue, sanctions and arms transfer decisions to ensure respect for the law and the protection of civilians and the objects they depend on to survive.” UNIFEED

Women still suffering in war zones, Special Representative tells Security Council, highlighting unmet global commitments to victims of sexual violence.

Informal comments to the media by Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations and Security Council President for the month of April, and Pramila Patten, Special Representative on sexual violence in conflict, following the open debate of the Security Council on sexual violence in conflict.

UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramilla Patten said building back better from the COVID-19 pandemic requires an “inclusive, intersectional, and gender-informed approach” and demands a paradigm shift: “to silence the guns and amplify the voices of women; to invest in public welfare rather than the instruments of warfare.” UNIFEED

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet urged States to take immediate, decisive and impactful measures to push Myanmar’s military leadership into halting its campaign of repression and slaughter of its people. UNTV CH