Archiv: Sonderbeauftragte / Gesandte / Ermittler / Berichterstatter / special envoys / counsels / rapporteurs / representatives


08.12.2024 - 02:00 [ Antiwar.com ]

Jake Sullivan Says US Won’t ‘Cry’ About the Pressure Syria Is Facing from Al-Qaeda-Linked Fighters

(December 2, 2024)

US officials have not been shy in the past about their preference for HTS and its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, over other factions in Syria. James Jeffrey, an American diplomat who served as a special envoy to Syria under the Trump administration from 2018-2020, said in a 2021 interview that HTS was “an asset” to the US’s strategy in Idlib, a northwestern Syrian province that’s been under HTS control since 2017.

27.11.2024 - 20:34 [ LBCgroup.tv ]

New political phase: France pushes for swift presidential election in Lebanon after ceasefire agreement

In this context, French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian has arrived for his sixth visit to Beirut since the presidential vacancy began. His discussions will include meetings with Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, several members of parliament, and ambassadors from the Quintet committee.

According to LBCI sources, Le Drian is not expected to present any new proposals but will urge Lebanese officials to elect a president as soon as possible. Paris believes that a presidential election would send a strong message that Lebanon is working to rebuild its constitutional institutions.

16.11.2024 - 12:12 [ Middle East Eye ]

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese calls David Lammy a ‚genocide denier‘

)November 14, 2024)

The United Nations special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories has accused British Foreign Secretary David Lammy of being a „genocide denier“ and said the UK has done „nothing“ to prevent atrocities in Gaza.

In an interview with Middle East Eye in London on Wednesday, Francesca Albanese took aim at Lammy in response to comments he made in late October denying that Israel is committing genocide.

„I hadn‘t realised that Mr Lammy was a lawyer,“ she said, referring to Lammy‘s legal background.

„As a politician, you might say that for political convenience,“ she suggested, adding that would still make someone „a genocide denier“.

11.10.2024 - 05:59 [ Reuters ]

UN inquiry accuses Israel of crime of ‚extermination‘ in destruction of Gaza health system

„Children in particular have borne the brunt of these attacks, suffering both directly and indirectly from the collapse of the health system,“ said Pillay, whose 24-page report covering the first 10 months of the war will be presented to the U.N. General Assembly on Oct. 30.

19.09.2024 - 21:43 [ Sydney Morning Herald ]

Mass pager attacks ‘a terrifying violation of international law’

The experts, led by University of Sydney law professor Ben Saul, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, labelled the exploding pagers “a terrifying violation of international law”.

“These attacks violate the human right to life, absent any indication that the victims posed an imminent lethal threat to anyone else at the time,” the experts said in a joint statement issued from Geneva late on Thursday night.

“Such attacks require prompt, independent investigation to establish the truth and enable accountability for the crime of murder.”

13.09.2024 - 19:05 [ United Nations ]

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri

112. The General Assembly should recognize that:

(a) Every instance of mass starvation is a form of genocide or extermination, and every instance of starving an individual is torture;
(b) The right to be free from hunger means the right to be free from oppression, exploitation and occupation;
(c) The Palestinian people’s right to return to Palestine is a precondition to fulfil their right to food and food sovereignty;
(d) Israel has engaged in an intentional starvation campaign against the Palestinian people which evidences genocide and extermination.

13.09.2024 - 18:40 [ Michael Fakhri / X.com ]

How was Isr. able to starve 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza at unprecedented speed and intensity? I answer this question in my new report. I‘ll be discussing my report with the @UN General Assembly on Friday, October 18.

03.05.2024 - 06:15 [ News.cn ]

UN General Assembly to resume emergency special session on Mideast

(May 2, 2024)

Under UN rules, the admission of new members has to be recommended by the Security Council before a vote in the General Assembly. If the Security Council does not recommend the application or postpones its consideration of the application, the council then must submit a special report to the General Assembly, which in turn could ask the council to reconsider.

21.03.2024 - 01:00 [ Times of Israel ]

Netanyahu says it ‘will take some time’ until IDF launches offensive in Rafah

(21.03.2024)

Two senior US officials told The Times of Israel on Tuesday that the US will present alternative plans for how Israel can continue pursuing Hamas without launching a major ground operation in Rafah during an upcoming meeting with a visiting Israeli delegation in Washington.

21.03.2024 - 00:49 [ Washington Post ]

Israel to send team to D.C. to discuss Rafah; Blinken to return to Mideast

(19.03.2024)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted President Biden’s invitation to send a senior delegation to Washington, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said, to “hear U.S. concerns” over Israel’s plans to invade Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where displaced Palestinians are concentrated.

07.03.2024 - 19:05 [ Middle East Eye ]

Israel destroying Gaza‘s food system as ‚starvation‘ tactic, says UN expert

„Israel is not only denying and restricting the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israel is destroying the food system in Gaza,“ Michael Fakhri, UN special rapporteur on the right to food, said in a speech to the UN Human Rights Council on

„Israel has mounted a starvation campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza.“

He said that Israel was targeting small-scale fishers as part of the campaign, including by denying them access to the sea and destroying boats.

22.02.2024 - 21:08 [ United Nations ]

‚Shocking, unsustainable and desperate‘ conditions across Gaza, Security Council hears

Also briefing the Council was Christopher Lockyear, Secretary General, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders.

Fearful of further deadly Israeli attacks, he said he was “appalled” by the United States’ repeated use of its veto power to obstruct efforts to adopt the most evident of resolutions: one demanding an immediate ceasefire.

“We live in fear of a ground invasion” in Rafah, he said.

Calling Washington’s new proposed draft resolution “misleading at best”, he said the Council should reject any resolution “that further hampers humanitarian efforts on the ground and leads this Council to tacitly endorse the continued violence and mass atrocities in Gaza”.

12.02.2024 - 15:20 [ United Nations ]

Statement by Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, on the situation in the Middle East and on the Order of the International Court of Justice of 26 January 2024, indicating provisional measures in the case concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel)

(09.02.2024)

The Special Adviser echoes the 26 January statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General taking note of the Order of the International Court of Justice of 26 January 2024 indicating provisional measures in the case concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), in which the Court ordered Israel, inter alia, in accordance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, “to take all measures within its power” in relation to Palestinians in Gaza to prevent the commission of acts within the scope of Article II of the Convention, including killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s destruction and imposing measures intended to prevent births, as well as to “ensure with immediate effect that its military forces do not commit any of the above-described acts”. Furthermore, the Court indicated “that Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide in relation to members of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip”. In this connection, neither the Secretary-General nor the Special Adviser take a position in relation to ongoing judicial proceedings before the Court.Echoing the words of the Secretary-General, the Special Adviser reiterates that violations of international humanitarian law can never justify the collective punishment of the people in Gaza. “Civilians must be protected at all times on both sides,” Special Adviser Wairimu Nderitu reminded.

12.02.2024 - 15:03 [ United Nations ]

UN Special Adviser ‘horrified’ at suffering of civilians in the Middle East

(09.02.2024)

The statement also referred to the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case brought forward by South Africa against Israel on prevention of genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Ms. Nderitu noted that neither the UN Secretary-General nor herself, as his Special Adviser, “take a position” in relation to ongoing judicial proceedings before the court.

In the 26 January decision, the ICJ ordered Israel, inter alia, in accordance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, “to take all measures within its power” to prevent the commission of acts within the scope of article II of the instrument, including killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s destruction and imposing measures intended to prevent births.

The court also ordered Israel to “ensure with immediate effect that its military forces do not commit any of the above-described acts”.

10.02.2024 - 10:24 [ New York Post ]

Ex-Clinton adviser jokes he ‘wet the bed’ over special counsel report on Biden classified docs: ‘Terrible for Democrats’

(09.02.2024)

Hur’s bombshell report asserts that Biden, 81, “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials” but should not face criminal charges, in part because a jury may view the president as an “elderly man with a poor memory.”

10.02.2024 - 10:21 [ CBC.ca ]

‚Diminished faculties,‘ ‚faulty memory,‘ ‚significant limitations‘: A damning report on Biden‘s mental state

(08.02.2024)

The special counsel report released Thursday paints the 81-year-old president as suffering from mental decline. And it points to several examples from Biden‘s hours-long interviews with investigators.

They include Biden struggling to remember what years he was vice-president and being way off when discussing the year of his son‘s death.

28.01.2024 - 18:10 [ Tagesschau.de ]

UN-Sonderberichterstatterin kritisiert Zahlungsstopp an UNRWA

Die UN-Sonderberichterstatterin für die Palästinensergebiete, Francesca Albanese, hat den Zahlungsstopp mehrerer Länder an das UN-Hilfswerk für palästinensische Flüchtlinge (UNRWA) als möglicherweise rechtswidrig kritisiert. Die Entscheidung der Länder, darunter die USA und Deutschland, werde „rechtliche Verantwortung nach sich ziehen“ …

04.01.2024 - 11:44 [ PressTV.ir ]

Iran to use all available mechanisms to ensure accountability for terror attacks: UN envoy

Earlier, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the Islamic Republic had started taking „legal measures“ through the United Nations as part of its efforts to ensure accountability for those responsible for the Kerman attacks.

04.01.2024 - 11:31 [ MehrNews.com ]

Iran pens letter to UNSC following Kerman terrorist blasts

The Islamic Republic of Iran asks the Secretary-General and the UN Security Council to immediately and unequivocally condemn this terrible terrorist attack, he added.

29.12.2023 - 19:10 [ UN News / Twitter ]

#UNGA Special Session: “Any life lost is a tragedy, there is no hierarchy of death” – Bob Rae, Canada Representative to the United Nations

(Oct 27, 2023)

24.12.2023 - 11:34 [ Reuters ]

Yemen‘s warring parties commit to ceasefire steps, U.N. special envoy says

(December 23, 2023 7:03 PM)

Houthi officials in September visited Riyadh for the first time since the war broke out. That followed a first round of Omani-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sanaa, running in parallel to U.N. peace efforts, when Saudi envoys visited Sanaa in April.

The peace initiatives gained momentum after arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish ties in a deal brokered by China. A permanent ceasefire in Yemen would mark a milestone in stabilising the Middle East.

12.11.2023 - 21:55 [ almayadeen.net ]

Top Biden advisor to visit ‘Israel’, Qatar eyeing captives release

Brett McGurk, Senior Middle East Advisor to President Biden, is reportedly set to travel to the Israeli entity and countries in the Middle East to discuss the war on Gaza and efforts to secure the release of captives held by the Resistance, Axios reported.

This trip is part of the Biden administration‘s unwavering support for the Israeli occupation. McGurk will coordinate with NATO and European allies in Brussels before visiting „Israel“, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Qatar.

30.10.2023 - 20:49 [ Times of Israel ]

Biden sends Treasury official to Saudi Arabia, Qatar to discuss Gaza aid, counterterrorism

In Riyadh, Nelson co-chaired a meeting of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center.

In Doha, Nelson met with Qatar Central Bank governor Bandar al Thani, Attorney General Issa bin Saad al Nuaimi and leaders of the National Counterterrorism Committee.

30.10.2023 - 15:38 [ UN News / Twitter ]

#UNGA Special Session: “Any life lost is a tragedy, there is no hierarchy of death” – Bob Rae, Canada Representative to the United Nations

(Oct 27, 2023)

24.10.2023 - 03:07 [ New York Times ]

U.S. Raises Concerns About Israel’s Plan of Action in Gaza, Officials Say

Biden administration officials insisted that the United States had not told Israel what to do and still supported the ground invasion. But the Pentagon has sent a three-star Marine, Lt. Gen. James Glynn, along with other officers to help the Israelis with the challenges of fighting an urban war.

A Pentagon official said on Monday that the deployment of General Glynn, reported earlier by Axios, did not mean the Pentagon was making decisions for Israel. General Glynn, the official said, would not be on the ground in Israel if an incursion into Gaza begins.

18.10.2023 - 14:22 [ United Nations ]

Israel-Gaza: UN chief urges ceasefire, region ‘on the precipice’

Trucks carrying lifesaving aid remained lined up at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt. In a post on social platform X on Wednesday, UN World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus deplored that WHO supplies have been “stuck” at the border for four days.

“Every second we wait to get medical aid in, we lose lives,” he said.

Relentless diplomatic efforts by senior UN officials in favour of humanitarian access were set to continue, with the organization’s relief chief Martin Griffiths on the ground in Cairo, where he will be joined by Secretary-General Guterres on Thursday.

19.09.2023 - 21:22 [ BBC ]

Five Americans freed in Iran prisoner swap land in US

The five Iranians released as part of the deal were mostly imprisoned in the US on charges that they violated US sanctions.

In a statement on Monday, US President Joe Biden welcomed the prisoner swap and said that the Americans would be reunited with their loved one „after enduring years of agony, uncertainty, and suffering“.

06.09.2023 - 04:40 [ 24news.tv ]

Lapid raises Saudi nuclear concerns in meeting with top U.S. officials in Washington

Lapid‘s meeting in Washington comes as Biden is set to send a delegation, headed by McGurk, to visit Saudi Arabia this week in an effort to ramp up efforts on a possible normalization agreement with Israel.

U.S. and Palestinian officials told The Times of Israel earlier this week that talks will be held in Riyadh and will also be attended by Assistant Secretary of State For Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf.

08.08.2023 - 10:44 [ APnews.com ]

Niger coup leaders refuse to let senior US diplomat meet with nation’s president

“They were quite firm about how they want to proceed, and it is not in support of the constitution of Niger,” Nuland told reporters. She characterized the conversations as “extremely frank and at times quite difficult.”

She spoke after a two-hour meeting in Niger’s capital, Niamey, with some leaders of the military takeover of a country that has been a vital counterterrorism partner of the United States.

29.07.2023 - 23:36 [ Haaretz ]

U.S. President Biden Says Deal May Be on the Way With Saudi Arabia, Rapprochement With Israel

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, in a piece published on Thursday, said Biden was considering whether to pursue a U.S.-Saudi mutual security pact that would involve Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, one of Biden’s most trusted aides, was in Jeddah this week with Middle East envoy Brett McGurk discussing the possibility of a normalization deal, White House officials said.

22.07.2023 - 12:17 [ South China Morning Post ]

China-Ukraine trade: amid Russian attacks in Black Sea, Beijing promises Kyiv negotiator it will boost imports

The commitment was made at a time when Moscow’s recent attack on Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea affected grain exports destined for China and damaged a Chinese consulate.

Beijing was ready to work with Kyiv to “actively” develop bilateral economic and trade cooperation, advance the strategic partnership between the two countries and promote study towards freer trade, China’s commerce vice-minister Ling Ji said on Thursday when meeting the visiting Ukrainian deputy minister of economy, Taras Kachka.

18.06.2023 - 13:12 [ Tass.com ]

Key points of Vladimir Putin’s meeting with African peace mission

Putin pointed out that the Russian side has never rejected negotiations with Ukraine. It was Ukraine that declared its unwillingness, which was cemented by Zelensky’s decree.

Putin also pointed out that the Ukrainian authorities have preliminarily signed the draft agreement with Moscow, prepared in March, 2022, in Istanbul; however, after Russian forces were withdrawn, Ukraine disregarded the document. The President presented the document, which includes 18 articles and appendixes, to the African leaders. The document included clauses on neutrality and guarantees of security.

„It also touches upon armed forces and other things. It was all written down – up to numbers of vehicles and personnel,“ Putin disclosed.

18.06.2023 - 13:02 [ DailyMaverick.co.za ]

Ramaphosa meets Putin and presents 10-point plan to end war between Ukraine and Russia

Ramaphosa went on to outline a proposal that has been agreed upon by the seven countries involved in the mission:

– Both leaders must listen to one another;
– The war must be settled through negotiations and diplomatic means;
– There must be a de-escalation of conflict on both sides;
– The sovereignty of countries in terms of the UN Charter and internationally recognised principles should be recognised;
– There needs to be a guarantee of security for all the countries involved. This issue has been raised by all sides;
– The movement of grains across the Black Sea must be opened up to remove blockages so that commodities can reach markets;
– humanitarian efforts must be set up for those affected by the war;
– Prisoners of war must be released and children returned to Ukraine;
– There must be reconstruction of the destruction caused by the war; and
– Further engagements should be held to encourage more dialogue through the Africa Peace Mission.

17.06.2023 - 20:09 [ the Lemniscat / Nitter ]

17 June Putin holds talks with a delegation from African countries at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Saint Petersburg

South Africa‘s Ramaphosa, Zambia‘s Hakainde Hichilema and Comoros‘ Assoumani look much happier to be in Russia than they looked in Ukraine

17.06.2023 - 19:43 [ Tass.com ]

Putin begins talks on Ukraine with African leaders

Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun talks with a delegation of seven African nations that arrived in St. Petersburg to look for solutions to the Ukraine crisis.

The meeting is taking place at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, which was a residence of the Romanov imperial family and now hosts official events, including international ones.

17.06.2023 - 15:17 [ Tass.com ]

Putin to have bilateral meeting with South African president later on Saturday — Kremlin

„Judging by the schedule, after visiting Kiev [South African President Cyril] Ramaphosa will be the first to come here, President of the Union of the Comoros Azali Assoumani will be here, as well as Senegalese President Macky Sall, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbuly. There will also be representatives of Congo and Uganda. This will be the African delegation that visited Kiev on the previous year, holding a meeting with [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky,“ Peskov added.

17.06.2023 - 15:01 [ Tass.com ]

Some countries’ peace proposals on Ukraine contain ‘ideas that could work’ — Zakharova

„I reiterate that we are thankful to every country, every state or every public figure – because many initiatives were personally proposed by prominent figures, internationalists; we are grateful to everyone, who speaks about peace, who speaks about [peaceful] settlement and, who wants to be useful regarding this issue,“ she said.

„There are interesting ideas, which may work. There are ideas that are in sync with our approaches, and, for instance, it includes the Chinese initiative,“ she continued.

17.06.2023 - 14:40 [ Interfax.com.ua ]

Ambassador of Ukraine to South Africa: I think in a year we will see completely different architecture of support among African countries in UN

“A lot depends on our activity in the region, on dialogues and contacts at different levels, on Minister Kuleba‘s direct tour and on the upcoming visit of the presidents of African countries. But, I emphasize: we should not expect that a change in the positions of countries will occur in the short term. This is a ‘long game.’ And it requires strength, enthusiasm and faith. I believe that in the end it will become absolutely clear to African countries that Ukraine is fighting for the same values, freedoms, and rights for which these countries have been fighting and shedding blood for many years,” the ambassador said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

17.06.2023 - 11:35 [ Politico.eu ]

Russia strikes Kyiv amid visit by African leaders on peace mission

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched six Kalibr cruise missiles, six Kinzhal ballistic missiles, and two drones to carry out the strikes.

No buildings or facilities were damaged in the attack, Klitschko said.

17.06.2023 - 11:30 [ BBC ]

Why South Africa‘s Cyril Ramaphosa is leading Ukraine peace mission

(16.06.2023)

The delegation from South Africa, Egypt, Senegal, Congo-Brazzaville, Comoros, Zambia, and Uganda is meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday and President Vladimir Putin on Saturday.

But the timing of the visit seems off. It comes just as Kyiv is launching its much-vaunted counter-offensive.