Senior Personnel Appointments, Deputy Secretary…

Today, the Secretary-General is appointing Haoliang Xu of China as Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).  

Over the weekend, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, was in Shanghai, China. She participated in roundtables with business leaders including some international chambers of commerce to highlight the importance of sustainability, technology, innovation and Artificial Intelligence to deal with the challenges of climate change as well as accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Martha Pobee, the Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  

The United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan – otherwise known as UNITAMS – expressed today its grave concern about the recent violence in Kurmuk locality of the Blue Nile Region on 25 and 26 June. 

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said today that as of 23 June – last Friday - more than 140,000 Sudanese refugees and 34,000 Chadian returnees have crossed the border. Thousands more are expected to arrive as violence escalates in Darfur. 

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, is today in Syria and is expected to discuss progress and challenges regarding the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis 

Lynn Hastings, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said over the weekend that there has been a shocking increase of settler-violence incidents in the occupied West Bank. 

The UN refugee Agency has anticipated a significant rise in global refugee resettlement needs for next year. According to the Projected Global Resettlement Needs Assessment for 2024 released today, more than 2.4 million refugees will be in need of resettlement, marking a 20 per cent increase compared to 2023.  

Today is the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. In his message for the Day, the Secretary-General calls on the global community to continue the work to end drug abuse, illicit trafficking, and the stigma endured by drug users around the world. 

Today is the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.  

At 1 p.m., the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, will talk about her recent visit to the detention facility at the U.S. Naval Station in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. 

Tomorrow morning, at 10 a.m., Virginia Gamba – the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict - will present the Annual Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict.