Israel Calls For The Resignation Of The UN Secretary General Over Remarks On The Gaza War

 

BBC: Israel demands UN chief resign over Hamas attack comments 

Israel has reacted angrily to comments made by the UN secretary general about the Gaza war at the Security Council. António Guterres said on Tuesday that he condemned unequivocally Hamas's deadly attacks in Israel two weeks ago but that it was important to recognise they "did not happen in a vacuum". 

Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan accused him of "justifying terrorism" and demanded his immediate resignation. On Wednesday, Mr Guterres rejected "misrepresentations" of his statement. 

"I am shocked by the misrepresentations by some of my statement yesterday in the Security Council as if, as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas," he said. "This is false. It was the opposite."  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: UN Secretary-General António Guterres has responded to Israel's calls for his resignation (see video below). More here .... UN chief hits back at ‘false’ claim he justified Hamas terror attacks (UN News).

  

Israel Calls For The Resignation Of The UN Secretary General Over Remarks On The Gaza War  

Israeli UN ambassador demands UN secretary-general resign after 'shocking' speech -- FOX News  

Israel calls on UN chief to resign -- RT 

Israel Hits Back at U.N. With Furious Response After Secretary General’s Comments -- Daily Beast 

Israel says it will ban UN staff after secretary general’s comments -- The Guardian

President Biden Delivers His Annual Address To The United Nations General Assembly

 

CBS News: Biden urges United Nations to "preserve peace, prevent conflict" 

President Biden emphasized unity and global cooperation Tuesday as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. 

Mr. Biden reiterated that Ukraine's interests are the United Nations' interests, and said the global body must "continue to preserve peace, prevent conflict and alleviate human suffering." 

"The United States seeks a more secure, more prosperous, more equitable world for all people, because we know our future is bound to yours," the president said at UNGA. "Let me repeat that again: We know our future is bound to yours. And no nation can meet the challenges of today alone."  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Nothing new in his speech. 

President Biden Delivers His Annual Address To The United Nations General Assembly  

Biden exhorts world leaders at the UN to stand up to Russia, warns not to let Ukraine ‘be carved up’ -- AP  

Biden offers support for Ukraine, stresses global unity in United Nations speech -- ABC News 

Biden at the UN urges the world to stand firm in support of Ukraine’s fight against Russian invasion -- CNN 

Biden calls for 'new approaches' to global challenges in UN speech: 'Our future is bound to yours' -- FOX News

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres Says He Has ‘No Power At All’ Ahead Of Annual Meeting

“No power at all.” That’s the candid answer from UN head @antonioguterres on what power he really has. “No power & there’s no money. What we have is a voice… I have the obligation to make it loud… We have a level of division among superpowers that has no precedent since WWII.” pic.twitter.com/9ceJBatrdQ

— Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) September 18, 2023

The Hill: UN chief says he has ‘no power at all’ ahead of annual meeting  

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said he has “no power at all,” ahead of the U.N.’s General Assembly yearly meeting. 

When asked in an interview with CNN about the executive power he holds in the meeting, Guterres said, “No power at all.” 

“The secretary of the United Nations has no power and there’s no money,” Guterres continued. “What we have is a voice and that voice can be loud and I have the obligation to make it be loud.”  

Read more ....  

Update: UN secretary-general warns of ‘Great Fracture’ as world leaders begin debate (CNN)  

WNU Editor: The only major world leader on the Security Council showing up is President Biden .... This is not a 'vanity fair': UN chief on absence of all but one P5 leaders (Business Standard/Press Trust India). More in the video below 

Here Are The Largest United Nations Peacekeeping Operations In 2023

Zero Hedge: These Are The Largest UN Peacekeeping Operations In 2023 

The United Nations is withdrawing 13,000 personnel from Mali, in what UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called an “unprecedented” move, following a request from the Malian military junta to vacate the country. 

As Statista's Anna Fleck reports, Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop told the United Nations Security Council in June that the UN’s peacekeepers had "become a part of the problem in fuelling intercommunal tensions." The UN has been given until December 31 to pull out its mission members, as well as to close its 12 camps and to hand over a temporary base to the authorities. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: There is no peace in these countries.

Leak Intelligence Documents Reveal The U.S. Spied On U.N. Secretary-General Guterres

 

US News and World Report: U.S. Spied on U.N. Secretary-General Guterres, Leaked Documents Show 

The chief diplomat has become only the latest target of U.S. intelligence operations, according to highly classified documents – part of the wide-ranging Discord leaks.

The U.S. spied on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, listening in on conversations he had with aides and other diplomatic officials about his frustrations toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other contentious issues, according to highly classified leaked documents – the latest in a massive and apparently ongoing national security breach. 

The Washington Post first reported late Monday on two new documents that appear to confirm the U.S. invasion of Guterres’ private communications, piling on to similar revelations last week. 

Read more ....  

Update #1: Leaked documents reveal U.S. eavesdropped on U.N. Secretary General (Washington Post)  

Update #2: U.S. spied on UN Secretary General (The Hill)  

WNU Editor: The U.S. believes U.N. Secretary-General Guterres is too close to Moscow .... US thinks UN chief too accommodating to Moscow, leaked files suggest (BBC). 

Update #3: The UN has responded .... UN voices 'concern' that US tapping its communications (CNA/AFP). More here .... UN Expresses Concern to US Over Spying Reports (VOA), and here .... United Nations issues rare rebuke of United States over leaked documents (CNN).

Russia Assumes UN Security Council Presidency

 

BBC: Russia assumes UN Security Council presidency despite Ukrainian anger 

Russia has taken the presidency of the UN Security Council despite Ukraine urging members to block the move. 

Each of the council's 15 members takes up the presidency for a month, on a rotating pattern. 

The last time Russia had the presidency, February 2022, it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

It means the Security Council is being led by a country whose president is subject to an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes. 

The International Criminal Court - which is not a UN institution - issued the warrant for Vladimir Putin last month.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Russia set to take chair of UN security council amid Ukraine war (The Hill)  

Update #2: Russia takes over the presidency of the UN Security Council (Euronews)  

WNU Editor: Ukraine has responded .... Kyiv says Russian UN Security Council presidency is a ‘symbolic blow’ (Reuters). More here .... Russia runs the UN Security Council this month. Ukraine says it’s the worst April Fools’ joke (CNN).  

Update #3: Here is the US response .... Russia 'should not be' on UN Security Council, says US diplomat (Euronews/AFP).

A Great Moment In The United Nations Security Council Yesterday

Awkward moment in UN Security Council just now. Ukraine FM asked members to stand for a moment of silence in memory of lives lost to Russian aggression.

Russian diplomats refused to stand saying they will only do so if it is in memory of all victims since 2014. Watch the rest. pic.twitter.com/U84Poslyrx

— Bahman Kalbasi (@BahmanKalbasi) February 24, 2023

WNU Editor: All lives matter.

US Secretary General António Guterres Fears The World Is Headed For A 'Wider War' Over Ukraine-Russia

 

The Guardian/AFP: UN chief fears world is heading towards ‘wider war’ over Russia-Ukraine conflict  

António Guterres warns in speech to general assembly that ‘chances of escalation and bloodshed are growing’ 

The head of the United Nations, António Guterres, has warned that further escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict could mean the world is heading towards a “wider war”. 

The secretary general laid out his priorities for the year in a gloomy speech to the UN general assembly that focused on Russia’s invasion, the climate crisis and extreme poverty. 

“We have started 2023 staring down the barrel of a confluence of challenges unlike any in our lifetimes,” he told diplomats in New York. 

Read more .... 

US Secretary General António Guterres Fears The World Is Headed For A 'Wider War' Over Ukraine-Russia  

UN chief fears world is "sleepwalking" into a wider war -- Axios 

UN chief warns of ‘wider war’ one year after Russian invasion of Ukraine -- The Hill  

UN chief warns of ‘wider war’ as Ukraine conflict intensifies -- Al Jazeera  

UN Secretary-General: “the Doomsday Clock is a global alarm clock” -- Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

U.S. Congress Wants To Expel Russia From The U.N. Security Council

DNYUZ/Foreign Policy: Congress Wants to Boot Russia From U.N. Security Council 

Two U.S. lawmakers heading up an independent U.S. government human rights watchdog have introduced a resolution that calls on President Joe Biden to boot Russia from the United Nations Security Council, just days before the Kremlin’s flagging full-scale invasion of Ukraine is set to hit its 10-month mark.  

The bipartisan Helsinki Commission, which called on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to protest Russia’s standing as a permanent Security Council member in October, wants Congress to argue that Russia’s war has violated the “purposes and principles of the United Nations” and asks U.S. government agencies to take steps to limit Russia’s privileges at the U.N., though it gives the administration some free rein to determine how it might act.    

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: not going to happen. The U.N.’s governing charter doesn’t contain any provisions for removing a permanent member of the Security Council. This is just PR.

UN Appeals For Record $51.5 Billion In Emergency Funds To Aid 230 Million Who Need Aid

UN News: UN appeals for record $51.5 billion to help 230 million on the brink in 2023  

A record $51.5 billion is needed to help 230 million of the world’s most vulnerable people in nearly 70 countries next year, the UN said on Thursday.  

The size of the appeal – 25 per cent higher than this year’s - reflects the fact that the total number in need is 65 million more than in 2022, the UN and partner organizations noted. 

In a video message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that during a "year of extremes", it was essential to fund lifesaving operations next year, which were a "source of hope for millions of people in desperate need."  

Read more .... 

UN Appeals For Record $51.5 Billion To Aid 230 Million Who Need Aid  

From Ukraine to Yemen, UN seeks record $51.5 billion for 'shockingly high' aid needs -- Reuters  

UN appeals for record emergency funds, calls aid 'lifeline' -- DW  

UN seeks record $51.5bn aid ‘lifeline’ for 2023 -- Al Jazeera  

Bleak picture of world as UN asks for more aid money than ever -- Euronews  

One in 23 people will require humanitarian relief in 2023, UN warns -- The Guardian  

Key takeaways from the UN’s record-breaking tally for 2023 humanitarian needs -- The New Humanitarian

U.N. Secretary General António Guterres Says The World Is Experiencing A Breakdown In Global Cooperation

 

Washington Post: U.N. chief says world is ‘gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction’ 

NEW YORK — U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said Tuesday that a breakdown in global cooperation amid Russia’s war in Ukraine is exacerbating the top threats to human existence, including food insecurity and climate change. 

Guterres said problems such as poverty, indebtedness, online hate and harassment, and a loss of biodiversity are resulting from the international system’s failure to function. 

“Divides are growing deeper. Inequalities are growing wider. Challenges are spreading farther,” Guterres said at the annual gathering of leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. 

“We have a duty to act. And yet we are gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction,” he said.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: To be fair. Throughout history global cooperation has been a rare event. 

 U.N. Secretary General António Guterres Says The World Is Facing A Breakdown In Global Cooperation

Guterres calls for ‘coalition of the world’ to overcome divisions, provide hope in place of turmoil -- UN News  

‘Our world is in peril’: At UN, leaders push for solutions -- AP 

UN chief: The "world is in big trouble" -- Axios  

U.N. secretary-general warns world leaders: 'We cannot go on like this' -- UPI  

Analysis: UN chief, speaking to leaders, doesn’t mince words -- AP

US Has Not Issued Visas For Russian Diplomats To Attend This Months UN General Assembly

The 'headquarters agreement' says visas for foreign diplomats visiting the UN must be granted (Reuters)  

RFE: Russia 'Alarmed' At Lack Of U.S. Visas To Attend UN General Assembly 

Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations has said it’s “alarming” that no one from the 56-member Russian advance team and delegation headed by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has received a U.S. entry visa to attend a UN General Assembly debate in New York later this month. 

“This is even more alarming since for the last several months the authorities of the United States have been constantly refusing to grant entry visas to a number of Russian delegates assigned to take part in the official United Nations events,” Vasily Nebenzia said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. 

Nebenzia said applications to attend the high-level UN meetings starting September 19 had been submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: This is a clear violation of an agreement between Washington and the world body that visas must be issued .... Visas to the UN: What are Washington's obligations to foreign diplomats? (Middle East Eye) 

US Has Not Issued Visas For Russian Diplomats To Attend This Months UN General Assembly  

None of Russian delegates to UN General Assembly received US visa so far — envoy -- TASS  

Russia says no U.S. visas yet for Lavrov visit to United Nations -- Reuters  

Russia Says US Yet To Issue Visas For Delegation To UN Summit -- AFP

Russian President Putin Meets United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres To Discuss Ukraine

Guterres' spokesman said Putin agreed ‘in principle’ to the UN and the ICRC being involved in evacuating civilians from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol [Vladimir Astapkovich/Kremlin via Reuters] 

 Daily Mail: Putin gets his big table out again: Russian leader invites UN Secretary-General to sit down at his 100,000-Euro 20-foot gold-leaf furniture 

* The comically-large table Putin uses for engagements made its reappearance when he hosted Guterres today 

* The 100,000 Euro 20-foot gold table was widely mocked online in earlier meetings with world leaders 

* Pundits have suggested that the table is convenient for the Russian dictator who is afraid of catching Covid 

The comically-large table Vladimir Putin uses to host world leaders has made a reappearance as the Russian dictator hosted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for talks about the war in Ukraine. 

The now-famous gargantuan table has been a feature of Putin's televised engagements with world leaders - with many speculating that the table is meant to enforce social distancing around the Covid-conscious Russian president.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: A lot of talk, but in the end nothing of substance. 

Russian President Putin Meets United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres To Discuss Ukraine  

Ukraine war: Putin tells UN chief he hopes for 'positive result' in Ukraine talks -- BBC 

Putin defends Ukraine invasion in meeting with UN chief -- Axios  

UN ready to evacuate people from Mariupol, says chief in Moscow visit -- The Guardian  

Putin agrees ‘in principle’ to UN role in Mariupol evacuations -- Al Jazeera  

Putin tells UN chief Kosovo set up precedent for Donbass move -- RT 

Putin breaks out the Kremlin's ridiculously long table to meet with the head of the UN -- Business Insider

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Hold Joint News Conference In Moscow

 

WNU Editor: Russian to English translation is awful.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres Will Meet With Putin In Russia, Zelensky In Ukraine This Week

UN Secretary-General to meet separately next week with Putin and Zelenskyy. UN Photo/Mark Garten  

Moscow Times/AFP: UN Chief to Meet Putin in Russia, Zelensky in Ukraine 

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine next week after a stop in Moscow to confer with President Vladimir Putin about the war, the UN said Friday. 

Guterres will see Zelensky and Ukraine's foreign minister on Thursday, two days after visiting Moscow, the United Nations said in a statement. 

The Kremlin confirmed Friday that Putin would meet Guterres on Tuesday. 

Guterres sent letters this week requesting these in-person meetings to try to regain the initiative for the UN, which has been largely marginalized from the crisis since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: UN Secretary-General to meet separately next week with Putin and Zelenskyy (UN News)  

Update #2: UN Chief to Meet With Putin, Zelenskyy to Press for Peace (AP)  

WNU Editor: It is appalling that it is only now that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is making this trip. He should have made this trip weeks ago. 

Having said that, I have zero expectations that anything will be accomplished from this trip. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has adopted a very hard-core stance in support of Ukraine, and any role that he may have played as a mediator to end this conflict have been compromised.

UN Votes To Suspend Russia From The Human Rights Council

Daily Mail: United Nations suspends Russia from human rights council over reports of 'gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights' in Ukraine 

* The UN General Assembly voted on Thursday in New York on the motion 

* 93 members of the UN voted in favour, 24 against and 58 abstained 

* Earlier, the G7 and Ukraine called on Russia to be suspended from the body 

* Ukrainian officials are currently gathering evidence of potential war crimes 

* There are signs Moscow's troops killed people indiscriminately in Bucha and other towns, drawing widespread condemnation and fresh sanctions 

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday suspended Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council over reports of 'gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights' by invading Russian troops in Ukraine. 

The U.S.-led push won 93 votes in favour to suspend Russia, while 24 countries voted no and 58 countries abstained. 

A two-thirds majority of voting members - excluding abstentions - was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member council.  

Read more .... 

UN Votes To Suspend Russia From The Human Rights Council 

UN General Assembly votes to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council -- UN News  

UN assembly suspends Russia from top human rights body -- AP  

UN votes to remove Russia from Human Rights Council -- CNBC  

UN suspends Russia from Human Rights Council -- CNN  

UN votes to suspend Russia from its Human Rights Council despite opposition -- DW  

UN suspends Russia from Human Rights Council -- Axios

Russia, US Exchange Harsh Words Over Ukraine At UN Security Council Meeting

 

Daily Mail: Biden's Ambassador to UN claims Russia's military buildup shows 'intentions to' attack Ukraine and warns Monday's Security Council meeting is last chance to find 'diplomatic way out for the Russians' 

* U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Russia wouldn't have amassed 100,000 troop at the Ukraine border if they did not intend to use them 

* Also said Monday's Security Council meeting is last chance to find 'diplomatic way out for the Russians' 

* Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Sunday NATO is trying to 'drag' Ukraine into the alliance 

* Lavrov also claims that Russia wants a 'good, equal, mutually respectful' relationship with the U.S. 

* Comes after Biden said he would unilaterally deploy troops to Eastern Europe if NATO does not back the decision 

* A fourth shipment of millions in. American military aid landed in Ukraine Friday 

The top U.S. official for the United Nations said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin's build-up of troops at the border with Ukraine proves he has 'intentions to use them'. 

President Joe Biden's Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield also told ABC's This Week program that Monday's U.N. Security Council meeting could be the last chance to find diplomatic avenues for Russia as the world waits to see if they will invade Ukraine.  

Read more .... 

 Russia, US Exchange Harsh Words Over Ukraine At UN Security Council Meeting  

Russia, US exchange harsh words over Ukraine at UN -- AP 

Russia and US square off at UN Security Council over Ukraine crisis -- France 24  

Russia, U.S. clash at U.N. over Russian troop build-up near Ukraine -- Reuters 

UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine crisis ends in standoff between US and Russia -- CNN  

Russia, US face off over Ukraine at UN Security Council -- DW  

U.S. and Russia clash over Ukraine at UN Security Council -- Axios  

Moscow warns Ukraine may ‘destroy itself’ as Russia and US clash at UN -- The Guardian  

Kremlin accuses US of stoking 'hysteria' over Ukraine, as UN Security Council meets -- CNN

UN Security Council Discuss Russian Military Forces On Ukraine's Border

Previous Post: US to Russia: Explain Your Military Buildup to the UN (Defense One)

Iran, Venezuela, Sudan, And Five Other Countries Lose UN Voting Rights

Eight countries have lost their right to vote in the United Nations General Assembly  

DW: Iran, Venezuela and Sudan and others lose UN voting rights 

In total, 11 countries are behind on membership dues, and eight have had their right to vote suspended. 

Iran has blamed US sanctions for the lack of funds. Iran, Venezuela and Sudan have lost their right to vote at the United Nations due to unpaid dues, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday. 

In total, 11 countries are behind in their payments, of which eight have lost their right to vote in the UN assembly. 

The five other countries that have lost their right to vote are Antigua and Barbuda, Congo, Guinea, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu. 

Read more ....  

Update #1: Iran, Venezuela and Sudan lose UN voting rights with 5 more (AP)  

Update #2: Iran, Venezuela, Sudan among 8 countries losing right to vote at UN over unpaid dues (AFP)  

Update #3: Iran, Venezuela, six other UN members lose voting rights because of unpaid dues (Middle East Monitor)  

WNU Editor: The eight countries that have lost their voting rights are Iran, Venezuela, Sudan, Antigua and Barbuda, Congo, Guinea, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu. The African nations of Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe and Somalia are behind in their payments, but have been given an exception in view of their current situation. No mention of Afghanistan.

China Says Taiwan Has No Right To Join The United Nations

 

The Guardian: Taiwan has no right to join UN, China says, as US ratchets up tensions 

Beijing furious at US call for island to have ‘meaningful participation’ in international body 

China has said Taiwan has no right to join the United Nations, after the US increased tensions with a call for the democratic island to have greater involvement in the world body. 

In a statement marking 50 years since the UN general assembly voted to seat Beijing and boot out Taipei, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said on Tuesday he regretted that Taiwan had been increasingly excluded on the world stage. 

“As the international community faces an unprecedented number of complex and global issues, it is critical for all stakeholders to help address these problems. 

This includes the 24 million people who live in Taiwan,” he said.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: China is responding to this .... Blinken urges all U.N. member states to support Taiwan participation (AFP). 

More News On China Saying Taiwan Has No Right To Join The United Nations 

If the US wants to fight in UN, China will battle back: Global Times editorial -- Global Times editorial  

US risks jeopardizing improving ties with China with Blinken’s Taiwan remarks -- Global Times  

China slams U.S. remarks on Taiwan region's participation in UN system -- CGTN  

China says Taiwan ‘has no right’ to join UN, after US nod -- Al Jazeera  

US, China Sparring over Taiwan Heats Up Anew -- AP