Press Releases and Statements

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today (Thursday) announced the appointment of Major General Stefano Del Col of Italy as Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Major General Del Col succeeds Major General Michael Beary of Ireland…

The Secretary-General is gravely concerned by the resumption of the military offensive in southwest Syria and its continued devastating impact on civilians. An estimated 750,000 lives are in danger and up to 325,000 people have been displaced. The Secretary-General fully supports today’s statement…

The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by the military offensive in southwestern Syria and its devastating toll on civilians. He calls for an immediate cessation of the military operations. The Secretary-General recalls that the southwest area of Syria is part of a de-escalation agreement agreed…

The Secretary-General is profoundly alarmed by the sharp escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory and the high number of Palestinians killed and injured in the Gaza protests. Israel security forces must exercise maximum restraint in the use of live fire. Hamas and the leaders of…

The Secretary-General congratulates the people of Iraq on the holding of parliamentary elections on 12 May. Following the military defeat of Dae'sh, the elections represent further progress in building a stronger Iraqi democracy. The Secretary-General salutes the tireless efforts of electoral…

The Secretary-General followed with utmost concern reports overnight of missile launches from Syria targeting Israeli positions and retaliatory strikes by the Israel Defense Forces, that followed earlier strikes in Syria on Tuesday, 8 May. He notes with relief today’s partial normalization of the…

I am deeply concerned by today’s announcement that the United States will be withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and will begin reinstating US sanctions. I have consistently reiterated that the JCPOA represents a major achievement in nuclear non-proliferation and…

In answer to a question at the noon briefing at UN Headquarters, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujjaric said: Yes, we welcome the holding of parliamentary elections in Lebanon, which initial reports indicate were conducted largely peacefully. We hope that all Lebanese political stakeholders will continue…

Secretary-General's remarks at joint press conference with Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Adel al-Jubeir [with Q&A] Ladies and gentlemen from the press, thank you very much for your presence. This visit obviously was centered as the Foreign Minister has said in the opening session of the Advisory…

I have been following closely the reports of air strikes in Syria conducted by the United States, France and the United Kingdom. Last night at [21:00] hours in New York, the US President Trump announced the beginning of airstrikes, with participation by France and the UK, indicating they were…