Ukraine, Palestine & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (8 September 2025) | United Nations

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: - Briefings Tomorrow - Senior Personnel Appointment - UN General Assembly - Ukraine - Ukraine/Humanitarian - Occupied Palestinian Territory - Jerusalem - Haiti - Democratic Republic of the Congo - Yemen - Sudan - Pakistan - Afghanistan - Nigeria - Human Rights - International Literacy Day - Micronesia/New Resident Coordinator ——————————— BRIEFINGS TOMORROW Tomorrow, at 10:00 a.m., there will be a briefing here on the launch of the UN Secretary-General’s report entitled The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future. The Secretary-General will be here to make opening remarks, but he will not take any questions. He will be joined by Izumi Nakamitsu, the Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, and Haoliang Xu, Acting Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP). . Then, at noon, the incoming President of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, will speak to you at the General Assembly Stakeout area. The Secretary-General will hold a press conference next week, most likely on Tuesday, September 16th, ahead of the General Assembly. SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT Today, the Secretary-General is appointing Mr. Miroslav Jenča of Slovakia as Special Representative for Colombia and Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia. He will succeed Mr. Carlos Ruiz Massieu of Mexico, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedication and service. Mr. Jenča brings more than 35 years of experience in diplomacy, mediation, leadership and oversight of UN peace operations, as well as close knowledge of the Colombian peace process and its regional and international context.  He is currently serving as Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas in the United Nations Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, a role he has held since 2019.  UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY We've seen in the last few days a high volume of misinformation regarding whether a vote had taken place in the General Assembly to move the high-level session out of New York. I want to be clear that there was no such vote in the General Assembly and that I am not aware of any preparations being made to move the General Assembly's high-level session. UKRAINE The Secretary-General strongly condemns the attacks by the Russian Federation on 7 September, which killed and injured several people, including children. The attacks struck a Government building in central Kyiv and damaged residential and other civilian infrastructure in the capital and other regions of Ukraine. The targeting of government institutions represents a further escalation of the conflict. Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. They are unacceptable and must end immediately. The Secretary-General reiterates his call for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire as a first step towards a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace in Ukraine, one that fully upholds Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=08%20September%202025


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