Daily Wrap

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Daily Wrap 23 September 2020 UN Photo/Rick Bajornas President Ghani sets out 'clear plan' to advance UN values in Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan told the 75th session of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that his country was moving into the next five years "with a clear plan for progressing the values of the UN", which are enshrined in its own constitution. UN Affairs UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe Despite military wins against extremists, Iraq's combat against terrorism is 'far from won', says President Salih Before and after the emergence of the coronavirus, Iraq faced epidemics that were "no less deadly and dangerous to the world – terrorism and corruption," President Barham Salih told world leaders in a pre-recorded address to the UN General Assembly.  UN Affairs UN Photo/Evan Schneider At UN Assembly, Lebanese leader appeals for help to rebuild after Beirut explosion Lebanon will need support from the international community to rebuild in the aftermath of the devastating explosion in the port of its capital, Beirut, the country's President told world leaders, gathered virtually at the United Nations General Assembly.   UN Affairs UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe 'COVID-19 has exposed our past mistakes and failures' says Kazakhstan President The COVID-19 pandemic has been a stress test for the world, and has exposed our past mistakes and failures, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of Kazakhstan, told world leaders, during his address to the General Debate of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. UN Affairs UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe Saudi King outlines country's contributions to pandemic response, denounces attack on its oil facilities Saudi Arabia continues to promote global response efforts and help countries reeling under the devastating impact of COVID-19, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud told world leaders, gathered virtually at the United Nations General Assembly.  UN Affairs UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe European unity is an example to the world: Bosnia and Herzegovina Head of State Šefik Džaferović, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Head of State, used his address to the General Debate of the General Assembly on Wednesday to praise the European Union's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the help it has given to non-EU countries, such as his own. UN Affairs UN Photo/Loey Felipe We learnt lessons from the Ebola outbreak; DR Congo President says country moved swiftly to curb coronavirus spread Learning its lessons from the Ebola outbreak, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) took swift and decisive measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, when the first cases were detected in March, the country's President told world leaders, gathered virtually, at the UN General Assembly.  UN Affairs UN Photo/Loey Felipe Sri Lankan President calls on WHO to facilitate 'universal access' to COVID vaccine The President of Sri Lanka has highlighted the success of his country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the importance of a well-coordinated approach, underpinned by robust local health care system, to contain the disease.  UN Affairs © UNICEF/Shehzad Noorani Guterres advocates for digital world that 'strengthens human rights, advances peace' Amidst a technological era that "beckons with vast opportunity", new risks exist to global peace, stability and development, the UN chief told a side event of the General Assembly on Wednesday, aiming to help ensure access to digital technologies for all. Economic Development World Bank/Simone D. McCourtie Countries urged to act against COVID-19 'infodemic' The UN and partners have urged countries to take urgent action to address what they have described as the "infodemic" that has surfaced in tandem with the COVID-19 pandemic, both in the real world and online.  Health © UNOCHA Put 'people before politics' in Lebanon, urges Guterres, following Beirut disaster It's time that leaders across Lebanon put "people before politics" following last month's explosions in Beirut port, said the UN chief on Wednesday, which must serve as a wake-up call following a year of upheaval and clamour for reform on all fronts. Humanitarian Aid ILO/KB Mpofu Impact on workers of COVID-19 is 'catastrophic': ILO  COVID-19 has had a "catastrophic" impact on workers, the head of the International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Wednesday, with lost working hours higher than originally forecast, and equivalent to 495 million full-time jobs globally in the second quarter of the year.  Economic Development World Bank/Dominic Chavez UN stands ready to support landlocked nations in pandemic recovery The UN system is standing in solidarity with landlocked developing countries, which lack access to vital trade links, and supporting them in their efforts to rebuild once the global coronavirus pandemic abates, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday.  Economic Development MINUSMA/Mikado FM Mali: Rights expert calls for 'immediate release' of former officials detained during coup An independent UN human rights expert has called on Mali's coup leaders to release former government officials, who have been detained for more than a month.  Human Rights UN Photo/Manuel Elias Sign of the times: COVID-19 response and recovery must be accessible says Guterres This year's International Day of Sign Languages is being commemorated in the midst of a pandemic that has "disrupted and upended lives everywhere", including those of the deaf community, the UN chief said on Wednesday. Human Rights Coronavirus Portal & News Updates Readers can find information and guidance on the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from the UN, World Health Organization and UN agencies here. For daily news updates from UN News, click here. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences