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The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Monday for an urgent de-escalation in the Middle East as tensions mount in the wake of recent deadly attacks linked to the war in Gaza, which is about to enter its 10th month. 

The UN’s top political affairs official reiterated the urgent need for de-escalation in the Middle East, appealing in the Security Council on Wednesday for “swift and effective diplomatic action”, as ambassadors met in an emergency meeting on the latest flare-up in hostilities.

UN Special Coordinator Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert is deeply concerned by tonight’s strike, claimed by Israel, in the densely populated southern suburb of Beirut which resulted in multiple civilian casualties.

The Special Coordinator underscores once again that there is no such thing as a military solution and calls on both Israel and Lebanon to avail of all diplomatic avenues to pursue a return to the cessation of hostilities and to recommit to the implementation of resolution 1701 (2006).

Secretary-General António Guterres and other United Nations officials have condemned Saturday’s rocket attack on a football field in the Golan Heights that killed at least 12 civilians, mainly children and teenagers. Urging restraint, they also warned against escalating violence in the region.

As the Summer Olympics and Paralympics get underway in Paris on Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for global respect of the Olympic Truce – a custom of halting all hostilities from before to after the Games.

In November, the UN General Assembly adopted a vote to observe the truce in Paris.

A recent surge in cross-border deadly attacks risks escalating violence across the Middle East and requires immediate de-escalation efforts, top UN officials warned the Security Council on Monday.

“One rash move, one miscalculation could trigger a catastrophe that goes far beyond the borders and, frankly, beyond imagination,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, in a briefing via videoconference.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General on Monday urged global leaders to redirect resources from warfare to peace and sustainable development initiatives.

How can we get closer to achieving UN Member States’ detailed plans to make the world a better place within the next six years? A two-week event starting on 8 July at UN Headquarters will attempt to answer that crucial question.

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday released the first-ever guidelines for those seeking to quit tobacco use, recommending a range of initiatives, treatments and digital interventions.

These recommendations are expected to benefit over 750 million adults who want to quit all forms of tobacco including cigarettes, waterpipes, smokeless tobacco products, cigars, roll-your-own tobacco and heated tobacco products.

With just six years remaining to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global progress is alarmingly insufficient, with a mere 17 per cent of the targets currently on track, according to a new UN report released on Friday.