US Middle East peace plan ‘lopsided’, says independent UN rights expert
New York/IBNS: A United States plan released this week to resolve the decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is “lopsided” and will only entrench occupation, an independent UN human rights expert said on Friday.
‘Negative developments’ undermining two-State solution in Middle East
New York/IBNS: Recent heightened tensions in the Middle East underscore the critical need for dialogue and diplomacy in the region, the UN’s Political Affairs chief told the Security Council on Tuesday.
S Korea FM, US State Secretary Discuss N Korea, Middle East
Seoul/Sputnik/UNI: South Korea Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has held talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss the situation in the Middle East and the Korean peninsula, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
UK foreign office advises against all travel to Iran amid escalation of tensions
Moscow/Sputnik: The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advised on Friday to the country’s citizens to refrain from any kind of trips to Iran amid the escalated tensions in the Middle East.
At UN, Middle East countries discuss steps towards regional nuclear-free zone
New York/IBNS: Representatives from across the Middle East are meeting at UN Headquarters this week in efforts to negotiate a legally binding treaty establishing a regional zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
New York, Aug 28 (IBNS): Tangible steps “can, and must, be taken” to urgently reverse the “negative trajectory” of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and revive the peace process, a senior United Nations envoy told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Persistent threat of war erodes prospects for Middle East peace, Security Council told
New York, June 21 (IBNS): Developments in the Middle East cannot be divorced from Israel’s military occupation of Palestinian territory and settlement-building, or Hamas’ hold over Gaza and its militant activity, a senior United Nations envoy told the Security Council on Thursday, warning that these actions “collectively erode the prospects of a two-State solution”.
Pope Francis asks people to pray for Peace in Holy Land, Middle East on Palm Sunday
Vatican City, Apr 14 (Sputnik) Pope Francis has called on the crowd that gathered at the St. Peter's Square in the Vatican City on Palm Sunday to pray for peace in the Holy Land and the Middle East.
‘Provocative actions and inflammatory rhetoric’ destabilizing Middle East, warns top UN official
New York, Mar 27 (IBNS): Against a backdrop of rising tensions in Israel and Palestine, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East, painted a bleak picture once again in the Security Council on Tuesday, cataloguing further terrorist acts, attacks against civilians, reprisals against demonstrators, unlawful demolitions and settlement expansions, and a funding crisis which could have dramatic consequences for the stability of an already volatile region.
New York, Mar 18 (IBNS): The UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process has strongly condemned the violent response by security forces in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip during the past three days, towards Palestinian protests over the deteriorating economic situation there.
If any side fails, every side fails – UN envoy for Middle East Peace Process
New York, Nov 20 (IBNS): A senior United Nations official has called on the global community to remain committed to the two-state solution in the Middle East peace process, urging efforts to establish an environment conducive to the return of negotiations to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
New York, Oct 19 (IBNS):Violence is on the rise in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israeli authorities are continuing to demolish and confiscate Palestinian-owned homes and property, in contravention of international law, the United Nations envoy for the Middle East Peace Process said on Thursday.
Restore hope that peace will come to the Middle East, UN negotiator urges Security Council
New York, Sept 21 (IBNS): Negative humanitarian, security and political developments in Gaza outweigh any positive news concerning the search for peace in the Middle East, the United Nations negotiator for the process has said, urging the international community to help restore hope that a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict can be found.
UN media seminar on peace in the Middle East, highlights ‘power of words over weapons’
New York, Sept 6 (IBNS): Engaging in debate over how best to advance peace in the Middle East and resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “a welcome reminder of the power of words over weapons,” said United Nations chief António Guterres on Wednesday.
Humanitarian aid in Middle East should not be held hostage to politics – UN political chief
New York, Aug 23 (IBNS): Recurring cycles of violence in the Middle East highlight the need for international efforts to prevent hostilities, provide humanitarian aid and support Palestinian reconciliation, the UN’s political chief told the Security Council on Wednesday.