UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the United Nations Trade and Development, UN Women, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Situation in Sudan

Jeremy Laurence, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), informed about the new OHCHR reportwhich showed that the conflict-driven crisis in Sudan had intensified in the first half of 2025, citing a significant rise in civilian killings, including summary executions, amid growing ethnic violence and a worsening humanitarian situation. Between 1 January and 30 June, UN Human Rights had documented the deaths of at least 3,384 civilians in the context of the conflict, mostly in Darfur, followed by Kordofan and Khartoum. This represented nearly 80 per cent of all civilian casualties documented during the whole of 2024. The report also documented the unlawful killing of at least 990 civilians outside the conduct of hostilities, including through summary executions.

Mr. Laurence explained that the report also pointed to recurring patterns of conflict-related sexual violence, used as a weapon of war as part of wider attacks involving other violations. The conflict had led to the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with 24.6 million people facing acute food insecurity amid rising risk of famine, 19 million lacking access to safe water and sanitation, and a continuing cholera outbreak. In this dire context, the report documented continued attacks on civilian objects and infrastructure, including health facilities, markets, energy infrastructure, water sources and humanitarian convoys. At least 30 humanitarian and health workers had been killed in the six-month period covered by the report, including in targeted attacks.

This violence, in all of its vile forms, had to end. Impunity continued to drive cycles of violations and abuses. To stop this, accountability was critical to hold those responsible to account. States had to collectively face up to the grim reality of what has now evolved into a wider, alarming protection crisis and use their influence to end this conflict. Many more lives would be lost without urgent action to protect civilians and without the rapid and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.

Full press release is available here, while the report can be downloaded here.

Li Fung, Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Sudan, said that the OHCHR was alarmed by the developments in North Darfur, particularly in El Fasher, where the large IDP population had been displaced again by recent violence. Every day, more reports of terrible violence were received, often of civilians being killed, abducted or subjected to sexual violence. There were no safe exit routes from the city. During an OHCHR mission to eastern Chad in July, hundreds of interviewed witnesses had described targeted killings, abductions and sexual violence of those seen as being associated with the Sudanese armed forces. The new report documented horrific abuses in places of detention, added Ms. Li Fung. Civic space was also being increasingly constrained, she warned. OHCHR had documented numerous instances of hate speech and incitement to violence. The conflict continued to have wide-ranging impacts on daily life. It was clear that civilians continued to bear the brunt of the conflict, which had continued for too long. OHCHR once again called for an end to the conflict, and for international humanitarian law and international human rights law to be upheld.

Patrick Youssef, Regional Director for Africa at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), stressed that violence against civilians had to stop. This crisis was neglected and forgotten by many, he said. The conflict was intensifying, and that intensification meant that the parties to the conflict had more capacity to cause harm, while expanding frontlines. Those 500,000 people who had managed to flee El Fasher had no adequate shelters and most of them lived under open skies. The cholera epidemic was a symptom of the destruction of health facilities; the critical infrastructure had to be preserved during conflict, emphasized Mr. Youssef. Doctors and nurses in the Al Jazeera State were spending more resources treating cholera patients rather than those with conflict-causes traumas. ICRC was focused on delivering assistance, including food and cash, and maintaining public kitchens in cooperation with the Sudanese Red Crescent. The rainy season was going to increase the risk of further outbreaks.

Mr. Youssef also spoke about the importance of restoring family links and visiting detainees. Warring parties ought to respect the Geneva Conventions in order to make it possible to have a peaceful solution to the conflict one day. Finally, he said that if the war continued, the parties were expected to respect the Jeddah Declaration, which, inter alia, meant allowing for safe, uninterrupted humanitarian access to people in need. Returnees to Sudan also needed to be provided adequate services.

Jean-Yves Clémenzo, also for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), added that this was the worst cholera outbreak in years, and informed that related materials had been shared with the media.

Replying to questions from the media, Ms. Li Fung, for the OHCHR, said that various violations and abuses had an ethnic motivation, which was very worrying. The OHCHR report found that serious violations could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Certain tribes or ethnic communities were seen as being supportive of certain parties to conflict because their leadership came from those groups, explained Ms. Li Fung.

Mr. Youssef, for the ICRC, said that the current cholera outbreak was reminiscent of the 2019 outbreak. With containment measures conducted by the Ministry of Health and humanitarian organizations, it was hoped that the epidemic was now contained. His worst fear was a bigger spread of cholera in Khartoum; a number of international partners were now providing support to increase humanitarian response, with a particular focus on cholera. The risk of malnutrition was still there, said Mr. Youssef. He emphasized the importance of sustaining long-term livelihoods of people rather than developing dependency on humanitarian aid. The Sudan crisis needed much more global attention; the parties had to be offered solutions and alternatives to the ongoing war.

Situation of women and girls in the aftermath of the earthquake in Afghanistan

Susan Ferguson, UN Women Special Representative in Afghanistan, speaking from Kabul, said that women and girls continued to bear the brunt of the deadly earthquake. They were facing a long-term disaster if there was no urgent assistance. Now, on the top of the loss, the survivors faced lack of access to support and services, and risk of abuse. There was insufficient water and sanitation for women and girls, making them walk longer to go to the bathroom, and exposing them to violence and landmines. In the earthquake, one of the most affected groups was women-held households. Those women had already been facing an uphill battle, made only worse with the earthquake. All women and girls needed proper access to health services. Due to systemic discrimination and the prohibition of women's employment, women and girls had no adequate access to medical care, stressed Ms. Ferguson.

Early recovery measures needed to include livelihood support. Many women were still struggling to access such support, partly because of the very conservative norms in place. Ms. Ferguson stressed that Afghan women had been present and working tirelessly from day one, making up to 40 percent of all assistance teams helping earthquake-affected areas. Those teams were going at extraordinary lengths to help those in need. Some women were being deployed with mobile teams, helping distribute aid from the UN and partners to women in need. There were still not enough women humanitarian workers, said Ms. Ferguson, given the bans by the de facto authorities and the funding shortages. UN Women stood firmly by its commitment not to replace its female staff with male staff. UN Women continue to demand that Afghan women working with the UN be allowed to continue their work without unfair restrictions. Having women in humanitarian roles was especially vital to make sure that women and girls could access the desperately needed aid. Without women aid workers, the needs of women and girls would not be met in the coming weeks and months. UN Women, partnered with five women-focused organizations, was appealing for USD 2.5 million to support its 6-12-month recovery plan. She appealed for an urgent support from the international community to ensure that women could remain on the humanitarian frontlines.

Jeremy Laurence, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that the 8-9 September ban on UN's Afghan women employees entering UN compounds was part of the ongoing restrictions in Afghanistan, effectively excluding them from public life and confining them to home. It was in contravention with numerous international treaties as well as provisions for United Nations staff, including local employees. OHCHR reiterated its call for an immediate lifting of the restrictions, so that critical services could be properly delivered to Afghan people.

Answering questions from the media, Ms. Ferguson, for UN Women, said that the ban was impacting UN Women as women staff were not allowed to come to the office to work. They were, however, still able to operate in the earthquake-affected sites, which was of critical importance. When visiting the earthquake-affected areas, Ms. Ferguson had spoken to numerous women humanitarian workers and witnessed large numbers of women patients in local hospitals.

Questions on the US

On the question of firing of Jimmy Kemmel in the US, Jeremy Laurence, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said the Charlie Kirk killing had triggered a broader debate on freedom of expression and its importance for a pluralistic society. That murder had led to a broad condemnation across the US. Violence against a person was never justified, no matter the level of disagreement with their views. Under international human rights law, restrictions on freedom of expression were permissible only when they were provided by law, necessary, and proportionate to achieve a legitimate objective.

Tarik Jašarević, for the World Health Organization (WHO), responding to a question on the new US guidance on certain vaccines, explained that WHO recommended all children receive two doses of measles vaccine, either alone, or in a measles-rubella (MR), measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), or measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV) combination. This should be the standard for all national immunization programmes.Furthermore, WHO recommended the use of varicella vaccines for the prevention of varicella in children in populations where varicella was considered an important public health problem noting heterogenous epidemiology, between and within countries. WHO recommended the use of either single antigen varicella or MMRV combination vaccines.

Countries needed to be aware of the observed increased risk for febrile seizures following the first dose of MMRV combination vaccine (compared with using MMR alone or MMR and varicella vaccine separately), which was the reason why the US had always given parents the choice to use MMRV in one or MMR + V separately, explained Mr. Jašarević.

Announcements

Catherine Huissoud, for United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), said that maritime transport accounted for more than 80 percent of global trade in goods. When it was disrupted, whether by climatic events, political tensions or uncertain trade policies, trade was hit hard and, and, consequently, economic development. This was the subject of UNCTAD's 2025 Review of Maritime Transport, in which UNCTAD made recommendations aimed at stabilizing trade policies and promoting the digital and sustainable transition of the maritime transport sector, as well as providing support to developing countries. The press conference with the report's authors would be held on 24 September at 2:30 pm; the embargo would be lifted at 5 pm the same day.

Zeina Awad, for the International Labour Organization (ILO), said that new State of Social Justice reportwould be launched in New York on 23 September, but it was available under embargo until the afternoon of the launch. A number of experts were available for interviews. There were no confirmations of any new appointments in the ILO, said Ms. Awad in response to a question.

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that on 22 September at 9:30 am, Mariana Katzarova, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, would hold a press conference to present her latest report.

The same day at 1 pm, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuelawould hold a press conference on its latest findings.

Finally, on 23 September at 2 pm, Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua would have a press conference and present to the media its new report.

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights was concluding this morning the review of the report of Lao PDR.

The Committee on Enforced Disappearances would open on 22 September at 10 am its 29^th session, during which it would hold dialogues with Montenegro, Benin, and Sri Lanka. The Committee would also hold its annual meeting with States and civil society's organizations on 26 September.

Ms. Vellucci informed that the UN would resume the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, in accordance with the General Assembly's decisionduring its 80^th session. The Conference will be held on 22 September, at 3 pm EST, in the General Assembly Hall.

Today, at 6:30 pm EST, an event to commemorate the UN's 80^th anniversary would be held in the General Assembly Hall in New York. The event would feature A Living Legacy, a short film by award-winning director Sing J. Lee and producer and creative director Ms. Sylvia Zakhary, bringing to life the story of the United Nations. The commemoration will also include a performance of the renowned singer Tiwa Savage and the UN Chamber Music Society.

Ms. Vellucci said that the UN Secretary-General's report on the work of the Organization in 2025, "For Humanity", had been publishedand shared with the media.

She also informed that the next Building Bridges conference would be held in Geneva from 30 September to 2 October. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry and Swiss Federal Councilor Martin Pfeister would be among featured speakers. More information is available here.

Finally, on 23 September, the International Day of Sign Languages would be marked at the Palais des Nations, organized by UNOG in collaboration with the Permanent Missions of Cuba and the Dominican Republic. More information is available here.

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