UN Amar Benjama, President-elect of the UN Economic and Social Council for the 2026-2027 session. Top news of the day | Thursday: conflicts, Gaza, Syria, ECOSOC UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the UN calls on states to more actively use the tools of diplomacy, fragile progress in the field of food security has been recorded in Gaza, the Secretary General is on a visit to Syria, the representative of Algeria has been elected chairman of the Economic and Social Council.
Conflict resolution
Speaking at a meeting of the UN Security Council on the peaceful settlement of disputes, the Secretary-General warned of the rapid growth of conflicts and called on states to more actively use the tools provided for in the UN Charter. António Guterres emphasized that the mechanisms of diplomacy were created specifically for periods of crisis – such as those the world is experiencing today. The Secretary General paid considerable attention to the crisis in the Middle East, calling it a threat to global stability. He stressed that attacks on civilian infrastructure are unacceptable, and there is no military solution to the conflict.
The situation in Gaza
New analysis published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNICEF and the World Food Program (WFP) shows early signs of improving food security indicators in Gaza. But the UN warns that progress remains extremely fragile and depends entirely on sustained humanitarian access and the restoration of commercial supplies. The number of people in Gaza experiencing severe food insecurity fell from 1.6 million to 1.4 million, according to the analysis. Progress has also been recorded in child nutrition indicators.
Secretary General’s visit to Syria
The UN Secretary-General will fly to the Jordanian capital Amman on Thursday, from where he will head to Syria. Antonio Guterres is expected to meet with Syrian leaders in Damascus on Saturday. The UN emphasizes the importance of this visit. According to the Organization’s spokesman, Syria faces an opportunity not only to overcome the consequences of the conflict, but also to lay the foundations for a more stable, inclusive and prosperous future. The United Nations stands ready to support the Syrian people on this journey.
ECOSOC Chairman
Algeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amar Benjama, was elected on Thursday as the new President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Speaking after his election, the diplomat outlined his three priorities: ensuring inclusivity, accelerating achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthening trust in multilateral cooperation. ECOSOC is the central UN platform for coordinating international policies in the economic, social and environmental spheres, as well as for assessing progress in achieving the SDGs.