PRESS BRIEFING BY THE UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION SERVICE
16 December 2022
Announcements
Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service, informed that the 9th Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention was continuing today. The meeting was public and being webcast at webtv.un.org. For the moment, there were no media activities scheduled around the conclusion of the Conference, but correspondents would be informed promptly should this change.
He also stated that 18 December would be the International Migrants Day, on which occasion the Secretary-General had issued a message. The Secretary-General said that on this Day, we reflected on the lives of the over 280 million people who had left their country in the universal pursuit of opportunity, dignity, freedom, and a better life. Migrant rights were human rights, and they had to be respected without discrimination – and irrespective of whether their movement was forced, voluntary, or formally authorized.
Responding to a question, Margaret Harris, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the IHR Emergency Committee on COVID-19 would be meeting again in mid to late January 2023, prior to 30 January.
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Press Conferences | UN WOMEN , WFP , WHO
UN WOMEN: Sudan Women and girls one year after the fall of El Fasher; increasing drone attacks across the country; WFP: DRC - Ebola spreads to eighth DRC province as WFP delivers food, builds treatment centres and keeps supplies moving; WHO - Update on Ebola (Bundibugyo Virus Disease)
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Press Conferences , Images | UNOG
Closing Press Conference following the Sixth Consultative Meeting on Enhancing Coordination of Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan
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Edited News , Press Conferences , Images | OCHA , WMO
Two UN agencies teamed up on Wednesday to issue an appeal for immediate assistance to help communities already being impacted by the strongest El Niño on record.
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Press Conferences | CITES
Wildlife trade and conservation policy discussions at the 81st meeting of the CITES Standing Committee (SC81)
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Press Conferences | UNHCR , UNCTAD , WMO , OCHA , UNICEF , WHO
UNHCR Hungary’s 1956 Refugee Crisis: 70 Years On, UNCTAD World Investment Forum 2026, Doha, WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin and Climate Update for COP31, OCHA Afghanistan: Malnutrition, Girls’ Education and Recovery, UNICEF Yemen: Child Malnutrition and Unsafe Water in Taiz, WHO Inequalities in Noncommunicable Diseases and Risk Factors
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Press Conferences | UNHCR
End of UNHCR's 77th Annual Executive Committee (ExCom) meeting week
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Press Conferences | UNICEF , IOM , UNHCR
UN Special Assistant to the Personal Envoy Office (SUDAN): Peace Initiatives and Efforts in Sudan; UNICEF: Dire situation of children in Gaza; IOM: Damaged Homes and Energy Attacks Risk Displacing Ukrainians for this winter; UNHCR: update on EXCOM week
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Press Conferences | IOM , UNDRR
UN stresses importance of household preparedness for disaster risk reduction.
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Statements , Press Conferences | OHCHR
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Press Conferences | UNHCR , UNICEF , IFRC , OHCHR , UN WOMEN , IOM , OCHA , WHO
UNHCR – ExCom Meeting, UNICEF – Nepal Recovery, IFRC – Flash Floods, WHO – Mental Health, IOM – South Sudan Floods, OCHA – DRC Humanitarian aid, UNHCR – Sahel Displacement, UNICEF – Yemen Update, IOM – Gaza Shelter, UN Women – Gaza Women, OHCHR – Arrests and detentions of Syrians by Israeli force
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Press Conferences | UNCTAD
Presentation of the Trade and Developement Report 2026
Embargoed until 9 October 2026 at 11 a.m. (Geneva Time)
UNCTAD: UNCTAD’s flagship report finds that governments increasingly use industrial, trade, financial and technology policies to pursue economic and national security objectives. Market access and the ability to move into higher-value activities now depend more heavily on technology, finance and geopolitics.
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Press Conferences | UPU
Release of the State of the Postal Sector Report 2026