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The Secretary-General welcomed the official signing of the Washington accords for peace and prosperity between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, under the facilitation of the United States of America, a UN Spokesperson said. UNIFEED

“The Summit is really a global call to action in a time of deep global inequality and fractured trust,” said Bjørg Sandkjær, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination in the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), as world leaders prepare to gather in Doha for the Second World Summit for Social Development. UNIFEED

Investing in women is key to rural transformation and improving food systems across the world, that's the message from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on International Rural Women's Day. IFAD

UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region Huang Xia said that the agreed ceasefire between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda “is not being respected.” UNIFEED

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bintou Keita, said “peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is still mostly a promise,” and “will not last if the underlying drivers of conflict are not addressed.” UNIFEED

Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said, “Africa cannot remain on the sidelines of decisions that concern international peace and security.” UNIFEED

“Human rights provide a compass to steer us through the challenges of our time, from the climate crisis to technological developments. And yet, disturbing trends that undercut our rights are gaining ground across the world. Pro-war propaganda is everywhere, from military parades to ramped up rhetoric. Sadly, there are no Peace parades, or Ministries of Peace,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said. OHCHR / UNTV CH

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has concluded a weeklong visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, urging greater international support for peace in the region and humanitarian efforts so that refugees and internally displaced people can choose to return home safely and rebuild their lives. UNHCR

“The UN Human Rights Office condemns the escalation in deadly attacks on civilians by the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group in eastern DRC amid continued fighting, despite the ceasefire that was recently signed in Doha,” a spokesperson said. OHCHR

Upon his return from the Middle East, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, told journalists in New York that Lebanese Armed Forces “have continued to strengthen their presence South of the Litani River,” with the support of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL), while in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) area of operations, Syrian authorities have indicated that they are ready to deploy “the military and security presence to all Syrian territory.” UNIFEED

The Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Bintou Keita, told the Security Council that “the signing this afternoon in Washington by the ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and of Rwanda of the draft peace agreement is a major step forward towards the end of the conflict.” UNIFEED

On the 31st Commemoration of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, UN chief said, “as we reflect on how these crimes came about, we must also reflect on resonance with our own times.” UNIFEED