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UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has welcomed news of the arrival in the United States this week of the 10,000th refugee from the conflict in Syria, and calls for greater global solidarity ahead of summits next month that will look at ways to increase efforts to deal with the unprecedented refugee crisis worldwide.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses a youth event in Galle, Sri Lanka.

On 25 August 2016 UNRWA laid the cornerstone of what will become its largest logistics base in the Gaza Strip. A ceremony was held to mark the occasion at the construction site in Rafah, southern Gaza.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses the opening of the 21st Century Panglong Conference in Myanmar’s capital, Nay Pyi Taw.

The respect of human rights and the rule of law in Turkey in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt will be a crucial test for the state of the country’s democracy, said Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs on Tuesday. They assessed the results of last week’s fact-finding mission to Turkey by the committee chair and rapporteur and stressed the need for constant monitoring.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, on 30 August, called for greater international attention to the plight of South Sudanese refugees as well as donor support for Uganda’s exceptional open-door approach towards people fleeing conflict in neighbouring countries.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes the announcement by the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that they have reached a final, full and definitive peace agreement. After more than fifty years of armed conflict, this accord constitutes a crucial step in the quest for durable peace in Colombia, and for stability in the region.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, warmly welcomes the announcement by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) of two refugees who will compete as a team in the upcoming 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The United Nations Security Council should urgently impose sanctions on the Syrian government for chemical weapon attacks in Syria and refer the situation to the International Criminal Court. In a report issued on August 24, 2016, a UN-appointed investigation attributed two chemical weapon attacks to the Syrian government and one to the Islamic State (also known as ISIS), which is already under UN sanctions.

Licorne nuclear test, 1971, French Polynesia.