Across the world, journalists continue to pay an outrageous price for telling the truth. When journalists are targeted & their reporting is extinguished, it makes victims of us all. On this International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, we demand justice.

I am appalled & deeply saddened by the death of a @UN colleague, Mohammad el Shami, while in the custody of the Houthi de facto authorities in Yemen. He served with @UNHumanRights & had been arbitrarily detained by the Houthis since 2024. This is the second death of a UN staff member in Houthi detention, following the death of a @WFP colleague in 2025. I remain gravely concerned for the safety & well-being of the UN personnel, former UN staff & personnel from humanitarian & civil society organizations who remain detained. I reiterate my call for their immediate & unconditional release.

I strongly condemn the escalating drone attacks in Sudan & I am appalled the catastrophic toll they are inflicting on civilians. I call on all the parties to the conflict to spare civilians & critical civilian infrastructure & agree without delay to a cessation of hostilities as a first step towards ending this devastating conflict. The @UN stands ready to support any efforts to advance a sustainable political solution that reflects the aspirations of the Sudanese people.

Housing is foundational to tackling inequality & speeding sustainable development. Yet, more than 3 billion people lack access to adequate housing. I urge cities everywhere to invest in adequate housing for all, so that everyone has a place to call home.

While the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) will cease operations, the @UN will continue to support Somalia through its resident agencies, funds & programmes, working in partnership with Somali authorities, the @_AfricanUnion & other international partners to advance peace, stability, human rights & sustainable development. I commend the progress achieved and the determination & resilience of the Somali people despite the many challenges they face. My profound gratitude goes to all who have served UNTMIS & its predecessor missions & I pay special tribute to the UN colleagues who lost their lives in the service of peace in Somalia. Recognizing the significant political, security, humanitarian & development challenges that remain, I call for sustained international support to consolidate progress, advance inclusive political dialogue & reconciliation, strengthen institutions & protect human rights.

When we invest in children, we invest in the future. But today, decades of progress in children’s wellbeing are at risk of unravelling. Together, let’s invest in solutions that can reach every country, every community & every child — now & for future generations.

Amid multiplying conflicts, the only pathway to sustainable peace is through international law, the resolution of root causes & the active pursuit of political solutions. Let’s summon the political will to silence the guns, stop the killing & build a world where peace for all prevails.

The importance of women’s participation in peace processes is not symbolic. They are more likely to endure when women participate meaningfully. Stability is more achievable when women have equal opportunity to shape the future. And societies are stronger & more resilient when women & girls can live free from fear & violence. My remarks to the Security Council:

Despite efforts over the last few decades, the plague of gender inequality persists. Women & girls continue to face violence, exclusion, discrimination & abuse. It doesn't have to be this way. Gender equality isn't a dream. It's a decision. A decision the world needs to take.

Many crises in our world today are fundamentally about power: Who holds it & who is denied it. Nowhere is the power imbalance more glaring than that most ancient & universal form of inequality: between women & men. But gender equality isn't just a matter of rights. It's central to building just & lasting peace.

When I became @UN Secretary-General, climate change was already an enormous threat. Today, its impacts are all around us. And those who did the least to cause the climate crisis are paying the highest price. We need climate justice. Now.

In Sudan, a war for raw power, fueled by outside actors, has become a war on civilians. The fighting must stop. Civilians must be protected. Humanitarian aid must flow, without obstruction. The country’s unity, sovereignty & territorial integrity must be preserved. And Sudan's future must be shaped by the Sudanese people through an inclusive political process.

I've had the privilege of addressing students at Cairo University. Young people like them give me enormous hope with their knowledge, energy and capacity to create. Societies have responsibilities towards them: education, decent work & opportunities, the freedom to think, speak & participate in decisions.

No country in the Middle East can achieve lasting security at the expense of another. The region needs a new security architecture. One in which the future is shaped by the peoples & countries of the region, rather than by war after war after war – many times fueled by external actors.

I’m deeply alarmed by Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank. Settlements are expanding, evictions are unrelenting with Palestinians driven from their lands, settler violence is surging, Palestinian families are being assaulted.  We are seeing an increasingly coercive environment, with the spectre of ethnic cleansing looming ever larger.  This must end.  There can be no durable peace in the Middle East without the realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

The Palestinian people continue to endure immense suffering. Israeli restrictions on humanitarian assistance must be lifted. The obstacles to implementation of the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict endorsed by the Security Council must be removed. Civilians must be protected. And international law must be respected. The two-State solution remains the only viable path: Israel & Palestine living side-by-side in peace & security.

Today in Cairo I commended Egypt's mediation role to help create the conditions for dialogue between the United States & Iran. I want to send a loud & clear message: We need maximum restraint & diplomatic solutions. If the saber-rattling we are witnessing now translates itself into a major mutual escalation, the situation in the region can get out of control. And navigational rights & freedoms in accordance with international law must be fully restored in & around the Strait of Hormuz & Bab al-Mandab.

I've come back to Egypt again & again, because when this region & our world have faced difficult moments, Egypt has consistently been a pillar of multilateralism, working to open space for diplomacy. At at a time when divisions are deepening, it's critical to keep the channels of diplomacy open.

The Grand Egyptian Museum is an impressive testament to the country’s enduring legacy. It was a pleasure to visit the museum and reflect on Egypt’s extraordinary contributions to human history & the lasting influence of its civilization far beyond the Nile.

I just arrived in Egypt. Amid intensifying conflicts, I carry a message with me: We need to stop the widening of war, protect civilians & create the political space for diplomacy & peace. We must tackle the inequalities that divide societies – & stop the conflicts that are multiplying human suffering & pushing an already unequal world further apart.