International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members

Marking 20 years of UNDSS, this event will bring together Member States, senior United Nations officials, and civil society to reflect, through testimonials, video stories, and interactive discussion, on the evolution of the United Nations' approach to security: what has worked, what is changing, and what the future holds. The conversation will explore how UNDSS, the UNSMS, and their partners can continue to enable the UN's critical work, safely and sustainably, in a rapidly changing world. Recognizing 20 Years of Enabling UN Operations to Serve People in Need: The Leadership Role of UNDSS in the UN Security Management System Meetings & Events

  Briefing by Mr. Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights, on behalf of the Secretary-General. Watch the UNGA  Informal meeting of the plenary to hear a briefing on missing persons, 79th session!

The United Nations reported on Monday that it has paused its humanitarian operations in the area dominated by Yemen's Houthi rebels due to the detention of eight more U.N. staffers.

We support the UN Secretary General and all UN efforts to secure the unconditional and immediate release of all Houthi detainees. This latest Houthi roundup demonstrates the bad faith of the terrorist group’s claims to seek de-escalation and also makes a mockery of their claims to represent the interests of the Yemeni people. Read more

Heads of United Nations entities and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) on Saturday renewed urgent calls for the immediate release of their staff arbitrarily detained by the Houthi de facto authorities in Yemen, amid reports that some of them may now face “criminal prosecution”. In a joint statement , the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Yemen , the heads of UNDP , UNESCO , UNICEF , WFP , WHO and OHCHR , and heads of the INGOs OXFAM International, Save the Children International and CARE International, expressed their deep concern over the situation. “At a time when we were hoping for the release of our colleagues, we are deeply distressed by this reported development. The potential laying of ‘charges’ against our colleagues is unacceptable and further compounds the lengthy incommunicado detention they have already endured,” they said. The group emphasized that the reported referral to “criminal prosecution” further raised serious concerns about the saf...

This Friday marks three months since six of our colleagues in Yemen were arrested by the ‘ Ansar Allah ’ de facto authorities. The six United Nations Human Rights staff – one woman and five men – were arrested on 6 June together with seven other UN personnel. Two United Nations Human Rights and two colleagues from other UN agencies have been detained by the de facto authorities since 2021 and 2023 respectively, bringing the number of UN staff arbitrarily detained in Yemen to 17. Their whereabouts remain unknown and the Houthi de facto authorities have not permitted physical access to any of them, despite our repeated requests. Once again, the High Commissioner demands their immediate and unconditional release , and the release of all human rights and humanitarian workers similarly arrested and detained without legal protections. We also call on the de facto authorities in Sana’a to facilitate rather than hinder UN entities and other human rights and humanitarian actors in their effo...