UN highlights rule of law, clean energy goals and appoints new Mali resident coordinator

At the start of the briefing, Steph relayed Secretary-General remarks on the rule of law, saying the UN Charter creates a collective security system that forbids the threat or use of force and binds all states. She quoted the Secretary-General's warning that "the rule of law is being replaced by the rule of the jungle" in places ranging from Gaza to Ukraine, the Sahel and Myanmar, and said the Security Council stands alone in its charter-mandated authority to act on questions of peace and security and should be strengthened in representation and effectiveness.

Steph also observed International Day of Clean Energy and summarized the Secretary-General's climate message: science shows we risk temporarily overshooting 1.5C, and the world must triple renewable capacity by 2030 while lowering costs and connecting clean power to people and industry.

Separately, Steph announced Hannah Singer Hamdi of Egypt has been appointed as the new UN resident coordinator in Mali (with host government approval) and will also serve as humanitarian coordinator; Steph said Hamdi brings more than 30 years of senior experience in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding settings.