In Sudan, the Foreign Secretary told a UN high-level week event in New York on 21 September that the war "is increasingly being fought from the air". He said drone strikes reportedly killed more than 1,000 civilians in the first five months of this year, and that "a simple rollover of the embargo is not enough". The UN sanctions regime was extended for one month on 11 September, so a Security Council decision on widening it is close. The FCDO advises against all travel to almost all of Sudan.
On Russia, the UN Special Rapporteur Mariana Katzarova presented a report to the Human Rights Council on 21 September on Russia's targeting of critics abroad. UN News reports documented incidents rose from 29 in the eight years before 2022 to 89 in the three years since. Teams protecting Russian exiles should factor in pressure on families and INTERPOL red notices that breach INTERPOL's own rules.
On Saudi Arabia, following yesterday's lead on the widened FCDO advice for Aseer province, the UN Spokesperson on 21 September condemned "the continued Houthi cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia, including the attempt to target Riyadh, the capital". The FCDO advice for Saudi Arabia has not changed since 20 September.
In New York, it is UN General Assembly high-level week. The UN Spokesperson said on 21 September the UN expects 71 Heads of State and 45 Heads of Government, about 166 events at Headquarters during high-level week, and "about 18,000 active badges for delegates". The Security Council meets on Ukraine on Wednesday 23 September. Expect a dense concentration of protected delegations in Manhattan all week.
Both main pieces are in full on the site today.
