UNGA general debate concludes, Security Council passes resolution over Haiti

The general debate of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) concluded on Monday at the UN Headquarters in New York, and the UN Security Council also passed a resolution over the turmoil in Haiti on the same day.

The last countries to address the assembly included Algeria, Mozambique, and Syria. Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh said Israeli authorities have chosen to drag the Middle East region into a serious escalation with the support from the United States.

"Israeli forces have scaled up their attacks on countries of the region, including my country Syria, targeting vital civilian facilities, residential buildings, and even diplomatic premises," he said.

Meanwhile, at the UN Security Council, a resolution was passed on Monday to extend the mandate of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti.

The United States and Ecuador had asked for a plan to elevate the security mission into a formal UN peacekeeping operation, but China said the environment in Haiti is not conducive to that, adding that the UN had sent multiple peacekeeping operations to Haiti in the past, but the results were not satisfactory.

"Peacekeeping operations are not a panacea, let alone a backup. What's more, Haiti does not have the conditions for the deployment of peacekeeping operations right now. Haiti has long been mired in multiple crises and if there's no legitimate, effective and accountable government, it is difficult for any external support to have a lasting effect," said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

Haiti's interim government says a peacekeeping mission is necessary, and that the current MSS mission has significant limitations, with lacking of financial support from member states being the major headache.

"Clearly, the mission still faces severe limitations under the current circumstances. The financial and material support that the MSS greatly needs remains insufficient. Moreover, there is no doubt that the mission must be strengthened to be fully operational, and in this context, the transformation of the MSS into a UN peacekeeping operation is not only necessary but also urgent," said Antonio Rodrigue, Haiti's permanent representative to the United Nations.

UNGA general debate concludes, Security Council passes resolution over Haiti

Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.

In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.

"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.

Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.

Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.

"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.

Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.

Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.

"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.

Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela