The sixty-ninth volume of the Yearbook of the United Nations details the work of the Organization in 2015 as the United Nations promoted the advancement of sustainable development as well as endeavoured to contain and resolve armed conflicts, defend and promote human rights and coordinate humanitarian relief efforts.
Agreements reached by Member States in 2015 and endorsed by the General Assembly—the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development—established a new global development framework for generations to come.
With the expiration of the Millennium Development Goals, the year marked the end of one era and the beginning of another. At the United Nations summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda in September, Member States unanimously agreed on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets. In a September resolution, the General Assembly endorsed the outcome document of the summit and resolved, by 2030, to end poverty and hunger everywhere; combat inequalities within and among countries; build peaceful, just and inclusive societies; protect human rights and promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; and ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources. The General Assembly also resolved to create conditions for sustainable, inclusive and sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and decent work for all.
In 2015, the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic entered its fifth year. The United Nations continued to promote a political solution based on the 2012 Geneva communiqué and Security Council resolution 2254(2015), which maintained that the only sustainable solution to the crisis in Syria was through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that met the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. The mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, established to supervise the observance of the ceasefire between Israel and Syria in the Syrian Golan and to ensure the separation of their forces, was renewed twice in 2015, in June and in December, each time for a six-month period.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan continued to support national leadership and ownership in the security, governance and development areas. In Yemen, fighting broke out in January between troops loyal to President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and Houthi militias. In April, the Security Council established a targeted arms embargo on the Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, also imposing financial sanctions and a travel ban on Houthi leaders. The first face-to-face talks among the parties, facilitated by the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Yemen, took place in December. By the end of the year, at least 21 million people in Yemen—80 per cent of the population—relied on some measure of humanitarian assistance, while approximately half the population was suffering from malnutrition.\
In Ukraine, the eastern part of the country saw an escalation of violence and fighting involving heavy weapons and tanks. By July, the number of displaced persons and refugees in Ukraine and neighbouring countries reached 2.5 million people. Throughout the year, the Secretary-General sought a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.
In September, a Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping took place at 缅北禁地Headquarters in New York. Nearly 50 heads of state and Government representatives issued a declaration recommitting to modernize 缅北禁地peacekeeping operations to ensure their success. As at 31 December, the United Nations was conducting 16 peacekeeping operations and 11 political or peacebuilding missions.
As at the end of 2015, there were 65.3 million people uprooted by war, conflict, persecution or human rights abuses, 12.4 million of whom were newly displaced. The war in Syria was again the single largest driver of displacement in 2015, with more than 4 million Syrians living in exile in neighbouring countries and 6.5 million people internally displaced.
The year 2015 also saw the global refugee crisis reaching Europe. More than 1 million refugees and migrants from refugee-producing countries, including Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Eritrea and Somalia, arrived on southern European shores. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (unhcr) launched its biggest humanitarian operation in Europe since the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. During the year, unhcr declared 11 emergency situations affecting operations in 30 countries and deployed 460 emergency missions, assisted 12.3 million refugees and 37.4 million internally displaced persons, and helped 49,100 stateless people acquire nationality and 115,800 returned refugees to reintegrate in their country of origin.
The Human Rights Council examined the human rights record of 42 Member States through the universal periodic review mechanism and held three regular sessions.
The International Decade for People of African Descent (2015–2024) began on 1 January, and the General Assembly proclaimed 9 December as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of Genocide.
The International Court of Justice delivered three judgments, gave nine orders and had 14 contentious cases pending before it. On 14 December, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwanda Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994 delivered its final judgement before formally closing on 31 December—marking the first ad hoc international criminal tribunal to complete its mandate.
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