UN to Appoint Global Hostage Affairs Coordinator After Families' Appeal

In a major development hailed by families of Israeli hostages, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has pledged to create a new global role to coordinate the UN’s response to hostage situations around the world.

Following a high-level meeting on Thursday with representatives from the Hostage Families Forum, Guterres committed to appointing a dedicated official to oversee the organization’s legal, diplomatic, and humanitarian engagement in hostage cases. The role will also serve as a central point of contact for families, UN agencies, and governments.

"This addresses a critical gap that families say has left them without proper institutional support," the Hostage Families Forum stated. The move is seen as a response to growing frustration over the international community’s failure to effectively engage with and assist victims of terrorist kidnappings.

Among the delegation were Orna and Ronen Neutra, whose son Omer an Israeli-American was taken hostage and murdered in Gaza, with his body still held by Hamas. Shelly Aviv Yeini, head of the forum's international legal department, also participated in the meeting.

The Neutra family described hostage-taking as “a global humanitarian crisis requiring stronger international legal responses,” highlighting the growing frequency and brutality of such acts, particularly by terrorist organizations.

Earlier this month, the UN Security Council held a special session on the return of slain Israeli hostages’ bodies. Ruby Chen, father of fallen hostage Itay Chen, gave emotional testimony, condemning Hamas’s refusal to confirm Itay’s fate and accusing the group of waging "the lowest form of terrorist psychological warfare imaginable."

Chen also called on the UN to enforce Security Council Resolution 2474, which mandates that both state and non-state actors provide clarity and accountability for missing persons in armed conflict.

The creation of this new role is a critical first step toward institutionalizing international support for families enduring unimaginable suffering and a small but meaningful victory for those fighting for justice and answers.

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