DR Congo: Rising insecurity in the east impedes diplomatic progress, Security Council hears

DR Congo: Rising insecurity in the east impedes diplomatic progress, Security Council hears

Despite diplomatic progress in recent months, with the United States brokering a peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda, and Qatar facilitating a Declaration of Principles between the Congolese Government and M23 rebels, tensions remain high in the eastern DRC – where multiple armed groups operate.   The Security Council has also sought to promote […]

Momentum builds towards marine biodiversity treaty, as experts convene in New York

Momentum builds towards marine biodiversity treaty, as experts convene in New York

Formally titled the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, it was adopted in June 2023 after years of negotiation, and is open for signature until 20 September. With only eight ratifications left before it can enter into […]

UN agencies warn of rising heat stress risks for workers worldwide

UN agencies warn of rising heat stress risks for workers worldwide

The new joint report, Climate change and workplace heat stress, underscores the mounting risks as climate change fuels longer, more extreme, and more frequent heatwaves. Stressing that workers in agriculture, construction, and fisheries are already suffering the impacts of dangerous temperatures, the report points out that vulnerable groups in developing countries – including children, older adults, […]

Guterres in Japan: ‘Humanity is strongest when we stand as one’

Guterres in Japan: ‘Humanity is strongest when we stand as one’

It brings together more than 160 countries and organizations – a testament to Japan’s enduring commitment to global dialogue and cooperation, said Secretary-General António Guterres.   “Japan has helped shape some of the most important multilateral achievements of our time,” he added, commending Japan for choosing peace and international cooperation following defeat at the end […]

Famine in Gaza: ‘a failure of humanity itself,’ says UN chief

Famine in Gaza: ‘a failure of humanity itself,’ says UN chief

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the results of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis were no mystery: “It is a man-made disaster, a moral indictment – and a failure of humanity itself. “Famine is not about food; it is the deliberate collapse of the systems needed for human survival.” Famine conditions are projected […]

Survivors’ voices ‘integral’ to preventing terrorism

Survivors’ voices ‘integral’ to preventing terrorism

This year marks the eighth commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism. It serves to honour victims and survivors, elevate their voices, raise awareness, and highlight global solidarity. “This International Day is not only one of remembrance; it’s a reaffirmation of our collective commitment to uphold the […]

Syria: Political transition on ‘a knife-edge’ amid military skirmishes

Syria: Political transition on ‘a knife-edge’ amid military skirmishes

Geir Pedersen told ambassadors that in Sweida governate, where sectarian violence in July also spurred conflict in the capital Damascus, the 19 July ceasefire has come under strain, but the conflict has not resumed so far. However, “we are still seeing dangerous hostilities and skirmishes on the margins of Sweida, and violence could resume at any moment,” he […]

UN rights chief decries ‘relentless intensification’ of US sanctions against International Criminal Court staff

UN rights chief decries ‘relentless intensification’ of US sanctions against International Criminal Court staff

His call comes a day after four more Court personnel – two judges and two deputy prosecutors – were slapped with sanctions in connection with efforts to investigate alleged war crimes committed by the US and Israel. This follows sanctions imposed earlier on four other judges and the ICC Prosecutor. Measures imposed could include blocking […]

Gazans face a future of pain and prosthetics

Gazans face a future of pain and prosthetics

At the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, a small child, Maryam Abu Alba, is crying in pain. “The neighbour’s house was bombed, and their home was hit,” says her grandmother. “One of her legs had to be amputated, and metal plates had to be inserted into the other one, which was fractured. She is in […]

Amid massive destruction of Gaza City, UN chief renews ceasefire call

Amid massive destruction of Gaza City, UN chief renews ceasefire call

“It is vital to reach immediately a ceasefire in Gaza,” the Secretary-General told reporters on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), “and the unconditional release of all hostages and to avoid the massive death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause.” Around one million people still […]

Terror threat posed by ISIL ‘remains volatile and complex,’ Security Council hears

Terror threat posed by ISIL ‘remains volatile and complex,’ Security Council hears

While multiple Da’esh leaders have perished in the past few years, “the group has managed to retain its operational capacity”, Vladimir Voronkov, head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) told the Security Council Wednesday.   Da’esh makes use of regional and domestic affiliates and continues to receive substantial global donations, operating through regional hubs […]

Amid ongoing Israeli attacks, ‘the systematic destruction of Gaza City is already underway’: UN rights office

Amid ongoing Israeli attacks, ‘the systematic destruction of Gaza City is already underway’: UN rights office

Recent attacks have been particularly devastating in the Az Zaytoun neighbourhood, where airstrikes, artillery shelling and gunfire are continuous and intense, causing a high number of civilian casualties and the large-scale destruction of residential buildings and public facilities, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a statement. Since 8 […]

It’s time to end physical punishment of kids once and for all, WHO says

It’s time to end physical punishment of kids once and for all, WHO says

Corporal punishment refers most frequently to hitting children but can refer to any punishments inflicted by parents, caregivers or teachers which are intended to cause some degree of discomfort. It can happen in the home or in more public settings like the school classroom.   But wherever it happens, this sort of punishment has wide-ranging […]

‘Africa is poised for progress’ Guterres tells development conference in Japan

‘Africa is poised for progress’ Guterres tells development conference in Japan

“With the world’s youngest population, abundant natural resources, and a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, Africa is poised for progress,” he told the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama. He said the meeting’s theme – Co-Create Innovative Solutions with Africa – was a reminder that these same strengths can help shape a more […]

DR Congo: UN deplores deadly attacks in the east of the country

DR Congo: UN deplores deadly attacks in the east of the country

The attacks, which took place between 9 and 16 August in the localities of Beni and Lubero territories, claimed the lives of at least 52 civilians, including eight women and two children, but peacekeepers on the ground say the death toll may very well rise.   “These attacks targeting civilians, which add to the atrocities […]

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