Meeting at UN Headquarters, in New York, from 2 to 10 February, the Commission for Social Development marked its first session since the Second World Summit for Social Development, held in Doha last year. The gathering brought together ministers, senior UN officials, civil society groups and youth representatives to examine how global pledges can be […]
“We can only expect worse to come” unless action is taken to halt the bloodshed, Mr. Türk told Member States at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, as he reiterated his call for the extension of an arms embargo from Darfur to include all of Sudan. Rival militaries from the national army and Rapid Support […]
Speaking at a donor conference in Washington, DC, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher warned that the brutal conflict, famine and mass displacement are pushing millions of civilians deeper into crisis, while aid access remains severely constrained. Fighting erupted between the once-allied Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in mid-April 2023, spreading […]
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva set the tone at the opening session, declaring that the battle for truth has become just as critical as the fight to cut emissions. COP30 must mark “a new defeat for climate denialists,” he said. On Wednesday, 12 nations – including Brazil, Canada, France, Germany and Spain – signed […]
The Munduruku, who live primarily in the Amazon states of Amazonas, Mato Grosso and Pará, are demanding an end to projects and extractive activities that threaten Indigenous territories, particularly in the Tapajós and Xingu River basins. ‘Legitimate’ protests and government response COP30 Executive Director Ana Toni described the demonstrations as “legitimate” and confirmed that the […]
At every negotiation table and in every diplomatic statement lies a stark truth shared by nations on the front lines of the climate crisis: without funding, there is no path to safety, justice, or survival. Many urgent actions are required to secure a livable planet and protect millions of lives. But all of them – […]
But this lush harmony carries a warning. If negotiators at COP30 hope to protect the world’s forests, they must first safeguard the people who sustain them. Chocolate, community and a vision for the future Just 30 minutes by boat from Belém – known as the ‘gateway to the Amazon’ rainforest and host city of this […]
In Namibia’s Daures region, a bold experiment aims to prove economies can create jobs without fossil fuels. When completed, Daures Green Hydrogen Village will sustainably produce hydrogen and ammonia from renewable sources, which will be used to make the country’s first carbon-free green fertiliser, reducing the need for imports. The project is designed to benefit […]
Addressing a joint summit between the UN and Southeast Asian nations in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Secretary-General António Guterres described the region as “a beacon of cooperation” and a vital pillar of global stability. With Timor-Leste’s accession, he said, the collective spirit of the regional organization known as ASEAN had “grown stronger,” making the bloc […]
Their appeals, sharpened by rising seas, failed harvests and disappearing ecosystems, echoed Secretary-General António Guterres’s warning at a climate summit that the world is already in the “dawn of a new energy era” – one where clean energy must replace fossil fuels, and where finance and justice remain at the heart of the global response. […]
Last century, scientists confirmed the alarming reality of a significant depletion in the ozone layer – an invisible shield of gas which surrounds the earth and protects it from the sun’s UV rays. The collection of ozone-depleting substances included CFCs, or chlorofluorocarbons, which in the mid-1980s were commonly found in everyday products such as air […]
The world is retreating from gender equality, and the cost is being counted in lives, rights, and opportunities. Five years from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) deadline in 2030, none of the gender equality targets are on track. That’s according to this year’s SDG Gender Snapshot report launched on Monday by UN Women and the UN […]
Olga Cherevko, Spokesperson in Gaza for the UN aid coordination office OCHA, warned that history will not judge the international community “based on the speeches that we made” but rather on actions. Speaking from Deir Al-Balah, she delivered a blunt message: “When Gaza burned, and children starved, and hospitals collapsed – did you act?” Gaza […]
António Guterres is the first serving UN Secretary-General to visit the country, which is celebrating 50 years of independence. He praised its tremendous diversity, with over 800 languages spoken and countless traditions. Commitment to peace, dignity and progress “And yet, you have a shared commitment to speak with one voice – to having ‘one talk’ […]
“The world wants and indeed needs a plastic conventional treaty because the crisis is getting out of hand – and people are frankly outraged,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN agency leading the talks. “We know that plastic is in our nature, in our oceans, and yes, […]
Mr. Thapa said that the motto of his presidency will be “Delivering Better,” which requires strengthening partnerships and multilateralism to achieve more effective implementation of initiatives, including the 2030 Agenda adopted 15 years ago. “Delivering better is not an option — it is an imperative. It is our pathway to restoring trust in multilateralism, […]
Delivering closing remarks at the UN Food Systems Summit +4 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+4) in Addis Ababa, co-hosted by Ethiopia and Italy, Ms. Mohammed praised the growing momentum behind food systems transformation. But she also warned that with just five years left to 2030, “hunger and malnutrition persist. Climate shocks, conflict, debt, and inequality are widening […]
Speaking Monday morning at the high-level conference on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-State solution, the UN chief painted a stark picture of a conflict that continues to “take lives, destroy futures, and destabilise the region and our world.” “We know that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has endured […]
Recalling his own experience living under dictatorship in Portugal, Mr. Guterres told participants at the Global Assembly of the international rights charity Amnesty International on Friday that the fight for human rights is “more important than ever”. He called on States to uphold international law and defend human rights “consistently and universally, even or especially […]
Presented during the UN’s 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, taking place this week in Sevilla, the proposal highlights a growing problem: the richest individuals often contribute less to public finances than ordinary taxpayers, thanks to lower effective tax rates and legal loopholes. “Our countries need more and more public revenues to meet their […]