UN social policy commission closes with calls to turn pledges into action

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

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 translated into coordinated, inclusive and equitable policies at the national level.

Opening the session, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President Lok Bahadur Thapa stressed that social development policies are where “resilience, social cohesion, and trust are ultimately tested.”

He warned that widening inequalities, demographic change, and rapid digital and green transitions are placing growing strain on societies worldwide. Responding in an integrated, people-centred way, he said, is “not merely a policy choice; it is a moral imperative.”

Delegates at the 64th session of the Commission for Social Development.

What is the Commission for Social Development?

The Commission for Social Development is an ECOSOC functional commission and the United Nations’ primary intergovernmental body for social development.

Established in 1946, it has helped shape global policy frameworks on poverty eradication, employment, social protection and inclusion, including by steering follow-up to landmark agreements such as the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration and, more recently, the 2025 Doha Political Declaration.

Click here for UN News special coverage of the Doha Summit

Over the years, the Commission has driven progress on universal social protection, decent work for all, and international focus on groups at risk of exclusion, including persons with disabilities, older persons, youth and families.

Its conclusions have informed national policies, helped develop social protection floors, and reinforced links between social development and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Commission meets annually at UN Headquarters, in New York, generally in February.

Click here for more information on the Commission

A post-Doha moment for social policy

This year’s priority theme – advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable and inclusive policies – framed discussions throughout the session, reflecting concerns that fragmented policymaking is slowing progress on poverty eradication, decent work and social inclusion.

Addressing delegates, General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock underscored that social development is not a secondary concern reserved for calmer times, but “the foundation that peace is built upon” and a critical investment in stability.

Ending hunger and poverty, she said, is both a moral obligation and a matter of security, noting how deprivation fuels conflict, migration and instability.

From commitments to delivery

In a message to the Commission, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed highlighted the shift signalled by the Doha Political Declaration away from incremental progress towards more ambitious, coordinated action.

She pointed to strong civil society engagement – with more than 700 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) registered for the session – and urged governments to match that readiness with concrete delivery.

“If Copenhagen, Doha and the 2030 Agenda are where we drew the map, then the Commission for Social Development sets us on the road,” she said.

Click here to watch the Deputy Secretary-General’s message

Coordinating policies in a changing world

Throughout the session, speakers repeatedly stressed the need for greater policy coherence – aligning employment strategies with universal social protection floors, inclusive education and health systems, and just-transition measures.

The Commission also examined emerging social challenges, including demographic change, labour-market disruption, and the social impacts of digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

Delegates heard that while new technologies carry risks, they can also accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) if governed inclusively and equitably.

A young boy relaxes in a wicker basket as his family threshes harvested wheat.

Youth mental health in focus

Youth voices featured prominently, reflecting the Commission’s emphasis on inclusion. The launch of the World Youth Report on Youth Mental Health and Well-being highlighted the growing pressures facing young people – from poverty and inequality to climate stress, conflict and digital harms.

Youth delegates and advocates shared lived experiences, describing how uncertainty about the future is eroding trust and well-being among younger generations, while calling for preventive, community-based and youth-responsive approaches.

Resolutions endorsed

At the close of the session, Member States endorsed two draft resolutions – one on advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable and inclusive social policies, and another on the social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

The resolutions reaffirm commitments made at the 1995 Copenhagen Summit and the 2025 Doha Summit, while emphasizing the need to translate global pledges into concrete national action.

Outcomes from the session will feed into upcoming UN processes, including the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July, ECOSOC’s broader work, and the General Assembly’s five-year follow-up towards a high-level review of social development commitments in 2031.

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Sudan: UN rights chief says worse is to come without international action

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

“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 Forces (RSF) militia have been battling for control of the country for nearly three years.

Something must be done to address the “continuous inflow of weapons”, the High Commissioner for Human Rights insisted, after recounting testimonies of survivors of atrocity crimes in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who overran the city last October.

Mass killings

“In one horrific example, people who fled to separate locations, thousands of kilometres apart, gave consistent accounts of the mass killing of hundreds of people sheltering at El Fasher University,” he said, describing convincing testimony that some victims were targeted based on their non-Arab ethnicity – in particular, members of the Zaghawa ethnic group.

“Survivors also spoke of seeing piles of dead bodies along roads leading away from El Fasher, in an apocalyptic scene that one person likened to the Day of Judgment,” the High Commissioner continued, his comments echoing the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) conclusion last month that war crimes and crimes against humanity had taken place in El-Fasher, linked to the RSF’s siege.

“Our own findings are fully consistent” with that ICC assessment, Mr. Türk told the Human Rights Council, at a meeting held specifically on the Sudan emergency.

Dire warnings

Previously, the UN rights chief noted that his office has warned about previous atrocity crimes such as the RSF offensive to capture Zamzam camp for displaced people in April 2025.

“Responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies squarely with the RSF and their allies and supporters,” he said.

The war in Sudan erupted in April 2023, after a power-sharing agreement broke down in the resource-rich central African nation between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF.

The resulting humanitarian emergency has affected more than 30 million people in Sudan; many have faced repeated displacement and others have been impacted by famine and systematic sexual violence, including gang rape.

As the fighting continues away from the Darfurs in the west to the central Kordofans regions, observers fear that further grave abuses are bound to happen, including by “advanced drone weaponry systems used by both sides”, Mr. Türk warned.

Deadly drone war

“In the last two weeks, the SAF and allied Joint Forces broke the sieges on Kadugli and Dilling,” the High Commissioner said. “But drone strikes by both sides continue, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths and injuries.

Civilians are at risk of summary executions, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, and family separation.”

Mediation measures

In a bid to prevent further bloodshed, the High Commissioner announced a series of measures “to support mediation efforts” and de-escalate violence.

These include commitments not to target civilians or residential areas with explosive weapons, to enable the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, to end arbitrary detention and cease attacks on civilian infrastructure.

“I witnessed the damage done by RSF attacks on Merowe dam and hydroelectric power station, which once supplied 70 per cent of Sudan’s electricity. Repeated drone strikes have disrupted power and water supplies to huge numbers of people, with a serious impact on healthcare,” he said.

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In Washington, Fletcher presses for action as Sudan war grinds on

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

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 quickly through a country already undergoing political turmoil, increased ethnic tensions, and climate extremes.

Move from words to action

There have been “too many days of famine, of brutal atrocities, of lives uprooted and destroyed,” Mr. Fletcher said, while women and girls have been forced to endure “terrifying sexual violence.”

He stressed that the international community must move beyond expressions of concern to deliver more support and political pressure on combatants for a ceasefire. With that must come extensive humanitarian access.

Mr. Fletcher said the United Nations fully supports diplomatic efforts led by the “Quad” – the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – aimed at securing a humanitarian truce, including the demilitarization of key areas to allow life-saving aid to reach civilians.

“The guns must fall silent and a path to peace must be charted,” he said.

UN ready to deliver

Under its comprehensive 2026 humanitarian response plan, UN agencies aim to reach more than 20 million people across Sudan with emergency assistance. To achieve that target, the Organization requires about $2.9 billion.

Alongside funding, safe and unhindered access for humanitarians and civilians are critical to ensure aid reaches those in need.

Civilians and aid workers must be protected, Mr. Fletcher stressed, urging donors to respond quickly and decisively.

“Let today be at last the signal that the world is uniting in solidarity for practical impact,” he said.

Crisis deepens on the ground

Meanwhile, fighting rages on the ground in Sudan.

According to media reports, Government forces on Tuesday entered South Kordofan’s capital, Kadugli, which was under a months-long siege by the RSF. The army had also recently broken the blockade of Dilling, a major town about 110 kilometres north of Kadugli.

The fighting continues to drive thousands from their homes into IDP camps and makeshift settlements, facing critical shortages of food, healthcare, water, sanitation, shelter and education.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 11.7 million people have been forcibly displaced by the conflict, including seven million internally displaced and 4.5 million who have fled to neighbouring countries.

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‘A wave of truth’: COP30 targets disinformation threat to climate action

Posted on December 28, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 onto the first-ever Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change, pledging to fight back against the flood of false content and protect those on the frontlines of truth: environmental journalists, scientists and researchers.

The declaration, unveiled under the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change, calls for concrete steps to dismantle networks of climate lies and shield evidence-based voices from harassment and attacks.

João Brant, Brazil’s Secretary for Digital Policies, said the goal is simple but urgent: to “create a wave of truth.”

The initiative, launched this past November, is a partnership between Brazil, the UN Department of Global Communications and UNESCO.

“Disinformation, the harassment of expert voices, polarizing echo chambers, and the demise of independent journalism are eroding trust in what is real. At the same time, powerful interests are weaponizing climate change to stall and sabotage action,” said Charlotte Scaddan, Senior Adviser on Information Integrity at the United Nations.

She warned that climate disinformation goes far beyond denial. “It undermines climate action by attacking researchers and journalists, questioning scientific consensus, and creating false narratives around solutions,” she said. “We’re seeing sophisticated ‘information laundering’ – false claims cycled through multiple platforms to appear credible.”

The UN’s new Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change aims to turn the tide. Built on three pillars – research funding, evidence gathering, and integration into COP processes – the initiative has already secured a breakthrough: information integrity is now part of the COP Action Agenda for the first time. “We cannot achieve climate action and a liveable future without information integrity,” Ms. Scaddan stressed.

“The coming months will determine whether we can preserve the information environment essential for democratic decision-making and global cooperation.”

Disinformation: a direct threat to COP30

Frederico Assis, COP30’s Special Envoy for Information Integrity, warned that the stakes could not be higher. “Disinformation, driven by obscurantist worldviews, fuels political extremism and puts lives at risk,” he told UN News, adding that there is a real danger of interference in climate negotiations.

“There is broad recognition that disinformation can affect and compromise every part of the COP process – process diplomatic negotiations, the action agenda, or mobilization and summits. All our efforts will be at risk if we fail to tackle disinformation properly, which stems from denialism,” Mr. Assis said.

He flagged the role of algorithms amplifying “conspiratorial and manipulative” content, often using “sophisticated tactics to spread false messages.” His mandate: keep the issue in the public eye and mobilize political, religious and social leaders, civil society and the media to push back.

Cracking the code behind climate lies

For the first time, information integrity has made it onto the official COP agenda – a milestone UNESCO’s Guilherme Canela says is long overdue.

Speaking to UN News, Mr. Canela stressed that the global initiative aims to expose the machinery driving climate disinformation.

“We still know very little about what’s behind this. For example, who funds these posts, and why do they spread faster than other types of content? How does that happen? If we don’t understand these mechanisms, it’s very difficult to design effective strategies to combat this phenomenon. The core of this global initiative is precisely to finance, especially in the Global South, investigative journalism and research projects to uncover what’s really happening,” he said.

The Global Fund for Information Integrity on Climate Change, created under the initiative, has already attracted 447 proposals from nearly 100 countries. Backed by an initial $1 million from Brazil, the fund is supporting its first round of projects – almost two-thirds from developing nations.

Mr. Canela called it “very rewarding” to see the issue “embraced so strongly at COP30.”

Disinformation’s shape-shifting tactics

Maria Clara Moraes, a UN Verified Champion and co-founder of the Marias Verdes platform, knows the battle well. With over half a million TikTok followers, she says the fight against climate disinformation is “completely possible, but also extremely challenging.”

She warns that these campaigns are highly organized and “backed by powerful forces, particularly the fossil fuel industry.” Their narratives, she says, “change their disguise” over time.

“There are several types of disinformation. One of the most powerful is saying that it’s too late – that nothing can be done, or that these events like COP30 don’t make a difference. That’s also disinformation. Saying, ‘This isn’t working, it’s too slow, too complex, too frustrating.’ But yes – it’s important. We must constantly reaffirm the value of multilateralism and the importance of spaces like this one,” she said.

A generation that refuses to give up

Despite the challenges, Ms. Moraes told us that she sees hope in younger generations. By producing content rooted in science and sustainability, she says awareness of the climate emergency is growing fast.

According to her, young people are “a great source of hope and optimism.” She urges everyone to play their part in creating “micro-revolutions” through everyday choices that support climate action and drive systemic change.

UN News is reporting from Belém, bringing you front-row coverage of everything unfolding at COP30.

Indigenous protesters block COP30 entrance, demand action from Brazilian Government

Posted on December 27, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 government is listening. Protesters were directed to meet with the Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sônia Guajajara, and the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva.

Ms. Toni highlighted that COP30 has more than 900 Indigenous participants, a significant increase from the 300 registered at last year’s conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.

“Brazil has a strong democracy that allows for different forms of protest, both inside and outside the conference,” she said, adding that hosting COP30 in the Amazon was meant to ensure Indigenous voices are heard.

Security officers guard the UN Climate Conference venue as the Munduruku Indigenous People protest.

Indigenous youth voices underline urgency

For Indigenous youth participants, the protest reflects both the urgency of their demands and the value of being present at the international conference.

Amanda Pankará, from the Pankará people in Pernambuco, told UN News that COP30 provides a space where Indigenous issues can gain greater visibility.

“We would have much more to contribute if more Indigenous people were participating in these discussions. These demands are valid. We are claiming the right to land, the right to life… Being here today, representing those who haven’t had the opportunity to be here, reinforces our presence and responsibility. We are the ones who create this protective barrier, so we want to be heard.”

Commitment to climate action

During a meeting held on Thursday, many Indigenous leaders described COP30 as the most inclusive climate conference they had attended.

Chilean Indigenous youth Emiliano Medina – from the Mapuche people – who participated in the meeting, said Indigenous representatives reaffirmed their commitment to combating the climate crisis.

He emphasized that protests like Friday’s are a way to present demands and highlight where policies fall short. “Similar demonstrations have been taking place around the world in communities affected by climate change,” he said.

Indigenous Peoples block an entrance to the UN Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil.

‘COP in the Amazon is meant to hear these voices’

Ana Toni stressed that holding COP30 in the Amazon enables broad participation by Indigenous peoples, something that would have been more limited if the event were held in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, or Brasília. She assured that the voices of demonstrators are being heard and noted that further demonstrations are expected throughout COP30.

“The purpose of holding a conference in the Amazon is precisely to listen to these demands,” she concluded.

UN News is reporting from Belém, bringing you front-row coverage of everything unfolding at COP30.

‘When finance flows, ambition grows’: COP30’s call for action

Posted on December 27, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 – every breakthrough, every shield of resilience – depend on one essential driver: financing.

On Saturday, discussions at the UN climate change conference, as the annual COPs are formally known, revolved around financial mobilization, or what leaders called the engine of climate transition.

A question of survival

Convening the Third High-Level Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Finance, COP30 heard from representatives of nations deeply affected by climate impacts, many of whom described access to financial resources as “a matter of survival.”

UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said in her opening remarks that COP30 should mark the beginning of implementing up to $1.3 trillion in annual climate finance – disbursements that “reach those most in need, quickly, transparently and fairly.”

She stressed that climate action and social justice are “inseparable,” noting:

“Climate insecurity fuels hunger and poverty, poverty drives migration and conflict; and conflict, in turn, deepens poverty and deters investment.”

Breaking this vicious cycle, she said, is essential to deliver on global climate goals.

Renewable energy takes the lead

Reflecting on the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, Ms. Baerbock recalled that in 2015, many delegates had been moved to tears by the historic outcome that produced the first legally binding global climate treaty, involving more than 190 countries.

She noted that at the time, renewable energy was widely considered “unrealistic.” Today, it is the fastest-growing energy source on Earth.

In 2024, global investment in clean energy reached $2 trillion – about $800 billion more than in fossil fuels. Solar power has become the cheapest form of electricity in history.

Africa’s untapped potential

Yet Ms. Baerbock warned that “vast potential remains untapped because capital is still not flowing to where it is most needed,” particularly in Africa.

More than 600 million Africans still lack access to electricity, even though the continent’s renewable energy potential is 50 times greater than the world’s projected electricity demand for 2040.

She urged developed nations to fulfill their technological and financial commitments and to advance reform of global financial institutions.

The ‘lifeblood’ of climate action

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell also addressed the meeting, underscoring the transformative power of climate finance.

He described finance as the “lifeblood of climate action,” capable of turning “plans into progress” and “ambition into implementation.”

Mr. Stiell stressed that the most vulnerable countries continue to face major challenges, accessing funds that have long been pledged.

‘When finance flows, ambition grows’

Despite billions invested worldwide in clean energy, resilience and just transitions, Mr. Stiell said the total volume remains “neither sufficient nor predictable enough,” and not equitably shared.

At COP30, the world is looking for proof that climate cooperation delivers.

“Real finance, flowing fast and fair, is central to that proof,” he said, urging delegates to not only demonstrate that climate cooperation is working, but that investments made now can shape the “growth story of the 21st century.”

The UN climate chief emphasized:

“When finance flows, ambition grows,” enabling implementation that creates jobs, lowers the cost of living, improves health outcomes, protects communities and secures a more resilient, prosperous planet for all.

UN News is reporting from Belém, bringing you front-row coverage of everything unfolding at COP30.

On Brazil’s Combu Island, chocolate makers hold clues to climate action

Posted on December 27, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 year’s UN climate conference – Combu is home to the Filha do Combu Association, created by Izete Costa, known affectionately as Dona Nena. Her initiative is proof that community-led solutions can power global climate action.

What began as a modest effort to turn traditional knowledge into income has grown into a thriving enterprise. Starting with small-scale chocolate production using Amazonian cacao, Dona Nena sold at local fairs before completing professional training to expand her business.

Today, she runs a small factory and a tourism programme that invites visitors to see how chocolate is made in the rainforest. Of the 20 workers employed at the site, 16 are women.

The production system is agroecological: native species collaborate to strengthen yields. Rows of banana trees, for example, are planted to attract pollinating bees essential to cacao.

“I usually enrich the forest with what’s working well, because here we didn’t cut down the forest to plant trees,” Dona Nena told us. “We work with the forest standing, and we look for and plant trees where there’s a natural decline.”

UN News/Felipe de Carvalho

President of the 80th session of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock (foreground), tasting cocoa from Combu Island, near Belém, Brazil.

Solar power and scaling up

The chocolate factory – whose products are sold across Brazil – runs eight hours a day on solar energy. But power outages remain a challenge. When a fallen tree cuts electricity, machines can sit idle for days. Dona Nena hopes to double solar capacity to prevent damage and keep production steady.

Dealing with a shaky electrical grid is one thing, but Combu is also not immune to climate impacts. Recently, cacao harvests have shrunk; fruits and trees are drying, shrinking and deforming. And the fear of losing access to drinking water grows by the day. Despite the rainy season, not a single drop has fallen on Combu in over 15 days, Dona Nena says.

From local solutions to global action

This was the setting for Annalena Baerbock’s visit on Sunday, her second trip to Combu after first meeting Dona Nena as Germany’s Foreign Minister.

Upon arriving, Ms. Baerbock told UN News she was glad to see the project thriving, generating “production chains … in the heart of regional communities [so] the benefits [can stay here] for the indigenous, for the local people.”

For Ms. Baerbock, the initiative is proof that real solutions already exist – solutions that unite economic growth, sustainable development and the fight against the climate crisis. She stressed that connecting these models at scale is essential to keeping global warming below 2°C, ideally at 1.5°C.

“Forest destruction is the destruction of humanity’s life insurance,” she warned, and added: “COP30 has to be a COP where we show around the world that especially in geopolitical challenging times the vast majority of countries but also people around the businesses, finance actors are joining hands to fight the climate crisis and by that deliver on sustainable growth for everybody.”

UN News/Felipe de Carvalho

President of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, meets the Brazilian entrepreneur Dona Nena on Combu Island, near Belém.

Lessons from the forest

After sampling Amazonian fruits and several chocolate recipes prepared on site, Dona Nena led Ms. Baerbock on a trail through the forest, where the two had met with a group of women producers two years earlier.

They discussed the project’s emphasis on empowering the women who sell their products through the Filha do Combu Association. Dona Nena highlighted that the women bring a unique energy of care and dedication that shapes the quality of the chocolate.

Along the trail, the forest itself offered symbolism. Together, they observed a taperebá tree slowly dying under the grip of a parasitic vine.

Dona Nena remarked that once the tree dies, the vine will die too, deprived of its only source of nutrients. Ms. Baerbock reflected that this was a diplomatic lesson in disguise, one that could even be linked to the emissions devastating the planet.

But the forest also offered hope. They paused before a sumaúma, a giant of the Amazon thought to be more than 280 years old. These trees can soar to 70 meters and have witnessed centuries of history, and could witness centuries more, if COP30 succeeds.

UN News is reporting from Belém, bringing you front-row coverage of everything unfolding at COP30.

Can industrial growth and climate action go hand in hand?

Posted on December 27, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 the whole community, with training on horticulture and crop production, and a solar-powered tomato paste processing plant to add value to local fresh produce and create more local employment. More than 1,000 people are expected to benefit from sustainable jobs and food security.

Projects like this are part of a wider push to rethink industry for a low-carbon future.

Site picture Daures Green Hydrogen Village

What UNIDO does, and why it matters

Daures Green Hydrogen Village is just one example of how the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is working with countries in the global south to achieve inclusive and sustainable industrial development.

Countries as varied as Costa Rica and Morocco are benefiting from UNIDO’s Global Programme for Hydrogen in Industry (GPHI ), which helps overcome barriers and develop a just and sustainable economy with green hydrogen at its core.

Since its establishment in 1966, UNIDO has championed inclusive and sustainable industrial development as a cornerstone of economic and social progress.

Agronomy training sessions held at the project held in partnership with the Accelerate-2-Demonstrate Facility implemented with UNIDO.

A platform for transformation

From 23 to 27 November, the UN agency will have the opportunity to show how it is realising its mission to support developing countries and emerging economies in building and transforming their industries, at the Global Industry Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

As the countdown to Riyadh begins, expectations are high for bold commitments and partnerships that can drive a fair global economy — one anchored in sustainability, equality, and shared prosperity.

The conference will also address gender equality and the empowerment of women, UNIDO’s role in a reformed UN development system, alongside discussions on financing and digital platforms for monitoring results.

What to look out for at the Summit

The event, hosted at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Centre, will include three days of thematic forums on critical issues:

Investment and Partnerships Day – spotlighting international cooperation and artificial intelligence as drivers of industrial transformation,
Women’s Empowerment Day – showcasing women’s leadership in shaping the future of industry,
Youth and Young Talent Day – focusing on the creativity and entrepreneurship of the next generation.

In Southeast Asia, Guterres presses the case for climate action

Posted on October 27, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 an essential partner in shaping “a more balanced and interlinked world.”

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations now has 11 full members, alongside partners which include China, India, the European Union, Russia and Australia.

The UN, for its part, has a comprehensive partnership framework with the bloc as well as plans for joint action.

Peace, Myanmar and regional stability

Mr. Guterres outlined four areas of deepening collaboration – peace and prevention; sustainable development and financial justice; climate action and digital transformation.

He commended ASEAN countries for their strong contributions to peacekeeping and regional mediation efforts.

The UN chief praised Malaysia for helping to facilitate a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, and reiterated the importance of dialogue and restraint in the South China Sea to uphold international law and freedom of navigation.

Turning to Myanmar, the Secretary-General condemned ongoing violence, describing the humanitarian situation as “appalling.”

“Thousands are dead. Millions displaced. Humanitarian needs are soaring,” he said, calling for an immediate halt to hostilities, protection of civilians, and “the release of those arbitrarily detained, including democratically elected leaders.”

He reaffirmed the UN’s support for ASEAN’s 2021 Five-Point Consensus to resolve Myanmar’s protracted conflict following the coup – and the Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire that same year.

A fairer financial system

The Secretary-General also made a strong call for overhauling what he described as an “outdated and unfair” global financial architecture that leaves developing nations “locked out of prosperity.”

“It is high time for reform,” he said, noting that ASEAN economies remain underrepresented in global financial institutions despite their growing economic weight.

Climate change target ‘on life support’

In his keynote address, the Secretary-General warned that the target on limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels “is on life support,” urging both developed and developing nations to step up climate ambition ahead of COP30 in Brazil next month.

On digital transformation, he underscored the UN’s commitment to ensuring artificial intelligence serves humanity.

Standing together

At a press conference following the Summit, Mr. Guterres said ASEAN “offers a vision of hope” amid global uncertainty.

“The United Nations is proud to be ASEAN’s partner,” he said, “as we work to ensure a better, more peaceful future for people across the southeast Asian region and around the world.”

Sinking islands, vanishing forests: World leaders call for urgent climate action

Posted on September 25, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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.

“The bottom-line: clean is competitive and climate action is imperative,” he declared, calling for “dramatic emissions cuts” aligned with 1.5°C goal of the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change, agreed by all nations in 2015.

“We know it can be done … COP30 in Brazil must conclude with a credible global response plan to get us on track,” he added, referring to the 30th UN climate change conference in November, which aims to accelerate global efforts to limit temperature rise and advance commitments on emissions, adaptation and climate finance.

The UN chief’s urgency provided the backdrop as world leaders presented compelling accounts of climate peril and promise on the second day of the Assembly’s annual general debate.

Spain – Accelerate energy transition

King Felipe VI of Spain addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s eightieth session.

The “triple planetary crisis” – climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss – featured prominently in the address by King Felipe VI of Spain, who underscored that governments must accelerate a just energy transition.

He pressed for tripling renewable capacity, doubling efficiency and advancing decarbonisation in time for COP30, where Spain hopes to see consensus and ambition.

“These objectives are as ambitious as they are necessary,” he said, cautioning that hesitation can no longer be part of the global equation.

▶ Watch the address.

Panama – Nature, the first line of defense

President José Raúl Mulino Quintero of Panama addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s eightieth session.

For Panama, which has long championed conservation despite contributing little to global emissions, the call was for integrated action.

President José Raúl Mulino Quintero unveiled the country’s ‘Nature Pledge,’ a single framework, uniting commitments on climate, biodiversity and land.

He stressed that as a carbon-negative country, Panama will go even further by restoring 100,000 hectares of priority ecosystems, from mangroves to watersheds.

“Nature is our first line of defense against climate change,” he said, linking national resilience to global solidarity.

▶ Watch the address.

Comoros – Small island, big stakes

President Azali Assoumani of Comoros addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s eightieth session.

In the Indian Ocean, the Comoros faces a different frontline.

President Azali Assoumani spoke of rising seas, coastal erosion and intensifying cyclones that threaten the archipelago’s villages and ecosystems.

He urged equitable, simplified access to climate finance, insisting that small island states cannot wait on cumbersome mechanisms while their homes wash away.

At the same time, he highlighted his country’s ‘Emerging Comoros Plan,’ built on renewable potential, blue economy resources and digital transition.

But without international support, he warned, such plans risk being hampered by debt and global inaction.

▶ Watch the address.

Namibia – Linking climate action to desertification

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s eightieth session.

Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah tied climate impacts directly to her country’s daily struggles, citing prolonged droughts and floods that have dried rivers and disrupted lives.

She announced Namibia’s bid to host the Africa regional hub of the Green Climate Fund, positioning the country as a bridge for climate finance on the continent.

And she reinforced the need to implement the ‘Namib Declaration’ to combat land degradation, linking climate action with the fight against desertification.

▶ Watch the address.

Guyana – Nature’s tangible value

President Mohamed Irfaan Ali of Guyana addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s eightieth session.

In South America, Guyana’s President Mohamed Irfaan Ali emphasised that climate and development cannot be separated.

He described how his country is protecting forests, strengthening sea defenses and advancing a low carbon development strategy to prove that economic growth can go hand-in-hand with environmental stewardship.

Guyana, he noted, has become a seller of carbon credits under international standards, showing that “nature has tangible value.”

▶ Watch the address.

Marshall Islands – Promises won’t save sinking atolls

President Hilda Heine of Marshall Islands addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s eightieth session.

For the Marshall Islands, a Pacific nation of more than 1,200 islands and 29 coral atolls climate change is a question of survival.

President Hilda Heine delivered one of the day’s most urgent interventions, warning that promises alone cannot save sinking atolls.

“We’ve heard the promises – but promises don’t reclaim land in atolls. They don’t develop mangrove defenses, shore up our hospitals and schools against rising seas or preserve cultural stability tied to land that is slipping under waves,” she said.

“Those things require money.”

Ms. Heine pressed the international community to close the trillion-dollar climate finance gap, particularly for adaptation and loss and damage.

As COP30 approaches, she said nations must not only honor their pledges but also deliver stronger plans that show a clear pathway to phasing out fossil fuels and halving global emissions within this decade.

▶ Watch the address.

Healing the ozone layer: ‘Guided by science, united in action’

Posted on September 17, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 conditioners, fridges and aerosol cans.

Science led to global action. Realising that harmful UV radiation was entering the atmosphere through what was potentially a damaged ozone layer, countries made a commitment under the Vienna Convention in 1985, to do what was needed for the protection of the people and the planet.

“The Vienna Convention and its Montreal Protocol became a landmark of multilateral success,” said the UN Secretary General António Guterres in a message for this year’s World Ozone Day.

“Today, the ozone layer is healing,” he said.

What is the Vienna Convention?

Forty years ago, countries came together to take the first step in protecting the ozone layer, “guided by science, united in action,” the UN chief continued.

The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, adopted and signed by 28 countries on 22 March 1985, formalised universal cooperation over the protection of the fragile ozone layer.

It is the first treaty to be signed by every country in the world and the precursor to the Montreal Protocol.

The objective of the Montreal Protocol is to monitor the global production and consumption of substances that deplete the ozone layer – and eventually eliminate them.

Multilateralism at its best

In a video message, Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), highlighted that through action under the conventions “ozone depleting substances have now been virtually eradicated and the hole in ozone layer is closing.”

After scientists sounded the alarm, countries, nations, and businesses came together and took action for the planet.

“That is multilateralism at its very, very best,” she added.

The Montreal Protocol has been progressing well in both developed and developing countries with most phase-out schedules – the time given for each country to gradually stop the production of harmful substances – adhered to or even surpassed.

“This achievement reminds us that when nations heed the warnings of science, progress is possible,” remarked Mr. Guterres.

Next in line, the Kigali Amendment

In his message, Mr. Guterres urged governments to ratify and implement the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which commits to phase down, or reduce, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), greenhouse gases used mainly in cooling technologies.

“Implementing the Kigali Amendment could avoid up to 0.5 degrees Celsius of warming by the end of the century,” he said. “Paired with energy-efficient cooling, we could double these gains.”

As outlined in the Paris Agreement, countries have agreed to try and limit the rise of global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“On this World Ozone Day, let’s recommit to preserving our ozone layer and to protecting people and planet for generations to come,” the UN chief said.

Gender Equality: UN Women Body Calls For Political Will and Accelerated Global Action

Posted on September 16, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which draws on more than 100 data sources to track progress across all 17 Goals.

2025 marks three major milestones for women and girls: the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the 25th anniversary of United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, and the 80^th anniversary of the United Nations, but with the new sobering data, it is urgent to accelerate action and investment.

Other findings in the report reveal that female poverty has barely shifted in half a decade, stuck at around 10 per cent since 2020. Most of those affected live in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Southern Asia.

A two-year-old girl suffering from malnutrition is fed by her mother at their shelter in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh / © UNICEF/Ilvy Njiokiktjien

In 2024 alone, 676 million women and girls lived within reach of deadly conflict, the highest number since the 1990s. For those caught in war zones, the consequences extend far beyond displacement. Food insecurity, health risks, and violence rise sharply, the report notes.

Violence against women and girls remains one of the most pervasive threats. More than one in eight women worldwide experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of a partner in the past year, while nearly one in five young women was married before the age of 18. Each year, an estimated four million girls undergo female genital mutilation, with over half cut before their fifth birthday.

Prioritizing gender equality

Yet, amid the grim statistics, the report highlights what is possible when countries prioritize gender equality. Maternal mortality has dropped nearly 40 per cent since 2000, and girls are now more likely than ever to finish school.

Speaking to UN News, Sarah Hendriks, Director of the Policy Division at UN Women, said that when she first moved to Zimbabwe in 1997, “giving birth was actually a matter of life and death”.

“Today, that’s no longer the reality. And that’s an incredible level of progress in a short 25, 30 years”, she added.

Technology, too, holds promise. Today, 70 per cent of men are online compared to 65 per cent of women. Closing that gap, the report estimates, could benefit 343.5 million women and girls by 2050, lifting 30 million out of poverty and adding $1.5 trillion to the global economy by 2030.

“Where gender equality has been prioritized, it has propelled societies and economies forward,” said Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women. “Targeted investments in gender equality have the power to transform societies and economies.”

At the same time, an unprecedented backlash on women’s rights, shrinking civic space, and growing defunding of gender equality initiatives is threatening hard-won gains.

According to UN Women, without action women remain “invisible” in data and policymaking, with 25 per cent less gender data available now due to survey funding cuts.

A girl uses a tablet during class at her school in Safi, South Niger.

“The Gender Snapshot 2025 shows that the costs of failure are immense but so are the gains from gender equality,” said Li Junhua, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

“Accelerated action and interventions focused on care, education, the green economy, labour markets and social protection could reduce the number of women and girls in extreme poverty by 110 million by 2050, unlocking an estimated $342 trillion in cumulative economic returns.”

But progress remains uneven, and often painfully slow. Women hold just 27.2 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide, and their representation in local governments has stalled at 35.5 per cent. In management, women occupy only 30 per cent of roles, and at this pace, true parity is nearly a century away.

Marking 30 years since the Beijing Platform for Action, the report frames 2025 as a moment of reckoning. “Gender equality is not an ideology,” it warns. “It is foundational for peace, development, and human rights.” Ahead of the UN high-level week, the Gender Snapshot report makes clear that the choice is urgent: invest in women and girls now, or risk losing another generation of progress.

Ms. Hendriks shared UN Women’s message for world leaders: “Change is absolutely possible, and a different pathway is before us, but it is not inevitable, and it requires the political will, as well as the determined resolve of governments right around the world to make gender equality, women’s rights and their empowerment a reality once and for all”.

Anchored in the Beijing+30 Action Agenda, the report identifies six priority areas where urgent, accelerated action is needed to achieve gender equality for all women and girls by 2030, which include a digital revolution, freedom from poverty, zero violence, full and equal decision-making power, peace and security and climate justice.

Gaza: International community must ‘match words with action’ now

Posted on September 13, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 City ‘death sentence’

She said this past Tuesday, Gaza City “was handed a death sentence”, with hundreds of thousands of battered civilians ordered to flee to an already overcrowded area where “even small animals have to search for spaces to squeeze between to move around.”

Across the Strip, the situation is dire. A friend texted her on Thursday saying that they tried to find space in the south, but there was none.

“His 8-year-old cousin was killed instantly in an Israeli strike together with several other children last week while waiting for some bread to be baked,” she told journalists at UN Headquarters.

The friend’s daughter, who recently turned two, has known nothing but war, she added.

Death, despair and destruction

“The unmistakable smell of death is everywhere – a grisly reminder that the ruins lining the streets hide the remains of mothers, fathers, children,” Ms. Cherevko continued.

“Humans who used to laugh, cry, dream. Their lives cut short by the war’s killing machines, many to never be found again.”

As humanitarians drove back into Gaza on Thursday, distraught people crowded around their convoy “pleading for this horror to stop,” she said.

“Dignity and hope have been stripped away, with every killing of a loved one, with every strike on a civilian lifeline, with every denial of access.”

She said that “the race against time, against death, against the spread of famine, feels as if we as humanitarians are running through quicksand. Even more so as humanitarian convoys are too often denied, delayed or obstructed by the Israeli authorities.”

Humanity shines through

She noted that even amid hardship “humanity shines”, pointing to “the Palestinian doctors, nurses and paramedics working around the clock, often without pay, medicine or electricity.”

This also includes aid workers from UN agencies, the Red Crescent and other organizations “delivering food, medicine and clean water under fire”, as well as ordinary people who share the little they have with strangers.

“In every act of care – a refusal to let cruelty define the future. Proof that even in the darkest times, the human spirit endures,” she said.

Hope and action

Ms. Cherevko shared that she is often asked if she has any hope left.

“Hope may be all we have left, so we must nurture it,” she said. “But hope alone won’t keep people alive. Urgent decisions are needed that must pave the way to a lasting peace before it’s too late.”

She stressed that “the people of Gaza are not asking for charity. They are asking for their right to live in safety, in dignity, in peace,” adding that “our humanity – yours, mine, all of ours – demands that we act now.”

She concluded her remarks by insisting that “today, and every day, is a new chance for the international community to match words with action. Don’t miss it as it might be the last.”

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Guterres hails Papua New Guinea as an example of diversity, dialogue and climate action

Posted on September 3, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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’ – for peace, for dignity and for progress,” he said.

“You are champions of multilateralism and international solutions. And that spirit is urgently needed in our world today.”

He said that “Papua New Guinea offers a number of powerful lessons to the world”, with the first being forging consensus through dialogue.

The country has spent the past half century working to build “a single nation out of many traditions, many islands, many tongues”, which has not been easy.

Last Saturday, 30 August, marked 24 years since the signing of the Bougainville Peace Agreement. The accord between the Government and separatists ended a decade of conflict and established the autonomous Bougainville region.

Mr. Guterres said that while the conflict left deep scars, Papua New Guinea and Bougainville have stayed the course of peace for more than two decades.

“You have shown the world the path of healing through dialogue, perseverance and mutual respect,” he said, adding that people in Bougainville will go to the polls on Thursday in the fifth autonomous election since the agreement.

Leadership in climate action

Another lesson from Papua New Guinea has been bold climate action.

This was the Secretary-General’s first visit to the Pacific region since the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s highest judicial body, issued a landmark advisory opinion affirming that addressing the climate crisis is a legal obligation under international law.

As Pacific countries played a central role, the advisory opinion “is a testament to the leadership of Papua New Guinea, Melanesia and the wider Pacific region, particularly your young people, who make up 60 per cent of your population”, he said.

A crucial voice

“Your voice will be integral again during the annual UN climate conference in Belem, Brazil,” he said, warning that efforts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius are in jeopardy.

He urged countries to submit new national climate plans that align with this goal, cover all emissions across their economies and accelerate the transition from fossil fuels.

Mr. Guterres also called for action on climate finance, including stepping up contributions to the loss and damage fund, while richer countries must honour their promise to double adaptation finance and deliver $300 billion each year over the next decade.

Furthermore, as many developing countries are “drowning in unsustainable debt”, reform of the current international financial architecture is needed to make it fairer and more representative. The same applies to the UN Security Council and other international institutions.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed (centre right) joined a march in support of International Women’s Day in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, in March 2020.

Representation of women

The UN chief noted that Papua New Guinea once hosted peacekeepers, but today is a champion of peacebuilding and sustainable development.

He stressed, however, that “no story of peace or progress is complete without fully including half of the population”, highlighting another area where the country can set an example.

He recalled that UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed was there five years ago for the national launch of the Spotlight Initiative — part of the world’s largest effort to end all forms of violence against women and girls, a challenge that exists in all societies.

In March, parliament devoted an entire day to testimonies on gender-based violence, marking a vital step.

“Ensuring greater voice and representation of women is not only a matter of justice — it is a matter of national strength,” he said.

“Families thrive. Communities grow stronger. And institutions become more responsive when we uphold the rights of all.”

The world is demanding action over plastic pollution: UN environment chief

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“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, even in our bodies…What is sure is that no one wants to live with the plastic pollution.”

Out of control

Unless an international accord is inked, plastic production and waste is projected to triple by 2060, causing significant damage – including to our health – according to UNEP.

Switzerland’s top environment official Katrin Schneeberger echoed the call for a legally binding treaty, insisting that plastic waste “is choking our lakes, harming wildlife and threatening human health. This is more than just an environmental issue, it is a global challenge that demands urgent and collective action.”

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the treaty negotiations, Ms. Schneeberger underscored that there was “no call for a production cap” by producing countries.

Spirit of compromise?

“Reaching a shared understanding that measures are needed on both the production and consumption sides can help unlock the negotiations,” she said in her capacity as Director of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment.

Supporters of a deal have compared it to the Paris Climate Accord in terms of its significance. They have also pointed to the pressure allegedly being brought to bear against a deal by petrostates, whose crude oil and natural gas provide the building blocks of plastics.

“We will not recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis: we need a systemic transformation to achieve the transition to a circular economy,” UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen has insisted in previous comments on the need for global regulations on plastics.

Virtuous circle

With 10 days of talks scheduled on the treaty at the UN in Geneva, supporters of an accord hope that the deal will cover the full life cycle of plastics, from design to production and disposal.

The treaty should “promote plastic circularity and prevent leakage of plastics in the environment”, according to the text now guiding negotiations led by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC).

At 22 pages, the INC document contains 32 draft articles which will be discussed line by line. The text is designed to shape the future instrument and serves as a starting point for negotiations by countries meeting in Geneva.

“Some [countries] will have to deal with reduction, others will have to deal with mechanical recycling and others will deal with alternatives,” Ms. Andersen said. “Let’s see how we can get to this through the negotiations. I think there’s a lot of good faith in the working group right now.”

The UNEP-led talks follow a decision in 2022 by Member States to meet and develop an international legally binding instrument to end the plastic pollution crisis, including in the marine environment, within two years.

The scale of the problem is massive, with straws, cups and stirrers, carrier bags and cosmetics containing microbeads just a few of the single-use products ending up in our oceans and landfill sites.

In comments to journalists, Ms. Andersen recalled touring Pakistan after deadly flooding killed more than 1,000 people in 2022 and seeing that debris and plastic were “a big part of the problem and so this is why we’re here, to find a solution while not leaving anyone behind and while ensuring that the economic wheels would keep turning”.

Disabling effect

Campaigners gathering on the sidelines of the negotiations expressed their hopes for as ambitious a treaty as possible.

They included Shellan Saling, from California, who’s the interim chair of the Youth Plastic Action Network (YPAN). “Plastic affects everything from climate change to health to fertility to even birth defects; it affects physical disabilities, as well as invisible disabilities,” she told UN News on Monday.

Any treaty inked in Geneva will have to be sufficiently robust to accommodate the needs of all countries of the world whose approach differs regarding plastic design, production, waste and recycling. It will also have to stand the test of time, Ms. Andersen said.

UN News interview with YPAN interim chair Shellan Saling

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‘Delivering better’: New ECOSOC president emphasises climate action, food security

Posted on August 1, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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, bridging divides, empowering the most vulnerable and translating commitments into action,” he said.

Four vice-presidents were also elected for the coming year: Amar Bendjama (Algeria), Héctor Gómez Hernández (Spain), Wellington Darío Bencosme Castaños (Dominican Republic) and Paruyr Hovhannisyan (Armenia).

80 years of ECOSOC

The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for promoting international economic and social cooperation and development.

It has 54 member States, elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms on a rotating basis, with seats distributed by region.

ECOSOC coordinates the work of UN specialized agencies, commissions and bodies on issues ranging from sustainable development and human rights. It also serves as a central platform for fostering debate, forging consensus, and promoting action on global economic and social issues.

For Mr. Thapa, this body is central to shaping the world’s development agenda and ensuring that no one is left behind.

“ECOSOC is our place. It needs dedication, participation and active engagement of all UN membership and stakeholders,” he said.

Five ways to deliver better

While “delivering better” will be the motto of Mr. Thapa’s presidency, he outlined five specific areas upon which he and the Council will focus in the coming year.

With over 735 million people worldwide experiencing hunger, his first priority area is transforming agriculture to strengthen rural resilience and end hunger.

Digital entrepreneurship and youth engagement are tied to this — and are his second priority area. He noted the “youth bulge” in many developing countries which he said will be a powerful demographic asset if it can be taken advantage of.

Like ECOSOC presidents before him, his third priority area deals with climate action and resilience. This time, however, he would like ECOSOC to focus specifically on glacier lakes and floods.

His final two priority areas are reforming the international financial architecture so that it is more inclusive and commemorating the 80th anniversary of ECOSOC.

Mr. Thapa noted that he and ECOSOC’s membership will be working to achieve these challenges in the midst of multiple, interlinking crises including accelerating climate change, rising geopolitical tensions and decreasing trust in the multilateral system.

“These challenges are systemic and interconnected. They demand integrated, inclusive and forward-looking responses,” Mr. Thapa said.

Fix, repair, mend

Before Mr. Thapa’s remarks, Bob Rae, the outgoing president of ECOSOC and Canada’s Ambassador to the UN, reflected on his tenure. He acknowledged that the world is currently in a time of great hardship and genuine anguish.

But he said that it must be the job of ECOSOC — and UN Member States more broadly — to not only give voice to this anguish and hardship but to actually find solutions for it as well.

“We hear a lot in the UN discourse about how things are broken, how things have fallen apart, how things are unhinged … But our job is to fix, it’s to repair, it’s to mend, it’s to allow things to heal, it’s to make change happen,” Mr. Rae said.

Both Mr. Thapa and Mr. Rae affirmed that multilateralism can work and that ECOSOC should play a unique role in rewriting the narrative surrounding international cooperation.

“We must reaffirm our collective belief in the power of multilateralism — not as an abstract ideal, but as a pragmatic tool for delivering better outcomes for all,” Mr. Thapa said.

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Deputy UN chief urges bold action to transform food systems at global summit in Addis Ababa

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 the cracks in our systems.”

“Too often food systems are seen as part of our challenges,” she said. “When in fact, they can be one of the greatest solutions to deliver for people, planet, peace and prosperity.”

A global process for transformation

The UN Food Systems Summit process was launched in 2021 “in the midst of a global pandemic” to catalyse national and global action to make food systems more inclusive, resilient and sustainable.

The 2025 stocktake brought together over 3,000 participants from governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, youth, and the private sector to assess progress and renew commitments.

To date, more than 130 countries have developed National Pathways for food systems transformation, supported by UN agencies and development partners.

Moving the UNFSS process forward

In her address, Ms. Mohammed highlighted several areas of progress and called for urgent, coordinated action:

Food systems as climate solutions:
“Food and agriculture are now part of the climate plans of 168 countries,” she said, noting their potential to reduce emissions and build resilience.
School meals as a strategic investment:
Over 170 countries are implementing school meal programmes. These are not just meals – they are investments in children, our farmers, and the future.
Cities driving innovation:
Urban centres are leading efforts to reduce food waste and strengthen local supply chains. Cities are showing what innovation looks like on the ground.
Inclusion is essential:
Ms. Mohammed called for inclusion of youth, Indigenous Peoples, women, and marginalized communities. “These are powerful commitments to transform food systems for people and the planet that you have helped inspire.”
Financing must match ambition:
She urged donors and development banks to align investments with national pathways.

“As we conclude this Stocktake, we must acknowledge that we met in the face of challenges that test our moral values and threaten the future sustainability of our planet, underscoring the urgency of our work together.”

A food market in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.

Global hunger declines, but regional disparities persist

The Summit, which has been running in the Ethiopian capital since 27 July, saw the launch of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025 (SOFI) report, which revealed a modest decline in global hunger – but a troubling rise in food insecurity in Africa and Western Asia

Jointly produced by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, the report highlights how persistent food price inflation has undermined access to healthy diets, especially for low-income populations. Vulnerable groups – including women, children, and rural communities – remain disproportionately affected.

The report calls for:

Coherent fiscal and monetary policies to stabilize markets
Open and resilient trade systems
Targeted social protection for at-risk populations
Sustained investment in resilient agrifood systems

While noting an encouraging decrease in the global hunger rate, the report underscored that progress is uneven. SOFI 2025 serves as a critical reminder that the international community must intensify efforts to ensure that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.

Hope for those who need it most

At a key side event on Tuesday, Ms. Mohammed appealed for long-term, inclusive solutions to food insecurity in crisis-affected regions. She highlighted the staggering toll of acute malnutrition, noting that over 37 million children under five will face acute malnutrition this year – nearly 10 million of them suffering from severe wasting, the deadliest form of undernutrition.

“Communities are trapped in relentless cycles of hardship,” she said. “But courage is on display at all moments.”

Ms. Mohammed urged governments and partners to move beyond short-term interventions and embrace transformative, locally driven solutions. She praised countries embedding resilience into national strategies and combining traditional knowledge with science to rebuild food systems.

“These governments are not waiting for permission – they are leading,” she said.

She outlined three priorities for action: Catalytic finance that builds local capacity; Coordinated responses that bridge humanitarian and development divides; and Community-centred approaches, especially for women and youth.

“Food systems transformation is especially critical in complex settings,” she said. “It drives food security, resilience, stability, and inclusive growth.”

She wrapped up the event with a call to strengthen multilateralism and unlock opportunity “for and with those who need it most.”

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed (left) serves food to children at a UN Food Systems Summit event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Looking ahead

Ms. Mohammed closed the Summit with a call to action:

“Our movement has shown what is possible when we work together in deliberate ways across sectors, stakeholders, and countries with a shared purpose.”

She called on governments and people everywhere to build on what has been accomplished and continue to work together for peace and to realize the vision of the 2030 Agenda.

“Let’s continue to lead the way – together.”

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Guterres: ‘Breaking point’ reached in Israel-Palestine conflict, urgent action needed on two-State solution

Posted on July 28, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 for generations – defying hopes, defying diplomacy, defying countless resolutions, defying international law,” Mr. Guterres said. “But we also know its persistence is not inevitable. It can be resolved. That demands political will and courageous leadership. And it demands truth.”

“The truth is: we are at a breaking point. The two-State solution is farther than ever before.”

The Secretary-General denounced the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel and hostage-taking as acts of terror he has “repeatedly condemned.” At the same time, he said “nothing can justify the obliteration of Gaza that has unfolded before the eyes of the world.”

He also spoke out against the starvation of civilians, the killing of tens of thousands, mass displacement, settler violence and the “creeping annexation” of the occupied West Bank – a move he called “illegal”.

Stop undermining two-State solution

“Unilateral actions that would forever undermine the two-State solution are unacceptable and they must stop,” he said. “These are not isolated events. They are part of a systemic reality that is dismantling the building blocks of peace in the Middle East.”

The three-day conference is mandated by the General Assembly through resolutions ES-10/24 and 79/81, is co-organized by France and Saudi Arabia. It includes plenary sessions and thematic roundtables on issues such as security arrangements, humanitarian needs, reconstruction, and the economic viability of a future Palestinian state.

A group photograph of senior UN officials and ministers attending the high-level international conference.

Move beyond ‘well-meaning rhetoric’

In his speech, Mr. Guterres urged Member States not to let the event become “another exercise in well-meaning rhetoric.”

“It can and must serve as a decisive turning point – one that catalyses irreversible progress towards ending the occupation and realising our shared aspiration for a viable two-State solution,” he said.

Reiterating the long-standing UN position, the Secretary-General said the two-State solution remains the only viable path to peace – with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side within secure, recognised borders, based on the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States.

“It is the sine qua non [Latin for indispensable or absolutely essential] for peace across the wider Middle East,” he concluded.

More to follow…

Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France; Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia; and Mohammad Mustafa, Prime Minister of the State of Palestine also spoke at the meeting.

The meeting continues with wrap-up sessions of the thematic roundtables.

A plenary meeting in the General Assembly Hall will take place at 3 PM New York time.

You can follow the live coverage of the conference here.

In hard-hitting human rights address, Guterres calls for urgent action on Gaza, authoritarianism and climate justice

Posted on July 26, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 when inconvenient”, urging collective action to restore global trust, dignity and justice.

‘A moral crisis’

Mr. Guterres painted a stark picture of a world in turmoil, citing multiple ongoing crises, foremost among them, the war in Gaza.

While reiterating his condemnation of the 7 October 2023 terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel, the Secretary-General said that “nothing can justify the explosion of death and destruction since”.

“The scale and scope is beyond anything we have seen in recent times,” he said.

“I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community. The lack of compassion. The lack of truth. The lack of humanity.”

Key takeaways from the address

Gaza – “A moral crisis that challenges the global conscience”
Ukraine – Call for a “just and lasting peace” based on the UN Charter, international law and resolutions
Authoritarianism – A “global contagion”, with political repression, attacks on minorities and shrinking civic space
Climate justice – Bold action needed to cut emissions; clean energy transition must uphold human rights
Digital threats – Concern over algorithmic spread of hate and falsehoods; manipulation via social media
Call to action – “Human rights are the solution, foundation of peace and engine of progress”

UN staff ‘neither dead nor alive’

He described UN staff in Gaza as working in “unimaginable conditions”, many of them so depleted they “say they feel neither dead nor alive”.

Since late May, he noted, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed trying to access food – not in combat, but “in desperation – while the entire population starves”.

“This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience.”

Ready to scale up aid

Mr. Guterres said the UN stands ready to dramatically scale up humanitarian operations “as we successfully did during the previous pause in fighting”, but called for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire”, the unconditional release of all hostages and full humanitarian access.

“At the same time, we need urgent, concrete and irreversible steps towards a two-State solution,” he stressed.

He also spoke about other conflicts, including Sudan as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where he called for a “just and lasting peace” based on the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions.

Secretary-General Guterres (left) addresses Amnesty International’s Global Assembly via video link.

Rising authoritarianism

The Secretary-General warned that authoritarian tactics are on the rise globally.

“We are witnessing a surge in repressive tactics aiming at corroding respect for human rights,” he said. “And these are contaminating some democracies.”

Political opposition movements are being crushed, accountability mechanisms dismantled, journalists and activists silenced, civic space strangled and minorities scapegoated.

Rights of women and girls in particular are being rolled back, most starkly, he said, in Afghanistan.

“This is not a series of isolated events. It is a global contagion.”

Weaponization of technology

He decried the growing weaponization of digital platforms, saying algorithms are “boosting the worst of humanity, rewarding falsehoods, fuelling racism and misogyny and deepening division”.

He called on governments to uphold the Global Digital Compact adopted by countries at the UN General Assembly last September and to take stronger action to combat online hate and disinformation.

Activists outside the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague as the Court delivers its advisory opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change.

Climate justice is human rights

Turning to climate, Mr. Guterres described the environmental emergency as a “human rights catastrophe”, with the poorest and most vulnerable communities suffering most.

He welcomed the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’s advisory opinion this week, affirming that climate change is a human rights issue and that States have obligations under international law to protect the global climate system.

But, he cautioned against a transition to clean energy that sacrifices human rights.

“We cannot accept a clean energy future built on dirty practices…We cannot accept enormous violations of human rights, many of them against children, in the name of climate progress.”

He called for urgent emissions cuts, a just transition away from fossil fuels and real financing for developing countries to adapt, build resilience and recover from loss and damage.

A legacy of activism

The Secretary-General concluded by praising Amnesty International’s decades of activism, calling its work “indispensable” to the global human rights movement.

“When you stand for human rights, you stand with what is right,” he told delegates.

“Your courage continues to change lives. Your persistence is shifting the course of history. Let’s keep going. Let’s meet this moment with the urgency it demands. And let’s never, ever give up.”

Founded in 1961, Amnesty International is a global human rights movement that campaigns to end abuses and promote justice. The organization has long worked in collaboration with the United Nations, participating actively in the development of international human rights law and mechanisms.

Today’s speech by Mr. Guterres is first-ever address by a UN Secretary-General to Amnesty International’s Global Assembly, the charity’s highest decision-making body. The UN chief spoke via a video link to the event in Prague.

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Spain and Brazil push global action to tax the super-rich and curb inequality

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 needs. Inequality is a problem everywhere, and the richest pay less than the middle class – even less than lower-income taxpayers,” said Spain’s Secretary of State for Finance Jesús Gascón, during a press conference at the conference venue, where temperatures have soared to record highs in recent days.

The two governments are calling on others to join a drive for a fairer, more progressive global tax system. They point to a stark reality: the wealthiest one per cent of the global population owns more than 95 per cent of humanity combined.

The Spanish Secretary of State for Finance Jesús Gascón (on screen) addresses a meeting at the Financing for Development conference in Sevilla, Spain.

Sharing knowledge, closing gaps

In today’s interconnected world, access to reliable data is essential. The initiative prioritises information sharing – between governments and tax authorities – to help expose gaps in tax systems, close loopholes, and combat evasion and avoidance.

Improving data quality and building national capacities for data analysis will help tax administrations identify where and how wealth is concentrated, how much is currently being paid, and what needs to change.

Though some progress has already been made, the countries say much more must be done and many more countries should come on board.

“There’s a real need to know who the beneficial owners are behind companies and legal structures used to conceal wealth,” said Mr. Gascón. The initiative also proposes technical cooperation, training in data analytics, and peer review mechanisms to strengthen national tax systems.

A global wealth registry?

Spain and Brazil are even considering steps toward a global wealth registry – acknowledging that this would take time, political will, and major national efforts.

But the aim is clear: more transparency, more accountability, and fairer contributions from the richest.

“We cannot tolerate the intensity of inequality, which has been increasing in recent years,” said Brazil’s Minister-Counsellor to the UN, José Gilberto Scandiucci denying that this was some kind of far-leftist agenda.

“This is a moderate initiative to confront a very radical reality.”

The proposal forms part of the Seville Platform for Action, which is turbocharging voluntary actions to help reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – currently way off track for the 2030 deadline.

G20 highlights ‘high worth’ factor

It also follows the 2024 agreement by the G20 industrialised nations who met in Rio, Brazil, last year – the first international accord to commit to a joint tax agenda for high-net-worth individuals.

A three-month work plan is now being drawn up, with regular meetings planned to track progress. The goal: bring more countries, international organisations and civil society on board to push forward tax reforms targeting the ultra-rich.

“If we want to effectively tax the super-rich, fight inequality and make our tax systems fairer and more progressive, we need political will – and we need to act within our means,” Mr. Gascón added.

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What is the Commission for Social Development?

A post-Doha moment for social policy

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Youth mental health in focus

Resolutions endorsed

Mass killings

Dire warnings

Deadly drone war

Mediation measures

Move from words to action

UN ready to deliver

Crisis deepens on the ground

Disinformation: a direct threat to COP30

Cracking the code behind climate lies

Disinformation’s shape-shifting tactics

A generation that refuses to give up

‘Legitimate’ protests and government response

Indigenous youth voices underline urgency

Commitment to climate action

‘COP in the Amazon is meant to hear these voices’

A question of survival

Renewable energy takes the lead

Africa’s untapped potential

The ‘lifeblood’ of climate action

‘When finance flows, ambition grows’

Chocolate, community and a vision for the future

Solar power and scaling up

From local solutions to global action

Lessons from the forest

What ​UNIDO does, and why it matters

A platform for transformation

What to look out for at the Summit

Peace, Myanmar and regional stability

A fairer financial system

Climate change target ‘on life support’

Standing together

Spain – Accelerate energy transition

Panama – Nature, the first line of defense

Comoros – Small island, big stakes

Namibia – Linking climate action to desertification

Guyana – Nature’s tangible value

Marshall Islands – Promises won’t save sinking atolls

What is the Vienna Convention?

Multilateralism at its best

Next in line, the Kigali Amendment

Gaza City ‘death sentence’

Death, despair and destruction

Humanity shines through

Hope and action

Commitment to peace, dignity and progress

Leadership in climate action

A crucial voice

Representation of women

Out of control

Spirit of compromise?

Virtuous circle

Disabling effect

80 years of ECOSOC

Five ways to deliver better

Fix, repair, mend

A global process for transformation

Moving the UNFSS process forward

Global hunger declines, but regional disparities persist

Hope for those who need it most

Looking ahead

Stop undermining two-State solution

Move beyond ‘well-meaning rhetoric’

More to follow…

‘A moral crisis’

Key takeaways from the address

UN staff ‘neither dead nor alive’

Ready to scale up aid

Rising authoritarianism

Weaponization of technology

Climate justice is human rights

A legacy of activism

Sharing knowledge, closing gaps

A global wealth registry?

G20 highlights ‘high worth’ factor

What UNIDO does, and why it matters