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World News in Brief: Deadly strikes in Sudan, health systems in South Sudan near the brink, Guterres calls for unity ahead of Ramadan.

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Over the past week, North Kordofan state recorded more than a dozen attacks in and around the towns of El Obeid, Bara, Rahad and Um Rawaba.  

In South Kordofan, suspected drone strikes hit health facilities in the state capital, Kadugli, and in Kuweik town, reportedly killing four medical workers, injuring more than 20 people. 

Concerns over the conflict continue to deepen after a report today from the UN Human Rights Office revealed the “sustained” and “systematic attacks” to civilians in the neighbouring Darfur region in late 2025 that may “amount to crimes against humanity”. 

Growing humanitarian concerns 

“The violence is triggering a new wave of displacement, with reports of many fleeing homes, in need food, health care and protection,” warned the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric on Friday. 

While the humanitarian situation in Dilling and Kadugli continues to deteriorate, he emphasised that “rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access is essential for us to scale up our response.” 

Commercial vehicles, telecommunications infrastructure and key transport routes have been affected the drone strikes, disrupting humanitarian movements and supply chains. 

Mr. Dujarric called for “the protection of humanitarian infrastructure, in line with international humanitarian law” and urged for more funding through UN aid coordination office OCHA to support displaced families across Sudan. 

Violence pushes South Sudan’s health system to the brink 

Since late December 2025, a devasting escalation of violence has swept across northern and central parts of South Sudan, the UN children’s agency (UNICEF) said on Friday. 

In Jonglei state alone, at least 280,000 people have been displaced – the majority being women and children.

“They fled with nothing. They are sleeping in displacement camps left over from the not-so-distant civil war – camps where there are barely any services. Others are out in the open, in remote locations, with nothing at all,” said UNICEF’s representative in South Sudan, Obia Acheng. 

Children were believed to make up 53 percent of those displaced.

“These children face killing and maiming. Recruitment into armed groups. Separation from their families. Gender-based violence. And profound psychological distress that will mark them for years,” Mr. Acheng emphasised.

Delivering for children

South Sudan’s health system is on the verge of collapse, with 11 health facilities attacked or looted since fighting intensified and many nutrition centres forced to close, UNICEF said.

Cholera cases have surged to 479 nationwide, with treatment centres overwhelmed and resources running low.

Around 825,000 children across Jonglei, Unity, and Eastern Equatoria states are now at risk of acute malnutrition — conditions that make children 12 times more likely to die without treatment.

Pregnant and nursing mothers are increasingly cut off from care, and humanitarian infrastructure is under assault.

Despite these grim numbers, UNICEF continues to run primary healthcare, nutrition, water and sanitation, and child protection programmes across the country. 

The UN Security Council also issued a statement expressing grave concern about the escalating violence in Jonglei, Eastern Equatoria, and throughout South Sudan. 

Members strongly called on all parties to de-escalate and immediately cease renewed hostilities and to resolve issues through peaceful dialogue.  

Children in Gaza hold lanterns to celebrate the advent of Ramadan. (file)

UN chief calls for unity and compassion ahead of Ramadan 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged people worldwide to embrace the spirit of peace, compassion and solidarity as Muslims prepare to observe the holy month of Ramadan.  

“For Muslims around the world, the holy month of Ramadan is a sacred period of reflection and prayer. Ramadan also represents a noble vision of hope and peace.” Mr. Guterres said in a message ahead of the start on Tuesday.  

He noted, however, that for many — from Afghanistan to Yemen, Gaza, and Sudan — this vision of hope and unity remained distant amid conflict, hunger, and displacement. 

The UN chief called on the global community to bridge divides, deliver aid to those in need, and uphold human rights and dignity for all. 

“May this Holy Month inspire us to work as one to build a more peaceful, generous and just world for all people,” he said. 

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Haiti crisis at breaking point as gangs tighten grip ahead of transition deadline

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With the political transition set to expire on 7 February, officials cautioned that escalating violence, entrenched criminal networks and mounting humanitarian needs risk pushing Haiti further into instability unless security and political efforts are urgently sustained.

Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, the head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), said the country had entered a “critical phase” in efforts to restore democratic institutions, calling on Haitian actors to contain political fragmentation and prioritise elections.

“Let us be clear: the country no longer has time to waste on prolonged internal struggles,” he said, stressing the need for continuity of governance arrangements beyond the February deadline and sustained coordination to bring the transition to a close.

Mr. Ruiz-Massieu said recent steps toward elections were encouraging, citing the adoption of an electoral decree on 1 December and the publication of an calendar for going to the polls later that month.  

New provisions on voter registration, overseas voter participation and women’s representation could boost inclusivity if effectively implemented, he added.

Security still fragile

But progress on the political front is unfolding against a deteriorating security landscape.

Gangs continue to mount coordinated attacks, control key economic corridors and agricultural regions, and force mass displacement – stretching police and humanitarian capacity to the limit.

The murder rate in 2025 rose by nearly 20 per cent compared with 2024, he said.

Some security gains have been made. Police operations, supported by the Security Council-authorised Gang Suppression Force, have reopened roads in parts of Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite Department, while state presence around the capital’s Champ de Mars has been gradually restored.

Mr. Ruiz-Massieu cautioned, however, that such gains remain fragile and risk reversal without sustained pressure and basic service delivery.

Read our explainer on the situation in Hait: Why the crisis is deepening, and what comes next

Gangs reorganising and restructuring

The evolving violence reflects a deeper transformation of Haiti’s criminal landscape, according to John Brandolino, Acting Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Once-fragmented gangs have reorganised into structured criminal networks with defined leadership, territorial ambitions and diversified revenue streams.

Coalitions such as Viv Ansanm have coordinated large-scale attacks on police, prisons and economic infrastructure, he said, allowing gangs to consolidate control over Port-au-Prince and strategic corridors into Artibonite and Plateau Central.

Extortion has become a core revenue source, alongside trafficking in drugs, weapons and ammunition.

Implications for regional security

UNODC said the crisis is increasingly regional, driven by adaptive arms-trafficking routes, illicit financial flows and corruption. Despite enforcement efforts, traffickers continue to shift routes through weaker ports and offshore transfers to evade embargo controls.

Both officials underscored the importance of the transition of the Multinational Security Support Mission into the Gang Suppression Force and the establishment of the UN Support Office in Haiti, calling for predictable funding and continued international backing.

Beyond security, the humanitarian situation remains dire. Around 6.4 million people require assistance, with Haiti among the least-funded humanitarian responses globally.

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New national climate plans unveiled at high-level summit ahead of COP30 conference

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The game-changing summit was convened by Secretary-General António Guterres alongside President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva of Brazil, host of the COP30 conference which kicks off in November in the Amazonian city of Belém.

At the outset, leading climate scientists Johan Rockström and Katharine Hayhoe provided a stark assessment of global efforts so far to honour the Paris Agreement, the landmark 2015 treaty that seeks to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

‘A deep concern’

Ten years on, greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming continue to rise, and annual global temperature change exceeded 1.5 degrees for the first time last year.

“This is a deep concern,” said Professor Rockström, chief scientist at Conservation International. “An even deeper concern is that warming appears to be accelerating, outpacing emissions.”

Yet it is still possible to meet the1.5-degree goal and the two experts highlighted solutions, including transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy sources and transforming food systems to eliminate waste. 

“We cannot prevent this catastrophe alone. But together, we can. By setting stronger targets, moving on faster timelines, and making deeper commitments,” said Professor Hayhoe, a winner of the 2019 UN Champions of the Earth Prize.

Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the Climate Summit 2025, a high-Level special event on Climate Action.

More action needed: Guterres

Under the Paris Agreement, governments are required to submit climate plans called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) laying out bold action for the next decade.

The treaty has made a difference, the Secretary-General said, as projected global temperature rise dropped from four degrees to less than three over the past 10 years, if current plans are fully implemented.

“Now, we need new plans for 2035 that go much further, and much faster,” he said. “Delivering dramatic emissions cuts aligned with 1.5 degrees; covering all emissions and sectors; and accelerating a just energy transition globally.”

He stressed that COP30 “must conclude with a credible global response plan to get us on track” and outlined five crucial areas for action: accelerating the transition to clean energy, drastically cutting methane gas emissions, forest conservation, cutting emissions from heavy industry, and ensuring climate justice for developing nations.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil addresses the Climate Summit 2025, a high-Level special event on Climate Action.

Do your ‘homework’, urges Lula

With just a few weeks until COP30, President Lula wondered “whether the world will arrive in Belém with its homework done.”

He said that “the energy transition opens the door to a productive and technological transformation comparable to the Industrial Revolution” and NDCs “are the road map that will guide each country through this change.”

For its part, Brazil has committed to reducing all greenhouse gas emissions between 59 per cent and 67 per cent, covering all sectors of the economy, he said, and continues efforts to end deforestation by 2030.

Commitment from China and Europe

At the meeting, President Xi Jinping of China announced that by 2035, the country will reduce economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by seven to 10 per cent from peak levels.  

The country will also increase the share of non-fossil fuels in total energy consumption to over 30 per cent, expand wind and solar power capacity sixfold compared to 2020 levels, and make “new energy vehicles” the mainstream in new vehicle sales, he said in a video message.

Meanwhile, “the clean transition is moving on” in the European Union, where emissions are down nearly 40 per cent since 1990, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 

European countries are also “doubling down on global partnerships” and will remain the world’s largest providers of climate finance, she said, while also mobilizing up to 300 billion Euros to support the clean energy transition worldwide.

Vulnerable nations ‘between hope and hardship’

For Belize, the 1.5-degree goal “is not an aspiration” but “a threshold between hope and hardship, between flourishing communities and forced displacement, between shared prosperity and irreversible loss,” said Prime Minister Johnny Briceño.

Its new NDC covers concrete actions, such as expanding renewable electricity generation to cover 80 per cent of domestic needs by 2035, restoring some 25,000 hectares of degraded forest, and planting a million trees over the next three years. 

“But let me be clear, ambition can only succeed if matched by support for small climate vulnerable nations like Belize. 

“This means scaled up, predictable finance; accessible technology and genuine partnerships,” he said, noting that “success depends on all of us acting with unprecedented urgency, solidarity and climate justice.” 

 

What to know ahead of Sept 22 UN summit on Palestine

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Held on the opening day of the UN General Assembly’s high-level week, the annual September gathering of world leaders, the initiative comes amid a deeply worrying regional backdrop of  intensified Israeli military operations that have allegedly killed more than 60,000 people in Gaza since October 7, 2023, Israel’s strikes against Hamas officials in Qatar on September 9, and accelerating settlement expansion in the West Bank.

Despite the volatile regional context, the two-state solution is regaining diplomatic traction. On September 12, the General Assembly adopted by a wide margin the “New York Declaration,” following a July conference also co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia. It called for “just and lasting peace grounded in international law and based on the two-state solution.”

To end the war, it urged Hamas to “end its role in Gaza, and handover its weapons to the Palestinian Authority.” The United States and Israel, which had boycotted the July conference, voted against the text.

The September 22 summit will likely build on that momentum, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce France’s recognition of the State of Palestine, and several other Western countries, including the UK, Canada, Belgium, and Australia, are reportedly considering following suit.

In short, the summit’s impact could inject new momentum into efforts to establish a UN roadmap towards two states.

ALSO READ: London’s Far-Right Rally Sends Shockwaves Through South Asian Communities

‘Our livelihoods have been cut off’, say West Bank farmers ahead of olive harvest

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Like thousands of Palestinian farmers, he faces growing restrictions from Israeli forces and settlers, who have made the olive harvest season – running from September to November – a time of uncertainty and struggle.  

In recent years, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has supported olive farmers and cooperatives to improve access to and management of land and water resources, introduced sustainable practices such as intercropping, and helped them increase food production and income by using natural resources more efficiently.

The olive harvest is both a primary source of livelihood for thousands of families and an integral part of Palestinian heritage.

Yet, attacks on the harvest threaten such heritage and hinder Palestinian farmers’ work and way of life – as settler attacks reach their highest level in at least two decades, according to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.

‘Unprecedented’ risks

“As the West Bank gears up for the annual olive harvest, the message from farmers is clear: This year’s harvest season is marked by uncertainty, and livelihoods are under unprecedented risk,” said Ciro Fiorillo, FAO’s Head of Office in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.  

The combination of State policies and settler violence has prevented Palestinians from accessing tens of thousands of dunums of farmland and pasture, one dunum equating 1,000 square meters.

These restrictions have contributed to the destruction of the local economy and the displacement of thousands of Palestinian herders and farmers, in conditions that may amount to forcible transfer, according to the UN human rights office (OHCHR).

Olives and olive oil production in the West Bank are a cornerstone of Palestinian culture.

“Our livelihoods have been cut off. Olive crops are the primary source of income for farmers,” a Palestinian farmer from Kufr Qaddum village, told UN News.

Land access denied

“For two years now, we have been denied access to our lands,” Yousef, a Palestinian farmer from Kufr Qaddum told UN News. All land in the northern area of the village has been sealed off with an iron gate following the most recent escalation between Iran and Israel.

Yousef’s family owns over 300 dunums of land, primarily cultivated with olive trees, located near the Israeli Kedumim settlement, in Qalqiliya Governorate.  

Since Hamas’s attack on Israel in 2023, they have had no access to their land, including during the harvesting season.  

“These lands cover approximately four to five thousand dunams. We have been prevented from accessing them,” Yousef said, adding that “this issue [affected] all farmers across the entire West Bank.”   

Mohammed, a Palestinian farmer from Kifl Harris, a village located near the Israeli Ariel settlement in Salfit Governorate, has been denied access to over 3,000 dunums of olive-cultivated land located within the settlement boundary. This restriction has completely cut off the ability of Kifl Harris’s farmers to tend to and harvest their groves.  

“The olive season is our main economic lifeline as farmers and employees in both the public and the private sectors,” Mohammed told UN News, adding that Palestinian farmers had not been given a reason for being denied access.

“After settlers installed a caravan on our family’s land, access to more than 200 dunums of farmland, much of it planted with olive trees, was restricted,” Ahmed, a farmer from Khalet Al Luza told OCHA.  

Harassment from settlers

“We have endured all kinds of harassment from settlers and the [Israeli] army,” Yousef from Kufr Qaddum told us.  

In an advisory opinion from July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and that it is under an obligation to end its unlawful presence “as rapidly as possible”.

Settlers installed a caravan on a Palestinian family’s land in Khalet Al Luza, West Bank.

“Settler attacks have affected all farmers. I, personally, have been prevented from reaching my land, and we’ve been subjected to repeated attacks by settlers and the army, including theft of olive crops, theft of olive harvesting equipment, vehicle vandalism, cutting down olive trees, and threats,” Yousef said.  

In a statement published on 30 July, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) warned of escalating Israeli settler violence “with the acquiescence, support, and in some cases participation” of Israeli forces.

It stated that Israeli Government “policy and legislative actions appear aimed at emptying certain areas of the West Bank of the Palestinian population, advancing the settlement enterprise, and consolidating the annexation” of large parts of the West Bank.  

“We urge you to work with international institutions through peaceful means to achieve a result that enables us to access our lands safely and harvest the fruits of our olives and trees,” Yousef pleaded.

“Together with our resource partners, FAO is committed to continuing supporting local olive cultivation, which is as important to livelihoods and food security as it is to Palestinian culture and tradition,” said Mr. Fiorillo. 

*Names in this story have been changed to protect the identities of those featured.

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UN peacekeeping mandate in Lebanon faces scrutiny ahead of Security Council vote

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As members of the UN Security Council negotiate the renewal of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ahead of a 31 August deadline, the mission’s future role and capacity are under intense debate.

UNIFIL has long been a stabilising presence in southern Lebanon, working alongside the Lebanese armed forces, mediating between parties, and supporting local communities.

A key part of its mandate is to implement Security Council resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

Yet challenges remain, from Israeli military positions inside Lebanon to Hezbollah’s arsenal and the broader question of how resolution 1701 – which calls for a complete end to hostilities – can be fully implemented.

According to media reports, last-ditch negotiations are underway over the mission’s future, with some diplomats warning of risks to border stability and others voicing tepid support or pressing for full withdrawal.

Earlier this week, Andrea Tenenti, spokesperson for UNIFIL, sat down with UN News’s Nancy Sarkis to discuss the mission’s effectiveness, the risks of a non-renewal, and what is at stake for Lebanon, Israel, and regional stability.

UNIFIL peacekeepers on patrol (file)

This interview has been edited for clarity

UN News: UNIFIL’s mandate, which expires at the end of August, needs to be renewed by the UN Security Council. Why is this renewal important, and how do you assess UNIFIL’s effectiveness so far?

Andrea Tenenti: The renewal comes after a long crisis that has devastated the region and destroyed most of the areas close to the Blue Line. It would show the importance of maintaining an international peacekeeping operation to assist the Lebanese army [Lebanese Armed Forces, or LAF] in their full deployment.

That’s what we have been doing from the very beginning, and in the last several months since November, after the cessation of hostilities, the LAF has brought more troops to the south, and we have been working with them in being deployed in all these positions, although the real challenge at the moment is that we still have Israeli Defense Forces [IDF] positions present in the south of the country.

UN News: To what extent are the Lebanese armed forces ready to assume full responsibility in southern Lebanon without the support of peacekeepers, and what challenges do they face in doing so?

Andrea Tenenti: Right now, the Lebanese army don’t have the capacities and capabilities to be fully deployed. There is a financial crisis in the country, and they need capacity and capability support from UNIFIL, and the financial support of the international community to have a sustainable presence and to bring State authority to the south.

The Lebanese army and authorities have demonstrated their full commitment to resolution 1701. However, they cannot be fully deployed if the IDF are still present; the presence of the IDF in the south is a violation of Lebanese sovereignty and resolution 1701. There needs to be commitment from both sides.

UN News: If the UNIFIL mandate is not renewed, what are the potential consequences for regional stability?

Andrea Tenenti: The situation is much better than before, but very, very fragile. Anything could jeopardise the situation in the south. A lack of renewal would create a real vacuum for stability of the region. It would create a very dangerous precedent and situation for the stability of the country, and it would make impartial monitoring very difficult.

UN News: UNIFIL has faced criticism from Lebanon, Israel, and internationally. How do you respond to these criticisms, and what step can be taken to strengthen trust and credibility?

Andrea Tenenti: Criticism goes with the job of any peacekeeping mission. In order to be impartial, staying in the middle and trying to assist the parties in the implementation of the mission’s mandate, you will be criticised by both sides.

Sometimes, the criticism is driven by a misconception of the mission’s mandate. For example, resolution 1701 does not call for UNIFIL to disarm Hezbollah. This is not our mandate. We are to support the Lebanese army to do it, and that’s what we are doing right now.

On the Lebanese side, we have been criticised for patrolling without the Lebanese army, but as part of 1701 we are tasked to operate either with the Lebanese army or independently.

This is something that the Lebanese army and Lebanese authorities know very well. Sometimes it’s a matter of disinformation and misinformation about the role of the mission, and we are trying to counter that as much as we can.

UN News: What is your vision for UNIFIL’s role in the coming years, and do you see it as a short-term necessity or as a part of a long-term regional security framework?

Andrea Tenenti: At the moment, UNIFIL is very much needed to support the stability of the region, bring back the Lebanese army to the south – and return State authority that has been not present for a very long time. But it has to be a south free from occupation – that’s the only way to move forward.

The goal of the mission has always been to leave and hand over all our capabilities and tasks to the Lebanese authorities, but a lot needs to be done. To ensure stability in the region, we have to be pragmatic on the timetable.

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‘The real challenge is still ahead’: UN warns on Afghan returnees

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“The real challenge is still ahead of us,” Stephanie Loose, Programme Manager in Afghanistan, told journalists in Geneva on Friday.

“We’re speaking about the reintegration of people who’ve lost their homes, who’ve lost their assets and also their hope.” 

Millions on the move

Afghanistan is currently facing an unprecedented returnee crisis. 

Since September 2023, some three million Afghans living in Pakistan and Iran were either deported or voluntarily repatriated, with over two million arriving so far this year.  For some, it’s not a return but a new start.

“Many in Afghanistan don’t have a place to go because they’ve never actually lived in Afghanistan,” Ms. Loose said.

“Sixty per cent of those who are returning now are below 18, so they don’t have any social ties, they don’t have any networks, and there is a real risk for them taking negative coping mechanisms.”

Concern for women and girls

Returnees are coming to a country under Taliban rule and where roughly half the population – 22.9 million people – requires humanitarian assistance amid economic, human rights and climate-related crises. 

Ms. Loose noted that Taliban edicts preventing women and girls from attending secondary school, getting a job, or going outside without a male chaperone, present a serious challenge to returnees.

“They’re being pushed back into a country where there’s no education for girls beyond 12, where they don’t actually know where to go, and where there’s actually specifically for women and girls no social and no economic development opportunities,” she said. 

“We also have women-headed households who return to the country. So, you can just imagine actually what it means to them. They cannot actually leave their houses without being accompanied by a mahram, a male guardian, even if they want to go and see a doctor.”

Challenges to integration

She added that integration is likely to be further complicated by the high level of needs in Afghanistan, given the fragile political, economic and social situation, linked to more than four decades of conflict.

Afghanistan is also among the top 10 countries impacted by climate change, and droughts, floods and heatwaves have taken a toll on rural livelihoods. They also threaten people living in informal settlements in urban areas who account for up to 80 per cent of the population in these locations.

Given the scale of needs across Afghanistan, Ms. Loose stressed that rebuilding lives goes beyond emergency aid.

“People need access to basic services, to water, to sanitation.  And overall, they do need livelihood opportunities…to lead their lives in dignity and to support their families,” she said.

International appeal

Reintegrating large numbers of displaced people will require huge efforts from the international community and the Afghan authorities, she said. 

“It is a humanitarian crisis for individuals, but demands systemic, locally grounded approaches, and strong investment in basic services, infrastructures, housing solutions and livelihood opportunities,” she said.

Ms. Loose urged the international community not to forget about Afghanistan and its people, especially women and girls, and to ensure adequate funding is made available so that they can live in dignity. 

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Indigenous youth meet trailblazers ahead of Nelson Mandela Day

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Accompanied by their parents and mentors from the midwestern state of Wisconsin, the group wore handmade ribbon skirts and vests featuring seven coloured bands, each symbolizing a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of personal significance, such as good health and gender equality.

Also visiting the UN in New York for the first time that day was Brenda Reynolds, a social worker from Canada and a member of the Fishing Lake First Nation. She was joined by her husband, Robert Buckle, and 12-year-old granddaughter Lillian, and wore one of her own ribbon skirts for the occasion.

Ms. Reynolds will be awarded the 2025 United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize on 18 July. The Prize, presented every five years, recognizes two individuals whose life work exemplifies service to humanity. Ms. Reynolds will receive the award alongside Kennedy Odede, a social entrepreneur from Kenya.

Mirian Masaquiza Jerez, a UN Social Affairs Officer, and Brenda Reynolds, a recipient of the 2025 United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize, brief Indigenous youth visiting UN Headquarters in New York.

Agents of change

After a UN tour (unanimously enjoyed) and a quick stop for lunch and souvenirs at the UN Bookshop (where one plushie hummingbird was traded for a green turtle named “Coral”), the group settled into a briefing room.

Onstage, Ms. Reynolds was joined by Mirian Masaquiza Jerez, a Kichwa woman from Ecuador and a Social Affairs Officer at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), easily recognized in the UN corridors for always wearing traditional regalia from her Indigenous community of Salasaka,

“Wherever you go to public spaces, wear who you are,” she said.  “The UN is the place to raise your voice. Be free to be who you are.”

Encouraging them to speak their languages and honour their cultures, Ms. Masaquiza urged the young students to see themselves as agents of change.

“You didn’t come by invitation. You came because you belong,” she said. “You are the future. You are the present. As Indigenous, we have the space. Use it.”

A painful past

Ms. Reynolds shared her personal story with the group, reflecting on her early career as a counsellor at Gordon’s Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan, the last federally funded residential school to close in Canada.

She described seeing children as young as five separated from their families for a year at a time and issued shirts with numbers instead of their names written inside: “The only other time I had seen people identified that way was when Jewish people had numbers tattooed on them.”

During her first year at Gordon’s in 1988, a young girl confided that she had been abused. By the next morning, 17 would come forward, launching what would become the province’s first major residential school abuse case.

Ms. Reynolds, then labeled a “troublemaker,” went on to help shape the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement and advise the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Her work has impacted hundreds of thousands of Indigenous People across Canada.

The room echoed with laughter, knowing nods and tears, and phrases from Ojibwe and other languages represented by the Indigenous Peoples in the room, including Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, Ojibwe, Menomonee, Oneida, Navajo, Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Afro-Indigenous communities.

Brenda Reynolds, a recipient of the 2025 United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize, poses with a statute of the late South African President at UN Headquarters in New York.

Coming full circle

The youth came from the Daughters of Tradition and the Sons of Tradition, part of a long-running healing initiative by Milwaukee’s Healing Intergenerational Roots (HIR) Wellness Institute, which supports Indigenous communities with no-cost, comprehensive mental healthcare and other services.

The founder, Lea S. Denny, wants Indigenous youth to see themselves in positions of power. This particular group has been together for eight years, with some heading off to college in the fall.

One father, attending with his three daughters, reflected on raising Indigenous youth in the digital age. “We want them to access the world out there,” he said, “but also protect the inside world we want to hold dear.” He said he also offered the advice that “if you don’t see yourself on the screen, sometimes you have to be the first.”

The day finished with hugs and exchanges of handmade leis as a symbol of the breath of life and sharing a good life source.

They will reunite on 18 July to see Ms. Reynolds accept the Mandela Prize in the General Assembly Hall.

Before then, a planned detour to visit Times Square.

Meanwhile, Ms. Reynolds and her family discussed their plans for a Broadway show. On the way out, she paused to hug a life-sized bronze statue of Nelson Mandela, a gift from the South African Government to the UN.

“I started my work with children,” she said. “And today, I spoke to children. This feels full circle for me.”

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Ahead of UN summit, countries finalise landmark ‘Compromiso de Sevilla’

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On Tuesday, Member States at UN Headquarters endorsed the finalized outcome document, known as the Compromiso de Sevilla (the Seville Commitment), following months of intensive intergovernmental negotiations.

It is intended as the cornerstone of a renewed global framework for financing sustainable development, particularly amid a widening $4 trillion annual financing gap faced by developing countries.

A reinvigorated framework

Co-facilitators of the outcome document – Mexico, Nepal, Zambia and Norway – hailed the agreement as an ambitious and balanced compromise that reflects a broad base of support across the UN membership.

“This draft reflects the dedication, perseverance, and constructive engagement of the entire membership,” said Ambassador Alicia Buenrostro Massieu, Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico.

“Sevilla is not a new agenda. It is a strengthening of what already exists. It renews our commitment to the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and aligns fragmented efforts under a single, reinvigorated framework,” she added.

Nepal’s Ambassador Lok Bahadur Thapa called the outcome a “historic opportunity” to confront urgent financing challenges.

“It recognizes the $4 trillion financing gap and launches an ambitious package of reforms and actions to close this gap with urgency,” he said, highlighting commitments to boost tax-to-GDP ratios and improve debt sustainability.

Opening of third International Conference on Financing for Development, in 2015, which adopted the historic Addis Ababa Action Agenda.

United States withdrawal

The agreement came despite sharp divisions on several contentious issues, culminating in the United States decision to exit the process entirely.

“Our commitment to international cooperation and long-term economic development remains steadfast,” said Jonathan Shrier, Acting US Representative to the Economic and Social Council.

“However, the United States regrets that the text before us today does not offer a path to consensus.”

Mr. Shrier voiced his country’s objection to proposals in the draft, which he said interfered with the governance of international financial institutions, introduced duplicative mechanisms, and failed to align with US priorities on trade, tax and innovation.

He also opposed proposals calling for a tripling of multilateral development bank lending capacity and language on a UN framework convention on international tax cooperation.

Renewal of trust

Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua welcomed the adoption of the document, calling it a clear demonstration that “multilateralism works and delivers for all.”

He praised Member States for their flexibility and political will in finalizing the agreement, despite challenges.

“The FFD4 conference presents a rare opportunity to prove that multilateralism can deliver tangible results. A successful and strong outcome would help to rebuild trust and confidence in the multilateral system by forging a renewed financing framework,” Mr. Li said.

A woman sells vegetables in a market in Seychelles. Despite ongoing efforts, progress toward achieving several SDGs — including those on women’s empowerment – remains off track for 2030.

For the common good

The Sevilla conference, to be held from 30 June to 3 July will mark the fourth major UN conference on financing for development, following Monterrey (2002), Doha (2008) and Addis Ababa (2015).

It is expected to produce concrete commitments and guide international financial cooperation in the lead-up to and beyond the 2030 deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“We firmly believe that this outcome will respond to the major challenges we face today and deliver a real boost to sustainable development,” said Ambassador Thapa of Nepal.

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World News in Brief: Education suffers amid DR Congo violence, WHO greenlights RSV vaccines, more hurricanes ahead for Haiti

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According to UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, more than 290 schools have been damaged or destroyed in Ituri this year alone, bringing the total number of out-of-school children in the province to over 1.3 million.

Protection crisis

Between January and April 2025, a surge in violence displaced more than 100,000 people – half of them children. During this period, reported cases of abduction, maiming, sexual violence, and the recruitment and use of children by armed groups rose by 32 per cent compared to the same timeframe last year.

John Adbor, UNICEF’s representative in the DRC, referred to the situation as a “protection crisis”, stating: “Violence and conflict are shattering children’s right to learn – putting them at far greater risk of being recruited by armed groups, exploited, and abused.”

“The needs are immense, and our resources are not enough,” Mr. Adbor added, referring to UNICEF’s emergency response in the region.

With more than 1.8 million conflict-affected children now out of school across the DRC, UNICEF is prioritising mental health and psychosocial support through child-friendly spaces, reintegration of children formerly associated with armed groups, and treatment for acute malnutrition.

WHO approves two new vaccines to protect infants from RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of severe lung infections in young children globally, resulting in approximately 100,000 deaths each year among children under the age of five.

Alarmingly, 97 per cent of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.

Although RSV can infect people of all ages, “it is especially harmful to infants, particularly those born prematurely,” said Kate O’Brien from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Around half of all RSV-related deaths occur in babies younger than six months.

New immunisation products

On Friday, WHO issued recommendations for two new immunisation tools: a maternal vaccine, administered to pregnant women in their third trimester to protect their newborns; and a long-acting antibody injection for infants, which begins to protect within a week of administration and lasts for at least five months.

Considering the global burden of severe RSV illness in infants, WHO recommends  that all countries adopt either the maternal vaccine or the antibody injection as part of their national immunisation strategies.

“These RSV immunisation products can transform the fight against severe RSV disease, dramatically reduce hospitalisations and deaths, and ultimately save many infant lives worldwide,” said Ms O’Brien.

Dire hurricane forecasts compound Haiti woes

UN humanitarians have raised alarm over Haiti’s heightened vulnerability to natural disasters, warning that the country’s limited capacity to respond could be severely tested during the 2025 hurricane season – forecast to be significantly more intense than average across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Rubbish burns on the coast of Haiti.

Running from June to November, the upcoming season poses a serious threat to the impoverished island nation, where economic crisis, ongoing gang-related violence and rampant insecurity have already displaced over one million people.

Displacement sites at risk

More than 200,000 people are currently living in displacement sites across the country, many of which are situated in flood-prone areas.

Lacking proper shelter, drainage and sanitation, these camps “leave families acutely vulnerable to storms,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is working with national authorities and humanitarian partners to prepare for the hurricane season. Ongoing efforts include contingency planning, mapping of high-risk areas – particularly displacement sites – and strengthening early warning systems.

However, humanitarian access remains limited, and preparedness is severely hindered by the lack of pre-positioned supplies throughout the country.

This is a “direct consequence of underfunding,” said Mr. Dujarric, adding that “funding remains a major obstacle” to the UN’s emergency response in Haiti.

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DPR Korea ploughing ahead with nuclear and ballistic missile programme

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Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council on Wednesday, Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari described a troubling pattern of weapons testing and growing nuclear ambition from DPRK – more commonly known as North Korea.

This includes the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in October 2024 and an intermediate-range hypersonic missile last January.

Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported “open displays” of undeclared uranium enrichment at Yongbyon and Kangson.

“These events have been accompanied by statements reiterating the DPRK’s intention to further develop nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, including tactical nuclear warheads, military reconnaissance satellites, and the construction of a ‘nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine’,” Mr. Khairi said.

North Korea’s persistent pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes – in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions – “continues to undermine the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime,” he warned.

Ensuring compliance

Mr. Khiari reiterated the UN’s call for compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and IAEA safeguards, calling on DPRK to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

He also echoed Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for all countries to ensure that their relations with the DPRK “entirely abide” by the relevant Council sections.

“We recall the obligations for all Member States to implement the relevant sanctions measures,” he said.

Broader security risks

He also noted broader regional tensions, warning that the Korean Peninsula “remains tense,” amid heightened military activity, limited dialogue between north and south – and the growing nuclear risk.

He cautioned that the potential for miscalculation is increasing and urged renewed diplomatic efforts toward sustainable peace and the complete, verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

These must be anchored in dialogue and diplomacy, Mr. Khiari said.

Addressing humanitarian needs

Beyond the security situation, Mr. Khiari urged ambassadors not to forget the reportedly dire humanitarian situation in the country.

“We reiterate the call on the DPRK to facilitate the return of the UN Country Team to strengthen support for its people and advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” he said.

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‘Recovery must move ahead’ in southern Lebanon, top aid official says

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Imran Riza made the appeal following a visit to Bint Jbeil and Tyre districts on Tuesday.

“What I saw in South Lebanon was both depressing and inspiring. The scale of destruction – to villages, health facilities, and water systems – is disturbing,” he said in a statement.

Fighting, ceasefire and escalation

The crisis stems from fighting that erupted between Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Israeli forces following the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, which killed some 1,200 people.

Israel launched an incursion into southern Lebanon in late September 2024 and carried out airstrikes across the country that killed thousands and displaced nearly a million people. 

Last November, Lebanon and Israel signed a ceasefire agreement to end the fighting. 

It called for Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants to withdraw from the south, while the Lebanese military would redeploy to the region to guarantee the peace alongside troops from UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL, who monitor the Blue Line of separation between the two countries. 

Since then, ceasefire violations have occurred and violence has escalated, including recent Israeli strikes on areas of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, reportedly targeting Hezbollah.

‘No time to lose’

Mr. Riza described the people he met in the south as truly inspiring. 

“It’s clear they want to return home, rebuild, and restart their productive lives,” he said.

“Everyone continues to feel a palpable sense of insecurity. Many still lack basics like water and electricity. Too many are still displaced, their homes flattened.”

He said people spoke of their need for peace, safe movement, basic services, and support to rebuild.

“They also shared the trauma they and their children have endured, and the importance of addressing mental health in the wake of what they have lived through,” he added.

The Humanitarian Coordinator stressed the critical need for sustained funding to restore water, electricity, healthcare, and education, and to assist people eager to get on with their lives.

“There is no time to lose – recovery must move ahead,” he said.

Diplomats reinforce support for UN mission

Meanwhile, diplomats from dozens of countries showed their solidarity with UNIFIL’s work in south Lebanon in a visit to the mission’s headquarters in Naqoura on Tuesday.

The diplomatic visit included representatives of 38 countries, including all five permanent members of the UN Security Council. 

Peacekeepers from 47 countries currently serve with UNIFIL, which was established in March 1978 to confirm Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon. 

Its mandate was most recently defined in Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), which called for a full cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel following their 34-day war on Lebanese territory that year. 

An encouraging sign

UNIFIL Head and Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro, welcomed the delegation and noted it would have been impossible to host the diplomats just a few months ago. 

“Your presence here is an encouraging indication of the increased stability in the south and the progress made since the understanding on a cessation of hostilities came into effect on 27 November 2024,” he said. 

“The support of UNIFIL’s troop-contributing countries – and the countries who contribute in other ways – is essential to restoring stability to south Lebanon and along the Blue Line. I thank them and their peacekeepers serving on the ground for their continued contributions.”

The delegation also visited two UNIFIL positions along the Blue Line, near Marwahin and in Labbouneh. 

Ambassadors expressed their appreciation for the mission’s important work. 

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