‘We must stand up for our shared humanity – each and every day’: UN human rights chief

Tuesday’s solemn commemoration marks the day 81 years ago that the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp – where over a million people were murdered – was liberated by Allied forces towards the end of World War Two.  Commenting on the disturbing rise of antisemitism in recent years – including the “heinous attacks” targeting Jewish communities […]

Indirect disaster effects cost the world nearly $2 trillion per year, Guterres says on International Day

Most of the exorbitant costs of disaster are preventable with proper funding and planning —one of the main messages for this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, themed Fund Resilience, Not Disasters, observed on Monday. “Every dollar invested in resilience saves many more in avoided losses and protects the dignity of those most at […]

UN honours fallen aid workers on World Humanitarian Day

UN honours fallen aid workers on World Humanitarian Day

The first eight months of 2025 show no sign of a reversal of this disturbing trend, with 265 humanitarian workers killed as of 14 August, according to figures released on World Humanitarian Day. Attacks on humanitarian workers, assets and operations violate international law and undermine the lifelines that sustain millions of people trapped in war […]

World Humanitarian Day 2025: Aid workers mull record toll of their own

World Humanitarian Day 2025: Aid workers mull record toll of their own

Speaking to UN News from the wartorn enclave to mark World Humanitarian Day, Olga Cherevko from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said that exhausted aid workers continue to show up for work “day in and day out”. Approaching two years since the start of the war in Gaza, Ms. Cherevko emphasized the commitment of […]

Indigenous Peoples Day highlights AI’s risks and opportunities

Indigenous Peoples Day highlights AI’s risks and opportunities

An estimated 476 million Indigenous Peoples live across 90 countries, representing 5,000 different cultures. Without proper safeguards, AI risks harming Indigenous rights through inequitable distribution of the groundbreaking technology, environmental damage and the reinforcement of damaging colonial legacies. The growing amount of electricity generation needed for AI data centres and other infrastructure is also intensifying […]

LIVE COVERAGE: Day 2 of high-level conference on two-State solution for Israel and Palestine

LIVE COVERAGE: Day 2 of high-level conference on two-State solution for Israel and Palestine

Welcome to our continuing live coverage of the high-level international conference at UN Headquarters, aimed at advancing practical steps toward achieving a two-State solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Mandated by the General Assembly, the three-day meeting features plenaries, working groups and interventions from senior UN officials and Member States. UN News app users can follow […]

People dying from lack of aid every day in Gaza: WFP official

People dying from lack of aid every day in Gaza: WFP official

Ross Smith, director of emergency preparedness and response, briefed journalists in New York in the wake of a deadly incident on Sunday in which dozens of civilians were killed and injured while waiting to access food as a WFP convoy was entering northern Gaza. “Yesterday’s incident is one of the greatest tragedies we’ve seen for […]

Mandela’s legacy ‘is now our responsibility’, Guterres says on International Day

Mandela’s legacy ‘is now our responsibility’, Guterres says on International Day

In his remarks, the Secretary-General celebrated the extraordinary life of the South African civil rights icon, affectionately known by his Khosa clan name, Madiba. “He endured the brutal weight of oppression, and emerged not with a vision of vengeance and division – but of reconciliation, peace and unity,” Mr. Guterres said. “Today, Madiba’s legacy is […]

Indigenous youth meet trailblazers ahead of Nelson Mandela Day

Indigenous youth meet trailblazers ahead of Nelson Mandela Day

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 […]

World Horse Day: Honoring humanity’s oldest and most loyal companion

World Horse Day: Honoring humanity’s oldest and most loyal companion

UN News visited the farm to mark the first-ever World Horse Day, established this year by the UN General Assembly. By creating the Day, Member States sent a clear message: animals deserve to be treated with care and respect. A faithful companion From ancient battlefields to modern therapeutic programs, horses have been by humanity’s side […]

‘One Earth, One Health’: Yoga Day provides respite in a tumultuous world

‘One Earth, One Health’: Yoga Day provides respite in a tumultuous world

This powerful message of International Yoga Day, observed annually on 21 June, reverberated through UN Headquarters in New York on Friday as hundreds gathered to embrace the ancient, holistic practice. A familiar tradition now each year, the North Lawn once again transformed into an open-air yoga studio overlooking the East River.  Following a stretch of […]

World Refugee Day: telling their stories

World Refugee Day: telling their stories

While hotspots include Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Palestine, displacement affects every region of the world. In the lead-up to World Refugee Day, Friday, the UN is spotlighting the importance of solidarity with refugees through support, solutions, and the power of storytelling. Zahra Nader: Reporting from exile Ahead of World Refugee Day, UN News spoke […]

From summits to street art to schools: Here’s how we’re marking World Environment Day

From summits to street art to schools: Here’s how we’re marking World Environment Day

Around the world, civil society groups and UN teams are hosting webinars, forums, summits and other diverse celebrations. It’s a collective effort that’s drawing together different wings of the UN from Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to UN Peacekeeping. Worldwide events On Tuesday, Qatar launched a national biodiversity database, concluding a three-year UNEP-led project. […]

World Environment Day: UN sounds alarm on plastic pollution crisis

World Environment Day: UN sounds alarm on plastic pollution crisis

Between 19 and 23 million tonnes of plastic waste leak into aquatic ecosystems annually, and without urgent action, this figure is expected to rise by 50 per cent by 2040. Plastic pollution is contaminating every corner of the planet, threatening ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. Microplastics are found in food, water and air, with the […]