Tag Archives: faces

Shipping faces ‘stormy seas’ as trade slows and costs rise

Posted on by
Reply

After firm expansion last year, seaborne trade volumes are forecast to rise by just 0.5 per cent in 2025, the slowest pace in years, according to the agency’s Review of Maritime Transport 2025, launched in Geneva.

The slowdown comes as geopolitical tensions, new trade barriers and climate pressures reshape shipping routes, push up costs and expose vulnerabilities in the global economy.

“The transitions ahead – to zero carbon, to digital systems, to new trade routes – must be just transitions,” said UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan. “They must empower, not exclude. They must build resilience, not deepen vulnerability.”

Routes in flux, costs rising

Shipping carries over 80 per cent of the world’s merchandise for export and import, making it a critical barometer of global commerce.

UNCTAD reported that rerouting caused by crises in the Red Sea in 2024 and continuing tensions near the Strait of Hormuz have forced ships onto longer journeys, adding delays and costs.

At the Geneva launch, Regina Asariotis, Chief of UNCTAD’s Trade Logistics Branch, warned that vulnerable economies are paying the heaviest price:

“The global environment has become more complex. Geopolitical tensions are forcing costly reroutings, tariffs are disrupting trade flows, and freight rates are high and volatile.

Small island developing States, least developed countries, and net food importing nations are the most vulnerable, because higher freight costs quickly translate into more expensive imports and food insecurity.”

Ports under pressure

Global ports are struggling with congestion, longer waiting times and the pressure to modernise. UNCTAD highlighted the urgent need to invest in digital systems such as maritime single windows and port community platforms to cut costs and delays.

But many developing countries continue to lag behind in digitalisation. With cyber threats on the rise, the report warns that cybersecurity has become a critical priority for maritime logistics.

Climate challenge

The shipping industry’s greenhouse gas emissions rose by five per cent in 2024, the report said. Yet only eight per cent of the world fleet’s tonnage is currently equipped to use alternative fuels.

The International Maritime Organization will consider a Net-Zero Framework in October, including a global fuel standard and carbon pricing mechanism. UNCTAD says clear regulatory signals, fleet renewal and new fuel infrastructure are vital to reduce emissions.

Human cost at sea

Beyond trade flows and emissions, the report stressed the human toll. Seafarer abandonment cases reached a record high in 2024, leaving crews stranded without pay or support.

Amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention entering into force in 2027 will strengthen rights to repatriation and shore leave, but UNCTAD stressed that effective enforcement is essential.

Policy priorities

The review calls for governments and industry to work together on:

  • Stable trade policies to reduce uncertainty and restore confidence in supply chains;
  • Investment in sustainable, green and resilient port and shipping infrastructure;
  • Faster digitalisation and stronger cybersecurity;
  • Fleet renewal and cleaner fuels; and
  • Support for vulnerable economies to mitigate higher costs.

“Persistent high transport costs risk hitting developing countries the hardest,” Ms. Grynspan said. “Maritime transport must be resilient, inclusive and sustainable if we are to weather the turbulent waters ahead.”

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

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Source link

UN envoy urges Colombia to ‘stay the course’ as peace faces new strains

Posted on by
Reply

Briefing the Security Council for the last time as head of the UN Verification Mission, Special Representative Carlos Ruiz Massieu said the peace agreement provided a roadmap for addressing the root causes of conflict.

“The Final Peace Agreement of 2016 set out the path to be followed: a holistic and comprehensive roadmap for addressing deep-rooted structural issues that have driven violence in Colombia for decades,” he told ambassadors.

He cited progress in land reform, rural development, the reintegration of more than 13,000 former combatants, the start of a “complex journey” for truth and reconciliation and opening of political space.

“Today, Colombia is a very different country from that it was in the years prior to the signing of the peace agreement,” he added, noting, however, that gaps and challenges remain.

SRSG Ruiz Massieu briefs the Security Council.

Violence persists

Chief among these is the limited presence of civilian and military state institutions in various regions of the country where existing peace dividends remain inadequate and violence persists, including against social leaders and ex-combatants.

At least 472 former fighters have been killed since 2016, four in recent weeks alone, Mr. Ruiz Massieu said, urging measures to strengthen their protection and ensure accountability.

“It is also essential to achieve effective complementarity between peacebuilding policies, security strategies and efforts to combat illicit economies,” he added.

Painful moments revived

Mr. Ruiz Massieu highlighted progress on opening political space, noting “a widespread rejection of political violence”, but warning that the attempted assassination of presidential candidate Miguel Uribe in June revived painful memories and underscored the need to remove violence from electoral competition.

To address persistent insecurity, he urged full implementation of security guarantees alongside rural development programmes and strategies to combat illicit economies.

“Expanded and sustained state presence remains essential,” he said, stressing the need for coordinated investments in conflict-prone regions.

A wide view of the Security Council meeting on the UN Verification Mission in Colombia (UNVMC).

Upcoming elections

The briefing also comes as Colombia enters a sensitive period leading to elections next year.

Mr. Ruiz Massieu appealed to all actors to uphold commitments for a peaceful campaign and to advance the comprehensive vision of the 2016 accord, which includes provisions for women as well as Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities.

“In their pursuit of peace, Colombians have a deeply rooted history of resilience and persistence,” he said. “Sometimes their efforts have not yielded the expected results, but other times, thanks to patience and perseverance, they have achieved significant progress.”

Path to peace is never easy

“The path to peace is never easy, nor is it free of obstacles. But, staying the course is always worthwhile,” he concluded. “The 2016 peace agreement is a striking example of this.”

Mr. Ruiz Massieu, who has led the mission for more than six years, will soon assume duties as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Haiti.

He thanked the Council for its “consistent and crucial” support, adding that the UN mission’s role in fostering trust “will remain as important as ever in the period ahead”.

Source link

UN faces deepening financial crisis, urges members to pay up

Posted on by
Reply

With a growing shortfall in contributions – $2.4 billion in unpaid regular budget dues and $2.7 billion in peacekeeping – the UN has been forced to cut spending, freeze hiring, and scale back some services.

Officials warned that this risks eroding the UN’s credibility and its capacity to fulfil mandates entrusted to it by Member States.

Switzerland, speaking also on behalf of Liechtenstein, said the issue goes beyond accounting. “Each delay in payment, each hiring freeze, each cancelled service chips away at trust in our ability to deliver,” the delegate said.

Retain unspent funds as ‘protective buffer’

One proposed solution is to allow the UN to temporarily keep unspent funds at year’s end, instead of returning them to Member States as credits. Currently, this return is mandatory – even if the funds arrive late in the year, giving the UN little time to spend them.

The suggested change would act as a buffer to keep operations running, particularly in January when payments tend to lag.

Delegates also backed limited use of “special commitments” — emergency funding tools — early in the year to bridge gaps caused by delayed contributions.

While these fixes may help, several speakers, including those from Kazakhstan, Norway, and the United Kingdom, emphasized that the root cause is the continued late or non-payment of dues.

Norway noted such temporary measures won’t solve the underlying problem and urged Member States to support bold financial reforms.

‘Real operational risks’

The European Union stressed that the crisis is not abstract. “These are real operational risks,” its delegate said, adding that the burden cannot fall solely on countries that pay on time.

Singapore, speaking for the Southeast Asian group of nations, ASEAN, echoed concern that the UN’s liquidity problems have become routine.

He cited the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s (ESCAP) need to shut its offices for three months and suspend travel and hiring.

Particularly troubling to many was the fact that one country – unnamed in the meeting but widely known to be the United States – is responsible for over half of all unpaid dues, reportedly withholding funds for political reasons.

Russia called for more transparency in how the UN manages cash-saving measures, cautioning against actions taken without Member State input.

Paying dues

Catherine Pollard, the UN’s top management official, noted that since 9 May, a handful of countries have paid in full across several budget categories, while the number of nations who have paid in full for the regular budget stands at 106 for the year.

Still, with only 61 countries having met all their obligations in full, the message from Member States was clear: without broad, timely financial support, the UN’s ability to serve the world – especially in times of crisis – is at serious risk.

For full coverage of all meetings at the General Assembly, Security Council and elsewhere at UN Headquarters please visit our Meetings Coverage Section here. You can find the full report on this meeting, here.  

Source link

Absent faces, destroyed homes – young students paint the pain of Gaza

Posted on by
Reply

Their paintings and drawings range from a portrait of an esteemed Palestinian poet and family members killed in conflict, to a sky blackened by thick smoke – and a child crying in front of his mother’s corpse.

The poignant images are currently on display at UNRWA’s Remal School in Gaza City, which has been transformed into a shelter.

Remembrance and loss

The exhibition provides an opportunity for the children and young people to express and discuss their feelings after nearly 18 months of war.

Fatima al-Za’anin, who was displaced from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, cried as she spoke about her artwork. “I painted the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, I drew mama, baba, my sister and my grandfather,” she said.

Fatima stopped talking to cry once more and turned to a small pencil drawing peppered with red spots. “I drew martyrs’ bodies that were torn to pieces,” she explained.

She pointed to another drawing of a boy called Mohammed “who wished he had one person left in his family, but there was no one left,” she said. “I painted a child who lamented his mother, whom he had lost.”

A specialist from the UNRWA Psychological Support Centre stood beside Fatima and praised her courage in expressing her feelings.

17 year-old Na’emat Haboob, the sole survivor of her family and displaced from Jabalia Camp, stands beside her artwork—a moving tribute to her mother, who was killed in the war.

Praying for comfort

Na’emat Haboob, a 17-year-old student, touched one of her paintings as she spoke about it. The image is of the face of her mother, who was killed in the war. 

“This is mama’s painting.  Thank God I could draw it while I’m trying to get over losing her.  I hope everyone will pray for her.” 

Na’emat continued to run her fingers over the painting as if she wanted to touch her mother’s face and said: “May God grant me comfort for losing her and my siblings.”

May God grant me comfort for losing her and my siblings

She credited the mental health team at the Remal shelter for their support, saying it gave her the strength to turn her pain into art. 

Her grief welled up again and she was unable to go on. Comforted by a hug from the counsellor, she was able to continue, saying the psychological support she receives at the shelter enables her to keep studying. 

“I seek to develop my talents after what I’ve been through during the war,” she said. “I want to try hard to be what my mother wished for me.”

Malak Fayad, a displaced from Beit Hanoun (Gaza) shares the meaning behind her artwork with fellow displaced visitors, using art as a way to express her experiences, resilience, and hope amid the devastation of war.

Lives transformed, hopes destroyed

Another student, Malak Fayyad, stood in front of her colourful paintings. One depicts the clear blue sky and sea of Gaza, showing birds, trees and landscapes. It is a copy of a work she had previously painted which hung proudly on a wall in her family’s home. 

But the house was destroyed along with all their belongings, including the painting.

“I painted it again to remember Gaza as it was, and next to it another painting clouded by black smoke from weapons,” Malak said, before highlighting other works she created, including one which “shows how our lives have been transformed after the destruction and bombing.”

Another of her paintings depicts a Palestinian man who appears to be carrying a bag in the form of a house. She said it “shows that the Palestinian always carries with him the Palestinian cause, even when he is displaced and forced to leave his home.”

The war in Gaza has destroyed hopes of a better future, according to another young artist, Malak Abu Odeh.  

“Not only displacement and destruction, but the war has taken away from us our dearest people, our relatives and loved ones,” she said.

“We’re not well, but I would like to thank the mental health team who are trying to entertain us, help us and support us.”

Commitment to deliver

UNRWA continues to provide psychosocial support services across the Gaza Strip. The agency said its teams responded to around 3,000 cases between 21 and 27 April. 

This support included individual counselling, awareness-raising sessions and response to gender-based violence cases in its health centres, medical points and shelters. 

Source link

Security Council urged to stand firm as Bosnia and Herzegovina faces deepening crisis

Posted on by
Reply

High Representative Christian Schmidt briefed on latest developments surrounding implementation of the 1995 General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which ended more than three years of bloodshed and genocide following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

The accord, also known as the Dayton Peace Agreement, established a new constitution and created two entities within the country: the mainly Bosniak and Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the ethnically Serb Republika Srpska.

Constitutional order under attack

Mr. Schmidt – who’s key role is overseeing implementation of the 1995 agreement – said conditions for the full implementation of the civilian aspects of the deal have vastly deteriorated.

“The first quarter of this year was marked by a significant rise of tensions, which without question amounts to an extraordinary crisis in the country since the signing of the Dayton Agreement,” he said.

“I may underline that I see a political crisis. I do not yet have indications for a security crisis.”

The sudden deterioration stems from reactions following the 26 February conviction of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik for failing to enforce the decisions of the High Representative. 

He was sentenced to one year in prison and banned from political office for six years but has appealed the decision.

“After the verdict, Mr. Dodik intensified his attacks on the constitutional order of the country by directing the authorities of the Republika Srpska to adopt legislation that effectively bans State-level judiciary and State-level law enforcement in the Republika Srpska and by even putting on the table a draft Entity constitution, hinting at de facto secession,” said Mr. Schmidt.

He told the Council that given the speed with which the draft laws and constitution were made public strongly suggests that they had been prepared well in advance.

Christian Schmidt, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, briefs members of UN the Security Council on the situation in the country.

Fears of disintegration

He said these acts and legislation fundamentally contradict the implementation of the Dayton Accords and “endanger the territorial and societal integrity of the country and of its peoples by performing secessionist acts.”

Furthermore, “they also create legal and executive insecurity by establishing Entity laws and institutions that contradict and compete with State law and competence.” 

He stressed that “it will require institutions created in Dayton, such as the Constitutional Court, to prevent this country from falling apart, and when it comes to safeguarding the functionality of the State, my legal competencies as High Representative as well.”

As a result, the State-level coalition has been seriously affected, momentum towards European Union (EU) accession has stalled and the functionality of the State is being undermined, while reforms have been sidelined. 

“This development is not irreversible, but it is severe,” he warned.  “It needs to be addressed without delay, it requires active engagement by the international community.”

Communities shun extremism

The High Representative noted that the Serb community “did not pay heed to Mr. Dodik’s unlawful directives.” For example, although ethnic Serbs working in State-level institutions have been pressured to abandon their posts, “these calls and threats have been left overwhelmingly unanswered.”

Meanwhile, the Bosniak community “has been able to remain calm despite the tensions and to continue on the path of patient dialogue also in order to keep the country’s European integration on the table.”

He also noticed “a continuing pro-European commitment” on the part of the Croat community, “as well as an increased willingness to engage in inter-ethnic dialogue, including in local disputes.” 

Mr. Schmidt was adamant that the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina can and do live together.

“For the most part, the communities in the country do not support extremism or secessionism,” he said. “There is ample evidence for that in daily life, but ethnocentric politics spends too much time on dividing the communities rather than uniting them.”

Peace accord remains crucial

While the country is facing complex and varied challenges, he said the current extraordinary crisis is the result of severe attacks against the Dayton Agreement “encompassing the constitutional and legal order” and has nothing to do with the peace deal itself.

“Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing difficult times. Nobody would have expected 30 years ago that the international community is needed as much today as it is,” he said.

“But the Peace Agreement that this UN Security Council endorsed 30 years ago remains the very foundation on which the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina with its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence can be built.”

Although reopening or redefining Dayton challenges the basis for peace and prosperity in the country, “this does not mean we should not talk about necessary amendments and adoptions of this constitution,” he said.

Attacks threaten ‘very foundation’

“The way forward includes countering threats and attacks to its very foundation, but also implementing meaningful reforms, including in the context of the country’s European integration,” he continued.

“It is about strengthening institutional stability and functionality of the State and continuing to reinforce election integrity in view of the country’s general elections in 2026.”  

Mr. Schmidt concluded his remarks by urging the international community to continue to support and assist the country and the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina to shape their future and to reassure the population that they have not been forgotten.   

Source link