Clashes in Jonglei state since the start of 2026 have displaced at least 250,000 people, mainly in the north and centre of the state, cutting families off from lifesaving care in areas already suffering some of the highest malnutrition rates in the country. Deadly risks “We are extremely concerned for women and children impacted by these […]
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 […]
The summit, which takes place on 24 September at UN Headquarters, is designed as a launchpad for COP30 but, unlike the sprawling negotiations of a UN climate conference, this is a targeted high-level event where Heads of State, Government leaders, businesses, and civil society are expected to present concrete pledges and new national climate plans. […]
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 […]
The Eurasian bloc, comprising 10 member states, is the world’s largest regional organization by population and geography. Mr. Guterres told leaders that “we are moving towards a multipolar world”, which is both a reality and an opportunity. He said emerging economies are reshaping trade, diplomacy and development, but at the same time, injustices and divisions […]
Held under the theme Driving Progress Through Partnerships, the four-day forum known as LLDC3, brought together Heads of State, senior UN officials, development partners, and private sector leaders to tackle persistent challenges faced by LLDCs, including high trade costs, inadequate infrastructure, and vulnerability to climate change. Anchored by the Awaza Programme of Action for 2024–2034, […]
Operating within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the group aims to amplify their voices in global climate talks, where their distinct vulnerabilities have long been overlooked. Disproportionate climate risks Although LLDCs account for approximately 12 per cent of the world’s land surface, they have experienced nearly 20 per cent of the world’s […]
And increasingly, climate change is compounding the problem – damaging roads, disrupting supply chains, and threatening already fragile infrastructure with floods, droughts, and extreme weather. But as global discussions intensify, a UN conference underway in Turkmenistan is aiming to flip the script – to help transform LLDCs from landlocked to landlinked through smarter more climate […]
Urging global leaders to rethink development for landlocked nations, the UN chief declared: “We gather today to reaffirm a fundamental truth: geography should never define destiny.” According to the UN Development Programme, of the 32 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) worldwide, 16 are in Africa, 10 in Asia, four in Europe, and two in Latin America. […]
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 […]
In a special address at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Guterres cited surging clean energy investment and plunging solar and wind costs that now outcompete fossil fuels. “The energy transition is unstoppable, but the transition is not yet fast enough or fair enough,” he said. The speech, A Moment of Opportunity: Supercharging the Clean […]
Speaking at the 17th BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he emphasised the human impact of environmental devastation and climate change. And as environmental disasters increase, the sustainable development goals are also being left behind. “Across the world, lives and livelihoods are being ripped apart, and sustainable development gains left in tatters as […]
The AI for Good Global Summit 2025 brings together governments, tech leaders, academics, civil society and young people to explore how artificial intelligence can be directed toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – and away from growing risks of inequality, disinformation and environmental strain. “We are the AI generation,” said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, chief of the International […]
“The human consequences of rising debt burdens, escalating trade tensions and steep cuts to official development assistance have been brought into sharp relief this week,” she told the closing session of the pivotal gathering, amid sizzling temperatures across southern Spain. Multilateralism at work But against that backdrop, the conference has delivered a strong response – […]
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. […]
“We close this historic week not just with hope, but with concrete commitment, clear direction, and undeniable momentum,” Li Junhua, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the summit, told reporters. Co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, the five-day event brought 15,000 participants, including more than 60 Heads of State and […]
With the conference, known as UNOC3, set to close Friday, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Li Junhua, the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, told UN News on Thursday that the past four days have been marked by a rare sense of solidarity around Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) – protection life below […]
“The ocean is the ultimate shared resource,” he told delegates gathered at the port of Nice. “But we are failing it.” Oceans, he warned, are absorbing 90 per cent of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions and buckling under the strain: overfishing, rising temperatures, plastic pollution, acidification. Coral reefs are dying. Fish stocks are […]
From June 9 to 13, the coastal city of Nice will host the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), a high-level summit co-chaired by France and Costa Rica. Its mission: to confront a deepening ocean emergency that scientists warn is nearing a point of no return. “The ocean is facing an unprecedented crisis due to climate […]
António Guterres told leaders meeting in the Iraqi capital that “the region and the world face trials and tests on all fronts,” starting with the situation in Gaza. He reiterated that neither the atrocious 7 October 2023 terror attacks by Hamas nor the collective punishment of the Palestinian people can be justified. Permanent ceasefire now […]