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‘Like a scene out of a horror movie’: UN report warns of war crimes in Sudan’s El Fasher

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“Persistent impunity fuels continued cycles of violence,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, calling for credible investigations and accountability for perpetrators. 

Sudan’s national army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia have been fighting each other for control of the country for almost three years. The new report details widespread atrocities committed during the RSF assault on the besieged city of El Fasher in North Darfur. 

The RSF and allied Arab militia carried out mass killings and summary executions, sexual violence, abductions for ransom, torture and ill-treatment, detention, disappearances, pillage and the use of children in hostilities. Many attacks were directed against civilians and persons hors de combat based on ethnicity or perceived affiliation. 

Documented atrocities  

Based on hundreds of interviews with victims and witnesses in late 2025, OHCHR documented more than 6,000 killings in the first three days of the RSF offensive. The report however warns the overall death toll during the weeks-long offensive is “undoubtedly significantly higher”. 

The report revealed that in one incident around 500 people were killed when RSF fighters opened fire using heavy weapons on a crowd of 1,000 sheltering at Al-Rashid dormitory in El Fasher University on 26 October. One of the witnesses reported seeing bodies thrown into the air “like a scene out of a horror movie”. 

RSF fighters also carried out summary executions within El Fasher of civilians, targeting young boys and men under 50, accused of “collaboration” with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Joint Forces, often determined on the basis of their non-Arab ethnicity, such as the Zaghawa community.  

Survivors and witnesses recounted patterns of rape and gang rape, abductions for ransom using sexual violence, and sexual assault during invasive body searches, with women and girls from the Zaghawa and other non-Arab communities at particular risk.   

Possible crimes against humanity  

According to the report, the violations at El Fasher mirror other RSF offensives during the war, such as at the Zamzam camp in April 2025. The “organized and sustained course of conduct” suggested a systematic attack against the civilian population in the Darfur region.  

“The acts of violence knowingly committed as part of such an attack would amount to crimes against humanity”, OHCHR said. 

Calls for justice 

Mr. Türk urged parties to the conflict to end violations by forces under their command and called on States with influence to help prevent further atrocities, including by respecting the arms embargo and halting the supply of weapons. 

He called on States to do everything possible to support local, regional, and international mediation efforts, to achieve a cessation of hostilities and a pathway towards inclusive civilian governance.  

“In a protection crisis of this scale, human rights must remain central to efforts to achieve a durable resolution of the conflict,” he said. 

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Protecting children in war is key to lasting peace, top UN envoy warns

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In an exclusive interview with UN News, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Frazier, reflected on the alarming rise in grave violations against children and the urgent need to safeguard their future.

“The recruitment and use of children is still one of the most widespread and devastating violations we face. In 2024 alone, over 7,400 children were recruited or used by armed forces and armed groups, and those are only the verified cases,” Ms. Frazier told us, just ahead of Thursday’s international day against the use of child soldiers.

“Over the last 30 years, we have separated over 220,000 children from armed gangs,” she emphasised. 

Growing crisis across conflicts

Her office monitors approximately 26 conflict situations around the world, and the numbers tell a grim story.

“The violations are most prevalent in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, and Myanmar,” Ms. Frazier explained. 

Interview with Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, for UN News.

“But we’re also seeing worrying trends in Sudan, where children are specifically targeted because they are seen as useful – as border guards, as workers, even as fighters.”

Behind those statistics, she stressed, are young lives forever altered. “Each number in our report represents a child whose innocence has been interrupted,” she said.

From abduction to reintegration

Beyond documenting violations, Ms. Frazier’s office engages directly with combatants to negotiate the release of children and their safe return home.

“One of the strengths of our mandate is that we can negotiate directly with armed groups for the handover of children,” she explained. “Once separated, [children’s agency] UNICEF and our partners work on their reintegration, ensuring they receive psychosocial support, access to education, and the chance to reclaim their childhood.”

An eleven-year-old boy sits in the dormitory of a reintegration centre for recently demobilized child soldiers in Goma, DR Congo. (file)

But reintegration is often fraught with stigma. “Girls who return may be shunned by their communities, especially those who come back with children,” she said. “For societal reasons, some girls cannot be fully reintegrated are considered damaged goods.”

Prevention and accountability 

For Ms. Frazier, prevention is the ultimate goal.

“Prevention is better than cure,” she told us. “You know, this is why we really do advocate that even in times of war and armed conflict, children must remain in school. When they are out of school, they become very vulnerable to recruitment – whether forced or not.”

Accountability, too, plays a key role. The Special Representative – who previously served as Malta’s Ambassador to the UN, including an influential period on the Security Council – pointed to recent prosecutions before national courts and the International Criminal Court (ICC) as vital deterrents.

“One of the greatest tools of deterrence is justice and accountability,” she highlighted”. “When warlords or armed group leaders are prosecuted and sentenced for recruiting children – including in national courts and at least three cases before the International Criminal Court – it sends a powerful message. Justice and accountability act as strong deterrents, showing armed groups that this crime carries real consequences.”

A 13-year-old girl formerly associated with an armed group in the Central African Republic holds a mock weapon.

Her conviction is rooted in field experience – from meeting survivors of Boko Haram’s abductions in Nigeria to listening to women once enslaved by the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. 

“You hear about a 13-year-old girl holding her baby, and you realise how deeply conflict steals childhood,” she said. 

“When you hear these stories, you realise those numbers in our reports are individuals – children who were supposed to have their whole future ahead of them,” she said. 

Epitome of innocence 

Ms. Frazier spoke with emotion about why she is so committed to this cause.

“Children are the epitome of innocence,” she said. “They have not taken sides in any war, yet their innocence and childhood have both been interrupted. Children should never be treated as collateral of war.”

Children are the epitome of innocence

She added that the path to lasting peace begins with protecting and empowering those same children.

“The sustainability of peace depends on children’s right to take it forward. When they are brought back from conflict, they must have access to education and the chance to be fully integrated into society — to aspire to become doctors, nurses, lawyers, politicians, engineers — and that can only be achieved through education.”

Messages of hope

The Special Representative outlined her campaign Prove It Matters, which invites children affected by war to send messages to leaders, folded into origami doves, the universal symbol of peace.

“One child wrote to me, ‘I still have hope for a peaceful world. Never again a girl being a wife of a guerrilla fighter. Never again being part of armed groups. Let’s save childhoods and families too.’ It’s such an innocent plea, but it is what we are about,” she said.

A young man and former child soldier in Sultan Kudarat, Philippines, plans to return to school.

As the conversation ended, Ms. Frazier reiterated her conviction that education, justice and hope remain the pillars of peace.

“Children should be able to continue with their innocence even during times of conflict,” she said. “It is about ensuring a sustainable and peaceful future for the world.”

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UN warns civilians remain at risk as airstrikes continue across Gaza

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UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the regular news briefing in New York that the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, had received additional reports of airstrikes, bombing, shelling – including from at sea – and shootings in residential areas.

The violence, he said, “puts civilians in danger and adds to the immense hardship they have endured over the past 28 months.”

He added that civilians are protected under international humanitarian law wherever they are, “even if they cross military demarcation lines or are near them…civilians must always be protected and during military operations and constant care must be taken to spare them.”

Health centre reopens

Amid the ongoing hostilities, UN agencies reported limited but important progress in restoring essential services.

The UN ‘s Palestine refugee relief agency (UNRWA) said it has reopened the Bureij Health Centre in Deir al Balah after months of closure. The facility is now providing primary healthcare, maternal health services, laboratory testing and dental care.

However, thousands of patients remain without access to treatment and recovery, as critical services are still unavailable in Gaza.

“Their top priority is to scale up local services, including by rehabilitating damaged facilities and expanding critical care. This requires more medical supplies, including items that are not easily approved for entry by Israeli authorities, such as X-ray machines and laboratory equipment,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Shelter, protection needs remain acute

UN shelter partners said that by last week they had provided more than 5,600 families with emergency shelter assistance in just over one week, including nearly 5,000 tarpaulins and more than 12,000 bedding items.

Last month alone, similar assistance – including nearly 8,000 tents – reached more than 85,000 families. However, durable solutions are urgently needed, which requires permission from Israeli authorities to bring in machinery and construction materials to repair damaged structures, partner organizations said.

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Fresh report warns fish fraud extends to one fifth of global catch

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While there is no official estimate of how prevalent fraud is in the $195 billion global fisheries and aquaculture sector, empirical studies suggest that 20 per cent of the trade may be subject to some type of fraud, according to FAO.

Menu of misinformation

Some studies suggest that up to 30 per cent of seafood products may be mislabelled in restaurants, with the report citing cases from around the world, from ceviche stands in Latin America and seafood eateries in China to canned tuna products in the European Union.

While as much as one third of aquatic products sold in the United States may not conform to package descriptions, less than one per cent of imports are tested, the report warned.

What drives fish fraud?

Economic incentives are the most widespread driver of fish fraud.

Selling Atlantic salmon, almost all of which is farmed, as Pacific salmon, most of which is wild caught, delivers a nearly $10 benefit per kilogramme.

Some fraud occurs to mask the geographic provenance of a product or to suppress evidence of above-quota landings, which may pose risks to the sustainability of fishery stocks.

Finding fraud

Fish fraud is defined in the report as “a deliberate practice intended to deceive others” and can pose risks to biodiversity, human health or economic systems, according to Food fraud in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, produced by FAO through cooperation between its Fisheries and Aquaculture Division and the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.

The main categories of fish fraud are:

  • adding water to unprocessed fishery products to bolster weight and price
  • adulteration (adding colouring to make tuna look fresher)
  • counterfeiting (imitation shrimp made from starch-based compounds)
  • simulation (packaging surimi to seem like crab meat)
  • diversion (distributing legitimate products outside of their intended markets)
  • misbranding (such as incorrect claims about sustainability)
  • overrun (involving overfishing)
  • species substitution (selling tilapia as red snapper)
  • tampering and mislabelling (involving origins and even expiry dates)
  • plain theft

Meanwhile, the human welfare risks of some seafood fraud are evident as some fish pose risks when eaten raw, while re-freezing seafood increases the risk of bacterial growth.

Catching fishy business

The global scale of fish consumption – targeting over 12,000 seafood species – the diversity of fraud type and the lack of standardised regulatory or legal definitions, make global estimates difficult to assess, but there are novel ways to tackle the scourge.

Advanced laboratory tests can be effective in identifying substances, but access to these methods is limited.

Meanwhile, the report shows that portable X-ray fluorescence and machine-learning models are innovations that could help cut fraud and make regulations more enforceable.

To quash fish fraud, the new report advocates for:

  • harmonised labelling requirements
  • mandatory inclusion of scientific names where possible
  • better traceability systems

Adding science to the tacklebox

Given its complexity, identifying the crime is not straightforward, but the report goes into considerable detail about how advances in science can contribute to tackling fraud, including:

  • A standard method to determine whether and how many times a seafood product has been frozen has so far proven elusive, but differences in the fatty-acid composition of wild and farmed fish may be used to detect fraud
  • Carbon and nitrogen ratios to determine the geographical origin of major commercial fish species

Netting offenders

Prevention and enforcement are critical to reduce and eventually eliminate fish and all food fraud, according to the report, which reviewed concerted efforts to tackle cases in Argentina, Italy and the United States.

An investigation using DNA-barcoding to assess the scale of mislabelling in Los Angeles, California, found that while it is quite low in processing plants, it is moderate among grocers and particularly prevalent in sushi restaurants.

A local initiative by local academia, industry, government stakeholders – together with an education campaign coupled with ongoing blind tests, reduced seafood mislabelling in the focus area by two thirds over 10 years.

What the UN’s doing

Part of UN ongoing efforts include:

  • FAO and the Codex Alimentarius Commission – the international food standards body – are working on toughening international standards to combat food fraud
  • through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, FAO offers technical support to members that need to bolster their testing capacities.

Find out more about what FAO is doing here.

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Ukraine war keeps nuclear safety on a knife-edge, UN watchdog warns

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Russian forces have been carrying out strikes on critical infrastructure amid freezing winter temperatures as their full-scale invasion approaches the four-year mark next month. 

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said the electrical grid was again the target of military activity this past weekend, leading to significant impacts to several regions and nuclear power plant operations. 

Power lines down 

The fighting caused power lines linking Ukraine with neighbouring countries to be disconnected, which in turn knocked out supplies inside Ukraine.  

As a result, a unit at one nuclear power plant disconnected from the grid due to fluctuations and automatically shut down, while other units at other plants were forced to reduce power. 

The Chornobyl site – where the world’s worst nuclear disaster occurred in 1986 – experienced a complete loss of offsite power and relied on its emergency diesel generators for roughly an hour. 

‘Ever-present risks’ 

“This latest grid event in Ukraine is a stark reminder of the ever-present risks to nuclear safety and security arising from deteriorating grid conditions,” said Mr. Grossi. 

He stressed that extensive repairs are needed to improve the reliability of power supply to nuclear power plants and strengthen their resilience. 

“Once again, I call for maximum military restraint, as well as full observance of the Seven Indispensable Pillars to enable these essential repairs to take place.” 

Seven safety principles 

The IAEA developed the seven pillars for nuclear safety in Ukraine in March 2022, just weeks after the war began – the first time ever that armed conflict has occurred amid the facilities of a major nuclear power programme. 

Measures include maintaining the physical integrity of facilities, ensuring offsite power supply from the energy grid, and implementing effective radiation monitoring systems. 

Operating staff must also be able to fulfill their safety and security duties and to make decisions without any undue pressure. 

Vital inspections 

As military activity increases impacting the electricity grid in Ukraine, three IAEA teams are conducting a two-week mission visiting 10 substations critical to nuclear safety and security.  

The objective is to assess the continuing damage to the grid, review repair efforts and identify practical steps to strengthen the resilience of off-site power supplies to nuclear power plants.  

This marks the second IAEA mission in as many months.  A mission this past December confirmed the effects of cumulative impacts on nuclear power plant operations and staff conditions. 

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M23 rebels: UN sees progress in talks but warns violence persists

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Qatar is facilitating discussions between the Congolese government and the M23 armed group, which controls large areas of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.

The latest developments follow months of intense fighting that has displaced civilians and destabilised the region.

However, the UN warns that despite diplomatic momentum, the security situation on the ground remains volatile.

M23, also known as the March 23 Movement, controls large areas of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. In January 2025, after a rapid offensive, the group seized Goma, the capital of North Kivu. 

Weeks later, it captured Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu. Since then, the rebels have set up parallel administrations in areas under their control. The UN says the group is supported by the Rwandan armed forces, an allegation Kigali has repeatedly denied.

© MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti

Uvira, a major city in South Kivu on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (file)

Framework agreement

On 2 February, the Congolese authorities and M23 signed a document setting out the terms of reference for a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism under the Doha Framework Agreement, signed in November 2025. The Doha talks are being mediated by Qatar.

Separate discussions have also taken place between the DRC and Rwanda, with mediation by the United States. 

In December, Presidents Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC and Paul Kagame of Rwanda signed the Washington Agreements, raising hopes of an end to the fighting. However, the UN says the security situation at the start of this year remains volatile and continues to deteriorate.

Immediate ceasefire call

Against this backdrop, the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, has renewed its call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 

It recalled that a UN Security Council resolution adopted last year authorises the Mission to support the implementation of a permanent ceasefire, including through technical and logistical assistance to a regional verification mechanism.

“MONUSCO stands ready to support a credible ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism within the limits of its mandate as defined by the Security Council and in full respect of the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of Congo,” said Vivian van de Perre, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Acting Head of MONUSCO.

“The Mission will continue to engage constructively with relevant stakeholders within the established ceasefire architecture and to communicate transparently on the scope and modalities of its support,” she added.

‘Positive signal’ from Doha

Speaking to UN News, MONUSCO spokesperson Ndeye Khady Lo described the progress in Doha as “a positive signal” that helps make “the ceasefire architecture more concrete and operational”.

She said an initial team of UN peacekeepers would be deployed to the town of Uvira, in South Kivu, to support the monitoring mechanism. 

MONUSCO stressed, however, that this would not mark a permanent return to the province, which the Mission left in June 2024, but a limited and strictly defined role linked to the ceasefire process.

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Cuba: UN warns of possible humanitarian ‘collapse’, as oil supplies dwindle

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The United States has threatened to impose tariffs on any country providing oil to Cuba, increasing pressure on the island nation following a decades-long trade embargo and the US seizure of Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro last month.

Venezuela had been the main supplier of oil to Havana but Washington has been ratcheting up pressure on Cuba in recent weeks, including an executive order last Thursday threatening to impose additional tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba, including Mexico.

“I can tell you that the Secretary-General is extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Cuba, which will worsen, and if not collapse, if its oil needs go unmet,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. 

The UN chief noted that the General Assembly has been calling for an end to the US embargo for more than three decades: “The Secretary-General urges all parties to pursue dialogue and respect for international law.”

Fuel crisis

The fuel crisis has pushed up food prices for Cubans, led to severe fuel shortages and major power cuts throughout the country.

“Clearly what we see now, especially after the recent events in Venezuela, is a combination of emotions,” said Francisco Pichon, the most senior United Nations official in Cuba, describing “a mix of resilience, but also grief, sorrow and indignation, and some concern about the regional developments.” 

Thirty-two Cubans were killed in Venezuela on 3 January in the US operation to capture Mr. Maduro. 

The UN’s humanitarian work in Cuba

Mr. Pichon spoke to UN News from Havana last month, where the power had just gone out in his office. The UN team said that the vast majority of Cubans are being hit by rolling blackouts, at a time when the number of people in vulnerable situations has increased significantly. 

Even before the latest regional developments, the UN has been working with the Cuban Government to incubate ideas and support development, including ways to diversify the Cuban economy. 

“The energy transition is a major priority due to reduced access to fuel and infrastructure challenges,” Mr. Pichon said, noting that investment needs remain a bottleneck.

Urgent changes needed

“The last two years have been quite tough,” he added, stressing that urgent changes are needed to sustain Cuba’s social model “in the midst of the severe economic, financial and trade sanctions”.

Cuba’s economy, which has historically relied on tourism as a key source of hard currency, was severely disrupted in the COVID pandemic and remains well under 2018 levels. 

As the Cuban economy has deteriorated, the country’s social indicators – such as universal healthcare, universal education, and extensive social safety nets like subsidised healthcare and food rations – are under strain. 

“All of this is happening in the context of the US embargo against Cuba,” said Mr. Pichon, noting that Cuba has also been relisted by the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism.

“From the UN perspective, our guiding principles remain unchanged: To be present. To support. To act based on cooperation, respected for international law, and the UN values.” 

Mr. Pichon, as UN Resident Coordinator, oversees the work of 23 UN agencies, funds and programmes. Here is a snapshot of some of the work underway.

Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Melissa tore through Cuba as a Category 3 storm on 29 October. For the first time in the country, anticipatory action was taken through the release of funds from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), enabling supplies, such as water purification units, food, hygiene kits, generators, medicines, medical and shelter supplies to be pre‑positioned.

The UN launched a $74 million Plan of Action to support national recovery and assist more than 2.2 million people affected by the storm’s destruction. So far, about $23 million has been mobilised targeting the one million most vulnerable. 

“No lives were lost directly due to the hurricane,” Mr. Pichon said, owing to the solid capabilities of Cuba’s civil defence, although recovery needs remain enormous, including rebuilding tens of thousands of homes.

Cooperation Framework

The UN’s long‑term engagement in Cuba is undergirded by a cooperation framework aligned with Cuba’s National Development Plan and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This framework has four key pillars:

  • Institutional: The UN supported the development of around 30 laws following the 2019 constitutional reform, advancing equity, inclusion and rights for women, children, LGBTQ+ persons, people of African descent and persons with disabilities. 
  • Economic: Focuses on productive transformation and access to financing amid ongoing sanctions and the US listing of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. Utilizing the Joint SDG Fund, which helps countries pay for projects related to the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Environmental: Disaster risk management and climate resilience are central, especially given Cuba’s exposure to hurricanes, such as Melissa. UN support in anticipation and response seeks to protect lives and livelihoods.
  • Social: Social protection systems and attention to differentiated needs with a focus on leaving no one behind, including vulnerable groups vulnerable groups such as people living with AIDS, the LGBTI community, children, adolescents, women, and the elderly, who are a very relevant sector in an aging society.

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UN chief warns of ‘grave moment’ as final US-Russia nuclear arms treaty expires

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In a statement issued as the treaty expired at midnight GMT Thursday, he said the world was entering uncharted territory, with no remaining legally binding constraints on the nuclear arsenals of the United States and the Russia – the two countries that together hold the vast majority of the world’s nuclear weapons.

“For the first time in more than half a century, we face a world without any binding limits on the strategic nuclear arsenals” of the two countries, he said.

The New START treaty – formally known as the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms – was signed in 2010 and entered into force the following year.

It capped each side’s deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 and imposed limits on delivery systems such as intercontinental ballistic missiles and heavy bombers.

The agreement also included verification measures, including data exchanges, notifications and on-site inspections, designed to reduce mistrust and prevent miscalculation.

Tools for stability

Mr. Guterres said decades of nuclear arms control agreements – from the Cold War-era Strategic Arms Limitation Talks to New START – played a crucial role in preventing catastrophe and reducing global nuclear stockpiles.

“Throughout the Cold War and in its aftermath, nuclear arms control between these governments helped prevent catastrophe,” he said, adding that such frameworks “built stability” and “prevented devastating miscalculation.”

The Secretary-General warned that the collapse of this system of restraint comes at a particularly dangerous time, as geopolitical tensions rise and the risk of nuclear weapon use is “the highest in decades.”

Reimagine arms control

But he added that the watershed also provides an opportunity to reimagine arms control for a changing security environment, welcoming statements from both US and Russian presidents acknowledging the dangers of a renewed nuclear arms race.

“The world now looks to the Russian Federation and the United States to translate words into action,” Mr. Guterres said, urging both sides to return to negotiations “without delay” and to agree on a successor framework that restores verifiable limits, reduces risks and strengthens global security.

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AI ‘moving at the speed of light’ warns Guterres, unveiling recommendations for UN expert panel

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“AI is moving at the speed of light,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, underscoring the urgency of regulating the breakthrough technology. “We need shared understandings to build effective guardrails, unlock innovation for the common good, and foster cooperation. The Panel will help the world separate fact from fakes, and science from slop.”

The roots of the Panel stretch back to 2023, in the wake of the release of ChatGPT in the United States and other pioneering technology, heralding a new era in the field of artificial intelligence. 

Mr. Guterres convened a group of leading technologists and academics and tasked them with advancing recommendations for safe governance. 

After a series of in-depth discussions, the experts came back with a vision for an approach to AI governance that could benefit humanity. Amongst the ideas was the creation of the International Scientific Panel – independent but supported by the UN.

The Panel, says Mr. Guterres, will be the “first global, fully independent scientific body dedicated to helping close the AI knowledge gap and assess the real impacts of AI across economies and societies.”

Panellists will exchange ideas, run “deep dives” into priority areas such as health, energy and education, and share the latest leading-edge research.

Diverse candidates

On Wednesday, Mr. Guterres and Amandeep Gill, his Special Envoy on Technology, informed journalists that the names of 40 prospective members  would be submitted to the General Assembly, which will have the ultimate say over the panel’s membership.

Mr. Gill said the experts on the list were chosen for their globally recognised expertise in AI. Geographical representation and gender balance also came into play.

The nominees – 19 women and 21 men – include Sonia Livingstone (United Kingdom), a professor at the London School of Economics and an advisor on media literacy and rights in the digital environment; Balaraman Ravindran (India), head of the Department of Data Science and AI at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras; and Maria Ressa (Philippines), the renowned journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Finding consensus

With its large and diverse membership, diverging attitudes towards regulation and growing geopolitical tensions, the ability to forge consensus could prove challenging.

But Mr. Gill pointed out that, even during the Cold War, scientists from across the world were able to work together on issues of international importance. “It’s one of the value-adds of the United Nations to provide those mechanisms where scientific understanding, common understanding can be advanced,” he said.

The General Assembly is expected to make the final decision on membership on 12 February, and the Panel’s first report is due to be delivered by July.

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‘Deepfake abuse is abuse,’ UNICEF warns

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“The harm from deepfake abuse is real and urgent,” the UN agency said in a statement. “Children cannot wait for the law to catch up.”

At least 1.2 million youngsters have disclosed having had their images manipulated into sexually explicit deepfakes in the past year, according to a study across 11 countries conducted by the UN agency, international police agency, INTERPOL and the ECPAT global network working to end the sexual exploitation of children worldwide.

In some countries, this represents one in 25 children or the equivalent of one child in a typical classroom, the study found.

‘Nudification’ tools

Deepfakes – images, videos, or audio generated or manipulated with AI and designed to look real – are increasingly being used to produce sexualised content involving children, including through so-called “nudification”, where AI tools are used to strip or alter clothing in photos to create fabricated nude or sexualised images.

“When a child’s image or identity is used, that child is directly victimised. Even without an identifiable victim, AI-generated child sexual abuse material normalises the sexual exploitation of children, fuels demand for abusive content and presents significant challenges for law enforcement in identifying and protecting children that need help,” UNICEF said.

“Deepfake abuse is abuse, and there is nothing fake about the harm it causes.”

Demand for robust safeguards

The UN agency said it strongly welcomed the efforts of those AI developers who are implementing “safety-by-design” approaches and robust guardrails to prevent misuse of their systems.

However, the response so far is patchy, and too many AI models are not being developed with adequate safeguards. 

The risks can be compounded when generative AI tools are embedded directly into social media platforms where manipulated images spread rapidly.

“Children themselves are deeply aware of this risk,” UNICEF said, adding that in some of the study countries, up to two thirds of youngsters said they worry that AI could be used to create fake sexual images or videos.

A fast-growing threat

“Levels of concern vary widely between countries, underscoring the urgent need for stronger awareness, prevention and protection measures.”

To address this fast-growing threat, the UN agency issued Guidance on AI and Children 3.0 in December with recommendations for policies and systems that uphold child rights. Read the full report here.

Right now, UNICEF is calling for immediate action to confront the escalating threat:

  • Governments need to expand definitions of child sexual abuse material to include AI-generated content and criminalise its creation, procurement, possession and distribution
  • AI developers should implement safety-by-design approaches and robust guardrails to prevent misuse of AI models
  • Digital companies should prevent the circulation of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, not merely remove it, and strengthen content moderation with investment in detection technologies

Read UNICEF’s latest brief on AI and child sexual abuse and exploitation here.

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Global health systems ‘at risk’ as funding cuts bite, warns WHO

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This is occurring as the risk from pandemics, drug-resistant infections and fragile health services are on the rise, said the WHO Director-General.

Addressing the WHO Executive Board in Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the impact of workforce reductions last year due to “significant cuts to our funding,” which have had significant consequences.

“Sudden and severe cuts to bilateral aid have also caused huge disruptions to health systems and services in many countries,” he told health ministers and diplomats, describing 2025 as “one of the most difficult years” in the agency’s history.

While WHO had managed to keep its lifesaving work going, Tedros said the funding crisis exposed deeper vulnerabilities in global health governance, particularly in low and middle-income countries struggling to maintain essential services.

What’s on the agenda?

The WHO Executive Board has a sweeping agenda covering pandemic preparedness, immunisation, antimicrobial resistance, mental health and health emergencies in conflict zones.

Key issue: Members are also reviewing budget pressures, governance reform and formal withdrawal notifications from the United States and Argentina.

Why it matters: The discussions come as global health risks rise, even as international cooperation and predictable financing are under strain.

What’s next: Outcomes from this week’s meeting will be forwarded to the World Health Assembly in May, shaping WHO’s direction amid mounting geopolitical and public health pressures.

Click here for more information on the session, and here for our recent coverage of key global health issues.

High stakes

The WHO funding crisis is part of a broader retreat from international health financing, forcing countries to make difficult choices, he added.

“In response to funding cuts, WHO is supporting many countries to sustain essential health services, and to transition away from aid dependency towards self-reliance,” Tedros said, pointing to domestic resource mobilisation – including higher health taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks – as a key strategy.

Yet the scale of unmet needs remains vast.

According to WHO, 4.6 billion people still lack access to essential health services, while 2.1 billion face financial hardship because of health costs. At the same time, the world faces a projected shortage of 11 million health workers by 2030, more than half of them nurses.

Deeper crisis averted

Tedros said WHO has avoided a more severe financial shock only because Member States have agreed to increase mandatory assessed contributions, reducing the agency’s reliance on voluntary, earmarked funding.

“If you had not approved the increase in assessed contributions, we would have been in a far worse situation than we are,” he told the Board.

Thanks to those reforms, WHO has mobilised about 85 per cent of the resources needed for its core budget for 2026-27. But Tedros cautioned that the remaining gap will be “hard to mobilise,” particularly in a difficult global funding environment.

“Although 85 per cent sounds good – and it is – the environment is very difficult,” he said, warning of “pockets of poverty” in underfunded priority areas such as emergency preparedness, antimicrobial resistance and climate resilience.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (file photo)

Gains have been made

Despite the financial climate, notable games have been made in recent months.

Tedros highlighted the adoption last year of the Pandemic Agreement and amended International Health Regulations (IHR), aimed at strengthening preparedness in the wake of COVID-19.

WHO also expanded disease surveillance, rolled out artificial intelligence (AI)-powered epidemic intelligence systems, and supported countries in responding to hundreds of health emergencies in 2025 – many of which never reached public attention because outbreaks were contained early.

However, one in six bacterial infections globally are now resistant to antibiotics, Tedros said, describing the trend as concerning and accelerating in some regions.

‘Solidarity is the best immunity’

“The pandemic taught all of us many lessons – especially that global threats demand a global response,” said Tedros. “Solidarity is the best immunity.”

He warned that without predictable and sufficient financing, the world risks being less prepared – not more – for the next health emergency.

“This is your WHO,” Tedros told the Board, “Its strength is your unity. Its future is your choice.”

UN watchdog warns Ukraine war remains world’s biggest threat to nuclear safety

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Addressing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, Director General Rafael Grossi said the agency remains focused on preventing a nuclear accident as fighting continues to endanger critical infrastructure.

“The conflict in Ukraine is about to enter its fifth year,” Mr. Grossi said. “It continues to pose the world’s biggest threat to nuclear safety.”

IAEA teams remain deployed at all nuclear power plants affected by the conflict and publish regular updates on nuclear safety and security conditions.

The Board of Governors is the IAEA’s main decision-making body, bringing together representatives of 35 countries to oversee nuclear safety, security and safeguards, and to guide the work of the UN nuclear watchdog. Its current membership includes, among others Russia, the United States, United Kingdom, and France.

Off-site power a critical safety lifeline

Mr. Grossi stressed that a central safety requirement is reliable off-site power – the electricity a plant receives from the national grid. Without it, nuclear sites must rely on backup systems to run cooling and other essential safety functions.

“There must be secure off-site power supply from the grid for all nuclear sites,” he said, pointing to the IAEA’s “Seven Pillars” guidance for nuclear safety during armed conflict, where off-site power is pillar number four.

He also cited Principle 3 of the IAEA’s Five Principles for protecting the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) that “all efforts should be made to ensure off-site power remains available and secure at all times.”

Mr. Grossi said both sets of guidance have broad international support, including from the parties directly involved, and that he has repeatedly called for adherence to them, including at the UN Security Council.

Progress at Zaporizhzhya amid ongoing risks

He reported recent progress at ZNPP, where Europe’s biggest plant was reconnected on 19 January to its last remaining 330-kilovolt backup power line after repairs were carried out under a temporary ceasefire negotiated with Ukrainian and Russian counterparts.  

The line had been damaged and disconnected since 2 January, reportedly due to military activity.

Until the reconnection, ZNPP relied on its last remaining 750-kilovolt main line to provide off-site power for safety systems needed to cool its six shutdown reactors and spent fuel pools. IAEA teams are also monitoring the plant’s ability to manage winter conditions, including keeping water in cooling and sprinkler ponds from freezing.

Beyond the plants themselves, Mr. Grossi warned that Ukraine’s electrical substations are also crucial to nuclear safety. “Damage to them undermines nuclear safety and must be avoided,” he said. An IAEA expert mission is now assessing 10 substations vital to nuclear safety amid ongoing strikes on the country’s power infrastructure.

Other nuclear sites also affected

IAEA teams have also reported military activity near other nuclear facilities, including the Chornobyl site, where damage to a critical substation disrupted multiple power lines and forced temporary reliance on emergency diesel generators. The affected lines have since been reconnected.

Mr. Grossi said the IAEA has shown how international institutions can help reduce risks and provide predictability in a volatile war. But, he added, technical measures have limits.

“The best way to ensure nuclear safety and security,” he said, “is to bring this conflict to an end.”

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UN chief warns ‘law of the jungle’ is replacing rule of law

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António Guterres was addressing a high-level open debate of the UN Security Council convened by Somalia, which holds the Council presidency for January.

The discussion comes as conflicts multiply, global tensions rise, and confidence in international institutions and rules is fading – even as the UN marks 80 years since the adoption of its founding Charter, which set out principles meant to prevent wars and reduce suffering.

“The rule of law is a cornerstone of global peace and security,” Mr. Guterres said, calling it “the beating heart” of the UN Charter.

For eight decades, he said, the Charter, alongside the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions and other core legal instruments, has helped humanity avoid another world war and limit the toll of countless conflicts.

Secretary-General Guterres addresses the Security Council.

Flagrant violations

But the Secretary-General warned that commitments to international law are increasingly being ignored.

“Around the world, the rule of law is being replaced by the law of the jungle,” he said, pointing to what he described as flagrant violations of the UN Charter and international law, including the illegal use of force, attacks on civilian infrastructure, human rights abuses and the denial of life-saving humanitarian aid.

From Gaza to Ukraine and beyond, he said, the rule of law is being treated as “an à la carte menu,” with States choosing which rules to follow. Such violations, he warned, set dangerous precedents, encourage impunity and erode trust among nations.

A lifeline and a guardrail

For smaller and less-powerful countries, particularly those affected by historical inequities and the legacies of colonialism, international law is “a lifeline promising equal treatment, sovereignty, dignity and justice,” Mr. Guterres said.

“For powerful countries, it is a guardrail defining what is acceptable – and what is not, in times of disagreement, division and outright conflict,” he added.

He underscored the unique responsibility of the Security Council, the only body with Charter-mandated authority to adopt decisions binding on all Member States and to authorize the use of force under international law.

“Its responsibility is singular. Its obligation is universal,” he said.

Priorities for action

Looking ahead, the UN chief outlined three priority areas for action.

First, he urged countries to honour the commitments they made under the Charter, including settling disputes peacefully, safeguarding human rights and respecting the sovereign equality of States.

Second, he called for the use of peaceful tools to settle disputes – negotiation, mediation and judicial settlement, alongside stronger partnerships with regional organizations – and more investment in development to address the root causes of inequality and exclusion.

Third, he stressed the need for fair, independent judicial proceedings. He encouraged greater reliance on independent courts and tribunals, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and stronger support for international criminal justice.

“There can be no sustainable or just peace without accountability,” Mr. Guterres said. “The rule of law must prevail.”

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From deepfakes to grooming: UN warns of escalating AI threats to children

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Cosmas Zavazava, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) – one of the key agencies that drafted the statement, which includes guidelines and recommendations – catalogues a dizzying array of ways that children are targeted. 

This extends from grooming to deepfakes, the embedding of harmful features, cyberbullying and inappropriate content: “We saw that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many children, particularly girls and young women, were abused online and, in many cases, that translated to physical harm,” he says.

Organisations that advocate for children report that predators can use AI to analyse a child’s online behaviour, emotional state, and interests to tailor their grooming strategy. 

AI is also enabling offenders to generate explicit fake images of real children, driving a new form of sexual extortion.

The Childlight Global Child Safety Institute, an independent global institute established to gather the most reliable data available on child sexual exploitation and abuse, found in a 2025 report that technology‑facilitated child abuse cases in the US increased from 4,700 in 2023 to more than 67,000 in 2024.

Young adults check social media in North Macedonia.

Australia leads the way 

UN Member States are taking stronger measures, as they learn about the scale and severity of the problem.

At the end of 2025, Australia became the first nation in the world to ban social-media accounts for children under 16, on the basis that the risks from the content they share far outweighs the potential benefits.

The Government there cited a report it had commissioned, which showed that almost two-thirds of children aged between 10 and 15 had viewed hateful, violent or distressing content and more than half had been cyberbullied. Most of this content was seen on social media platforms.

Several other countries, including Malaysia, the UK, France and Canada, look set to follow Australia’s lead, preparing regulations and laws for similar bans or restrictions. 

AI-illiteracy

And, at the beginning of 2026, a wide variety of UN bodies with a stake in child safety put their names to a Joint Statement on Artificial Intelligence and the Rights of the Child, published on 19 January, which pulls no punches in its description of the risks – and society’s collective inability to cope with them.

The statement identifies a lack of AI literacy among children, teachers, parents and caregivers, as well as a dearth of technical training for policymakers and governments on AI frameworks, data protection methods and child rights impact assessments.

Responsibility of the tech giants

Tech companies are also in the frame: the statement says that most of the AI-supported tools they make – along with their underlying models, techniques and systems – are currently not designed with children and their well-being in mind. 

“We are really concerned and we would like the private sector to be involved, to engage, to be part of the story that we are writing together with the other UN agencies and other players who believe that technology can be an enabler, but it can also destroy,” says Mr. Zavazava.

The senior UN official is confident however, that these businesses are committed to making their tools safer. 

“Initially, we got the feeling that they were concerned about stifling innovation, but our message is very clear: with responsible deployment of AI, you can still make a profit, you can still do business, you can still get market share. 

“The private sector is a partner, but we have to raise a red flag when we see something that is going to lead to unwanted outcomes. 

We have regular meetings where we talk about their responsibilities, and some of them already have statements on how they should protect populations and children. It is our duty together to be fighting the ills that come with the technology.”

A children’s rights issue

While the UN bodies named in the document (full list below) stress the need for these companies to make sure their products are designed to respect children’s rights, they are also calling on all parts of society to take responsibility for the way they are used.

This is far from the first time that concerns have been raised from a rights perspective: in 2021, new language was attached to the Convention on the Rights of the Child – a cornerstone of international child rights law and the most ratified human rights treaty in history – to reflect the dangers of the digital age.

However, the UN bodies feel more guidance is needed to help countries regulate more effectively and have produced a comprehensive list of recommendations.

“Children are getting online at a younger age, and they should be protected, says Mr. Zavazava. That’s why we set out these child online protection guidelines. The first part of the guidelines addresses parents, the second is for the teachers, the third part is for regulators, and the fourth is relevant to industry and private sector.”

UN warns of rising internet shutdowns as digital blackouts spread worldwide

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In a statement issued this week, UNESCO said governments are increasingly cutting internet access during protests, elections and times of crisis, despite the central role online connectivity plays in democratic participation and the exercise of basic rights.

The agency noted that 2024 was the worst year on record for internet shutdowns since 2016, citing data from the civil society monitoring group Access Now.

It warned that the trend has continued into 2026, with blanket shutdowns already imposed in several countries facing major demonstrations or electoral processes.

“Access to information is an integral part of the universal right to freedom of expression,” UNESCO said, stressing that internet connectivity is also essential for other rights, including education, freedom of association and assembly, and participation in social, cultural and political life.

It called on governments to adopt policies that facilitate access rather than erect barriers to connectivity.

Internet disruptions also fuel misinformation. When journalists, media outlets and public authorities are cut off from digital channels, verified information becomes harder to access, creating space for rumors and unverified content to spread.

Shutdowns during protests and elections

Recent months have seen a series of high-profile internet shutdowns and digital restrictions imposed amid political unrest.

In January 2026, authorities in Iran imposed a near-total nationwide blackout during renewed protests, sharply curtailing online communications. Connectivity monitors reported traffic falling to minimal levels, disrupting businesses and severely limiting the ability of citizens, journalists and civil society groups to share information.

In Afghanistan, the Taliban ordered a nationwide shutdown in September-October 2025, further constraining humanitarian operations, journalism and access to education, particularly for women and girls.

Elsewhere, governments have increasingly relied on targeted platform bans. In Nepal, authorities suspended access to 26 social media and messaging platforms in September 2025 amid political unrest.

In Sri Lanka, a law adopted in 2024 grants broad powers to restrict online content, raising concerns about shrinking digital civic space.

In Africa, election-related disruptions have remained a recurring feature.

Internet connectivity was significantly disrupted in Cameroon during the October 2025 presidential election, while Tanzania imposed internet restrictions and partial shutdowns around its October 2025 polls, drawing criticism over a wider crackdown on civil freedoms.

Human rights implications

The growing concern echoes warnings from a 2022 report from the UN human rights office (OHCHR), which examined the causes and impacts of internet shutdowns worldwide.

The report detailed how shutdowns can prevent hospitals from contacting doctors in emergencies, deprive voters of information about candidates, cut off small businesses from customers, and leave protesters unable to call for help during violent crackdowns.

It found that internet shutdowns rarely meet international human rights standards, particularly the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality.

Because of their indiscriminate reach, the report said, shutdowns often affect millions beyond the situations they are meant to address, deepening digital divides and undermining social and economic progress.

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Yemen: Children are dying and it’s going to get worse, warns aid veteran

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“The simple narrative is, children are dying and it’s going to get worse,” said Julien Harneis, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen. “My fear is that we won’t hear about it until the mortality and the morbidity significantly increases in this next year.”

The alert follows an attempt by forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to expand their presence in the resource-rich and strategically important eastern governorates of Hadramout and Al Mahra, a move reportedly reversed earlier this month by Government-aligned forces backed by Saudi Arabia.

The latest crisis comes after well over a decade of fighting between Houthi-led forces – who control the capital, Sana’a – and the internationally recognized government in Aden, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition. 

Complex operating environment

“It’s an extraordinarily complicated situation,” Mr. Harneis told journalists in Geneva. “Just in the last month in Aden, we went through a situation where you have the Government of Yemen in charge, then over 48 hours, the Southern Transitional [Council] situation took over the whole of the Government of Yemen areas, including areas they’ve never been in.”

Just four weeks later, however, a delegation from the STC released a statement while in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, announcing that they had in fact “dissolved” their movement, allowing the Government in Yemen to retake the recently captured areas. “But at the same time, we’ve got demonstrations in Aden saying that, ‘No, we’re not [disbanded], we’re still there,’” Mr. Harneis explained.

Last week, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg told the Security Council that this latest political and security upheaval underscored how quickly stability could unravel without a credible, inclusive political process to bring a negotiated end to the debilitating war.

Securing a peaceful future for the people of Yemen and providing lifesaving help has also been complicated by the ongoing detention of UN staff and diplomatic workers, among others, by Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran and control Sana’a. 

Mr. Harneis described the torment for the families of the 69 staff members still being held: “It’s terrible for them; some families haven’t seen their loved ones in five years. They don’t know the conditions of their detention, they don’t know where they are, they don’t know if they’re going to be sentenced to death in the coming days.”

Millions going hungry

Latest UN data shows that more than 20 million Yemenis – about half the population – will face acute food insecurity next month, while tens of thousands could face famine-like conditions.

“We are expecting things to be much worse in 2026,” Mr. Harneis said.

A young boy is carried by his mother thorough a neighbourhood in Al Hawtah, Lahj Governate in Yemen.

The country’s health system is also collapsing. More than 450 facilities have already closed and thousands more are at risk of losing funding. Vaccination programmes are also under threat and only two-thirds of Yemen’s children are fully immunised, largely owing to a lack of access in the north.

“The way that economic and political decisions are playing out…food insecurity is only getting worse across all parts of the country”, the UN aid official maintained.

“We’re going to see a major change where the health system is not going to be supported in the way it has been in the past.”

Despite access restrictions, UN partners reached 3.4 million people with food assistance last year, along with emergency support during floods and disease outbreaks. 

The UN has been working in Yemen since the 1960s, helping to make development gains and protect the country’s most vulnerable people. “And then suddenly in the last couple of years this breakdown…inexplicably,” Mr. Harneis said. “That has a terrifying effect on the humanitarian workers.”

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Peacekeeping: Lacroix warns of rising threats to ‘blue helmets’ in Middle East

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Briefing journalists by video link from Jeddah following an extensive visit to the region, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said there has been an uptick in dangerous incidents involving peacekeepers and the fragile environment in which missions are operating.

He added that UN missions are continuing to deliver on their mandates despite increasingly challenging conditions on the ground.

“There is no pre-drawdown mandate,” Mr. Lacroix said of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), stressing that the mission will continue to operate under its current authorisation until the end of December 2026.

UNIFIL, he said, remains focused on supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and advancing implementation of Security Council resolution 1701, which brought an end to hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in 2006.

Mr. Lacroix said cooperation with Lebanese authorities and the LAF remained “excellent,” and welcomed recent statements by the Government regarding progress in establishing operational control in the south, while acknowledging that “a number of things remain to be done.”

Increasing danger

At the same time, he expressed grave concern over a growing number of hostile incidents affecting UN peacekeepers, particularly those involving the Israeli Defense Forces.

“The frequency of these incidents has been quite high – it has been increasing,” he said, warning that several encounters “could have had very tragic consequences” for peacekeepers.

He said he had raised the issue with Israeli counterparts, stressing that “it is in no one’s interest to put the lives of peacekeepers at risk,” and reminded all parties of their responsibility to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel.

Mr. Lacroix also described widespread devastation in southern Lebanon, where entire villages and civilians remain unable to return to their homes, undermining prospects for recovery and reconstruction.

Beyond security risks, Mr. Lacroix highlighted the impact of funding shortfalls on peacekeeping operations, noting that UNIFIL and other missions have had to implement savings plans due to delayed or incomplete contributions by some Member States.

He praised peacekeepers for adapting under pressure, saying they had “succeeded in mitigating the impact” of financial constraints through innovation and operational adjustments.

Syria and regional dynamics

Turning to Syria, Mr. Lacroix said the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) continues to carry out its mandate with strong backing from both the Security Council and Syrian authorities.

However, he noted that conditions on the ground have changed significantly since Israeli forces established positions inside the area of separation defined by the 1974 disengagement agreement.

Established in May 1974, following the Yom Kippur War, UNDOF is mandated to maintain the ceasefire between Israel and Syria, and supervise the areas of separation as provided in the 1974 agreement.

“What we would want is a return to the situation where UNDOF would be the only military presence in the area of separation,” Mr. Lacroix said, describing recent talks between Israel and Syria, mediated by the United States, as “positive.”

UN Photo/Wolfgang Grebien

UNDOF peacekeepers on patrol in the Golan Heights.

Mine action and wider needs

He also underscored the growing importance of UN mine action efforts in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory overall, saying needs were “huge” and urging greater donor support.

“We are willing to do more,” Mr. Lacroix said, stressing that additional resources would be critical to protect civilians and support recovery in conflict-affected areas.

11-year streak of record global warming continues, UN weather agency warns

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The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed on Wednesday that 2025 was one of the three warmest years on record, continuing the streak of extraordinary global temperatures.

After analysing eight international datasets, the organization said that global average surface temperatures last year were 1.44°C above the 1850 to 1900 average.

Two of these datasets ranked 2025 as the second warmest year in the 176-year record, and the other six ranked it as the third warmest year.

Warm despite La Niña 

The fact that 2025 was very slightly cooler than the three-year average from 2023 is partly explained by the La Niña phenomenon, which is associated with colder weather.

But WMO insisted that any temporary cooling from La Niña is not reversing the long-term trend of warmer temperatures.

“The year 2025 started and ended with a cooling La Niña and yet it was still one of the warmest years on record globally because of the accumulation of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in our atmosphere,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

The organization added that the high temperatures on land and sea last year helped to fuel extreme weather, including heatwaves, heavy rainfall and deadly tropical cyclones, underlining the need for early warning systems.

Ocean heat

Citing a separate study, WMO highlighted that ocean temperatures were also among the highest on record last year, reflecting the long-term accumulation of heat within the climate system.

Regionally, about 33 per cent of the global ocean area ranked among its historical (1958–2025) top three warmest conditions, while about 57 per cent fell within the top five, including the tropical and South Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, North Indian Ocean and Southern Oceans, underscoring the broad ocean warming across basins.

WMO will provide full details of key climate change indicators, including greenhouse gases, surface temperatures, ocean heat and other trends, in its State of the Global Climate 2025 report to be issued in March.

COP30: Climate crisis is a health crisis, WHO warns as philanthropies pledge $300m for solutions

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The special report on health and climate change, published by the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and the Brazilian Government, warns that one in 12 hospitals could face climate-related shutdowns. It calls for urgent action to protect health systems in a rapidly warming world.

This follows Thursday’s launch of the Belém Health Action Plan, a flagship COP30 initiative putting health at the centre of climate policy.

What the WHO says

“The climate crisis is a health crisis – not in the distant future, but here and now,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“This special report provides evidence on the impact of climate change on individuals and health systems, and real-world examples of what countries can do – and are doing – to protect health and strengthen health systems.”

Why it matters

Global temperatures are already above 1.5°C. The report finds that 3.3 to 3.6 billion people live in areas highly vulnerable to climate impacts, while hospitals face a 41 per cent higher risk of damage from extreme weather compared to 1990.

Without rapid decarbonisation, the number of health facilities at risk could double by mid-century. The health sector itself contributes around 5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the need for a swift transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient systems.

Key gaps in health adaptation

The report highlights stark gaps in health adaptation planning:

  • Only 54 per cent of national health adaptation plans assess risks to health facilities.
  • Fewer than 30 per cent consider income disparities.
  • Just 20 per cent take gender into account.
  • Less than 1 per cent include people with disabilities.

Progress has been made – the number of countries with multi-hazard early warning systems doubled between 2015 and 2023 – but coverage remains uneven, especially in least developed countries and small island states.

What’s being done

Adding momentum, a coalition of more than 35 philanthropies today pledged $300 million to accelerate solutions at the intersection of climate and health.

The Climate and Health Funders Coalition – which includes Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Gates Foundation, IKEA Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Wellcome – will back innovations, policies and research on extreme heat, air pollution and climate-sensitive diseases, as well as strengthen health systems and data integration. Find out more here.

The coalition’s inaugural funding effort supports the Belém Health Action Plan and aims to deliver “no-regret” interventions that save lives now. With the past decade the hottest on record and temperatures set to remain near historic highs, experts warn that failure to act risks catastrophic consequences for human health.

‘Adaptation is urgent’: COP30 health envoy calls for action

UN News spoke with Ethel Maciel, COP30’s special envoy for health and one of the architects of the Belém Health Action Plan. She stressed that climate change is no longer a distant threat – it is reshaping health systems now.

“Then, how do we prepare our health units, our hospitals, our structures for these extreme events that will happen with increasing frequency? And how can we provide training and capacity-building for health professionals so that they can face these extreme events that will be caused by what we are already experiencing in these climate changes,” she said.

“One example here in Brazil, was last year’s flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, [which triggered] the largest dengue epidemic in history, driven by these climate changes. So, it is not something for us to think about in the future; it’s happening now. So, thinking about how to adapt our system is urgent.”

Ms. Maciel outlined three pillars of the plan:

  • Monitoring to integrate climate and health data, enabling forecasts of heat-related health demand and better reporting of climate-linked cases.
  • Resilient systems and training so health professionals can identify and treat impacts such as dehydration or cardiac stress.
  • Research and innovation to develop heat-resistant medicines and vaccines, cut pollution in health supply chains, and expand renewable energy use.

She warned that implementation is critical in the Amazon, where deforestation could unleash unknown pathogens. “We have … pathogens that we do not yet even fully [understand],” she said, urging leaders to ensure the plan “does not become just another paper and another very beautiful declaration, but that does not happen in practice.”

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

Fragile progress in Syria, at risk from exclusion and foreign interference, UN warns

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They warned that foreign military action, political exclusion and dwindling resources threaten to undo fragile gains.

UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen – who announced that he will be stepping down from his role during the meeting – told ambassadors that interim authorities in Damascus have inherited “not just the ruins of shattered buildings, but the deeper wreckage of a battered social fabric, decayed institutions and a hollowed-out economy.”

He stressed that the success of Syria’s transition will depend on political stability, inclusivity and international support at a scale commensurate with the country’s needs.

“The international community must support Syria and robustly stand against foreign intervention,” he said. “But equally: the success of the transition will above all rest on the State acting as a State for all, not just in word but also in deed.”

Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in the country.

Call to bar interlopers

Mr. Pedersen urged respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity amid ongoing external military action, including further reported Israeli strikes this month.

Any security concerns, he said, must be addressed through diplomacy, warning that mishandling them could leave Syria “indefinitely gridlocked, unable to heal or rebuild – and at worst, slipping into fresh waves of strife and external intervention.”

He pointed to the Druze-minority region of Sweida – where a ceasefire following brutal clashes has largely held since July – and welcomed a roadmap agreed last week by Syria, Jordan and the United States to address accountability, humanitarian access and reconciliation.

But he cautioned that fears within the Druze community must be addressed through dialogue and confidence-building.

He also highlighted reports of abuses in Damascus neighbourhoods and calls for accountability in Sweida – and along the coast following sectarian violence there.

“The Syrian public needs to see that abuses are both acknowledged and addressed in accordance with international standards,” he said.

Humanitarian emergency continues

Speaking alongside Mr. Pedersen, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher described Syria as “one of the largest humanitarian emergencies globally.”

More than 70 per cent of the population requires some form of aid, nine million are acutely food insecure seven million remain displaced inside the country and four million refugees abroad.

Despite these figures, he highlighted signs of progress. Thanks to more practical engagement with the interim authorities, aid is now reaching communities inaccessible a year ago.

“Movements that last year would have required lengthy navigation of frontlines are happening routinely,” Mr. Fletcher said, citing food assistance for one million people each month and subsidized bread for two million more.

Nearly 900,000 refugees and 1.9 million internally displaced people have returned to their communities since December, though many face destroyed housing, lack of jobs and insecurity.

Funding gaps remain

Funding gaps however threaten these gains, with the UN’s humanitarian appeal for Syria only 18 per cent funded. The shortfall has forced closures of hospitals, safe spaces for women and community centres.

“Just when organizations are seeking to expand their operations and have the opportunity to work more efficiently, they are instead forced to cut programmes, reduce support, lose staff,” Mr. Fletcher warned.

The UN Security Council meets to discuss the situation in Syria.

‘Unity is within reach’

Both officials warned that Syria’s fragile moment of progress could easily unravel.

“If this central challenge is mishandled, the consequences could be dire,” Mr. Pedersen cautioned. “But if met with genuine negotiation and bold compromise, unity is within reach and success against the odds is possible.”

Mr. Fletcher echoed that message, urging Member States to “preserve stability, fund the humanitarian response and enable Syrian-led recovery.”

“This time next year,” he added, “I want to report that we are substantially scaling down our emergency humanitarian operations in Syria – not because funding cuts have forced our hand, but because the international community has made the necessary investments in Syria’s future.”