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Political violence against MPs rising worldwide

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Head of the IPU, Martin Chungong, told a UN conference in New York on Wednesday that “if the phenomenon goes uncontrolled, there will be major implications for democracies, parliaments and human rights worldwide”.

In an interview with UN News, Valentina Grippo, an Italian MP with the European Delegation to the IPU – which partners with the UN – emphasised the difficulties MP’s have just doing their job today: “If you say something that is not perfectly in line with what your audience wants to hear, then you have multiple attacks.”

The report titled When the public turns hostile: Political violence against parliamentarians, includes responses from parliamentarians across 85 countries, with in-depth case studies in Argentina, Benin, Italy, Malaysia and the Netherlands to reflect diverse political and regional contexts.

Key Findings

  1. Violence is heavily concentrated online with between 65 and 77 percent of MPs across the five-case studies report experiencing abuse online. 
  2. Most common forms of intimidation:
    – Insults and degrading language
    – Spread of false or misleading information
    – Direct threats 
  3. A majority of respondents say the situation is worsening. In Argentina and the Netherlands, eight out of 10 MPs report an increase in violence over the past five years. 
  4. Online violence frequently increases around:
    – National or local elections
    – High-profile legislative debates
    – Polarizing political or cultural issues 
  5. Gender gap:
    – 76 per cent of women MPs report exposure to violence
    – 68 per cent of men MPs report exposure 
  6. Gendered abuse: Women are disproportionately targeted with gendered and sexualized violence, particularly online. 
  7. Impact of emerging technologies: Abuse is increasingly amplified by AI-generated content and deepfakes. 
  8. MPs from minority or disadvantaged groups, including racial minorities, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ communities, face heightened levels of online violence.

Why the increase?

The IPU report highlights several factors driving the increase in public hostility, including rising political polarization, economic and social pressures that contribute to public frustration, the amplification of anger through social media, and declining trust in public institutions

Ms Grippo emphasised that “you no more have the confrontation between ideas, which is normal, which is part of politics, but you really have a fight between identities.”

Who is committing the violence?

Violence against Members of Parliament is most often carried out by individuals rather than organised groups.

Online, anonymous users are identified as the main perpetrators by nearly nine in 10 MPs in Argentina, Italy, Malaysia and the Netherlands (89–93 per cent).

“Those we surveyed consistently told us that sustained online abuse affected their offline behaviour including their willingness to engage publicly and their sense of personal safety,” Mr Chungong said.

Impact on democracy

The IPU warns that public intimidation of Members of Parliament can have serious consequences for democracy.

As hostility increases, many MPs report censoring themselves, avoiding certain public appearances, and experiencing negative impacts on their family members.

Some also choose to step down or not seek re-election. Over time, the report warns, these trends can erode democratic representation, discourage diversity, and weaken parliaments as democratic institutions.

“It makes it more difficult to somehow be able to deliver a message without fearing that it is misunderstood.” Ms Gruppo added that “we always have to remember that there are big parts of the world where you cannot say what you think without fearing for your safety.”

The report calls on political and parliamentary leadership to set boundaries when it comes to acceptable public discourse and to ensure that intimidation does not succeed in silencing dissenting and minority voices.

The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments. It was founded in 1889 as the first multilateral political organization in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations. 

Today, the IPU comprises 183 national Member Parliaments and 15 regional parliamentary bodies. It promotes peace, democracy and sustainable development. 

It helps parliaments become stronger, younger, greener and more gender-balanced. It also defends the human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated committee made up of MPs from around the world.

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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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Child obesity level surpasses underweight cases worldwide for the first time, UNICEF warns

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One in 10 children aged 5 to 19 – 188 million worldwide – are now living with obesity, placing them at heightened risk of chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes, heart conditions, and certain cancers.

“When we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer just talking about underweight children,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

“Obesity is a growing concern that can impact the health and development of children. Ultra-processed food is increasingly replacing fruits, vegetables and protein at a time when nutrition plays a critical role in children’s growth, cognitive development and mental health”, she added.

The report, Feeding Profit: How Food Environments are Failing Children, draws on data from over 190 countries and highlights a stark shift.

One in five overweight

Since 2000, the number underweight among five to 19-year-olds has dropped from nearly 13 per cent to 9.2 per cent.

In the same period, obesity has tripled, from three per cent to 9.4 per cent. Today, obesity rates exceed underweight in every region except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The situation is particularly acute in the Pacific Islands, where traditional diets have been displaced by cheap, energy-dense imported foods.

High-income countries are not exempt: 27 per cent of children in Chile, and 21 per cent in both the United States and United Arab Emirates, are affected.

Globally, one in five children and adolescents, or 391 million, are overweight, with nearly half now classified as obese.

Children are considered overweight when they are significantly heavier than what is healthy for their age, sex and height.

Obesity is a severe form of overweight and leads to a higher risk of developing insulin resistance and high blood pressure, as well as life-threatening diseases later in life, including type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.

A consumer in Mongolia eats a sugary desert.

Marketing to blame

The report points to powerful commercial forces shaping these outcomes. Ultra-processed and fast foods, high in sugar, salt, unhealthy fats and additives, dominate children’s diets and are aggressively marketed, influencing children’s diets.

In a UNICEF poll of 64,000 young people across 170 countries, 75 per cent reported seeing ads for sugary drinks, snacks, or fast food in the previous week.

Sixty per cent said the ads made them want to eat the products. Even in conflict-affected countries, 68 per cent of young people said they were exposed to these advertisements.

These patterns, UNICEF warns, carry staggering economic consequences. By 2035, the global cost of overweight and obesity levels is projected to exceed $4 trillion annually. In Peru alone, obesity-related health issues could cost over $210 billion across a generation.

Government must act

Still, some governments are taking action. Mexico – where sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods make up 40 per cent of children’s daily calories – has banned their sale in public schools, improving food environments for more than 34 million children.

UNICEF is urging governments worldwide to follow suit with sweeping reforms: mandatory food labelling, marketing restrictions, and taxes on unhealthy products; bans on junk food in schools; stronger social protection programmes; and safeguards to shield policymaking from industry interference.

“In many countries we are seeing the double burden of malnutrition, the existence of stunting and obesity. This requires targeted interventions,” said Ms. Russell.

“Nutritious and affordable food must be available to every child to support their growth and development. We urgently need policies that support parents and caretakers to access nutritious and healthy foods for their children”, she concluded.
 

Military spending worldwide hits record $2.7 trillion

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“The world is spending far more on waging war than in building peace,” the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at a press briefing for his new report on the threat posed by the steady rise in military expenditure.

Spending on security needs increased across all five global regions during 2024, marking the steepest year-on-year rise for at least the last three decades. Compared to the $2.7 trillion directed to military budgets, the world could eliminate extreme poverty for just under $300 billion.

“A more secure world begins by investing at least as much in fighting poverty as we do in fighting wars,” said Mr. Guterres.

A choice between aid or arms

The alarming amount spent on arms-related costs last year alone is 750 times the 2024 UN regular budget. It also equates to almost 13 times the development assistance provided by the OECD’s development assistance committee in 2024, indicating a stark trade-off between military expenditure and sustainable development.

“Redirecting even a fraction of today’s military spending could close vital gaps – putting children in school, strengthening primary health care, expanding clean energy and resilient infrastructure, and protecting the most vulnerable,” said Mr. Guterres.

For a small portion of what was invested in militaries this past year – and the previous decade – the world could fund education for every student in low and lower middle-income countries, eliminate child malnutrition globally, fund climate change adaptation in the developing world, and bring the international community closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN estimates.

“Rebalancing global priorities is not optional – it is an imperative for humanity’s survival,” said the UN disarmament chief Izumi Nakamitsu at the press briefing.

‘Sustainable development is in jeopardy’

With only one of the five of the SDGs on track, Mr. Guterres stressed that “our shared promise of sustainable development is in jeopardy.”

While more is being spent on militaries, less is being spent for social investment, poverty reduction, education, health, environmental protection and infrastructure – hindering progress on nearly all the SDGs and undermining the UN Charter, the UN’s cornerstone document. 

“But we know that development is a driver of security and multilateral development cooperation works,” said UN Development Programme (UNDP) deputy chief Haoliang Xu.

“When people’s lives improve, when they have access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities and when they can live lives of dignity and self determination, we will have more peaceful societies and a more peaceful world.”

A new security approach

“Investing in people is investing in the first line of defense against violence in any society,” said Mr. Guterres.

The report calls for a more human-centered and multidimensional approach that priorities diplomacy, international cooperation, and paves the way for sustainable development.

In a vicious cycle, lack of economic opportunity, poverty, and underdevelopment breeds instability – fuelling violence and a rise in State expenditure on the military, the UN report contends.

Investing in development and sustainable security has the potential to stop today’s arms race and alleviate the need for military spending. 

“The evidence is clear: excessive military spending does not guarantee peace,” said Mr. Guterres. “It often undermines it – fuelling arms races, deepening mistrust, and diverting resources from the very foundations of stability.”

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WHO sounds alarm as mental health conditions soar past one billion worldwide

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Disorders such as anxiety and depression are exacting a heavy toll on individuals, families and economies, yet most countries are failing to provide adequate support.

Mental health problems are widespread across every society and age group and remain the second leading cause of long-term disability. They drive up healthcare costs for families and governments while costing the global economy an estimated $1 trillion each year in lost productivity, UN health experts said.

Way off track

The findings are detailed in two new reports: World mental health today and the Mental Health Atlas 2024.

Together, they show that while there has been some progress since 2020, the world is still far off track in tackling the scale of the crisis. The reports will help to inform debate at a UN high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases and mental health, to be held late this month in New York.

“Transforming mental health services is one of the most pressing public health challenges,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Investing in mental health means investing in people, communities and economies, an investment no country can afford to neglect. Every leader has a responsibility to act urgently and to ensure mental health care is treated not as a privilege, but as a basic right.”

Troubling gaps, uneven progress

The reports highlight several stark findings:

  • Women are disproportionately affected by mental health conditions, with anxiety and depression most common among both sexes.
  • Suicide claimed an estimated 727,000 lives in 2021 and is a leading cause of death among young people. On current trends, the world will fall far short of the UN target to reduce suicide deaths by a third by 2030, managing only a 12 per cent reduction.
  • Median government spending on mental health remains at just two per cent of health budgets, unchanged since 2017. While high-income countries spend up to $65 per person on mental health, low-income countries spend as little as four cents.
  • The mental health workforce is dangerously thin in many regions. There are just 13 mental health workers for every 100,000 people worldwide.
  • Fewer than one in 10 countries has fully moved to community-based care, with most still relying heavily on psychiatric hospitals. Almost half of inpatient admissions are involuntary, and more than one in five patients remain hospitalised for over a year.

Despite these challenges, there have been some positive developments. More countries are integrating mental health into primary healthcare and expanding early intervention programmes in schools and communities.

Over 80 per cent of countries now include mental health and psychosocial support in emergency response, up from less than 40 per cent in 2020. Telehealth services are also becoming more widely available, though access is still uneven.

Call for systemic change

WHO is urging governments to step up investment and reform, warning that the current pace of progress is too slow to meet global goals. Key priorities include:

  • Fairer financing of mental health services
  • Stronger legal protection and rights-based legislation
  • Greater investment in the mental health workforce
  • Accelerated shift towards community-based, person-centred care

The UN health agency stresses that mental health should be treated as a fundamental human right. Without urgent action, millions will continue to suffer without support, and societies will bear rising social and economic costs.

For more information on how the UN overall is advocating for more resources to support mental health and wellbeing, check out this story from our colleagues at www.un.org. 

UN agencies warn of rising heat stress risks for workers worldwide

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The new joint report, Climate change and workplace heat stress, underscores the mounting risks as climate change fuels longer, more extreme, and more frequent heatwaves.

Stressing that workers in agriculture, construction, and fisheries are already suffering the impacts of dangerous temperatures, the report points out that vulnerable groups in developing countries – including children, older adults, and low-income communities – face increasing dangers.

“Heat stress is already harming the health and livelihoods of billions of workers, especially in the most vulnerable communities,” said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care.

“This new guidance offers practical, evidence-based solutions to protect lives, reduce inequality, and build more resilient workforces in a warming world”, he added.

Drawing on five decades of research, the report highlights how rising temperatures are hitting both health and productivity.

WMO confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year on record, at 1.55 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures, and with daytime highs above 40 °C becoming commonplace – and in some areas, even exceeding 50 °C. 

“Occupational heat stress has become a global societal challenge, which is no longer confined to countries located close to the equator – as highlighted by the recent heatwave in Europe,” said Ko Barrett, WMO Deputy Secretary-General. “Protection of workers from extreme heat is not just a health imperative but an economic necessity.”

Alarming findings

The report details how extreme heat is reshaping the world of work. It finds that worker productivity drops by 2 to 3 per cent for every degree above 20°C.

The health consequences are wide-ranging, including heatstroke, dehydration, kidney dysfunction, and neurological disorders. Overall, nearly half of the world’s population is now experiencing negative effects from high temperatures.

Path forward

Calling for urgent occupational heat action plans tailored to industries and regions, WHO and WMO guidance includes several recommendations:

  • Develop targeted occupational heat-health policies based on local weather and workforce vulnerabilities.
  • Prioritize protections for middle-aged and older workers, those with chronic health conditions, and individuals with lower physical fitness.
  • Train health professionals, employers, and workers to recognize and treat heat stress, which is often misdiagnosed.
  • Involve workers, unions, and local authorities in shaping heat-health strategies.
  • Promote affordable, sustainable, and scalable solutions, alongside innovation and new technologies.
  • Strengthen research and monitoring to ensure measures remain effective.

The guidance builds on International Labour Organization (ILO) findings that more than 2.4 billion workers are exposed to excessive heat globally, resulting in over 22.85 million occupational injuries each year.

‘Critical milestone’

“This report represents a critical milestone in our collective response to the growing threat of extreme heat in the world of work,” said Joaquim Pintado Nunes, ILO Chief of Occupational Safety and Health and the Working Environment.

“Aligned with the ILO’s mandate to promote safe and healthy working environments as a fundamental right, it offers robust, evidence-based guidance to help governments, employers and workers confront the escalating risks of climate change.”

A call to action

Both UN agencies stress that addressing heat stress is central to safeguarding lives, livelihoods, and economies. The guidance supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), urging decisive action to protect vulnerable workers, reduce poverty, and promote sustainable growth.

Urgent and coordinated action is no longer optional – it is essential, the report says.

Extreme heat is breaking records worldwide: UN weather agency

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Extreme temperatures caused approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths annually between 2000 and 2019, with 36 per cent occurring in Europe and 45 per cent in Asia.

The health impacts of heat are especially severe in cities due to the so-called ‘urban heat island effect’ – the over-heating of dense city areas compared with their rural surroundings – which is magnifying problems as urbanisation continues.  

Amid rising 21st-century temperatures, the WMO underscored that July 2025 was the third-warmest July ever recorded, behind those in 2023 and 2024.  

European heat streak

In this record-breaking July, heatwaves especially impacted Sweden and Finland, which experienced unusually long spells of temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Southeast Europe also faced heatwaves and wildfire activity, with Türkiye recording an extreme new national high of 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9 degrees Fahrenheit).

Asia, North Africa, United States

In Asia, temperatures soared above average the most across the Himalayas, China and Japan in July, with extreme heat continuing into August.

In the week leading up to 5 August, temperatures surpassed 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) across West Asia, southern Central Asia, the southwestern US, much of North Africa and southern Pakistan – with some areas exceeding 45 degrees Celsius (114 degrees Fahrenheit).

Parts of southwestern Iran and eastern Iraq saw particularly severe temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), disrupting electricity and water supplies, education and labor.

For the week of 4 August, Morocco issued heat warnings for temperatures up to 47 degrees Celsius (116 degrees Fahrenheit).

Korea also issued widespread heat warnings, as station temperature records were broken across parts of China.

In Japan, a new national temperature record of 41.8 degrees Celsius (107.2 degrees Fahrenheit) was set on 5 August, breaking the previous record of 41.2 degrees Celsius set a week prior.

Looking ahead

Looking to next week, the World Meteorological Centre in Beijing forecasts that heatwaves will persist across the same regions as well as the Iberian Peninsula and northern Mexico.

These regions are expected to see maximum temperatures between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius (100.4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit), with parts of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, North Africa and the southwestern U.S. likely to exceed 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).

Canadian wildfires

As Canada experiences one of its worst wildfire seasons on record, with 6.6 million hectares burned, smoke has polluted skies and caused poor air quality across several provinces and northern states of the US in late July and early August.

Twice this summer, smoke from Canadian fires crossed the Atlantic, affecting skies over Western Europe from 5–7 August and over Central and Southern Europe in late June.

Elsewhere, Cyprus, Greece and Türkiye have battled wildfires that forced evacuations and caused fatalities. In the US, a wildfire in Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park disrupted tourism at the iconic site.

‘No longer an excuse’

“Extreme heat is sometimes called the silent killer, but with today’s science, data and technologies, silence is no longer an excuse. Every single death from extreme heat is preventable,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.  

The WMO is working to strengthen heat early warning systems under the Early Warnings for All initiative. In collaboration with global and local partners, it is also helping countries develop heat-health action plans and ensure at-risk populations receive timely alerts.

WMO is also one of ten UN agencies supporting the Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat, which aims to boost global cooperation to reduce heat impacts through economic and social policy. A key focus is limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement.

According to estimates from WMO and the World Health Organization (WHO), scaling up heat-health warning systems in 57 countries alone could save nearly 100,000 lives annually.

“Our Network is connecting science, policy, and action so that no community is left behind in the race to adapt to climate change that will continue to worsen extreme heat for years to come,” said Joy Shumake-Guillemot, lead of the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme and co-lead of the Global Heat-Health Information Network (GHHIN).

“This is not just a climate issue, it’s a public health emergency,” she concluded. 

Droughts are causing record devastation worldwide, UN-backed report reveals

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This is according to a new report from the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) and the International Drought Resilience Alliance on the global impacts of droughts from 2023 to 2025.

“Drought is a silent killer. It creeps in, drains resources, and devastates lives in slow motion. Its scars run deep,” said UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw.

“This is not a dry spell,” stressed Dr. Mark Svoboda, report co-author and NDMC Director. “This is a slow-moving global catastrophe, the worst I’ve ever seen. This report underscores the need for systematic monitoring of how drought affects lives, livelihoods, and the health of the ecosystems that we all depend on.” 

Record devastation in Africa

According to the report, as 90 million people face acute hunger across Eastern and Southern Africa, some areas in the region have been experiencing the worst drought ever recorded.

In Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi, maize and wheat crops have suffered repeated failures. In Zimbabwe in particular, the 2024 corn crop was down 70 per cent year on year, maize prices doubled, and 9,000 cattle died of thirst and starvation.

Some 43,000 people in Somalia died in 2022 alone due to drought-linked hunger. The crisis continued through 2025, with a quarter of the population facing crisis-level food insecurity at the beginning of the year.

As a result of drought, Zambia is suffering one of the world’s worst energy crises: in April, the Zambezi River plummeted to 20 per cent of its long-term average, and the country’s largest hydroelectric plant, the Kariba Dam, fell to 7 per cent generation capacity, causing electricity blackouts of up to 21 hours a day. This has led to the shuttering of hospitals, bakeries, and factories, further compounding the devastation.

Worldwide impacts

But the effects of drought extend beyond Africa. For example, by September 2023 in Spain, two years of drought and record heat caused a 50 per cent drop in the olive crop, doubling olive oil prices nationwide.

In Türkiye, drought-accelerated groundwater depletion has triggered sinkholes, endangering communities and their infrastructure while reducing aquifer storage capacity.

In the Amazon Basin, record-low river levels in 2023 and 2024 led to mass deaths of fish and endangered dolphins, disrupted drinking water supplies and created transport challenges for hundreds of thousands. Ongoing deforestation and fires also threaten to shift the Amazon from a carbon sink to a carbon source.

Declining water levels in the Panama Canal slashed transit by more than one-third, leading to major global trade disruptions. Among the spillover effects were declines in American soybean exports and shortages and rising prices reported in UK grocery stores.

Call for cooperation and solutions

The report listed several recommendations to help combat this crisis, including stronger early warning systems, real-time drought and drought impact monitoring, and nature-based solutions such as watershed restoration and indigenous crop use.

It also called for more resilient infrastructure – including off-grid energy and alternative water supply systems – and global cooperation, particularly regarding transboundary river basins and trade routes. 

Guterres to launch life-saving campaign strengthening mine action worldwide

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António Guterres announced the move in a statement issued on Monday, in response to plans by several UN Member States to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.

The 1997 treaty, also known as the Ottawa Convention, prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of these weapons. 

Landmark global agreeement

Since then, it “has led to a virtual halt in global production of anti-personnel mines, and a drastic reduction in their deployment,” and “more than 40 million stockpiled mines have been destroyed,” according to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).

To date, 165 States are party to the treaty and 133 have signed it.  

Five European countries – Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland – have recently announced that they intend to leave, or taken steps in this direction, reportedly due to security concerns related to Russia.

Weakening protection, undermining progress

Without naming countries, the Secretary-General expressed grave concern over the development.

“At a time when civilians face heightened risks from widening conflicts, it is imperative that we strengthen the frameworks that protect human life and dignity,” he said. 

“These announcements are particularly troubling, as it risks weakening civilian protection and undermining two decades of a normative framework that has saved countless lives.”

He urged all States “to adhere to humanitarian disarmament treaties and immediately halt any steps towards their withdrawal,” and appealed to the 32 States that have yet to join the treaty to do so without delay.

These countries include China, Iran, Israel, Russia, and the United States.

ICBL/Gwenn Dubourthoumieu

A 33-year old landmine survivor tries on a new prosthesis at the fitting and rehabilitation centre in Kabalaye, Chad. (file)

About the campaign

The Secretary-General’s campaign will centre around upholding the norms of humanitarian disarmament, accelerating mine action as an enabler of human rights and sustainable development, and driving forward the vision of a mine-free world.

“To achieve these aims, over the next six months this campaign will aim to re-energise public support for disarmament and will also facilitate concrete actions by States to uphold humanitarian norms and strengthen mine action,” he said.

He concluded by stressing that “the urgency of this matter cannot be overstated,” saying “the protection of innocent lives depends on our collective action and commitment.” 

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UNHCR forced to make deep cuts, despite rising needs worldwide

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This will entail cutting just under half of all senior positions at the agency’s Geneva headquarters and regional bureaux. 

Around 3,500 permanent staff posts have been discontinued, hundreds of temporary staff positions have been terminated, and some offices have been downsized or closed worldwide.

According to the report, decisions on where to cut costs were guided by the priority to maintain operations in regions with the most urgent refugee needs.

Financial realities

The announcement follows a warning in March from UNHCR that severe funding cuts were putting millions of refugee lives at risk, with immediate and devastating consequences.

The agency anticipates it will end the year with available funding at roughly the same level as a decade ago – despite the number of refugees forced to flee having nearly doubled in that time to over 122 million.

“In light of difficult financial realities, UNHCR is compelled to reduce the overall scale of its operations,” said Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “We will focus our efforts on activities that have the greatest impact for refugees, supported by streamlined headquarters and regional bureau structures.” 

‘Unshakeable’ commitment to refugees

Despite the prioritisation of refugee needs, key programmes – including financial assistance to vulnerable families, health, education, and water and sanitation – have been significantly impacted. 

In response, UNHCR is coordinating with UN partners, aid groups and host countries to mitigate the impact on those who rely on its support by streamlining operations, exploring new models and utilising technology to enhance efficiency.

“Even as we face painful cuts and lose so many dedicated colleagues, our commitment to refugees remains unshakeable,” said Mr. Grandi. 

“Although resources are scarcer and our capacity to deliver is reduced, we will continue to work hard to respond to emergencies, protect the rights of refugees and pursue solutions.”  

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‘We can do better’ for pedestrian and cyclist safety worldwide

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These are the exact sort of urban initiatives which the UN Global Road Safety Week – kicking off on Monday – aims to celebrate and promote.

First established in 2007, this year’s week is dedicated to the theme “Make walking and cycling safe.”

“Walking and cycling should be the most ordinary, and therefore, the safest mode of transport,” said Dr. Etienne Krug, who chairs the group known as the UN Road Safety Collaboration and directs the World Health Organization’s efforts to tackle social and economic conditions which impact human health.

Stats tell a story

In September 2020, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution which established the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and set a goal to reduce road traffic deaths by at least 50 percent by the end of the decade.

While progress has been made, WHO says that more action is needed across all policy sectors.

Each year, 1.2 million people are killed in road traffic incidents, with pedestrians and cyclists accounting for over one-quarter of these deaths. These deaths are not distributed equally around the world. Rather, 90 per cent of road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Moreover, the UN estimates that at least 90 per cent of the world’s roads do not meet pedestrian safety standards and only 0.2 per cent of roads have dedicated cycle lanes, leaving pedestrians and bikers dangerously exposed. 

A holistic approach

Improving pedestrian and cyclist safety has far-reaching benefits for communities, in terms of health, economic and environmental outcomes.

“Walking and cycling improve health and make cities more sustainable. Every step and every ride [helps] to cut congestion, air pollution and disease,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Take, for example, Fortaleza in Brazil – the five-fold expansion of their cycling network led to a 109 per cent increase in pedestrian activity and made children twice as likely to play outside in the areas that were redesigned.

In Norway, the Fyllingsdalstunnelen tunnel which is decorated with murals and protected by security cameras works to reduce carbon emissions and encourage walking and cycling.

To support the continuation of improvements like these during UN Road Safety Week, WHO has provided policy-makers with a toolkit outlining tangible initiatives which include integrating walking and cycling initiatives into other policy sectors and building more extensive infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.

“We need [to] and we can do better,” Dr Krug said.

Fortaleza, Brazil.

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Trust collapsing as job fears surge worldwide, warns UN

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According to the World Social Report 2025 launched on Thursday, the sobering sentiment indicates a widespread lack of confidence in the future.

Despite people living longer, being better educated and more connected than ever before, many believe that life today is worse than it was 50 years ago.

Close to 60 per cent of people surveyed on life satisfaction reported that they were “struggling” with a further 12 per cent describing themselves as “suffering”, the report notes.

Financial insecurity everywhere

According to the report, economic instability is no longer limited to the world’s poorest regions.

Even in high-income countries, rising job uncertainty, gig work and the digital transition are contributing to this trend.  

These jobs may offer flexibility but often come at the cost of security and rights – reducing workers to mere service providers in a commodified labour market.

The insecurities are further compounded by an alarming rise in informal employment. In many low and middle-income countries, jobs with no safety net remains the norm, locking workers into cycles of low pay, instability, and zero benefits.

Even those who manage to enter formal employment face significant risks of being pushed back into the informal sector, especially during downturns.

For over 2.8 billion people living on less than $6.85 a day – the threshold for extreme poverty – “even a small shock can send people into extreme poverty and any escapes from poverty are often temporary,” the report warns.

The situation is further complicated by rising climate change impacts and worsening conflicts, further undermining local economies and deepening inequality, especially in the developing world.

Collapse of trust

As financial pressures mount and stability erodes, public confidence in institutions – and in one another – has also taken a severe hit, particularly among young people.

Over half the world’s population (57 per cent) now expresses low levels of confidence in government. Among those born in the 21st century, trust levels are even lower – raising concerns about long-term civic disengagement and political instability.

People’s trust in one another is also eroding. Fewer than 30 per cent of people in countries with available data believe that most others can be trusted, undermining social cohesion and complicating efforts for collective action.

“The spread of misinformation and disinformation, facilitated by digital technologies, is reinforcing divisions and fuelling distrust,” the report says, warning of abuse and misuse of digital platforms and social media to spread deceit and hate speech, and stoke conflicts.

“Often, users find themselves immersed in virtual and siloed ‘echo chambers’ where they are exposed to news and opinions that align with and may even radicalize their views.”

Platform algorithms facilitate the creation of such echo chambers and reward more extreme content and engagement with higher visibility, the report adds.

Cycle rickshaw drivers navigate the busy streets of Old Delhi, India – a livelihood for many in the informal economy.

Time for bold policies

To reverse these damaging trends, the report calls for a bold shift in policymaking – one grounded in equity, economic security and solidarity.

It urges governments to invest more in people through expanding access to quality public services – such as education, healthcare, housing and robust social protection systems.

These investments are not discretionary, the report stresses, but essential to promote resilience and inclusive growth.

It also highlights the need to rebuild trust through inclusive and accountable institutions. At the same time, power and wealth needs to become less concentrated at the very top of society.

Collective solutions

Now more than ever, we must strengthen our resolve to come together and build a world that is more just, secure, resilient and united
– Secretary-General Guterres

As momentum builds toward the Second World Summit for Social Development, which will be held in Doha in November, global leadership will be key to driving transformative change.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the need for unity and decisive action in a foreword to the report.

“The global challenges we face demand collective solutions,” he wrote.

“Now more than ever, we must strengthen our resolve to come together and build a world that is more just, secure, resilient and united for each and every one of us.”

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