Presenting her latest annual report, Virginia Gamba, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, appealed for “bold and resolute action” to protect boys and girls at risk of death, recruitment, rape and other horrors. The report covers 26 situations in five regions worldwide, representing another high. ...
Haiti The security situation in Haiti “is appalling,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, recalling his recent visit to the fragile nation. He called for swift action at a time when the humanitarian needs are “soaring”. And although “there is not yet the political solution in sight”, the UN chief expressed...
The explosion of ethnic violence in Darfur largely by nomadic “Arab” groups in alliance with the RSF who have been battling national army forces for control of the country since mid-April, has led tens of thousands to flee into neighbouring Chad. ‘Horrifying accounts’ In a statement, OHCHR Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani...
Despite gains made in tackling sea-faring criminal groups, “piracy incidents continue to threaten the safety of maritime traffic in the region,” said Martha Pobee, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations. Effective deterrents Since her last briefing on maritime security in November, she...
“Patriarchy must be a thing of the past. Our future depends on women and girls being at the table everywhere when decisions are made,” said Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Only 1 in 4 parliamentarians are women “It was only last year that for the first...
“It is vital that the recent diplomatic moves are matched with real action,” said Geir Pedersen, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, briefing the Security Council on recent political and humanitarian developments. A range of diplomatic initiatives have quickened the pace towards finding solutions on, among other things, continuing...
WMO warned on Tuesday that glaciers and ice sheet melt in Greenland and Antarctica accounts for some 50 per cent of sea level rise, which is accelerating, with disastrous impacts on small island developing states (SIDS) and densely populated coastal areas. Glacier melt The average thickness of the world’s glaciers has plummeted by almost...
Over the course of two weeks of meetings, countries are expected to make progress on adding new so-called “forever chemicals” to the list of toxic substances to be banned or restricted under the Stockholm Convention – the global treaty protecting human health and the environment from long-lasting chemical pollution. They...
The 2023 UN SDG Action Awards will be presented in Rome, Italy, in July, and the deadline for applications and nominations has been extended to 7 May. “We are calling on all activists, mobilizers, and changemakers to submit their application today for a chance to become an awards finalist and...
Gang violence is expanding at an alarming rate in areas previously considered relatively safe in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and outside the city, with a shocking increase in criminality and abuses, and a police force that is unable to handle the situation. At the same time, almost half the population, 5.2...
“We face unprecedented and interlocking crises,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his briefing at the Council’s ministerial-level open debate on effective multilateralism through the defence of the principles of the UN Charter. “Tensions between major powers are at an historic high, so are the risks of conflict, through misadventure...
The resolution was put forward by the cyclone-battered Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu, supported by a “core group” of 17 countries from various regions, and is focused on the adverse impacts of climate change on small island developing States as well as climate justice. The ICJ, also known as the...