“We see massive violations of international human rights law, direct attacks on civilians, noncompliance with international humanitarian law, which regulates conduct in relation to hostilities, and that the attacks are largely on civilians,” said Chaloka Beyani, who recently took up his post as Special Adviser of the Secretary-General for the Prevention...
“Our partners report that since the ceasefire, the Israeli authorities have rejected 107 requests for the entry of relief materials, including blankets, winter clothes, and tools and material to maintain and operate water, sanitation and hygiene services,” Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists in New York. He said almost...
“Today, traumatised civilians are still trapped inside El Fasher and are being prevented from leaving,” said UN human rights chief Volker Türk in a statement released on Friday. “I fear that the abominable atrocities such as summary executions, rape and ethnically motivated violence are continuing within the city.” The statement comes amid mounting reports from UN human rights watchdogs and other...
Sikaiana, less than two square kilometres, is encircled by the sea and is home to just 300 people. It is also more than 200 kilometres from the main island of the Solomon archipelago. Most homes lie steps from the shore, where high tides flood the tree line and seep into wells, making freshwater scarce. Still, life...
The latest push came on Friday in remarks to the Energy Transition Roundtable in Belém, Brazil, held just days before the formal opening of the COP30 climate change conference. “The fossil fuel age is ending. Clean energy is rising. Let us make the transition fair, fast, and final,” he said. ‘Renewables revolution’ underway The UN chief told world leaders that “the global energy...
During their mission from 2 to 6 November, the three members of the Human Rights Council-mandated Commission of Inquiry met survivors, families of victims and human rights groups in Kyiv. “People spoke of unimaginable suffering – homes destroyed, loved ones killed, and lives upended,” said chairperson Erik Møse. The investigators...
UN aid agencies are struggling to access provinces overrun by Rwanda-backed M23 rebel fighters at the start of the year, although dramatic funding shortfalls for humanitarian work have also contributed to the dire situation. Kigali has consistently denied providing military backing to the group. Help could be provided more easily...
“Eleven months after the fall of the former government in Syria, we continue to receive worrying reports about dozens of abductions and enforced disappearances,” Spokesperson Thameen Al-Keetan said at a press briefing in Geneva. Syria is undergoing a political transition following the overthrow of the Assad regime in December 2024 and 13 years of brutal civil...
The move comes ahead of COP30, the UN climate talks where countries will present updated plans to cut planet-warming emissions, alongside measures to protect forests and boost funding for renewable energy. Known as the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, the fund will reward countries that succeed in halting deforestation. Aiming to make...
The impacts affect livelihoods, and fuel displacement as well as ongoing instability. Moreover, they can linger even after the fighting has ended. In Sierra Leone, for example, “when the guns fell silent in 2002 after a decade of conflict, our primary forests and savannahs also fell silent,” deputy foreign minister Francess Piagie Alghali told the UN Security Council on Thursday. “We witnessed loss of biodiversity, the...
Speaking at the closing press conference, President of the UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock said the Summit marked a “deliberate shift” from identifying gaps to acting on proven solutions. “Copenhagen taught us 30 years ago that social development and inclusion are essential for strong societies,” she said. “We promised to...
“Every fraction of a degree means more hunger, displacement, and loss – especially for those least responsible. It could push ecosystems past irreversible tipping points, expose billions to unlivable conditions, and amplify threats to peace and security,” Mr. Guterres told leaders in Belém. Failure to contain global heating amounts to...
