Despite diplomatic progress in recent months, with the United States brokering a peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda, and Qatar facilitating a Declaration of Principles between the Congolese Government and M23 rebels, tensions remain high in the eastern DRC – where multiple armed groups operate. The Security Council...
“With the world’s youngest population, abundant natural resources, and a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, Africa is poised for progress,” he told the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama. He said the meeting’s theme – Co-Create Innovative Solutions with Africa – was a reminder that these same strengths...
The UN’s key Sustainable Development Goals Report launched Monday by Secretary-General António Guterres, chronicles both progress and setbacks – showing that the world has made significant advances but is still drastically off-track to achieve its development goals by 2030. Seize the day “This report is more than a snapshot of...
The Trends in maternal mortality report was published by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN sexual and reproductive health agency UNFPA, in observance of World Health Day on 7 April. It shows that maternal deaths declined by 40 per cent between 2000 and 2023,...
The death toll for under-fives was 4.8 million in 2023 – a significant decline – with stillbirths falling marginally to around 1.9 million, data released by the UN shows. Despite this, decades of hard-won progress in child survival is under threat as a result of funding cuts, health system challenges...
“Access to electricity is not just a matter of convenience; it is a fundamental human right that underpins economic growth, education, healthcare, and gender equality,” Ms. Mohammed told African Heads of State attending the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The Summit brought together African...
Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the African Union, highlighted “encouraging developments” that are fueling optimism. “These include Africa’s resilient people and resourceful women and youth, their stated preference for democratic rule against all odds, the recently gained G20 membership, and the newly adopted Pact for...
“Global labour income share, which is the proportion of total global income that goes to workers, is shrinking,” said Celeste Drake, Deputy Director-General. “This means that even as workers contribute to a growing global economy, they’re taking home a smaller share of that growth. This needs to be changed, because...
Briefing ambassadors at the Security Council, Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria, noted that though there have been some diplomatic breakthroughs none led to tangible changes on the ground for civilians. He also raised the alarm over the impact on the region of the devastating Israel-Palestine crisis. On top...
That’s according to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing reporters in New York who said critical infrastructure in at least four of the capital’s 10 districts have been damaged, including homes, a hospital and a kindergarten. “Water and electricity systems were also hit, but authorities managed to quickly restore these vital supplies”,...
“Colombia is at a critical juncture, a crossroads at which the decisive will of parties and the support of the international community can come together to buttress embryonic peace processes,” said Carlos Ruiz Massieu, presenting his latest report. It shows that progress is being made across several sections of the...
Addressing a conference to take stock of action since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) 17 years ago, he urged countries to “do much, much better” to achieve greater inclusion and accessibility. There are more than one billion persons with disabilities worldwide, most...