Assembly President calls for massive investment in sustainable infrastructure

adminApril 18, 2024September 20, 202404 mins

In a special meeting dedicated to building resilience and promoting sustainable development through infrastructure connectivity, Dennis Francis emphasized the importance of quality and endurance. “Quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure – including regional and transborder infrastructure – is important to sustain trade and commerce, facilitate effective transportation, connect us to virtual grids, maintain energy flows,…

Massive investment and financial reform needed to rescue SDGs

adminApril 9, 2024September 19, 202405 mins

Presenting the latest UN report on the issue, Amina Mohammed called for “a surge in investment” and reform of the international financial system to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are woefully offtrack. World leaders adopted the 17 SDGs nearly a decade ago and they include ending extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring availability to…

Massive displacement as fighting surges in eastern DR Congo

adminFebruary 14, 2024September 18, 202404 mins

Fresh fighting since last week in the region has displaced an estimated 135,000 people from the town of Sake – on the northern banks of Lake Kivu – who are moving towards the provincial capital, Goma, about 25 kilometres away, according to UNHCR. The agency further said that it received reports of bombs falling on…

World News in Brief: COVID risk still high worldwide, massive Congo flood displacement, concern over Sri Lanka drugs crackdown

adminJanuary 12, 2024September 18, 202407 mins

The virus is still circulating globally but relatively few countries are following infections closely, meaning the actual threat due to the coronavirus and its variants could be anything from two to 19 times higher than what is being reported to WHO. The agency’s COVID focal point, Dr Maria Van Kerhove, told journalists in Geneva that…

Human right to food needs ‘massive investment’: Guterres

adminOctober 23, 2023September 17, 202404 mins

Addressing the UN-backed body meeting in Rome on Monday, António Guterres underscored that the session was taking place “at a moment of crisis for global food security” and provided some sobering statistics. “Last year, 735 million people went hungry. More than 3 billion cannot afford a healthy diet,” said the Secretary-General in a video message, adding…

Healthcare: Lack of universal coverage, ‘human rights tragedy on a massive scale’

adminSeptember 21, 2023September 16, 202404 mins

By approving a new political declaration at UN Headquarters during the high level meeting, Member States also pledged to take concrete action and provide the necessary funding to reach the ambitious goal. The declaration – Universal Health Coverage: expanding our ambition for health and well-being in a post-COVID world – also saw governments promise to…

Coasts and sea life facing major threat due to massive sand removal

adminSeptember 5, 2023September 16, 202404 mins

This is equivalent to over one million dump trucks every day – placing immense pressure on marine biodiversity and the well-being of coastal communities. Marine Sand Watch, a platform developed by UN Environment Programme (UNEP)’s analytical centre, GRID-Geneva, uses artificial intelligence and automatic signals from ships to track and monitor sand, clay, silt, gravel, and…

Top UN aid official in Ukraine deplores latest wave of ‘massive Russian attacks’

adminAugust 23, 2023September 15, 202405 mins

Denise Brown issued a statement deploring this “new wave of massive Russian attacks”, and appealed for the violence to end. “Grain storage facilities, vital for the Ukrainian farmers and global food security, have been hit in the Danube area,” she said. “A school in the Sumy region was damaged, and teachers were killed and injured.” International media…

In Mogadishu, UN chief urges ‘massive international support’ for Somalia

adminApril 11, 2023September 11, 2024010 mins

“I am also here to ring the alarm on the need of massive international support, because of the humanitarian difficulties the country is facing, massive humanitarian support in relation to the build-up of a security capacity of Somalia, and massive humanitarian support in stabilisation and development of the country,” Secretary-General António Guterres said in the…

Sudan holds massive political ‘workshops’, embarks on new transition phase, Security Council hears

adminMarch 20, 2023September 11, 202405 mins

“Today, we are the closest we have been to a solution, although challenges remain,” said Volker Perthes, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan and head of the UN’s transition assistance mission in the country, known as UNITAMS. Landmark agreement Mr. Perthes recalled his last briefing to the Council, on 8 December, when he welcomed the…