Humanity’s survival ‘depends on our cooperation’: Outgoing General Assembly President

Humanity’s survival ‘depends on our cooperation’: Outgoing General Assembly President

“Our survival depends on our cooperation,” he said, pointing to global road blocks such as accelerating climate change, biodiversity loss, education and gender inequality. “Let us put money where our promises are,” he added, urging governments to translate actions for sustainable development into budgeting policies, national regulations and capacity building. The 77th session, which formally…

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UN provides funding boost for ‘neglected’ humanitarian crises

UN provides funding boost for ‘neglected’ humanitarian crises

The UN humanitarian affairs office which he leads (OCHA), reported that in 2023, global funding requirements have surpassed $55 billion to support 250 million people affected by conflict, climate change, disease outbreaks, and other crises. Faced with these record needs, less than 30 per cent of the target funding goal has been received.  ‘Cruel reality’…

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People of African descent facing ‘immense challenges’ in public square

People of African descent facing ‘immense challenges’ in public square

It details how systemic racism, marginalization and exclusion, rooted in the legacies of enslavement and colonialism, continue to have a negative effect on all aspects of life. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged States to “accelerate action towards meaningful, inclusive and safe participation for people of African descent in every aspect of…

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

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

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…

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Urgent call for $1 billion to support millions fleeing Sudan conflict

Urgent call for $1 billion to support millions fleeing Sudan conflict

Since the crisis began when rival military groups clashed in mid-April, projections of growing numbers of people trying to escape fighting have sharply spiked upwards. “The crisis has triggered an urgent demand for humanitarian assistance, as those arriving in remote border areas find themselves in desperate circumstances due to inadequate services, poor infrastructure and limited…

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‘Immense challenges’ block justice for Ukrainian war victims, rights experts warn

‘Immense challenges’ block justice for Ukrainian war victims, rights experts warn

Speaking in Kyiv, Commission Chair Erik Møse pointed to continuing patterns of violations by Russian armed forces, including wilful killings, unlawful confinement, torture, rape, and illegal deportations, many of which qualify as war crimes. According to the Commission, the Ukrainian legal system faced “immense challenges” to provide accountability and justice to the victims and ensure…

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Philippines: Indigenous knowledge takes on climate crisis

Philippines: Indigenous knowledge takes on climate crisis

Local tribal leader Jemuel Perino discussed the success of local initiatives, supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Adaption Fund Climate Change Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA), in educating his community on effective prevention and mitigation techniques to deal with the growing impacts of climate change. “The indigenous cultural communities have their own centuries-old knowledge, systems, and…

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