UN Secretary-General António Guterres celebrated the achievements and contributions of people of African descent from across the world, while addressing the forum via video message, but also acknowledged existing racial discrimination and inequalities Black people continue to face. He said the establishment of the Permanent Forum shows a dedication from the international community to address these…
Dominica, which lies in Eastern Caribbean, is particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events, which are being exacerbated by the climate crisis: Hurricane Maria in 2017 was a devastating example, destroying many homes and buildings. The indigenous Kalinago people were particularly affected but, since then, community leaders have been working with the UN to help its…
Andrea de Domenico was speaking via videoconference to journalists in New York, briefing them on developments in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. He said although humanitarians welcome recent Israeli commitments to improve aid facilitation in Gaza, “we are dealing with this dance where we do one step forward, two steps backwards; or two steps…
With attention over the weekend focused on the Middle East he said the conflict between the national army and Rapid Support Forces militia had turned into “a war being waged on the Sudanese people.” “It is a war on the many thousands of civilians who have been killed, and tens of thousands more maimed for…
Hans Grundberg underscored the urgent need for de-escalation, warning of the perilous consequences of overlooking Yemen’s fragile stability amidst the broader regional crisis. “We cannot risk Yemen’s chance for peace, becoming collateral damage,” he told ambassadors at the UN Security Council. “If we leave Yemen’s political process in the waiting room and continue down this…
As crises continue to unfold, there has been a lack of unity among world leaders in solving challenges for the “collective good”, the Youth Office said in a letter kickstarting the campaign. The office says it deems it important to have leaders and institutions include young people in roles where their voices can be heard,…
Rafael Grossi told ambassadors that the first direct attacks since the Russian invasion began. earlier this month, on what is Europe’s largest nuclear facility, constituted a “step change increase in risk to nuclear safety and security”. Although the damage from drone strikes on the Russian-occupied power plant’s Unit 6 reactor building was superficial, it sets…
Addressing a high-level meeting of the General Assembly on debt sustainability, António Guterres outlined the crippling impact of debt on developing economies. “No example of the international financial architecture’s failure is more glaring than its handling of debt. The last four years have been nothing short of a debt disaster,” he said. He noted that…
A year to the day since heavy fighting erupted between Sudan’s rival militaries, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned of a further escalation, including an imminent attack on El-Fasher in North Darfur. “The Sudanese people have been subjected to untold suffering during the conflict which has been marked by indiscriminate attacks in densely…
“Six months into the current military offensive, more housing and civilian infrastructure has now been destroyed in Gaza as a percentage, compared to any conflict in memory,” said the experts, who included Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967. In a statement, the experts estimated…
