That’s the message from UN chief António Guterres ahead of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day on Thursday. Mr. Guterres insisted on the need to confront technology’s perils, including the amplification of economic inequalities, the proliferation of hate speech and disinformation, as well as the lack of governance and unchecked development of artificial intelligence, or…
In addition to a revised request from the UN aid coordination office OCHA for $2.56 billion to fund its Humanitarian Response Plan – targeting some 18 million people in Sudan – the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said that it required $472 million to assist those forced to flee across the country’s borders. The revised joint…
There is a 66 per cent likelihood that the annual average near-surface global temperature between 2023 and 2027, will be more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for at least one year. Warmest year ever And there is a 98 per cent likelihood that at least one of the next five years, and the five-year period,…
With coastal winds recorded at up to 250 kilometers per hour making landfall off the Bay of Bengal, the storm tore through villages in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, leaving villagers to piece together their ruined homes while they wait for aid and support. According to news reports, Mocha ripped off roofs, smashed fishing boats, uprooted trees…
“The way we produce, use, and dispose of plastics is polluting ecosystems, creating risks for human health and destabilizing the climate,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen. ‘Roadmap’ to slash plastic pollution “This UNEP report lays out a roadmap to dramatically reduce these risks through adopting a circular approach that keeps plastics out of ecosystems,…
“Non-State armed groups continue to carry out large-scale attacks against civilian and military targets and engage in clashes over access to resources, territorial control and influence,” said Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, part of the political and peacebuilding affairs department, and UN Peace Operations. The Council was meeting to assess the…
Cautionary measures normally applied to any new technology are not being exercised consistently with regard to large language model (LLM) tools, which use AI for crunching data, creating content, and answering questions, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned. “Precipitous adoption of untested systems could lead to errors by healthcare workers, cause harm to patients, erode…
Mentioning this year’s theme in a statement to mark the day, Together Always: United in Diversity, the UN chief called on leaders ‘to speak with one voice” to eliminate stigma and discrimination, that result in sometimes deadly attacks targeting LGBTQI+ communities. The Secretary-General showed his deep concern over the levels of violence directed towards LGBTQI+…
Amid claims and counter claims, the army has been reportedly attempting to cut the supply lines of the Rapid Support Forces and defend its bases from continued attack. The RSF claimed to have captured hundreds of soldiers, following an attack on an army base. Airstrikes and heavy fighting have left hundreds of thousands of city…
Risks of a prolonged period of low growth stand, amid stubborn inflation, rising interest rates, and heightened uncertainties, in addition to the ever-worsening impact of climate change, the report found. Challenging development The current global economic outlook also presents an immediate challenge to delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for…
