Stop ‘kicking the can down the road,’ UN chief urges COP28 deal on phaseout of fossil fuels

Stop ‘kicking the can down the road,’ UN chief urges COP28 deal on phaseout of fossil fuels

As COP28 entered its final 48 hours, the UN chief delivered a clear message to government negotiators: “We must conclude the conference with an ambitious outcome that demonstrates decisive action and a credible plan to keep 1.5-degree goal alive, protecting those on the frontlines of the climate crisis.”  ‘The clock is ticking’ Negotiators are engaged…

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‘I will not give up’ on push for Gaza humanitarian ceasefire: Guterres

‘I will not give up’ on push for Gaza humanitarian ceasefire: Guterres

“The preeminent forum for the peaceful resolution of international disputes is paralysed by geostrategic divisions”, António Guterres told the Doha Forum taking place in Qatar, following Friday’s meeting in New York during which the United States vetoed a resolution demanding that Israel and Palestinian militants end the intense fighting across the enclave which erupted on…

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COP28: The UN’s net-zero food plan to save the 1.5-degree goal, combat climate ‘doomisim’

COP28: The UN’s net-zero food plan to save the 1.5-degree goal, combat climate ‘doomisim’

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has identified 10 priority areas – such as livestock, soil and water, crops, diets and fisheries – where following the roadmap can help push the world closer to achieving ‘Zero Hunger’, the second of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)  The aim: to transform agrifood systems – which…

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First-ever World Seagrass Day focuses on conservation

COP28: UN says staggering $7 trillion spent every year on investments that fuel climate change

The report from the UN’s environmental wing, UNEP, also revealed that despite decades of calls for ending finance flows towards sectors that harm some of humanity’s most valuable assets, those investments currently account for a whopping 7 percent of global GDP. Saturday’s report launch comes as negotiations on the conference’s outcome text are shifting into…

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World News in Brief: Nearly a million children displaced in Gaza, Guatemala ‘coup’ concerns, ‘enduring menace’ of genocide

World News in Brief: Nearly a million children displaced in Gaza, Guatemala ‘coup’ concerns, ‘enduring menace’ of genocide

Women and children are bearing the brunt in terms of deaths and injuries as Israeli troops battle Palestinian militants across the enclave, with nowhere safe to go, and aid distribution stymied by war, insufficient access and insufficient supplies crossing into the Strip. Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said…

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Fighting engulfs over two-thirds of Myanmar, fuelling humanitarian needs

Fighting engulfs over two-thirds of Myanmar, fuelling humanitarian needs

Among those fighting the military are a loose coalition of well-armed ethnic militias, as well as the People’s Defence Forces (PDF) – an armed group supporting National Unity Government (NUG) and opposed to the February 2021 military coup, according to media reports. Telecommunication blackouts In a flash update, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian…

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Better data on corruption can reduce its impact, support sustainable development

Explainer: How the UN is promoting a ‘global commitment to fight corruption’

The Executive Director of UNODC, Ghada Waly, was speaking ahead of what she describes as a “milestone” meeting taking place in Atlanta in the United States which will discuss how to improve international cooperation and to better prevent and tackle corruption.   It’s widely accepted that corruption diverts crucial resources, hampers essential services, enables organized crime, and deepens inequalities and grievances. As the UN marks International Anti-Corruption…

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Homicide a bigger killer than armed conflict and terrorism combined

Homicide a bigger killer than armed conflict and terrorism combined

The Global Study on Homicide analyzes the complex dynamics behind these violent deaths and includes a special section on how organized crime is driving death rates up in Latin America and the Caribbean.  The report examines homicides related to criminal activities and interpersonal conflict, as well as “socio-politically motivated homicides” such as the deliberate killing…

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