News

The rapid depletion of the remaining fuel stocks in the Gaza Strip is threatening efforts to keep critical lifelines up and running, the UN reported on Wednesday. 

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Wednesday that his “number one priority” is for its inspectors to return to Iran’s nuclear sites to evaluate damage caused by recent bombing and to verify stockpiles of highly enriched uranium. 

It’s been 10 years since the Addis Ababa Action Agenda was established to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  

When Sila, a young woman from Idlib in Syria, was three years-old, she woke up to missiles falling around her, forcing her and her family to flee their home.  

The UN Secretary-General has warned that the world today is failing to protect civilians from mass atrocity crimes, calling for a renewed global commitment to the Responsibility to Protect – a principle adopted two decades ago that remains, in his words, “a moral imperative” and “an unfulfilled promise.”

Although nearly 92 per cent of the global population now has basic access to electricity, more than 666 million people still live without it, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to urge greater financial support for renewable energy. 

Helping those with less isn’t charity – it’s a shared investment in a better future. Yet global development financing is under strain. An upcoming UN conference in Sevilla, Spain, aims to change that by mobilizing large-scale investment for a more just and sustainable world.

Member States heard on Tuesday how the UN is progressing with a new plan to ensure the world body remains effective, cost-efficient and responsive to the billions of people it serves. 

A fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States between Iran and Israel appears to be holding, marking a tentative halt to a dangerous regional escalation that included airstrikes, retaliatory missile attacks and mounting civilian casualties. 

Gender-based violence is rising – especially in conflict – something which is a “shameless repudiation of the basic rules of warfare,” according to the UN human rights chief Volker Türk.

Libya once again stands at a critical juncture in its political transition, after armed clashes erupted in Tripoli last month, further destabilising the country, the UN Special Representative for the country told the Security Council on Tuesday.

A story of grassroots persistence in Somalia could serve as a powerful reminder of the impact of innovative financing mechanisms as the international community meets in Spain to discuss how to fund global sustainable development.