News

The head of UN political affairs called on Tuesday for urgent re-engagement to restore an international agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme. 

At a historic crossroads, just 11 days after the collapse of the Assad regime, Syria faces a fragile mix of hope and chaos, plagued by a volatile security situation and a worsening humanitarian crisis, top UN officials told the Security Council on Tuesday.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Tuesday welcomed the proclamation of the Second International Decade for People of African Descent by the UN General Assembly.  

Tropical Cyclone Chido struck northern Mozambique over the weekend, bringing torrential rains and powerful winds that caused devastation for communities in Cabo Delgado province.

Avian influenza has caused the deaths of more than 300 million birds worldwide and the virus “is increasingly crossing species barriers”, according to UN health officers.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has intensified its emergency response in Sudan, delivering food assistance to more than 800,000 people in famine-affected and at-risk areas, even as conflict continues to escalate across the country. 

The historic shift of power in Syria and the possibility of finally accessing evidence of horrific human rights violations could bring accountability closer than ever – if only proof can be preserved – a top UN investigator said on Tuesday.

Senior UN officials remained in Syria on Tuesday where they have been meeting representatives of the new caretaker government, following the end of the Assad regime. Later today, the Security Council in New York will hear updates from the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, and the UN’s emergency relief chief, Tom Fletcher. Meanwhile in Geneva, the head of a UN probe into the most serious crimes committed in Syria since March 2011 has provided updates on its work. UN News app users can follow our coverage here.

UN humanitarians expressed alarm on Monday at the rising numbers of civilian casualties in and around the besieged Sudanese city of El Fasher, in northern Darfur.

Civilians near the frontlines of Ukraine’s war with Russia are living “on the edge”, a senior UN humanitarian official told the Security Council on Monday, calling for urgent international action to increase protection and sustain humanitarian aid.

International migrants comprised 4.7 per cent of the labour force in 2022 – an indication of the crucial role they play in the global economy, the UN labour agency ILO said in a report published on Monday. 

As the world navigates rapid digital transformation, the 19th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) has convened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the theme “Building Our Multistakeholder Digital Future.”