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Category: Middle East

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Holding the frontline against desertification

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    By Dan Dickinson in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Climate and Environment

    Some one billion people globally under the age of 25 live in regions where they depend on the land and natural resources for jobs and livelihoods, according to the UN, but their future is increasingly under threat due to desertification and land degradation.

    Across the world young and old are responding to this threat by adopting new approaches to working on the land that may not only prevent more degradation but may also provide new livelihood opportunities.

    The issue of desertification, drought and land restoration are being discussed at a global meeting of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which continues in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, until 13 December.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Communities in southern Madagascar are planting sisal to protect the land from erosion and degradation.

    Drawing a line in the sand in Madagascar

    In the south of the island of Madagascar off the east coast of Africa, productive land has been lost at an alarming pace to sand driven inland across farmland by powerful seasonal winds.

    The communities that live here are amongst the most vulnerable in Madagascar and as the sandy soils they farm become ever more degraded, they can no longer cultivate their land and their livelihoods are threatened.

    But now, with the support of the UN, communities have been growing sisal plants, which are resistant to severe conditions and well adapted to a more arid environment.

    When cultivated in grids, they can help to secure the topsoil and prevent further erosion.  This means fewer sandstorms and more opportunities to work the land.

    “Before on the land where we are standing there was nothing here, just sand. So, we could not grow our crops. But now, we have planted sisal which has been good for the village,” said Lydia Monique Anjarasoa.

    Listen to The Lid is On podcast from UN News to find out more about how communities are holding back the winds of change.

    © UNEP/Duncan Moore

    Thadiq National Park manager Abdullah Ibrahim Alissa surveys saplings at a tree nursery in a desert area of central Saudi Arabia.

    Regreening the desert in Saudi Arabia

    In Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Ibrahim Alissa described how the arid land he grew up on to the north of the country’s capital, Riyadh, deteriorated and suffered the effects of desertification.

    The land falls within the rocky Thadiq National Park, known for its sweeping valleys. As its current manager, Mr. Alissa took on a project to rehabilitate the 660-square-kilometre-park. This has involved planting 250,000 trees and one million shrubs as well as the construction of terraced dams to catch the area’s sparse rainwater.

    “Through afforestation projects, protection and care, the area has completely changed,” said Mr. Alissa.  

    Restoring Thadiq National Park is part of Saudi Arabia’s wider plan to re-green huge swathes of desert at home and abroad. The push is designed to tackle drought, desertification and land degradation, which are threatening countries across West Asia and North Africa.

    Three quarters of the arable land in the region is already degraded, and 60 per cent of the population is already experiencing water scarcity, a number set to increase by 2050.  

    Saudi Arabia has partnered with UNCCD to launch the G20 global land initiative, which aims to cut land degradation by 50 per cent by 2040.

    WFP/Pamela Gentile

    In Niger, 1.8 million people are benefitting from World Food Programme (WFP) integrated resilience initiatives..

    Harvesting hope in Niger

    Climate change, land degradation, soaring price and conflict have made the already challenging lives of farmers in the Sahel region of Africa even more precarious, but communities have come together, with the support of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) integrated resilience programme, to cultivate a better life.

    Foureyratou Saidou, a single mother of four and recent widow from the Tilaberi area of Niger, is one of around three million people in the region who have benefitted from the initiative, which promotes land rehabilitation, livelihood diversification, school meals, nutrition interventions and improved agricultural production and market access.

    “In this garden, we now grow and harvest onions, tomatoes, lettuce and other vegetables that we eat and that we can sell in the local market,” she said. “Before, we didn’t have much to live for. Now we do, and we don’t want to leave.”

    With better access to markets, Ms. Saidou is able to sell the food she does not consume at home and provide for her children.

    WFP/Souleymane Ag Anara

    An aerial view of WFP-supported community gardens in Niger’s Tillaberi region, which are part of a broader, multi-partner Sahel resilience initiative.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Six bold environmental leaders named 2024 Champions of the Earth

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Climate and Environment

    Brazil’s first-ever Minister of Indigenous Peoples and an initiative promoting sustainable agriculture in Egypt are among the six recipients of the 2024 Champions of the Earth award, announced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya, on Tuesday. 

    The laureates were honoured for their outstanding leadership, brave actions and sustainable solutions to tackle land degradation, drought and desertification.

    Protecting people and the planet

    The Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour and recognizes trailblazers from the public and private sectors, civil society and academia who are at the forefront of efforts to protect both people and the planet.

    It has been presented annually since 2005, with122 laureates to date.

    This year, nominations focused on finding champions who are restoring degraded land, increasing drought resilience and preventing desertification.

    Honouring ‘extraordinary individuals’

    UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen noted that almost 40 per cent of the world’s land is already degraded.  At the same time, desertification is on the rise and devastating droughts are becoming more regular.

    “The good news is that solutions already exist today, and around the world, extraordinary individuals and organizations are demonstrating that it is possible to defend and heal our planet,” she said.

    “The efforts of the 2024 Champions of the Earth stand tall as a reminder that the fight to protect our land, our rivers and our oceans is a fight we can win. With the right policies, scientific breakthroughs, system reforms, activism, as well as the vital leadership and wisdom of Indigenous Peoples, we can restore our ecosystems.”

    Meet the Champions

    Sonia Guajajara, Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples, was honoured in the Policy Leadership category.

    Ms. Guajajara has been advocating for Indigenous rights for more than two decades. She became Brazil’s first Minister of Indigenous Peoples and the country’s first female Indigenous minister in 2023. Under her leadership, 10 territories have been recognized as Indigenous land to ward off deforestation, illegal logging, and drug traffickers.

    Amy Bowers Cordalis, an Indigenous rights advocate, received the award in the Inspiration and Action category

    Ms. Cordalis is using her legal expertise and passion for restoration to secure a better future for the Yurok tribe and the Klamath River in the United States. UNEP said her work to restore the river ecosystem and encourage the adoption of sustainable fishing practices demonstrate how bold environmental action can bring significant positive change, while upholding Indigenous Peoples’ rights and livelihoods.

    Gabriel Paun, a Romanian environmental defender, was honoured in the Inspiration and Action category.

    Mr. Paun is the founder of Agent Green, a non-governmental organization (NGO) which has been helping save thousands of hectares of precious biodiversity in the Carpathians since 2009 by exposing the destruction and illegal logging of Europe’s last old growth forest.

    He has received death threats and been physically attacked for his work in documenting deforestation in an area that is vital for the ecosystem and supports unique biodiversity such as endangered lynx and wolves.

    Chinese scientist Lu Qi was honoured in the Science and Innovation category.  He has worked in science and policy sectors for three decades, helping China reverse degradation and shrink its deserts

    As Chief Scientist of the Chinese Academy of Forestry and founding President of the Institute of Great Green Wall, Mr. Lu has played a key role in implementing the world’s largest afforestation project, establishing expert research networks and partnerships, and boosting multilateral cooperation to stem desertification, land degradation and drought.

    Madhav Gadgil, an Indian ecologist was named as the laureate in the Lifetime Achievement category.  He has spent decades protecting people and the planet through research and community engagement.

    “From landmark environmental impact assessments of state and national policies to grassroots environmental engagement, Gadgil’s work has greatly influenced public opinion and official policies on the protection of natural resources.

    “He is renowned for his seminal work in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats region of India, which is a unique global biodiversity hotspot,” said UNEP.

    The SEKEM initiative in Egypt was honoured in the Entrepreneurial Vision category for helping farmers transition to more sustainable agriculture.

    Its promotion of biodynamic agriculture plus afforestation and reforestation work has been transforming large swathes of desert into thriving agricultural business, advancing sustainable development across the country. 

    © World Bank/Andrea Borgarello

    A woman carries a baby and a water container as she walks across arid land in Niger.

    Restoring the world’s ecosystems

    Roughly 3.2 billion people worldwide are currently threatened by desertification, according to UNEP. Additionally, by 2050, more than three-quarters of the world’s population is expected to be affected by droughts. 

    In March 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 2021–2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. 

    Led by UNEP and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and supported by partners, it aims to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide to revive billions of hectares of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. 

    The announcement of the 2024 Champions of the Earth on 10 December coincides with Human Rights Day and the Resilience Day at the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Lime-flavoured memories drive innovation on Saudi farm

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    By Daniel Dickinson in Saudi Arabia

    Climate and Environment

    Farmers in Saudi Arabia are being encouraged to adopt new irrigation techniques as water and land resources are put under increasing pressure.

    Mohamed Alnwairan stands in front of a verdant citrus tree which four months hence will bear his first harvest of limes.

    A former businessman turned farmer, he has been cultivating land in Al Ahsa, in the eastern deserts of Saudi Arabia, for the last 15 years. Now, due to climate change and dwindling supplies of water, he is adopting new technology as well as a new crop.

    “We are very proud of our limes in this part of Saudi Arabia. You can feel the citrus oil on your hands when you touch them,” he told UN News. “They remind us of our childhood, and now I have the chance to grow them commercially.”

    Mr. Alnwairan looks across his small farm which is located in an oasis near the city of Hofuf. It is approximately a thousand square metres, and the sandy soil is dotted with some 120 two-metre-high trees that have been growing for almost four years.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    A farm worker tends to a lime tree irrigated through smart technology.

    Smart irrigation

    “On my left are trees which have been irrigated using innovative techniques and to the right are the ones I have been hand watering using traditional methods,” he said. “The irrigated trees are thriving more.”

    The difference in colour, shape and sturdiness is noticeable, and their robust health is largely due to the way they have been watered.

    Mr. Alnwairan’s farm is piloting what is known as smart irrigation, a resource-efficient approach to growing crops, which is being promoted in this region by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

    He uses an app on his smartphone to monitor the soil and track and deliver the water his lime trees need to flourish. When it rains, sensors register the damp conditions and pause scheduled water provisions. If the trees are not getting enough water, the app can instruct a greater water flow, if necessary, all remotely.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Mahmoud Abdelnabby is an irrigation extension expert with FAO.

    Water stress

    Water used to be plentiful in the oasis farmland, but reduced rainfall due to climate change and the cultivation of water-thirsty rice, a local specialty, has driven the water table lower making water more problematic and pricier to access.

    Mr. Alnwairan had to stop farming rice on another nearby plot when the water in his well fell to 300 metres below ground.

    Mahmoud Abdelnabby, an irrigation expert with FAO, said that “smart irrigation can reduce water consumption by 70 per cent and is more sustainable for the environment.”

    Farmers don’t currently have to pay for water, but automation provides other savings as fewer farm workers are needed to water the trees, a time consuming and onerous job during the intense heat of the Saudi growing season.

    The technology whilst advanced is readily available on the local market and although financial investment is required, “it pays off in higher yields and a lower wage bill,” according to FAO’s Mr. Abdelnabby.

    FAO/Mohammed Saud Alhumaid

    Mohamed Alnwairan (centre) explains how his farm has benefited from smart irrigation techniques.

    Land lost

    As the climate continues to change across the desert lands of Saudi Arabia and drought conditions increase in frequency, farmers are also fighting desertification and the loss of productive land.

    Jaffar Almubarak, who works for the Saudi Irrigation Organization, an FAO partner, said, “smart irrigation is part of an integrated response to climate change, which includes soil management and the choice of crops,” adding that “such an approach can maximise the use of water, but also help to rehabilitate land and work against desertification.”

    In December 2024, global leaders from governments, international organizations, the private sector and civil society came together in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, under the auspices of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to discuss solutions to drought, land loss and land restoration.

    Globally, up to 40 per cent of the world’s land is degraded, which has dire consequences for the climate, biodiversity and people’s livelihoods.

    Like farmers across the world, Mr. Alnwairan exercises his long experience and expertise to increase his crop yields, driven by necessity and opportunity.

    “I’m considering adopting smart irrigation across my farm to focus on mainly the cultivation of lime, for which I have a ready market,” he said.

    If other farmers follow his lead, water supplies will go further in these arid lands while cultivation will help to slow down desertification.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Disaster losses and damages data

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Reviewing existing applications and use cases

    Data on disaster losses and damages is an essential basis for preparedness, effective response, recovery and reconstruction, the quantification and economic valuation of losses and damages, for understanding root causes and shifts in exposure and vulnerability, and to assess the risk of cascading events and impacts across multiple hazards.

    Not all countries, however, collect and use disaster data systematically and there are major disparities across countries regarding methods, coverage and system governance, creating barriers to effective risk management.

    The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) are jointly addressing this gap and developing an enhanced disaster tracking system for hazardous events and related losses and damages aimed at national users interested in upgrading and institutionalizing national disaster tracking systems.

    The report and life repository of case studies below explore current data applications and ways that stronger data collection and management could support better decision-making and informed action.

    Application areas for disaster losses and damages data

    1. Understanding risks

    While still a comparatively young science, hazard modelling has accelerated dramatically in recent years, in terms of the number of models developed, research budgets and expertise, granularity, quality and coverage. Impact information, vulnerability models and integrated assessments have not followed. As a result, the different drivers of vulnerability and, therefore, of underlying risk, remain hidden in plain sight.

    Disaster losses and damages data can make such drivers and hidden vulnerabilities visible. In addition, where solid foundations of exposure, vulnerability and capacity baseline data exist, they provide critical information on the cost of loss, i.e. the ratio of loss compared to total exposure. Disaster data must be collected consistently and over time for them to provide evidence of trends and inform longer-term planning. The importance of baseline information on exposure and vulnerability for risk modelling cannot be underestimated. While high quality is desirable, even modest improvements in increasing coverage, consistency and frequency of updating can go a long way. Combined with disaster losses and damages data information on pre-existing vulnerabilities becomes a powerful contribution to risk modelling and analysis.

    Case study: Understanding multidimensional vulnerability in Sri Lanka: combining disaster losses and damages data with national survey data

    In Sri Lanka, data collected as part of national citizen surveys provide a clear picture of the multiple dimensions of vulnerability and could directly inform hotspot, vulnerability and risk analysis (UNDP, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative [OPHI] and Government of Sri Lanka, 2023 (c)). Analysed through the lens of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MDVI) (UNDP, 2023 (a)), data from the surveys clearly highlight pre-existing vulnerabilities

    Combined with long-term records on the impact of disasters from their Desinventar-based national disaster losses and damages database, a disaggregated analysis makes apparent differences on vulnerability dimensions and their drivers providing useful insights for more in depth risk analysis.

    Recommendations to enhance the usability of disaster losses and damages data for risk analysis and modeling

    Disaster losses and damages data can provide a “real time” window on ongoing risk accumulation identifying new risk patterns and trends that should feedback into recalibrated risk information. Disaster data can illustrate changing patterns and trends that can be interpreted through qualitative analysis of the underlying risk drivers to explain the changes. Historical disaster data cannot replace risk analysis but can provide additional or substitute information to improve risk modelling for both short-term forecasting and longer-term climate impact assessments. Historic data is particularly useful for capturing frequently occurring, localized and small-scale events, such as local landslides or flash floods – often called extensive disaster events – where global risk models have limitations.

    Risk assessments are only useful if they are communicated in a manner that is meaningful to decision makers. While historical losses alone are not a good guide to the future, presenting data on actual (realized) losses and damages alongside more complex risk analysis can help in communicating risk effectively. Data on disaster losses and damage can contribute to improved modelling of existing as well as emerging or newly accelerating risks. To improve its usability, it is recommended to:

    • Strengthen disaggregated data collection and analysis both in terms of hazard type, geography, and sectoral impacts, as well as in regard to data sex, age, disability status, income levels, and other dimensions of differentiated exposure and vulnerability.
    • Enable georeferenced impact data collection to support the development of more accurate and replicable risk models.

    2. Preparedness, early warning and early action

    Hazardous event and disaster losses and damages data is critical in the design, development and monitoring of early warning systems and early action. By informing key components of multi hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) – as proposed in 1997 and later adopted by WMO, the United Nations and national governments – these systems and related anticipatory and early action can become impact-based.

    Case study: Impact-based forecasting for anticipatory action to typhoons in the Philippines

    To reduce the humanitarian impact of TC, both the Philippines Red Cross and United Nations OCHA Philippines have designed an agency-specific protocol, respectively in 2019 and 2021, which can be used to trigger early actions and release funding based on an impact-based forecasting model. Building on the Netherlands Red Cross 510 model, early actions (such as distributing house-strengthening kits) are pre-identified and triggered when the impact-based forecasting model indicates a pre-defined danger level is exceeded (with a lead time of 120 to 72 hours before landfall). The machine learning model consists of a classification and regression component and is trained on over 60 historical events.

    Recommendations to enhance the usability of disaster losses and damages data for preparedness, early warning and early action

    • Record losses and damages recorded along with the associated characteristics of the hazardous event (physical phenomena) to be able to link impacts to vulnerability, exposure and specific hazard intensity, characteristics and cascading events.
    • Enhance spatial resolution of damage records to enable training of machine learning models that could enhance resolution of predictions and allow impact-based forecasting model to achieve a higher performance.
    • Collect sector, geographic and population groups disaggregated impact information to be able to understand common disruptions to livelihood systems and services associated with recurrent hazards and to device and monitor effectiveness of early/ anticipatory actions.

    3. Disaster risk reduction financing

    Disaster losses and damages data are the backbone of any financing strategy and plan for preparedness, response, recovery or risk reduction. Without knowing what has been lost in the past and what is at stake in the present and future, the case for investment in risk management and even for contingency planning remains weak (UNDRR, 2013). National ministries of finance, regional financing institutions and multilateral development banks, as well as private-sector finance and insurance companies, all require data to underpin budgets, financing plans and funding proposals for priority sectors or systems

    Strategies for disaster risk reduction financing can look very different, depending on scale, risk context and financing sources. However, as states are insurers of last resort in disasters, it is increasingly important that they have ownership of the data that informs disaster financing strategies and lead the development of financing instruments, including insurance (Radu, 2022).

    Insurance mechanisms

    Methods from the insurance sector have been replicated across the public sector, from modelling approaches to estimations of disaster losses. A critical gap that both the private and public sectors face in developing financing strategies for disaster risk management, however, is the question of indirect and downstream costs, for example in the form of business disruption, cascading costs from power outages or disruption in water supply, etc.

    Case study: Using disaster data to calibrate parametric insurance in Manizales, Colombia.

    In Manizales, Colombia a disaster database registered a total of 1,149 local landslides, between March 2003 and August 2021. These events were classified according to the severity of their impacts on a D-Index using a scale from 1 – 10. A parameter called C5Max, was then established for a critical level of rainfall over 5 days, captured in selected meteorological stations, that could trigger landslides. The level of critical rainfall could then be associated with the severity of landslide impact. This enabled the prediction of expected landslide impacts once a given rainfall threshold was surpassed. In Manizales this was used for the development and calibration of a parametric insurance scheme to cover emergency response. However, the same approach could also be used in impact-based early warning.

    DRR Financing strategies

    Whereas the insurance industry usually employs fully developed risk estimation methods, including actuarial data from past disaster impact assessments, many public-sector institutions lack the resources and experience to undertake analysis based on systematic assessments of past events (UNDRR, 2023 (b)).

    As a result, many national disaster risk reduction financing strategies and risk management budgets rely on a weak evidence base and only a few use disaster loss data collected in the past as a critical input into their assessments (Radu, 2022; UNDRR, 2015; Climate Adapt, n.d.). Instead, estimates of financing needs often use financing commitments or humanitarian spending in previous disasters, rather than records of actual losses.

    Case study: Sri Lanka – disaster losses and damages data to identify financing needs in the agriculture sector

    In Sri Lanka, analysis of historical disaster losses in the infrastructure sector helped identify risk and potential financing gaps in the irrigation sector (see Figure 13a). The calculation of these historical costs provides the basis for modelled estimates of costs associated with damage from future disasters and the potential financing gap the Government of Sri Lanka may face (see Figure 13b).

    Recommendations to enhance applicability of disaster losses and damages data for disaster risk reduction financing

    • Improve the collection of sector-specific asset and service system (e.g. water distribution or electricity generation) disaggregated and georeferenced data to enhance the understanding on how specific parameters of hazardous events (e.g. water level, flow speeds, stagnation time) cause damage and dysfunction to different structures to better enable sector-specific catastrophic insurance products
    •  Ensure losses and damages data is recorded in a way that private vs public sector effects are accounted separately, understanding which losses are incurred by individuals, households and private sector versus those borne by public sector will be particularly helpful when devising risk reduction financing strategies for productive and infrastructure sectors.

    Disaggregated historical damage data solid baseline data on sector exposure, i.e. inventories of assets and production processes beyond the basic exposure data on buildings and people would enhance the evidence base to develop catastrophic insurance products.

    4. Risk-informed planning and development

    Disaster losses and damages data that is of good quality, geographical and temporal coverage, and consistency of metrics and indicators, can inform and enhance local assessments for sector-specific preparedness, response and recovery planning and beyond, risk-informed development and sector planning. Particularly relevant sectors in this regard are health and education, urban planning (including building and zoning regulations), agriculture and natural resources management, and basic infrastructure and services (transport, energy, waste, and drinking water).

    High-quality disaster losses and damages data with good geographical and temporal coverage and consistent metrics and indicators, can inform and enhance local assessments for sector-specific preparedness, response and recovery planning, as well as risk-informed development and sector planning.

    Case study: Planning resilient roads in Cambodia

    The Government of Cambodia has recognized that the transportation sector, vital for the country’s economic development, is regularly and severely affected by disaster impacts. Road damage and destruction from disasters is systematically collected and recorded and stored in the Cambodia Disaster Loss and Damage Information System (CamDi), national database managed by the National Committee on Disaster Management (NCDM). Baseline data is collected with details on all roads and related infrastructure and recorded together with disaster loss data, allowing for lost cost assessments, seasonal analysis, and analysis by region or specific location and by road or infrastructure type.

    Recommendations to enhance the usability of disaster losses and damages for risk-informed development

    • Sector and geographic disaggregated data recording and management would further enable the application of disaster losses and damages data for risk-informed policies, plans, budgets and actions
    • Consistent and institutionalized tracking of losses and damages with engagement of whole-of-government entities and following agreed definitions, metrics and standard would enable creating relevant time series of historic impact data required for enhancing relevance and applicability of data for risk-informed planning.
    • Application of disaster losses and damages data for risk-informed planning at multiple levels should be complemented by monitoring and evaluation frameworks and mechanisms that utilize same data elements to measure progress against targets and milestones.

    5. Reporting, benchmarking and progress monitoring

    Monitoring progress on resilience building

    Progress on climate change adaptation and action on losses and damages can be efficiently monitored, among other things, by maintaining consistent and granular impact records. Reducing losses and damage from hazardous events over time is the ultimate measurement of progress and the Sendai Framework specifies several indicators that all require disaster losses and damages quantification. Similarly, reporting against the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires disaster-related data, as 25 targets relate directly to disaster risk and to reducing the negative impacts of disasters).  The ongoing development of indicators to monitor the Global Goal on Adaptation targets contained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Framework for Global Climate Resilience will also benefit from the enhanced disaster tracking system, enabling monitoring of the reduction in losses and increase in resilience across several sectors (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC], 2023 (a)). Other national frameworks and processes, such as for Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans or Biennial Transparency Reports, can also draw on the enhanced tracking system to strengthen coherence in reporting (UNFCCC, n.d. (a); UNEP, n.d.; UNFCCC, n.d. (b)).

    Recommendations to enhance usability of disaster losses and damages data for monitoring, reporting and benchmarking progress.

    • Utilize globally agreed definitions and standards, such as the hazard classification and information profiles to organize database and tracking systems to further enable cross-cutting and regional benchmarking.
    View more case studies

    Related and further reading

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Why earthquakes still matter

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    In the early hours of 6 February 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck west-northwest of Gaziantep, Türkiye. Less than 10 hours later another shock measuring 7.7 shook the same area.

    The disaster took more than 60,000 human lives across southern and central Türkiye and northern and western Syria, causing catastrophic damages and suffering.

    In the aftermath, national and local authorities and communities have undertaken remarkable reconstruction efforts, setting new benchmarks for swift recovery and “build back better” principles.

    The upcoming World Resilient Recovery Conference – during the preparatory days of the 2025 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction – will be an opportunity to learn from these experiences.

    Rising risks and built environments

    This earthquake was another reminder of the high risk of catastrophic losses from earthquakes.

    Hydro-meteorological disasters are increasing, keeping them in public policy focus. Earthquakes, however, get overlooked, even while they pose increasing risks, driven by expanding, unsafe built environment.

    The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) estimated in its 2023 Biennial Report that nearly 30% of expected average annual losses globally are linked to earthquakes.

    There’s a much-repeated adage that goes “it is not earthquakes that kill people, it’s weak buildings and infrastructure that kill people.” And weak buildings and infrastructure – in other words unsafe built environments – are an outcome of social and economic processes characterized by low awareness (with low social demand for seismic safety), inadequate capabilities (not enough trained engineers, contractors and building artisans), low or no standards (inadequate seismic safety codes and building by-laws), and weak governance capacity (capability to enforce the adoption of seismic safety codes where they do exist).

    We have the know-how

    Our understanding of the physics of earthquakes has improved. We also understand how buildings and infrastructure respond to earthquakes, and we know how to make them safer. From designing a simple structure to a complex physical infrastructure, engineering knowledge is at an all-time high.

    Yet the risk of losses from earthquakes is rising in most seismic countries.

    But trend is not destiny. It can be arrested. It can be reversed.

    Four public policy approaches for seismic safety

    1) Take a long view, but start now.

    Every long journey starts with a first step. Our stock of unsafe buildings and infrastructure was accumulated over decades, and it is a daunting prospect to consider replacing and retrofitting them quickly. However, if each city and each village in every earthquake-prone region were to resolve to build every new building or infrastructure project to an earthquake-resistant standard, in just a decade we would be having a very different conversation. We need to redouble efforts to develop seismic building codes (where they don’t exist) and enforce them.

    For existing buildings and infrastructure, we need to develop shared priorities across communities, governments and the private sector to systematically retrofit and strengthen them. This prioritisation must be underpinned by a clear understanding of the risks, which is the first priority of the Sendai Framework.

    Disaster scenarios, such as those created by GeoHazards International can allow communities to visualize potential impacts and prioritize mitigation strategies effectively. Using whatever resources are available, we can strengthen one hospital, one school at a time. This will not only improve seismic safety but will also have other co-benefits in terms of enhanced awareness and better quality of built environment for everyday use.

    At the same time, we must find retrofitting solutions that are practical, that help prevent the catastrophic collapse of buildings, and that can be implemented at scale. To do this means creating a functioning market for retrofitting- nudged by regulation and fuelled by public sector investments such as advance market commitments.

    In Kathmandu Valley, Nepal’s National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET) retrofitted 260 schools between 1997 and 2015. Of these, 160 were struck by the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, and all experienced, at worst, minor damages – while in other schools more than 25,000 classrooms were destroyed. We have ample proof that investments in retrofitting pay dividends – in avoided losses and in precious lives.

    However, these efforts are not easy – they require strengthening disaster risk governance at the local level in very tangible ways.

    Innovation is required not just in terms of new technologies but also in risk governance – such as Japan’s introduction of innovative systems after the 1995 Kobe earthquake, involving private sector enforcement of new, stricter codes that mandated retrofitting of older buildings.

    Another example is the innovative approach to owner-driven reconstruction taken by SEEDS India after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake and continuing through multiple seismic events. Their experience demonstrates that empowering homeowners and local masons leads to safe, sustainable, cost-effective, and culturally appropriate housing-achieved at scales and speeds unmatched by contractor-led programmes.

    2) Invest in capabilities at all levels.

    Shaping an earthquake-safe built environment requires capabilities in many disciplines and at all levels – urban planning, seismology, earthquake engineering, geotechnical engineering, enhancing disaster resistant construction skills of masons, bar benders, contractors and so on – and in many countries theses capacities are woefully inadequate.

    There is no short cut but to systematically invest in developing these capabilities, and to drive demand though regulation and certification.

    3) Treat every disaster as an opportunity to learn.

    As a fresh architecture graduate, I learned more from the 1991 Uttarkashi earthquake

    than from any textbook. Observing the performance of buildings and the mode of their failure under earthquake forces brought my theoretical lessons to life.

    We say that every disaster is too precious to waste: we must systematically collect data and undertake forensic analysis after every earthquake, so we can improve building codes and enforcement systems, launch awareness campaigns, and better understand the epidemiology of earthquakes. This involves setting up learning systems in our national and sub-national institutions.

    4) Foster public awareness.

    Maintaining awareness of less frequent but potentially devastating hazards is always a challenge.

    Again, there are no quick fixes. Building public awareness starts in the school (catch them young!) and over time can generate greater social demand for seismic safety.

    While we transform our built environment over the long term, in the short term we need to teach people how to manage risks. Awareness of simple protection measures – such as DROP, COVER and HOLD during an earthquake, and fixing non-structural elements like flowerpots on balconies, large cupboards in houses – goes a long way in protecting lives.

    The path to seismic safety is well established, with many proven success stories from countries and communities that have persevered to reduce earthquake risks enormously. The 1960 Chile earthquake, for example, was the largest earthquake ever recorded since the measurements began, and its impacts were catastrophic. Just 50 years later – in 2010, the same year that Haiti earthquake caused more than 200,000 deaths – Chile was struck once more, by 8.8 magnitude earthquake and tsunami. While 523 people tragically lost their lives, this is a fraction of the number that could have died had Chile not applied strict building codes during reconstruction.

    We need to follow their lead and make seismic safety a global movement. It is a long journey – but the first step must be taken now.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Regional Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction in the Arab Region 2024

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Regional Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction in the Arab Region 2024

    The Arab region is at a critical juncture, facing an increasingly complex and interconnected risk landscape. Climate change, urbanization, and socio-economic disparities are exacerbating these challenges, requiring urgent and cohesive action. The need for an integrated approach to disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change adaptation (CCA), and sustainable development has never been greater. Achieving this requires strong regional collaboration because the challenges we face do not respect borders.

    The 2024 Regional Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (RAR) in the Arab Region sheds light on the complex interactions between different risks that have been made worse by systemic instability, conflict, and climate change. It also underscores the necessity for innovative strategies that address the multifaceted risks affecting our communities. Leading innovations that leverage technology and accelerate resilience-building are highlighted as key opportunities to enhance the region’s collective adaptive capacity.

    This report was officially launched at the 6th Arab Regional Platform for DRR, themed ‘Building Resilient Arab Communities: From Understanding to Action.’ Hosted by the State of Kuwait and organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, in partnership with the League of Arab States.

    “This report serves as a vital resource for governments, policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders committed to DRR and sustainable development. It calls for collaborative efforts to transform our understanding of risk into actionable strategies that prioritize community well-being and environmental sustainability. With strategic investments in early warning systems, risk-informed development, and climate adaptation, the Arab region has the potential to build a future where resilience and sustainability go hand in hand.”
    — Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Head of UNDRR

    Key findings

    Risk landscape in the Arab states

    The Arab region is facing escalating climate-related risks, with temperature increases accelerating at +0.5 °C/decade, exacerbating water scarcity, heat-related deaths, crop failures and extreme flooding. The principal risk drivers of the region are related to natural resources and institutional domains. Improved governance and rule of law are critical to mitigating these impacts and addressing the region’s interconnected risk landscape.

    Progress in Disaster Risk Reduction at the mid of the Sendai Framework implementation

    The Arab region has made progress in DRR since adopting the Sendai Framework in 2015, but efforts must be stepped up to address gaps in risk governance, preparedness and investment. To accelerate progress, the region needs to strengthen institutional frameworks, invest in DRR and promote climate resilience, gender-responsive DRR and inclusive governance.

    The impact of changing climate on systemic risk drivers: Drought as a Systemic Risk Driver

    The Arab region is highly vulnerable to drought, exacerbated by climate change, population growth and unsustainable water management practices. Droughts are projected to increase in frequency and intensity, threatening food security, social stability and economic development, highlighting the need for urgent action and proactive measures to build resilience. To address this challenge, governments and stakeholders must adopt data-driven decision-making, invest in innovative technologies, and promote collaborative water management practices. 

    The impact of changing climate on systemic risk drivers: Weak Capacity for Governance of Systemic Risk

    The Arab region’s capacity to govern systemic risks is weakened by fragile institutions, corruption and lack of trust in governments, exacerbating the impacts of climate change and disasters. Strengthening governance, transparency and accountability is critical to building resilience and effectively managing risks, and can be achieved through a holistic and integrated approach to climate change and DRR policies.

    Climate Change-Disaster-Human Mobility Nexus

    Climate change is exacerbating displacement and human mobility concerns across the Arab region, where fragile contexts and conflict intersect with disasters and environmental degradation. A climate security perspective is crucial to understanding these intertwined risks, and regional efforts must prioritize immediate disaster response, long-term resilience and sustainable development. Effective policies and strategies must address the root causes of vulnerability and prioritize the safety, dignity, and rights of affected populations.

    Gender Inequality and Women’s Empowerment: Addressing the Gap 

    Somalia’s women face disproportionate impacts from climate change, conflict and migration, exacerbating existing gender inequalities. To address these challenges, it is critical to adopt a transformative and intersectional approach, integrating women’s priorities into policy and programming, and promoting women’s leadership, capacity building and access to resources, to build resilient and inclusive communities.

    Emerging Health Challenges and Related Systemic Risks

    Climate change poses an urgent public health emergency, threatening human health and wellbeing globally and in the Arab region in particular. To mitigate these impacts, collaborative efforts are necessary, including strengthening healthcare infrastructure, establishing early warning systems, and promoting climate-resilient health systems. International cooperation and targeted actions are crucial to addressing the health impacts of climate change.

    Rural – Agricultural Risk with Rising Water Scarcity and Food Insecurity

    The Arab region’s agrifood systems face multiple, interconnected risks, including droughts, floods, sand and dust storms, transboundary plant and animal pests and diseases, conflicts, and economic shocks, which threaten food security and undermine development efforts. To address these challenges, an integrated multi-risk management approach is necessary, incorporating risk-informed planning, DRR and CCA. This requires coordinated efforts from policymakers, researchers and practitioners to enhance the resilience of farmers and agriculture-dependent communities.

    Implementation Considerations: People Centred Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems

    Effective disaster management requires people-centred multi-hazard early warning systems (PCMHEWS) that prioritize community needs and engagement. The Arab region is vulnerable to climate-related hazards, and PCMHEWS can help reduce disaster risks. Leveraging digital technologies, community participation and inclusive communication channels is crucial for the success of PCMHEWS, ensuring timely and accurate warnings reach vulnerable populations.

    Implementation Considerations: Comprehensive risk management to tackle systemic risks

    Effective management of systemic risks requires comprehensive risk management (CRM) approaches that integrate DRR and CCA. The Arab region can foster policy coherence by enhancing strategic, conceptual, institutional, operational and financial coherence, ultimately driving sustainable development and inclusive growth.

    Implementation Considerations: Financing and de-risking investment

    Despite its natural advantages as a commerce hub, the region struggles to attract foreign investment. The League of Arab Nations (LAS) MA’AN Initiative towards DErisking investment offers a promising solution, promoting sustainable development and investment through regional cooperation. By addressing common challenges and promoting knowledge sharing, this initiative can help drive growth, job creation and energy transformation in the region.

    Conclusion and way forward

    • The focus of this RAR is on DRR in the context of climate change impact on systemic risks in the Arab region.
    • The Arab region may be on the brink of catastrophe, beset by a perfect storm of risks that imperil its very foundations, jeopardizing stability, development and the future of its people.
    • The principal drivers of risk in the Arab region are related to natural resources and institutions. Climate change increases the risk in both these areas, especially through rising water scarcity and a demanding need for institutions that can effectively tackle climate impacts.
    • These drivers are not isolated, but highly interwoven, thus increasing, cascading and compounding risks, which may lead to systemic failures in the Arab region.
    • Effective governance, characterized by transparency, accountability and inclusivity, is paramount in addressing these challenges and enhancing resilience across the Arab region.
    • Many cities and other areas in the Middle East might become uninhabitable before the century’s end.
    • The findings emphasize the need for innovative solutions and the adoption of multi-hazard, multi-sectoral approaches to resilience-building. This includes investing in risk-informed planning, enhancing data collection and analysis and harnessing cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence to drive predictive analytics, optimize decision-making and foster proactive resilience.
    • The path forward requires a collective commitment to addressing the root causes of vulnerability in the Arab region and fostering resilience in the face of uncertainty.
    • The recommendations of this report serve as a roadmap for policymakers and stakeholders to navigate the complexities of the region’s risk landscape.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Strengthening disaster resilience: Financing and early warning systems set the stage for the 6th Arab Regional Platform for DRR

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Kuwait, 9 February 2025 – As the Arab region struggles with increasing disaster risks and climate change challenges, two critical pre-conference events took place ahead of the Sixth Arab Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Kuwait. These events – focused on Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Risk Reduction Financing and the Early Warnings for All Multistakeholder Forum for the Arab States – were pivotal in driving forward regional collaboration and strengthening resilience against disasters.

    A financial foundation for resilience: the resilient infrastructure and DRR financing and conference

    The Resilient Infrastructure and DRR Financing Conference addressed one of the most pressing challenges facing the Arab region that is mobilizing sufficient financial resources for disaster resilience.

    The Arab region remains highly vulnerable to a range of natural hazards, from earthquakes and floods to droughts and storms. Without adequate financing, infrastructure remains susceptible to destruction, exacerbating socio-economic vulnerabilities and setting back development gains. The conference brought together policymakers, financial experts, and DRR practitioners to explore how financing strategies could be improved, identify investment gaps, and discuss innovative financial instruments such as insurance, bonds, and public-private partnerships.

    “Financing resilient infrastructure is a great challenge. But getting it right offers great rewards because the economic cost of disasters is only projected to increase as a result of climate change,” said Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for DRR and Head of UNDRR, in his opening remarks.

    A key highlight conference was the deep dive into strategic financing mechanisms essential for disaster resilience. Discussions explored global funding gaps and opportunities, emphasizing the need for governments to prioritize DRR within national budgets and leverage both domestic and international financial resources. Experts shared insights on innovative financial instruments such as catastrophe bonds, resilience bonds, and parametric insurance, which offer scalable and sustainable solutions for risk reduction. The role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) was also underscored, demonstrating how collaboration between governments, businesses, and NGOs can unlock new funding streams. Additionally, the conference examined how climate finance and DRR strategies can be better aligned, ensuring that investments in climate adaptation directly support disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience. Case studies from across the region and beyond showcased successful models, providing actionable insights for Arab states to strengthen financial resilience and break the costly cycle of disaster-response-recovery.

    By fostering knowledge-sharing and strengthening financial commitments, this conference, led by the  United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), aimed to highlight the importance of moving beyond reactive disaster responses and establishing proactive, long-term strategies for risk reduction.

    The power of early warnings: Early warnings for all multistakeholder forum for the Arab states

    In parallel, the Early Warnings for All Multistakeholder Forum for the Arab States underscored the importance of inclusive, people-centered early warning systems across the region. In a world where climate-related disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, effective early warning systems can mean the difference between life and death.
    This forum, led by the UNDRR and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), convened government representatives, scientific experts, private sector actors, and civil society organizations to discuss the latest advancements in early warning technologies and risk communication strategies.

    It provided an essential platform for experts and stakeholders to explore innovative approaches to strengthening early warning systems in the region. Key discussions focused on leveraging science and technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT), to improve forecasting accuracy and risk communication. Sessions also examined regional collaboration mechanisms for data sharing, ensuring that all nations, regardless of capacity, have access to timely early warning information. Another critical theme was the economic benefits of EWS, highlighting cost-effective strategies to mitigate disaster losses through public-private partnerships and sustainable financing mechanisms. Additionally, the forum addressed socioeconomic vulnerabilities, including the role of gender, disability inclusion, and community-based approaches in ensuring that early warnings reach the most at-risk populations. Through interactive knowledge exchanges and case studies from across the region, the forum fostered actionable recommendations, paving the way for more integrated and people-centered early warning systems in the Arab States.

    In his speech, Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, President of the World Meteorological Organization, highlighted the importance of the Early Warning for All initiative, which is a top priority for WMO at the global, regional, and national levels. “We firmly believe that strengthening early warning systems, improving climate services, and enhancing regional and international partnerships are essential pillars for effective disaster risk reduction.”

    Kishore expands on this by stressing that no single entity can achieve this alone. “Creating and maintaining early warning systems cannot be accomplished by any single government agency. It requires the support of multiple partners inside and outside of government. This includes partners in the private sector, academia, the media, and civil society.”

    The significance of these two pre-conference events cannot be overstated. They went beyond technical discussions and served as platforms for action-oriented collaboration, ensuring that disaster risk reduction becomes a regional priority integrated into national policies and funding mechanisms. The discussions and insights made in these forums shaped the discussions at the Sixth Arab Regional Platform for DRR, setting a strong foundation for bold new initiatives in disaster resilience.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNDRR Arab States unveil key findings of the Regional Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2024

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Kuwait City, 12 February 2025 – The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction – Regional Office for Arab States (UNDRR ROAS) launched the key findings of the 2024 Regional Assessment Report (RAR) on Disaster Risk Reduction in the Arab Region during the Sixth Arab Regional Platform for DRR, convening policymakers, experts, and stakeholders to address the region’s evolving risk landscape.

    The RAR Arab States 2024 presents a comprehensive analysis of disaster risk in the Arab region, highlighting systemic risks driven by climate change, urbanization, water scarcity, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. The report underscores the interconnected nature of these risks and calls for urgent action to strengthen governance, enhance early warning systems, and invest in resilience-building measures.

    The findings reveal that the Arab region is increasingly exposed to climate-related risks, with prolonged droughts, heatwaves, and devastating floods becoming more frequent. Governance gaps continue to hinder effective disaster risk management, limiting the ability of institutions to coordinate responses and implement long-term strategies. The consequences of these vulnerabilities extend beyond environmental concerns; droughts, for example, act as a major threat multiplier, exacerbating conflicts over scarce water resources and intensifying socio-economic disparities. Climate change is also reshaping human mobility patterns, forcing displacement as communities struggle with extreme weather, resource shortages, and environmental degradation. Furthermore, the health impacts of climate change in the Arab region are becoming increasingly evident, with rising cases of heat-related illnesses, vector-borne diseases, and growing concerns over food security.

    The Arab region has made progress in disaster risk reduction since adopting the Sendai Framework in 2015, yet significant gaps remain in risk governance, preparedness, and investment. Strengthening institutional frameworks, scaling up DRR financing, and promoting climate resilience, gender-responsive policies, and inclusive governance are essential to accelerating progress

    Escalating Risks and Urgent Challenges

    The report conveys an urgent message: tackling systemic risks requires a paradigm shift. Policymakers must transition from reactive disaster response to a proactive approach centered on risk governance and climate adaptation. Strengthening early warning systems and anticipatory action mechanisms is crucial to mitigating the devastating effects of extreme weather events. Water scarcity, another pressing challenge, demands integrated management strategies to curb its cascading impact on food security, migration, and regional stability.

    The RAR 2024 underscores the importance of inclusivity in disaster risk reduction. Gender-responsive policies must be at the heart of DRR strategies to ensure that women, persons with disabilities, and marginalized communities are not disproportionately affected by disasters. At the same time, investment in local and national resilience-building initiatives is vital to fortifying the region’s ability to cope with future risks and uncertainties.

    The findings of the RAR 2024 paint a stark picture of the Arab region’s risk landscape – one where climate change, resource scarcity, and weak institutional capacities converge to create cascading and compounding threats. Without urgent action, the region may face systemic failures that jeopardize its stability, development, and the well-being of its people. However, the report also provides a pathway forward. By strengthening governance through transparency, accountability, and inclusivity, and by adopting innovative, multi-hazard approaches to risk management, the region can turn the tide. Investments in data-driven decision-making, predictive analytics, and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence will be crucial in navigating the uncertainties ahead. Multi-sectoral cooperation and increased financing for resilience will be essential in ensuring these efforts are effective and sustainable. 

    The recommendations outlined in this report serve as a strategic roadmap for policymakers, urging them to address the root causes of vulnerability and build resilience that is both proactive and sustainable. The future of the Arab region depends on the decisive actions taken today.

    The full Regional Assessment Report 2024 will be available on the UNDRR website soon, providing an in-depth exploration of the findings, key messages, and recommendations for strengthening disaster risk reduction in the Arab region.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The 6th Arab Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction launched in Kuwait

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Kuwait City, Kuwait, 10 February 2025 – In a significant event for disaster risk reduction in the Arab region, the Sixth Arab Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction officially commenced in Kuwait City. Organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Regional Office for Arab States in partnership with the League of Arab States and hosted by the Government of Kuwait, the platform runs until 12 February 2025 under the theme “Building Resilient Arab Communities: From Understanding to Action.”

    The platform opened with a high-level session and press conference, featuring Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction; Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior, Kuwait; Governor Abdallah Nassif, the Director of Natural Risk Management at the Ministry of Interior, Morocco; and Ambassador Khalil Ebrahim Al-Thawadi, League of Arab States Assistant Secretary-General for Arab Affairs and National Security. The speakers highlighted the platform’s critical role in advancing resilience, assessing progress, and driving political commitment toward reducing disaster risks in the Arab region.

    Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Al-Sabah emphasized the growing complexity of disaster risks, stating: “We are in a world that is witnessing an unprecedented acceleration in the pace of natural and human risks, and the challenges facing our societies are increasing in terms of size and complexity. Disasters have become more frequent and diverse, as a result of climate change, rapid and unregulated urban growth, and environmental degradation, which makes it necessary for us to adopt a comprehensive and integrated approach to dealing with these risks.”

    Highlighting the region’s achievements while acknowledging the challenges ahead, Kamal Kishore emphasized the importance of governance in disaster risk reduction: “This region should be proud of the progress it has made in advancing disaster risk reduction, especially around strengthening risk governance frameworks, which is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development,” he said. “However, there are still many areas for improvement.”

    The Arab region faces a unique and complex risk landscape, prone to both natural and man-made hazards that are increasingly intensified by climate variability and climate change. Over the past five decades, the region has experienced substantial economic losses totaling nearly $60 billion, primarily due to droughts, earthquakes, and extreme weather events. Droughts alone have had a devastating impact on rural communities in countries such as Iraq, Morocco, Syria, Jordan, and Somalia, leading to diminished land fertility, reduced agricultural output, and significant biodiversity loss.

    Governor Abdullah Nassif highlighted the importance of building on the outcomes of the previous platform and enhancing regional cooperation in disaster risk reduction. “The Kuwait Declaration on Disaster Risk Reduction represents a fundamental step in continuing political commitment and unifying efforts towards safer and more resilient societies, drawing on previous experiences, particularly the Rabat Declaration, to promote a proactive and sustainable approach to addressing increasing risks.”

    Ambassador Khalil Ebrahim Al-Thawadi called for urgent action, stressing the need to move from policy to implementation: “The political will available of the Arab countries, reflected in all Arab policies and mechanisms, must be translated into immediate, tangible action on the ground. We must stop waiting until the disaster occurs to confront its repercussions.” He added, “We must begin to anticipate and prepare, coupled with regional early warning systems that extend throughout the Arab region,” he added.

    Advancing disaster risk reduction in the Arab Region

    Recent catastrophic events in 2023 underscored the region’s vulnerability, with earthquakes in Syria and Morocco and floods in Libya collectively claiming over 20,000 lives and displacing more than 243,000 people and huge economic damages, highlighting the urgent need for collective action and investment in disaster prevention and resilience-building.

    The Sixth Arab Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction provides an opportunity to address these challenges and assess the progress of disaster risk reduction initiatives under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 and the Arab Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction 2030. Discussions will focus on regional priorities and mechanisms to accelerate implementation over the next two years, ensuring communities are better equipped to face increasingly complex disaster risks.

    The Kuwait Declaration for Disaster Risk Reduction, expected to be announced by the end of the platform, serves as a centerpiece of the discussions. This declaration represents a collective political commitment by Arab countries to prioritize investments in disaster prevention and resilience-building, aligning with the global Sendai Framework.

    Knowledge exchange and integrating DRR with broader agendas

    Participants at the platform, representing governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector, and academia, are engaging in sessions designed to exchange knowledge, share experiences, and identify innovative approaches to regional disaster risk reduction priorities. The outcomes of these discussions will inform the Eighth Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, scheduled for June 2025 in Geneva.

    The platform underscores the integration of DRR with climate change adaptation and sustainable development goals. By aligning these efforts with regional and global frameworks, stakeholders aim to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach to disaster risk management that benefits all sectors of society.

    The Sixth Arab Regional Platform for DRR is expected to yield tangible outcomes, including the Kuwait Declaration for Disaster Risk Reduction, voluntary action statements from stakeholder groups, and a regional action plan for 2025–2027. These results will inform global discussions and strengthen the Arab region’s disaster resilience.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Djibouti advances climate-informed disaster risk reduction strategy: Writing workshop concludes in Cairo

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Cairo, Egypt, 30 January 2025 – The writing workshop towards the “Finalization of the Djiboutian National Climate-informed Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and its Action Plan” successfully concluded in Cairo, marking a significant milestone in Djibouti’s efforts to enhance national resilience to climate and disaster risk.

    Organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Regional Office for Arab States, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, Djibouti, the workshop brought together a specialized drafting committee established by the General Secretariat for Disaster Risk Management within Djibouti’s Ministry of Interior. The committee, composed of key national stakeholders and technical experts, refined and finalized the strategy following a series of national consultations concluded in December 2024.

    Djibouti has long faced significant challenges due to climate-related hazards, including droughts, floods, and extreme weather events. Recognizing the urgency of integrating climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, the Djiboutian government, with support from UNDRR and partners, has been working towards developing a comprehensive national strategy to mitigate risks and build resilience.

    This new Climate-informed DRR Strategy and its Action Plan align well with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, emphasizing inclusive and participatory approaches, long-term investment in resilience, and enhanced multi-stakeholder coordination. It aims to improve risk governance, strengthen early warning systems, and integrate disaster risk considerations into national development and climate change adaptation planning.

    Over three intensive days, workshop participants reviewed and refined key components of the strategy, focusing on governance mechanisms, risk profiles, institutional frameworks, and priority action areas. Working sessions included discussions on policy coherence between disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, implementation mechanisms, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

    During the writing workshop, participants indulged in in-depth technical discussions to refine the draft strategy and detailed action plan matrix to ensure alignment with national priorities and international commitments such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

    Next steps: Political validation and implementation

    The final version of the National Climate-informed DRR Strategy and its Action Plan will be presented to the Djiboutian government during a high-level political validation workshop scheduled for April 2025. This next phase will seek official endorsement and commitment to implementing the strategy across key sectors, ensuring institutional coordination and sustainable investment in disaster resilience.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: What’s desertification? Experts hopeful devastating trend can be reversed

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Climate and Environment

    An area the size of Egypt, around 100 million hectares, of healthy and productive land is being degraded each year due to drought and desertification, which is being driven mainly by climate change and poor land management. 

    On 2 December, countries from around the world will meet in Riyadh under the auspices of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, (UNCCD) to discuss how to turn the corner from degradation to regeneration.

    Here are five things you need to know about desertification and why the world needs to stop treating the planet like dirt to protect the productive land which supports life on Earth.

    No life without land

    It is perhaps to state the obvious, but without healthy land there can be no life. It feeds, clothes and shelters humanity.

    © UNEP/Florian Fussstetter

    A member of an indigenous group in the Amazon, in Brazil, works to reforest the land.

    It provides jobs, sustains livelihoods and is the bedrock of local, national and global economies. It helps to regulate climate and is essential for biodiversity.

    Despite its importance to life as we know it, up to 40 per cent of the world’s land is degraded, affecting around 3.2 billion people; that’s almost half of the global population.

    From deforested mountains in Haiti, to the gradual disappearance of Lake Chad in the Sahel and the drying up of productive lands in Georgia in eastern Europe, land degradation affects all parts of the world.

    It is not an exaggeration to say our very future is at stake if our land does not stay healthy.

    Degraded land

    Desertification, the process by which land is degraded in typically dry areas, results from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities, such as over-farming or deforestation.

    100 million hectares (or one million square kilometres), that’s the size of a country like Egypt, of healthy and productive land is lost each year.

    The soils on these lands which can take hundreds of years to form are being depleted, often by extreme weather.

    Droughts are hitting harder and more often, three out of four people in the world are projected to face water scarcity by 2050.

    Temperatures are increasing due to climate change further driving extreme weather events, including droughts and floods, adding to the challenge of keeping land productive.

    Land loss and climate

    There is clear evidence that land degradation is interconnected with broader environmental challenges like climate change.

    © World Bank/Andrea Borgarello

    A man looks across a desert in Mauritania.

    Land ecosystems absorb one-third of human CO2 emissions, the gas that is driving climate change. However, poor land management threatens this critical capacity, further compromising efforts to slow down the release of these harmful gasses.

    Deforestation, which contributes to desertification, is on the rise, with only 60 per cent of the world’s forests still intact, falling below what the UN calls the “safe target of 75 per cent.”

    What needs to be done? – the ‘moonshot moment’

    The good news is that humankind has the knowhow and power to bring land back to life, turning degradation into restoration.

    Robust economies and resilient communities can be cultivated as the impacts of devastating droughts and destructive floods are tackled.

    © UNCCD/Juan Pablo Zamora

    A community in Mexico comes together to work on improving their lands.

    Crucially, it is the people who depend on land who should have the biggest say in how decisions are made.

    UNCCD says that to “deliver a moonshot moment for land,” 1.5 billion hectares of degraded lands need to be restored by 2030.

    And this is happening already with farmers adopting new techniques in Burkina Faso, environmentalists in Uzbekistan planting trees to eliminate salt and dust emissions and activists protecting the Philippines capital, Manila, from extreme weather by regenerating natural barriers.

    What can be achieved in Riyadh

    Policy makers, experts, the private and civil society sectors as well as youth will come together in Riyadh with a series of goals, including:

    • Accelerate restoration of degraded land by 2030 and beyond
    • Boost resilience to intensifying droughts and sand and dust storms
    • Restore soil health and scale up nature-positive food production
    • Secure land rights and promote equity for sustainable land stewardship
    • Ensure that land continues to provide climate and biodiversity solutions
    • Unlock economic opportunities, including decent land-based jobs for youth

    Fast facts: The UN and desertification

    • Three decades ago, in 1994, 196 countries and the European Union signed up to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification or UNCCD.
    • The Conference of the Parties or COP is the main decision-making body of UNCCD.
    • UNCCD is the global voice for land where governments, businesses and civil society come together to discuss challenges and chart a sustainable future for land.
    • The 16th meeting of the COP (otherwise known as COP16) is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2-13 December.
    • UNCCD is one of three “Rio Conventions.” along with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). These are outcomes of the historic 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: LIVE: UN tackles desertification, drought and land restoration

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    By Daniel Dickinson in Riyadh

    Climate and Environment

    People around the world are facing devastating consequences as the land that supports livelihoods, helps to regulate climate and protect biodiversity becomes increasingly degraded due to climate change and mismanagement. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification is meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss how to regenerate the land and secure all of our futures. UN News app users can follow here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Three billion people globally impacted by land degradation

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    By Daniel Dickinson in Riyadh

    Climate and Environment

    Three billion people around the world are suffering the impact of poor and degraded land which will “increase levels of migration, stability and insecurity among many communities,” according to the newly-elected President of a UN-backed conference on desertification, drought and land restoration which is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Abdulrahman Alfadley, the Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture was speaking as the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) got underway in the capital of the Middle Eastern country.

    The meeting, according to UNCCD, represents a “moonshot moment to raise global ambition and accelerate action on land and drought resilience through a people-centered approach.”  

    UNCCD/Papa Mamadou Camara

    Delegates arrive on the first day of the COP16 desertification conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Globally up to 40 per cent of the world’s land is degraded, which means its biological or economic productivity has been reduced.

    This has dire consequences for the climate, biodiversity and people’s livelihoods.

    Droughts, which is a priority issue at COP16, are becoming more frequent and severe, increasing by 29 per cent since 2000 due to climate change and unsustainable land management.

    Nurturing humanity

    The UN desertification convention was agreed 30 years ago and the organization’s current Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw highlighted the continued importance of restoring land lost to drought and desertification.

    UNCCD/Papa Mamadou Camara

    UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw addresses COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    “Land restoration is primarily about nurturing humanity itself,’ he said, adding that the “way we manage our land today will directly determine the future of life on Earth.”

    He spoke of his personal experience of meeting farmers, mothers, and young people affected by the loss of land. “The cost of land degradation seeps in every corner of their lives.”

    “They see the rising price of groceries, in unexpected energy surcharges, and in the growing strain on their communities,” he said. “Land and soil loss are robbing poor families of nutritious food, and children of a safe future.”

    Reversing of land degradation

    COP16 provides the opportunity for global leaders from governments, international organizations, the private sector and civil society to come together to discuss the latest research and to chart a way forward to a sustainable future of land use.

    © UNCCD/Mwangi Kirubi

    Small farms in northern Kenya are struggling to grow crops amidst increasingly arid conditions.

    Together the world can “reverse the trends of land degradation,” Mr Thiaw said, but only if “we seize this pivotal moment.”

    In a video address to the conference, the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed urged delegates at COP16 to play their part and “turn the tide,” by focusing on three priorities including strengthening international cooperation.

    She said it was also crucial to “ramp up” restoration efforts and work towards “the mass mobilization of finance.”

    Financing these efforts is going to be challenging, and is unlikely to come from the public sector alone, but according to the UN deputy chief, “cumulative investments must total $2.6 trillion dollars by 2030; That is what the world spent on defence in 2023 alone.”

    © UNDP Somalia

    Droughts are a constant threat in Somalia, in the horn of Africa.

    Speaking on behalf of civil society organizations attending the conference, Tahanyat Naeem Satti called for “ambitious and inclusive action at COP16,” adding that the “meaningful participation of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, pastoralists and local communities in decision-making at all levels must be institutionalized.”

    She emphasized that “their insights and lived experiences are critical for shaping policies that effectively address land degradation and promote sustainable land management and restoration.”

    The conference is set to last 2 weeks until 13 December and there will be some intense discussions and negotiations as delegates push towards the following outcomes.

    • Accelerate restoration of degraded land by 2030 and beyond
    • Boost resilience to intensifying droughts and sand and dust storms
    • Restore soil health and scale up nature-positive food production
    • Secure land rights and promote equity for sustainable land stewardship
    • Ensure that land continues to provide climate and biodiversity solutions
    • Unlock economic opportunities, including decent land-based jobs for youth

    Fast facts: The UN and desertification

    • Three decades ago, in 1994, 196 countries and the European Union signed up to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification or UNCCD.
    • The Conference of the Parties or COP is the main decision-making body of UNCCD.
    • UNCCD is the global voice for land where governments, businesses and civil society come together to discuss challenges and chart a sustainable future for land.
    • The 16th meeting of the COP (otherwise known as COP16) is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2-13 December.
    • UNCCD is one of three “Rio Conventions.” along with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). These are outcomes of the historic 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The ‘slow onset, silent killer’: Droughts explained

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    By Daniel Dickinson, Riyadh

    Climate and Environment

    Droughts across the world are intensifying and have become a “slow onset, silent killer” to which no country is immune, according to the UN’s most senior official working on desertification, drought and land restoration issues.

    Ibrahim Thiaw, the Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was speaking at the opening of COP16 a major global conference taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where a new global drought regime is expected to be agreed which will promote the shift from reactive relief response to proactive preparedness.

    Here’s what you need to know about droughts.

    Droughts are increasing in regularity and intensity

    Droughts are a natural phenomenon, but in recent decades have been intensified by climate change and unsustainable land practices. Their number has surged by nearly 30 per cent in frequency and intensity since 2000, threatening agriculture, water security, and the livelihoods of 1.8 billion people, with the poorest nations bearing the brunt.

    © World Bank/Arne Hoel

    Water availability is essential to prevent migration in places like western Nigeria.

    They can also lead to conflict over dwindling resources, including water, and the widespread displacement of people as they migrate towards more productive lands.

    No country is immune

    More than 30 countries declared drought emergencies in the past three years alone, from India and China, to high-income nations such as the US, Canada and Spain, as well as Uruguay, Southern Africa and even Indonesia.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    A ship passes through the Panama Canal in Central America.

    Droughts impeded grain transportation in the Rhine River in Europe, disrupted international trade via the Panama Canal in Central America, and led to hydropower cuts in the South America country, Brazil, which depends on water for more than 60 per cent of its electricity supply.

    Firefighters were even called to an urban park in New York City, in the United States in wintry November 2024 to tackle a bush fire after weeks of no rainfall.

    “Droughts have expanded into new territories. No country is immune,” said UNCCD’s Ibrahim Thiaw adding that “by 2050, three in four people globally, up to seven and half billion people, will feel the impact of drought.”

    Domino effects

    Droughts are rarely confined to a specific place and time and are not simply due to a lack of rainfall but are often the result of a complicated set of events driven or amplified by climate change, as well as sometimes the mismanagement of land.

    For example, a hillside which is deforested is immediately degraded. The land will lose its resilience to extreme weather and will become more susceptible to both drought and flooding.

    And, once they strike, they can trigger a series of cataclysmic domino effects, supercharging heat waves and even floods, multiplying the risks to people’ s lives and livelihoods with long-lasting human, social and economic costs.

    As communities, economies, and ecosystems suffer the damaging effects of drought, their vulnerability is increased to the next one, feeding a vicious cycle of land degradation and underdevelopment.

    Drought is a development and a security issue

    Around 70 per cent of the world’s available freshwater is in the hands of people living off the land, most of them subsistence farmers in low-income countries with limited livelihood alternatives. Around 2.5 billion of them are youth.

    Without water there is no food and no land-based jobs, which can lead to forced migration, instability, and conflict.

    “Drought is not merely an environmental matter,” said Andrea Meza, UNCCD Deputy Executive Secretary. “Drought is a development and human security matter that we must urgently tackle from across all sectors and governance levels.”

    Planning for greater resilience      

    Droughts are also becoming harsher and faster due to human-induced climate change as well as land mismanagement and typically the global response to it is still reactive. More planning and adaption is required to build resilience to the extreme conditions created by dwindling supplies of water and this often happens at a local level.

    UN Haiti/Daniel Dickinson

    A beekeeper collects honey in southern Haiti.

    In Zimbabwe a youth-led grass-roots organization is aiming to regenerate land by planting one billion trees across the southern African country, while more farmers on the Caribbean island of Haiti are taking to bee-keeping; Bees feed off the trees, so there is an incentive for bee keepers to protect the trees from being cut down. In Mali, a young woman entrepreneur, is creating livelihoods and building resilience to drought by promoting the products of the moringa tree.

    Experts say proactive initiatives like these can prevent immense human suffering and is far cheaper than interventions focused on response and recovery.

    What next?

    At COP16 countries are coming together to agree how to collectively tackle worsening droughts and promote sustainable land management.

    Two key pieces of research were launched on the opening day.

    The World Drought Atlas depicts the systemic nature of drought risks illustrating how they are interconnected across sectors like energy, agriculture, river transport, and international trade and how they can trigger cascading effects, fueling inequalities and conflicts and threatening public health.

    The Drought Resilience Observatory is an AI-driven data platform for drought resilience created by the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), a UNCCD-hosted coalition of more than 70 countries and organizations committed to drought action.

    How much is it going to cost?

    One UN estimate suggests that investments totalling $2.6 trillion will be needed by 2030 to restore land across the world which is affected by drought and poor management.

    At COP16 an initial pledge of $2.15 billion was announced to finance the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership.

    It will serve as a global facilitator for drought resilience, promoting the shift from reactive relief response to proactive preparedness,” said Dr Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudia Arabia, adding that “we also seek to amplify global resources to save lives and livelihoods around the world.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Hamas report to mediators accuses Israel of pervasive Gaza ceasefire violations

    As Benjamin Netanyahu threatens to resume war, Hamas outlines widespread Israeli ceasefire violations in document sent to the mediators.

    By Jeremy Scahill and Sharif Abdel Kouddous of Dropsite News

    Hamas officials submitted a two-page report to mediators yesterday listing a wide range of Israeli violations of the Gaza ceasefire since the agreement went into effect on January 19 — including the killing of civilians, repeated ground and air incursions, the beating and humiliation of Palestinian captives during their release and the deportation of some without their consent, and the denial of humanitarian aid.

    Drop Site News obtained a copy of the report delivered to mediators from Qatar and Egypt.

    “Hamas is committed to the ceasefire agreement if the occupation is committed to the agreement,” Hamas said in a statement.

    “We confirm that the occupation is the party that did not abide by its commitments, and it bears responsibility for any complications or delays.”

    The move comes in response to accusations by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Hamas had violated the agreement, threatening a full resumption of the war — yet it was Israel’s nearly daily breaches of the deal that prompted Hamas to announce it would postpone the next release of Israeli captives.

    On Monday, Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the Al Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, announced the next planned release of three Israeli captives, scheduled for Saturday, would be “postponed indefinitely”.

    Abu Obeida cited “delays in allowing displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza, targeting them with airstrikes and gunfire across various areas of the Strip, and failing to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid as agreed”.

    Israel violating ceasefire agreement
    Hamas issued a statement soon afterwards reiterating that Israel was violating the agreement by blocking aid, attacking civilians, and restricting movement in Gaza, and warning that the next release of captives would be postponed until it complied.

    “By issuing this statement five full days ahead of the scheduled prisoner handover, Hamas aims to grant mediators sufficient time to pressure the occupation to fulfill its obligations,” the statement said.

    Three Israeli officials and two mediators speaking anonymously to The New York Times confirmed that Israel had not fulfilled its obligations to send humanitarian aid into Gaza. This fact was mentioned in the 9th paragraph of the Times story.

    In response, President Trump, on Monday told reporters that the ceasefire should be cancelled if Hamas did not release all the remaining captives it was holding in Gaza by midday Saturday, warning “all hell is going to break out”.

    Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on Trump’s comments.

    “If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon,” Netanyahu said in a video statement, “the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated.”

    Netanyahu reportedly ordered the military to add more troops in and around Gaza to prepare for “every scenario” if the captives were not released.

    It was not immediately clear if he was referring to the three Israelis originally scheduled for release Saturday, all remaining captives, or all living Israelis slated for release in Phase 1.

    Document submitted to mediators
    The two-page document submitted by Hamas to mediators yesterday divided the violations into five separate categories: Field Violations, Prisoners, Humanitarian Aid, Denial of Essential Supplies, and Political Violations.

    Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire deal since it came into effect, targeting Palestinians in Gaza on an almost daily basis. The document outlines 269 “field violations” by the Israeli military, including the killing of 26 Palestinians and the wounding of 59 others.

    Page 1 of the Hamas report of ceasefire violations by Israel. Image: Hamas screenshot APR/DDN

    The number of people killed appears to be a dramatic undercount compared to the official toll documented by the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

    The Director-General of the Health Ministry, Dr Monir al-Barsh, announced separately yesterday that 92 Palestinians had been killed and 822 wounded in “direct targeting” by the Israeli military since January 19, when the ceasefire came into effect.

    The report also lists repeated ground incursions into Gaza beyond the designated buffer zone, particularly in the Philadelphi corridor — the 14km strip of land that runs along the border of Egypt.

    These incursions “were accompanied by gunfire and resulted in the deaths of citizens and the demolition of homes,” the report said.

    It also accused Israeli authorities of subjecting Palestinian captives to beatings and humiliation during their release, forcibly deporting released captives to Gaza without their coordination or consent, preventing families of deported prisoners from leaving the West Bank to join them, and delaying prisoner releases by several hours.

    The report also says that fewer than 25 fuel trucks per day have been allowed into Gaza, which is half of the allotted 50 fuel trucks per day, as outlined in the deal. The entry of commercial fuel was blocked entirely, the report says, again in violation of the agreement.

    Only 53,000 tents allowed
    Just over 53,000 tents were allowed into Gaza, the reports says, out of the 200,000 allotted and no mobile housing units out of the 60,000 agreed on.

    Heavy machinery for the removal of massive amounts of debris and retrieval of bodies was similarly blocked, with only four machines allowed in.

    Israel also blocked the entry of supplies to repair and operate the power plant and electrical grid, the report said.

    No medical supplies, ambulances have been allowed in and no equipment for civil defense teams. Meanwhile banks were not allowed to receive cash to replenish a severe currency shortage.

    The report ends on “Political Violations” criticising statements by the “Israeli Prime Minister and ministers openly calling for the expulsion of Gaza’s population, sending a clear message that the occupation does not wish to honour the agreement and aims to implement Trump’s plan to displace Gaza’s residents”.

    It also criticises the “deliberate delay” in starting the negotiations on Phase 2 of the ceasefire and “the introduction of impossible conditions.”

    A summary of the Israeli ceasefire violations. Image: QudsNews

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Private sector urged to act as world faces $23 trillion loss from land degradation

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Daniel Dickinson, in Riyadh

    Climate and Environment

    The private sector has been urged to make the sustainable management of land a key part of corporate and financial strategy going forward, as the world risks losing half of global GDP – estimated at $23 trillion – due to degradation.

    Business leaders have been meeting at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) conference being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is focusing on drought, land degradation and restoration issues.

    According to the UN, droughts have surged by nearly 30 per cent in frequency and intensity since 2000, threatening agriculture and water security, while up to 40 per cent of the world’s land is degraded, which means its biological or economic productivity has been reduced

    © FAO Saudi Arabia

    Saplings are planted Al Adhraa national park in Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to protect the land from degradation.

    Drought and land loss will have dire consequences for the climate, biodiversity and people’s livelihoods as well as businesses, large and small.

    The global economy could lose $23 trillion by 2050 through degradation UNCCD has warned, while halting this trend would cost around $4.6 trillion, a fraction of the predicted losses.

    The private sector can play a key role in supporting the sustainable use of land, according to the Executive Secretary of UNCCD, Ibrahim Thiaw.

    Speaking at the Business 4 Land  Forum at the COP16 conference,  he said they provide “a critical momentum to make sustainable land management a core part of corporate and financial strategies.”

    COP16 is the biggest global meeting of its kind on land degradation and restoration and the presence of a wide range of business leaders suggests they recognize the urgent need to support the healthy use of land.

    © FAO/Giulio Napolitano

    Women in Niger prepare fields for the rainy season as part of an anti-desertification initiative.

    “Shifting towards nature-positive operations, supply chains, and investments, is not only about environmental sustainability,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, “but about the long-term profitability and resilience of businesses.”

    Members of the Business 4 Land initiative are urged to act in three key areas.

    Speaking to delegates at the meeting, Philippe Zaouati, CEO of the MIROVA sustainable investment fund, said that “companies stand to gain significantly by transforming their value chains to incorporate sustainable practices, not only to reduce their impact on nature but also to seize economic opportunities,” adding that “mobilizing funding for land restoration requires a concerted effort by the public and private sectors.”

    There have been some early successes during the first days of COP16 in terms of unlocking international funding with $12 billion pledged to land restoration efforts.

    The Arab Coordination Group pledged $10 billion while the OPEC Fund and the Islamic Development Bank committed $1 billion each to the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, alongside the $150 million dollars provided by Saudi Arabia to operationalize the initiative.

    Henri Bruxelles, the Chief Sustainability Officer of the global food and beverage company, Danone, reiterated the importance of global collaboration. 

    “Collaborating across sectors of society is vital to address the intertwined climate and water challenges, to guarantee food security and nutrition and to secure the livelihoods of the communities that feed the world,” he said in order to “build a sustainable food system.”

    More about Business 4 Land (B4L)

    B4L is UNCCD’s main initiative to engage the private sector in sustainable land and water management. It helps companies and financial institutions manage risks and seize opportunities tied to land degradation and drought.

    B4L aims to restore 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030, contributing to Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), a global commitment to achieve net zero land degradation by 2030, as well as enhancing drought resilience.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 11 February 2025 News release WHO, St. Jude launch groundbreaking international delivery of childhood cancer medicines

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The World Health Organization (WHO) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have commenced distribution of critically-needed childhood cancer medicines in 2 of 6 pilot countries, through the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines. Currently, these medicines are being delivered to Mongolia and Uzbekistan, with next shipments planned for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal and Zambia. The treatments are expected to reach approximately 5000 children with cancer across at least 30 hospitals in these countries within this year.

    The Global Platform is a first initiative of its kind. Countries in the pilot phase will receive an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured childhood cancer medicines at no cost. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), childhood cancer survival rates are often below 30%, significantly lower than those in high-income countries. Six additional countries have been formally invited to join the platform.

    The initiative is poised to become the largest, with the goal of reaching 50 nations in the next 5 to 7 years. It aims to eventually provide medicines for the treatment of approximately 120 000 children with cancer in LMICs, significantly reducing mortality rates. 

    “For too long, children with cancer have lacked access to life-saving medicines,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “This unique partnership between WHO and St. Jude is working to provide quality-assured cancer medicines to paediatric hospitals in low-and middle-income countries. WHO is proud to be part of this joint initiative with St. Jude, bringing health and hope to children around the world.”

    Every year, an estimated 400 000 children worldwide develop cancer. The majority of these children, living in resource-limited settings, are unable to consistently obtain or afford cancer medicines. It is estimated that 70% of the children from these settings die from cancer due to factors such as lack of appropriate treatment, treatment disruptions or low-quality medicines.

    “A child’s chances of surviving cancer are largely determined by where they are born, making this one of the starkest disparities in global healthcare,” said James R. Downing, MD, president and CEO of St. Jude. “St. Jude was founded on Danny Thomas’ dream that no child should die in the dawn of life. By developing this platform, we believe this dream can someday be achieved for children stricken by cancer, irrespective of where they live.”

    St. Jude and WHO announced the platform in 2021 to ensure children around the world have access to lifesaving treatments. The platform brings together governments, the pharmaceutical industry and non-governmental organizations in a unique collaborative model focused on creating solutions for children with cancer. The co-design approach addresses the broader needs of national stakeholders, with a focus on capacity building and long-term sustainability.

    The platform provides comprehensive end-to-end support, from consolidating global demand to shaping the market, assisting countries with medicine selection and developing treatment standards. It represents a transformative model for the broader global health community working together to tackle health challenges, in particular for children and noncommunicable diseases. To accomplish this, St. Jude and WHO partner with UNICEF Supply Division, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Strategic Fund.
     

    Notes to editors:

    World Health Organization

    Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, the World Health Organization (WHO) leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. WHO is the UN agency for health that connects nations, partners and people on the front lines in 150+ locations – leading the world’s response to health emergencies, preventing disease, addressing the root causes of health issues and expanding access to medicines and health care. WHO’s mission is to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. 

    On childhood cancer, WHO works with over 100 global partners through the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, to support governments in developing high-quality cancer centres and regional satellites that ensure early, accurate diagnosis and effective treatments for children with cancer. WHO also develops standards and tools to guide the planning and implementation of interventions for diagnosis, treatment and palliative and survivorship care. Progress on childhood cancer, as well as on other noncommunicable diseases, are part of the agenda for the UN General Assembly Fourth High-Level Meeting of the on noncommunicable diseases to take place in September 2025.

    St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

    St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer, sickle cell disease and other life-threatening disorders. It is a non-profit organization based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, and the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened more than 60 years ago. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. To learn more, visit stjude.org, read Progress: A Digital Magazine and follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch.

    WHO and St. Jude first collaborated in 2018, when St. Jude became the first WHO Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer and committed US$15 million for the creation of the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (Global Initiative). This initiative supports more than 70 governments in building and sustaining local cancer programs and aims to increase survival to 60% by 2030. The Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines (Global Platform) synergizes with the Global Initiative, with activities implemented through this new effort expected to contribute substantially to the achievement of the initiative’s goals. The Global Platform is part of the St. Jude Strategic Plan focused on accelerating progress on catastrophic childhood diseases on a global scale through the institution’s largest investment in research and patient care.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Charting a path for global action on land and drought

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Climate and Environment

    The largest and most inclusive UN land conference wrapped up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, charting a path for global action following two weeks of intense negotiations on how best to tackle land degradation, desertification and drought, which affects one quarter of the world.

    The nearly 200 countries gathered at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and committed to prioritising land restoration and drought resilience in national policies and international cooperation as an essential strategy for food security and climate adaptation.

    While parties failed to agree on the nature of a new drought regime, they adopted a strong political declaration and 39 decisions shaping the way forward.

    According to UNCCD’s newly released World Drought Atlas and Economics of Drought Resilience reports, droughts affect the livelihoods of 1.8 billion people worldwide, pushing already vulnerable communities to the brink. They also cost an estimated $300 billion per year, threatening key economic sectors such as agriculture, energy and water.

    Among the main outcomes reached at COP16 were:

    • A prototype launch of the International Drought Resilience Observatory, the first ever global AI-driven platform to help countries assess and enhance their capacity to cope with harsher droughts
    • Mobilisation of private sector engagement under the Business4Land initiative
    • The creation of designated caucuses for Indigenous Peoples and for local communities to ensure their unique perspectives and challenges are adequately represented

    “Today, history has been made”, said Oliver Tester from Australia, a representative of Indigenous Peoples. “We look forward to championing our commitment to protect Mother Earth through a dedicated caucus and leave this space trusting that our voices be heard.”

    UN News/Martin Samaan

    Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, an Indigenous Peoples rights campaigner, attends the COP16 desertification conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Global drought regime

    Nations also made significant progress in laying the groundwork for a future global drought regime, which they intend to complete at COP17 in Mongolia in 2026.

    At COP16, more than 30 decisions were issued on key topics through the negotiation process, including migration, dust storms, enhancing the role of science, research and innovation, and empowering women to tackle environmental challenges.

    Some decisions introduced new topics to the agenda, namely environmentally sustainable agrifood systems and rangelands, which cover 54 per cent of all land. The degradation of rangelands alone threatens one sixth of global food supplies, potentially depleting one third of the Earth’s carbon reserves.

    At the same time, more than $12 billion was pledged to tackle land challenges around the world, especially in the most vulnerable countries. Right now, some two billion people living in pastoral areas are among the world’s most vulnerable in the face of desertification, land degradation and drought.

    Now, the work begins

    COP16 was the largest and most diverse UNCCD COP to date. It attracted more than 20,000 participants, around 3,500 of them from civil society, and featured more than 600 events as part of the first Action Agenda to involve non-State actors in the work of the convention. It also set records for youth attendance and for the most ever private sector participants at a UN land conference, with more than 400 representatives from such industries as finance, fashion, agri-food and pharmaceuticals.

    UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed said now, the work begins.

    “Our work does not end with the closing of COP16,” she told delegates. “We must continue to tackle the climate crisis. It is a call to action for all of us to embrace inclusivity, innovation and resilience”

    She said youth and Indigenous Peoples must be at the heart of these conversations.

    “Their wisdom, their voices, and their creativity are indispensable as we craft a sustainable future with renewed hope for generations to come.”

    Vital turning point

    The meeting also marked a turning point in raising international awareness of the pressing need to accelerate land restoration and drought resilience, according to COP16 president, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley.

    “We hope the outcomes of this session will lead to a significant shift that strengthens efforts to preserve land, reduce its degradation, build capacities to address drought, and contribute to the wellbeing of communities around the world,” he said in closing remarks.

    UN Under-Secretary-General and UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw agreed, underscoring a significant shift in the global approach to land and drought issues and the interconnected challenges with broader global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, forced migration and global stability.

    NOOR for FAO/Benedicte Kurzen

    In Koyli Alpha, Senegal, women work in tree nurseries created as part of the Great Green Wall Initiative.

    ‘Solutions are within our grasp’

    During COP16, participants heard that UNCCD estimates that at least $2.6 trillion in total investments are needed by 2030 to restore more than one billion hectares of degraded land and build resilience to drought.

    This equals $1 billion in daily investments between now and 2030 to meet global land restoration targets and combat desertification and drought.

    New pledges were also announced for large-scale land restoration and drought preparedness and for some existing projects that are already winning the battle, like the Great Green Wall, an African-led initiative to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land straddling across the Sahel region, which mobilised $11.5 million from Italy and nearly $4 million from Austria.

    UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw summed up a common message heard throughout COP16 in his closing remarks.

    “As we have discussed and witnessed, the solutions are within our grasp,” he said.

    “The actions we took today will shape not only the future of our planet but also the lives, livelihoods and opportunities of those who depend on it.”

    Read more stories on climate and the environment here.

    Sacred Lands Declaration

    © UNCCD/Papa Mamadou Camara

    Assessing drylands in Caating, Brazil.

    In a landmark decision, COP16 parties requested the creation of a caucus for Indigenous Peoples with the goal of ensuring that their unique perspectives and priorities are represented in the work of the Convention to Combat Desertification.

    The Sacred Lands Declaration, presented during the inaugural Indigenous Peoples Forum on 7 December, underscored their role in sustainable resource management and called for greater involvement in global land and drought governance, including through participation in land restoration efforts.

    Here are some calls for action in the declaration:

    • We call on parties to ensure an approach that embraces human rights and Indigenous Peoples’s rights in all policies and actions related to land restoration and resilience building
    • We call on parties to respect, recognise, promote and protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights, based on the fundamental right to self-determination, provided for in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and its General Recommendation 23

    • We encourage the UNCCD to create a dedicated fund for Indigenous Peoples’ initiatives on land restoration, conservation, desertification and drought resilience

      Read the full Sacred Lands Declaration here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Spirit of resilience braces desertification winds in Saudi Arabia

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Daniel Dickinson, Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

    Climate and Environment

    A low tech and sustainable solution to holding back advancing desert sands in eastern Saudi Arabia could help farming communities to thrive and conserve vulnerable habitats.

    The deserts of Saudi Arabia are amongst the largest in the world and controlling the natural migration of sand has always been a challenge not just to farmers, who want to increase agricultural productivity, but also to communities that want to ensure a more prosperous future or seek investment for growth.

    The Al Ahsa oasis in the eastern province of the Gulf state, one of the country’s largest and most productive oases, is threatened by encroaching sands.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Villages like this one close to the Al Ahsa oasis have been fully submerged by sand.

    At least nine villages in the immediate area have been inundated by sand dunes which can reach up to 15 metres high. Some have been dug out, others have remained buried.

    Holding back desertification

    “This is not a new phenomenon,” said Mona Dawalbeit from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which has been working with the Saudi government and local communities on trials to hold back desertification, “but communities and farmers especially do need extra support as they do not have the resources to do this alone.”

    Climate change has made the issue more pressing as higher temperatures and lower ground moisture contribute to drier sand and the increased likelihood of desertification.

    The state-owned oil company, Aramco, which extracts oil and gas in the eastern desert has over many decades protected infrastructure, including roads, mechanically removing sand amongst other measures, but the costs are high, so FAO has been promoting more sustainable approaches.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Palm fronds arranged in quadrants can help to slow down the pace of desertification.

    It is trialing low-level sand barriers made of palm fronds which are inexpensive and use material may otherwise would go to waste.

    Various designs can be tailored to protect farms and service facilities based on the geographical and geomorphological conditions,” said Mona Dawalbeit.

    These designs may include checkerboard and linear patterns with varying heights, ranging from 10 cm to one metre, depending on the specific purpose of the sand barrier.

    Environmental benefits

    The checkerboard technique effectively reduces sand encroachment and promotes the growth of natural vegetation including createing favourable conditions for planting trees or the spreading of seeds.

    “The palm barriers will not fully prevent the wind from moving sand towards land you want to protect,” said Mona Dawalbeit, “but it does slow the speed and completely change the flow of the sand.”

    There are additional environmental benefits of using palm fronds as typically they would be burned as waste, releasing the harmful carbon dioxide gas which is fuelling climate change.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Palm fronds are collected and reused as sand barriers.

    FAO is also piloting weather stations based on global standards which provide data on the complicated science of sand movements.

    Preventive action

    By analysing sand grain ‘deposit suspension’ (particles are suspended in mid-air and are blown by the wind across land), ‘saltation’ (smaller particles which are blown in jumps across the surface) and ‘surface creep’ (particles which are rolled over the ground) the volume and direction of sand encroachments can be predicted in conjunction with other climatic factors such as wind speed and direction, humidity and temperature.

    Preventative action can be targeted in specific locations where sand tends to move onto valuable agricultural land eroding the topsoil.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    An FAO-supported meteorological station measures sand movements.

    FAO collaborated with Green Environment Society in Al Ahsa to implement sand barriers aimed at protecting Al Ahsa National Park, a government-managed entity.

    The initiative sought to strengthen the relationship between governmental institutions and local communities while building the capacity of NGOs to construct sand barriers using palm fronds.

    Community involvement 

    “This approach not only ensures local sustainability,” said FAO’s Mona Dawelbait “but also promotes community involvement in environmental conservation efforts”.

    “In Saudi Arabia and in Al Ahsa in particular, there are concerns about land degradation and the loss of productive land,” she added, “but together we can change these challenges into opportunities.”

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Climate change is contributing to increased sand movements in Saudi Arabia.

    “I have worked with desert communities for 20 years. They are resilient people with strong spirits and I believe, the wind of change in terms of holding back land loss will carry on beyond this FAO intervention.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: China is committed to dialogue, ‘not throwing gas on the fire’, Foreign Minister Wang says

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister of China reiterated on Saturday his country’s commitment to playing a constructive role and engaging in mediation for peace, not exploiting volatile situations for “selfish gains”.

    To that end, China, jointly with Brazil and other countries of the Global South, launched a Group of Friends for Peace, he said in his address the UN General Assembly.

    “Its very purpose is to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, build consensus for a political settlement of the crisis and contribute to a prospect of peace,” the Minister said.

    He noted that the question of Palestine is the “biggest wound” to the human conscience.

    The ongoing conflict in Gaza is causing more casualties with each passing day, he said, adding that fighting has started again in Lebanon.

    “But might cannot replace justice. Palestine’s long held aspiration to establish an independent state should not be shunned anymore, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people should not be ignored anymore.”

    The Foreign Minister also noted China’s partnerships with African nations as well as with some least developed countries (LDCs), while highlighting its opposition to unilateral coercive measures, such as sanctions and blockades, and disruption of supply chains.

    “Sanctions and pressure will not bring monopolistic advantages. Suppressing and containing others will not solve problems at home. The right of people of all countries to pursue a better life should not be taken away,” he said, calling on the United States to completely lift its blockade, sanctions and terrorism related designation against Cuba.

    Mr. Wang also emphasized China’s commitment to a “path of green, low-carbon, and sustainable development”.

    “We will move from carbon peaking to carbon neutrality in the shortest time span in world history, contributing China’s efforts to harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature at the global level,” he said.

    He also highlighted that the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities must be upheld, and that the Paris Agreement on climate change must be implemented in earnest.  

    Developed countries should also assist developing nations in building their capacity to cope with climate change, he added.

    Foreign Minister Wang further highlighted China’s support for UN reform and modernization, as well as for international financial systems to be fit for current times. China would also continue fulfil its obligations, providing financial support and qualified human resources.

    He urged the Organization to “respond to the legitimate calls” of developing countries and increase the representation and voice of those in the Global South.

    Concluding his address, Mr. Wang said next year will mark the 80th anniversary of end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations.

    “China stands ready to work with all countries to renew the founding purposes and mission of the UN, reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the UN Charter, advocate and practice true multilateralism, build a community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly usher in a better world.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Violations of UN Charter and international law now ‘facts of life’, Cuban Foreign Minister says

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    The Foreign Minister of Cuba expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, and highlighted global challenges such as wealth inequality, climate financing and debt relief, in his speech to the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

    Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla said the Israeli army has “massacred” over 40,000 civilians in Gaza over the past 11 months. He also paid tribute to the more than 220 UN staff killed in the conflict.

    “The genocide against the Palestinian people must end unconditionally and without further delay,” he said.

    Addressing the risk of escalation, he said that “Israel, with the complicity of the United States, has brought the world to the brink of a major world conflict”, adding that “the irresponsible aggression against Lebanon, Syria, Iran and the people of the Middle East will have consequences that are hard to predict.”

    Mr. Rodríguez Parrilla stated that nearly 80 years after the UN’s establishment, “the continued violations of the United Nations Charter and international law, aggressions, interference in the internal affairs of States, and the imposition of unilateral coercive measures for political purposes, have become facts of life.”

    Global peace and security are being undermined by “aggressive expansionist and supremacist military doctrines of domination”.

    He said world military expenditure continued to increase for a ninth consecutive year, reaching $2.44 trillion in 2023 – a figure that also includes the development of new nuclear weapons.

    He warned that there will be no peace without development, yet “developed countries, which inhabit the very same planet, blindly refuse to invest even minimally in its prosperity and security.”

    Furthermore, “the aspiration of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has vanished”, he continued, noting that the collective wealth of the world’s five richest people has increased while five billion globally continue to live in poverty.

    “With a tax on the wealth of billionaires, two billion people could be brought out of poverty,” Mr. Rodríguez Parrilla said.

    Turning to the climate emergency, he recalled that scientists reported in July that the planet had experienced 13 consecutive months of record high temperatures.

    “If irrational and unsustainable production and consumption patterns of capitalism are not changed in an urgent and significant way, it will be impossible to limit the global average temperature increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius in comparison with pre-industrial levels,” he said.

    He expressed hope that governments meeting at the UN COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan this November will adopt a new climate financing goal.

    Richer countries “will have a new possibility to begin closing the climate finance gap and pay their financing debts”, while developing nations “will have to design a sufficient goal that responds to our own needs, with guarantees for development and social justice.”

    He said the solution will inevitably have to include the write-off of foreign debt, “which has already been paid several times over”.

    Mr. Rodríguez Parrilla called for a “fair, democratic international order” which, among other points, “guarantees the general good and prosperity of all peoples in harmony with nature, and the sustainable management of natural resources to ensure the exercise of all human rights for all people”.

    The Foreign Minister also addressed the United States’s nearly 65-year trade and economic embargo against Cuba, which has caused “visible and undeniable” damage and impacted the daily life of the population.

    Meanwhile, the inclusion of the Caribbean Island in a US State Department list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism is “a fraudulent designation, void of any international authority or mandate”. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: As challenges mount across the globe, ‘the world needs the UN’, Egypt says

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Minister Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty said it is time to “ring the alarm bells” as the international system is currently showing its structural shortcomings that come from ineffectiveness, double standards and inequality at a time of occupation, hunger, terrorism and injustice. Sketching out a path forward, he first stressed that there is no alternative to the multilateral system.

    At the same time, Israel’s brutal aggression against Gaza and its current attacks on the West Bank place shame on international institutions, which are unable to put an end to these aggressions. Condemning Israel’s escalation and its attacks on Lebanon, which are “pushing the region into the abyss”, he said efforts must “put an end to the bloodshed” and a start to the immediate delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.

    Outlining other steps, he said multilateral banks must be modernised, and international institutions must be made more representative. He also voiced Egypt’s support for an expanded Security Council with more permanent seats, including for African nations.

    As for mounting climate challenges, he said efforts must be linked to adequate resources to do so, including through the Loss and Damage Fund, alongside national plans that align with the agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    In this vein, Cairo will continue to work on development initiatives with neighbours and partners in the Nile Basin. However, Egypt remains concerned about Ethiopia’s actions related to the Renaissance Dam project, which do not consider the needs of nations living downstream.

    Still, the world needs the UN to address a range of challenges from cybercrime and artificial intelligence to collective security. On the latter, maintaining peace and security is the raison d’être of the Organization, he said, regretting to note that some global agreements, including nuclear non-proliferation treaties, are being flouted. At the same time, the Security Council has been unable to stop ongoing conflicts.

    Committed to strengthening the UN’s role, he said the root causes of conflict must be addressed and efforts much be bolstered to truly maintain peace. One way to resolve the outbreak crises is to strengthen State institutions so they can fill vacuums created by political insecurity, he added.

    For its part, Egypt remains committed to working with regional and international partners to revitalise the multilateral system, he said. Despite ongoing crises and challenges, Egypt will continue working to bolster its human capital through a national dialogue that prioritises human rights and democracy and to maintain peace and security in the region and the world over.

    “Our young people will take forward this vision,” he said. “They are the ones who will craft their future and preserve human lives without discrimination on the basis of race, gender or otherwise, all within the multilateral system.”  

    Click here for the full statement (in Arabic).

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Saudi Arabia promotes ‘appeasement and development’ in the Middle East and beyond

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    The Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia highlighted the country’s work to support peace efforts in the region and beyond in his address to the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

    Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the world is seeing an increase in crises, and unfortunately the international community is just looking to manage them, rather than find concrete solutions.

    “In this context of tensions between countries, we wish to warn against political polarization,” he said, underlining the need for dialogue and cooperation.

    He said Saudi Arabia categorically rejects “all crimes perpetrated by Israel against the kindred Palestinian people”, with the war in Gaza representing just the latest chapter in their suffering.

    Last November, the kingdom hosted the joint Arab-Islamic Summit on the crisis and works “to adopt resolutions and decisions that reflect the will of Arab and Muslim people and to stop the bloodshed, ensure unhindered humanitarian access, and realize the legitimate demands of the Palestinian people – in particular, the creation of an independent State.”

    Saudi Arabia therefore welcomed the 10 May 2024 adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution which said that the State of Palestine fulfills the conditions to become a UN Member State.

    Prince Faisal said his country has provided more than $5 billion to aid the Palestinian people since the start of the war in Gaza last October, and it is working with international and UN aid agencies to bring $106 billion in humanitarian projects. Some $106 billion in services, food, medications and other needs is being provided together with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

    He stressed that it is essential to find a fair solution to the Palestinian crisis, adding that “the prevalence of impunity, the lack of respect of legal obligations, is encouraging Israel to continue its escalation.”

    Turning to the wider region, he said that Saudia Arabia has taken measures towards ensuring “appeasement and development”, such as concluding an agreement with Iran on restoring diplomatic relations.

    “We hope that Iran will cooperate with the international community, in particular, vis-à-vis its nuclear programme and its ballistic missile programme,” he added.

    The kingdom has resumed relations with war-ravaged Syria to strengthen cooperation on common issues “because we are convinced that finding a solution to this crisis will enable us to entrench peace and stability in our region,” he continued.

    Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is supporting all efforts towards a solution to the crisis in Yemen and in the Red Sea, where attacks launched by Houthi rebels in the country are threatening international shipping.

    “In Sudan, we reaffirm our staunch position to preserve peace and stability”, he said. Engagement has included hosting peace talks in Jeddah, with a third round in the works.

    Meanwhile, “Afghanistan cannot be left by the waysides of its region and the international community, or be a prey to terrorists,” he said.

    “That’s why it’s necessary to put an end to the humanitarian and security situation in Afghanistan that is providing fertile ground to different groups and militias to continue their activities.”

    The Foreign Minister said the international community must bring an end to “the Russian-Ukrainian crisis” and the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince is continuing efforts in this regard.

    “We have announced the freeing of several prisoners of different nationalities. We hosted a meeting of different officials from different countries, with the participation of several different States and international organizations. We stand ready to continue our mediation efforts between the parties to the conflict,” he said.

    Click here for the statement (in Arabic).

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Attempt to defeat Russia a ‘suicidal escapade’, Lavrov warns Ukraine and the West

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    Ukraine’s hope of defeating Russia on the battlefield is senseless given that Moscow holds nuclear weapons and any effort by the NATO alliance to keep aiding Kyiv will prove to be a “suicidal escapade”, Russia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs told the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

    Sergey Lavrov said criticism of Russia’s “special operation” based on the UN Charter and Ukraine’s territorial integrity, ignored the fact that the UN’s founding document also “declares the obligation to respect the principles of the equality and self-determination of peoples”, he said, arguing that this had after all been the basis for ongoing decolonisation efforts.

    “The rights of Russians and those that feel they are part of Russian culture following the coup d’etat in Kyiv have methodically been exterminated,” he declared, and this poses a threat to Russian and wider European security.

    Mr. Lavrov said President Vladimir Putin had a “realistic settlement plan” and was prepared to negotiate, blaming the West for sabotaging previous attempts.

    He said the attempt by the Washington-London-Brussels axis to defeat Russia was nullifying the UN’s attempts to enhance global cooperation through agreements such as Sunday’s Pact for the Future – which Russia refused to back – and was “blocking the functioning of the entire system of global governance, including the Security Council.”

    “That’s not something we chose and we’re not responsible for the consequences of this dangerous course,” he added.

    He accused the West of “steadily destroying the model of globalisation that they themselves created”, warning that other regions of the world were forging their own alliances, inviting all of Europe and Asia to join a “single Eurasian space” separate from Washington’s influence.

    Addressing the Middle East crisis, Mr. Lavrov said there was no justification for the terror attacks by Hamas and others of 7 October but the “mass collective punishment” of Palestinians since then had created an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.”

    He bemoaned the rise of “the now almost commonplace practice of political killings” and noted the reported killing of a Hezbollah leader on Friday in Beirut.

    “Security can be either equal and indivisible for all, or it won’t be for anyone”, he told delegates, returning to the theme of NATO’s “exceptionalism and impunity”.

    The Russian Foreign Minister said the UN itself needed to be more even-handed in investigating “terrorist methods” used by Israel, the US and others, such as during the wireless device attacks in Lebanon last week.

    Moreover, the UN needed to “avoid the temptation to play into the hands of individual States, particularly those that are actively calling not for cooperation but to divide the world into the flowering garden and the jungle – or to those sitting around the table of democracy, and those that are on the menu.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Iran: UN experts alarmed as Supreme Court upholds death sentence of Kurdish woman activist

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    Independent UN human rights experts on Tuesday expressed grave concern over the Iranian Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the death sentence of Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish woman activist and social worker.

    “The charges against Ms. Pakhshan Azizi do not meet the threshold of ‘most serious crimes’ required by international law for the death penalty,” the Human Rights Council-appointed experts stated. “Her death sentence constitutes a serious violation of international human rights law.”

    Solitary confinement

    Ms. Azizi was arrested in Tehran on 4 August 2023, by Iranian intelligence services and held in solitary confinement in the notorious Evin Prison for five months.

    On 23 July 2024, the Tehran Revolutionary Court sentenced her to death for “armed rebellion against the state” and “membership of opposition groups,” along with a four-year prison term for alleged membership of in the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK).

    The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence last week.

    “Ms. Azizi’s arrest and sentencing appear to be solely related to her legitimate work as a social worker, including her support for refugees in Iraq and Syria,” the independent experts noted.

    Reports indicate that Ms. Azizi was subjected to severe psychological and physical torture in solitary confinement to extract a confession. She was also denied access to family visits and legal representation of her choice.

    Family members detained

    Several members of Azizi’s family were temporarily detained and have faced national security charges, presumably to pressure her to confess, the experts noted.

    “The use of torture to extract confessions and the denial of fair trial rights render the death sentence against Ms. Azizi arbitrary in nature,” the experts said.

    The experts highlighted that the number of executions in Iran surpassed 900 in 2024, with an increase in the number of women put to death.

    They have called for Iran to stop executions that violate international law and fundamental human rights.

    End targeting of Kurdish women activists

    “We are deeply concerned by the specific targeting of Kurdish women activists with politically motivated charges,” they said.

    “Ms. Azizi’s prosecution reflects the heightened persecution that minority women activists face in Iran and the continued intention to punish and silence them by creating a climate of fear.”

    The experts urged Iranian authorities to revoke Ms. Azizi’s death sentence, investigate allegations of torture and denial of fair trial rights, and end the harassment and targeting of women activists in Iran.

    Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups who report on and monitor allegations of rights abuses are not UN staff and are independent of any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and receive no salary.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN rights chief in historic meeting in Syria’s with caretaker authority in Damascus

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    The UN human rights chief Volker Türk has described the unbearable suffering of former detainees under the deposed Assad regime and insisted that he stands with the people of the war-torn nation as they “rebuild a country that works for all Syrians”. 

    Speaking from Damascus after meeting the leader of the caretaker authorities, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, Mr. Türk said that he had been “assured…of the importance of respect for human rights for all Syrians and all different components of Syrian society”.

    Syria’s de facto leader – who spearheaded the lightning overthrow of Bashar Al Assad on 8 December at the head of opposition fighters Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) –  also underscored “the pursuit of healing, trust building and social cohesion, and the reform of institutions”, the High Commissioner said. 

    Staggering needs 

    “But the challenges are immense,” he continued, pointing to the hundreds of thousands of lives lost and the fact that “much of the country lies in ruins”.

    Today, nine in 10 Syrians are “mired in poverty, the health system is on its knees and many schools are closed,” Mr. Türk said. “Millions are still displaced both inside and outside the country. The rights to food, health, education and housing are fundamental human rights, and there must be prompt, collective and concerted efforts to guarantee them.”

    Calling for “an urgent reconsideration” of ongoing sanctions on Syria “with a view to lifting them”, the UN rights chief said that considering their impact on the lives of the Syrian people was key. 

    Sednaya horrors

    Mr. Türk – whose visit to Syria is a first for any UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – said that he had heard harrowing testimony from numerous victims of torture. 

    They included some jailed at the notorious Sednaya prison outside Damascus, where his Office documented violations “for years”.

    The UN rights chief described prisoners telling him that “early in the morning, as they heard the guards at their door, trembling in fear, they retreated to the rear of the cell, fearing they would be hauled out again to be tortured, or even executed.”

    Thousands died in prisons throughout Syria, the High Commissioner explained, as he went on to condemn the “apocalyptic wasteland” of the bombed-out residential neighbourhood of Jobar, in Damascus, which he visited.

    Mass killing, destruction

    “Not a single building in the area was spared bombardment in wave after wave of attacks,” Mr. Türk said, adding that it was “inconceivable that such mass killings and destruction” had happened. 

    It was equally difficult to believe “that banned chemical weapons were used against civilians elsewhere in the country and not just once”, the UN rights chief said – a likely reference to several deadly chlorine gas attacks, including on two residential buldings in Douma in northeast Damascus by the Syrian air force on 7 April 2018.

    It “says a lot about the extreme brutality of the tactics used by the former regime”, whose acts “constitute some of the most serious crimes under international humanitarian law.”

    ‘Real threats’ to Syria remain

    Away from the immediate destruction and grief of war, the High Commissioner highlighted that the people of Syria “need every ounce of help they can get to rebuild a country that works for all Syrians”. 

    The UN human rights office, OHCHR – which has had a dedicated Syria monitoring team since 2013 – “will continue to support inclusive, nationally owned and driven processes”, Mr. Türk said.

    He warned of “very real threats” to Syria’s territorial integrity and independence. The country’s sovereignty “must be fully respected and rigorously upheld. The ongoing conflicts and hostilities must end,” the High Commissioner insisted, adding: “This is really a seminal moment for Syria after decades of repression. 

    “My most fervent hope is for all Syrians to be able to thrive together, regardless of gender, religion or ethnicity and to build a common future.”  

    Soundcloud

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Syria: UN health agency launches $56.4 million appeal to meet critical needs

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Humanitarian Aid

    The UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday launched a $56.4 million flash appeal to address urgent health needs in Syria, where years of conflict have cripped the healthcare system.

    In addition, the developments since late November, culminating with the overthrow of the Assad regime added new dimensions to the crisis, including population displacements as well as return of Syrian refugees from neighbouring countries.

    Since November 2024, over 882,000 Syrians have been displaced amid surging violence, further straining the country’s fragile healthcare system. Attacks on health facilities also escalated, with 37 incidents reported in the past month, according to WHO.  

    Over half of Syria’s hospitals are now non-functional, and 141 health facilities in northern Aleppo and Idlib face imminent closure due to funding shortages.

    Healthcare under unprecedented strain

    “The health infrastructure in Syria is severely strained, more than ever,” said Christina Bethke, acting WHO Representative for the country.

    “Our teams are currently providing care through mobile clinics, restoring immunization services and integrating mental health support into health facilities, especially for those affected by trauma. This appeal is about safeguarding health and dignity while offering Syrians hope for a safer future.”

    Fully funded, WHO’s six-month strategy aims to further strengthen trauma care, deploy ambulances, restore maternal and child health services, enhance disease surveillance, and enable timely patient referrals.

    The agency also aims to bolster health system coordination through its hub in Gaziantep, Türkiye, which coordinates assistance to about five million Syrians, including those in hard-to-reach areas.

    UNHCR highlights refugee challenges

    Meanwhile, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported significant challenges for displaced populations and returning refugees, particularly for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, women and children.

    Those returning from neighbouring countries face severe hardships, with destroyed homes forcing them to live in tents, with extended family members or pay exorbitant rental fees.

    Unexploded ordnance (UXO) particularly in agricultural land or homes near former frontline areas pose significant risks. Returnees also cited the need for legal assistance, psychosocial support and school rehabilitation.

    In response, UNHCR partners in Aleppo, Hassakeh, Ar-Raqqa and rural Tartous have resumed protection activities, including programmes to keep children engaged, livelihood grants, relief distribution, prevention of sexual violence, and awareness sessions on UXOs and other harmful objects.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Syrian Minister denounces Israel for its ‘seven-decade-long criminal record’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria, Bassam Sabbagh, on Monday said the world was at a critical juncture, marked by widespread conflict, economic hardship and environmental degradation.

    All of these, he told the UN General Assembly, are exacerbated by failures of multilateral diplomacy and the failure of the United Nations to achieve its founding objectives.

    “While we previously sought to promote preventive diplomacy and the peaceful settlement of disputes, we are witnessing today more direct wars and proxy wars waged using terrorist tools,” he said.

    “Instead of investing efforts and resources in achieving sustainable development for all, some are flagrantly draining the resources of other countries, stealing from their people, and imposing unilateral coercive measures that impoverish and destroy nations.”

    Stating that Syria has experienced unparalleled suffering for over a decade, he alleged that billions of dollars were spent to erode its development progress, undermine security and stability, spread chaos, and fuel displacement.

    “All that has happened has revealed the true intentions of the collective West, which completely contradict the principles and purposes that formed the pillars of foundation and function of this Organization,” he said.

    The Syrian Minister also condemned Israel for its ongoing occupation of Arab territories since 1967, as well as what he described as its “genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity”. He added that by its actions since 7 October last year, Israel added “another chapter to its seven-decade-long criminal record.”

    “[Syria] strongly condemns the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and renew its solidarity with its legitimate struggle to liberate their occupied land and establish their independent state on their entire national territory, with Jerusalem as its capital, while ensuring the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions,” he said.

    He also denounced Israel’s “heinous crimes” against his country’s people in the occupied Syrian Golan, as well as its “unprecedented crime” against Lebanon.

    “We stress the need to hold Israel accountable for the war crimes it is committing, including the deliberate targeting of more than 200 personnel working for UNRWA [the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees] and other UN and humanitarian agencies.”

    Minister Sabbagh reiterated Syria’s demand for full restoration of the occupied Golan Heights and called for an end to unilateral sanctions imposed by Western countries on Syria and its allies.

    In closing, he urged all nations to “summon the courage and make the right choice” to guarantee a better present and better future for the current and future generations, and to save humanity from the scourge of all-out wars looming on the horizon.

    He underscored the need for adherence to the UN Charter, respect for international law and multilateral diplomacy, and granting developing countries equal opportunities to advance their societies and achieve well-being, prosperity and sustainable development for their peoples.

    Click here for the statement.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN Assembly President calls for global unity as high-level debate concludes

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Vibhu Mishra

    UN Affairs

    The President of the General Assembly on Monday reminded UN Member States that the Organization’s strength “lies in our diversity” and ability to unite around common goals, as the curtains drew on the 79th session’s high-level debate.

    This year’s general debate opened with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressing UN’s membership.

    Over six days, 190 Member States took to the iconic green marble podium, highlighting the pressing challenges confronting the international community and the need for global unity to overcome. In addition, three Observers also spoke.

    As these leaders addressed global challenges, Philémon Yang, President of the General Assembly, closed the session with a powerful reminder of the ongoing conflicts and the urgent need for peace.

    Conflicts raging in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan and Ukraine are unfortunately not an exhaustive list, he said.

    “In the last few days, the world has seen an extremely dramatic escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. That escalation risks causing war in the entire Middle East region.”

    “This must stop, and it must stop now. The world must not allow an all-out war to happen in this volatile region,” he stressed, calling on all parties – Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah – to urgently come to a ceasefire.

    “And for all remaining hostages to be freed immediately and unharmed.”

    Move forward together

    Mr. Yang emphasized that only by working together can the international community confront and overcome the complex and discouraging challenges before it.

    “Only through dialogue, listening, and collective action, can we find solutions that benefit all of us.”

    He emphasized that the theme for the 79th Session – Unity in diversity, for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for everyone, everywhere – is not just a guiding principle, it is a call to action.

    “The theme reminds us that our strength lies in our diversity, and our ability to unite stakeholders around our common goals,” he said.

    “Let us all move forward together with this spirit of unity and shared responsibility. Let us continue our work, with the clear aim of building a peaceful, just, and dignified future for all.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The week the world comes to Manhattan: Looking back at UNGA79

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    Every September when UN Headquarters in New York is swamped – massive motorcades, intense security, snipers on rooftops and world leaders descending along with throngs of diplomats, media and celebrities – it’s not easy to grasp what exactly is going on or what was achieved. 

    Let’s try to unscramble those 10 days for you. This year, some 235 events and hundreds of speakers later, the spotlight was shone on what the world was facing – how to move towards a revamp of an outdated global economic order, forging new pathways to peace, and finding solutions to the growing threat of nuclear war, global public health challenges, climate disruption and dangerous levels of impunity, inequality and uncertainty.

    Kicking off the Summit of the Future (22-23 September) ahead of the General Assembly’s annual high-level week, Secretary-General António Guterres’ clarion call for change made the stakes plain: “We cannot build a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents.” 

    More than 140 leaders spoke in the action-packed gathering while the UN was taken over by youth and civil society. The end-goal? Torchbearers of change trying to chart a course to rejig a UN that can be fit for purpose and ready to meet 21st century challenges with modernized, upgraded institutions that do not reflect the world of 1945.

    The good news is they agreed on a rescue plan to steer the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track, a groundbreaking Pact for the Future that now needs to be implemented. Despite a last-minute challenge from a group of countries opposed to the pact, UN Member States actually inked a deal – and agreed on the need for justice and reform.

    Soundcloud

    The big wins? Economic justice pledges included a promise to overhaul the international financial architecture so that developing countries reeling under a debt burden can begin to invest in development and not be crippled by debt repayments. Security Council reform saw a groundswell of support to expand and balance rights of membership. Strong backing was expressed for Africa to have permanent representation in the Security Council – along with other contenders like Brazil, India, and Japan. South African Prime Minister Cyril Ramaphosa called for the Security Council to be “more representative and inclusive,” noting that Africa and its 1.4 billion people remain excluded from this key decision-making structure.

    A group of experts delivered findings on the critical need to embrace digital innovation and harness how artificialintelligence could transform our world; but equally to close the digital divide and ensure guardrails around a responsible advance for humanity. 

    A Global Digital Compact was agreed, with the aim of opening the doors to a brave, new and accountable digital world order.

    On the sidelines, a dark moment was captured in a conversation on the future of women in Afghanistan – actress Meryl Streep questioned how it was possible that cats and birds had more freedom in the country where girls were banned from education. “A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today because the public parks have been closed to women and girls by the Taliban,” Streep said. “This is a suppression of the natural law.”

    In a devastating testimonial during a ministerial meeting “The Cost of Inaction in Sudan”, Sudanese activist Nisreen al-Saem lamented that the war in her country was a “war on women” and appealed: “Oh, Burhan and Hemediti, we’re tired, unite the Sudanese people and lay down your arms”.

    As the General Assembly began its 79th session, 190 countries out of 193 Member States spoke in what is not a debate at all – but a chance for governments to speak their mind on the state of the world or their region or pressing global problems. Highlighting an ignominious fact, Iceland’s Foreign Minister Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir – as one of only 19 women speaking in the hallowed hall – chastised: “I thought we had come further than this.”

    Another female leader, the outspoken premier of Barbados, Mia Mottley, a fierce advocate of the Bridgetown Initiative which aims to kickstart global financial restructuring exhorted global institutions to give developing countries – especially small vulnerable ones – “seats at the tables of decision-making”. 

    The chorus was loud on the need for institutional reform at the UN, stoked by fears of an outdated and archaic institution unable to keep pace with a world that has changed profoundly. 

    If the UN is to become a “central platform for finding common ground” according to the Minister for External Affairs of India, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, “it cannot, by remaining anachronistic.” In his swansong speech, US President Joe Biden reminded fellow leaders: “Never forget we are here to serve the people, not the other way around.” 

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    The eclipse of multilateralism and international law bubbled up repeatedly – Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, warned that multilateralism is not an option but an existential necessity while Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago wagged his finger at the selective respect for international law.

    A refrain heard repeatedly on the war in Ukraine and Gaza was captured by Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Lars Rasmussen, who worried that the respect for international law is slowly being undermined and flagged that, “Wars of aggression and altering borders is — and should remain — a thing of the past.”

    Many sounded the alarm on the climate-security nexus with President Ramkalawan of the Seychelles flagging this as an existential issue that would plague future generations – a sentiment widely echoed by the young activists who flocked to the UN.

    As nation after nation spoke out about the unimaginable destruction and devastation in Gaza following the terror attacks launched by Hamas on 7 October 2023, and with the drumbeat of war growing in the region, Brazil’s President Luiz Ignacio Lula had warning words: “The right to defense has become the right to vengeance.”  While committing to sending forces to counter the deteriorating security in Haiti, President William Ruto of Kenya regretted that the Charter’s foundations have been shaken. 

    The President of the General Assembly, Philemon Yang pleaded for an end to the spiralling conflict and retribution between Israel and Gaza and a return to a solution grounded in international law for the good of Israelis and Palestinians. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to the UN to “set the record straight” in a session that was sparsely attended because of a walkout – but his speech was watched by record numbers online illustrating how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dominated the discussions.

    The entire General Assembly session was supposed to be about the future, devoted to uplifting commitments to reset the world on the path to sustainable development, to rethink how we can make the world more equitable and efficient, find ways to tackle public health threats like Anti-Microbial Resistance and to showcase how the world can leverage the potential of new technologies. Yet, the focus inevitably ended up on what the Secretary-General called “the purgatory of polarity” and the threat of an “age of impunity.”

    In the spirit of the Pact for Future Generations, heartwarming moments came from youth who showed up for the Action Days and the SDG Media Zone. Sanjana Sanghi, a UN Development Programme climate activist from India, praised the positivity of the younger generation that inspired hope. She summed up the buzz felt around the UN campus: “I am deeply inspired by these young changemakers who are passionately working to address climate issues and secure a sustainable future for everyone.” 

    *This is not an official record. It is a snapshot of this year’s General Assembly High-Level Week.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –