The Secretary-General strongly condemns the attempt on the life of Miguel Uribe Turbay, the Colombian presidential precandidate, in Bogota on 7 June.
The Secretary-General hopes for Mr. Uribe Turbay’s full recovery, and expresses his solidarity with his family and the Colombian people. This deplorable act of political violence must be fully investigated and those responsible brought to justice. The coming elections present an opportunity for Colombians to further strengthen their democracy through a peaceful electoral process.
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El Secretario General condena enérgicamente el atentado contra la vida del político colombiano y precandidato presidencial Miguel Uribe Turbay, ocurrido en Bogotá el 7 de junio.
El Secretario General espera la plena recuperación del Señor Uribe Turbay y expresa su más profunda solidaridad con su familia y con el pueblo colombiano. Este deplorable acto de violencia política debe ser investigado a fondo y los responsables llevados ante la justicia. Las próximas elecciones presentan una oportunidad para que los colombianos fortalezcan aún más su democracia mediante un proceso electoral pacífico.
Nairobi, 9 June 2025 – UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, is proud to launch its WomenX Collective (WomenX) Nairobi Hub on 9 June 2025 at the Aga Khan University Auditorium.
WomenX supports locally led initiatives that develop and scale practical solutions – such as new technologies, service delivery models, and financing tools – to close gaps in care for women and girls. They are creating a network across Africa and beyond to improve women’s health by bringing together governments, health experts, innovators, and funders. Building on the October 2024 launch of its Berlin Hub, the new Nairobi Hub marks a major step in extending WomenX’s impact across the continent and globally.
The Nairobi Hub is being launched in partnership with the Government of Kenya, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and Aga Khan University. Together, these partners aim to build a global innovation hub based in Africa – advancing women’s health innovation and accelerating progress toward gender equity in health systems worldwide.
A Strategic Investment in Women’s Health
“Every minute, at least two women die globally from breast or cervical cancer, or from pregnancy-related complications due to inequitable access to healthcare,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNFPA. “Through the WomenX Collective Nairobi Hub, UNFPA and our partners aim to invest in and scale transformative solutions to close critical health gaps and ensure that women and girls everywhere can access the care they deserve — and that is their right.”
With initial funding commitments from international donors – including the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Organon & Co., among others – the WomenX Collective aims to mobilize $100 million in catalytic investment by 2030 and leverage financing to scale innovative solutions. This programme has the potential to avert at least 10.4 million unintended pregnancies, 3.2 million unsafe abortions, and 21,000 maternal deaths. Through its hubs and partnerships, the programme is uniquely positioned to bring together experience and technical expertise from across countries and regions, as well as modern technologies and sustainable financing.
Africa as an Innovation Powerhouse The Nairobi Hub will serve as a platform to unite research, scalable technologies, and innovative financing strategies across Africa. With its proximity to a thriving ecosystem of health and tech innovators, Nairobi plays a central role in delivering sustainable impact for women and girls across the continent and beyond
A Call to Action The inauguration of the WomenX Nairobi Hub will gather funders, regional stakeholders, health leaders, and innovators to ignite bold commitments, amplify evidence-based investment strategies, and catalyze new collaborations. It will issue a clarion call for governments, philanthropies, and the private sector to prioritize women’s health – not just as a moral imperative, but as a cornerstone of social and economic progress.
“The Nairobi Hub is more than a location,” said Dr. Nigina Muntean, Chief of Innovation and Transformation Branch at UNFPA. “In close collaboration with the WomenX Berlin Hub, it’s a commitment to drive lasting change through the power of women-centered innovation. Every dollar invested today unlocks exponential returns for future generations.”
“The National Council for Population and Development, a Kenyan government agency, is proud to support the launch of the WomenX Hub in Nairobi with our partners. This programme supports our mission to improve lives and underscores the importance of empowering women and girls as a foundation for sustainable development,” said Dr. Mohamed Sheikh , Director General NCPD & Inaugural Member of the WomenX Collective Steering Group.
“At Africa CDC, we recognise that the health of women and girls is the backbone of strong public health systems and resilient communities. The WomenX Nairobi Hub is a timely and transformative platform that places African leadership and innovation at the centre of advancing women’s health. This initiative is a call to action for all of us to invest boldly, collaborate deeply, and ensure that women and girls are not only beneficiaries but drivers of Africa’s health security and progress.” said Dr. Mazyanga Lucy Mazaba, Regional Director, Africa CDC Eastern Africa RCC.
“At Aga Khan University (AKU), we believe that the true value of knowledge lies not only in its creation but in its ability to transform lives. Our partnership with UNFPA, the Ministry of Health Kenya, and Africa CDC, in launching the WomenX Collective Africa Hub reflects our unwavering commitment to women’s and girls’ health. By contributing our research expertise and local insights, we aim to co-create and scale evidence-based, sustainable solutions that deliver real impact to the communities we serve. It is a privilege for AKU to host this launch and to stand alongside global and regional leaders in driving meaningful change in maternal and reproductive health across East Africa and beyond.”
About UNFPA:
UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. UNFPA’s mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA calls for the realization of reproductive rights for all and supports access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services, including voluntary family planning, quality maternal health care and comprehensive sexuality Education.
About the Government of Kenya: The Government of Kenya is committed to improving the health and well-being of its population through inclusive, equitable, and sustainable policies. With a strong emphasis on universal health coverage and gender equality, Kenya continues to invest in healthcare infrastructure, innovation, and strategic partnerships to ensure accessible and quality care for women and girls across the country.
About Africa CDC: The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is a continental autonomous public health agency of the African Union that supports member states in efforts to strengthen health systems and improve surveillance, emergency response, and prevention and control of diseases.
About Aga Khan University (AKU): Aga Khan University (AKU) is an international institution of higher learning and research with campuses and programs in South and Central Asia, East Africa, and the United Kingdom. Committed to the highest standards in medical education, research, and patient care, AKU aims to improve quality of life in the developing world by investing in human capital, generating knowledge, and fostering innovation that addresses the most pressing health challenges.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), following the fourth meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) Emergency Committee regarding the upsurge of mpox 2024, held on 5 June 2025, from 12:00 to 17:00 CEST, concurs with its advice that the event continues to meet the criteria of a public health emergency of international concern and, considering the advice of the Committee, he is hereby issuing a revised set of temporary recommendations.
The WHO Director-General expresses his most sincere gratitude to the Chair, Members, and Advisors of the Committee. The proceeding of the fourth meeting of the Committee will be shared with States Parties to the IHR and published in the coming days.
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Temporary recommendations
These temporary recommendations are issued to States Parties experiencing the transmission of monkeypox virus (MPXV), including, but not limited to, those where there is sustained community transmission, and where there are clusters of cases or sporadic travel-related cases of MPXV clade Ib.
They are intended to be implemented by those States Parties in addition to the current standing recommendations for mpox, valid until 20 August 2025.
All current WHO interim technical guidance can be accessed on this page of the WHO website. WHO evidence-based guidance has been and will continue to be updated in line with the evolving situation, updated scientific evidence, and WHO risk assessment to support States Parties in the implementation of the WHO Strategic Framework for enhancing mpox prevention and control.
Pursuant to Article 3 Principle of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), the implementation of these temporary recommendations, as well as of the standing recommendations for mpox, by States Parties shall be with full respect for the dignity, human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons, in line with the principles set out in Article 3 of the IHR.
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Note: The text in backets next to each temporary recommendation indicates the status with respect to the set of temporary recommendations issued on 27 November 2024.
Emergency coordination
Secure political commitment and engagement to intensify mpox prevention and response efforts, including resource allocation, for the lowest administrative and operational level reporting mpox cases (hotspots) in the prior 4 weeks. (EXTENDED)
Establish or enhance coordination among all partners and stakeholders engaged in or supporting mpox prevention and response activities through cooperation, including by introducing accountability mechanisms. (EXTENDED)
Establish a mechanism to monitor the effectiveness of mpox prevention and response measures implemented at lower administrative levels, so that such measures can be adjusted as needed. (EXTENDED)
Engage with and strengthen partner organizations for collaboration and support for mpox response, including humanitarian actors in contexts with insecurity, humanitarian corridors, or areas with internal or refugee population displacements and in hosting communities in insecure areas. (EXTENDED, with re-phrasing)
Collaborative surveillance
Enhance mpox surveillance, by increasing the sensitivity of the approaches adopted and ensuring comprehensive geographic coverage. (EXTENDED)
Expand access to accurate, affordable and available diagnostics to test for mpox, including through strengthening arrangements for the transport of samples, the decentralization of testing and arrangements to differentiate MPXV clades and conduct genomic sequencing. (EXTENDED)
Identify, monitor and support the contacts of persons with suspected, clinically-diagnosed or laboratory-confirmed mpox to prevent onward transmission. (EXTENDED)
Scale up efforts to thoroughly investigate cases and outbreaks of mpox to better understand the modes of transmission and transmission risk, and prevent its onward transmission to contacts and communities. (EXTENDED)
Report to WHO suspected, probable and confirmed cases of mpox in a timely manner and on a weekly basis. (EXTENDED)
Safe and scalable clinical care
Provide clinical, nutritional and psychosocial support for patients with mpox, including, where appropriate and possible, isolation in care centres and/or access to materials and guidance for home-based care. (EXTENDED)
Develop and implement a plan to expand access to optimized supportive clinical care for all patients with mpox, including children, pregnant women, and persons living with HIV, recognising the association of mpox-related morbidity and mortality in persons living with HIV with untreated or advanced HIV. This includes prompt identification and effective management of endemic co-infections, such as malaria, chickenpox or measles. This also includes offering HIV tests to adult patients who do not know their HIV status and to children as appropriate, testing and treatment for other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among cases linked to sexual contact and referral to HIV/STIs treatment and care services when indicated. (EXTENDED, with re-phrasing)
Strengthen health and care workers’ capacity, knowledge and skills in clinical and infection and prevention and control pathways – screening, diagnosis, isolation, environmental cleaning, discharge of patients, including post discharge follow up for suspected and confirmed mpox –, and provide health and care workers with personal protective equipment (PPE). (EXTENDED)
Strengthen adherence to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and availability of water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and waste management services and infrastructure in healthcare facilities and treatment and care centers to ensure quality healthcare service delivery and protection of health and care workers, caregivers and patients. (EXTENDED, with re-phrasing)
International traffic
Establish or strengthen cross-border collaboration arrangements for surveillance, management and support of suspected cases and contacts of mpox, and for the provision of information to travellers and conveyance operators, without resorting to travel and trade restrictions that unnecessarily impact local, regional or national economies. (EXTENDED)
Vaccination
Continue to prepare for and implement targeted use of vaccine for “Phase 1-Stop the outbreak” (as defined in the WHO Mpox global strategic preparedness and response plan (2025)) through the identification of the lowest administrative level reporting cases (hotspots) and targeting those groups at high risk of mpox exposure to interrupt sustained community transmission. (EXTENDED, with rephrasing and updated reference)
Develop and implement plans for vaccination in the context of an integrated response at the lowest administrative level reporting cases for people at high risk of exposure (e.g., contacts of cases of all ages, health and frontline workers, and other groups at risk such as those with multiple sexual partners and sex workers in endemic and non-endemic areas). This entails a targeted integrated response, including active surveillance and contact tracing; agile adaptation of immunization strategies and plans to the local context including dose-sparing options (single dose/fractional dosing) in the context of limited availability of vaccines; proactive community engagement to generate and sustain demand for and trust in vaccination; close monitoring of mpox vaccination activities, coverage and adverse events following immunization (AEFI); assessment of vaccine effectiveness; and documenting lessons learned and their implementation. (MODIFIED)
Community protection
Strengthen risk communication and community engagement in affected communities and local workforces for outbreak prevention, response and vaccination strategies, particularly at the lowest administrative levels reporting cases. Key actions include training, mapping high risk and vulnerable populations for tailored interventions, data driven approaches for social listening, community feedback and dialogue, and managing misinformation. This entails, inter alia, communicating effectively the uncertainties and new information regarding the natural history of mpox and modes of transmission, the effectiveness of mpox vaccines and duration of protection following vaccination, and about any clinical trials to which the local population may have access, as appropriate. (EXTENDED, with re-phrasing)
Address stigma and discrimination of any kind via meaningful community engagement, particularly in health services and during risk communication activities, and through engagement with civil society groups, such as HIV networks. (EXTENDED, with re-phrasing)
Promote and implement IPC measures and basic WASH and waste management services in household settings, congregate settings (e.g. prisons, internally displaced persons and refugee camps, etc.), schools, points of entry and cross border transit areas. (EXTENDED)
Governance and financing
Galvanize and scale up national funding and explore external opportunities for targeted funding of mpox prevention, readiness and response activities, advocate for release of available funds and take steps to identify potential new funding partners for emergency response. (EXTENDED)
Optimize the use of resources, in the context of global and local external funding shortfalls, by allocating available resources to the implementation of core mpox response interventions needed in the medium term; maximizing their cost-efficiency through cross-programmatic synergetic approaches; and by engaging partners in resource-sharing arrangements to maintain the delivery of essential health services. (NEW)
Integrate mpox prevention and response measures, including enhanced surveillance, in existing programmes for prevention, control and treatment of other endemic diseases – especially HIV, as well as STIs, malaria, tuberculosis and other vaccine-preventable diseases, and/or non-communicable diseases – striving to identify activities which will benefit the programmes involved and lead to better health outcomes overall. (EXTENDED)
Addressing research gaps
Invest in field studies to better understand animal hosts and zoonotic spillover in the areas where MPXV is circulating, in coordination with the animal health sector and One Health partners. (EXTENDED)
Strengthen and expand use of genomic sequencing to characterize the epidemiology and chains of transmission of MPXV to better inform control measures, particularly regarding the emergence and circulation of new virus strains. (EXTENDED, with re-phrasing)
Reporting on the implementation of temporary recommendations
Report quarterly to WHO on the status of, and challenges related to, the implementation of these temporary recommendations, using a revised standardized tool and channels that will be made available by WHO, also allowing for the monitoring of progress and the identification of gaps of the national response. (EXTENDED, with re-phrasing)
The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Han Zheng, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China. They discussed cooperation between the United Nations and China, as well as international developments. The Secretary-General commended China for its commitment to multilateralism, global ocean action and the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals. He thanked China for its support to the United Nations and looked forward to maintaining the strong partnership.
The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Rodrigo Chaves Robles, President of the Republic of Costa Rica. The Secretary-General thanked Costa Rica for co-hosting the third UN Ocean Conference and congratulated Costa Rica for being among the first to have ratified the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). He noted the vital contribution of the Agreement to maintain a healthy and productive ocean and to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
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El Secretario General se reunió con el Excelentísimo Señor Rodrigo Chaves Robles, Presidente de la República de Costa Rica. El Secretario General agradeció a Costa Rica por ser coanfitrión de la tercera Conferencia de las Naciones Unidades sobre los Océanos y felicitó a Costa Rica por ser uno de los primeros países en ratificar el Acuerdo relativo a la Diversidad Biológica Marina de las Zonas Situadas Fuera de la Jurisdicción Nacional (“Acuerdo BBNJ”). Recordó la importante contribución del Acuerdo para mantener un océano saludable y productivo, así como para el logro de la Agenda 2030.
The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Laurent Saint-Cyr, Member of the Transitional Presidential Council of Haiti in Nice, in the margins of the third UN Ocean Conference. They discussed the alarming security and humanitarian crisis in Haiti. The Secretary-General emphasized the urgent need for progress in the political transition and stronger international security support to fight armed gangs.
The Secretary-General and Mr. Saint-Cyr discussed ways to reinforce the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission as well as a stricter enforcement of UN sanctions and the arms embargo.
The Secretary-General reaffirmed BINUH’s commitment to supporting national efforts in implementing the remaining transitional milestones necessary for restoring democratic institutions through elections.
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Le Secrétaire général a rencontré S.E. M. Laurent Saint-Cyr, membre du Conseil présidentiel de transition d’Haïti a Nice en marge de la troisième Conférence des Nations Unies sur l’Océan. Ils ont discuté de la crise sécuritaire et humanitaire alarmante que traverse le pays. Le Secrétaire générala souligné l’urgence de progresser dans la transition politique et de renforcer le soutien international en matière de sécurité pour lutter contre les gangs armés.
Le Secrétaire général et M. Saint-Cyr ont discuté des moyens de renforcer la Mission multinationale d’appui à la sécurité (MMAS), ainsi que l’application plus stricte des sanctions de l’ONU et l’embargo sur les armes.
Le Secrétaire général a réaffirmé l’engagement du BINUH à soutenir les efforts nationaux visant à mettre en œuvre les étapes de transition restantes, nécessaires au rétablissement des institutions démocratiques par le biais d’élections.
The United Nations honoured staff serving at its field missions through several events to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on Thursday.
The first UN peacekeeping operation was established in 1948 and today more than 68,000 civilian, military, and police personnel are posted at 11 missions in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East as well as at Headquarters in New York.
The Day pays tribute to their unwavering service and sacrifice while honouring the more than 4,400 blue helmets who have died in the line of duty over the decades – 57 in 2024 alone.
This year’s theme focuses on the future of peacekeeping and Secretary-General António Guterres noted that “peacekeepers face increasingly complex situations in an increasingly complex world.”
Deadly misinformation
He highlighted growing polarization and division across the globe, threats such as terrorism and deadly misinformation targeting peacekeepers, as well as challenges that transcend borders ranging from climate change to transnational crime.
“Now more than ever, the world needs the United Nations – and the United Nations needs peacekeeping that is fully equipped for today’s realities and tomorrow’s challenges,” he said.
The Secretary-General stressed that “it is essential that peacekeepers have what they need to do their jobs” and “this is the shared responsibility of the United Nations and Member States.”
The commemoration at Headquarters included a wreath-laying ceremony as well as the presentation of awards to two outstanding women peacekeepers whose work helps to advance gender equality in the field.
Listen to our interview with Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme of Ghana, the 2024 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year.
‘A very rewarding job’
Meanwhile, peacekeepers have been sharing what it means to serve under the UN flag.
“It’s a very rewarding job because you really do have a lot of contact with the civilian population and their concerns, their culture, their needs,” said Lieutenant Colonel Agustín García from Spain, deployed at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The mission was established in 1978 to confirm Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon and the mandate was most recently defined in a 2006 Security Council resolution which called for a full cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel following their 34-day war on Lebanese territory that year.
Despite conflict between the sides last year, UNIFIL remains on the ground, supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in its efforts to restore government authority in the south and providing vital assistance to local communities including security, humanitarian aid and reconstruction of schools and hospitals.
Making a difference
Peacekeepers have served in challenging conditions ever since military observers were first dispatched nearly 80 years ago to monitor the armistice agreement between Israel and neighbouring countries.
“Most of our missions have deteriorated political and security environments,” the head of UN Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix told journalists in New York.
He listed UNIFIL, the stabilization mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, and the observer force in the Golan (UNDOF) as examples.
Peacekeepers everywhere “are making a critical difference on the ground in spite of all these challenges,” he said.
“I want to insist that by preserving ceasefires, by preventing the resumption of violence in those environments, by protecting every single day hundreds of thousands of civilians, our peacekeepers are really making a huge difference in the field.”
A vital partnership
For Mr. Lacroix, the annual commemoration on 29 May is also a reminder of how peacekeeping is “a very vital international partnership” and this was on full display during a recent high-level summit held in Berlin, Germany.
More than 130 delegations attended the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial which ended with many pledges of support including in areas such as personnel, specialized training and investments in emerging technologies.
“The main takeaway from the Berlin meeting was that peacekeeping remains very strongly supported by Member States,” he said.
“We take it as an encouragement for all the efforts that we’re making, and that we continue to make, to make sure that we remain fit for the future and nimble and adaptable, and also cost-effective.”
Remembering the fallen
At the wreath-ceremony, peacekeepers gathered in the lobby of UN Headquarters alongside Secretary-General Guterres to remember their fallen colleagues.
Dressed in national uniforms, topped by blue UN berets, they stood in silence and saluted as “Taps” rang out.
The 57 peacekeepers who paid the ultimate price last year, as well as another who lost his life in 1973, were posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal during another ceremony in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber.
The award is named after the UN’s first Secretary-General who died in 1961 in a plane crash in what is now Zambia.
“We hold them all in our hearts and we grieve with their families and loved ones. Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” said Mr. Guterres.
The mood shifted from solemn to celebratory as two women peacekeepers serving in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan were presented top UN military and police awards.
Squadron Leader Sharon Mwinsote Syme of Ghana received the 2024 UN Military Gender Advocate Award while Chief Superintendent Zainab Mbalu Gbla of Sierra Leone was named the Woman Police Officer of the Year.
“What we are doing in Gaza now is a war of devastation: indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians. It’s the result of government policy — knowingly, evilly, maliciously, irresponsibly dictated.”
This statement was made not by a foreign or liberal critic of Israel but by the former Prime Minister and former senior member of Benjamin Netanyahu’s own Likud party, Ehud Olmet.
Nightly, we witness live-streamed evidence of the truth of his statement — lethargic and gaunt children dying of malnutrition, a bereaved doctor and mother of 10 children, nine of them killed by an Israeli strike (and her husband, another doctor, died later), 15 emergency ambulance workers gunned down by the IDF as they tried to help others injured by bombs, despite their identity being clear.
Statistics reflect the scale of the horror imposed on Palestinians who are overwhelmingly civilians — 54,000 killed, 121,000 maimed and injured. Over 17,000 of these are children.
This can no longer be excused as regrettable collateral damage from targeted attacks on Hamas.
Israel simply doesn’t care about the impact of its military attacks on civilians and how many innocent people and children it is killing.
Its willingness to block all humanitarian aid- food, water, medical supplies, from Gaza demonstrates further its willingness to make mass punishment and starvation a means to achieve its ends. Both are war crimes.
Influenced by the right wing extremists in the Coalition cabinet, like Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s goal is no longer self defence or justifiable retaliation against Hamas terrorists.
Israel attacks Palestinians at US-backed aid hubs in Gaza, killing 36. Image: AJ screenshot APR
Making life unbearable The Israeli government policy is focused on making life unbearable for Palestinians and seeking to remove them from their homeland. In this, they are openly encouraged by President Trump who has publicly and repeatedly endorsed deporting the Palestinian population so that the Gaza could be made into a “Middle East Riviera”.
This is not the once progressive pioneer Israel, led by people who had faced the Nazi Holocaust and were fighting for the right to a place where they could determine their own future and be safe.
Sadly, a country of people who were themselves long victims of oppression is now guilty of oppressing and committing genocide against others.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters called Israel’s actions “ intolerable”. He said that we had “had enough and were running out of patience and hearing excuses”.
While speaking out might make us feel better, words are not enough. Israel’s attacks on the civilian population in Gaza are being increased, aid distribution which has restarted is grossly insufficient to stop hunger and human suffering and Palestinians are being herded into confined areas described as humanitarian zones but which are still subject to bombardment.
People living in tents in schools and hospitals are being slaughtered.
World must force Israel to stop Like Putin, Israel will not end its killing and oppression unless the world forces it to. The US has the power but will not do this.
The sanctions Trump has imposed are not on Israel’s leaders but on judges in the International Criminal Court (ICC) who dared to find Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu guilty of war crimes.
New Zealand’s foreign policy has traditionally involved working with like-minded countries, often small nations like us. Two of these, Ireland and Sweden, are seeking to impose sanctions on Israel.
Both are members of the European Union which makes up a third of Israel’s global trade. If the EU decides to act, sanctions imposed by it would have a big impact on Israel.
These sanctions should be both on trade and against individuals.
New Zealand has imposed sanctions on a small number of extremist Jewish settlers on the West Bank where there is evidence of them using violence against Palestinian villagers.
These sanctions should be extended to Israel’s political leadership and New Zealand could take a lead in doing this. We should not be influenced by concern that by taking a stand we might offend US president Donald Trump.
Show our preparedness to uphold values In the way that we have been proud of in the past, we should as a small but fiercely independent country show our preparedness to uphold our own values and act against gross abuse of human rights and flagrant disregard for international law.
We should be working with others through the United Nations General Assembly to maximise political pressure on Israel to stop the ongoing killing of innocent civilians.
Moral outrage at what Israel is doing has to be backed by taking action with others to force the Israeli government to end the killing, destruction, mass punishment and deliberate starvation of Palestinians including their children.
An American doctor working at a Gaza hospital reported that in the last five weeks he had worked on dozens of badly injured children but not a single combatant.
He noted that as well as being maimed and disfigured by bombing, many of the children were also suffering from malnutrition. Children were dying from wounds that they could recover from but there were not the supplies needed to treat them.
Protest is not enough. We need to act.
Phil Goff is Aotearoa New Zealand’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs. This article was first published by the Stuff website and is republished with the permission of the author.
It is difficult to understand what sits behind the New Zealand government’s unwillingness to sanction, or threaten to sanction, the Israeli government for its genocide against the Palestinian people.
The United Nations, human rights groups, legal experts and now genocide experts have all agreed it really is “genocide” which is being committed by the state of Israel against the civilian population of Gaza.
It is hard to argue with the conclusion genocide is happening, given the tragic images being portrayed across social and increasingly mainstream media.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has presented Israel’s assault on Gaza war as pitting “the sons of light” against “the sons of darkness”. And promised the victory of Judeo-Christian civilisation against barbarism.
A real encouragement to his military there should be no-holds barred in exercising indiscriminate destruction over the people of Gaza.
Given this background, one wonders what the nature of the advice being provided by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the minister entails?
Does the ministry fail to see the destruction and brutal killing of a huge proportion of the civilian people of Gaza? And if they see it, are they saying as much to the minister?
Cloak of ‘diplomatic language’ Or is the advice so nuanced in the cloak of “diplomatic language” it effectively says nothing and is crafted in a way which gives the minister ultimate freedom to make his own political choices.
The advice of the officials becomes a reflection of what the minister is looking for — namely, a foreign policy approach that gives him enough freedom to support the Israeli government and at the same time be in step with its closest ally, the United States.
The problem is there is no transparency around the decision-making process, so it is impossible to tell how decisions are being made.
I placed an Official Information Act request with the Minister of Foreign Affairs in January 2024 seeking advice received by the minister on New Zealand’s obligations under the Genocide Convention.
The request was refused because while the advice did exist, it fell outside the timeline indicated by my request.
It was emphasised if I were to put in a further request for the advice, it was unlikely to be released.
They then advised releasing the information would be likely to prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand and the international relations of the government of New Zealand, and withholding it was necessary to maintain legal professional privilege.
Public interest vital It is hard to imagine how the release of such information might prejudice the security or defence of New Zealand or that the legal issues could override the public interest.
It could not be more important for New Zealanders to understand the basis for New Zealand’s foreign policy choices.
New Zealand is a contracting party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Under the convention, “genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they [the contracting parties] undertake to prevent and punish”.
Furthermore: The Contracting Parties undertake to enact, in accordance with their respective Constitutions, the necessary legislation to give effect to the provisions of the present Convention, and, in particular, to provide effective penalties for persons guilty of genocide. (Article 5).
Accordingly, New Zealand must play an active part in its prevention and put in place effective penalties. Chlöe Swarbrick’s private member’s Bill to impose sanctions is one mechanism to do this.
In response to its two-month blockade of food, water and medical supplies to Gaza, and international pressure, Israel has agreed to allow a trickle of food to enter Gaza.
However, this is only a tiny fraction of what is needed to avert famine. Understandably, Israel’s response has been criticised by most of the international community, including New Zealand.
Carefully worded statement In a carefully worded statement, signed by a collective of European countries, together with New Zealand and Australia, it is requested that Israel allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza, an immediate return to ceasefire and a return of the hostages.
Radio New Zealand interviewed the Foreign Minister Winston Peters to better understand the New Zealand position.
Peters reiterated his previous statements, expressing Israel’s actions of withholding food as “intolerable” but when asked about putting in place concrete sanctions he stated any such action was a “long, long way off”, without explaining why.
New Zealand must be clear about its foreign policy position, not hide behind diplomatic and insincere rhetoric and exercise courage by sanctioning Israel as it has done with Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
As a minimum, it must honour its responsibilities under the Convention on Genocide and, not least, to offer hope and support for the utterly powerless and vulnerable Palestinian people before it is too late.
John Hobbs is a doctoral candidate at the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (NCPACS) at the University of Otago. This article was first published by the Otago Daily Times and is republished with the author’s permission.
The ocean covers most of our planet – and sustains all of it.
Our ocean has not only shaped cultures, stirred imaginations, and inspired wonder across the ages. It supplies the air we breathe, the food we eat, the jobs we need, and the climate we count on.
But today, the ocean needs our help. The distress signals are clear – from plastic-choked waters to collapsing fish populations and loss of marine ecosystems, from rising temperatures to rising seas.
We must sustain what sustains us.
The illusion that the ocean can absorb limitless emissions and waste must end.
We must invest massively in science, conservation, and the sustainable blue economy – and extend far greater support to coastal communities, Indigenous Peoples and Small Island Developing States already bearing the brunt of climate change.
And we must protect marine biodiversity, reject practices that inflict irreversible damage, and deliver on the promise of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement.
The United Nations Ocean Conference that begins tomorrow will be a crucial moment to advance these priorities and renew the world’s collective promise to the ocean.
I urge all governments and partners to deliver – with ambition, resources, and resolve.
***
L’océan recouvre la plus grande partie de notre planète et en assure la subsistance.
L’océan n’a pas seulement façonné les cultures, stimulé l’imagination et nourri l’émerveillement à travers les âges : il fournit l’air que nous respirons, les aliments que nous mangeons, les emplois qui nous sont nécessaires et le climat dont nous dépendons.
Aujourd’hui, toutefois, c’est l’océan qui a besoin de notre aide. Les signaux de détresse sont partout : eaux encombrées de plastique, effondrement des populations de poissons, disparition des écosystèmes marins, hausse des températures, montée des eaux…
Nous devons faire vivre ce qui nous fait vivre.
Il faut se défaire de l’illusion qui voudrait que l’océan puisse absorber une quantité illimitée d’émissions et de déchets.
Il nous faut investir massivement dans les sciences, la préservation du milieu marin et l’économie bleue durable et apporter un soutien beaucoup plus grand aux populations côtières, aux peuples autochtones et aux petits États insulaires en développement qui sont déjà les plus touchés par les effets des changements climatiques.
Il nous faut protéger la biodiversité marine, abandonner les pratiques qui causent des dommages irréversibles et tenir les promesses que recèle l’Accord portant sur la conservation et l’utilisation durable de la diversité biologique marine des zones ne relevant pas de la juridiction nationale.
La Conférence des Nations Unies sur l’océan qui s’ouvre demain offre une belle occasion de faire avancer ces priorités et de permettre au monde de renouveler les engagements qu’il a pris en faveur de l’océan.
Je demande à tous les États et à tous nos partenaires de tenir leurs promesses, de faire preuve d’ambition et de détermination et d’allouer les ressources voulues.
The impacts from volcanic eruptions threaten the lives of hundreds of millions of people and pose a multi-trillion-dollar risk to the global economy. Global Volcano Risk Alliance aims to change this by advocating for increased prioritisation of the risks, increasing the resilience of the most vulnerable communities, and working to enhance global volcano monitoring.
Geneva, Switzerland, 6 June 2025 – Recent analysis by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies reveals significant gaps remain in early warning coverage globally, with many government alerts lacking clear instructions or multilingual accessibility. Risk communication serves as the bridge between detecting threats and taking protective action-when messages fail to resonate with audiences in a way that leads to action, even the most advanced early warning systems may not be effective.
“Countries must look beyond technology alone. We must strengthen the weakest links in the early warning chain – between systems and people, between warning and response, and between authority and trust” said Kamal Kishore.
This call to strengthen communication systems was echoed throughout the Global Platform sessions.
Risk Communication Gains Prominence
Recognition of communication’s essential role was evident throughout this year’s Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, which featured an increased focus on risk communication across multiple sessions and events. The conference included its first dedicated thematic session centered on risk communication, signaling the international community’s growing understanding that effective communication is fundamental to disaster risk reduction.
A key focus emerged around strengthening the Early Warnings for All initiative, which aims to ensure no one is left vulnerable during disasters. Sessions like, “Bridging the Gap: Critical Media’s Role in Strengthening Alerts and Enhancing Disaster Preparedness,” highlighted a stark reality: when disasters strike, people often rely on local radio, television, or community messaging groups like WhatsApp for information, rather than formal government alert systems alone. This recognition drove discussions about media’s role not merely as a projector of warnings, but as a trusted intermediary between experts and the public.
Sessions explored how to develop clear, accessible, and inclusive communication frameworks that address accessibility gaps and ensure technical systems reach last-mile communities. The focus on media partnerships reflects the urgent need to strengthen coordination between media, governments, and disaster risk reduction agencies for more effective messaging, while investing in inclusive communication approaches including sign language, Braille, and audio alerts.
“Media has an absolutely critical role in this whole process,” said Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction. “This is not just a technical problem which scientists do. This is something which has to be conveyed to the general public in an easily understandable, usable, actionable way and that is something that media does much better than any scientist could do.”
Innovation on the Ignite Stage
Throughout the Global Platform, the Ignite Stage showcased cutting-edge approaches to risk communication that exemplified the shift toward more engaging, accessible, and community-centered messaging. These brief but impactful presentations demonstrated how creativity and technology can transform how disaster risk information reaches and resonates with diverse audiences.
Presentations included virtual reality classrooms for disaster and climate education, offering immersive learning experiences that help students understand hazards in ways traditional textbooks cannot. Creative risk communication initiatives honored the legacy of Pablo Suarez, a pioneer in using games and creativity for disaster preparedness, while sessions on “serious fun” explored how to communicate risks through engaging formats.
These presentations reinforced that effective risk communication must move beyond technical messaging to content and formats that capture attention, engage emotions, and inspire action.
Shifting Communication Approaches
Panelists at the first dedicated thematic session on risk communication at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. Souce: Antoine Tardy/UNDRR
“You can’t logic people into preparedness. You have to move them. We’re losing people’s attention and in a disaster, attention is everything. So let’s get creative let’s use formats people already love,” said Barrise Griffin, Youth Delegate and DRR expert from the Bahamas.
A fundamental finding emerged: while new technologies offer greater opportunities for communities to connect and self-organize, the most vulnerable groups-young persons, persons with disabilities, migrants, displaced persons, and indigenous communities-are often forgotten in risk communication efforts.
Session panelists emphasized the need to move beyond one-way messaging toward genuine dialogue where communities become partners rather than passive recipients. Speakers showcased innovative approaches that prioritize human connection alongside technological advancement, from survivor storytelling projects that build awareness through lived experience to platforms that translate technical forecasts into local languages and cultural contexts.
Creating Trust Through Community Partnership
Youth advocates meet with Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. Source: Antoine Tardy/UNDRR
The various sessions revealed trust and localisation as fundamental infrastructure for effective risk communication-without them, even the most advanced warning systems can fail to motivate protective action. Trust must be built through consistent engagement with communities, using local messengers and voices that people can relate to and believe.
This insight connects directly to the challenge of misinformation and disinformation, which was identified as growing threats amplified by social media. Building resilience against misinformation and disinformation requires establishing trusted communication pathways before disasters strike, creating relationships that can withstand the information overload that often accompanies emergencies.
Rather than viewing populations as passive recipients of warnings, these sessions emphasized the need to position communities as active partners with valuable knowledge, experiences, and capabilities. When people feel heard and involved in risk conversations, they develop greater agency to assess their situations and take protective action.
Effective risk communication must go beyond translation to cultural adaptation, incorporating local culture, languages, music, and trusted community voices. This ensures that risk information not only reaches communities but resonates with their lived experiences and decision-making processes. Several examples demonstrated this principle in action: platforms that contextualize weather forecasts into local languages, child-centered preparedness programs that build lasting cultures of safety, and community-based approaches that integrate traditional knowledge with modern early warning systems.
The emphasis on localisation extends to involving communities in designing the systems themselves, particularly ensuring that persons with disabilities help create accessible early warning approaches that address their specific needs and experiences.
“Trust is the most powerful infrastructure in disaster preparedness because building the trust takes time, consistency and humility but without it even the best systems can fail,” said Dr. Nairwita Bandyopadhyay, Assistant Professor and Winner of WIN DRR Award 2024 from Haringhata Mahavidyalaya, India, during the thematic session on risk communication and education.
Building Resilient Communication Systems
As the Global Platform comes to an end, the focus on risk communication signals recognition of communication as critical infrastructure for disaster resilience. The discussions demonstrate that effective early warning requires not just detecting hazards and issuing alerts, but building the social foundation that enables communities to receive, understand, and act on risk information.
The path forward requires sustained investment in inclusive communication approaches that prioritize trust-building, community engagement, and accessible design. It demands moving beyond traditional top-down warning systems to embrace dialogue-based approaches that respect local knowledge while leveraging technological innovation responsibly.
When hazards threaten, everyone deserves clear, actionable information delivered through trusted channels in ways that resonate with them and empower their response. The Global Platform’s elevation of risk communication marks a crucial step toward making that vision reality.
Geneva, Switzerland, 6 June 2025 – The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 placed inclusion at the center of building resilient communities, with an intentional focus on ensuring that disaster risk reduction strategies address the needs of women, persons with disabilities, and other most at-risk groups. Throughout the five-day gathering, delegates, practitioners, and community leaders demonstrated that resilience can only be achieved when no one is left behind.
The platform’s second key theme, “Prioritizing gender equality, accessibility and inclusion to leave no one behind,” resonated across preparatory days, formal sessions, learning labs, and side events, reinforcing that while disasters affect everyone, they disproportionately impact certain groups including women, persons with disabilities, and older persons, and when these groups are empowered to lead risk reduction efforts we all benefit.
Breaking Barriers and Building Commitment
The RISK Award Ceremony 2025 highlighted how inclusion drives innovation in disaster risk reduction. ChildFund International won the €100,000 award for empowering indigenous children and youths in Bolivia’s Chiquitano Nation to lead emergency preparedness by combining ancestral knowledge with modern technology.
“The Risk Award is an honour to ChildFund in Bolivia, its partners but, most importantly, to the Chuiquitano People, who will bridge their ancestral indigenous wisdom with new technologies to empower children to get on the frontline of Disaster Risk Reduction,” said Ms. Ximena Loza, Country Director for Bolivia.
The Global Platform’s Gender Pledge Wall became a powerful symbol of commitment, with 165 pledges from participants, including 34 from Governments, including the making concrete pledges to advance gender equality in their disaster risk reduction work. The pledges ranged from policy commitments to grassroots initiatives, creating a commitment of action spanning all levels of society.
“I strongly believe our solutions must be gender-responsive. If we listen, engage, and invest in what works for women, we can build solutions that work for everyone,” emphasized Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction.
The Inclusion Hub served as a central gathering space fostering dialogue between persons with disabilities, women leaders, and policymakers. With 147 persons with disabilities registered for the Global Platformand nearly 500 participants expressing interest in disability inclusion in disaster risk reduction, the event demonstrated significant engagement from the disability community and allies affiliated with the disability stakeholder group.
Inclusion Hub sessions covered critical areas including inclusive disaster risk governance for effective risk management, gender-responsive and socially inclusive understanding of disaster risk, risk-informed development approaches, and financing gender-responsive and socially inclusive resilience building. These discussions demonstrated the platform’s commitment to not just talking about inclusion but creating it in practice.
Integrating Inclusion Throughout the Platform
Inclusion was integrated throughout the Global Platform, from technical sessions on early warning systems to informal discussions on community preparedness. This represented a fundamental shift in how the disaster risk reduction community approaches resilience building, moving beyond treating inclusion as a separate topic to integrating it into every conversation.
Whether discussing early warning systems, risk communication, or preparedness planning, speakers consistently emphasized that effective solutions must be designed with and for the most marginalized. The platform revealed how inclusion manifests differently across various disaster risk reduction challenges. In early warning systems, it means ensuring alerts reach everyone through accessible formats and trusted community channels. In risk assessment, it requires disaggregated data that captures how different groups experience hazards. In preparedness planning, it demands meaningful participation from women, persons with disabilities, older persons, and indigenous communities as leaders and decision-makers, not merely as beneficiaries.
A key message is that communities who have been excluded from DRR governance possess critical knowledge and capabilities that benefit us all. Indigenous forecasting methods, women’s community networks, and disability advocates’ understanding of accessibility barriers emerged as essential resources for building resilient societies. Sessions highlighted successful examples where traditional wisdom enhanced modern early warning systems and where community-led initiatives achieved stronger outcomes.
The conversations also confronted persistent gaps honestly. Despite years of commitments, persons with disabilities continue to face significant barriers in accessing disaster services, women remain underrepresented in disaster risk reduction leadership, and intersectional vulnerabilities-such as those faced by adolescent girls with disabilities-often remain invisible to planners and responders.
A Special Session on Progress Implementing The Gender Action Plan to Support Implementation of the Sendai Framework (Sendai GAP) highlighted progress that has been made over the past year since the Sendai GAP was launched. Success stories highlighted the impact that gender-responsive disaster risk reduction has had across diverse stakeholders, from disaggregated data informing budget allocations in Burundi, to how the Sendai GAP implementation tools have supported Kiribati; how women leadership has expanded across Mali, to how the transgender community in Pakistan has worked with provincial government to ensure inclusive disaster risk reduction is inclusive of all.
Looking Ahead
As the Global Platform concluded, the message was clear: inclusion is not an add-on to disaster risk reduction-it is fundamental to its success. The path forward requires strengthening data collection to better understand how disasters affect different groups while scaling successful models like community-based early warning systems that integrate traditional knowledge and ensure accessibility for all.
Equally important is investing in leadership development for women, persons with disabilities, and most at-risk communities to take central roles in disaster risk reduction planning and implementation. This shift demands embedding inclusion requirements into national and local disaster risk reduction strategies with dedicated resources and accountability mechanisms, while leveraging innovation to develop accessible early warning systems and preparedness resources that serve everyone effectively.
The Global Platform 2025 demonstrated that when inclusion guides disaster risk reduction efforts, communities become stronger and more resilient. As climate change continues to intensify disaster risks, the imperative to leave no one behind has never been more urgent-or more achievable.
The outcomes from Global Platform 2025 will inform the midterm review of the Sendai Framework implementation, ensuring that inclusion remains central to global disaster risk reduction efforts through 2030 and beyond.
GENEVA – As more than a thousand global leaders gathered for the 2025 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025), a powerful force from a behind-the-scenes presence to taking a centre-stage role: the LAC Women’s Network (the Americas and the Caribbean Women’s Network for Disaster Risk Reduction) descended on Geneva not only to participate, but to transform. With over 1,500 members and four elected representatives, the network brings the voices and stories of women from an expansive region where disasters intersect with deep-rooted inequalities.
Keeping track of gender representation
Their centerpiece? The Gender Observatory.
Formed in 2023 at the VIII Regional Platform in Uruguay, this citizen-monitoring tool has quickly evolved from a regional experiment into a global accountability mechanism. The Gender Observatory tracks gender and intersectional representation across official sessions, going far beyond surface-level parity.
Observers record who speaks, how women are portrayed, and whether marginalized groups are represented at all. With more than 60 volunteers gathering data in six languages during GP2025, the preliminary results suggest women are often present – but still struggle to be heard. Mentions of inclusion often lean towards the symbolic, and representation remains uneven.
What isn’t measured, doesn’t change
“Observatories like this are crucial because what isn’t measured, doesn’t change,” said Cynthia Rodríguez, the Network’s Executive Secretary.
Rodríguez, who grew up near Ecuador’s Chimborazo volcano, knows firsthand how disaster risk multiplies along gender and class lines. At the Multi-Stakeholder Plenary, she shared a personal story of losing her mother to forced migration during Ecuador’s 1998 El Niño crisis – and of returning years later to co-found the country’s first private-sector DRR network.
By 6 June, the Gender Observatory had logged 92 observations from over 30 contributors at GP2025 – and counting. While data continues to come in, early figures offer a revealing snapshot of participation and representation:
A majority of observers (58.7%) followed proceedings online, with 38% on-site in Geneva.
Thematic and Preparatory Day sessions drew the most attention, followed by plenaries, dialogues, and special events.
Among moderators, nearly 71% were women, while 3.3% identified as gender-diverse – a sign of shifting norms, though still not parity.
Inclusive language appeared inconsistently: only a quarter of sessions used it throughout, while over half featured it sporadically.
Despite these gaps, over 70% of sessions received high quality ratings, a testament to growing awareness – and the work still to be done.
Advocating for Sendai GAP implementation across the board
But the Gender Observatory was not the Network’s only contribution. In a session titled Women’s Empowerment & Resilience: DRR Leadership Across Continents, the LAC Women’s Network joined forces with its Asia-Pacific counterpart (WIN DRR) and governments like Canada and Australia to advocate for the full implementation of the Sendai Framework’s Gender Action Plan.
Their message was simple: Women are not just vulnerable – they are leaders.
Elsewhere at GP2025, the Network hosted a Spanish-language showcase of good practices at the Inclusion Hub and participated in strategy dialogues with UNDRR leadership.
The Pledge Wall initiative – a colorful installation inviting attendees to commit publicly to inclusive DRR – served as a reminder that political will must be paired with visibility and accountability. The LAC Women’s Network was, of course, not only supporting it, but also making their own pledges.
Gender equality is not an add-on
The Network’s final declaration, signed by women across the region, demands more than applause. It calls for legal recognition of gender equality in disaster policy, direct funding for women-led initiatives, and the creation of a civil society-run regional Gender and DRR Observatory.
“Our network is working tirelessly to turn plans into action,” Rodríguez said. “But without resources and political support, we cannot scale the change our communities need.”
As the conference concludes, their data is being analyzed, their stories shared, and their message is unmistakable: Gender equality is not an add-on to disaster risk reduction. It is the foundation for resilience.
We believe geological research and practice can help to deliver all the SDGs. Many of them require improved management of natural resources (e.g., land, energy, water, minerals), or understanding of Earth processes to ensure people, jobs and infrastructure are resilient to environmental change or geological hazards.
.Uppsala University is the oldest Nordic university, founded in 1477. Today it is a comprehensive research university with a clear mission: to pursue top-quality research and education and to interact constructively with society, thus contributing to a better world.
The International Journal of Scientific Research and Technology (IJSRT) is a publication that encompasses a broad spectrum of content, including reviews, research articles, and short communications. Its primary objective is to disseminate manuscripts on diverse topics within the realms of science and technology, including but not limited to Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, Environmental Science, Data Science, DRug Research, Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Humanities, and more
Geneva, 6 June 2025 – The Government of Romania and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) are pleased to announce that Romania will host the next Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction for Europe and Central Asia (RP2027). The announcement was made during the ministerial session on Safe Schools at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025) in Geneva.
“We look forward to welcoming you to Romania in 2027 for the Regional Platform – a space for collaboration, regional leadership, and shared resilience” said Daniel Gheorghita, Head of Analysis and Strategic Development Office for Civil Protection, Romania.
Romania brings strong national leadership to the role, having adopted a comprehensive National Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (2024-2035) and prioritized child safety through education and infrastructure. In 2024 alone, more than 1.7 million students and preschoolers participated in preparedness drills. Moreover, hundreds of schools are being modernized under Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, and a new seismic design code is under development to further strengthen risk-informed infrastructure.
Building on the outcomes of the 2023 Action-Oriented Dialogue on School Safety, RP2027 will offer a key moment for governments, civil society, and stakeholders across Europe and Central Asia to accelerate their disaster risk reduction efforts as the 2030 deadline approaches.
“Romania has demonstrated real leadership in integrating disaster risk reduction into its national planning, especially through its work with children, on school safety and public awareness” said Natalia Alonso Cano, Chief of UNDRR’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. “We are looking forward to working together on the platform and accelerating the implementation of the Sendai Framework.”
Further details, including dates and venue, will be announced in due time.
In his report to the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly on Pillar 3 of WHO’s Triple Billion targets: One billion more people enjoying better health and well-being, the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus drew attention to the under-recognized fact that 24% of all fatalities are linked to modifiable environmental factors including chemicals, waste and pollution. His report detailed some of the challenges that exist, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In particular, he pointed out that the low availability of critically needed poison centers in more than half of all countries worldwide and the paucity of health surveillance systems to monitor the impact of chemicals and waste on human health make it very difficult to provide effective prevention and response.
Of more than 100 000 chemicals in everyday commerce, the lack of information on their harmful properties leads to further challenges, including how to respond to releases of these chemicals to the environment, such as in the case of chemical accidents and leaks.
To strengthen the capacity of health professionals, emergency responders, and technical partners to manage chemical incidents safely and effectively, WHO has led the development of a new four-part online learning series on chemical hazards.
Part I: An Introduction to Chemical Hazards helps learners distinguish between everyday chemicals and those used as chemical warfare agents (CWAs). It also introduces toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and provides real-world examples of accidental and intentional chemical releases. Course participants gain hands-on experience using a digital tool to identify and mitigate chemical threats.
Part II: Elements for Assessment builds on this foundation by teaching participants how to recognize and interpret environmental, clinical, and classification evidence to assess chemical releases. This course is ideal for those involved in early-stage incident investigation and response.
Part III: Immediate Actions at the Event Site focuses on operational safety and decision-making at the scene of a chemical incident. Learners explore how to arrive safely, position themselves appropriately, and adapt their actions based on the evolving situation.
Part IV: Response at the Hospital Site, currently in development, will address the management of chemical victims upon arrival at health-care facilities. This module will include standard operating procedures and best practices for triage, decontamination, and treatment.
These courses are available free of charge on the WHO Academy platform and are designed to be completed in sequence for maximum impact. They are part of WHO’s broader efforts to enhance global preparedness and response to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats.
Related links:
Course 1, Chemical Hazards Part I: An Introduction to Chemical Hazards: WHO Academy
Course 2, Chemical Hazards Part II: Elements for Assessment: WHO Academy
Course 3, Chemical Hazards Part III: Immediate Actions at the Event Site: WHO Academy
Course 4, Response at the hospital site (in development)
The Secretary-General has learned of the passing of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu of Zambia. Former President Lungu made significant contributions to diplomacy and spearheaded key infrastructure projects in the country during his tenure. The Secretary-General extends his condolences to his family, the Government and the people of Zambia.
This report is provided by Earth Negotiations Bulletin/International Institute for Sustainable Development. View the original reporthere.
Finance is critical to implementation of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), but investments have not kept pace with rising demands, and aid budgets are shrinking worldwide. In many sessions through the day, delegates focused attention on financing a wide range of needs, including school safety, measures to deal with extreme heat, and nature-based solutions (NbS).
High-level dialogue
What will it take to scale DRR financing solutions at the national and local level?
Journalist Mayowa Adegoke moderated the session.
Stine Renate Håheim, State Secretary to Minister of International Development, Norway, emphasized DRR financing as a high priority, saying, “it is better to prevent than repair afterwards.” She noted that one in three people globally-most in cities or highly vulnerable areas-are not covered by Early Warning Systems (EWS).
Hans Sy, CEO, SM Prime Holdings, explained his company’s investment in resilient building construction, such as building on concrete pillars to allow free flow of floodwaters. He stressed that risk-informed decisions based on science and technology “makes good business sense.”
Fatima Yasmin, Asian Development Bank (ADB), said the Bank regards DRR as a critical priority investment, particularly through supporting policy making, planning, advising on innovative investments, and incentivizing preparedness. On scaling DRR investments, she said financing should be fast, flexible and forward-looking.
Rob Wesseling, CEO, Co-operators Group, said no path to net zero emissions is possible without investment in both prevention and recovery. He encouraged governments to utilize the risk information gathered by insurance companies over decades to assist with decision making.
On mobilizing private sector investment, Velenkosini Fiki Hlabisa, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South Africa, stressed that every cent invested in resilience and preparedness saves lives and livelihoods.
View of the panel during the Multi-Stakeholder Plenary. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Ministerial roundtable
Inclusive comprehensive school safety-strengthening resilience for children and youth in all hazards
The event, which convened 36 ministries, was co-chaired by Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head, UNDRR, and Paul Steffen, Deputy Director, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland.
In opening remarks, Kishore encouraged delegates to endorse the Comprehensive School Safety Framework 2017 (CSSF), noting only 80 countries have done so, and for countries to make schools heat-resilient.
On school safety policies, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Saint Lucia recognized the CSSF. Portugal highlighted its DRR working group on children and youth. Brunei Darussalam, Kenya, and Portugal recognized the fundamental rights of children to safe school environments. Colombia highlighted its Law on Teaching for Sustainability, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management. Republic of Korea described its 2020 Child Safety Management Act.
Many countries identified education programming as fundamental to reducing risk and developing children as agents of change in their homes and communities. Malaysia, Uganda, Russia, Algeria and others described homegrown examples of such programmes, for example, student leadership groups and First Aid skills training.
Leaders from around the globe express their shared commitment to making schools safer and more resilient to disasters. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Several countries, including Greece, Kenya and Cuba, recognized the importance of social support to children experiencing disaster and loss, and the ensuing mental and emotional health impacts. The Holy See flagged the need for spiritual care of those “who have seen whole lives swept away.”
Most countries discussed sustainable and resilient school infrastructure, including standards for new or retrofitted buildings. Belgium, Republic of Moldova, and Singapore highlighted energy efficiency and climate resilience. On heat stress in schools, Singapore flagged cooling strategies and energy-efficient fans. Tunisia described its sustainable school network that integrates climate change, disaster risk, and biodiversity objectives. Spain said new schools need to be “climate shelters.” Bangladesh noted the construction of more than 5,000 cyclone-resistant schools.
Multistakeholder plenary
Investments in reducing risk and building resilience to accelerate investments in sustainable development
Kishore introduced the session, which was co-chaired by Paul Steffen, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland, and Paola Albrito, UNDRR. Kishore noted less than 1% of national budgets is allocated to DRR.
Countries presented their national commitments, such as Australia’s Disaster-Ready Fund, which is providing up to AUD 1 billion (USD 648 million) over five years for locally-identified needs, and Switzerland’s DRR commitment of more than CHF 2 billion (USD 2.5 billion) annually. Many expressed appreciation for international support, including for Moldova’s local adaptation plans in 38 communities, and Samoa’s community-based disaster risk management activities. Peru highlighted its introduction of budget flexibility for regional and local authorities, enabling rapid response to imminent hazards.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) reported that only 3% of all development assistance is allocated to agricultural DRR measures, even while these deliver significant returns in ensuring food security. Swiss Re highlighted the role of insurance in informing risk and mitigation measures, noting the availaility of parametric insurance, for example, against extreme heat events and flooding. The Resilience Action Fund showcased the work of the International Finance Corporation in developing the Building Resilience Index as a world-first metric for assessing the safety and risk of buildings for insurers and construction developers. The Latin America and the Caribbean Development Bank (CAF), India, and the UK welcomed innovative initiatives, such as a new center on extreme events, establishment of risk pools, and the use of AI to identify flood threats.
Delegates affirmed regional solidarity, demonstrated in Tunisia’s hosting of the Africa-Arab Platform for DRR in 2023, and Iran’s hosting of three regional organizations, including a Regional Center for Urban Water Management. Albania welcomed its responsibilities under the EU Civil Protection Code for cooperation among EU countries and other partners, which, he noted, enables access to advanced DRR solutions.
The International Organization for Migration highlighted its 2024 launch of Climate Mobility Innovation Labs for the Africa and Asia regions to develop solutions to climate-related mobility.
Steffen urged all present to accelerate investment in DRR, and to engage the private sector as key partners.
Moderator, Juli Trtanj, Co-Chair, Gobal Heat Health Information Network, opened the session. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), called heat a “silent killer” because it is the least managed of all climate hazards. She said 50% of countries have heat warning systems in place but only 26 have dedicated Heat Health EWS. She identified three priorities: integrating heat risk into climate and DRR governance, heat EWS, and implementation using risk information and data.
In his keynote, Pramod Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, India, said heat threatened public health, economic stability, and the ecological resilience of cities and communities. He underscored UNDRR’s Common Framework on Extreme Heat Risk Governance and drew attention to India’s national guidelines on heat wave management, which decentralized more than 250 heat action plans in 23 states. He called for scaling hospital and primary health care preparedness and resilience and noted India is adopting a long-term heat wave mitigation strategy, including roof-cooling technologies, passive cooling centers, revival of traditional water bodies, and improved thermal comfort and livability of informal settlements.
In a panel discussion, Benoît Faraco, Ambassador, Climate Negotiations for Decarbonized Energies and for the Prevention of Climate Risks, France, urged being modest since we are still discovering impacts and avoiding maladaptation. Ousmane Ndiaye, Director General, African Center for Meteorological Application for Development, stressed the links between heat waves, energy crises, and health care demand. Rosa Galvez, Senator, Canada, spoke about lived experience saying, “We cannot adapt forever – we must work on the causes.” Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said extreme heat is a humanitarian crisis. On involving the financial sector, Mia Seppo, Assistant Director General, International Labour Organization, discussed climate risk insurance, just transition principles, and access to essential services. Mishra advised that industry protect labor from heat risk.
Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Special session
Comprehensive approaches to reduce loss and damage-bridging climate action and DRR
Fatou Jeng, Former Climate Advisor to the UN Secretary-General and Member of the Early Warnings for All Advisory Panel, moderated the session.
Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change, Adaptation, Meteorology and Geo Hazards, Energy, Environment and Disaster Management, Vanuatu, appreciated the support from the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) and the Santiago Network, which combined forces to launch the inaugural integrated loss and damage and DRR initiative in Vanuatu.
Kishore noted that, while many DRR practices are now in place, these need to be updated to deal with climate system changes and the associated risks, uncertainty, and volatility.
Benoît Faraco, argued that the distinction between loss and damage, and DRR, is theoretical, and remains irrelevant to people on the ground who want response, prevention, action, and solidarity to alleviate their situation.
Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, Executive Director, FRLD, emphasized the need to look at how interventions can be most impactful, stressing that solutions must be country-led, and recognize Indigenous groups and civil society participants. He expressed awareness that the FRLD must be “nimble, accessible, flexible and built on partnerships, always ensuring no one is left behind.”
Carolina Fuentes Castellanos, Director, Santiago Network Secretariat, elaborated on how the network is supporting countries to accelerate loss and damage, using Vanuatu’s experience to demonstrate how the Network can accelerate fund distribution and support with bold and transformative support.
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, IFRC, cautioned that the terms loss and damage represent different meanings to communities, but the bottom line is to ensure the funds really reach the local level.
Thematic Sessions
Catalyzing governance solutions for disaster and climate-related displacement
Irwin Loy, The New Humanitarian, moderated this session.
John Mussington, activist and displaced person, Antigua & Barbuda, described his work of founding the community network, Stronger Caribbean Together, with others displaced by “disaster capitalism”, as storm-damaged sites are cleared for tourism development.
Sakiasi Ditoka, Minister of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Fiji, highlighted the 2023 Pacific Regional Mobility Framework and Fiji’s own planned relocation guidelines.
Zahra Abdi Mohamed, Director-General, National Center for Rural Development and Durable Solutions, Somalia, described Somalia’s National Transformation Plan that prioritizes anticipatory action and climate-smart livelihoods, responding to the needs of long-term displaced communities.
Fatimah Zannah Mustapha, community representative, Nigeria, called for centering the voices of local women in decision making by removing barriers, “whether digital, linguistic, or cultural.” Claudinne Ogaldes Cruz, Executive Secretary, National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED), Guatemala, noted that many Guatemalan households are women-led and have the knowledge to inform decision making.
Robert Piper, former UN Secretary-General’s Advisor on Solutions to Internal Displacement, said line ministries responsible for decisions on land use and building codes-“those who are responsible for dealing with the failure to prevent”-must become deeply involved in the governance of disaster displacement.
Leveraging Values of Nature for Resilience: Moderated by Cecilia Aipira, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the session addressed the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in DRR.
In his keynote, Mohammed-Yahya Lafdal, General Director, National Environment and Coastline Observatory, Mauritania, highlighted the increase in tree cover through reforestation and restoration, taking into account Indigenous knowledge and solutions, and the development of barrier systems for water distribution and management in desert areas. He emphasized how addressing land degradation and rehabilitation has been Mauritania’s best solution for increasing resilience.
Rodrigo Hernández Escobar, Representative of the Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Knowledge & DRR Network, highlighted political will and respect for Indigenous cosmovision and territories as key elements for leveraging traditional knowledge into programmes supporting NbS. Isaac Luwaga Mugumbule, Head of Landscaping, Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda, stated that NbS are context-specific and require community involvement to be sustained.
Professor Satoru Nishikawa, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), stressed the need for scientific numerical quantification, analysis, and testing on the strengths and durability of NbS. Swenja Surminski, London School of Economics, noting that NbS “are not silver bullets,” stressed the need to work with nature, drawing attention to NbS co-benefits. Oliver Schelske, Swiss Re Institute, noting the absence of standardized values for nature, emphasized that even if “not everything is insurable,” investing in nature makes sense from an insurance perspective, as it reduces risks to the asset being insured.
On the prerequisites for NbS to be viable, speakers mentioned common sense, co-benefit considerations, identifying the number of protected lives, and conducting independent auditing.
Thematic Sessions as visual summaries capturing key messages and insights. Source: IISD/ENB | Anastasia Rodopoulou.
Side event
Inclusive comprehensive school safety—Strengthening resilience for children and youth in all hazards
This side event, organized and facilitated by the Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector (GADRRRES), showcased school safety and resilience programmes from Central Asia, the Pacific region and the Caribbean.
Anja Nielsen, Co-Chair, GADRRRES, gave an overview of CSSF, noting the all-hazards, all-risks approach that includes environmental, climate change, and biological health risks, technical threats, and other everyday risks. She elaborated on the global school safety survey, representing 350 million school-aged children, and highlighted, among other concerns, that significant infrastructure investment is needed to better protect children and teachers from natural hazards, with most suffering from funding constraints.
Education administrators from Saint Lucia, Tonga, and Kyrgyzstan described CSSF activities and outcomes from their regions, and emphasized: involving the children actively in school safety is a game changer; collaboration is the essence of resilience, requiring whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches; and building capacity at all levels, particularly teachers, for comprehensive school safety is key.
IISD’s summary
The summary report of the meeting will be available on Monday, 9 June 2025, here.
The 2025 Sasakawa Award winners are Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, from the India Meteorological Department, and Dr. Harkunti Rahayu, from the Indonesian Disaster Expert Association, both in the individual category; and the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster (GNDR), in the organizational category.
These winners were announced at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, in a vibrant Award Ceremony, packed with passionate candidates and their dedicated supporters, all gathered to celebrate some of the most outstanding contributions to disaster risk reduction.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), is popularly known as “The Cyclone Man of India” for his exceptional contributions to tropical cyclone forecasting and warning systems. He has been instrumental in improving India’s disaster preparedness and significantly reducing casualties from tropical cyclones through advanced forecasting and early warning systems.
Harkunti Pertiwi Rahayu is Professor of Disaster Aspect in Planning at the Institut Teknologi Sumatra and Chair of the Indonesian Disaster Expert Association. An internationally recognized leading expert in DRR, she chairs multiple international working groups on early warning and mitigation systems, disaster preparedness, developing people-centred early warning systems and capacity building, community awareness and preparedness.
The Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR) – winner in the organizational category – is the largest global network of organizations working to strengthen the resilience of people most at risk of disasters, assembling around 2000 organisations in 130 countries. GNDR has made significant contributions to the content and implementation of the Sendai Framework, and is a strong advocate for inclusive and all-of-society disaster risk management.
Under the expert moderation of Anita Erskine, Ghanaian broadcast personality and sustainability champion, the ceremony honored those who have made exceptional strides in improving resilience to disasters.
Innovation and technology for inclusive resilience
This year’s theme, “Connecting science to people: democratizing access to innovation and technology for disaster resilient communities,” captured the spirit of innovation and accessibility that drives modern disaster preparedness. With over 200 outstanding nominees received in two categories, Individuals and Organizations, all candidates demonstrated incredible depth of talent and dedication within the global DRR community.
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction Kamal Kishore delivered heartfelt gratitude to the community present and those watching online, acknowledging the tireless hard work and unwavering dedication of all those nominated for the award.
“This year’s award theme recognizes the importance of innovation and technology to advance resilience – and do it in a very inclusive and democratic way…. the efforts where science has been connected to society to serve the needs of people, those who are most vulnerable,” Mr Kishore said.
“I ask that we all ask and reflect on how we can support and scale up the vital efforts of these remarkable individuals and institutions,” he said.
The Nippon Foundation, whose generous support makes these awards possible, was proudly represented by Mr. Yosuke Ishikawa, Programme Director.
Mr. Kishore praised the high standard and exceptional achievements of all the nominees for the award, adding that the judges had to make difficult choices in selecting the winners from a group of such caliber. As a result they decided to recognize the following runners-up as highly commended.
Individuals:
Rob Hopkins “Radio Rob” from Yukon, Canada
Professor Virginia Murray from Global Disaster Risk Reduction at UK Health Security Agency, UK
Shee Kupi Shee from Disaster Management and Peace Building in Lamu County, Kenya
Kelvin Mashisia Shikuku from the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya
Organization:
The World Institute on Disability (WID), Global/US
Inspiration for us all
The visionary work of these award winners demonstrates that disaster risk reduction is not just about preparation—it’s about building resilient communities where innovation meets humanity. Their dedication shows us that every contribution, no matter how small, can create ripples of positive change that protect lives and livelihoods.
Whether you’re a researcher, community leader, or simply someone who cares about making the world safer, there’s a place for you in disaster risk reduction. The challenges the world faces require diverse perspectives, innovative solutions, and collaborative efforts. Everyone is encouraged to continue the DRR journey and be part of the solution that builds a more resilient world for all.
The next edition of the Sasakawa Awards will be held at the Global Platform in three years’ time, and the jury will be thrilled to read even more inspiring stories of hope and action!
The impacts of disasters are woven into all aspects of life.
Impacts send shockwaves across all systems – essential services, infrastructure, health, education and economic. They interact with climate change, conflict, economic fragility, and inequality – amplifying risks across systems.
However, even though disaster costs are rising, financing for disaster risk reduction (DRR) is largely fragmented, short-term, and reactive.
“Let us be clear: financing disaster risk reduction is not a cost – it is an investment, with benefits across different agendas: from protecting development, to reducing humanitarian needs, and achieving climate and environmental goals.”
Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction
To protect development gains from being eroded by a spiral of deepening crises, countries must systematically embed risk reduction in national budget processes – across all levels of government. This will require a raft of innovative financing mechanisms, public-private partnerships and novel inclusive approaches to ensure that investments provide benefits to those who need them most.
At a ministerial roundtable session at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, Accelerating Financing for Resilience: Tailored Solutions for Disaster Risk Reduction, ministers from 43 countries, together with the World Bank and UNDP, discussed the challenges and opportunities they face when financing resilience building; their experiences, successes and solutions; and concrete proposal for inclusive and equitable financing strategies.
The ministers acknowledged that there is a deficit in global financing for disaster preparedness. The Philippines, South Sudan, Fiji, Barbados, and members of the African Union, amongst others, drew connections between financial planning for disaster risk and broader climate financing, noting the important role of resources like the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and the Loss and Damage Fund.
Financing resilience is public investment
Too often, public budgets only respond after disaster strikes. The consequence is mounting human and economic losses, especially in vulnerable countries.
“The root causes of disaster risk – inequality, misaligned financial incentives, insufficient risk governance – remain unaddressed in many development models.”
– UNDRR’s 2025 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR 2025)
To address this will require a fundamental rethink, positioning disaster risk reduction firmly in development finance.
“We must support developing countries in establishing national disaster risk reduction financing systems that are tailored to their development priorities.”
– Kamal Kishore at the ministerial roundtable.
These systems must be pro-active, not reactive, and aligned with each country’s unique development goals, while integrating a firm understanding of systemic and cascading risks.
India, for example, is taking a rule-based approach with pre-determined allocations that flow from national to district levels. Japan and Norway noted that they are both mainstreaming DRR into private sector practice, with Norway advocating for legal requirements for DRR in corporate strategies.
The GAR 2025 findings reinforce this more holistic approach, recommending that countries reconfigure their financial and economic governance to create more favourable conditions for DRR investments, especially by shifting public spending “away from short-term consumption and toward resilience-building.”
Integrating disaster risk financing into budgets
Resilient budgets require more than a single DRR line item.
Mr. Kishore highlighted the need to embed risk considerations throughout public financial planning: “This includes exploring ways of embedding resilience into budget planning at every level.”
That means sectoral ministries, infrastructure agencies, local governments, and fiscal authorities must all adopt risk-informed budget planning. This shift is not just about earmarking funds, but about transforming how development priorities are selected, financed, and measured.
Countries including Brazil are calling for a global task force on effective DRR financing, while the Philippines proposed a global financing mechanism to support disaster resilience efforts, recognising the need to anchor DRR in fiscal systems.
In a conversation with Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, Mr Kishore noted that we need a coordinated, global system making the appropriate mechanisms accessible to those who need them most:
“We have the tools to assess risk and see how much investment will lead to what kind of reduction in risk. We really need to make it a comprehensive system – where national budgets, whether countries have high income or low income – take into account the kind of disaster risk they face and systematically invest in it.”
Ms. Mohammed noted the need to develop more innovative financing mechanisms as a key priority during the Global Platform.
“We need to get to a space where we have more tools accessible to us to do it, and that again is a big challenge for this week.”
Tackling systemic challenges
For many countries, even those with the political will to invest in reducing disaster risk, systemic barriers stand in their way. These include:
Weak institutional frameworks for DRR investment planning.
Limited understanding of how DRR links to fiscal risk.
Inadequate incentives to prioritise risk reduction in capital budgeting.
DRR financing also needs to penetrate to local levels, enabling resources to reach the communities that need them most. Without fiscal devolution, even the most risk-informed national strategies will fall short in implementation.
Incentives for private sector investment
Initiatives to finance resilience must move away from reliance on public coffers.
This involves building stronger partnerships with the private sector, and cultivating greater awareness of the benefits of such investments and the dangers of neglecting them.
“We must enhance partnerships with the private sector, as it is a major source of financing that is often not guided by an understanding of disaster risks,” Kamal Kishore said.
The financial sector can play a catalytic role by developing innovative instruments, such as resilience bonds, blended finance structures, and a broad spectrum of insurance solutions. Several countries are already putting such innovations into practice:
China described its rollout of agricultural insurance, and its investment of $154 billion in property insurance.
Kiribati described its community-based insurance for drought programme providing payouts to farmers and fishers.
Norway highlighted parametric insurance schemes.
The Bahamas explained how they use their disaster-related expenditures tracking tool to map pre-disaster investments and post-disaster costs.
To mainstream such approaches, updated regulatory frameworks, disclosure standards, and fiscal incentives are needed to guide private capital toward risk reduction and embed DRR into national financial systems.
Risk-aware international finance
The global community must step up to encourage investors, both public and private, to prioritize DRR financing.
“We must rally the international community to prioritize investment in disaster risk reduction. This includes dedicating a larger portion of assistance funding to disaster risk reduction and ensuring all development funding is risk informed.”
– Kamal Kishore
Official development assistance (ODA) and climate finance must be structured and delivered accordingly. Risk-blind development projects, even when well-intentioned, can inadvertently amplify vulnerability.
Several countries at the roundtable – including Cambodia, Paraguay, and Montenegro – highlighted the importance of integrating DRR into social investment strategies, including gender-responsive financing, elderly-focused social protection, and health system resilience. Czechia called for embedding DRR funding across the humanitarian-development nexus.
“The upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development presents a critical opportunity to advance all these priorities to ensure all development is safe from disasters.”
– Kamal Kishore
The shift toward DRR financing within national budgets is technically feasible, economically wise, and morally urgent. As extreme weather events, pandemics, and conflict interact in increasingly complex ways, the costs of inaction grow exponentially.
By embedding DRR in national budgets, governments protect long-term development investments, and communities gain tools and funding for local resilience.
Additionally, the private sector becomes a co-architect of safety, increasing its stake in resilience building efforts, and international aid transitions from offering band-aids to repeated crises to providing a backbone for lasting stability.
“We must acknowledge that resilience is a long-term economic necessity, and it does have the best return on investment.”
Established in 2009, and hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, the Belmont Forum is a partnership of funding organizations, international science councils, and regional consortia committed to the advancement of transdisciplinary science. Forum operations are guided by the Belmont Challenge a vision document that encourages: International transdisciplinary research providing knowledge for understanding, mitigating and adapting to global environmental change.
The DMUN Foundation is a youth-led, non-profit, civil society, umbrella organisation. Through our three member organisations, our organisation’s purpose is to provide opportunities for youths to learn about international relations, diplomacy, legislative bodies, social entrepreneurship, sustainability, and greater youth participation in the UN System.
The IAB aims to mobilize public and private investment for preventing disasters and increasing the resilience of societies. It develops the tools and methodologies needed to turn investors’ commitments into action. As such, it accelerates progress towards the Sendai Framework and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
From 26 to 28 May 2025, a landmark workshop was held at UNESCO Headquarters to reshape the engagement of Indigenous Peoples within the framework of the World Heritage Convention.
Co-designed and co-led by the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on World Heritage (IIPFWH), together with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee – ICCROM, ICOMOS and IUCN – the workshop marked a strategic turning point in advancing inclusive, rights-based approaches to World Heritage conservation.
The initiative stemmed from a shared recognition: that the safeguarding of heritage cannot be fully realized without the meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples and the effective application of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) – a principle that UNESCO has been actively promoting. More than a capacity-building effort, the workshop was a step towards fostering trust and establishing a foundation for reinforced collaboration between Indigenous knowledge holders and the institutions guiding the World Heritage system.
Over three days, participants engaged in open dialogue and peer learning, deepening mutual understanding of roles, responsibilities and working methods. Discussions centred on three strategic priorities: strengthening Indigenous participation in World Heritage processes; embedding FPIC into evaluation and monitoring frameworks; and jointly developing an action plan to guide future cooperation.
This milestone effort – made possible through the generous and long-standing support of the Governments of Australia and Canada – builds on the momentum of a growing global dialogue. It follows key international gatherings, including the expert workshop in Geneva and the New Delhi Dialogue in 2024, as well as discussions held around the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (New Delhi, 2024).
As the World Heritage system continues to evolve, the lessons, partnerships and mutual commitments forged during this workshop will inform practice across the World Heritage system. They pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable future where Indigenous Peoples are heard and recognized as full partners and rights-holders in the governance of the world’s shared heritage.
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is pleased to announce the selected projects of the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) 2025 Campaign, under the theme of ‘World Heritage Volunteers 2025 – Working on the Future’.
89 action camp projects will be implemented from April to December 2025 at 82 World Heritage properties and sites on the Tentative Lists, by 70 organizations in 41 countries around the globe.
After seventeen years of grassroots youth activities and international cooperation, the World Heritage Volunteers (WHV) Initiative continue to involve young people, communities and site managers in building together new, inclusive societies where World Heritage is a source of resilience, humanity and innovation, beyond the challenges that faces the World. National and international volunteers will work together with the local communities to preserve our common cultural and natural heritage, through concrete hands-on and awareness-raising activities, which will provide empowering and enriching opportunities to young people and enable them to go beyond the constraints of geography to some of the most outstanding places in the world.
Volunteering for World Heritage preservation is a unique experience! Come join us in the WHV 2025 Campaign!
WHO warns that the Gaza Strip’s health system is collapsing, with Nasser Medical Complex, the most important referral hospital left in Gaza, and Al-Amal Hospital at risk of becoming non-functional. There are already no hospitals functioning in the north of Gaza.
Nasser and Amal are the last two functioning public hospitals in Khan Younis, where currently most of the population is living. Without them, people will lose access to critical health services.
While these hospitals have not received orders to evacuate patients or staff, they lie within or just outside the evacuation zone announced on 2 June. Israeli authorities have informed the Ministry of Health that access routes leading to both hospitals will be obstructed. As a result, safe access for new patients and staff will be difficult, if not impossible. If the situation further deteriorates, both hospitals are at high risk of becoming non-functional, due to movement restrictions, insecurity, and the inability of WHO and partners to resupply or transfer patients.
Nasser and Al Amal hospitals are operating above their capacity, while people with life-threatening injuries continue to arrive to seek urgent care amid a dire shortage of essential medicines and medical supplies. The hospitals going out of service would have dire consequences for patients in need of surgical care, intensive care, blood bank and transfusion services, cancer care, and dialysis.
Losing the two hospitals would cut 490 beds, reducing the Gaza Strip’s overall hospital bed availability to less than 1400 hospital beds (40% less hospital beds available in the Gaza Strip than before the start of the conflict), for the entire population of 2 million people.
The relentless and systematic decimation of hospitals in Gaza has been going on for too long. It must end immediately. For over 20 months, health workers, WHO, and partners have managed to keep health services partly running despite extreme conditions. But repeated attacks, escalating hostilities, denial of aid, and restricted access have systematically dismantled the health system.
WHO calls for urgent protection of Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Amal Hospital to ensure they remain accessible, functional and safe from attacks and hostilities. Patients seeking refuge and care to save their lives must not risk losing them trying to reach hospitals. Hospitals must never be militarized or targeted.
WHO calls for the delivery of essential medicines and medical supplies into Gaza to be immediately expedited safely and facilitated through all possible routes.
WHO calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.
Notes to editors
Only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are currently partially functional. Of these, just five, including Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Amal Hospital, are major referral facilities, accounting for 75% of all the Gaza Strip’s hospital beds.
Nasser Medical Complex is operating at 180% over bed capacity and Al Amal Hospital is at 100%.
Currently, one national and four international Emergency Medical Teams are deployed at Al-Amal and Nasser hospitals as part of efforts to provide specialized care and strengthen hospital capacity.
Acute shortages of essential medicines and medical supplies are severely disrupting health services in all hospitals, while about 50 WHO trucks of supplies await at Al-Arish and in the West Bank.