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Category: United Nations

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: OBNE and Member Engagement Specialist, Santiago network

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Background information – job-specific

    Santiago network The Santiago network was established in December 2019 at COP25, as part of the Warsaw International Mechanism, for averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, to catalyze the technical assistance of relevant organizations, bodies, networks and experts, for the implementation of suitable relevant approaches at the local, national and regional level, in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. (decision 2/CMA.2, para 43, noted by 2/CP.25).

    The Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Convention and the Paris Agreement subsequently decided on the functions of the Santiago network at COP26 and on the institutional arrangements to enable its full operationalization. Parties agreed the structure would comprise:

    A hosted Secretariat that will facilitate its work, to be known as the Santiago network Secretariat; An Advisory Board, to provide guidance and oversight to the Santiago network Secretariat on the effective implementation of the functions of the network; and A network of organizations, bodies, networks and experts (OBNEs) covering a wide range of topics relevant to averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage.

    At COP28 in 2023, Parties selected the consortium of UNOPS and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) as co-hosts of the Santiago network Secretariat for an initial term of five years, with five-year renewal periods.

    While UNOPS provides the necessary administrative and operational support for the effective functioning of the Secretariat, UNDRR provides the Secretariat with technical backstopping and expertise in the domain of averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage consistent with the guidelines for preventing potential and addressing actual and perceived conflicts of interest in relation to the Santiago network.

    Relevant COP/CMA decisions on the Santiago network can be consulted here. Documents and reports from meetings of the Santiago network Advisory Board are available here.

    The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organisations. With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it. By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

    OBNE and Member Engagement Specialist, Santiago network

    Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Director, and in close coordination with the Country Engagement Specialist, the OBNE and Member Engagement Specialist is responsible for managing the central processes related to membership under the Santiago network, as well as supporting the planning, implementing, and reporting on membership activities in Eastern Europe. This includes overseeing the implementation of the guidelines for the designation of organizations, bodies, networks, and experts (OBNEs) as Members of the Santiago network, supporting the coordination of global and regional functions related to membership, and implementing strategies to ensure a diverse, inclusive, and robust network of Members, including through outreach and capacity building. The role also involves facilitating collaboration and coordination among Members, including communities of practice. This role requires strong organizational, coordination, and communication skills relevant to the delivery of the role’s functions.

    Functional responsibilities

    1. Setting up processes and systems
    2. Catalyzing technical assistance/Management of OBNEs
    3. Programme implementation and monitoring
    4. Partner and stakeholder engagement
    5. Knowledge management and innovation
    6. Corporate functions and team building

    1. Setting up processes and systems 

    • Establish and manage processes and systems for the implementation of the guidelines for the designation of Organizations, Bodies, Networks and Experts (OBNEs) as Members of the Santiago network.
    • Set strategies to facilitate a strong, diverse and inclusive network membership, with relevant expertise at the local, national and regional level.

    2. Catalyzing technical assistance/Management of OBNEs

    • Facilitate the growth and diversification of the Santiago network’s membership, including by managing the process of expressions of interest, in line with the guidelines approved by the Advisory Board
    • Collaborate with the Regional Coordinator for Eastern Europe in the planning and implementation of membership activities in Eastern Europe.
    • Facilitate the effective participation of Members in the provision of technical assistance, supporting matchmaking between demand and supply, in response to identified needs and in collaboration with global and regional functions.
    • Develop and implement outreach strategies to attract new Members, with a focus on local and community-based organizations, ensuring inclusive representation across regions, target groups and relevant thematic areas.
    • Foster collaboration and synergies among Members by promoting peer-to-peer exchange, and identifying opportunities for joint action to enhance the delivery and impact of technical assistance.
    • Provide continuous guidance to OBNEs and Members of the Santiago network, enabling them to actively engage with and contribute to the network’s objectives.

    3. Programme implementation and monitoring

    • Design and implement an engagement programme for Members, aligned with relevant Santiago network functions such as technical assistance, collaboration, and knowledge and information sharing.
    • Conduct periodic assessments of the network’s performance in addressing the needs related to averting, minimizing, and addressing loss and damage at local and regional levels.
    • Identify, assess, and manage risks and issues that could affect the OBNE and membership processes, including proposing and implementing appropriate mitigation measures.
    • Coordinate inputs on membership for regular reporting, including reporting to the Advisory Board and the Annual Report to the governing body or bodies.

    4. Partner and stakeholder engagement

    • Coordinate the implementation of strategies for OBNEs and Member outreach and engagement in collaboration with regional roles, with a consistent approach across regions.
    • Set up and manage communication channels and platforms to support collaboration, coordination and synergies among Members, including through communities of practice.
    • Foster collaboration and partnerships with other relevant mechanisms, networks and organizations working in the area of loss and damage.
    • Liaise with the communications role to enhance knowledge sharing and mutual learning among Members and other stakeholders.

    5. Knowledge management and innovation

    • Facilitate the development, provision, dissemination of and access to knowledge and information produced by Members on topics relevant for loss and damage.
    • Develop and maintain a comprehensive database of OBNEs, including contact information, areas of expertise, and availability for technical assistance
    • Develop and implement support mechanisms, including peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange, to strengthen Member engagement and enhance technical assistance delivery.
    • In collaboration with the Country Engagement Specialist, identify gaps in knowledge and expertise across the network in relation to TA needs, and take appropriate actions to address them.

    6. Corporate functions and team building

    • Uphold and model team values, fostering a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative work environment that supports collective success and individual well-being.
    • Contribute to the development and implementation of the Santiago network’s strategic, policy, and operational frameworks, ensuring alignment with its mandate and evolving needs.
    • Support the organization and delivery of Advisory Board meetings and intersessional work, including the preparation of background documents, reports, and other relevant materials, as well as coordination of related functions.
    • Represent the Santiago network in international fora and technical meetings, contributing to advance the delivery of its mandate and objectives.
    • Others, as required by the supervisor.
    • Education/Experience/Language requirements

    Education 

    • An advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent), preferably in development studies, international relations, political science, environmental sciences and climate change, economics, social sciences, or related areas, is required.
    • A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

    Experience 

    • A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience in stakeholder engagement in the areas of development, loss and damage, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, or related climate change processes is required.
    • Technical skills to foster inclusive participation and knowledge exchange across the Santiago network are highly desirable.
    • Familiarity with UNFCCC processes and the loss and damage agenda is highly desirable.
    • Language
      • Fluency in oral and written English is required.
      • Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

    Contract type, level and duration

    Contract type: Staff – FTA Contract level: P4 (ICS-11) Contract duration: One year initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability.

    For more details about United Nations staff contracts, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/UN-Staff-Contracts.aspx

    Competencies

    Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above)

    Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

    Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

    Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

    Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

    Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

    Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

    Additional information

    • Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
    • Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
    • Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
    • UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
    • Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
    • We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

    Terms and conditions

    • For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
    • For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
    • All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
    • It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Homa Bay leads the way in inclusive disaster resilience planning

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    In a major step toward enhancing inclusive disaster resilience, the County Government of Homa Bay, Kenya, hosted a four-day Multi-Stakeholder Workshop on inclusive disaster risk reduction (DRR) from 26-30 May 2025. The event was organized in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for Africa, under the project “Strengthening Early Warning and Early Action in Kenya” funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). 

    The workshop brought together 55 participants, including representatives from local government departments, national agencies, organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), and community-based organizations (CBOs). The gathering provided a valuable platform that focused on integrating the needs and perspectives of at-risk populations including persons with disabilities into DRR strategies and early warning systems. 

    Addressing Critical Gaps Through Collaboration 

    The workshop revealed key opportunities to strengthen the county’s disaster preparedness. Through participatory assessments, the workshop identified several areas for improvement, including the need for better coordination mechanisms, more inclusive early warning systems, and stronger integration of gender and disability perspectives in disaster planning. 

    While Homa Bay has a solid policy foundation such as the County Emergency and Disaster Management Act and active participation in the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative, the assessments showed clear opportunities to make these systems more inclusive and effective. 

    “New hazards are emerging-beyond floods and droughts we now face strange, extreme weather events. We must explore innovative, cost-effective ways to strengthen preparedness. One shilling spent on preparedness will save hundreds in response. We must shift our investments from response to resilience,” said Najib Abdi, the technical lead for disaster risk management at the Council of Governors. 

    Making Early Warnings Accessible 

    A highlight of the workshop was the focus on strengthening multi-hazard early warning systems. Kenya recently launched the Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) initiative, and Homa Bay County was recognized as a pioneer in county-level implementation. 

    “Early warning systems save lives, but only if the warnings reach everyone. We learned that we need to think differently about how we communicate risks – using local languages, accessible formats, and trusted community networks, ” Col (Rtd) David Samoei, MBS, Director NDOC. 

    The county’s Climate Information Center already supports over 200,000 farmers with agro-advisories and early warning information. The workshop explored ways to expand this system to reach more vulnerable populations, including women, persons with disabilities, and rural communities who may have limited access to traditional communication channels. 

    “At the Public Health Directorate, we rely on disease surveillance systems and historical data to anticipate outbreaks like cholera and measles. Our risk reduction efforts focus on improving water supply, sanitation, and vaccination coverage to prevent such health emergencies before they occur,” said James Kabaka, County Public Health Officer 

    A Model for Inclusive Resilience 

    One of the workshop’s achievements was bringing together diverse stakeholders who are often overlooked in the disaster planning processes. Representatives from OPDs, and CBOs worked alongside government officials to identify barriers and solutions. The assessments revealed that persons with disabilities face significant challenges during disaster events, from inaccessible evacuation routes to lack of appropriate communication during emergencies. Similarly, women’s leadership potential and traditional knowledge are often underutilized in disaster preparedness and response. 

    Building Forward: From Assessment to Action 

    The workshop concluded with the development of actions addressing identified gaps through coordinated, multi-sectoral approaches. Priority areas include the establishment of dedicated coordination mechanisms for inclusive DRR and development of disaggregated data systems to better understand community vulnerabilities. Key initiatives also focus on strengthening infrastructure accessibility through universal design standards, integrating traditional and indigenous knowledge into formal early warning systems, and building capacity among government staff and first responders on inclusive practices. 

    “We often develop comprehensive plans but fail to integrate them into our County Intergrated Development Plans and Annual Development Plans leaving them unfunded. We also haven’t properly analysed trigger points for different hazards – when exactly should we activate emergency responses? These are two critical gaps we need to address, ” Willy Bolo, Ag. Director Economic Planning & Budget 

    A Foundation for Regional Learning 

    This training builds on efforts in resilience building work previously established through the GIZ Resilience Initiative Africa (RIA). The workshop’s participatory approach and comprehensive assessments provide a replicable model for other counties seeking to strengthen their disaster resilience through inclusive, multi-stakeholder collaboration. “This was not just a technical workshop-it was a call to action. Disaster risk reduction is a system of protection, prevention, and preparedness that must be embedded in everything we do. I am committing to strengthen interdepartmental coordination so that disaster risk is integrated into all health planning and service delivery mechanisms,” said Grace Osewe, County Executive Committee Member for Public Health and Medical Services.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Webinar on Building Resilient Workplaces: Mental Health Awareness and Support in NSOs

    Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

    With more than 10% of the global population living with a mental disorder (WHO, 2019), and clear effects on staff wellbeing and performance, proactively addressing mental health has become a crucial issue in building a resilient workplace.

    This webinar aims to explore mental health challenges in the workplace, sharing experiences from various statistical offices —particularly the establishment of a mental health counselling centre.

    Please register by 15 September by following this link: https://forms.office.com/e/hme0AMr044

    If you registration is approved, you will receive a link to the webinar after the registration deadline. 

    Document Title

    Documents

    Information Flyer

     

    Opening

    Welcome speech from Indonesia Chief Statistician 

    		  

    Overview of the mental health in the workplace – WHO

    		  
    Recongizing common challenges – Professor José Guimarães Magalhães, Portugal  

    Experiences from national statistics offices

    		  

    Statistics Indonesia experience in establishing counselling centres

    • Overview of Counseling Centre – Dr. Eni Lestariningsih, S.Si, M.A b.
    • Technical Method of Counseling Centre: Yulias Untari, S.Psi, Psi c
    • Case Study & Mental Health Insight based on Counseling Centre result: Rany Komala Dewi, S.Psi, M.Psi.T & Siti Fani Daulay, S.Psi, M.Psi.T
    		  
    Addressing mental health stigma in the workplace – Philip O’Callaghan, Irish Civil Service Employee Assistance Service  
    Activities in the area of mental health done under umbrella of the Corporate Social Responsibility – Statistics Poland  

    Panel discussion

    		  
    Panel discussion  

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 17 July 2025 Departmental update Building local research capacity to advance sexual and reproductive health evidence

    Source: World Health Organisation

    Behind every policy and intervention that improves sexual and reproductive health outcomes and access to services, there is research. And behind that research, there must be skilled researchers. With evidence guiding decisions, health systems respond more effectively, services improve and rights are upheld.

    The HRP Alliance’s regional hubs have been demonstrating what it means to build sustainable research capacity in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Anchored in the mission to promote health and rights for all, the HRP Alliance, coordinated by the UN’s Special Programme in Human Reproduction (HRP), brings together seven regional ‘hubs’ that serve as catalysts for knowledge, collaboration and innovation.

    Since its establishment in 2017, the HRP Alliance hubs have been empowering local researchers and institutions through training, mentorship, fellowships and institutional support. Moreover, they enable context-specific responses to some of the world’s most pressing SRHR challenges. Seven impact stories document how locally-led research through this initiative has driven global progress.

    In Brazil, the hub for the Americas region at the Campinas Reproductive Health Research Center (CEMICAMP) responded to the Venezuelan migration crisis by training researchers across the region to study the SRHR needs of displaced populations. Their findings on access to care, HIV treatment and sexual violence helped close a major data gap which led to a more human-centred understanding of the needs of displaced populations.

    In Burkina Faso, the Francophone Africa hub, housed at the Health Science Research Institute (IRSS), is creating a regional data and training centre, with 50 Master’s and PhD graduates now leading research and public health efforts across West and Central Africa. Their studies on postpartum contraception and maternal care are informing health strategies.

    In Ghana, the Anglophone Africa hub, housed at the University of Ghana’s School of Public Health, launched a joint master’s programme with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The joint programme has built on years of investment by the HRP Alliance in developing a critical mass of skilled researchers in SRHR. Graduates have gone on to lead national SRHR units and contribute to major studies on adolescent maternal care and quality of services.

    In Kenya, the hub at the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) developed a training programme to help researchers and health workers reflect on their personal beliefs and how these might affect their work on sensitive issues like abortion, sexuality and HIV. The model, called values clarification and attitude transformation training, is now being adopted across Africa.

    In Pakistan, the Eastern Mediterranean hub at Aga Khan University worked directly with hospitals during COVID-19, training researchers and influencing maternal care practices, as well as including the adoption of tools to detect maternal sepsis. Their adaptive, hospital-linked approach is now seen as a model for emergency-responsive research.

    In Thailand, the hub for the South-East Asian Region at Khon Kaen University focused its efforts on Myanmar, training a core group of researchers to generate evidence in a fragile setting. Their work on respectful maternity care and cervical cancer screening is now helping to shape maternal health policies, aimed at improving care quality, reducing mistreatment during childbirth and increasing access to lifesaving screening services.

    And in Viet Nam, the hub for the Western Pacific Region at Hanoi Medical University created a dedicated SRHR track within its International Master of Public Health programme, equipping researchers with the tools to address issues relating to adolescent health and gender-based violence. Graduates reported strengthened skills in data analysis, literature review and research presentation, and several went on to work in national health institutions, including the Ministry of Health.

    The stories capture how each hub has been working in its own way. Some prioritize formal academic pathways; others focus on skills development through short courses, mentorship or practical implementation research. All share a common goal: building lasting, regionally-led research ecosystems that respond to regional needs.

    Because when researchers are trained locally, mentored locally and supported to ask the right questions, health systems respond better. SRHR services improve. And people’s rights, choices and dignity are upheld.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 17 July 2025 Departmental update Global leaders discuss most pressing questions around AI in health care and traditional medicine at UN Summit

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The AI for Good Global Summit included a session focused on artificial intelligence (AI) in health care and traditional medicine – with keynotes from the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

    Held annually, the Summit is the United Nations’ (UN) leading platform on AI to solve global challenges. The 2025 Summit ran from 8–11 July in Geneva, Switzerland and was organized by ITU in partnership with over 40 UN agencies and co-convened with the Government of Switzerland.

    It examined AI-driven solutions for critical global challenges, including climate change, health inequality, humanitarian action and disaster response – while also championing ethical and sustainable AI development.

    The Summit featured a Centre Stage Keynote session examining the progress and future priorities for the Global Initiative on AI for Health (GI-AI4H), which was launched in July 2023 by WHO, ITU and WIPO.

    Although traditional medicine has been instrumental to the health and well-being of people for centuries, responsible use of AI could unlock even greater potential for good. “For us at WHO, AI is nothing short of a game changer in public health, in clinical medicine, and in maintaining our well-being as individuals,” said Alain Labrique, Director for the Department of Digital Health and Innovation, WHO.

    In the session, Dr Labrique explained that WHO will be focusing its efforts and expertise on some key priority areas: governance – asking if countries are ready to take on AI-based systems within their health system; regulation – assessing if countries have the necessary regulatory and assessment frameworks to evaluate whether an AI tool is good; and localization – evaluating if an AI tool is appropriate for the context in which it is being deployed.

    The session unveiled findings from GI-AI4H’s most recent initiative, Mapping the application of artificial intelligence in traditional medicine: technical brief, examining the use and future potential of AI in traditional medicine.

    “This first joint AI publication fittingly begins with traditional medicine in bridging the historical foundations and technological frontiers of knowledge,” said Dr Shyama Kuruvilla, Director a.i. of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre. “It advocates for responsible AI applications across time, scientific advances, and cultures in contributing to planetary health and well-being.”

    The technical brief was also explored in depth at a Summit Workshop, Enabling AI for health innovation and access. During the workshop, Dr Kuruvilla  discussed the diverse ways that AI is currently being used in traditional medicine while also highlighting gaps in knowledge and understanding, as well as risks and challenges.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Kenya kick starts a UNESCO NFiT project on Safeguarding Kenya Lake System’s Unique Ecological Gem

    Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

    UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa, in collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya and the Kenya Wildlife Service, officially held the first inception meeting on the project titled “safeguarding Kenya Lake System’s Unique Ecological Gem,” in Nairobi on 20 January 2025. The meeting had representatives from the Government of Kenya County Government of Baringo, County Government of Nakuru, the Embassy of the kingdom of the Netherlands, wardens from the Lake system, Community members and other stakeholders. Funded by the Government of the Netherlands within the Netherlands Funds in Trust, this project will take place at the Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley in 2025.

    The Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011.  The site is a natural property of outstanding beauty, comprises three inter-linked relatively shallow lakes (Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru and Lake Elementaita) in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya that covers a total area of 32,034 hectares. The property is home to 13 globally threatened bird species1 and some of the highest bird diversities in the world. It is the single most important foraging site for the Lesser flamingo in the world with about 1.5 million individuals moving from one lake to the other. The property contains all of the key habitats and features that contribute to its Outstanding Universal Value.

    The project seeks to promote sustainable resource management through community engagement, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility among local populations. By integrating scientific research with Indigenous Knowledge, the initiative aims to develop conservation strategies that align with the needs of both biodiversity and the local communities dependent on the lake system. Ultimately, the project aspires to ensure the ecological integrity and long-term sustainability of this unique natural heritage site while contributing to global biodiversity goals.

    The inception meeting was instrumental in bringing together key stakeholders to address the project’s primary objective of tackling critical environmental challenges to safeguard the Kenya Lake System. The initiative focuses on the discussion on how to conserve migratory waterbirds, including the Lesser Flamingo, while promoting sustainable resource management. Additionally, the meeting contributed to enhancing community engagement and increasing awareness of pressing environmental issues. All levels of the stakeholder’s participation from the outset of the project contributed to ensuring a comprehensive approach to the conservation of this vital ecosystem.

    Speaking at the inception, Mr Hoseah Wanderi, Head of World Heritage Sites at National Museums of Kenya,  highlighted that the project aligns with key international frameworks and decisions to guide its implementation. It responds directly to the World Heritage Committee Decision 45 COM 7B.7, which calls for urgent measures to address deforestation, land degradation, and uncontrolled developments in sensitive buffer zones around the lake system. Additionally, the project adheres to the principles of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAWA), focusing on protecting migratory waterbirds by mitigating threats from agriculture, aquaculture, and other human activities impacting critical habitats. 

    Mr Pim van der Male, Deputy Head of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, emphasized the critical need for coordination and alignment of ongoing efforts to safeguard the Rift Valley Lakes. He highlighted the dynamic nature of these lakes and the increasing pressures from urbanization, climate change, and land-use changes. Pim underscored the importance of institutional frameworks, particularly at the basin level, to ensure sustainable water management.

    We stand ready to share our experiences and foster partnerships to unlock the lakes’ potential sustainability while preserving their beauty for future generations…Preserving the Great Rift Valley lakes is not just an environmental duty but an investment in cultural heritage, tourism, and livelihoods.

    Two experts were officially introduced as the primary specialists who will lead the project, in close cooperation with all stakeholders involved, to ensure the success of the project. The Wildlife Expert, an authority in wildlife conservation, will spearhead initiatives aimed at preserving the unique flora and fauna surrounding the Kenya Lake System. Their expertise will be crucial in identifying effective conservation strategies to protect endangered species and ensure the sustainability of biodiversity in the region. Meanwhile, the Environmental Experts, with their extensive knowledge in environmental management and ecosystem preservation, will focus on developing strategies to address environmental threats such as pollution and climate change. Their work will ensure a balanced approach to safeguarding the ecological integrity of the Kenya Lake System. Both experts will play pivotal roles in driving the project’s implementation, ensuring that conservation efforts are grounded in sound scientific and environmental principles.

    As threats to biodiversity intensify, this initiative marks a critical step in safeguarding the Kenya Lake System, ensuring it remains a thriving ecosystem and a beacon of conservation excellence. Reflecting UNESCO’s commitment to global environmental stewardship, the project underscores the importance of collaboration as a cornerstone for effective conservation.

    The meeting was concluded with the participants’ confirmation of their cooperation towards the successful implementation of the project.

    This project has come at the right time. Through the various collaborations and working together with local communities and referencing to multilateral environmental agreements ensures long-term success for wetland ecosystems.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: From diamonds to dirt: Sierra Leone youth bring land back to life

    Source: United Nations 2

    But now, parts of the land have been restored. Crops are beginning to flourish and bees are buzzing around once again.

    The people responsible for this change are a hodgepodge group – former taxi drivers and miners, people who barely finished secondary school and some with higher education degrees. The unifying factor? Most have youth on their side.

    “There is life beyond mining [but] we all grew up with the mentality that diamond is the only solution,” said Sahr Fallah, chairman of the Youth Council in Kono.

    Over 44 percent of the 1.3 billion people aged 15-24 are employed in agrifood systems. However, this group often does not have the same access to resources as older generations. Moreover, they are sidelined in the conversations which might change this systemic exclusion.

    © UNICEF/Olivier Asselin

    Young men work on a diamond mining site near Koidu, Sierra Leone. (file)

    “A lot of the time, what we find is that young people are included in policy processes but it is a little bit tokenistic. They don’t feel like their voice really matters,” said Lauren Phillips, a deputy director at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

    Decent work = economic growth

    The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York has been convened this week and next, to discuss progress – or lack thereof – towards the globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which guarantees decent work for all.

    Despite this commitment, over half of the global workforce remains in informal employment, according to the Secretary-General’s report on the SDGs released Monday. This means that they do not have adequate social or legal protections.

    “Decent work must be at the heart of macroeconomic planning, climate and diesel transitions and social recovery strategies,” said Sangheon Lee, director of employment policy at the International Labor Organization (ILO).

    Don’t ignore youth

    Like other vulnerable groups, young people face unique challenges in the agrifood sector. Specifically, they often lack land rights and will struggle to act collectively to protect their interests.

    “If you are not looking at data with a lens of age or gender, you are actually missing part of the story,” Ms. Phillips said.

    Among these assets are land titles – which the elderly may be reluctant to pass down because of insufficient social protections. Youth also are less able to access credit so they can invest in themselves and their families.

    Betty Seray Sam, one of the young farmers in Kono, said that her family never used to come to her when they were going through a crisis – they knew that she had no money and a child to support.

    © FAO/Heba Khamis

    Young farmers load tomatoes onto trucks in Nubaria, Egypt.

    But now, through an agricultural job in Kono, she can support her family during times of crisis.

    “This project has had a rippling effect for the youth in terms of not only improving their livelihoods but also the livelihoods of their families,” said Abdul Munu, president of Mabunduku, a community-based farmer’s organization in Kono.

    Bee a farmer

    Providing training to young people in agrifood systems is absolutely essential to ensure that they can practice sustainable agriculture.

    In Chegutu, Zimbabwe, FAO has helped establish Bee Farmers Schools where young people are taught how to support apiaries through hands-on training activities.

    “The idea is that one of the apiaries can be turned into a classroom where youth from different parts of a district can come just like a school,” said Barnabas Mawire, a natural resource specialist at FAO.

    This training has helped support local youth beekeepers to move beyond local and small-scale honey production to a fully-fledged business model that has the potential to not just fight poverty but actually create local wealth.

    Evelyn Mutuda, the young entrepreneurs representative in Chegutu, aspires to plant Jacaranda trees which she says will improve the quality of the bees’ honey and enable the beekeepers to export beyond local markets.

    “We want to maximize all the profits so we can become better and bigger,” Ms. Mutuda said.

    From Facebook to TikTok

    Being able to form labour associations is one of the key factors of decent work. This sort of collective action is even more important for youth in agrifood who often lack the social capital to enact real policy change.

    “Young people are just starting out, making bonds within their group but also with people outside of their group. Those bonds are important…because there is power in numbers,” Ms. Phillips said.

    She also noted that young people are forming these bonds across geographic distances, often by using technology. Agrifood influencers on Instagram and TikTok, for example, are increasingly shaping conversations about the sector.

    Ms. Phillips also noted that it is important to think of collective action for youth as intergenerational.

    “While the report is focused on young people, it’s not ignorant of the fact that young people live in families…There is a lot which talks about the need for solidarity between generations,” Ms. Phillips said.

    Youth optimism

    The next generation will be the stewards of the food we eat, so integrating them into that system now is essential for future food security and sustainability.

    “Many youth integrate tradition with innovation, creating sustainability and community resilience,” said Venedio Nala Ardisa, a youth representative at the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, at an online side event during the high-level forum.

    Angeline Manhanzva, one of the beekeepers in Chegutu, said that the opportunity to become a beekeeper changed her life. One day, she dreams of owning her own bee farm.

    “I will be an old person who has so much wealth and is able to buy her own big land to keep my hives and process my own honey.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World News in Brief: Haiti funding cuts bite, civilian suffering intensifies in Myanmar, Belarus deaths in custody alert

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Ongoing violence is compounding the country’s food crisis, disrupting local food production in critical areas such as the commune of Kenscoff and the Artibonite department, often considered the breadbaskets of Haiti.

    While the UN and its partners are responding “wherever and whenever possible,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said this Wednesday that humanitarians have only been able to reach 38 per cent of the population they aim to support.

    Multiple roadblocks

    “This is due to ongoing violence and insecurity, severe underfunding of the response, and the obvious access challenges,” he said.

    Over halfway through the year, Haiti is the least-funded of the many humanitarian appeals that the UN coordinates – despite shortfalls for food security in the country being at extreme levels – with just over two per cent of the $425 million needed this year received to date.

    Myanmar: Intensifying conflict impedes humanitarian aid

    Almost four months after Myanmar’s devastating earthquake, the UN is deeply concerned over the plight of civilians caught up in the country’s devastating and continuing conflict between the military regime and opposition armed groups.

    As fighting intensifies, civilians are particularly vulnerable, with increasing attacks on infrastructure.

    According to reports, an air strike hit a monastery in Sagan Township in Sagaing Region on 11 July, killing 22 people and injuring at least 50 others. The monastery had been providing shelter to displaced people who had fled nearby villages.

    A displacement camp in North Shan State was also reportedly hit by an airstrike over the weekend.

    ‘Broader pattern’

    “These incidents are part of a broader pattern of attacks affecting people across Myanmar,” said Mr. Dujarric, with frequent reports of people being killed, injured or displaced by violence.

    Such insecurity also impacts the ability of humanitarian teams to reach people in need: with one in three people now facing acute hunger, and the current monsoon season having caused flooding, “the UN urgently calls on all parties to respect human rights and international humanitarian law,” he said.

    Belarus: Rights experts urge probe into deaths in custody of opposition activists

    Top independent human rights experts called on Belarus on Wednesday to launch urgent investigations into the deaths of several people jailed for political dissent.

    The experts – who are known as Special Rapporteurs – highlighted the case of 61-year-old businessman Valiantsin Shtermer. He died in May 2025 while serving his sentence in a so-called “Correctional Colony” in Šklou.

    Mr. Shtermer had been jailed for making critical remarks about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Despite his serious medical condition, he was allegedly denied adequate care in prison.

    Fifty-year-old opposition activist Vitold Ashurak meanwhile, also died shortly after being placed in an isolation in the same prison.

    According to the Special Rapporteurs, Mr. Ashurak was a member of the Belarusian National Front who was jailed for violating public order during protests related to the disputed 2020 presidential elections.

    We must not ignore these deaths

    “These deaths must not be ignored,” said the experts, who added that there were strong grounds to believe that they resulted from abuse or neglect linked to the exercise of fundamental rights.

    “It is of the utmost importance to thoroughly investigate the alleged instances of ill-treatment and neglect that resulted in the deaths of Shtermer, Ashurak, Puškin and other persons designated as political prisoners by human rights defenders,” the Human Rights Council appointed experts underscored.

    “There are strong reasons to believe that these individuals lost their lives in retaliation for exercising their civil and political rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

    The independent experts voiced concern that some opposition figures had been stigmatised and labelled as “extremists” or even “terrorists”.

    Special Rapporteurs report regularly to the Human Rights Council. They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Syria: UN chief urges de-escalation as Sweida violence escalates, Israel strikes Damascus

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    News reports estimate that the sectarian violence in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, south of the capital, has killed more than 200.

    Israel explained its attacks in the heart of the capital and on pro-government forces in Sweida as a defensive move in support of the Druze community, which has a significant presence within Israel and in the Israeli-occupied Golan.  

    The strikes on the defence ministry in Damascus also hit an area near the presidential palace, according to news reports and Syrian authorities.

    Pledging to protect the Druze minority but also following up on its threat to attack any Syrian military operations taking place south of the capital, Israel said it would intensify strikes if government forces did not withdraw from the region, according to news reports.

    Syrians ‘robbed’ of opportunity for peace

    “The Secretary-General is alarmed by the continued escalation of violence in Sweida” and “unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on Wednesday.  

    It was the second day in a row that the UN chief has intervened to highlight the increasing civilian toll and “reports of arbitrary killings and acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and rob the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace.”  

    Mr. Guterres further condemned Israel’s “escalatory airstrikes” on Sweida, Daraa and central Damascus, together with “reports of the IDF’s redeployment of forces in the Golan,” the highly-contested mountainous region along the border of the two countries. 

    The UN also called on Israel to cease any violations of Syria’s sovereignty and respect for the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement. 

    The UN chief also reiterated the need to support “a credible, orderly and inclusive political transition in Syria in line with the key principles of Security Council Resolution 2254.”

    Extending his condolences to the people of Syria, the Secretary-General reiterated his call for an immediate de-escalation of violence measures to facilitate humanitarian access.  

    Civilians in peril

    Mr. Dujarric said UN humanitarians were warning that “the deadly hostilities continue to put civilians at risk, with ongoing reports of significant displacement and damage to critical infrastructure, including water, electricity and telecommunications networks,” Mr. Dujarric said.  

    Access to Sweida and the impacted areas remains severely constrained due to insecurity and road closures, and civilians are unable to reach shelters.  

    The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, said that the UN and its humanitarian partners plan to assess the needs and provide essential assistance in Sweida as soon as conditions allow.

    Mr. Dujarric underscored that medical services in Sweida and the neighbouring Daraa Governorate are overstretched and hospitals are almost at capacity.  

    While the World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched emergency medical supplies to Daraa, deliveries to Sweida have yet to get through due to the fighting. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Killing of Civilians in Gaza Waiting in Line for Humanitarian Aid Must End, Relief Chief Tells Security Council, Urging Return to UN-Led Delivery Mechanism

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    As civilians lining up for humanitarian aid in Gaza are being killed, speakers in the Security Council today urged Israel to lift restrictions on aid operations in the Strip, called for a return to United Nations-led delivery mechanisms, and stressed the urgent need for both the release of hostages and a ceasefire.

    “Gaza’s soaring humanitarian needs must be met without drawing people into a firing line,” said Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.  He recalled General Assembly resolution 46/182, adopted in 1991, which laid the groundwork for modern international humanitarian assistance by establishing a framework and guiding principles — humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence — for the UN’s role in coordinating humanitarian efforts during emergencies. 

    Israel, as the occupying Power, is obligated to ensure that people have food and medical supplies, he said, adding:  “But that is not happening.  Instead, civilians are exposed to death and injury, forcible displacement, stripped of dignity.”  He went on to urge Council members to consider whether Israel’s rules of engagement incorporate all feasible precautions to avoid and minimize civilian harm, in all circumstances.  This means verifying targets, giving effective advance warnings, carefully choosing tactics and weapons, and canceling or suspending an attack if it would cause disproportionate civilian harm, he said.

    Number of Aid Trucks Currently Allowed into Gaza ‘Drop in the Ocean’ 

    Between 19 May and 14 July, only 1,633 trucks — or 62 per cent of the roughly 2,600 submitted to the Israeli authorities and 74 per cent of those approved for entry — reached the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings.  “To be clear, this is a drop in the ocean of needs, compared to the average of 630 truckloads, that entered daily” during an earlier ceasefire, he said. The ceasefire proved what’s possible.  It’s time to return to those levels without delay.

    Turning to recent remarks by Israel’s Defence Minister about moving Palestinians into a “humanitarian city”, he said the proposal to forcibly displace Palestinians to a designated zone near Rafah is “not humanitarian”, underscoring the need to protect civilians wherever they are, release all hostages held by Hamas, allow humanitarian aid at scale and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers.  “You owe that to Israeli and Palestinian civilians, to the last hopes of a sustainable peace, and to the UN Charter,” he said, calling for a ceasefire.

    Today’s meeting was called by Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia and the United Kingdom, following abhorrent reports of human suffering in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including killings at aid distribution sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — a non-UN mechanism established with support from Israel and the United States.  Between 27 May and 7 July, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded the killings of 798 Palestinian civilians — including children — desperate to find food, at or near distribution sites and humanitarian convoys.

    International Community Failing Gaza’s Children

    “Among the survivors was Donia, a mother seeking a lifeline for her family after months of desperation and hunger,” said Catherine Russell, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).  Donia’s 1-year-old son, Mohammed, was killed in the attack after speaking his first words just hours earlier.  The mother was lying critically injured in a hospital bed, clutching her son’s tiny shoe. “No parent should experience such a horrific tragedy,” she said.

    “The simple truth is that we are failing Gaza’s children,” she said, noting that child malnutrition in Gaza has surged 180 per cent since February, with nearly 6,000 cases in June.  Most households lack safe water, fueling disease outbreaks — waterborne illnesses now make up 44 per cent of medical consultations.  Hospitals are overwhelmed, short on medicine and fuel, and emergency care is collapsing.  At least 12,500 patients, including many children, need urgent medical evacuation, but few are being accepted abroad.  “History will judge this failure harshly,” she warned, adding:  “And the children will judge it too.” 

    She implored that UNICEF and its humanitarian partners be allowed to do their jobs.  “We have proven that essentials like medicine, vaccines, water, food, and nutrition for babies can reach those in need, wherever they are, when we have appropriate access,” she said, calling for an urgent return to the functioning UN-led aid pipeline with safe and sustained humanitarian access through all available crossings.

    […]

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Alarmed by Escalating Violence in Suweida, Syria, Secretary-General Calls for Immediate De-escalation of Situation

    Source: United Nations 4

    SG/SM/22729

    The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

    The Secretary-General is alarmed by the continued escalation of violence in Suweida, a Druze-majority area, which has reportedly claimed the lives of hundreds of people, including civilians, and injured and displaced many more.

    He unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians, including reports of arbitrary killings and acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and rob the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace and reconciliation after 14 years of brutal conflict.

    He extends his heartfelt condolences to all Syrians and reiterates his call for an immediate de-escalation of violence and urgent measures to restore calm and facilitate humanitarian access.

    The Secretary-General takes note of the statement by the Office of the Presidency condemning the violations and committing to investigating and holding to account those responsible for them.  He reiterates his appeal for the transparency of the process.

    The Secretary-General further condemns Israel’s escalatory air strikes on Suweida, Daraa and in the centre of Damascus, as well as reports of the Israel Defense Forces’ redeployment of forces in the Golan.  He calls for an immediate cessation of all violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for respect for the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.

    The Secretary-General reiterates that it is imperative to support a credible, orderly and inclusive political transition in Syria in line with the key principles of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).

    For information media. Not an official record.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Unprecedented Afghan returns are ‘a test of our collective humanity’

    Source: United Nations 2

    Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, made the appeal during a visit to the Islam Qala border crossing with Iran on Tuesday where she witnessed the daily influx of tens of thousands of returnees.

    She also met returnee families, aid partners and regional de facto officials.

    Alarm bells should be ringing

    “What should be a positive homecoming moment for families who fled conflict decades ago is instead marked by exhaustion, trauma, and profound uncertainty,” said Ms. Otunbayeva, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

    “The sheer volume of returns – many abrupt, many involuntary – should be setting off alarm bells across the global community,” she added.

    “It is a test of our collective humanity. Afghanistan, already grappling with drought, and a chronic humanitarian crisis, cannot absorb this shock alone.” 

    Local communities overstretched

    Since January, more than 1.3 million have been largely compelled to head back to Afghanistan – a country where 70 per cent of the population lives in poverty. 

    Women and children face the gravest risks, UNAMA said, as they are returning not only to dire economic hardships but to a context where their access to basic services and social protections remains severely constrained.

    The UN has repeatedly highlighted the assault on women’s rights under Taliban rule, including bans affecting higher education, employment and freedom of movement.

    Reintegration support critical

    The returns are happening at a time when humanitarian operations remain woefully underfunded, forcing agonising choices between food, shelter, and safe passage.

    Ms. Otunbayeva also underscored the critical need for immediate reintegration assistance as initial evidence shows that stabilising return communities requires urgent livelihood programmes and community infrastructure investments. 

    She warned that without swift interventions, remittance losses, labour market pressures, and cyclical migration will lead to devastating consequences.

    These could include the further destabilization of both returnee and host populations, renewed displacement, mass onward movement, and risks to regional stability.

    ‘We cannot afford indifference’

    She urged donors, development partners, and regional governments not to turn away and abandon Afghan returnees.

    “What we are witnessing are the direct consequences of unmet global responsibilities,” she said. “We must act now – with resources, with coordination, and with resolve.” 

    Meanwhile, the UN in Afghanistan is calling for an integrated approach that resources humanitarian needs while scaling up assistance in areas of return.

    At the same time, regional dialogue – including with Iran, Pakistan, and Central Asian states – must be prioritized to halt disorderly returns and uphold the principle of voluntary, dignified and safe repatriation.

    “Afghanistan’s stability hinges on shared responsibility: We cannot afford indifference,” said Ms. Otunbayeva. “The cost of inaction will be measured in lives lost and conflicts reignited.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Seven Days

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Mission

    Seven Days is an independent weekly newspaper covering Vermont news, politics, food, arts and culture. New issues are published each Wednesday and distributed free at 1,000 locations in Northern and Central Vermont.

    The Seven Days website includes breaking news reports, videos, up-to-date event listings, job postings and personals, as well as content from current and past print issues and special publications.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Climate Policy Radar

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Mission

    Climate Policy Radar is a not-for-profit organisation building open databases and research tools so people can discover, understand and generate data-driven insights on climate law and policy. Our data and tools help governments, researchers, international organisations, civil society, and the private sector to understand and advance effective climate policies and deploy climate finance.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Diene Keita Designated Acting Executive Director of UNFPA

    Source: United Nations Population Fund

    Effective 16 July 2025, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has designated Ms. Diene Keita as Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

    Ms. Keita, who has served as UNFPA’s Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director (Programme) since August 2020, will serve as Acting Executive Director of UNFPA until a new Executive Director is appointed. This designation follows the retirement of Dr. Natalia Kanem after her distinguished tenure of more than eight years at the helm of the organization.

    Ms. Keita brings to the role over three decades of leadership in international development and public service. Her career includes service as Minister for Cooperation and African Integration for the Republic of Guinea, alongside extensive experience within the United Nations. She has held senior leadership positions within UNFPA, including as Representative in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo—two of the organization’s largest programmes. She has acted as United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mauritania, Benin, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ms. Keita began her United Nations career in 1990 with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

    Throughout her career, Ms. Keita has worked extensively on the empowerment of women and youth, inclusive growth, demographic issues, and sustainable human development. She has focused on addressing sexual and reproductive health, as well as on ending gender-based violence in humanitarian settings.

    Ms. Keita holds a doctorate in Law and advanced degrees in International Economics and Development Law and International Relations from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. She is fluent in English, French and Italian. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Note to Correspondents: MH17 tragedy

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Tomorrow, we mark the 11th anniversary of the downing of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Eastern Ukraine and the 298 lives lost on that tragic day.

    The Secretary-General stands in full solidarity with the families of the victims and in honour of their memory.

    Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 2166, the Secretary-General urges all States to extend their full cooperation to ensure that those responsible are held to account, following the important work of the independent Joint Investigation Team.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General – on Syria

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    The Secretary-General is alarmed by the continued escalation of violence in Suweida, a Druze-majority area, which has reportedly claimed the lives of hundreds of people, including civilians, and injured and displaced many more.
     
    He unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians, including reports of arbitrary killings and acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and rob the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace and reconciliation after fourteen years of brutal conflict.
     
    He extends his heartfelt condolences to all Syrians and reiterates his call for an immediate de-escalation of violence and urgent measures to restore calm and facilitate humanitarian access.
     
    The Secretary-General takes note of the statement by the Office of the Presidency condemning the violations and committing to investigating and holding to account those responsible for them. He reiterates his appeal for the transparency of the process.
     
    The Secretary-General further condemns Israel’s escalatory airstrikes on Suweida, Daraa and in the center of Damascus, as well as reports of the IDF’s redeployment of forces in the Golan. He calls for an immediate cessation of all violations of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for respect for the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.
     
    The Secretary-General reiterates that it is imperative to support a credible, orderly and inclusive political transition in Syria in line with the key principles of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Sudan: UNICEF condemns weekend attacks that killed 35 children

    Source: United Nations 2

    At least 24 boys, 11 girls and two pregnant women reportedly were among the victims of the violence, which occurred over the weekend in communities around the city of Bara, including the villages of Shag Alnom and Hilat Hamid. 

    UNICEF fears that with dozens more injured and many still missing, the number of child casualties could rise further.

    ‘A complete disregard for human life’

    “These attacks are an outrage,” Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

    “They represent a terrifying escalation of violence, and a complete disregard for human life, international humanitarian law, and the most basic principles of humanity.”

    Former allies turned rivals – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – have been battling for control of the country since April 2023 and fighting has intensified recently in the Kordofan region which encompasses three states.

    End the violence now

    “UNICEF condemns the attacks in the strongest possible terms,” said Ms. Russell.

    She called on all parties to end the violence immediately and to uphold their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution.

    The UNICEF chief stressed that civilians – particularly children – must never be targeted. Furthermore, all alleged violations must be independently investigated, and those responsible held to account.

    “Impunity cannot be tolerated for violations of international law, especially when children’s lives are at stake,” she said.

    Ms. Russell extended the agency’s deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and to anyone impacted by this heinous violence.

    “No child should ever experience such horrors,” she said. “Violence against children is unconscionable and must end now.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza: More misery as new evacuation orders impact tens of thousands

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Those impacted by the orders have been told to relocate to the “already overcrowded” coastal strip at Al Mawasi, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), late Tuesday.

    Al Mawasi near Khan Younis lacks “the basics for survival”, the UN agency insisted. It has also seen nearly two dozen strikes on displaced Gazans sheltering in tents there between 18 March and 11 April, the UN human rights office said. 

    As the war drags on well into its 21st month, Gaza’s most vulnerable people continue to struggle to survive.

    Dialysis emergency

    They include Musbah Zaqqout, 70, one of 230 patients receiving lifesaving dialysis at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. His treatment has been disrupted by persistent supply shortages that reduced sessions from three to two per week at the end of last month, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

    “He suffered a lot when dialysis was not available,” said Mr. Zaqqout’s wife, Saadia. “He was suffocating and was frequently admitted to the hospital, to the point where he fell into a coma, lost focus and didn’t recognize anyone.”

    With support from partner organization KS Relief, WHO delivered dialysis supplies and fuel for Al-Shifa Hospital, so that it could resume dialysis treatment and other lifesaving services.

    “Thank God, after restarting dialysis, his condition improved,” Mrs. Zaqqout said, while the UN health agency reiterated its calls for sustained entry of food, fuel, and health aid at scale through all possible routes.

    “Critical shortages of fuel and medical supplies persist across Gaza,” WHO warned. “Without urgent and sustained replenishment, health care services risk coming to a grinding halt.”

    Child malnutrition tragedy

    Echoing those concerns, the UN agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, warned on Wednesday that it is increasingly difficult to help Gazans. Already, one in 10 of the children brought to its clinics suffers from malnutrition. The condition was unheard of in the enclave before the war, but it more than doubled in children under five between March and June, amid the near-total Israeli siege.

    “It’s becoming more and more difficult for us to continue providing services,” said UNRWA’s Louise Wateridge. “At least 188 UNRWA installations – over half of all our installations in the Gaza Strip – are located within the Israeli-militarized zone, under displacement orders, or where these overlap.”

    In an update, Ms. Wateridge said that only six UNRWA health centres and 22 of the agency’s medical points remain operational today, in addition to 22 mobile medical points inside and outside shelters.

    Nearly 60 per cent of essential medical supplies are now out of stock, according to the UN agency. “Children are dying before our eyes, because we do not have the medical supplies or sustained food to treat them,” it said.

    Key medicines run out

    As a direct result of the Israeli blockade on Gaza which began on 2 March, UNRWA said that it has “now run out of” medicines for high blood pressure, antiparasitic and antifungal medicine, medicine for eye infections and inflammation, all skin treatments and oral antibiotics for adults.

    Providing clean water to the war-shattered enclave remains a massive challenge and only two UNRWA main water wells still function. Ten were operational before the war. Another 41 smaller wells are operational in UNRWA shelters.

    For the past two months in north Gaza, UNRWA has been forced to stop providing water and sanitation services for around 25,000 displaced people in shelters, owing to displacement orders issued by Israeli forces.

    “The restrictions on the entry of fuel continues placing life-saving services at a severe risk,” the UN agency said. “Critical water services are at risk of shutting down if sustained fuel supplies are not permitted entry.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Human Rights Committee Adopts Reports on Follow-Up to Concluding Observations Concerning Armenia and Germany

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Human Rights Committee today adopted reports on follow-up to concluding observations concerning Armenia and Germany.

    Yvonne Donders, Committee Expert and the Special Rapporteur on follow-up to concluding observations, presented the assessment of the responses provided by Armenia and Germany. The overall recommended action for the two assessments was to send a letter to each of the States parties informing them of the discontinuation of the follow-up procedure and that further information requested by the Committee should be addressed in their next periodic reports, which were due in 2028 for all States parties under assessment.

    Regarding Armenia, the Committee focused on three recommendations concerning violence against women; the right of peaceful assembly and excessive use of force; and participation in public affairs.  On violence against women, the Committee welcomed amendments made to the “law on domestic violence” by the State party, as well as the “SafeYou” mobile application, allowing victims of violence to promptly receive support.  However, the Committee was concerned about reports of the discriminatory application of protection orders, the lack of concrete information on the means of redress provided to victims, as well as reports indicating that misconceptions and stereotypes regarding women and domestic violence persisted.

    Armenia was therefore recommended to revise the law on domestic violence to ensure a victim-centred approach; establish an effective mechanism to encourage the reporting of cases of violence against women and intensify efforts to address the social stigmatisation of victims; ensure that all cases of violence against women were promptly and thoroughly investigated, and that victims had access to effective remedies and means of protection; and to consider ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. 

    On excessive use of force, the Committee welcomed the adoption of the legislation on the Police Guard and amendments to the law on freedom of assembly, as well as the efforts taken to provide training to law enforcement officers on the use of force.  However, it regretted the reports of the continued disproportionate use of force by police and obstruction of and violence against journalists during protests. 

    Armenia was urged to strengthen its efforts to ensure that all law enforcement officers found responsible for excessive use of force during the events in March 2008, June 2015, July 2016 and April 2018, were held accountable and appropriately sanctioned, and that all the victims received adequate compensation and rehabilitation; to review the amendments to the law on freedom of assemblies to bring it into conformity with the Covenant; to refrain from undue interference with assembly participants and reduce police presence at peaceful demonstrations; ensure that impartial and thorough investigations were undertaken by the public prosecutor’s office into all allegations of the excessive use of force and arbitrary arrest and detention by State agents at protests; and to ensure that domestic laws and regulations on the use of force were in full conformity with international standards. 

    On participation in public affairs, the Committee welcomed the legislative package submitted to the National Assembly proposing amendments to the Electoral Code, including measures to increase the accessibility of polling stations for persons with disabilities.  However, it was concerned about information indicating that institutional barriers to political participation of persons with disabilities remained, including legal restrictions which denied persons recognised by a court as “incapacitated” the right to elect and to be elected and the right to participate in referendums.

    Armenia was called on to ensure that the mandatory disclosure of campaign financing information was fully respected to improve transparency and create equal conditions for the campaign; revise the limitations on the right to stand for presidential and legislative elections; and ensure full accessibility of polling stations for persons with disabilities.

    Committee Experts thanked the Special Rapporteur for her report and underscored how vital the follow-up procedure was to the work of the Committee.  Experts said Armenia had made substantial progress with respect to improving the legal framework, but still had work to do with implementation and effectiveness.  It was troubling that investigations in the State party were pending for more than 10 years. 

    In response, Ms. Donders agreed that it was serious that investigations in Armenia were pending after so many years.

    Concerning Germany, the Committee noted three recommendations, including on intersex persons, institutional care, and on the right to privacy.  For intersex children, the Committee welcomed that a review was under way to evaluate how to further improve safeguards for intersex children, and that a review of the new provisions under the act on the protection of children with variations in sexual development would take place within five years from its adoption.  However, it regretted the lack of information provided regarding compliance and implementation of the act and the provision of remedies in practice.

    Germany was recommended to ensure that all acts relating to the assignment of a sex to intersex children performed without their free and informed consent were specifically prohibited, except in cases where such interventions were absolutely necessary for medical reasons and the best interests of the child had been duly taken into account, including the consideration of amendments to the law on the protection of children with variations in sex development of 2021.  Germany should also ensure that all victims had access to remedies, and ensure that all victims had access to their health records and consider establishing a dedicated compensation fund.

    On institutional care, the Committee welcomed the 2022 resolution on protection from violence for people in need of care, which initiated efforts to develop practical safeguards, but regretted the absence of data on inspections of care facilities, and the outcomes and the sanctions imposed in relation to the use of physical and chemical restraints.  The Committee also noted with satisfaction that the mental health acts of the Länder were becoming increasingly uniform in the areas of physical restraint and compulsory medication but regretted the lack of information on further steps taken to harmonise the legal standards in the different Länder on the involuntary hospitalization and forced committal of those with psychosocial disabilities. Furthermore, while welcoming the replacement of former section 1905 of the Civil Code with new section 1830 through the act to reform the law on guardianship, the Committee regretted that the legislation still provided for circumstances under which the forced sterilisation of adults with disabilities remained permissible.

    The Committee recommended that Germany should continue efforts to monitor, prevent and eradicate the use of physical and chemical restraints in institutional care settings, as well as all forms of abuse against older persons and those with psychosocial disabilities in these institutions; consider further harmonising the legal standards in the different Länder on the involuntary hospitalisation and forced committal of those with psychosocial disabilities; remove any exception in the law to the ban on the forced sterilisation of adults with disabilities; and consider increasing the availability of specific complaints mechanisms to receive, investigate and facilitate the prosecution and punishment of those responsible for all forms of abuse in institutional care settings.

    On the right to privacy, the Committee welcomed Germany’s efforts to ensure that all types of surveillance activities and interference with privacy were in full conformity with the Covenant, including the reforms of the federal intelligence service act, and legislative amendments made in response to decisions of the Federal Constitutional Court, including the establishment of the Independent Control Council in 2022.  However, the Committee regretted the lack of concrete information on the practical implementation of the federal intelligence service act. 

    The Committee recommended that Germany should ensure that all types of surveillance activities and interference with privacy were in full conformity with the Covenant, complying with the principles of legality, proportionality and necessity and subject to judicial authorisation.  Germany should also ensure that surveillance was subject to effective independent oversight mechanisms, namely judicial mechanisms, and ensure access to effective remedies in cases of abuse.

    Committee Experts welcomed that Germany had been on time in presenting its information on the three recommendations.  However, the State party had the resources and capacity to provide the data requested of them by the Committee.  The State party had taken positive steps, but questions remained around implementation. 

    In response, Ms. Donders said Germany had taken substantive legislative reforms, among other activities, and was optimistic that the State party would provide additional information and data requested by the Committee. 

    In closing, Changrok Soh, Committee Chairperson, expressed gratitude to the Special Rapporteur and other Experts for their dedication and commitment. 

    The draft reports were adopted by the Committee as amended during the discussion and will be available on the web page dedicated to the follow-up procedure for concluding observations.

    The Human Rights Committee’s one hundred and forty-fourth session is being held from 23 June to 17 July 2025.  All the documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet in public at 4 p.m. on Thursday, 17 July to close its one hundred and forty-fourth session. 

    ___________

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

    CCPR25.018E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 16 July 2025 Departmental update WHO recommends rapid treatment initiation for people living with HIV and mpox

    Source: World Health Organisation

    In the latest update of the clinical management and infection prevention control of mpox guidelines (May 2025) WHO has issued a strong recommendation for the rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in people living with HIV who are diagnosed with mpox.

    Mpox disproportionally affects people living with HIV. The infection is more severe with higher rates of mortality and hospitalization in people with advanced HIV disease. 

    This recommendation aligns with WHO’s broader HIV treatment guidance that strongly recommends rapid ART initiation – ideally within seven days of HIV diagnosis, including same-day start – to reduce mortality and achieve viral suppression. While concerns about mpox immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) exist, WHO experts concluded that the benefits of rapid ART initiation outweigh potential risks, especially given the lack of effective mpox-specific treatments.

    The guideline also emphasizes the importance of early HIV testing for all patients presenting with suspected or confirmed mpox. For individuals already on ART with a suppressed viral load, treatment should continue without interruption.

    “We now know people with HIV, particularly those with a CD4 count under 200 cells/mm³, are at risk for severe disease and death from mpox,” said Dr Meg Doherty, Director of WHO’s Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes. “Ensuring early access to HIV and syphilis testing and treatment to all people with confirmed or suspected mpox, as well as timely access to mpox vaccines and antivirals, will save lives”.

    This recommendation reflects WHO’s commitment to integrated care and highlights the importance of timely HIV diagnosis and treatment in mitigating severe outcomes in co-infected patients. To strengthen implementation of early testing, WHO has published standard operating procedures for integrated testing, including HIV and syphilis, as part of the mpox response.

    WHO’s diagnostic and treatment guidance provide essential information and tools to optimize health outcomes.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: IOM Recognized for Decade of Disaster Preparedness and Response in Micronesia

    Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

    Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, 16 July 2025 – The Pohnpei State Legislature has formally recognized the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for its deep and lasting contributions to disaster preparedness and response across the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Through a resolution passed on 3 June 2025, lawmakers commended IOM’s commitment to protecting lives, reducing disaster risks, and reaching communities often left behind. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNESCO report warns of extracting activities near World Heritage sites

    Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre

    UNESCO, the Church of England Pensions Board, Greenbank, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the World Wildlife Fund call on investors to adhere to industry commitments and ensure World Heritage Site protection.

    UNESCO and its partners today released a report which shows the extent to which extractive industries are encroaching upon UNESCO World Heritage sites.

    The report, “Extractive Activities in UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Commitments, Risks and Investment Implications”, offers the most comprehensive analysis to date on the presence and proximity of areas licenced for oil, gas, and mineral exploration and production in and around some of the world’s most treasured cultural and natural heritage sites.

    Jointly released by UNESCO, the Church of England Pensions Board, Greenbank, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the report also emphasizes the critical role investors can play in assessing their risk exposure and influencing extractive companies’ practices. The data and analysis in the report help investors identify and manage the risks, aligning their investment decisions with global heritage protection commitments.

    In addition, the report outlines several ways investors can identify, assess, and respond to risks arising from operations within and near UNESCO World Heritage sites. These guidelines rely on UNESCO policy standards, focusing on how investors can integrate these standards into their own processes.

    “World Heritage sites support millions of livelihoods through tourism, agriculture, and other vital sectors. Oil, gas, and mining companies – and their investors – have a crucial role to play in safeguarding these irreplaceable places from harm.”

    Extractive activities in UNESCO World Heritage sites

    Commitments, risks and investments implications

    Dowload the full report

    English

    Protected, but not safe

    According to the report, companies currently hold oil, gas, and mining assets – licensed areas for exploration or production – in 97 of the 266 assessed natural UNESCO World Heritage sites, representing 36 per cent of sites. These include mining claims in 58 sites, oil and gas wells in 27, awarded oil and gas blocks in 25, oil and gas bid blocks in 14, and mining projects in 10. More than 800 individual assets overlapping with natural and mixed sites have been identified worldwide, impacting every region.

    Updating a similar spatial analysis conducted by WWF in 2015, the report finds that more than half of the sites previously identified as affected by extractive overlaps remain so today, indicating persistent and unresolved pressure.

    The risks extend beyond the boundaries of sites themselves. Nearly half (48 percent) of natural sites lie within one kilometre of extractive activity, and 73 per cent are within 20 kilometres, placing them at increased risk of pollution, habitat destruction, and cultural disruption.

    For the first time, the report also evaluates risks to cultural World Heritage sites and  reveals that 17 per cent of them – 158 out of 925 – are within 500 metres of extractive activity. Oil and gas activities are found near 124 cultural sites, while mining activities affect 45.

    “Natural World Heritage sites are among nature’s most precious gifts to humanity yet, despite their status, they are still coming under ongoing pressure from oil, gas and mining companies. As hotspots of biodiversity and culture, these sites can help support sustainable development and tackle climate change – we should not put them at risk.”

    Extractives in World Heritage sites is an investment risk

    The overlap between extractive activities and World Heritage sites presents a serious investment risk as companies operating in sensitive locations face growing scrutiny from regulators, shareholders, civil society and the public. This can lead to project delays, fines, reputational damage, and even operational shutdowns, all of which can impact profit margins and undermine long-term investment value.

    The report urges investors and extractive companies to avoid operating in or near these high-risk areas and to ensure that their activities comply with internationally recognized environmental and social standards, including UNESCO’s guidance supporting the World Heritage ‘no-go’ commitment.

    “Investors must act as responsible stewards of capital by ensuring the companies they finance do not put World Heritage sites at risk. This is not just a conservation issue – it’s a matter of long-term financial and reputational risk investors need to manage.”

    A critical opportunity and a shared responsibility

    Despite the risks, a window of opportunity remains. Most of the identified extractive assets are still in the forms of claims and concessions rather than active mines or oil and gas wells. This provides a crucial chance to take preventive action before operations begin and irreversible damage occurs.

    Strong national legal protections, comprehensive impact assessments, and greater transparency of extractive licensing processes are essential. Licences that overlap with or threaten areas of high conservation value should be responsibly phased out.

    “Extractive activities have long been recognized as fundamentally incompatible with World Heritage status. It is essential that governments, investors, and companies respect these sites as off-limits to oil, gas and mineral concessions and operations.”

    To prevent harm to World Heritage sites, investors must integrate spatial, financial and reputational risks into their investment policies and decision-making. A growing number of companies and organizations have already taken this step, following the example of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), which was the first to adopt a World Heritage ‘no-go’ commitment.

    “We believe investors have a responsibility to recognise where clear limits to economic activities must be drawn and to support companies that operate with care and responsibility. At its heart, this is about protecting what cannot be replaced.”

    UNESCO thanks the Government of Flanders (Kingdom of Belgium) for its support in strengthening corporate sector engagement in the protection of World Heritage. Learn more at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/no-go-commitment/

    About UNESCO and the World Heritage Convention

    The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to strengthening our shared humanity through the promotion of education, science, culture, and communication. It seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

    About the Church of England Pensions Board

    The Church of England Pensions Board provides retirement services to those who serve or work for the Church, managing pension schemes for over 43,000 members across 700 Church organizations. Managing around £3.4 billion in funds, it invests responsibly and sustainably for the long term to meet pension commitments. Guided by the ethics of the Church of England, it actively engages with companies and sectors to drive positive change alongside other investors, focusing on issues important to its members and their future. Find out more on their investment policy here.

    About Greenbank

    Greenbank provides investment management services for private investors, trusts and charities, and has been helping to drive change in finance, business and society through ethical and sustainable investment for over 20 years. As the sustainable investment specialists within Rathbones Group, Greenbank strives to be the natural home for investors seeking to align their investments with their values, providing sustainable investment as a standard, not an add on.

    About IUCN

    IUCN is the global authority on the state of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. IUCN brings together 1,500 government and civil society members, over 17,000 affiliated experts, while also helping businesses implement practices that conserve nature and benefit people. Since 1972, IUCN has served as the official Advisory Body on nature under the World Heritage Convention, leading the technical evaluation of new nominations, monitoring existing sites, and supporting conservation action through our global network and granting tools. Learn more about IUCN’s World Heritage work here.

    About WWF

    WWF is an independent conservation organization, with over 35 million followers and a global network active through local leadership in over 100 countries. Its mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Find out more at wwf.panda.org.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: First Person: How many more children must die before the world acts?

    Source: United Nations 2

    Juliette Touma, the director of communications for the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, has visited Gaza several times during and before the war and has been reflecting on the children she has met there and in other conflict zones.

    “Adam has been on my mind lately, more so than usual.

    I met Adam years ago in the Yemeni port city of Hudaydah, back then under siege and heavy bombardment. In the very poor hospital ward, there lay Adam, 10 years old, weighing just over 10 kilogrammes. He could not speak, he could not cry. All he could do was make a hoarse sound of breathing. A few days later, Adam died from malnutrition.

    © UNICEF/Juliette Touma

    A malnourished child inside a hospital in Sana’a, Yemen.

    Deadly malnutrition

    A couple of years before that, my colleague Hanaa calls from Syria late at night. She was in tears and could barely say a word. Hanaa eventually told me that Ali, a 16-year-old boy had died. In yet another town under siege, caught up in a war not of his making, he had also died from malnutrition.

    The following morning, my supervisor, an epidemiologist, said “for a boy of 16 to die of malnutrition, that says a lot. He’s practically a man. It means there’s no food at all in that part of Syria.”

    Back in Yemen in one of the few functioning children’s hospitals in the capital Sana’a, I was walking through the children’s ward during the peak of a cholera outbreak. Boys 15 and 16 years old, struggling to stay alive.

    They were so weak and emaciated, they could barely turn around in their beds.

    These images and stories haunted me over the years as they have for several among us who worked in severe hunger or famine-like situations.

    The author plays with students enjoying the “summer fun weeks” games in an UNRWA school in the Gaza Strip in 2023. (file)

    Fatal hunger grows in Gaza

    In 2022, when I had the great pleasure of going in and out of Gaza, I would visit children in UNRWA schools. Immaculately dressed, healthy looking, smiling, eager to learn, jumping up and down in the school playground to the sound of music.

    Back then, Gaza was already under a blockade for more than 15 years. Food was, however, available on the markets through imports via Israel and locally farmed produce. UNRWA was also giving food aid to over one million people.

    Images of Adam and Ali were quickly pushed to the back of my memory until a few weeks ago when they suddenly reappeared.

    © UNRWA/Hussein Owda

    A growing number of children are being screened for malnutrition in Gaza.

    Babies can survive, but will they?

    Our Gaza teams started sending alarming photos of emaciated babies. The rates of malnutrition are rapidly increasing, spreading across the Gaza Strip. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 50 children died of malnutrition since the siege began on 2 March.

    UNRWA has meanwhile screened over 242,000 children in the agency’s clinics and medical points across the war-torn Strip, covering over half the children under age five in Gaza.  One in 10 children screened is malnourished.

    Ahlam is seven months old. Her family was displaced every month since the war began, in search of non-existing safety. Shocked and her body weakened, Ahlam is severely malnourished. Like many babies in Gaza, her immune system has been damaged by trauma, constant forced displacement, lack of clean water, poor hygiene and very little food.

    Ahlam can survive, but will she?

    Bombs and scarce supplies

    There are very little therapeutic supplies to treat children with malnutrition as basics are scarce in Gaza. The Israeli authorities have imposed a tight siege blocking the entry of food, medicines, medical and nutritional supplies and hygiene material, including soap.

    While the siege is sometimes eased, UNRWA (the largest humanitarian organisation in Gaza) has not been allowed to bring in humanitarian assistance since 2 March.

    Last week, Salam, another malnourished baby, died. She was a few months old. When she finally reached the UNRWA clinic, it was too late.

    Meanwhile, eight children queuing for therapeutic support against malnutrition were killed when the Israeli forces hit the clinic they were in. One of my colleagues who drove past the clinic a few minutes later told me she saw mothers looking out into the abyss, weeping in silence, just like Adam did.

    How many more babies must die before the world takes action?

    Why should babies die of malnutrition in the 21st century, especially when it’s totally preventable?

    At UNRWA, we have over 6,000 trucks of food, hygiene supplies and medicines outside Gaza waiting for the green light to go in.

    The aid will mainly help little girls like Ahlam. UNRWA also has more than 1,000 health workers who can provide boys and girls with specialised nutritional services.

    Amid the daily livestream of horrors we get from Gaza on our screens, one cannot help but ask how many more Ahlam’s and Salam’s have to die before taking action?

    How much longer until a ceasefire is reached so that bombs stop falling on emaciated and dying children?”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Adopting Resolution 2787 (2025), Security Council Extends Reporting Requirement on Houthi Attacks against Merchant, Commercial Vessels in Red Sea

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    The Security Council today extended the request to the Secretary-General to provide written monthly reports through 15 January 2026 on any further Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

    Adopting resolution 2787 (2025) (to be issued as document S/RES/2787(2025)) with a vote of 12 in favour to none against, with 3 abstentions (Algeria, China, Russian Federation), the Council extended the reporting request in paragraph 10 of resolution 2722 (2024), while also recalling all its relevant resolutions on the situation in Yemen and the Red Sea, including resolutions 2216 (2015), 2722 (2024), 2739 (2024) and 2768 (2025).

    Acts of Terrorism by Houthis

    In the ensuing discussion, the representative of the United States, who served as co-penholder of today’s resolution, said that the recent Houthi attacks on two civilian cargo vessels — the MV Magic Seas and the MV Eternity Sea — are yet another stark reminder of the Houthis’ terrorist tactics and their blatant disregard for civilian life.  These attacks have also disrupted the free flow of global commerce through the Red Sea and, according to some reports, more than doubled the cost of operating commercial vessels in the area.  “The United States strongly condemns these acts of terrorism, which threaten freedom of navigation and undermine regional economic and maritime security,” she said, calling for the immediate and permanent cessation of all Houthi attacks against vessels transiting the Red Sea.  Demanding the unconditional release of the crew of the MV Eternity Sea, who remain in Houthi custody, she also reiterated condemnation of Iran’s ongoing violations of Council resolution 2216 (2015), which continue to “enable Houthi terrorism” — including these latest attacks.

    No Justification for Any Attack against Innocent Seafarers

    The representative of Greece, also co-penholder of today’s resolution, said that the recent, unprovoked attacks against two commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea region “provide a clear testimony of the Houthis’ continued aggression and destabilizing role, as well as the need to keep the reporting mechanism in place”.  Underscoring that there is no justification for any attack against innocent seafarers — “whose contribution to international maritime trade is irreplaceable” — he stressed that, if the Red Sea region “becomes even more degraded, it will expose the international community to more acute security risks and economic uncertainty”.  He therefore called on all Member States to respect and implement the arms embargo established by resolution 2216 (2015).

    As a nation deeply invested in the stability of the Red Sea, Somalia’s delegate said that he supported the resolution as a reflection of an unwavering commitment to maritime security.  “We recognize the gravity of the current threats and their far-reaching implications, from economic disruption to environmental risks,” he said.  While this resolution is a constructive step forward, its effectiveness will depend on a thoughtful approach that accounts for regional realities and sensitivities.  Security in the Red Sea cannot be separated from the stability of its coastal States or the broader peace process.  Lasting solutions must tackle the root causes of instability while upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations in the region.  “We must avoid actions that risk further escalation and instead focus on addressing the legitimate concerns of all stakeholders,” he said.

    Nexus between Attacks in Red Sea and Aggression against Palestinians in Gaza

    The representative of Algeria said that his delegation’s abstention “comes in line with its principled position”, including abstentions on resolutions 2722 (2024), 2739 (2024) and 2768 (2025).  He stressed, however, that this abstention must not be interpreted either as a reservation regarding the Secretary-General’s monthly reports or as a justification for the attacks targeting commercial vessels or cargo carriers. Rather, it is a “reflection of our deep concern” over the implementation of resolution 2722 (2024), he said, noting that such resolution has been misused to justify attacks on the territory of sovereign States.  He added that the Council cannot disregard the “clear nexus between the attacks in the Red Sea and the aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza”.

    The representative of the Russian Federation — whose delegation also abstained — noted with concern that the text represents a direct continuation of resolution 2722 (2024) — an instrument that, despite its stated aim of ensuring freedom of navigation, has “raised serious concerns on our side” regarding its interpretation and application in practice.  While the resolution’s original intent is commendable, namely safeguarding maritime security around Yemen, the broad and ambiguous language has opened the door to arbitrary interpretations, including its use as justification for unilateral military actions on the sovereign territory of Yemen.  “We emphasize that such misinterpretations are unacceptable and undermine the authority of the Security Council,” he said.  Stabilization efforts in and around Yemen must be pursued exclusively through political and diplomatic means, in full respect of international law.  Moreover, it is impossible to decouple the Red Sea’s security from the wider instability across the region — most notably the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said.  Achieving sustainable peace requires immediate steps:  a ceasefire, the release of hostages and detainees, and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.

    Council Resolutions Should Not Be ‘Misinterpreted or Abused’

    The representative of China — whose delegation also abstained — recalled its similar abstention on resolution 2722 (2024).  “Following the adoption of that resolution, certain countries took military actions against Yemen, which seriously impacted Yemen’s peace process and exacerbated tensions in the Red Sea,” he recalled, adding that the “negative effects” of such actions “continue until today”.  He underscored that Council resolutions should not be “misinterpreted or abused”, and that Yemen’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity should be respected.  Adding that tensions in the Red Sea are a “major manifestation of the spillover from the Gaza conflict”, he said that issues in the Red Sea and Yemen cannot be resolved without easing tensions and de-escalating the overall situation in the region.

    Red Sea Corridor for Global Trade, Vital Channel for Humanitarian Aid

    The representative of Pakistan, Council President for July, having voted in favor of resolution 2787 (2025) and speaking in his national capacity, reaffirmed “our principled and longstanding commitment” to upholding maritime security and unequivocally condemning attacks on all commercial shipping.  He denounced the recent assaults on vessels in the Red Sea and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained crew members.  In the current context, the extension of the reporting mandate is a necessary and timely step.  “We underscore the strategic significance of the Red Sea maritime corridor — not only as a critical artery for global trade, but also as a vital channel for humanitarian aid to Yemen,” he said.  All attacks on merchant and commercial vessels navigating the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden must cease immediately and permanently, in full compliance with international law.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Global demand for meat and dairy set to rise, but climate and nutrition gaps remain

    Source: United Nations 2

    However, persistent nutritional gaps and mounting environmental pressures reveal a complex path ahead, according to a new study by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – an influential international policy forum.

    The Agricultural Outlook 2025-2034, released on Tuesday, projects a six per cent increase in global per capita consumption of animal-source foods by 2034 – beef, pork, poultry, fish, dairy and other animal products.  

    The trend is most pronounced in lower middle-income countries, where intake is expected to rise by 24 per cent, far outpacing the global average.  

    “These projections point to better nutrition for many people in developing countries,” said Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the FAO.

    OECD‑FAO

    Agricultural Outlook 2025‑2034

    Increased incomes, better diets – but not for all

    The surge in consumption in middle-income economies is attributed largely to rising disposable incomes, changing dietary preferences and urbanisation. In these countries, daily per capita intake of animal-sourced foods is projected to reach 364 kilocalories, surpassing the 300 kcal benchmark.

    At the same time, consumption in low-income countries will remain low – reaching just 143 kcal per day, less than half the amount deemed necessary for a healthy diet – highlighting stark inequalities in access to nutrient-rich diets and the challenges ahead to ensure everyone is food secure.

    Mr. Qu urged greater efforts to ensure people in the lowest-income countries also benefit from improved nutrition and food security.

    Production expanding but emissions rising

    To meet rising demand, global agricultural and fish production is projected to increase by 14 per cent over the next decade, largely driven by productivity gains in middle-income nations.

    Output of meat, dairy and eggs is expected to grow by 17 per cent, while total livestock inventories are projected to expand by seven per cent.

    However, these gains come at an environmental cost: direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture are set to rise by six per cent by 2034, despite improvements in emissions intensity.

    As production becomes more efficient, the emissions generated per unit of output will decline, but the overall footprint will still grow unless additional measures are taken.

    OECD‑FAO

    Agricultural Outlook 2025‑2034

    Other key findings

    • Cereal yields to grow 0.9 per cent annually, with harvested area expanding just 0.14 per cent per year – half the pace of the last decade
    • By 2034, 40 per cent of cereals will go directly to human consumption, 33 per cent to animal feed, and the rest to biofuels and industry
    • Biofuel demand set to rise 0.9 per cent annually, led by Brazil, India and Indonesia
    • Sub-Saharan Africa’s beef herd projected to grow 15 per cent, though productivity remains just one-tenth of North America’s
    • India and Southeast Asia will drive 39 per cent of global consumption growth by 2034; China’s share falling to 13 per cent from 32 per cent
    • High-income countries to see drop in per capita fats and sweeteners intake due to health trends and policy shifts

    A win-win: More nourishment, fewer emissions

    The report outlines a scenario in which nourishment improves for all, and agricultural emissions are reduced by as much as seven per cent below current levels by 2034.

    Achieving this dual outcome would require major investments to improve productivity, alongside widespread adoption of existing low-emission technologies such as precision farming, improved livestock feed and prioritising nutritional production.

    Future progress will depend on a blend of policy coordination, technological innovation and targeted investments – especially in countries where the gap between demand and nutritional value is stark.

    “We have the tools to end hunger and boost global food security,” said Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the OECD.

    “Well-coordinated policies are needed to keep global food markets open, while fostering long-term productivity improvements and sustainability in the agriculture sector.”

    Pivotal role for global trade

    The Outlook also reiterates the importance of trade, given that 22 per cent of all calories eaten will have crossed international borders by 2034.

    “International trade will remain indispensable to the global agri-food sector,” the report stressed.

    “Multilateral cooperation and a rules-based agricultural trade are essential to facilitating these trade flows, balancing food deficits and surpluses across countries, stabilising prices and enhancing food security, nutrition and environmental sustainability.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Scores killed in Sudan’s Kordofan region as fighting intensifies

    Source: United Nations 2

    Amid ongoing communication disruptions in the area, confirming the exact civilian death toll remains difficult, but reports indicate that at least 300 people – including children and pregnant women – were killed in attacks on villages in Bara locality, North Kordofan State, between 10 and 13 July.

    During the same period, a series of attacks – including an air strike on a school sheltering displaced families – reportedly killed more than 20 people, in the villages of Al Fula and Abu Zabad in West Kordofan State.  

    OCHA is also alarmed by reports of renewed shelling in Al Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan State, “deepening fears and insecurity among civilians,” the humanitarian coordination agency reported.  

    Tragic civilian toll

    With thousands of people reportedly killed since the beginning of the conflict between former military allies-turned rivals over two years ago, the crisis in Sudan continues to take a devastating toll on civilians. 

    “These incidents are yet another tragic reminder of the relentless toll the conflict is taking on civilians across Sudan,” OCHA reported.

    The office emphasises that civilians and civilian infrastructures – including schools, homes, shelters and humanitarian assets – must never be targeted, and called on all parties to the conflict to “fully respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.”

    Toll from displacement

    Described as “the largest as well as the fastest growing displacement crisis globally,” by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in February 2025, displacement continues amid the fighting.

    People fleeing North Kordofan, as well as El Fasher in North Darfur State, continue to seek shelter in the rest of Sudan, including Northern State, with humanitarian partners on the ground reporting more than 3,000 displaced people arriving in the locality of Ad-Dabbah since June.

    Although some have received food assistance, the steady influx of newly displaced families is putting additional strain on already stretched resources.  

    With the rainy season approaching, OCHA warned that further hardship is likely, particularly as heavy rain and strong winds destroyed shelters and food supplies for about 2,700 displaced people in eastern Sudan this past Sunday. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Whole-of-Government, Whole-of-Society Approach Critical to Addressing Gender Equality, Executive Director Tells High-level Political Forum

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    Nearly a decade since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 dedicated to achieving gender equality and empowerment of women and girls “remains the most off-track”, speakers told a United Nations high-level political forum today, calling for reinforced measures to accelerate progress against a tide of backsliding rights and opportunities.

    The first of two daily panels addressed “SDG 5 and interlinkages with other SDGs — Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”, with Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), warning that at the current pace, true gender equality in economic life, leadership and safety will remain generations away.  “That is unacceptable,” she stressed.

    With the growing erosion of rights, she called for a “push forward against the pushback” with investment in women and youth-led organizations and tackling misogyny head-on, be it online or off. Further, societies must invest in robust gender data systems that track real impact, ensure follow-up and address intersecting inequalities.  “What gets measured, gets done,” she stated.

    Offering concrete proposals, she urged stakeholders to work with Governments to advance nationally-owned development priorities.  A whole-of-Government, whole-of-society approach is needed, as gender equality cannot be the remit of one ministry or one actor.  Investment in care systems is critical, as unpaid care limits women’s full participation in economic and public life.  Further, the UN80 initiative — a unique opportunity to make the UN more effective, efficient and impactful for women and girls — can help propel gender equality forward, ensuring enhanced regional and cross-regional coordination and increasing efficiency.

    “A girl born today would see gender equality achieved in her ninety-seventh year” warned Albert Motivans, Head of Data and Insights at Equal Measures 2030 — a coalition of civil society organizations.  The backslide is being driven by numerous factors including a resource crunch, with less international financing, domestic austerity measures and declining household incomes.  He further highlighted a “democracy crunch”, as gender equality is closely linked with democracy, while its foundations worldwide are at risk due to rising economic inequality, social and political polarization, and the closing of civic space. Additionally, the “safety and security crunch” of rising conflict and militarization impacts women and girls in their choices and their personal safety.

    He called for elevating women’s and girls’ leadership, power and voices — noting the progress in parliamentary participation at 27 per cent.  Further, it is important to reform and adopt equality laws and policies to engage Governments and the wider public, and close gender-sensitive data gaps, with increased investment in public services and social infrastructure, including care.

    Further, “there is unequal access to education for women all over the world”, said Zara Khanna, Youth Ambassador for She Loves Tech, citing artificial intelligence (AI)-powered learning programmes as a “key tool to aid us in bridging the divide”.  They can approach students on an individual level, offering personalized feedback, which is especially important for those who face cultural and other barriers to gaining an education.  She spotlighted Khan Academy — a free AI-powered personalized tutor that offers a range of subjects, from English to math, or Rori, which was piloted in Ghana and is available on all mobile devices, as it operates via WhatsApp.  This is especially important, given that mobile penetration is extremely high; while 129 million girls lack access to education, 4.9 billion people worldwide have access to smartphones.

    Outlining solutions, she underscored the need to accelerate connectivity by distributing more Internet hotspots.  One single hotspot can power a village, and hundreds of girls can gain access to the wealth of knowledge available online. Additionally, more devices, such as smartphones and tablets, shall be distributed, so girls can access this knowledge.  She underscored that Governments must invest in creating culture and language-specific AI-powered programmes to cater to the job markets that these girls will be entering. Through early science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) intervention, mentorship programmes and more gender-neutral language, “we can all move together to reach SDG 5 by 2030” and “a more gender-neutral future”.

    Echoing those comments, Ms. Bahous cited the launch of the Beijing+30 Action Agenda, focused on six critical areas:  digital inclusion, freedom from poverty, zero violence, leadership, peace and security, and climate justice.  Cutting across these areas is engagement with young women and youth.  “These are not distant goals,” she stated.  “They are urgent demands from women and girls around the world”.

    Mr. Motivans also emphasized the importance of reinforcing the use of national and global gender data like those in the Equal Measures SDG Gender Index.  “But it’s not just to measure, it’s not just to count”, he said, noting the importance of evaluating not only the status of women and girls, but their impact on societies.  Data can identify blocks to progress and gaps in various Goals, unpaid care and reproductive rights.

    Recalling progress in countries implementing anti-discrimination laws, he noted that “Governments do that well” — but the next step requires ensuring that “equal opportunities for women and men” are met, as this is where countries may fall short.  He called for mobilizing a society-wide range of partners, developing value propositions to engage those working on the ground with expert knowledge of the issues faced by women and girls.

    […]

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN urges de-escalation, protection of civilians as conflict roils Syria

    Source: United Nations 2

    On Sunday, violence erupted between Sunni Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze militias in Sweida, two days after a Druze merchant was abducted on the highway to Damascus.

    The casualty figures are unclear according to local reports, but the death toll is at least 30, and hundreds have been injured.  

    As violent unrest continued Monday, interim government security forces were deployed to restore order, which reportedly led to clashes with local armed militia.

    On the same day, Israeli forces struck tanks under the control of Syrian forces in defence of the Druze, whom it considers a loyal minority at home and in the occupied Golan area, according to news reports.

    Shortly after forces of the caretaker government in Damascus arrived in Sweida on Tuesday, Syria’s defence chief announced a ceasefire.

    Tensions have historically been high between minority groups in the city since Islamist rebels toppled former president Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December and a new caretaker government was installed which is gaining increasing international recognition.

    Guterres expresses concern

    Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, addressed the situation in Syria on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres at Tuesday’s briefing in New York.

    “The Secretary-General is deeply concerned over the continued violence we have seen in the Druze-majority area in Sweida governorate,” Mr. Dujarric said, adding that he is particularly alarmed by reports of arbitrary violence against civilians.

    Mr. Guterres condemned “all violence against civilians, especially acts that risk enflaming sectarian tensions,” and urged de-escalation, protection of civilians and a transparent investigation into those responsible for the killings and injuries.

    Israel urged to end violations within Syria

    “The Secretary-General is also concerned by Israel’s airstrikes on Syria’s territory and calls on Israel to refrain from violations of Syria’s independence, its sovereignty and its territorial integrity,” Mr. Dujarric stressed.  

    Mr. Guterres urged support for “a credible, orderly and inclusive political transition in Syria in line with the key principles of Security Council Resolution 2254.” 

    Mr. Dujarric also relayed reports from UN humanitarian partners in Sweida, noting that medical services are overstretched and that markets and essential services – including water, electricity and education – have been disrupted.

    While UN aid operations have been suspended in impacted areas due to blocked roads, the UN is mobilising to respond when conditions allow. 

    Investigators raise alarm

    Also on Tuesday, the UN Human Rights Council mandated Syria Commission of Inquiry released a statement expressing concern over the situation in Sweida and stressing the urgent need for de-escalation and the protection of human rights.

    The statement cited reports from local residents of killings, abductions, property burnings, looting and a rise in hate speech both online and in person.

    In addition to highlighting concern over sectarian violence and Israeli airstrikes, the Commission emphasized the interim government’s responsibility to uphold human rights and ensure safe passage and humanitarian aid access.

    The independent human rights investigators said they had begun an investigation into alleged human rights abuses related to the killings in Sweida in recent days.  

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance Association (GEER)

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Mission

    The Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association is a volunteer organisation of geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, and earth scientists from academia, industry, government organisations, and non-profit organisations. GEER responds to geotechnical extreme events, conducting detailed reconnaissance and documenting its observations, to obtain valuable perishable information that can be used to advance research and improve engineering practice.

    GEER was formed as an outgrowth of grassroots efforts to investigate and document the geotechnical impacts of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, 1994 Northridge Earthquake, and 1995 Kobe Earthquake.

    Following these earthquakes, members of the geotechnical earthquake engineering community responded with ad hoc reconnaissance teams that relied on past personal and professional relationships. The National Science Foundation awarded a grant to GEER to help formalise post-disaster geotechnical engineering reconnaissance efforts.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –