World The UN Security Council Is Struggling ‘Day by Day,’ Japan Says Secretary-General António Guterres, left, and Kazuyuki Yamazaki, permanent representative of Japan and president of the Security Council for March, before a recent meeting on Sudan and South Sudan. Only three months in the UN post, Yamakazi leads the Council on a range of crises this month, from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine to conflicts in parts of Africa, as Japan also highlights its own two signature debates: building peace […] todayMarch 13, 2024 11
insert_link Videos An estimated half a million people in Gaza are facing famine The gravity of the situation has prompted the UN to issue a warning of a potential famine. In response, the United States and other international governments have advocated for a surge in aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave. Given the closure of most border crossings into Gaza, they have resorted to airdrops as a means of delivering assistance. Particularly in the heavily affected northern region, many people are struggling to […] todayMarch 7, 2024 23
insert_link World ‘There Can Be No Sustainable Development without Peace’, Deputy Secretary-General Tells Arab Forum Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development 2024, in Beirut: I congratulate the Government of the Sultanate of Oman for presiding. I also would like to thank the Executive Secretary of ESCWA [Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia], Ms. Rola Dashti, for bringing us together at a critical moment of our annual stocktake. Our world is facing complex challenges. In particular, the […] todayMarch 6, 2024 6
insert_link World NGO Approvals by a UN Committee Could Finally See ‘Long-Overdue’ Reform The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, a little-known but powerful body that approves NGOs’ accreditation to the UN, is mired in politics and nearly dysfunctional. One organization, for example, promoting the rights of Dalits globally, took 15 years to get its acceptance. Now, a reform proposal by Costa Rica and the United Kingdom could upend the process for the better. Here, Dalit women taking part in a campaign preventing violence against […] todayMarch 6, 2024 5
insert_link World ‘Flour Massacre’: Lifesaving Aid Becomes a Deadly Struggle in Gaza A boy injured from the aid convoy tragedy that occurred in Gaza City on Feb. 29, which has been described as a “massacre” by Gazans, who accuse Israel of shooting at the frenzied crowd trying to get food. Israel denies the allegations and says the people were trampled to death. The photographer, Mohammed Hajjar, was at the scene seeking food for his extended family of 34 relatives before the catastrophe […] todayMarch 4, 2024 7
insert_link World The Hurdles Keep Climbing for the UN’s New Gaza-Aid Troubleshooter Sigrid Kaag, a former Dutch politician, was named to the new post of senior humanitarian coordinator for Gaza late last year. Since arriving on the job on Jan. 8, the enormous hurdles to delivering food and other essentials into the Palestinian enclave have worsened as famine alarms are being sounded by UN officials. MANUEL ELIAS/UN PHOTO By Damilola Banjo via Passblue Sigrid Kaag, a Dutch diplomat and former politician appointed […] todayFebruary 29, 2024 9
insert_link Environment Nile Basin farmers grow food forests to restore wetlands and bring back a turtle By David Njagi via Mongabay In the 44 years Naomi Rita Sitati has lived in Bukirimo village in western Kenya, she has known only one system of farming, which her community has depended on for generations. Cultivating sugarcane as the only crop in large plots is a common practice in the region, which is part of the larger Nile Basin, and Sitati was happy with it. Apart from creating jobs for […] todayFebruary 29, 2024 21
insert_link Videos Quarter of Gaza one step from famine as aid trucks looted, says UN Aid trucks are being shot at and looted with at least a quarter of Gaza's population one step away from starvation, UN officials said on Tuesday. The situation is especially acute in the north, where humanitarian supplies are scarce and vast swathes of the area lie in ruins after Israel's military offensive. UN humanitarian coordinator Ramesh Ramasingham told the UN Security Council on Tuesday there is "every possibility" the situation […] todayFebruary 28, 2024 16
insert_link World Small Countries Are Crucial for the UN’s Long-Term Survival, and Singapore Leads the Way Burhan Gafoor, ambassador of Singapore to the United Nations, photographed at the country’s mission, Feb. 12, 2024. Gafoor has over decades corralled resources and knowledge for small countries “to use their voice and UN votes effectively,” the author writes. The coalition is now poised to assert itself vigorously in negotiations leading to the Summit of the Future in September. The goal of that gathering, at the UN, is to revitalize […] todayFebruary 28, 2024 11
