News

Our news page provides you with a round up of UN news related to economic development, humanitarian aid, climate change, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). You will find the summary of news articles together with a link to the news source.

Rising inflation, falling wages threaten increased poverty and unrest: ILO

30 Nov 2022

Rising inflation has caused a striking decline in real monthly wages in many countries, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a report published on Wednesday, highlighting the urgent need for policies to prevent further poverty, inequality and social unrest. 

Numbers forced to flee passes 100 million; many displaced for decades: UNDP

29 Nov 2022

Humanitarian aid alone cannot overcome record levels of internal displacement globally, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said in a report published on Tuesday, calling for urgent action to support people uprooted by climate, conflict and crisis. 

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UN envoy warns against ‘worrying and dangerous’ military escalation in Syria

29 Nov 2022

Syria needs less military activity and more focus on the political process, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen told the Security Council on Tuesday, appealing for restraint amid a worrying trend towards escalation. 

UN Forum tackles ‘digital poverty’ facing 2.7 billion people  

29 Nov 2022

The annual UN forum on Internet governance is under way this week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, aiming to deliver bold solutions for an open, free, inclusive and secure digital future for all, in particular for the 2.7 billion people with no Internet access. 

Ports, shipping need to go green to resist future global crises: UNCTAD

29 Nov 2022

The entire shipping industry must invest urgently in sustainability if it is to withstand future shocks and help prevent another global cost-of-living crisis linked to supply chain disruption, UN trade and development experts UNCTAD said on Tuesday.

Large parts of world drier than normal in 2021: WMO

29 Nov 2022

Most of the globe was drier than normal in 2021, with “cascading effects on economies, ecosystems and our daily lives”, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Tuesday.

‘Intense diplomatic efforts’ continue to ensure food and fertilizers reach those in need

29 Nov 2022

The first shipment of fertilizer donated by Russian producers to countries hit hard by rising global food insecurity, has left the Netherlands bound for Malawi, the UN Spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.

Ukraine: Heading into winter without heat or water, needs in Mykolaiv are 'critical’ 

28 Nov 2022

In the south of Ukraine, people have no water, electricity or heat, and food is scarce, the UN Spokesperson said on Monday. 

‘We cannot give up’ on the millions suffering in drought-stricken Horn of Africa, urges WFP official

28 Nov 2022

Millions of people in the Horn of Africa – a region at the intersection of some of the worst impacts of climate change, recurring humanitarian crises and insecurity – are facing the driest conditions in four decades along with extreme food shortages. The top UN World Food Programme (WFP) official in the region, Michael Dunford, is warning that the situation there is likely to get worse before it improves.

At Fez forum, UN chief calls for global ‘alliance of peace’ recognizing inclusion and richness of diversity

22 Nov 2022

In a world where “old evils – antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, persecution of Christians, xenophobia, and racism – are receiving new leases on life”, the UN Alliance of Civilizations is helping to show the way on how to act in solidarity, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said on Tuesday.

UNEP honours five protectors of Mother Earth

22 Nov 2022

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced on Tuesday, the 2022 Champions of the Earth for their transformative action to prevent, halt or reverse ecosystem degradation.  

Honour traffic victims by making roads safer: Guterres

21 Nov 2022

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for greater global efforts to achieve the goal of reducing traffic deaths and injuries by half by 2030. 

COP27 closes with deal on loss and damage: ‘A step towards justice’, says UN chief

20 Nov 2022

After days of intense negotiations that stretched into early Sunday morning in Sharm el-Sheikh, countries at the UN Climate Change Conference, known as COP27, reached agreement on an outcome that established a funding mechanism to compensate vulnerable for ‘loss and damage’ from climate-induced disasters. 

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‘Join forces’ for peaceful, prosperous continent, urges UN chief on Africa Industrialization Day

20 Nov 2022

On Africa Industrialization Day, Sunday, the UN chief urged everyone to “join forces to build a more sustainable, peaceful, and prosperous continent for all”.

From the Field: In Ukraine, ‘I have grown used to the endless fear’

19 Nov 2022

Living with fear and the daily threat of death is something that all Ukrainians have had to reckon with since Russia’s invasion of 24 February, and local UN staff are no exception.

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Rights experts decry harassment of activists attending COP27

18 Nov 2022

Independent human rights experts are in dialogue with Egyptian and UN authorities over the harassment of civil society representatives at the COP27 climate change conference, according to a statement issued on Friday. 

As COP27 deadline slips, UN chief urges negotiators to aim for ‘maximum ambition’ on loss and damage

18 Nov 2022

The 27th UN Climate Change Conference will close at least one day later than expected, the Egyptian Presidency announced on Friday, calling for negotiators to “shift gears” so an agreement can be reached on the remaining sticking points.

UN’s game plan for sanitation for all

17 Nov 2022

Ahead of World Toilet Day on 19 November, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is launching a new game plan to help governments achieve safely managed sanitation for their populations and meet the sanitation target laid out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

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Peru’s food crisis grows amid soaring prices and poverty: FAO

17 Nov 2022

Peru has become the most food-insecure country in South America, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO.

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‘Stand and deliver’, UN chief urges COP27 negotiators as deadline nears to finalize outcome text

17 Nov 2022

COP27 is scheduled to wrap up in 24 hours but countries remain divided on several significant issues including

UN chief welcomes renewal of Black Sea Grain Initiative

17 Nov 2022

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday welcomed the renewal of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had been due to expire on Saturday.

Ukraine war: Risks of spillover ‘remain all too real’, Security Council hears 

16 Nov 2022

Some of the most intense bombardments in the war in Ukraine have occurred in recent days, UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council on Wednesday, warning against the risk of escalation and spillover into other countries.

Invest more in Africa’s Sahel, or risk decades of armed conflict and displacement

16 Nov 2022

Without urgent investment in climate mitigation and adaptation, countries in the Sahel risk decades of armed conflict and displacement, exacerbated by rising temperatures, scarcity of resources and food insecurity, the UN has warned in a report published on Wednesday.

‘Bridges across digital divides’ needed to boost development, Guterres tells G20 

16 Nov 2022

With the right national policies, digital technology can give “an unprecedented boost to sustainable development”, particularly for the poorest countries, the UN chief told the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Wednesday. 

COP27: Protecting biodiversity is protecting the Paris Agreement

16 Nov 2022

While for many years the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis have been treated as separate issues, the reality – as highlighted on Wednesday at COP27– is that there is no viable route to limiting global warming to 1.5°C without urgently protecting and restoring nature.

Horn of Africa: UNFPA launches $113 million appeal for drought-impacted women and girls

16 Nov 2022

The unprecedented drought in the Horn of Africa is affecting whole communities, but it is women and girls who are paying “an unacceptably high price”, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Wednesday, launching a $113.7 million appeal to meet their needs. 

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UNICEF launches new child-focused climate initiative to head off disasters

15 Nov 2022

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday launched a new climate financing initiative designed to help countries address current and growing impacts of the climate crisis, and better cope with disasters.

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Humanitarians launch Haiti appeal to ease spiralling cholera-fuelled crisis

15 Nov 2022

The Haitian Government joined the UN and humanitarian partners to launch an appeal for $145.6 million in support of the country's emergency cholera response and provide life-saving assistance to 1.4 million living in the most affected areas.

‘Milestone for humanity’ as UN celebrates 8 billionth birth

15 Nov 2022

The Day of 8 Billion, officially marked on Tuesday, is a milestone moment for human longevity, according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), “signalling major improvements in public health”, but it also comes with warnings of worsening economic inequality and environmental damage.

Keep the 1.5°C goal alive, experts and civil society urge on ‘Energy Day’ at COP27

15 Nov 2022

The troubling expansion of oil, gas and coal projects, despite science telling us that fossil fuels should stay in the ground to avert the worst impacts of climate change, was at the centre of ‘Energy Day’ discussions at COP27 on Tuesday, with many experts fearing that the goal of curbing global warming to 1.5 could be in danger.