From wood-based panels used in construction, to charcoal for cooking food, forest products are valued and traded all around the world.
With Central Africans set to vote in presidential, legislative, regional and long-delayed municipal elections this weekend, the United Nations has appealed for calm and restraint, warning that the credibility of the process will be critical to consolidating peace after years of conflict and instability.
The UN has long been at the forefront of efforts to involve young people in decision-making, and the last decade has seen significant progress, thanks to the adoption of a Security Council resolution on youth, peace and security which led to widespread changes in the ways that the voices of young people are not just heard, but also incorporated in peace plans and policies.
Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have sharply escalated amid increased US military operations in the Southern Caribbean, prompting accusations of sovereignty violations, concerns over civilian harm and growing calls at the UN Security Council for restraint and de-escalation.
A new wave of overnight strikes and front-line hostilities in Ukraine have caused further civilian casualties and damage to critical energy infrastructure, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday.
The UN and partners continue to provide assistance to people in Gaza, where recent winter storms have worsened conditions for thousands across the enclave.
As Myanmar approaches elections scheduled for 28 December, the UN’s top human rights official has said that civilians are being coerced from all sides – forced by the military to vote and threatened by armed opposition groups to boycott – in a climate of fear, violence and mass repression.
At a meeting to discuss nuclear non-proliferation on Tuesday, the Security Council’s stance on Iran’s nuclear activities remained divided on the issue, split between those who support the reinstatement of sanctions, and the members who believe the sanctions should be permanently lifted, whilst questioning the legality of the meeting itself.
An estimated 500,000 people have been forced from their homes since fighting erupted in South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), at the beginning of December.
The Security Council convened earlier today for a packed agenda, adopting a resolution extending the authorisation of the African Union support mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and hearing a briefing on Iran and the implementation of resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Members are set to reconvene at 3 pm for an emergency meeting requested by Venezuela, amid heightened tensions between Caracas and Washington. Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Khaled Khiari is expected to brief ambassadors. Follow live below and UN News app users can click here.
The war in Sudan is entering a deadlier phase, the United Nations has warned, as intensified fighting in the Kordofan region, mounting civilian casualties from drone strikes and growing risks of regional spillover push the conflict toward the 1,000-day mark.
Brutal slashes to aid budgets are hampering efforts to assist millions of people in Somalia affected by drought, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday.
Despite the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, humanitarians continue to receive reports of airstrikes, shelling and gunfire in all five governorates, the United Nations said on Monday.
Hostilities in Ukraine this weekend resulted in more civilian casualties and widespread damage to critical infrastructure, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Monday.
Senior UN political and humanitarian officials are set brief the Security Council this afternoon as members meet to discuss the rapidly deteriorating situation in Sudan, where intensified fighting – including in the Kordofan region – has driven widespread civilian harm and displacement. The region has seen a sharp escalation, including a deadly drone attack on a UN peacekeeping base that killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers. The meeting was requested by Sudan and Transitional Prime Minister, Kamil Eltayeb Idris, is expected to attend. Follow live below and UN News app users can click here.
Past geopolitical tensions related to the synthetic drug “captagon” are now being mitigated with the Syrian authorities’ commitment to dismantle illicit manufacturing, says the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The path to long-awaited elections in Libya is paved with complications but they can be overcome, the UN Special Representative for the country said on Friday in a briefing to the Security Council.
The UN Secretary-General on Friday condemned the arbitrary detention of 10 more UN personnel by Houthi de facto authorities in Yemen, warning that the growing crackdown is crippling humanitarian operations and putting millions of lives at risk.
The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously extended the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for another year, as fighting in the country’s east intensified amid renewed offensives by the M23 rebel group.
The United Nations has urged calm in Bangladesh after the killing of a prominent youth protest leader sparked fresh unrest, raising concerns about political violence and the safety of civic space as the country prepares for elections early next year.
