(UN News)* — Climate talks at COP29 in Baku on Wednesday [] turned to the pressing issue of how to manage the demand for minerals essential to producing electric vehicles and solar panels without triggering a “stampede of greed” that exploits local communities and crushes the poor.
UN calls for urgent action at COP29 climate summit
(UN News)* — Come hell or high water, nations must urgently scale up climate adaptation efforts, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warned Thursday [], starting with a commitment to boost adaptation financing at the upcoming COP29 summit.
UNICEF/Vlad Sokhin | A girl from the Iñupiat community stands on an ice floe on a shore of the Arctic Ocean in Barrow, Alaska in the United States. The anomalous melting of the Arctic ice is one of the many effects of global warming that has a serious impact on the life of humans and the wildlife.
Baku, Azerbaijan, 11 November 2024 –The year 2024 is on track to be the warmest year on record after an extended streak of exceptionally high monthly global mean temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The WMO State of the Climate 2024 Update once again issues a Red Alert at the sheer pace of climate change in a single generation, turbo-charged by ever-increasing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 8 2024 (IPS)* – When the United Nations imposes sanctions or penalizes a member state – be it the General Assembly or the Human Rights Council – the resolutions are “non-binding” and often remain unimplemented.
In Khan Younis, thousands of people are fleeing for their lives again. Credit: UNRWA
But the Security Council resolutions are “binding” – and still openly violated by countries such as North Korea—because all these UN bodies have no means of implementing these resolutions, nor a standing army to forcibly enforce them. But they only carry moral weight.
(UN News)* —There must be “due reckoning” for horrific violations and possible atrocity crimes in Gaza, the UN human rights chief said on Friday [] following the release of a new report outlining actions taken by Israeli forces during the ongoing war with Hamas.
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The report details the horrific reality faced by both the people of Israel and Gaza since 7 October 2023, with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stressing the imperative for Israel to fully and immediately comply with its obligations under international law and the rules of war.
Over half of all children aged two to 17 worldwide – some one billion – are estimated to suffer some form of violence, such as child maltreatment (including corporal punishment, the most prevalent form of childhood violence), physical or emotional abuse and sexual violence.
Rakhine is home to the mostly-Muslim Rohingya community
By Vibhu Mishra
(UN News)* —Up to two million people in Myanmar’s Rakhine state face the dire prospect of famine, amid a broader economic collapse and worsening humanitarian crisis triggered by the military’s 2021 overthrow of the democratically elected government.
In a report released on Thursday [], the UN Development Programme (UNDP) described the situation in the poverty-struck province as an “unprecedented disaster”.
Every 4 minutes, somewhere in the world, a child is killed by an act of violence
UNICEF/UNI585641/Tremeau
NEW YORK, 4 November 2024 (UNICEF)* -— As world leaders, civil society, advocates, survivors, and young people gather this week for the inaugural Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Bogotá, Colombia, UNICEF is calling for urgent action to combat violence that devastates the lives of millions of children worldwide.
Violence against children – whether physical, emotional, or sexual – is a global crisis happening in homes, schools, communities, and online.
(UN News)* — The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has called for “urgent international support” as the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide reaches 123 million, with ongoing conflicts in Lebanon, Sudan and other areas driving further displacement.
In a statement to the Third Committee of the General Assembly, Mr. Grandi highlighted the “catastrophic” humanitarian situation in Lebanon, where Israeli airstrikes have caused massive civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, including schools, hospitals and roads. .“The humanitarian consequences are overwhelming and require urgent international support,” he stated, noting that 470,000 people have crossed into Syria in recent weeks.
NEW YORK, Nov 8 2024 (IPS)* – On the day following the US election, UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres issued a brief statement commending the people of the United States for their active participation in the democratic process.
Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, addresses the General Debate of the General Assembly’s 75th session September 2020. Credit: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 