December 02, 2023 No comments
COP28: UN chief previews panel on management of minerals essential for green energy transition
INTERNATIONAL, 2 December 2023, Climate and Environment - UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday announced his plan to set up a panel aimed to ensure the move from fossil fuels towards renewable energy is just, sustainable and benefits all countries. The UN chief made this announcement in an address to a summit of developing country leaders taking place at the latest UN climate conference, COP28, now under way in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Mr. Guterres, who has been a strong proponent of moving away from fossil fuels, told leaders of the Group of 77 Developing Countries, which includes China, that the availability and accessibility of critical energy transition minerals is crucial to reach the goals set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. “COP28 must commit countries to triple renewables capacity, double energy...
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December 02, 2023 No comments
World News in Brief: Engagement with Sudan, Red Sea vessel attacks, SDGs disabilities promise
INTERNATIONAL, 2 December 2023, Peace and Security - UN engagement with Sudan will continue in the wake of the decision to terminate its political mission in the country, the Spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement. On Friday, the Security Council adopted a resolution to close the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) following a request last month from the authorities. UNITAMS was established in June 2020 to provide support to Sudan for an initial 12-month period during its transition to democratic rule following the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir, who had been in power for 30 years. Sudan’s military Government, whose forces have been battling the RSF militia for control of the country since mid-April, has said that the UN mission was failing to...
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December 01, 2023 No comments
Security Council agrees to terminate UN mission in Sudan
INTERNATIONAL, 1 December 2023, Peace and Security - The Security Council on Friday decided to terminate the mandate of the UN political mission in Sudan from next Monday, after Khartoum called for its immediate withdrawal last month. Sudan’s military Government, whose forces have been battling the RSF militia for control of the country since April, has said that the UN mission was failing to meet expectations. The end of the UN Integrated Transitional Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) comes against the backdrop of the continuing war raging between rival militaries that has claimed over 6,000 lives, driven millions from their homes, led to abhorrent sexual and gender-based violence, and precipitated a severe humanitarian crisis. Adopting resolution 2715 (2023) by 14 votes in favour and one abstention...
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December 01, 2023 No comments
Shock and terror in Gaza as bombardment of shattered enclave resumes
INTERNATIONAL, 1 December 2023, Peace and Security - As Secretary-General António Guterres spoke of his deep regret about the resumption of military operations in Gaza on Friday, UN humanitarians vowed to stay and help all those in need, while reiterating “nowhere is safe from attacks” in the war-shattered enclave. The sound of shells exploding shortly after 7am Gaza time was clearly audible at Nasser hospital in the south, where terrified and traumatised youngsters immediately reacted by clinging to their mothers in fright, said James Elder from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “The bombs started just a few seconds after the ceasefire (ended),” Mr. Elder told journalists at UN Geneva via video link from Khan Younis, before decrying the “ongoing war on children”. Wounds of war “As we...
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December 01, 2023 No comments
Unprecedented drought emergency demands urgent action
INTERNATIONAL, 1 December 2023, Climate and Environment - A new report by the UN team combatting desertification reveals alarming trends over the past two years which have resulted in an unprecedented emergency due to human-induced droughts. The Global Drought Snapshot report, released by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) on Friday, coinciding with COP 28, paint a grim picture of the scale of lives and livelihoods lost to droughts. Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD Executive Secretary, emphasized the urgency of the situation. “Unlike other disasters that attract media attention, droughts happen silently, often going unnoticed and failing to provoke an immediate public and political response,” he said. “With the frequency and severity of drought events increasing, as reservoir levels dwindle and crop yields decline, as we continue to lose biological diversity and...
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