Displaying items by tag: United Nations

The UN General Assembly has adopted a ‘Pact for the Future’, a 42-page blueprint aimed at uniting the world’s 193 nations to tackle pressing global challenges like climate change, artificial intelligence, escalating conflicts, inequality, and poverty. The pact was introduced at a two-day summit convened by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said his purpose was to ‘bring multilateralism back from the brink’. The pact outlines 56 actions; one would be to reform the Security Council so that Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America are more fairly represented. It also includes ‘the first agreed multilateral support for nuclear disarmament in more than a decade’, and commits the UN to initiate a global dialogue on AI governance. Other key issues include responses to pandemics, empowering youth, and advancing gender equality. Guterres called on world leaders to turn promises into real actions which make a difference to the lives of the world’s more than eight billion people.

The USA is launching new peace talks to end Sudan’s 16-month civil war, driven by fears that the conflict is plunging the country into potentially the worst famine in decades. Sudan’s military, one of the two warring factions, had originally agreed to attend the negotiations in Switzerland, but changed their minds after a drone attack on the army chief, dashing hopes for a quick ceasefire. The talks aim to broker a ceasefire and secure humanitarian access for over ten million displaced people. Famine has been declared in Sudan’s Darfur region, with estimates suggesting up to 2.5 million people could die of hunger by September. Only one-third of the $2.7 billion requested by the UN for Sudan has been received so far: the UN fears that as many as 26 million face acute hunger. See

The UN has announced the delivery of aid to Haiti, which will help hundreds of displaced families due to the ongoing violence and the upcoming hurricane season. A spokesman said, ‘Two cargo flights organised by the World Food Programme (WFP) have landed in Port au Prince, carrying 55 tonnes of medicine, shelter and hygiene materials. The WFP school meals programme has distributed some 30 million meals across the country since the start of the current school year: of these, nearly 17 million have been provided through its programme which supports local farmers. The education sector has been severely impacted by the recent violence, with more than 200,000 children and 4000 teachers affected.’ Haiti’s hurricane season, which lasts from June to November, is forecast to be severe this year. A gang-fuelled crisis has devastated the country, and the UN estimates that currently 360,000 people are displaced.

The USA, South Korea, and Japan are proposing a new multinational panel outside the UN to enforce sanctions against North Korea. Russia rejected renewing the UN panel which has monitored sanctions for fifteen years, and China abstained. The new panel, with support from allies like Australia and New Zealand, would aim to continue the UN’s work. Though lacking UN endorsement, it could monitor North Korea more effectively, and could also oversee human rights resolutions on North Korea. US ambassador Thomas-Greenfield is discussing options with South Korea and Japan. Noting that Moscow and Beijing have called for easing sanctions to restart diplomacy and ease humanitarian suffering in the impoverished nation, he urged them to reverse course, and stop rewarding North Korea's bad behaviour.

A UN-backed report has revealed that Gaza is facing a man-made famine, prompting pressure on Israel to uphold its legal obligations by allowing sufficient humanitarian aid into the region. The UN's human rights chief suggested Israel may be using starvation as a weapon of war - potentially a war crime. Israeli officials deny this accusation, claiming that they are letting in all the aid offered by the US and the rest of the world. However, the huge backlog of aid lorries at the Egypt-Gaza border has forced some nations to use less efficient air drops. Palestinians have struggled to access aid; some have even drowned or been crushed in pursuit of supplies. The US navy plans to construct a temporary pier for sea delivery, highlighting the necessity of better access routes. In another development, on 25 March the UN Security Council voted for an immediate ceasefire; for the first time, the USA abstained rather than vetoing the resolution. See

On 12 December, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. With 153 votes in favour, 10 against (including the United States and Israel), and 23 abstentions (including the UK and Germany), the resolution emphasises the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, provide humanitarian assistance, and seek a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict. It also calls for an end to the use of force and the resumption of negotiations. It is reported that the conflict has now led to over 18,600 civilian casualties in the Gaza strip, 70% of them women and children. The vote serves as a strong international call for an end to hostilities and a return to peace talks. On 8 December, an almost identically worded resolution proposed at the UN security council was vetoed by the USA. There is a sense that Joe Biden’s administration is becoming increasingly isolated in its unconditional support of Israel’s actions.

Next week Tearfund staff and campaigners from communities most affected by plastic pollution will be in Paris for the second round of negotiations on a UN global plastics treaty. The talks - known as INC-2 (Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee) - will run from 29 May to 2 June and mark a significant moment in a rubbish campaign. Tearfund is asking Christians to pray for the negotiations. Recent research showed that across the world 218 million people (equivalent to the populations of the UK, France and Germany combined) are at risk of flooding made worse by plastic pollution. At the talks, Tearfund will be calling for an ambitious and binding treaty that fully addresses plastic pollution and the impact it has on people living in poverty. It believes every person God created has value and should have the opportunity to live a full life, free of rubbish

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, a major exporter of grain, led to the blocking of all grain shipments until an agreement called the Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed in Istanbul between Ukraine, Russia and the UN. This agreement will expire on 19 November unless renewed. Renewal negotiations were being facilitated by the UN throughout October until the 29th, when a drone attack on Russian naval ships prompted Russia to suspend participation. Talks resumed on 2 November, with hopes to extend the agreement for a year. On 17 November Ukraine’s minister of infrastructure said the initiative would be prolonged, but only for 120 days.

The 77th session of the UN General Assembly opened on 13 September 2022, with a high-level debate running from the 20th to 26th. This year’s theme, ‘A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges’, acknowledges the shared roots of crises such as Covid-19, climate change and conflict, and the need for solutions that build global sustainability and resilience. Like all crises, these have unique and disproportionate impacts on women and girls. From harsher economic fallout to heightened risk of violence, women and girls are suffering in specific ways that require targeted solutions - a need that too often remains unmet. These crises are unfolding against the backdrop of a global backlash on women’s rights, compounding forces that threaten to undo already insufficient progress. Pray for this session to generate more action towards achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls around the world.

Hunger is stalking the world. In 2017 the UN vowed to eradicate it by 2030. Yet the number of people affected globally reached 828 million last year, and an unprecedented 345 million are currently experiencing acute food insecurity. Since May 2020 there has been a 55% increase in the food price index. The head of the World Food Programme said, ‘We thought it could not get any worse’ - but the Ukraine war has worsened freight and fertiliser costs due to rising fuel prices, and has blocked ports. Ukraine and Russia previously accounted for almost one-third of global wheat exports. Many middle-income countries have spent large parts of their reserves due to the pandemic. Even in wealthier countries, more parents are going hungry to feed their children. In low-income countries rising prices are deadly. Around 2.3 billion people face moderate or severe difficulty obtaining enough to eat, which could result in social unrest and political violence.