Tech gaps and budget cuts threaten global efforts to track and help the vulnerable

But as nations gather at the UN this week to discuss the future of our population growth, two major hurdles are taking centre stage: a lack of funding and a widening gap between those who have access to new technology and those who do not. For almost two decades, Nigeria has grappled with large-scale displacement […]

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From conflict to catwalk: Women ex-combatants weave reconciliation in Colombia

Peace must be sewn, stitch by stitch. With this idea in mind, Ms. Avella set herself to work at a small sewing workshop in Catatumbo, Colombia, one of the dividends of the 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian Government and FARC rebels, designed to help reintegrate former combatants, and heal the wounds of the conflict. […]

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Development finance gap risks reversing decades of progress

The 2026 Financing for Sustainable Development Report assesses progress on the Sevilla Commitment, a 2025 agreement that aims to secure the $4 trillion needed annually to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the end of the decade.  “Implementing the Sevilla Commitment is our best chance to demonstrate the global community’s enduring commitment to cooperation and to unlock the finance needed […]

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Ukraine wakes to more violence as Russia’s full-scale invasion enters fifth year

“Four years ago, people in Europe woke up in another world because generations like mine have always had the privilege to live a life in peace,” Ms. Baerbock told journalists in Geneva. “But this changed four years ago with the full invasion [by] Russia, of the neighbouring country of Ukraine.” Echoing the UN Secretary-General’s assessment that the […]

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World News in Brief: Arab economies rise, rights experts call for police reform in India, Ukraine school closures, Myanmar airstrikes

The UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) on Wednesday reported that regional growth is projected to pick up from 2.9 per cent last year to 3.7 per cent in 2026. That compares well with global averages and pre-pandemic growth of around 3.2 per cent. Lowering inflation The UN body noted that this positive outlook […]

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Organized crime and poor regulation to blame for toxic pollution threat

In a new report on the underground global scourge that conservative estimates say generates up to $18 billion in illicit profits annually, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) highlighted that all regions of the world have been drawn in, although little data is available outside Europe.  Globally, legal waste management was worth $1.2 trillion […]

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‘The world is looking to you for clarity’, UN chief tells AI experts

 “Individually, you come from diverse regions and disciplines, bringing outstanding expertise in AI and related fields. Collectively, you represent something the world has never seen before,” The UN chief told scientists on Tuesday at the first meeting of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI.  The 40 experts aim to help close “the AI knowledge […]

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UN calls for fair play in the global race for critical minerals

Despite geopolitical upheavals, the shift from a fossil-fuel-based global economy to one driven by clean electrification remains on track.  According to the International Energy Agency (an autonomous international agency that is not part of the UN system), lithium demand grew by nearly 30 per cent in 2024, and nickel, cobalt, graphite, and rare earths by […]

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Middle East war shockwaves ripple through Asia-Pacific fuel and supply chains

The immediate impact is visible in sharp increases in transport costs, energy and fertilizer prices, alongside currency pressures and financial market volatility. “The most immediate economic impact…are considerable increases in freight costs and oil, gas and fertilizer prices,” Hamza Ali Malik, Director of Macroeconomic Policy Division at the UN’s Asia-Pacific development arm (ESCAP) told UN […]

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