Speaking in Geneva, she said the world was facing “a decline in respect for human rights and multilateralism”, with conflict, debt and a decline in development aid threatening to wipe out hard-won gains.
The OECD, a 38-member economic cooperation organization, forecasts aid cuts of 9 to 17 percent next year, and up to 25 percent for the bloc of least developed countries, while military spending has reached record levels.
“The results speak for themselves: poverty reduction has stalled and virtually all SDGs are behind schedule,” said Ms Al Nashif, citing the World Bank’s warning of a “lost decade for development”.
The way forward
Despite the bleak outlook, she said the right to development offered a practical way forward – reshaping fiscal policies, strengthening social protection and aligning global finance with human rights principles.
Nearly 40 years after the UN Declaration on the Right to Development, Ms. Al Nashif urged governments to “walk the talk,” noting new momentum through initiatives such as the Seville Commitment and renewed global solidarity expressed at the 80th UN General Assembly.
Independent UN expert: Belarus is not a “paradise” for workers
“Belarus is not a workers’ paradise, despite their proclaimed commitment to economic and social rights,” said Nils Muižnieks, an independent UN expert on human rights in Belarus, addressing the UN General Assembly on Monday.
In his capacity as Human Rights Council-designated expert, Mr. Muižnieks presented his latest reportwhich exposed pervasive politically motivated discrimination and harassment in the Belarusian public and private sectors.
Forced labor
It also found unjustified politically motivated restrictions on access to employment – and the use of forced labor for little or no pay as a form of punishment for those unjustly incarcerated.
The report follows a two-year commitment under the auspices of the International Labor Organization (ILO), which has subjected Belarus to increased surveillance due to violations of trade union rights.
Mr Muižnieks – who is not a UN staff member and receives no salary for his work – recalled that more than 1,100 people continue to be arbitrarily detained in the country and that some of those released have been deported and had their passports confiscated, putting them at risk of statelessness and fear of returning home.
IOM scales up Ebola and Pox preparedness across Africa
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) East scaling its health response across Africa, responding quickly to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last September and supporting mpox preparedness in several African countries.
The agency’s priority is to make all entry and screening points fully operational to prevent disease in areas where there is human movement.
“These measures help prevent the spread of disease and keep travelers and border communities safe,” said Frantz Celestin, IOM Regional Director for East, Horn and Southern Africa.
Border communities face increased risk due to their high mobility and limited access to health services, but thanks to operational testing points, more than 169,000 screenings have been carried out.
Improved mpox response
The agency also supports national responses to mpox in several countries. In Uganda and Ethiopia, health authorities use IOM mobility data for public health planning and epidemic preparedness.
In Malawi and South Sudan, IOM is strengthening surveillance, contact tracing and access to vaccination at key border points.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
