Indigenous chef and activist Tainá Marajoara will serve dishes rooted in ancestral Amazonian traditions, showcasing the biodiversity and spirituality of Brazil’s indigenous peoples.

Between rounds of negotiations, delegates will be treated to flavors such as maniçoba, açaí and pirarucu, all made with more than 10 tonnes of agroecological ingredients sourced from fair and sustainable food systems.

A taste of ancient wisdom

“Our kitchen will feature canhapira, an indigenous Marajoara dish that is still part of the local cuisine today,” Ms. Marajoara explained.

The dish comes from the Marajoara people, an indigenous group native to the island of Marajó, a vast river island where the Amazon meets the Atlantic.

“There will be a lot of açaí. We managed to get its inclusion despite previous controversy.

“We will also serve maniçoba, a dish made from cassava leaves cooked for seven days with pork, as well as tucupi, jambu, tacacá and the Amazon’s iconic fish, pirarucu. We plan to buy at least two tonnes of these alone.”

Tainá is the founder of Iacitatá Food Culture Bridgethe cultural and culinary collective selected to oversee the COP30 kitchen, which will serve all attendees – from presidents to porters.

Meal of peace

More than just a meal, the ancestral cook considers this culinary effort as an affirmation. “We want to show that it is possible to live in peace. We must live in peace,” she said.

“Throughout COP30, we are building a space of ancestral diplomacy, making clear that there is an urgent need to recognize the connection between indigenous and local communities and food sovereignty.

“As long as ancestral lands are violated and violence spreads across forests, rivers and fields, our people and our culture will be killed. »

Speaking from Rome, where she was attending the World Food Forum at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Ms. Marajoara stressed that the COP30 cuisine will embody the values ​​of sustainability, justice and respect for life.

Rooted in climate justice

For the chef, indigenous food systems are more than subsistence, they are a living form of environmental stewardship and spiritual connection.

“This knowledge has been invisible for too long,” she said. “Running the COP30 kitchens is an act of cultural and ancestral diplomacy. »

She hopes this initiative will become a model for future international events. “This will be the first COP to feature community cuisine based on family farming. This proves that it can be done, and it should not stop there. May COP30 become a historic milestone, inspiring similar initiatives across the world.”

Food and storage

Ms. Marajoara stressed that food sovereignty and environmental conservation are inseparable.

“The world is falling apart,” she warned. “The time is no longer for endless negotiations. Protecting the territories of indigenous and local communities is a concrete and effective way to safeguard the planet’s climate.”

In the heart of Sudan’s White Nile State, south of the country’s capital Khartoum, Kosti Maternity Hospital treats thousands of deliveries a year, but the ongoing war, the destruction of regional infrastructure and the displacement of millions of people, including many women, have strained its services.

An evolving healthcare landscape

Midwife Fatma Aldoma has been a mainstay of the Kosti maternity ward since 1974 and has recently seen a flood of patients affected by the country’s insecurity.

Many of her clients have been displaced by the war, and Ms. Aldoma has also seen patients suffer the economic consequences of the conflict.

“Some women come without money. We pay out of our own pockets to help them cover the costs of childbirth,” revealed Ms. Aldoma.

Her wish is that the hospital receive more support with supplies and resources to help women get tested and receive treatment.

The care Ms. Aldoma provides makes a huge difference.

“I am happy with the services provided here and the care given by the midwives,” said Faj, 25, a mother of five from Tawila in the troubled Darfur region in the west of the country.

All of her children were born healthy at the Kosti maternity ward, including one with serious complications. “My biggest problem was the bleeding, but thanks to the medical care at the hospital, they helped me.”

Strained systems, urgent needs

The UN estimates that 11.7 million people have been displaced due to the outbreak of conflict in Sudan in April 2023, and more than four million have fled to neighboring countries.

Tens of thousands of people are believed to have died. Hundreds of thousands of people face starvation.

Before this new emergency, Sudan was already hosting large populations of displaced people who were providing them with water, food, shelter, health care and basic necessities.

Increased demand for services due to the influx of families fleeing conflict, persistent power outages, particularly during critical surgeries like cesarean sections, and severe shortages of medical equipment and supplies threaten to destroy the fragile fabric of care offered in places like Kosti Maternity Hospital.

UNFPA stepped in to support the hospital with essential medical supplies, including an anesthesia machine, incubators, oxygen concentrators, manual breathing equipment and an ultrasound unit.

Capacity increase

These supplies have strengthened the hospital’s capacity to provide vital maternal and newborn health services, including reducing delays in emergency surgeries and saving the lives of babies born prematurely.

UNFPA’s installation of a solar energy system at the hospital also provided a much-needed alternative energy source, enabling essential services to operate.

Yet the hospital relies on generators to bridge the gap, underscoring the urgent need to invest in stronger infrastructure and resources.

Despite the challenges, humanitarian agencies face serious humanitarian funding gaps. With only three months left until 2025, UNFPA’s 2025 appeal for $145.7 million for Sudan is only 33% funded.

UNFPA and partners provided essential services to more than 586,000 people in Sudan, including emergency maternal and obstetric care, between January and August 2025. However, the scale of need far exceeds available resources.

Adopted by the General Assembly in December 2024 after five years of negotiationsTHE Convention against cybercrime establishes the first universal framework for investigating and prosecuting crimes committed online – from ransomware and financial fraud to non-consensual sharing of intimate images.

“The United Nations Convention on Cybercrime is a powerful and legally binding instrument for strengthen our collective defenses against cybercrime“, said Mr. Guterres during the signing ceremony on Saturday.

“This demonstrates the continued capacity of multilateralism to provide solutions. a vow that no country, regardless of its level of development, will be left defenseless in the face of cybercrime.”

THE signing ceremony was hosted by Viet Nam in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), bringing together senior officials, diplomats and experts from all regions.

A global cooperation framework

The new treaty criminalizes a range of cyber-enabled and cyber-enabled offenses, facilitates the sharing of electronic evidence across borders, and establishes a 24/7 cooperation network between states.

It also makes history as the first international treaty to recognize the non-consensual distribution of intimate images as a crime – a significant victory for victims of online abuse.

It will enter into force 90 days after the filing of ratification by the 40th State.

Learn more about the Congress here.

Collective defense in the digital age

In his remarks, Mr. Guterres warned that while technology has brought “extraordinary advances,” it has also created new vulnerabilities.

“Every day, sophisticated scams defraud families, steal their livelihoods and drain billions of dollars from our savings,” he said. “In cyberspace, no one is safe until everyone is safe. A vulnerability anywhere can expose people and institutions everywhere.»

The Secretary-General stressed that the Convention represents “a victory for victims of online abuse” and “a clear path for investigators and prosecutors” to overcome obstacles to justice when crimes and evidence cross multiple borders.

By providing a global standard for electronic evidence, the treaty aims to improve cooperation between law enforcement agencies while preserving privacy, dignity and fundamental human rights.

UN chief visits Vietnam

The signing ceremony was part of Mr. Guterres’ official visit to Vietnam, where he also met with President Lương Cường, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and other senior officials.

In a joint press conference with Prime Minister Guterres highlighted Viet Nam’s vital role in the global digital supply chain.

“It is normal that [the signing ceremony] is happening here – in a country that has embraced technology, propelled innovation and become an essential part of global digital supply chains,” he said, urging states to quickly ratify and implement the treaty.

“Now we need to turn signatures into actions,” he said. “The Convention must be ratified quickly, fully implemented and supported with finance, training and technology – particularly for developing countries. »

A safer cyberspace for all

The new convention is expected to reshape how countries fight cybercrime at a time when digital threats are sharply increasing. Global costs of cybercrime are expected to reach $10.5 trillion per year by 2025, according to industry experts.

For many governments, particularly in the Global South, the treaty represents an opportunity to access real-time channels of training, technical assistance and cooperation.

“Let us seize this moment,” Mr. Guterres said. “Let’s build a cyberspace that respects the dignity and human rights of everyone – and ensure that the digital age brings peace, security and prosperity for all.»