Yet, in the face of this rapid transformation, one question arises above all: how can innovation truly serve people, as more and more of them migrate to cities?

This question is at the heart of this year’s debate World Cities Daywhich will be celebrated in Bogotá, Colombia, under the theme of people-centered smart cities.

Organized by the UN urban agency, UN-HabitatThe event brings together mayors, urban living experts and community leaders from around the world to explore how data, design and digital tools can build communities that are not only smarter, but also fairer, greener and more inclusive.

By 2050, almost 70% of humanity is expected to live in urban areas, increasing demand for housing, services and climate resilience.

In its message of the day, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that innovation must close gaps, not widen them.

“A truly smart city puts people first, especially the most vulnerable,” Mr. Guterres said. “When we put people at the center, digital innovation can help drive equity and sustainability for all. »

The great Bogota experience

Bogotá, long known for its urban experiments, has gained global recognition for its combination of technology and civic engagement.

From TransMilenio, its influential bus rapid transit system, to Ciclovía, which transforms streets into car-free community spaces every Sunday, the city has redefined how urban design can foster social connection and sustainability.

For Elkin Velásquez, UN-Habitat regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Bogota offers a compelling example of how data and dialogue can shape a better future.

“This global celebration will foster international dialogue on people-centered smart cities, where technology improves quality of life and strengthens community connections,” he said.

Listening to the city

Key speakers in Bogotá include Carlo Ratti, architect, engineer and director of the MIT Senseable City Lab in the United States, as well as curator of the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.

Mr. Ratti, one of the world’s leading thinkers on urban innovation, believes that cities must evolve beyond the notion of the “smart city” towards what he calls the “responsive city.”

“I don’t like the term ‘smart city,’” Mr. Ratti said. “This often involves a top-down system driven by technology alone. Cities must be people-first – responsive, inclusive and adaptive. A ‘sensible city’ uses technology not for its own sake, but to better listen to and serve its citizens.”

For Mr. Ratti, Bogotá embodies this spirit. “It has long intrigued me as a leading city in urban experimentation,” he said. “Projects like TransMilenio and Ciclovía have become global case studies.

“They show how local interventions, when scaled and adopted, can change urban trajectories. »

As a matter of principle, Mr. Ratti believes that in times of climate emergency and demographic transition, “the most radical act is perhaps not to build or to build differently”. As an alternative, he suggests prioritizing reuse, renovation and transformation.

“And if you really need to build on greenfield sites, learn from the logic of nature. In terms of energy and circularity, a tree is still much smarter than any building we can design,” he concluded.

A people-centered vision

According to Anacláudia Rossbach, executive director of UN-Habitat, the city’s approach illustrates what a human-centered smart city should look like.

“In Bogotá, the smart city approach is people-centered and aims to improve well-being and quality of life,” said Rossbach.

“Programs like Ecobarrios and Mi Casa focus on resilience and sustainability, while digital initiatives like Chatico, a virtual agent, use artificial intelligence to help citizens access information about public services and participate in consultations.

These initiatives, she explained, represent a broader effort to advance sustainable mobility, data-driven policymaking and reduce the digital divide.

“These are great examples of technology and innovation serving people and communities,” added Rossbach. “It is essential that such experiences are shared globally, allowing other cities to adapt these lessons to their own context. »

A global conversation

World Cities Day marks the conclusion of Urban October, UN-Habitat’s month-long campaign for sustainable and inclusive urbanization. This year’s celebration in Bogotá aims to leave behind a legacy of collaboration, learning and shared commitment to a more equitable urban future.

“The legacy we seek is twofold,” concluded Ms. Rossbach. “First, highlight the creativity of cities in promoting smart, people-centered approaches. And second, strengthen cooperation networks that ensure that innovation serves people, not the other way around.”

As digital tools become increasingly integrated into urban life, the challenge for cities is clear: ensuring that smart solutions remain human.

Richard Bennett, the Special Rapporteur for monitoring human rights in Afghanistan – who serves independently under a mandate from the Human Rights Council and is not a UN staff member – said the General Assembly on the human rights situation in the country »continues to deteriorate and there is little reason for optimism.»

He warned of intensifying gender-based persecution, increased corporal punishment, forced disappearances and attacks on former officials despite the declared amnesty.

There are also increasing restrictions on media freedom and civil society, as well as discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities, including forced evictions affecting Hazara communities.

Restrictions on women and girls continue

He noted that no Taliban decree restricting women’s rights has been reversed.

“Many Afghan women are denied their right to work,” he said, highlighting recent measures preventing Afghan women working for the UN from entering UN premises. “This is a serious violation of fundamental rights and United Nations Charterprinciples of equality and non-discrimination.

Mr Bennett also criticized the sharp reduction in humanitarian and civil society funding, which he said removes “the last lines of protection” for a population already facing widespread deprivation.

He urged governments to reaffirm their commitment to providing sustained, long-term support, particularly to Afghan-led and women-led organizations.

Protecting refugees from danger

The Special Rapporteur further warned against the mass forced return of Afghan refugees, urging all States to respect the international legal principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of people to places where they risk persecution or serious harm.

Although the situation remains serious, Mr. Bennett highlighted signs of progress on accountability.

These include the International Criminal Courtthe issuance of arrest warrants by the Human Rights Council for senior Taliban leaders and the recent establishment by the Human Rights Council of an independent investigative mechanism to collect and preserve evidence of serious crimes for future trials.

“This is not a lost cause”

“Afghanistan is not a lost cause,” Bennett told delegates, emphasizing that accountability is an “essential element” of building a future rooted in justice, equality and the rule of law.

“Turning away now would not only betray the Afghan people – it would undermine the foundations of our common international system.» he said.

He urged states to engage with Afghanistan “in a principled way that avoids the normalization of Taliban rule until there are demonstrated, measurable and independently verified improvements in the human rights situation – particularly for women and girls”.

The hurricane caused significant damage to homes, infrastructure and crops, displacing thousands of people.

However, intensive storm preparation by governments, with help from UN agencies and other NGOs, appears to have helped mitigate the impact and save lives in many areas.

In Cuba, the hurricane hit the province of Santiago de Cuba with winds exceeding 200 km/h per hour and six hours of torrential rain. “Melissa is one of the three most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in Cuba and the strongest in the world this year,” Francisco Pichon, United Nations resident coordinator for Cuba, said during a videoconference press briefing in New York.

“More than three million people have been exposed to life-threatening conditions and nearly 240 communities are isolated due to flooding and landslides.“, he added, speaking by video.

Existing vulnerabilities

The storm exacerbated existing vulnerabilities. Many affected areas had already suffered from Hurricane Oscar and last year’s earthquakes, while drought, rising viral diseases and energy shortages have made the situation even worse.

Despite these challenges, Cuba’s civil protection system helped evacuate more than 77,000 people to protection centersincluding schools temporarily converted into shelters.

Mr. Pichon highlighted the UN’s anticipatory action framework, which prepositioned relief supplies and personnel before the storm struck. “This mechanism allowed us to respond quickly and ensure that essential goods reached the people who needed them most.“, he said.

Plans are underway to reach two million people in the coming days, including food security, health, education, shelter, water and sanitation, and logistics.

Early preparation saves lives

In Haiti, the slow movement of the storm caused flash floods, landslides and severe crop damage, said Grégoire Goodstein, acting U.N. humanitarian coordinator.

“At least 24 people died, 17 were injured and 18 are still missing,” he reported. Around 15,000 people are currently housed in more than 120 temporary facilities.

Early preparation saved lives. “We deployed emergency stocks, set up evacuation shelters and sent 3.5 million early warning messages. » Mr. Goodstein told reporters. “Rapid response teams worked alongside national authorities to ensure communities could evacuate safely,” he added.

Haiti faces the storm amid a continuing humanitarian crisis, with 1.4 million people displaced, widespread famine affecting half the population and cholera outbreaks in some areas.

Mr. Goodstein highlighted that the UN Humanitarian Response Plan is currently 87 percent underfunded, putting life-saving operations at risk.

“Humanitarian needs remain immense and international cooperation is crucial. »

The UN continues to coordinate aid in the Caribbean, supporting both immediate relief and longer-term recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa.

This is the third large-scale combined strike in October against energy facilities in civilian areas, leading to significant power outages.

At least two other civilians were killed – and 23 injured, including six children – in Zaporizhzhia, which was reportedly hit by more than eight ballistic missiles and 20 drones.

A seven-year-old girl was among those killed in the central Vinnytsia region.

More than 700 keystrokes

Thursday’s strikes were among the largest since Russia’s invasion began in 2022, with 705 munitions reportedly deployed.

Danielle Belle, who heads the UN monitoring team, stressed that if the pattern of attacks continued it would have “dangerous consequences” for civilians during the harsh winter months.

Ms Belle reiterated that these disruptions would disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including older people, people with disabilities and families with young children.

Ukraine’s armed forces reportedly responded to long-range Russian attacks with their own drone and missile strikes.

Nuclear tests “cannot under any circumstances be authorized”, reiterates the UN

In response to a statement by the US president that his administration would resume testing nuclear weapons, the UN warned against proliferation on Thursday, calling for a moratorium to be maintained.

The risk of nuclear war is “already alarming”, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said in response to a question at the regular midday press briefing in New York.

President Donald Trump said on social media that he had asked the Pentagon “to begin testing our nuclear weapons on an equal footing,” in response to Russia’s testing of new nuclear delivery systems and China’s deployment of new ballistic missile silos, according to media reports.

China has reportedly not carried out any nuclear weapons tests since 1996. The last confirmed test by Russia dates back to 1990.

Miscalculation and escalation

Mr. Haq said any nuclear activity that “could lead to miscalculations or escalation with catastrophic consequences must be avoided. We must not forget the disastrous legacy of more than 2,000 nuclear weapons tests that have been carried out over the past 80 years.”

He added that in the Secretary-General’s view, “under no circumstances can nuclear testing be authorized.”

Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), said in a statement The treaty prohibits all nuclear explosions, while its agency “can and will detect any nuclear weapon test explosion anywhere on the planet and has successfully detected all six reported nuclear tests carried out this century.”

Mr. Floyd added that at this difficult moment, there was “an opportunity for world leaders to move forward and work together, as equals, towards the ratification of the CTBT and the common goal of a world without nuclear weapons testing.”

UN experts warn of human rights violations in Nicaragua, call for protection of exiled citizens

A group of independent human rights experts urge the international community to hold the Nicaraguan government accountable for serious rights violations and international crimes, as it presented its findings to the General Assembly for the first time.

Jan-Michael Simon, president of the Group, noted that Nicaragua once championed peace, freedom and democracy in Central America – but now faces allegations of dismantling the rule of law and democratic institutions.

Silencing dissent, at home and abroad

The experts’ report to the New York General Assembly describes a deliberate state policy to silence dissent and consolidate absolute power through violence, fear, and the systematic erosion of rights.

Some documented human rights violations, they say, constitute crimes against humanity.

The group also condemned the growing number of enforced disappearances, calling them an act of cruelty that torments both the victims and their families.

The independent experts also warned that the government had extended the repression abroad by stripping some exiles of their nationality – as a tool to punish dissidents.

Following the signing of the peace agreement in Colombia in 2016, more than 13,000 former FARC fighters laid down their arms in one year, returning nearly 9,000 weapons, 38,000 tons of explosives and millions of rounds of ammunition.

Mr Jenča noted that despite ongoing challenges, the implementation of the agreement has significantly improved security and trust between communities. Around 11,000 ex-combatants are now engaged in development projects and other implementation activities.

“They are building a new, peaceful and productive future – building sustainable homes, solving problems together and moving forward.“, he said UN News.

He also highlighted the first convictions handed down by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace for crimes committed during the conflict, calling them a “crucial step towards accountability.”

Support and control

At a recent UN conference Security Council During the session, the United States questioned the Mission’s expanded mandate, saying it reflected “excessive political priorities” and pledged to “carefully consider” its continued support.

Mr Jenča responded that such assessments were “normal”, but stressed that the other 14 Council members had expressed clear support for the renewal of the Mission’s mandate, a vote scheduled for the end of this week.

On the ground, the Mission enjoys broad support from the Colombian government and across the political spectrum.

“I spoke with members of the opposition and representatives of the government – ​​all supported the continuation of the Mission, although some adjustments were suggested,” Mr Jenča said.

He acknowledged that maintaining operations would require additional funding and highlighted hopes for closer cooperation as Colombia joins the Security Council in 2026 as a non-permanent member.

A global example of peacebuilding

At a time when multilateralism is met with skepticism, Mr. Jenča said that the peace process in Colombia stands out as “a shining example of negotiation and collaboration”, benefiting not only the country but the whole world.

Looking ahead to the upcoming electoral period in Colombia, Mr. Jenča reaffirmed the Mission’s commitment to ensuring a safe and peaceful campaign.

“Our objective is to promote understanding between political actors and to guarantee an environment of peace, security and respect for human rights,” he concluded.

In December 2024, Bashar Al-Assad’s regime was toppled by a coalition of opposition groups, led by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham militia, sparking a widespread wave of relief at the end of the decade-long civil war, signaling the return of more than a million Syrian refugees.

After being excluded from the country during the Assad years, the Independent international commission of inquiry on Syria – appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011 to investigate and document human rights violations and abuses committed during the conflict – granted full access to the country by the transitional government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

In August, the Commission published a report on the wave of violence that engulfed coastal and west-central Syria starting in January 2025, which revealed that acts that may amount to war crimes, including murder and torture, were committed.

Massacres in Latakia and beyond

An estimated 1,400 men, women and children were killed in massacres in Latakia, Tartus and Hama governorates, including by members of government security forces.

Updated Third Committee of the General Assembly – which focuses on human rights issues – on Thursday, Mr. Pinheiro said that investigators had carried out on-site visits to Latakia and Tartous in June this year, and more recently to Suweyda and its surroundings.

Mr. Pinheiro indicated that his team continues to receive reports of extrajudicial executions, torture and ill-treatment, and forced displacement of Alawite civilians in Damascus and the western governorates.

In Sweida, more than 30 villages in Druze-majority areas were completely depopulated, looted and burned, and Commission investigators met with numerous families and witnesses who recounted the brutal killings of loved ones taken from their homes.

The stage is set for further violence

There is growing distrust, he explained, between the Druze and Bedouin communities and the interim government, which must hold those responsible for the killings to account and ensure that such acts do not happen again.

“The Commission is deeply concerned that the stage will be set for further violence if prompt action is not taken.“, warned Mr. Pinheiro. “Rebuilding trust will require dedicated efforts towards dialogue, inclusion and justice for all victims.”

The UN-appointed independent rights expert has expressed growing concerns about violence and discrimination directed against women, citing multiple reports of women and girls abducted by unknown armed actors, some of whom were allegedly victims of sexual violence and forced marriages.

“In many cases, despite reporting their disappearance to local authorities, families report that no action has yet been taken to investigate or follow up. »

Mr. Pinheiro called on UN member states to halt Israel’s advance into southern Syria, which, he said, had seen civilians forcibly displaced and arbitrarily detained, as well as airstrikes that reportedly caused civilian casualties: “intervention by third states risks further inflaming the conflict and inflicting even greater suffering on the Syrian people.”

Noting recent steps taken by several states and the EU to ease sanctions against Syria, Mr. Pinheiro said such steps are welcome and urged member states to continue supporting the 2025 humanitarian appeal for the country, which is currently only 19 percent funded.