European Council President António Costa took part in to the 30th EU–Japan summit 2025. In his press statement following the plenary session, he emphasised the importance of strengthening EU-Japan relations, in particular in security and defence, multilateralism, and in trade and economic security.
Opening remarks by President António Costa at the EU-Japan summit in Tokyo, Japan
On 23 July 2025, European Council President António Costa was in Tokyo, Japan for the 30th EU-Japan summit. In his opening remarks at the start of the plenary session, he emphasised the importance of further deepening the EU-Japan strategic partnership, built on shared values and interests. Source link
Syria: Ongoing violence fuelling mass displacement in Sweida
More than 93,000 Syrians have been displaced across Sweida, neighbouring Dar’a governorate and Rural Damascus due to escalating violence in the city, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at Monday’s daily press briefing in New York.
Most displaced people in Sweida are staying with local communities or in one of 15 reception centres, while around 30 collective shelters have opened in Dar’a.
Infrastructure and services are suffering in the area. Some hospitals and health centres in Sweida are out of service, water infrastructure has been critically damaged, significant cuts to electricity have been reported, and access to food is disrupted.
Initial aid delivery
On Sunday, the first aid convoy deployed by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent reached Sweida and the Salkhad district within the city, where most displaced people are seeking safety.
The convoy of 32 trucks carried food, water, medical supplies and fuel provided by the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed this initial delivery on social media, saying it was a “desperately needed first step, but much more relief is needed.”
Mr. Dujarric stressed that as the UN engages with relevant parties to facilitate humanitarian access and ensure the protection of civilians, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is working with authorities to facilitate a direct visit to Sweida to deliver assistance when security conditions allow.
Mr. Fletcher echoed this sentiment, saying OCHA teams “are mobilised to move as much as we can.”
“We continue to urge all parties to protect people who have been caught up in the violence, including by allowing them to move freely to seek safety and medical assistance,” concluded Mr. Dujarric.
The “ perfect storm ” of global crises has led years of overvoltage of food prices: FAO
The report, which will be published later this month, reveals how between 2020 and 2024, the world experienced a spectacular increase in food prices pulled by a combination of COVID 19 Inflation, the war in Ukraine restricting movements on food and staple products and the increase in climatic shocks.
“The episodes described in this publication evoke what we call a perfect storm,” said Mr. Torero Cullen.
First, he explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, governments launched budgetary stimulus and emergency packages, which increased demand and, consequently, global inflation.
The invasion of Russia on a large scale of Ukraine has aggravated this crisis. Before the start of the war in 2022, Ukraine was a key exporter of wheat, sunflower oil and fertilizer. War not only restricted these exports, but disrupted the commercial roads and pushed the fuel and the entry costs, which amplified inflation around the world.
In addition, climatic shocks increasingly frequent and intense in large production regions – such as droughts, floods and heat waves – aggravated food inflation.
World impacts
It was not until 2024 that prices were returned to the pre-cook levels, which means that households had trouble for several years to afford food, with major consequences.
As real wages have dropped while food prices increased, household purchasing power was eroded. Households reacted by buying cheaper and less nutritious foods, reducing the frequency of meals and often prioritizing meals for certain family members and reducing the contribution for women and children.
Mr. Torero Cullen also explained that an increase in food prices is directly correlated to an increase in moderate and severe food insecurity. The impacts of this were particularly severe in West Africa and Asia, where food imports, dependence and depreciation of money made food even more expensive.
In addition, as food prices increased, nutritional results in children under the age of five have worsened. The SOFI report has shown that an increase in food prices by 10% resulted in an increase of 2.7 to 6.1% declinewhich has lasting effects on child development and public health systems.
In particular, these serious impacts were uneven, mainly affecting low -income and African countries – many of which still see an aggravation of the figures. During the peak of the crisis in January 2023, some low -income countries experienced food price inflation of up to 30%, against 13.6% worldwide.
Political recommendations
Mr. Torero Cullen finished his briefing by describing the detailed political prescriptions in the Sofi report.
He first underlined the targeted budgetary support. “Social protection measures are the most effective response to food price peaks,” he said. “This will protect vulnerable populations without creating a long -term fiscal risk or market distortions.”
He also underlined by avoiding trade disturbances, by coordinating monetary and budgetary policies, improving market transparency and institutional preparation as an essential components to avoid future crises.
“This Sofi stresses that inflation can undermine progress. He underlines our vulnerabilities, and it also brings the importance of strengthening resilience, inclusion and transparency to avoid and minimize the risk of these problems, “he concluded.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
World News in Brief: Houthi-Israel tensions, Sudan cholera cases rise, deadly attacks in Ukraine
These strikes occurred while the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement – established in 2018 to support the ceasefire between the Government of Yemen and the Houthis – was patrolling at locations to the northern parts of the Port.
The Secretary-General also expressed deep concern about the continuing missile and drone strikes conducted by the Houthis against Israel.
Risk of further escalation
Concerned about the risk of further escalation, the UN recalled that international law, together with international humanitarian law, must be respected by all parties at all times, including the obligations to respect and protect civilian infrastructure.
“The Secretary-General remains profoundly concerned about the risk of further escalation in the region,” said Mr. Dujarric.
As the UN Chief reiterated his call for “all involved to cease all military actions and exercise maximum restraint,” he also renewed his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN and other personnel arbitrarily detained by the Houthi authorities.
Sudan: Crisis worsens as cholera and floods drive needs higher
The humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to deepen as cholera spreads, flooding displaces communities, and thousands of people return to areas with little to no support, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In the locality of Tawila, in North Darfur State, over 1,300 confirmed cases of cholera in just one week were reported on Sunday by an association of Sudanese doctors.
While local and international partners have set up cholera treatment centres, the current capacity is far from sufficient to cope with the rising caseload.
As Tawila hosts several hundred thousand displaced people, partners on the ground have been struggling to keep pace with the growing needs, notably as such needs are set to increase as the upcoming rainy season sets in.
Vulnerable returnees
Across Sudan, people returning to their communities face serious challenges, including the lack of essential services and the threat posed by explosive remnants of war.
In White Nile State, some residents have begun returning after being displaced for a year. Yet, an assessment by OCHA and its partners last week found that health, water, sanitation and hygiene support is urgently needed, even more so ahead of the rainy season.
Similarly, in eastern Sudan, OCHA warns that many families returning to Kassala State are struggling to cope with the impact of heavy rains and flooding, as heavy rains destroyed more than 280 homes in the village of Tirik earlier in July.
Additionally, as insecurity continues to impede the work of humanitarians, challenges faced by returnee families often lead them to return to displacement sites, undermining the sustainability of return efforts.
In this context, OCHA called for increased international support to meet soaring needs across Sudan.
Ukraine: At least 20 civilians reportedly killed in recent attacks
In Ukraine, attacks over the weekend and into Monday reportedly killed over 20 civilians and injured more than 100 others, including several children, according to authorities.
The strikes affected the capital Kyiv, as well as western and front-line regions, damaging homes, schools, and a health facility.
In Kyiv, a kindergarten, metro stations, shops and residential buildings were hit.
The Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine which hosts many displaced people and had previously been less affected by hostilities, suffered the largest attack since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
Frontline regions
Meanwhile, in areas near the frontlines in the Donetsk, Dnipro and Kherson regions, hostilities caused civilian casualties and further damage to schools, a health facility, and apartment buildings. Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy and other regions also reported that homes and shops were destroyed.
With support from UN agencies, and coordinating with local authorities and first respondents, humanitarian organizations on the ground continue to provide shelter materials, non-food items, legal aid, psychosocial support and assistance for children across the country.
The Security Council, in unanimous vote, pushes nations to resolve peacefully disputes
THE textSponsored by Pakistan and adopted unanimously, reiterated that all states “will settle their international disputes by peaceful means by dialogue, diplomatic commitment and cooperation so that international peace and security and justice are not in danger.”
He also reiterated that nations must “refrain from their international threat or the use of force against territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other way incompatible with the objectives of the United Nations”.
Emphasizing the need to prevent the disputes from occurring and of Esserdier, the resolution also called on the Member States to take “the necessary measures for the effective implementation of Security advice Resolutions for peaceful dispute settlement. »»
Preventive mediation and diplomacy
The text has encouraged the Secretary -General to ensure that the United Nations can “lead and support mediation and preventive diplomacy efforts”, while continuing to deploy his good offices.
He also took note “with appreciation” of the UN work Mediation support unit (MSU) and urged the secretariat to ensure the availability of “well -trained, experienced, independent, impartial and geographically and linguistically diverse mediation experts at all levels”.
The MSU is the Focal point of the UN at the level of the system on expertise and the support of mediation, providing tailor -made operational support to the world -scale peace and dialogue processes.
Participation of women and young people
The resolution also stressed the importance of integrating the inclusive approaches to the peaceful dispute resolution; Ensure the complete, equal and significant participation of women and the significant participation of young people in conflict prevention and dispute resolution efforts.
He also highlighted the role of regional and sub-regional organizations in the complement of the United Nations efforts, calling for an improvement in information sharing and cooperation.
The Council also requested that the Secretary General presents “concrete recommendations to further strengthen the peaceful dispute settlement mechanisms” within one year, in parallel with the plans of an open debate to examine progress.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Sudan: The UN increases the response plan because humanitarian needs need Tawila spiral
More than 380,000 people are currently inappropriate and the plan aims to increase aid for communities over the next three months.
It focuses on food, health care, water, sanitation, shelter and protection, and requires $ 120 million for the implementation, according to the United Nations Humanitarian Coordination Office (Ochha).
Propagation of diseases
The health situation in northern Darfur has also deteriorated, with humanitarian partners on the ground warning that cases of cholera, measles, malaria and trauma increase to El Fasher and other travel camps in the region.
As insecurity has forced the more than 32 health establishments in the region to be closed, the lack of rapid diagnostic tests and the widespread internet breakdown in the El Fasher region also seriously hinders the surveillance of diseases.
Critical shortages of surgical supplies, drugs and essential vaccines “push the health system at the edge, leaving thousands of people without access to the care they need to stay alive,” said UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric during his daily New York press briefing.
Mortal civilian toll
The trip continues to make a fatal assessment on civilians looking for security, with markets in southern Darfur, net price increases due to floods and seasonal rivers cutting the channels of Chad and the state of the North.
Meanwhile, the UN remains “deeply concerned about the escalation of violence in the Kordofan region”, said Dujarric, after five civilians were killed and that several other injured in drone strikes on the fuel markets of Al Fula and Abu Zabad in the state of Western Kordofan.
The UN called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians and humanitarian staff, unhindered access through conflict lines and borders, and increased international support to meet the humanitarian needs in a spiral through Sudan.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
The UN moving the American withdrawal of the educational and cultural agency
“I deeply regret President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from America again Unesco“Said Audrey Azoulay, managing director of the agency based in Paris, in a statement.
In New York, the United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, said that the secretary general joined Ms. Azoulay “by deeply regretting the decision of the United States. »»
The United States first withdrew from Unesco in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan and did not join for two decades. Fourteen years after the start of the school year, the first Trump administration withdrew from the organization in 2017, but the decision was canceled by President Joseph Biden in 2023.
Ms. Azoulay stressed that “this decision contradicts the fundamental principles of multilateralism”, and she stressed that this decision would affect UNESCO partners in the United States, including communities in search of site registration.
A White House press release on withdrawal said that the decision had been made to protect UNESCO’s American work of work to advance the “divine social and cultural causes”.
The press release also said that the organization is focused on the UN Sustainable development objectives (ODD), which he described as “a globalist and ideological program for international development in contradiction with our first foreign policy in America”.
The declaration also specifically cited UNESCO’s decision to admit the state of Palestine as a member state as a problematic, unlike American policy and to fuel the “anti-Israeli rhetoric of the United Nations”.
In her statement, Ms. Azoulay denied these affirmations that UNESCO is “anti-Israeli”, highlighting the work of the organization in the education of the Holocaust and the fight against anti-Semitism.
“UNESCO is the only United Nations agency responsible for these questions, and its work was unanimously by major specialized organizations,” she said, including American organizations such as United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.
Diversification of funding in preparation
Ms. Azoulay stressed that this announcement was planned and that the organization has prepared accordingly, highlighting the main structural reforms in recent years, including the diversification of funding sources.
“The downward trend in the United States’s financial contribution has been offset,” she said. Although the United States now represents eight percent of the organization’s budget, UNESCO’s budget has regularly increased thanks to donations from Member States and Private contributors, they have doubled since 2018.
“Today, the organization is better protected in financial terms,” she said.
Continuous American partnerships
“The UNESCO’s objective is to welcome all the nations of the world, and the United States of America are and will always be welcome,” said Azoulay.
The organization will continue to work with its American partners in the private, academic and non -profit sectors, and it will continue discussions with the American government.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
“ Betting on young people ” to achieve the digital potential of Africa, says the deputy chief of the UN
In 2024, only 34% of women and 45% of men on the continent used the Internet, against global averages of 65 and 70%. Meanwhile, 98% of Africans under the age of 18 do not finish school with STEM basic skills (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), reflecting long-term underinvestment in education.
This slow progression of digital integration and STEM education hinders Africa’s ability to achieve Sustainable development objectives (SDD) By 2030, the report noted. The “digital division” strikes the most harsh marginalized groups, including women and rural communities.
“Africa is a vast and populated continent, rich in natural endowments and talents. However, a large part of this potential remains underused, “said Philitarmon Yang, the President of the general assembly in a message to Reunion.
Youth potential
Deputy secretary general Amina Mohammed told delegates that Africa should “bet on young people”.
By 2050, there will be more than 850 million young people in Africa.
“It is an incredible opportunity. Carrying out this potential means investing in Stem education now.
But current systems do not sufficiently support young innovators – three -quarters of young Africans have insecurity, lacking basic protections.
This lack of social protection is part of a broader difference in labor rights, noted the report. In 2023, only 19% of people in Africa had access to at least one form of social protection, such as social security or health insurance – against 53% worldwide.
“Strong social protection does not only concern safety nets. It is a question of creating stability that allows companies to take risks, innovate and grow, “said Ms. Mohammed.
Approaches to people at the origin of people
The report calls on governments and partners to adopt an approach that promotes people who promotes digital and technological innovation while being decent work, rights and intellectual property.
“Resilience cannot be carried out without governance that places people at the center of the design and implementation of policies,” says the report.
The speakers have also stressed that African expertise must guide the solutions.
“We reaffirm our collective determination to guarantee that the development of Africa is led by its own people, based on knowledge, innovation and social justice,” said Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, Minister of Health of Gambia, speaking on behalf of the African group.
Power of partnerships
In his message, Mr. Yang said that no African country could reach a complete digital integration alone; Regional cooperation and multilateral support are essential.
“” [Digital tools] can offer a path to the future … [but] No country can fill these shortcomings alone … Multilateral cooperation with the United Nations of its center has obtained eight decades of unprecedented human progress, “he said.
Ms. Mohammed stressed the possibilities “when we get things correctly”.
“The choice is ours – we can continue business as usual and watch the 2030 agenda Eliminate or we can support systemic transformation. »»
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Deeply plunging into the international seabed authority: why this now matters
At a time when the international community seeks to regulate the rich tapestry of ocean floors on the planet while countries and companies accelerate towards high seas extraction opportunities, here is what you need to know about Isa and why it is important now:
What is he doing?
ISA manages the mineral resources of the seabed beyond the national jurisdiction, which covers 54% of the oceans of the world, for “the common benefit of all humanity”.
Created by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1994, ISA aims to guarantee that all economic activities in the deep foundations, including mining, are regulated and managed in responsibility.
Mandated to guarantee the effective protection of the marine environment against the harmful effects which can result from the activities linked to the deep magnitude, its work also contribute At 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
The seabed contain a rich fauna and a range of minerals of rare earths.
Why does that count now?
As the only international body in the world which focuses on the deep region beyond national borders, ISA aims to respond to urgent concerns, plastic waste litter the oceans to the race to secure the minerals of rare earth to quench the insatiable thirst of the world for lithium batteries and a range of technological articles.
What types of rare earth minerals are on the bottom of the ocean? Cobalt, copper, gold, lanthane, neodymia, nickel, silver, yttrium and zinc to name only a few.
Currently, countries can continue operating on the high seas in their own territorial waters or “exclusive economic zones”. But, under international law, the seabed Deep does not belong to any country or business, the secretary general of the ISA, Leticia Carvalho, wrote in a recent editorial.
“This is our common heritage,” she said.
An active volcano on the bottom of the ocean.
What is the mining code project?
Currently, nations are looking for more and more sources of rare earth minerals to meet the demand for renewable energy technologies and elements such as mobile phones and computers. The high seas contains a plethora of supplies. This is where the mining code project comes into play.
During its 30th session, ISA members work on a code project that would protect the marine environment and strengthen the foundations to ensure that all activities in the in -depth sea region are carried out in a responsible manner and in accordance with the principles of environmental sustainability as well as for all humanity.
A food container seen based at 4,947 m on the slopes of an underwater canyon near the northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Attack the “paradox of missing plastics”
Plastic pollution is another part of the problem. To solve this problem and other urgent problems, ISA members adopted a global research program in July 2020, serving as a maritime scientific research plan with six strategic priorities that include knowledge of knowledge on the high seas, promoting data sharing and providing information on ecosystems in high sea, promotion of data sharing and information on information on Scientific landscape of plastics on the high seas.
This last growing world challenge has potential consequences for the sustainable use of the oceans. In 2019, the plastic industry produced more than 450 million tonnes of plastic, a figure that should increase in the coming decades and should increase pressure on marine and species. However, part of the plastics entering the oceans remains unrecovered, a phenomenon known as “paradox of missing plastics”.
Some researchers suggest that the deep sea can act as a well for plastic debris, where their prolonged persistence could present risks for these environments.
Gland’s verses were one of the many types of fauna observed in the deep sea around the Northern Mariaes Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
The new world biobank on the high seas
Isa has also just started filling her new bioffelk, spear in June on the margins of United Nations Ocean Conference In Nice, France. The Biobank initiative (DBI) on the high seas (DBI) aims to improve access to organic samples on the high seas and to genetic data collected in the International Seab Foundation area.
Designed to promote research on the high seas and inclusive scientific collaboration, in particular for the development of states, the initiative will establish a global repository of organic samples and will develop standard operational procedures to improve the quality, sharing and use of data by stakeholders.
“The DBI is ISA’s response to an increasing need to advance research, share data, strengthen capacity and facilitate access to in -depth knowledge, in particular for developing states,” said the head of the Carvalho authority. “We aim to create standardized and fair paths for scientific collaboration, the empowerment of countries and institutions to explore, understand and protect the most distant ecosystems from the ocean.”
The International Marine Fund authority has become a central institution of global ocean architecture, reflecting a course towards responsible and sustainable use.
Diving ‘Deepdata’
The richness of data and information collected by ISA has been essential to shape environmental management plans. Each byte of data collected by high seas exploration adds new critical information on life in the ocean and helps decision -making.
When launching the Deepdata database in 2019, ISA made the largest and complete global framework for environmental data and information on the deep region for the first time.
How many data has exactly been collected? In May 2023, Deepdata contained more than 10 teraoctets, almost equivalent to 6.9 million Instagram downloads. Widely used worldwide, it has experienced around 2.4 million visitors in 2022 only and more than 160 quotes in scientific publications.
Learn more about Isa here.
- The International Marine Fund Authority (ISA) has 170 members
- Isa is an autonomous intergovernmental organization established by the UN
- The members meet each year to resolve the pressing problems
- THE 30th session ends with the meeting of the ISA assembly from July 21 to 25 in Kingston, Jamaica,
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
