New rules have been agreed on that will help prevent the loss of plastic pellets – the industrial raw materials used to make plastic products – into the environment. They set new obligations at all stages of the plastic pellet supply chain, both on land and sea, and will help cut plastic pollution.
The Commission presented the artificial intelligence continent action plan, which will shape the next phase of AI in Europe. From building AI infrastructure to strengthening AI skills and talents, it will promote the development and deployment of AI solutions that benefit society and the economy.
António Guterres was responding to a journalist at the stakeout in UN Headquarters in New York, who asked him for reaction to the recent decision by United States President Donald Trump to impose a minimum ten per cent tariff on nearly every country in the world.
Tariffs are a tax on imports coming into a country which are usually charged to the exporting nation as a percentage of value.
“Trade wars are extremely negative,” the UN chief said, adding that he was “particularly worried” at the impact rising tariffs could have on vulnerable developing countries, warning that it could be “devastating”.
“I sincerely hope that we will have no recession, because a recession will have dramatic consequences, especially for the poorest people in the world,” the UN chief added.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has voiced deep concern over news that the United States has ended funding for life-saving emergency food assistance in 14 countries.
“If implemented, this could amount to a death sentence for millions of people facing extreme hunger and starvation,” the UN agency said in a post on the social media platform X on Monday.
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain warned in a separate post that continued cuts to its programmes “will deepen hunger, fuel instability, and make the world far less safe.”
She urged world leaders “to weigh the consequences,” noting that “with conflicts and extreme hunger surging, pulling support doesn’t just cost lives – it undermines global stability.”
WFP are in contact with Washington to seek clarification and to urge continued support for the programmes.
Among the millions who will be affected are refugees living in Uganda, who total some 1.8 million.
On average, between 10,000 to 12,000 refugees have entered the country every month since 2022, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
This is putting a strain on resources amid ongoing funding cuts that have forced the agency to prioritize areas such as healthcare and screening at reception centres.
“The budget that has been set aside to spend for the entire year is being used up now because of the influx,” Matthew Crentsil, UNHCR Representative in Uganda, told journalists in Geneva on Tuesday.
“I don’t want to even mention the shortage that WFP is experiencing in providing food,” he said, speaking from the capital, Kampala.
“There is no assurance of funding for WFP to provide food for refugees in Uganda beyond June of this year, so this is all exacerbating the already precarious situation that we have here in Uganda.”
An estimated 50 million people currently live in modern slavery, while a third of human trafficking victims are now children, said President of the UN General Assembly Philemon Yang on Tuesday.
Welcoming the publication of the latest Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking report, Mr. Yang urged Member States to “strengthen measures that combat modern slavery and trafficking in persons.”
“Modern slavery and human trafficking are violations of fundamental human rights,” Mr. Yang said, adding that the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights was clear in prohibiting slavery and the slave trade in all their forms.”
In order to put an end to these violations he said it was important to tackle the root causes the make people vulnerable to being trafficked or enslaved in the first place.
The implementation of a UN Global Plan of Action, adopted by the General Assembly in 2010 to complement the UN Trafficking Protocol, is set to be reviewed by Member States later this year. New goals to combat trafficking in persons will be set during the review.
Mr. Yang encouraged Member States to enact “policies that are trauma-informed and survivor centred,” and added that such policies should “promote inclusive growth and provide [survivors with] equal access to healthcare, education, skills training and job.”
There is an urgent need to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking, he warned.
Decisive action against key smuggling routeIn recent years, Egyptian nationals have increasingly been reported as both illegal migrants and smugglers operating on various routes into and throughout the EU, including the Mediterranean and the Western Balkan routes. The network targeted by this investigation offered illegal journeys by sailboat from the Turkish coast to Italian and Greek destinations, demanding payments of…
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake which struck shortly before 1 PM local time on 28 March, was the strongest in recent memory.
As aftershocks continue, UN agencies are warning of a looming health emergency, with children sleeping in the open, exposed to extreme heat, unsanitary conditions and the constant fear of another disaster.
According to the latest figures, over 3,500 people have died, nearly 5,000 have been injured and more than 200 remain missing.
The UN relief chief, speaking from Myanmar where he is overseeing the aid effort, underscored the Organization’s commitment to help communities in need.
“The United Nations is here – we are going to stay here and we will deliver for them. But we need the world to get behind us, but more importantly, to back this community as they rebuild their lives,” said Tom Fletcher, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, as he visited neighbourhoods levelled by the disaster in the capital Nay Pyi Taw on Saturday.
He highlighted the need for the international community to step up support, stressing that the most vulnerable have been the most affected.
“One thing that I have been struck by here is that you would think earthquakes hit everyone equally, but they hit the poorest hardest because they do not have the resources to respond, to move house, to live elsewhere, to start to rebuild.”
The earthquake has dealt a severe blow to Myanmar’s already fragile education system.
According to government reports, at least 1,824 schools have been damaged or destroyed, leaving hundreds of thousands of children without access to education.
With schools reduced to rubble, there is growing concern that many children, especially those in poorer communities, will fall behind in their studies – or never return to school at all.
There are “no quick and easy fixes,” the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warns.
“Many children have lost their parents, their friends and they need a place where they can get psychosocial support and begin to feel a sense of normalcy,” Eliana Drakopoulos, Chief of Communications at UNICEF Myanmar, told UN News.
“As hard as that is to imagine…we have to respond to the immediate emergency, but we also have to be here for the long haul to help people recover from this massive tragedy.”
Eliana Drakopoulos, Chief of Communications at UNICEF Myanmar, updates on the situation in the affected areas
The destruction of homes, hospitals and sanitation facilities, combined with heavy rains over the weekend have raised fears of disease outbreaks.
According to the UN World Health Organization (WHO)-led Health Cluster, more than 65 healthcare facilities have been damaged, further complicating the situation. The lack of medical supplies is putting the lives of injured and sick children at even greater risk.
Beyond the physical dangers, children are also dealing with the psychological trauma of the disaster. Many are afraid to sleep indoors, fearing that another earthquake will strike.
The earthquake’s devastation has disproportionately impacted persons with disabilities who face increased vulnerability due to physical injuries, displacement and disruption of essential services.
According to a UN initial rapid assessment conducted with 15 organizations of persons with disabilities and special schools in Mandalay and Sagaing, 11 of them reported direct impacts. The disaster has also led to a rise in newly acquired disabilities, further straining limited resources.
Preliminary reports indicate families of persons with disabilities have suffered severe hardships, including the collapse of homes, destruction of critical infrastructure such as sanitation facilities and loss of livelihoods.
“I am even afraid to use the toilet, fearing that another earthquake might strike while I am inside,” said one woman living with disability.
“I constantly worry – what if another earthquake happens while I’m inside a damaged house? The fear and anxiety never go away.”
Ten days after a 7.7 magnitude quake levelled buildings and buckled bridges across central Myanmar, the latest death toll has passed 3,500 and is “likely to rise”, said Titon Mitra, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Representative in the country, speaking from the devastated city of Mandalay.
He said that the response has moved into a “tragic phase” shifting from rescue to recovery efforts.
Well over 4,000 people have been injured in the quakes last week and more than 80 per cent of buildings have been damaged – especially in the major townships of Sagaing, Mandalay and Magway.
“The health system is completely overwhelmed, hospitals are unable to cope with the number of patients they’re dealing with,” Mr. Mitra said, adding that medicines and healthcare items are in “incredibly short supply”.
According to the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA), more than 500,000 people across the country have been left without access to life-saving health care.
UNDP’s Mr. Mitra also stressed that the risk of waterborne diseases is very high because urban water pipe systems are broken and water storage facilities are damaged.
“Sanitation is now becoming a big issue as people who have been forced out of their homes are resorting to open defecation,” he warned.
The disaster has been compounded by intense rainfall which started earlier than expected last week in Mandalay, impacting the response and worsening the living conditions of homeless survivors.
Myanmar’s meteorology department forecasts rain and strong winds in large parts of the country through Friday.
Mr. Mitra said that shelter is a major issue. People are “fearful” to go back into their damaged homes and are sleeping on the streets at night, “often without any sort of cover”, he told journalists in Geneva via video link .
Food is also in huge demand as markets are “severely disrupted” in Sagaing and Magway, people don’t have incomes and there are “signs of hyperinflation in place”, he said.
Mr. Mitra said the UN system is mobilized and has conducted initial rapid needs assessments. UNDP is also evaluating the integrity of buildings to determine if they are safe to use.
This uncertainty has impacted a hospital in Sagaing where “all the patients are in the car park in 40°C heat”, he said. “If we consider the building can accommodate them, then we want to move them back as quickly as possible.”
Hostilities have not stopped entirely but he expressed optimism that aid can reach all those in need, following the ceasefire announced days after the disaster by the military and resistance groups.
It remains the case that the military authorities control many affected areas and coordinate the provision of support.
“With an active civil war, we have to make sure that the aid, if it’s coordinated by military authorities, is going to areas which may be in resistance control,” he insisted.
The earthquake disaster – second only to Cylone Nargis in 2008 that killed more than 130,000 people – has compounded chronic and “very deep vulnerabilities” in Myanmar, the UNDP official said.
The country’s people have already suffered more than four years of fighting sparked by the military junta’s February 2021 coup d’état.
Prior to the earthquakes, nearly 20 per cent of the rice fields were already lost to conflict, more than 3.5 million people had been forced to flee their homes, over 15 million were facing hunger and an estimated 19.9 million were in need of assistance.
“I hope… when the cameras turn away from Myanmar, as they inevitably will and have in the past, that this doesn’t return to being a neglected crisis”, he concluded.
The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) published today its approach to supporting the objective of simplifying regulation and reducing administrative burdens for enhanced European competitiveness. To achieve a balanced and credible outcome, EIOPA calls for smarter, more harmonised regulation alongside more effective supervision at the EU level. This could create ideal conditions for European businesses to thrive in the Single Market while safeguarding consumer’ rights and maintaining financial stability.
Amid growing uncertainties and the emergence of a new geopolitical order, Europe must do more to foster a thriving and resilient economy while ensuring robust consumer protection and a level playing field for businesses.
EIOPA believes that simplification and burden reduction could be a meaningful catalyst for growth. Importantly, regulatory streamlining should aim at creating a stronger and more cohesive framework across the EU by eliminating unnecessary divergence across Member States. Regulatory simplification must prioritise EU interests over national ones, preventing market fragmentation through a holistic, long-term approach. It should by no means result in a mere shift of the regulatory burden and lead to new national obligations springing up where EU requirements have been reduced.
However, regulatory simplification must also not come at the expense of effective supervision. Therefore, EIOPA will carefully evaluate what data is essential for supervisory work.
Balanced approach, broader focus
EIOPA supports regulatory initiatives that foster a more competitive EU economy in a balanced and sustainable way. Within its own remit and even prior to the Commission’s initiative, EIOPA has been advancing regulatory simplification in all areas of its work by:
On sustainability, EIOPA will support the Commission in simplifying Europe’s sustainability reporting while ensuring (re)insurers and pension funds access reliable and standardised data to manage climate risks.
Policymaking and supervision
Simplification should begin at the earliest stages of the EU legislative process as mandates defined in the regulation have real-life impacts in terms of industry obligations and supervisory responsibilities. Greater involvement from EIOPA during Level 1 negotiations, especially for horizontal legislation, would help to ensure solid technical input to co-legislators regarding the need for specific mandates. Certain areas could benefit from further harmonisation to eliminate the fragmentation and barriers to entry that minimum harmonisation regulation can give rise to.
To ensure a well-functioning Single Market, strong supervisory convergence is essential. In this context, a stronger mandate at the EIOPA Board level would help reduce complexity and enhance efficiency. In specific areas, such as the supervision of cross-border undertakings more consistent enforcement across jurisdiction could strengthen the overall effectiveness of supervision, promote a level playing field and lower administrative burdens – ultimately boosting competitiveness.
Petra Hielkema, Chair of EIOPA said: “Regulatory simplification and burden reduction is important and possible. Yet, it should be viewed as a means to an end, not as the end itself. The ultimate goal, after all, is to create a more resilient and competitive European economy, where businesses can flourish, consumers are well protected and financial stability is maintained. Efforts to simplify regulation must, in our view, strike the right balance, ensuring that streamlining leads to a stronger, more cohesive framework, rather than introducing new gaps, inconsistencies or unintended burdens elsewhere.”
Ministers supported a negotiated solution with the US, acceptable for both sides, and addressed the possibility of further proportionate countermeasures. They affirmed their unity and determination in defending the interests of citizens and businesses.
In a joint statement, the heads of the UN’s aid agencies warned that “we are witnessing acts of war in Gaza that show an utter disregard for human life,” with Israeli displacement orders forcing hundreds of thousands to flee – with nowhere safe to go.
“With the tightened Israeli blockade on Gaza now in its second month, we appeal to world leaders to act – firmly, urgently and decisively – to ensure the basic principles of international humanitarian law are upheld.
“Protect civilians, facilitate aid, release hostages – renew a ceasefire,” they urged.
More than 2.1 million Gazans are being “trapped, bombed and starved again,” top UN officials said.
Any assertions that there is sufficient food inside the Strip to feed everyone is far from the reality on the ground, they added.
Over the weekend the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced the closure of 21 malnutrition treatment centres in Gaza, owing to the resumption of hostilities and the recent evacuation orders issued for areas where the centres were operating.
The development came as the UN agency warned that more than one million children in Gaza have been impacted by the Israeli embargo.
Spokesperson Abu Khalaf condemned the blockade while confirming it has thousands of aid parcels waiting to be delivered to Gaza.
Complementary food supplies for infants in Gaza have now run out, he said, with only enough ready-to-use milk left to feed 400 children for a month.
UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees and the largest in Gaza, highlighted the increasingly dire impact of Israel’s 2 April decision to stop allowing all humanitarian and commercial supplies into the enclave.
Media reports citing the Gazan health authorities on Sunday said that Israeli strikes killed at least 32 people, including over a dozen women and children.
In other reports, the Israeli military was alleged to have completely destroyed almost all homes in Rafah and isolated the southern city from the rest of the enclave.
“It’s been over a month since the State of Israel banned the entry of aid and commercial supplies into #Gaza,” UNRWA said. “Stocks are getting low and the situation is becoming desperate.”
Although the United Nations agency continues to provide assistance “with whatever supplies remain”, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday reported that its 25 subsidized bakeries have had to close.
Stocks are dwindling and prices of the few remaining items in shops have soared because no food aid nor cooking gas is entering Gaza.
“Poor kids are looking all day for food to eat, and they can’t find any,” said Jalila Abu Laila, at a camp for displaced Gazans in the north of the enclave. “Basically, nothing is available; they might only get some rice from the good people who give some out, but in general, we are unable to provide anything.”
Israeli cities also reportedly came under attack on Sunday – including the southern city of Ashkelon – after Palestinian fighters Hamas claimed responsibility for firing rockets at Israel.
Israel’s military said around 10 projectiles were fired, but most were successfully intercepted.
