Joint statement by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen, High Representative Kallas and Commissioner McGrath on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
Defending those who tell the truth, from war zones to the digital frontline
Marking Sunday International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against JournalistsThe United Nations is calling for justice for those silenced and protection for those who continue to speak truth to power – whether in conflict zones or in online spaces where abuse spreads quickly.
“Media workers around the world face increasing perils in their pursuit of the truth, including verbal abuse, legal threats, physical attacks, imprisonment and torture. Some are even killed,” the UN said. Secretary-General António Guterres in his message marking the day.
Cold cases
“Around the world, nearly nine out of ten journalist assassinations remain unsolved.” He noted that Gaza is ‘the deadliest place for journalists in all conflicts’calling for “independent and impartial investigations”.
Mr. Guterres warned that impunity “is not only an injustice to victims and their families: it is an attack on press freedom, an invitation to more violence and a threat to democracy itself.”
He called on all governments to “investigate every case, prosecute every perpetrator and ensure that journalists can freely carry out their work everywhere”.
Targeting women online
The United Nations agency for culture and education UNESCOwhich leads global efforts to defend press freedom, is spearheading this year’s campaign focused on the growing use of digital technology to target women journalists.
Under the theme GBV: raise awareness of gender-based violence facilitated by AI against women journalists, UNESCO warns that the rise of generative artificial intelligence has amplified the reach and impact of online abuse.
“When an AI-generated deepfake of a female journalist goes viral, it’s not just her image that is attacked: her credibility, her safety, and her voice are also attacked.“, indicated the agency.
Such attacks are part of what experts call Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violencea growing form of harassment aimed at silencing, humiliating and discrediting women in the media.
Threatened and attacked
of UNESCO The cold a study found that 73 percent of female journalists have been victims of online threats, and one in four have been victims of offline attacks..
More generally, 58 percent of young women and girls globally have experienced harassment on social media platforms, highlighting the scale of the problem.
“Digital spaces must be safe for those who come together and report the news,” the Secretary-General said. “When journalists are silenced, we all lose our voices.”
The message from the UN and working journalists is clear: justice for crimes committed against them simply for doing their job must be non-negotiable, and digital spaces must be reclaimed from those who use technology as a weapon to spread fear and hatred.
Learn more about UN efforts here and the UNESCO global campaign here
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
“We want our lives back,” say the children of Gaza
“What we need now are notebooks, books and pens. We want our lives back”said a young Palestinian girl, Sham Al-Abd.
She now attends the Deir al-Balah Common Primary School, run by the United Nations Palestine Refugee Agency.UNRWA).
Despite the old furniture and a few drawings that brighten up the walls of a classroom in a school visited by our UN News correspondent, the children’s enthusiasm at the idea of returning there after months spent seeking shelter from the bombs remains intact.
One of Sham’s classmates, Asil Al-Loh, spoke enthusiastically about how she felt: “We want to learn, play and study all subjects like before. Now we only study Arabic, English and mathematics.”
Palestinian student Sham al-Abd at the UNRWA-run Deir al-Balah mixed primary school.
Attempt to return to normal
Following the ceasefire in Gaza, UNRWA is working to restore a sense of normalcy to schools that previously served as shelters.
UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini announced that the agency is expanding its “Return to Learning” program in Gaza, offering in-person and online education.
At Deir al-Balah Common Primary School, signs of the shelter becoming a school are still evident. Our correspondent saw families preparing their meals in the corridors, while tents still occupy the school grounds.
When young student Shahd al-Bahisi returned to Deir al-Balah, she said she found the area “destroyed” and that “many displaced people were still there.”
Students sit on the floor as they attend classes at the UNRWA-run Deir al-Balah mixed primary school.
Despite this, Shahd seems determined to return to her studies.
Some classrooms lack enough chairs and their floors are covered with tarps and blankets. Yet the enthusiasm and determination shine through.
A chance at “life, dignity and education”
“To date, more than 62,000 students have benefited from temporary learning services through these core educational activities since their launch on August 1, 2024,” according to Inas Hamdam, UNRWA spokesperson.
The Deir al-Balah school is among those turned into a shelter, but UNRWA continues to open additional temporary learning spaces, Ms. Hamdam said.
Deir al-Balah mixed primary school, managed by UNRWA.
She explained that this was being done alongside the provision of distance learning services to around 300,000 students in Gaza, adding that: “8,000 teachers are helping to provide these services to children in Gaza who have suffered the ravages of war.”
She stressed that children, wherever they are, “deserve a chance to live, to live with dignity and to be educated.”
Despite the ravages of war, voices and laughter once again resonate in the corridors of the Deir-al-Balah school.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Researchers make sponges recyclable without toxic chemicals
Researchers at the University of Twente have developed a method to recycle polyurethane foam from mattresses and furniture
Gender equality is not just a goal: it is the foundation of lasting peace
The resolution “was a real game changer,” says Laura Flores, director of the Americas division at the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), in an interview with UN News.
Leading the department’s initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean, she works closely with local authorities and organizations, as well as women’s and indigenous communities to advance gender equality.
“People have finally started to recognize that women are not only affected by conflicts, but also play a key role in their resolution,” Flores said of the inclusion of women in conflict resolution. “This is about ensuring that women have a place at the table in peace negotiations and that their voices are heard in decisions that shape recovery and security. »
Indigenous leader Otilia Lux de Cotí representing Guatemala at a conference.
Record count of MPs
Last year, nearly 700 million women lived within 50 km of deadly conflict, according to the UN Secretary-General. report on women, peace and security.
Sexual violence has increased by 87 percent in the past two years, while nine out of ten peace processes excluded women negotiators.
However on the 25thth The anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda is a reminder that progress has been made. The Americas region has the highest average of women parliamentarians in the world, with an average of 41 percent in Caribbean countries, 31.9 percent in South America and 30.8 percent in Central America, Flores said.
Countries like Mexico, Chile, and Colombia have all adopted foreign policies aimed at promoting gender equality in diplomacy, peacebuilding, and development.
Despite encouraging developments, gender-based violence in the region remains “alarming”, with at least 11 women murdered every day in Latin America.
— Laura Flores
“These policies are still new, and they will need strong support and coordination to really take root, but they are a sign of progress,” she said.
Regional assets, but still present challenges
The UN promotes the protection of women in conflict and their participation in negotiations, but it is up to countries to implement WPS measures in their policies. In Chile, the UN supported a commission initiated by the country’s president to address the root causes of the conflict affecting indigenous communities. It specifically looked at the challenges faced by indigenous Mapuche women and most of the commission’s proposals came from women.
Last year, Ms. Flores’ department contributed to the development of Colombia’s first national action plan consistent with Resolution 1325. Meanwhile, in Haiti, DPPA is working jointly with UN Women – the leading UN entity for gender equality – to support women and girls, particularly survivors of gender-based violence.
Despite encouraging developments, gender-based violence in the region remains “alarming,” with at least 11 women murdered every day in Latin America, Flores said.
Political violence and digital harassment against women leaders continues to increase, while in some countries like Haiti, inclusion in politics remains low amid high levels of sexual violence.
“The region is dynamic, but it needs protection, investment and political will to continue moving forward,” stressed Ms. Flores.
Ceremonial ritual of the indigenous Mapuche people in Chile.
Moving forward, hand in hand
Indigenous peoples, catching up 467 million of the world’s population, are often denied the right to live in accordance with their cultural values and face exclusion from political processes.
“Indigenous women are often the hardest hit by conflict, but they are also incredibly resilient and play a central role in peace efforts,” said Flores.
One of these resilient women is Otilia Lux de Cotí, an indigenous leader and the only female K’iche Mayan minister to be included in the government of Guatemala in 2000.
Ms. Lux played an important role in documenting the specific forms of violence that women and indigenous peoples suffered during the country’s civil war.
Indigenous women’s leaders have played a central role in defending democracy, particularly during the 2023 elections, when the peaceful transfer of power was under threat.
— Otilia Lux de Coti
“I am the daughter of the Guatemalan war,” Ms. Lux told us in an interview.
On 200,000 Lives were lost in the conflict which began in 1962 and lasted for around three decades. Since the signing of the peace agreement in 1996, the country has made progress in promoting women’s rights, much of which is led by women themselves.
“More recently, indigenous women leaders have played a central role in defending democracy, particularly during the 2023 elections, when the peaceful transfer of power was threatened,” Ms. Flores said.
During the 2023 electoral crisis, indigenous peoples in Guatemala took to the streets and varas, or sticks, symbol of their ancestral authorities, to defend their vote.
“The decision to act was not made overnight; it followed a long process of discussion and consultation within our communities. We call this process Yacataj in K’iche’ – a collective awakening of consciousness,” said Ms. Lux.
“This moment when our ancestral symbols were brandished was not simply a protest; it was an act of democratic participation seen through Indigenous eyes,” she added.
Just as Resolution 1325 urges countries to “ensure increased representation of women at all levels of decision-making” for conflict prevention and resolution, women like Ms. Lux promote democracy by “refusing to remain silent.”
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Guterres worried about post-election violence in Tanzania
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Secretary-General António Guterres deplored the loss of life and offered its condolences to the families of the victims.
The Secretary-General called for “a thorough and impartial investigation into all allegations of excessive use of force», urging the Tanzanian authorities to demonstrate responsibility and transparency in the management of post-election unrest.
According to the UN human rights office (OHCHR), credible reports indicate that at least ten protesters were killed as security forces used guns and tear gas against demonstrators in urban areas, including the cities of Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga and Morogoro.
Internet restrictions
The OHCHR also reported that a nationwide curfew is in effect while internet access appears to have been largely restricted since election day.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged authorities to quickly restore internet service and allow citizens to fully enjoy their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly. Protesters were also urged to demonstrate peacefully.
“Reduced communications will only further undermine public confidence in the electoral process,” the office said.
The post-election violence comes a day after election campaigns were marred by allegations of arbitrary arrests and detentions of opposition figures, including party leader Chadema and his deputy.
The move followed reported forced disappearances of dissidents, including the country’s former ambassador to Cuba.
Free the detainees
“All those arbitrarily detained must be released immediately and unconditionally and those who are lawfully detained must be afforded due process and the right to a fair trial,” OHCHR spokesperson Seif Magango said at a press briefing Friday in Geneva.
“We urge the authorities to ensure prompt, impartial and effective investigations into all cases of election-related violence, and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice,” he added.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Iran: Human rights investigators alarmed by ‘escalating repression’ and increase in executions following Israeli airstrikes
At a briefing at U.N. headquarters in New York – the first time the mission has presented its findings to the General Assembly – President Sara Hossain said conditions had deteriorated since Israeli airstrikes, which reportedly killed more than 1,000 people.
According to Iranian government figures, 276 civilians, including 38 children and 102 women, were among the dead and more than 5,600 people were injured. Civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and schools, was damaged.
The government also reported that Tehran’s notorious Evin prison was struck without warning.
Iranian Red Crescent teams search for survivors after Israeli airstrike.
Around 80 people, including prisoners, family members (the attack took place during visiting hours), staff and at least one child were killed. The prison housed around 1,500 inmates at the time, including many human rights defenders and activists.
Ms Hossain also expressed concern over Iran’s response, which included missile strikes against Israel, which officials said left 31 people dead and more than 3,300 injured.
Sara Hossain, President of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, delivers a briefing to the United Nations Human Rights Council.
“Systemic attack against a civilian population”
The consequences of the strikes, she explained, led the Iranian government to a domestic repression that further eroded respect for the right to life.
THE Human Rights CouncilDesignated investigators documented the arrest of thousands of people, including lawyers, journalists, human rights defenders and people expressing their opinions about the conflict on social media.
This year, the number of executions has increased in Iran, reaching the highest level recorded since 2015.
Most of the death penalty cases investigated by the mission appear to violate international human rights law. A law was passed expanding the use of the death penalty for “espionage” and criminalizing the publication of content on social networks that the government considers “false information”.
“If the executions are part of a widespread and systemic attack against a civilian population, then, as a matter of principle, those responsible – including judges who impose the death penalty – could be held accountable for crimes against humanity“, said Max du Plessis, rights expert at the Fact-Finding Mission.
The recent crackdown has also affected ethnic and religious minorities, with more than 330 Kurds and large numbers of Arabs arrested, and hundreds of thousands of Afghans expelled, investigators reported.
Members of the Baha’i religious minority have been accused of being “Zionist spies” and some have been arrested during house searches and their property confiscated.
Impunity for “honor killings”
The persistence of other serious forms of violence, including cases of femicide (the intentional killing of women and girls based on their gender), have been reported in recent months.
The Mission received credible information that 60 such cases occurred between March and September 2025. “Honor killings” and other forms of gender-based violence, the mission reported, take place with impunity.
Businesses providing services to women refusing to comply with mandatory hijab laws were reportedly closed and surveillance intensified. Reports also indicate that the “morality police” have recently returned to patrol the streets.
The Fact-Finding Mission has documented an increase in cases of transnational repression, including interrogations, threats and surveillance of Iranian journalists’ families abroad. He received credible reports that more than 45 media workers in seven countries faced credible threats.
“Acts of denial of justice are not neutral,” Ms Hossain said. “Failure to address injustice prolongs the suffering of victims and undermines the State’s obligations under international human rights law to ensure accountability, truth, justice and reparations..”
“The rights to life and liberty under unprecedented threat”
In his report at the General AssemblyTHE independent human rights expert on IranMai Sato, condemned the Israeli and American strikes as an illegal use of force in violation of the United Nations Charterwhile expressing deep concern that the end of hostilities has not brought any relief to the Iranian people.
“External aggression fueled deeper internal repression,” she said. “The rights of the Iranian people to life and liberty are under unprecedented threat. Saito described the increase in executions as a deliberate policy of fear and retaliation, noting that many executions followed unfair trials or vague charges related to national security.
The Special Rapporteur – who is not a UN staff member and receives no salary for her work – also highlighted a growing pattern of transnational repression, with Iranian authorities targeting dissidents abroad through intimidation, surveillance and threats, and called on other UN member states to support at-risk Iranian civil society actors and coordinate efforts to counter transnational repression.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Tens of thousands fleeing on foot amid atrocities in Sudan’s El Fasher
Since the powerful paramilitary group made a major incursion into the city last week, the UN human rights office has received “horrendous accounts of summary executions, mass killings, rapes, attacks against humanitarian workers, looting, abductions and forced displacement,” said Seif Magango, spokesperson for the UN human rights office (OHCHR).
Speaking from Nairobi to journalists in Geneva, Mr. Magango said numerous testimonies had been received from residents who had fled in terror as the city fell, then “survived the threatening journey to Tawila, approximately 70 kilometres away” – a journey that takes three to four days on foot.
Crowded camps in Tawila
More than 36,000 people have fled since Saturday, mostly on foot, to Tawila – a town west of El Fasher that is already sheltering more than 652,000 displaced people, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The RSF militia which grew out of the genocidal violence of the Darfur conflict 20 years ago, has been locked in a brutal conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023.
Sudan has become the site of the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis on record, with about 14 million people displaced out of a population of 51 million. Famine is widespread, and outbreaks of cholera and other deadly diseases are increasing.
The RSF seized control of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state following more than 500 days of siege, after forcing Sudan’s army to withdraw earlier this week.
Distressing reports indicate the killing of sick and wounded individuals inside the Saudi Maternity Hospital and in buildings in the Dara Jawila and Al-Matar neighbourhoods, which were being used as temporary medical centres.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 460 patients and companions were killed during the alleged massacre.
“These extremely grave allegations raise urgent questions as to the circumstances of these killings in what should be places of safety,” Mr. Magango said.
He called for an independent, transparent and prompt investigation to ensure justice.
OHCHR has also received alarming reports of sexual violence from humanitarian partners on the ground. “At least 25 women were gang raped when RSF’s forces entered a shelter for displaced people near El Fasher University. Witnesses confirm RSF’s personnel selected women and girls and raped them at gunpoint,” Mr. Magango said.
The pattern of violence has also targeted humanitarian workers and local volunteers supporting vulnerable communities in El Fasher.
Attacks on medics
The World Health Organization (WHO) has corroborated reports of attacks on health facilities and personnel, condemning the abduction of six health workers – four doctors, a nurse and a pharmacist. The Saudi Maternity hospital has been attacked five times in October alone.
Following the fall of El Fasher, the UN heath agency is currently “unable to assist those who have been impacted, the injuries that have occurred from the multiple attacks against civilians,” explained Dr. Teresa Zakaria, head of WHO’s Humanitarian Operations Unit.
WHO confirmed that 189 attacks have been verified in Sudan this year, resulting in 1,670 deaths and 419 injuries. “Eighty-six per cent of all these attack-related deaths have occurred this year alone and this indicates that attacks are getting deadlier,” Dr. Zakaria said.
Massive funding shortfall
“The Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan to date is only 27.4 per cent funded – a very, very big gap,” Dr Zakaria added. “For the health sector itself, funding stands at 37 per cent, so, we are struggling very much with resources. That’s why we are calling on the international community not to abandon the people of Sudan, because the main actors are our Sudanese organizations, who continue to be present and deliver assistance”.
With the capture of El Fasher, the RSF’s territorial control now extends across Darfur and parts of Sudan’s south, while the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) control the capital, Khartoum, and much of the country’s north and centre.
UN aid push continues across Gaza despite Israeli airstrikes
“Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that their partners continue their scale-up efforts, despite reported Israeli airstrikes across the Strip,” he said, noting that some strikes hit areas near the so-called ‘Yellow Line’ – a buffer zone marked by the Israeli military inside Gaza as part of the ceasefire agreement.
“We stress again that all parties must refrain from any activities that put civilians, including aid workers, at risk.”
Despite the insecurity, UN operations have managed to move significant volumes of relief into the enclave. According to the UN’s so-called 2720 delivery mechanism authorised by the Security Council, more than 24,000 metric tonnes of aid – including food, medicine, nutritional supplements and shelter materials – have been collected from Gaza’s crossings since the truce began several weeks ago.
Looting subsides
Encouragingly, looting and interception of aid have sharply declined. Between 10 and 28 October, only five per cent of supplies were intercepted, compared with around 80 per cent in the months before the ceasefire.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has also delivered over 840 pallets of life-saving medical supplies, including insulin, surgical kits and essential medicines, and is supporting nutrition services to treat some 2,500 children.
But Mr. Dujarric warned that Gaza’s health system remains “under immense strain”, with the local Ministry of Health reporting that more than 1,700 health workers have been killed since the start of the war.
On education, agencies are working to restore “minimum teaching and learning conditions” for over 630,000 school-aged children who have missed more than two years of classes.
Over 90 classrooms have been rehabilitated, though Israeli restrictions on educational materials continue to hamper efforts.
“We continue to call for all crossing points to be open and more UN agencies and organizations authorized to bring in aid supplies into Gaza,” Mr. Dujarric said.
Fragile window to resume food production
Despite catastrophic destruction across Gaza’s farmlands, the current ceasefire has created a fragile but vital window to revive food production, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and satellite agency UNOSAT said on Thursday.
New satellite analysis shows nearly 87 per cent of cropland, 80 per cent of greenhouses and almost 87 per cent of irrigation wells have been damaged since the start of the conflict. But the pause in fighting has opened access to 37 per cent of affected farmland – some 600 hectares of which remain undamaged – allowing farmers to begin rehabilitating their land.
“The ceasefire has opened a window of opportunity,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol. “Urgent support is needed to restore agricultural land and infrastructure, enable farmers to resume fresh food production, and rebuild fisheries and livestock so families can feed themselves again.”
FAO stressed that rebuilding food systems now could help stabilise livelihoods and prevent deeper hunger in Gaza.
However, its $75 million appeal to support recovery remains only 10 per cent funded, highlighting the need for swift international backing to seize this brief moment of hope amid widespread devastation.
