By presenting its annual report to Third Committee of the General AssemblyVolker Türk stressed that surveys consistently show that people around the world overwhelmingly support the values ​​that underpin human rights, namely dignity, equality and justice.

He exhorted the international community to “build on this energy, at a time when disquiet, disenfranchisement, disillusionment and disarray are spreading across the world.”

War in Sudan: “total disregard” for human rights

Mr. Türk noted that “several governments are openly flouting the norms that bind us and the universal values ​​that define us,” as evidenced by the multiple conflicts erupting across the world.

Warring parties in Sudan “continue to show total disregard for human rights and international humanitarian law,” he said, while the situation in the besieged town of El Fasher in Darfur “is devastating and extremely alarming.”

“All countries must respect the Security Councilthe arms embargo. The protection of civilians, full humanitarian access, an end to the conflict and a return to civilian rule are the main priorities,” he said.

“Deadliest” phase of the conflict in Ukraine

Meanwhile, “the war in Ukraine has entered an even deadlier phase for civilians,” as schools, hospitals and shelters face relentless bombardment.

The Ukrainian and Russian people “are in urgent need of peace, in accordance with United Nations Charterinternational law and General Assembly resolutions,” he said.

He referred to the situation in Myanmar, where “civilians continue to suffer the cruelest toll”. The population “is demanding a viable future in which all communities can live in peace, without discrimination”.

He also highlighted recent encouraging efforts for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which “must be accompanied by a changing reality on the ground,” including a genuine ceasefire.

Ceasefire and aid to Gaza

Regarding Gaza, Mr. Türk welcomed the release of all the hostages and many Palestinians arbitrarily detained as part of the first phase of the ceasefire.

“This must lead to a permanent ceasefire, with large-scale humanitarian aid,” he said.

“Recovery efforts must aim to hold accountable those responsible for gross violations and abuses of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law. »

He stressed that “the goal must remain peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, through the realization of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.”

Support human rights

The High Commissioner also reported on the work of his office, which included supporting transitional justice efforts in Syria and human rights monitoring training for civil society in Haiti.

He highlighted the “precarious financial situation” she faces OHCHR expects a budget deficit of $103 million this year, which “represents a gap of nearly 20 percent of the bare minimum needed to effectively implement our mandate.”

He warned that “without adequate funding, serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law could remain hidden from the world,” thereby giving perpetrators “a free pass” and making the world less safe.

“Human rights – and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – need large-scale financial, political and strategic support,” he said.

Addressing the General Assembly, Guterres briefed Member States on the structural reforms and programmatic realignments that are needed across the United Nations system to make it fully capable of meeting today’s challenges.

“My vision of the United Nations system is clear: Entities working together to achieve better results – overcoming fragmentation, eliminating duplication, improving financing models and maximizing synergies.», declared the secretary general.

“For the people we serve”

He highlighted the need for a more streamlined, collaborative and cost-effective approach: “ensuring that the resources entrusted to us have maximum impact on the people we serve.”

As part of the reform campaign, Mr. Guterres announced the creation of a dedicated UN 80 Implementation Team to advance reform proposals, either by submitting them to intergovernmental decision-making bodies – or by advancing them unilaterally when within his authority.

“The ultimate leadership of the UN80 Initiative rests with you, the Member States of the United Nations.“, underlined Mr. Guterres.

The briefing is part of the UN80 Initiativewhich aims to streamline operations, increase impact and reaffirm the relevance of the UN in a rapidly changing world.

This is the third of three workstreams created to guide the reform process.

Workstream 1 focuses on modernizing business operations and improving efficiency within the Secretariat and the United Nations system – including through consolidated administrative platforms, relocations to lower-cost duty stations and reduction of real estate costs – while preserving core program delivery.

The first proposals included in the revised forecasts for the 2026 budgetare now before the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, and decisions are expected by December this year.

Workstream 2 examines the full lifecycle of mandates to strengthen coherence, accountability and impact.

It is initial recommendations are being studied by a Informal ad hoc working group of the General Assembly, co-chaired by Jamaica and New Zealand, which is leading a “discovery phase» until the end of 2025.

Changing paradigms

Among the more than 70 proposals included in the first progress report Workstream 3 concerns the plan to consolidate and reconfigure the peace and security teams at Headquarters in New York, as well as the special political missions in Yemen, Cyprus and Central Africa.

Other potential reforms include a merger between the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), an initiative that Mr. Guterres said would “create a more powerful sustainable development engine, with greater scope and scale.”

He also raised the possibility of merging UN Women and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to form “a unified and more powerful voice on gender equality and the rights of women and girls”. [More details on the proposals on this UN News story]

“More than just a cost-cutting exercise”

Before her presentation, Member States heard from Annalena Baerbock, the President of the General Assemblywhich echoed the need for Member States to commit to the reform proposals presented in the Secretary-General’s report.

The caller “more than a cost-cutting exercise“, she summarized the UN80 Initiative as being “a question of efficiency, agility and ability to leverage cutting-edge technologies.”

She also stressed that while Member States cannot ignore the “precarious budgetary situation,” they have a responsibility to the people the United Nations serves.

“We cannot sacrifice the principles of this institution in the name of the ‘bottom line,’” Baerbock said.

Check out our UN News explainer on the UN80 initiative, here.

Programs in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan are already facing major disruptions, which will only get worse.

“Each ration reduction means a child goes to bed hungry, a mother misses a meal, or a family loses the support they need to survive.“, said PAM Executive Director Cindy McCain.

Record hunger, reduced budget

The crisis comes as global hunger reaches record levels, with 319 million people facing acute food insecurity, including 44 million in emergencies. Famine has also set in in Sudan and the Gaza Strip.

WFP expects to receive 40 percent less funding this year, which would translate into a projected budget of $6.4 billion, compared to $10 billion in 2024.

“We are risk losing decades of progress in the fight against hunger“said Ms. McCain.

“Even hard-won progress in the Sahel region, where 500,000 people have been freed from aid dependency through integrated food assistance and resilience programs, could soon be reversed without continued support. »

Critical operations at risk

These reductions could move 13.7 million people receiving WFP food aid from crisis level to emergency famine, an increase of a third, the agency said in its statement. a new report.

In Afghanistan, “dramatic reductions” mean food aid reaches less than 10 percent of those who need it, despite soaring malnutrition rates.

The DRC faces record levels of hunger and around a quarter of the population, or 28 million people, suffer from food insecurity.

The WFP had planned to feed 2.3 million people this month, which was reduced to 600,000 people, and ‘complete pipeline rupture’ could occur by February.

“In Haiti, hot meal programs have already been interrupted and families are receiving half of the WFP’s standard monthly rations,” the agency said, while “aid in Somalia has been cut repeatedly,” from 2.2 million people last year to just 350,000 in November.

All WFP food beneficiaries in South Sudan are now receiving a reduced ration, “which will be missing some food items from October as the country’s stocks run out”.

Meanwhile, WFP currently supports four million people each month in war-torn Sudan, but 25 million people, half the population, face acute food insecurity.

Commitment to deliver

The WFP said its preparedness efforts also suffered. For the first time in nearly a decade, there are no contingency stocks for the hurricane season in Haiti, nor any prepositioning of food in Afghanistan as winter approaches.

Although the reductions have different impacts depending on its operations, the agency remains committed to providing food assistance to the world’s hungriest regions.

“The devastating damage caused by food aid reductions not only threatens human lives, but also risks undermining stability, fueling displacement, and fueling broader social and economic upheaval,” Ms. McCain said.

“Quick and efficient food aid is a vital bulwark against chaos in countries that are already struggling to cope.

In a statement On Wednesday, Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said that two days after world leaders gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh to support the U.S.-led peace initiative, “this is a moment of great but tenuous hope.”

“It is also clear from the public reaction to progress that Palestinians, Israelis and people across the region want this peace to settle” said Mr. Fletcher.

“SO, we must not fail to complete the full implementation of the agreements reached.»

He said UN humanitarian operations had finally begun to scale up “after months of frustration and blockages”, with the delivery of food, medicine, fuel, water, cooking gas and tents to those in need.

New setbacks

However, he warned that new setbacks now threatened to undermine this fragile progress.

“We are now being put to the test to see if we can ensure that these measures will not prevent the progress the president desires.” [Donald] Trump, the UN Secretary General and many leaders insisted,” he said.

Mr. Fletcher called on Hamas to “make strenuous efforts to urgently return all the bodies of the deceased hostages,” and expressed concern regarding “evidence of violence against civilians in Gaza.»

He also pressed Israel to allow “the massive influx of humanitarian aid – thousands of truckloads per week – on which so many lives depend.” Additional border crossings must be opened, he said, and remaining logistical barriers must be removed to ensure the free flow of aid.

“Facilitating aid is a legal obligation,” emphasized Mr. Fletcher. “We will not accept any interference in our distribution of aid.»

Summary executions in Gaza

His appeal came as the UN human rights office (OHCHR) reported new allegations of serious abuses in Gaza, including summary executions and unlawful killings of civilians.

Armed clashes between Hamas-affiliated groups and rival factions have intensified since October 10, OHCHR said in a statement. press release.

On October 13, video footage released by the Sahm Unit, reportedly linked to the Gaza Interior Ministry, showed the public execution of eight men, blindfolded and handcuffed, who were suspected members of a Gaza-based family militia.

OHCHR added that such acts “constitutes a war crime,” and reminded Hamas that it “must prevent and repress any violation or abuse committed by its members.”

Meanwhile, Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on Palestinians trying to return to their homes in eastern Gaza City on October 14, killing three people. The OHCHR said it had recorded 15 Palestinian deaths in similar incidents since October 10.

“The situation in Gaza remains precarious and uncertain,said Ajith Sunghay, head of OHCHR in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

“It is imperative to ensure that the ceasefire is respected and progresses towards the restoration and full realization of the Palestinian right to self-determination,” he added.

This increase is due to continued human emissions, increased wildfires, and weakened absorption by land and ocean “sinks” – a development that threatens to create a vicious climate cycle.

Tripled since the 1960s

THE WMOThe latest greenhouse gas bulletin shows that CO₂ growth rates have tripled since the 1960s, from an average annual increase of 0.8 parts per million (ppm) to 2.4 ppm per year, during the decade 2011 to 2020.

The rate jumped by a record 3.5 ppm between 2023 and 2024 – the largest increase since monitoring began in 1957.

Average concentrations reached 423.9 ppm in 2024, compared to 377.1 ppm when the bulletin was first published in 2004.

About half of the CO₂ emitted remains in the atmosphere, while the rest is absorbed by land and oceans; storage weakens as warming reduces ocean solubility and worsens drought.

The 2024 peak was likely amplified by an increase in wildfires and a reduction in CO₂ uptake by land and ocean in 2024 – the hottest year on record, with a strong El Niño climate effect.

“There is concern that land and ocean CO₂ sinks are becoming less efficient, which will increase the amount of CO₂ that remains in the atmospherethus accelerating global warming. Sustained and strengthened greenhouse gas monitoring is essential to understanding these loops,” said Oksana Tarasova, WMO senior scientist who coordinates the bulletin’s research.

Other records

Methane and nitrous oxide – the second and third long-lived greenhouse gases – also set new emissions records.

Methane levels reached 1,942 ppb, 166 percent above pre-industrial levels, while nitrous oxide reached 338 ppb, an increase of 25 percent.

“Heat trapped by CO₂ and other greenhouse gases fuel our climate and lead to more extreme weather. Reducing emissions is therefore essential not only for our climate but also for our economic security and the well-being of our communities,” said Ko Barrett, WMO Deputy Secretary-General.

Monitoring and action

The WMO released the report ahead of the COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil, which begins in November, emphasizing that sustained global monitoring is vital to guide climate action.

The framework, developed after years of negotiations and approved in draft form in April, would for the first time establish a mandatory global fuel standard and greenhouse gas pricing mechanism for ships.

Together, they aim to bring the global maritime fleet – which carries around 80% of global trade and produces almost 3% of global emissions – towards net zero emissions by 2050.

Not perfect but balanced base

Arsenio Dominguez, secretary general of International Maritime Organization (IMO), highlighted the “particular importance” of the week-long session to the agency and its work.

He recognized that Some countries view the plan as too ambitious, while others say it does not go far enough..

“IMO the Net-Zero framework is not perfect,“, he told delegates, “However, it constitutes a balanced basis for the continuation of our work with a view to its entry into force in 2027.»

“This process has been inclusive and thorough,” Mr. Dominguez added, urging delegates to approach the negotiations “with diplomacy and respect.”

“Here we are diplomatic and respectful of each other, we listen to everyone’s opinion, we move forward and we always seek to improve in this ever-changing industry.”

The frame

The IMO session Marine Environment Protection Committee will continue until Friday, when delegates are expected to vote on adopting the framework as an amendment to the main international treaty to reduce air pollution from shipping and improving energy efficiency.

If adopted, the rules would apply to all ocean-going ships over 5,000 gross tonnes, which together account for about 85 percent of shipping-related emissions. National governments will be responsible for enforcement.

Ships would be required to gradually reduce their reliance on carbon-emitting fuels and pay the price for excess emissions, with revenue to be reinvested in clean energy transition measures and support for developing countries.

If a ship emits below a certain threshold, it can store or trade its excess units and, similarly, if a ship switches entirely to zero or near-zero emissions fuels, it is entitled to financial rewards.

Strong headwinds

The proposal, however, faces strong objections from the United States.

In a joint statement last week, the US secretaries of Energy and Transportation said the framework amounted to “a global carbon tax”, warning that it could increase transportation costs by more than 10% and harm US consumers.

The statement warned that Washington would consider imposing visa restrictions, trade sanctions and new port fees on countries supporting the framework.