Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain third countries with Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1199 of 12 June 2025 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Guatemala.
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Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Guatemala
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More than 20% of Europeans exposed to harmful noise pollution levels
Just over 110 million people, or more than 20% of Europeans, are exposed to high levels of transport noise that exceed thresholds set under EU reporting rules and which harm our health, the environment and the economy, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report on noise pollution published today. The report calls for stronger action at EU and national levels to address the problem.
Simplification: Council agrees position on sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements to boost EU competitiveness
Council agrees position on simplifying sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements to boost EU competitiveness. Source link
UN80 Initiative: What is – and why is it important to the world
“This is the right time to take a look and see how much we are in a set of circumstances which, let us be honest, are difficult enough for multilateralism and for the UN,” explains Guy Ryder, general under-secretary for politics and the president of the UN80 working group.
Known as the UN80 Initiative, this process is not only seeking to improve efficiency, but also to reaffirm the value of multilateralism at a time when confidence is low and the needs are high. It aims to strengthen the UN capacity to meet the global challenges of today – ranging from conflicts, travel and inequalities to climatic shocks and rapid technological changes – while responding to external pressures such as reducing budgets and growing political divisions in multilateral space.
“We took out with a stronger and adjusted UN at the end, ready for the challenges that the future will undoubtedly bring us,” explains Mr. Ryder.
View of the UNHQ building from Roosevelt Island, New York
Three reform tracks
At the heart of the UN80 are three major components. The first focuses on improving internal efficiency and efficiency, reducing administrative formalities and optimization of the UN overall footprint by moving certain functions to service stations at a lower cost. Mr. Ryder notes that administrative procedures and heavy duplications are targeted.
“We want to see what we can do better. We want to look at the areas where we think we can improve efficiency and remove unnecessary bureaucratic processes, ”he explains.
The secondary work is an examination of the implementation of the mandate, which consists in examining nearly 4,000 mandate documents underlying the work of the UN Secretariat. A mandate refers to a task or responsibility awarded to the organization by the Member States, generally through resolutions adopted by UN bodies such as the General Assembly or the Security advice.
These mandates guide what the UN does – peacekeeping and humanitarian aid operations for human rights and environmental action. Over the decades, at least 40,000 mandates have accumulated, overlapping or sometimes overlapping, which is why examining them is a key element of the UN80 initiative.
“Let’s take a look at them,” says Ryder. “Let’s see where there can be duplication, where we can prioritize and deactivate, and find redundancies.”
But reviewing this mountain of mandates is not new. “We have already tried this exercise. We looked at these voluminous mandates in 2006. It didn’t work very well. ” Mr. Ryder reflects.
This time, however, the process is favored by a key factor. “This time, we have analytical data and capacities. We apply artificial intelligence techniques to provide much more organized information to the Member States – a more convincing case that could lead, I think, a productive process. ”
He stresses that the responsibility to decide what to keep, revise or interrupt is outright with the Member States.
“These terms belong to the Member States. They created them, and only they can assess them. We can examine the evidence, we can say that to the Member States, but ultimately they are the decision -makers on the mandates and on many other than the UN80 initiative brings. ”
The third flow explores whether the structural changes and the program’s realignment are necessary in the United Nations system. “Finally, we may want to look at the architecture of the United Nations system, which has become quite elaborate and complicated,” added Mr. Ryder. The proposals are also likely to get out of the examination of the implementation of the mandate.
Guy Ryder, general under-secretary for the policy and president of the UN80 working group
A working group and an objective on a system scale
To combat reform in such a complex system, the secretary general established seven thematic clusters within the framework of the UN80 working group; Each coordinated by high leaders of the United Nations from all over the system. These cover peace and security, humanitarian action, development (United Nations Secretariat and System), human rights, training and research and specialized agencies.
“It is important to say that at a time when the system is under pressure, the system responds as a system,” notes the work chair UN80. “It’s not just New York, not just the secretariat. It is on a system scale. »»
Each cluster should produce proposals to improve coordination, reduce fragmentation and realign functions if necessary. Several clusters have already submitted initial ideas. A wider set of proposals will follow in July.
The United Nations endeavors to prevent conflicts, to support the peace processes and to protect civilians – now its main mandate to maintain international peace and security.
Reform, not on heating
The attention around the UN80 Initiative has largely focused on the proposed budget cuts and staff reductions, which raises fears that it is mainly an economy exercise. Mr. Ryder underlines that this view is missing the situation as a whole.
“Yes, we are faced with financial challenges. No need to avoid our eyes from that. But this is not a cost reduction exercise. We want to make the UN stronger, ”he says.
However, financial pressures through the system are undeniable. A revised program budget for 2026, due in September, should include significant reductions in financing and positions for secret entities – a consequence of persistent cash flow constraints linked to delayed and incomplete contributions from the Member States.
“The UN80 initiative wants to improve the impact and the effect of multilateralism and the UN,” said Ryder. “Now that does not mean – we want it to be otherwise – that we do not have to take a look at our budget and our resources in different parts of the system. »»
“The organizations had to face heartbreaking decisions, and this happens every day. This is the reality of our circumstances, ”he adds.
Mr. Ryder maintains that financial sustainability and the impact of the mission do not exclude each other – but must be prosecuted in tandem. “We must reconcile the two objectives to make ourselves financially sustainable in the difficult circumstances in which we are, but also to be attentive, as always, to the impact that we have to assume our responsibilities under the Charter,” he said.
Children in Haiti eat a meal provided as part of the WFP school feeding program.
Why the UN80 counts for people around the world
Rather than a simple bureaucratic reform, the UN80 ultimately concerns people, those who count on the support of the UN during the challenges of crisis, conflict or development.
“If the UN is able to transform itself, to make improvements, sometimes through difficult decisions, this can mean that these vital interventions reach the people we serve more effectively,” explains Ryder.
The UN remains the essential and unique terrain of its kind to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights for all.
“It is the United Nations who take care of their responsibilities to the people we serve,” said Ryder.
Currently, the UN is helping more than 130 million people displaced, provides food to more than 120 million, provides vaccines to almost half of the world and supports peacekeeping, human rights, elections and climate action around the world. The UN development work has helped build peaceful and stable companies.
Vaccination supported by UNICEF in the distant village of Shan State, Myanmar
What happens next
The UN80 working group will present its proposals to the Secretary General, who has already indicated the first areas where the results are expected. A working group on the efficiency of the United Nations Secretariat, led by the general subsectary Catherine Pollard, is expected to present initial proposals at the end of June. A report on examining the implementation of the mandate will follow at the end of July.
This work in the first two work parks will help to light a broader reflection concerning structural changes and the realignment of programs in the United Nations system. The proposals under the third work will be presented to the Member States in the coming months and next year.
Although the work is only to start, Mr. Ryder thinks that the UN has the right tools – and a clear feeling of ambition and emergency.
“We are progressing well. There are a lot of homework now, “he said. “Over the weeks, it will move more and more to the space of the Member States, and it is then that we will see results. »»
Finally, the Member States will have to decide how to act on the conclusions. “They will have to decide what they want to do. Will they set up an intergovernmental process? The secretary general has already mentioned it as a possibility. ”
The UN secretary general António Guterres informs the media on the initiative of the UN80.
Definition of success
So what does success look like?
“A United Nations system that is capable of delivering more effectively, to strengthen and consolidate confidence in multilateral action,” explains Ryder. “A system that can transmit to public opinion and political decision -makers in which it is an organization that deserves to be invested. It should be your favorite option when it comes to meeting the challenges of the future. ”
For the president of the UN80 working group, this comes back to the credibility, capacity and public confidence – and guarantee that the UN remains not only relevant, but essential.
“We all have to worry about it,” he says. “If we consider that multilateralism is the best instrument we have to meet global challenges, we must make sure that we renovate, we refresh and make this machine as effective and as capable of the objective as possible.”
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Human Rights Council hears concerns over displacement, genocide risks and migrant trafficking
Of the record 83 million people internally displaced worldwide, at least 1.2 million were displaced by crime-related violence in 2024 – more than double the 2023 figure – amid a global decline in support for international norms, human rights and the rule of law.
The growing reach of organised crime in driving displacement and rights violations was the focus of a report delivered Monday morning by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Paula Gaviria Betancur.
Driving displacement
As violent conflicts worsen globally, displacement is increasingly driven by the threat of violence or the desire of criminal groups to control territory, resources and illicit economies.
Additionally, in places like Sudan, Palestine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), occupying powers and criminal groups are systematically uprooting communities to alter demographics, treating IDPs as military targets.
“Displacement is no longer just a consequence of conflict – it is increasingly its deliberate objective,” Ms. Betancur warned.
In these regions, either the State enables impunity for violent groups or national security operations worsen the crisis by punishing victims and fuelling further displacement, eroding state legitimacy.
IDPs in these contexts “face grave violations of their human rights,” including “murder, violent assault, kidnapping, forced labour, child recruitment and sexual exploitation,” she said.
“The rise in global displacement is the result of systemic failure – the failure of States and the international community to tackle its root causes,” Ms. Betancur concluded, calling for stronger support for the UN and accountability for criminal groups.
Genocide risks in conflict areas
Virginia Gamba, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, briefed the council on escalating risks in Sudan, Gaza, the DRC and beyond during Monday’s session.
In Sudan, where over 10.5 million have been displaced since fighting erupted in April 2023, both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are committing grave rights violations.
Ethnically motivated attacks by the RSF in certain regions mean “the risk of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan remains very high,” Ms. Gamba underscored.
Turning to Gaza, she called the scale of civilian suffering and destruction “staggering and unacceptable,” noting the conflict has also fuelled rising antisemitism and Islamophobia worldwide.
Hate speech fuelling violence
As attacks on civilians and ethnic violence continue in the DRC, hate speech and discrimination have surged.
But this surge is also occurring worldwide, further exacerbating the risk of genocide.
“Hate speech – which has been a precursor for genocide in the past – is present in far too many situations, often targeting the most vulnerable,” said Ms. Gamba, highlighting refugees, Indigenous peoples and religious minorities.
For genocide prevention, she urged greater efforts to monitor hate speech, expand education efforts, and strengthen partnerships with regional organizations.
“The task of preventing genocide remains critical and urgent—the moment to act is now,” she stressed.
Trafficking of migrant domestic workers
Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, Siobhán Mullally, presented her report on the trafficking risks faced by migrant domestic workers.
“The specific nature of domestic work, and weak regulatory responses by States, produce a structural vulnerability to exploitation,” Ms. Mullally said.
The crisis disproportionately affects women, as they make up the majority of domestic workers and 61 per cent of trafficking victims detected globally in 2022.
Conditions of domestic work
Many women from disadvantaged communities are promised jobs abroad, but upon arrival, realise they have been conned. They endure violence, labour abuses and sexual exploitation but are unable to pay the exorbitant penalty for terminating their work contracts.
Ms. Mullally cited the legacy of slavery, gendered and racialised views of domestic work and intersecting discrimination as key factors behind poor conditions and trafficking risks.
Most States lack the political will to enforce labour laws in the domestic work sector, reinforcing this crisis, she said, calling for stronger labour laws, safe migration pathways, bilateral agreements grounded in human rights and an end to the criminalisation of trafficking victims.
80 years later, the Charter of the United Nations is a “living miracle”, says the secretary general
THE Charter of the United Nations “Is more than parchment and ink; It is a promise – of peace, dignity and cooperation between nations, “said the secretary general.
Almost 80 years after his signature, Mr. Guterres stressed that the Charter was only the beginning, devoting ideas and principles that the world works to implement daily.
War
Following the Second World War, representatives of nearly 50 nations gathered in San Francisco to develop an organization engaged in the idea of ”never again” – a war of this magnitude devastating the world again.
Instead, the world would choose peace and diplomacy, equality and prosperity.
“For a world mired in endless cycles of conflict and human suffering, the charter and the principles it represented – dialogue, diplomacy, cooperation and solidarity – was a path to a better, more peaceful and prosperous future,” said the UN President of the General Assembly Phillémon Yang. The charter was signed on June 26, 1945, almost exactly 80 years ago. However, it only took effect on October 24, 1945 after the legislative legislative organizations ratified him.
The Charter, which is considered an international treaty, is a legal instrument which links all the Member States to the principles and the commitments taking place there.
Since its ratification, the Charter of the United Nations has paved the way for other historic international agreements, notably 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and 2024 Pact for the future.
“The decades that followed only proved the sustainable heritage of the charter. She has shaped decades of progress – international action guided decolonization, protected human rights and promoted justice and sustainable development, “said Mr. Yang.
‘A living miracle’
The exhibition contextualizes the Charter as a document from the past which continues to live in our present and will help shape the future.
“As we look to the future, we would be wise to remember our past, to celebrate our successes and to build our future on the Foundation of the Charter of the United Nations,” said Mr. Yang.
Mr. Guterres said that this exhibition is a moment for people to think about the artifacts of the UN Foundation – to see the photos, videos and documents that have shaped this world organization.
He recognized that if the world is confronted with new challenges such as climate change and technology, in addition to secular challenges, the Charter of the United Nations can be a guideline if the world is willing to carry the spirit of the Charter and its commitment to peace in the future.
“The UN is a living miracle – and the women and men of the United Nations give life to this miracle every day and everywhere,” said the secretary general.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Guterres condemns Iran’s attack on American air base in Qatar
He comes in the wake of information that Iran has launched missiles in an American military base in Qatar in retaliation for the United States to bomb three of its nuclear installations last weekend.
Iran would have pulled seven missiles at the Al Udeid air base, where some 10,000 soldiers are parked. All except one were intercepted by Qatar and no victim has been reported, according to international media.
Fight
The development marks the last stage of more than a week of missile strikes between Iran and Israel, and the situation increased with the participation of the United States.
“” From the start of the crisis, the secretary general has repeatedly sentenced any military climbing in this conflict, including today’s attack by Iran on the territory of Qatar. He also reiterates his call for all parties to stop fighting ”, the declaration said.
The Secretary General urged all the Member States to comply with their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and other rules of international law.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Bringing the weight of war: the head of Unicef meets some of the 700,000 children refugees from Sudan who cross Chad
In neighboring Chad, children represent 61% of the 860,000 Sudanese refugees and 68% of 274,000 Chadiens returnees – or more than 700,000 young lives uprooted by violence.
Chad, already one of the poorest countries in the world, has the fourth highest infant mortality rate in the world, despite significant progress in recent years.
The government of Chad and humanitarian partners have supported, but the migration crisis remains overwhelming: measles and malnutrition spread, the risk that the Sudan cholera epidemic spreads into Chad remains high.
Only one in three children is enrolled in school and essential services are extended at the edge.
Horrible memories
UN children’s funds (Unicef) General director Catherine Russell concluded a three -day visit to Chad on Monday, where she met children and refugee families moved by fighting and chaos on the other side of the Sudanese border.
“” Hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable children bring the weight of war in Sudan and the lack of essential services For those who fled to Chad, “said Russell.
In eastern Chad, Ms. Russell “met women and children who have arrived with little but the horrible memories they carry” and heard their stories of murders, mass rapes and houses burned on the ground.
She visited the families newly arrived in Adré, an outdated border city which now welcomes six refugees for each resident.
Russell also met President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno to reaffirm UNICEF’s long -term commitment to Chad and discuss the support of the new 2030 country development plan.
“” The inhabitants of Chad have shown an extraordinary generosity“She said.” But they can’t face this crisis alone. We must be in solidarity with them – and with the children of Sudan – by strengthening national systems and communities on the front line. “”
Climbing
In Adré and the surroundings, the teams supported by UNICEF have vaccinated thousands of children, provide drinking water to tens of thousands, spaces established for children and the creation of services for survivors of sexist violence.
The agency also works in close collaboration with the Chadais authorities to increase investment at the health system in health, including polio vaccination campaigns, as well as social education and protection.
But urgent financing gaps remain. Of the $ 114 million necessary for UNICEF’s humanitarian response in 2025 in Chad, Only 34% were obtained.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Yemen: Nearly half the population facing acute food insecurity in some southern areas
Yemen remains trapped in a prolonged political, humanitarian and development crisis, after enduring years of conflict between government forces and Houthi rebels, with populations in the south of the country now facing a growing food insecurity crisis.
A partial update released Monday by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system – which ranks food insecurity from Phase 1 to famine conditions, or Phase 5 – paints a grim picture.
Starting in May 2025, around 4.95 million people have been facing crisis-level food insecurity or worse (Phase 3+), including 1.5 million facing emergency-level food insecurity (Phase 4).
These numbers mark an increase of 370,000 people suffering from severe food insecurity compared to the period from November 2024 to February 2025.
Further deterioration
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that “looking ahead, the situation [was] expected to deteriorate further,” with 420,000 people potentially falling into crisis-level food insecurity or worse.
This would bring the total number of severely food-insecure people in southern governorate areas to 5.38 million – more than half the population.
Multiple compounded crises – such as sustained economic decline, currency depreciation in southern governorates, conflict, and increasingly severe weather – are driving food insecurity in Yemen.
High-risk areas
Amid Yemen’s growing food crisis, humanitarian agencies including WFP, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are reorienting their efforts towards high-risk areas, delivering integrated support across food security, nutrition, sanitation, health, and protection to maximise life-saving impact.
“The fact that more and more people in Yemen don’t know where their next meal will come from is extremely concerning at a time when we are experiencing unprecedented funding challenges,” said Siemon Hollema, Deputy Country Director of WFP in Yemen.
Immediate support needed
WFP, UNICEF and FAO are urgently calling for sustained and large-scale humanitarian and livelihood assistance to prevent communities from falling deeper into food insecurity, and to ensure that the UN “can continue to serve the most vulnerable families that have nowhere else to turn,” he said.
Internally displaced persons, low-income rural households, and vulnerable children are particularly affected, and are now facing increased vulnerability, as approximately 2.4 million children under the age of five and 1.5 million pregnant and lactating women are currently suffering from acute malnutrition.
The situation is dire, but with urgent support, “we can revitalise local food production, safeguard livelihoods, and move from crisis to resilience building, ensuring efficiency and impact,” said FAO Representative in Yemen, Dr. Hussain Gadain.
