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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.
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
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.
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.
The efforts to fight tobacco protect three quarters of the world’s population, which reports discoveries
The World Health Organization (WHO) published his 2025 report on the Global Tobacco epidemic on Monday, focusing on the six policies described in the Mower Tobacco control measures.
Since 2007, 155 countries have implemented at least one of these political prescriptions, which has resulted in more than 6.1 billion people – or three -quarters of the world’s population – now in profit: however, major shortcomings remain.
Here are the six political recommendations:
- Mon tobacco use and prevention policies;
- PPeople with tobacco smoke with smoke -free air legislation;
- OAbandonment aid to leave tobacco use;
- WArneing on the dangers of tobacco with pack labels and mass media;
- EProhibition to strengthen advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco; And
- RAishing taxes on tobacco.
Strike gains
Some 110 countries now require graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging and WHOThe new report reveals that the strategy has provided striking gains in the fight against consumption.
As one of the key measures of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), graphic health warnings make damage to tobacco visibly clear and difficult to ignore.
There was also an increasing tendency to regulate the use of electronic cigarettes or ends – electronic nicotine delivery systems – the number of countries regulating or prohibiting the extremities from 1222 to 2022 to 133 in 2024.
Major gaps
Although very effective, 110 countries have not launched anti-tobacco campaigns since 2022, despite the dark statistics that around 1.3 million people continue to die of used smoke each year.
Forty countries have still not adopted a single MPOWER measure and more than 30 countries still authorize selling cigarettes without compulsory health warnings. The United Nations health agency calls for urgent action in the fields where the momentum is lagging behind.
“” The government must act boldly to fill the remaining gaps, strengthen the application and invest in proven tools that save lives“Said Ruediger Krech, director of health promotion.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
EU–Canada summit 2025: outcome documents
At the 20th EU–Canada Summit held in Brussels on 23 June 2025, leaders of the EU and Canada reaffirmed their strong political, economic and strategic partnership through the adoption of a joint statement and the signature of a Security and Defence Partnership. Source link
Asia heats up twice as fast as the rest of the world
Although there are records that exist to be beaten – the Olympics, for example – these extremes of monthly temperature are not worthy of the medal. And yet China was not the only Asian country to set a burst of new peaks in 2024.
The continent heats up twice as fast as the world average, according to a report published Monday by the World Meteorological Organization (Wmo). This warming rate – which shows no signs of stopping – leads to devastating consequences for lives and livelihoods in the region, and no country is exempt from the consequences.
“” A rigorous extreme time is already an unacceptable toll“Said the secretary general of the WMO, Celeste Saulo on Monday.
Large land mass, warmer temperatures
The WMO report said that Asia warms up twice as quickly as the world’s averages due to its large land mass, explaining that land temperatures increase more quickly than those on the sea.
“” Surface temperature variations have a significant impact on natural systems and on human beings“Said the report.
The oceans around Asia also experience temperature increases with surface temperatures in the Indian and peaceful oceans reaching record levels in 2024.
In addition, prolonged heat waves, both on land and on the sea, have wreaked havoc in the region, leading to the melting of glaciers and upwards of the sea level.
Too little water
Some Asian countries and communities have been ravaged by record precipitation. Northern Kerala in India, for example, experienced a deadly landslide that killed more than 350 people.
Record precipitation associated with the melting snow in Kazakhstan, which houses thousands of glaciers, has led to the worst floods in 70 years.
Others were ravaged by the exact opposite problem – not enough precipitation. Summer drought in China, for example, affected more than 4.76 million people and damaged hundreds of thousands of hectares of cultures.
WMO stressed in the report that the only way to adapt to these increasingly polar weather models is to install more complete early alert systems which are coupled with capacity building measures that allow communities to be more resilient.
Nepal: a case study in preparation
The WMO report praised the success that Nepal has experienced in the installation of early alert systems that monitor the risk of flooding, among others, even if they have declared that more complete measures were necessary.
Between September 26 and 28, 2024, Nepal experienced extreme precipitation which created landslides and floods through large expanses of the country. 246 people were killed, 178 injured and more than 200 missing following the climate emergency.
Although the impact of the crisis is extreme, the first flood alert systems allowed communities to prepare for evacuation in addition to crisis stakeholders to quickly reach the most affected regions.
“” It was the first time in 65 years that the flood was so bad. We had no victim thanks to the preparation and rescue measures, but the damage was deepened“Said Rameh Karki, mayor of Barahakshetra, a municipality affected in eastern Nepal.
In addition, complete national protocols on emergency financing assured that the financing of humanitarian and reconstruction needs was quickly dispersed throughout the country.
WMO said they were working with the Nepalese government and other partners to continue improving these systems.
“The work of national meteorological and hydrological services and their partners is more important than ever to save lives and livelihoods,” said Ms. Saulo.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
