(Culture and Education) The 11th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations opened in Riyadh on Sunday with a blunt message for a world riven by distrust: dialogue is not a luxury – it’s a survival strategy. The 11th Global Forum opened in Riyadh on Sunday with a blunt message for a world riven by distrust: dialogue is not a luxury – it’s a survival strategy. Over the next two days, participants gathered in the Saudi capital are expected to insist that cooperation across cultures, religions, and communities remains the only viable way to navigate an era marked by rising polarization and conflict. – Dialogue is ‘not naïve – it’s necessary’ as global divisions deepen, UN Riyadh forum hears | UN News
(Peace and Security) UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned the “heinous deadly attack” on Sunday against Jewish families gathered in Sydney, Australia, to celebrate Hanukkah. In a social media post, Mr. Guterres said he was “horrified” by the incident. – Guterres condemns deadly attack on Hannukah celebration in Sydney | UN News
(Peace and Security – Sudan) Drone attacks targeting the UN logistics base in Kadugli, Sudan, on Saturday killed six peacekeepers and injured eight others – all members of the Bangladeshi contingent serving in the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). The oil-rich region is located between Sudan and South Sudan and has been contested since their separation in 2011. Kadugli is the capital of South Kordofan state in Sudan, where violent clashes have raged between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who have been at war for nearly three years. – Sudan: UN strongly condemns deadly drone attack on peacekeeping base in Kordofan | UN News
(Peace and Security – Iraq) The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) is ending operations this month but support for the country will continue, Secretary-General António Guterres affirmed at the official closing ceremony in Baghdad on Saturday. UNAMI was established in 2003 following the fall of Saddam Hussein and has supported Iraq through political transition, post-conflict recovery, and the horrors of ISIL, also known as Da’esh. Its mandate concludes on 31 December. Mr. Guterres said the progress made by the Iraqi people in recent years is a source of inspiration. “We recognize that today, as we close one chapter of the history of the United Nations and Iraq — and open another.” – In Baghdad, Guterres hails ‘new chapter’ in Iraq as UN mission draws to a close | UN News
(Culture and Education) The UN cultural agency, UNESCO, is preparing to celebrate the first ever World Turkic Language Family Day on Monday, following a decision by UNESCO’s General Conference in Samarkand to establish 15 December as an annual observance. The new commemoration highlights the shared linguistic and cultural heritage of Turkic-speaking peoples and reinforces UNESCO’s wider commitment to multilingualism and cultural diversity. – UN marks first World Turkic Language Family Day | UN News
