(Peace and Security-Sudan) The situation across Sudan’s Kordofan region is rapidly worsening, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) warned on Monday. Hostilities have been intensifying between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and two armed groups – the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia that has been battling the military government for control since April 2023 and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North. – Sudan: Intensifying hostilities bring new displacement, more casualties | UN News
(Human Rights-Venezuela/Ukraine) The UN’s top human rights official warned on Tuesday that repression is tightening its grip in Venezuela while civilians in Ukraine face an ever-rising toll, as global attention drifts from two crises marked by deepening abuses and shrinking accountability. Presenting oral updates to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the situation in Venezuela has not improved since his last briefing in June. “The crackdown on civic space has intensified, suffocating people’s freedoms,” Mr. Türk said, pointing to arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances, alongside deepening social and economic hardship. He said recently adopted legislation granted the Government expanded emergency powers based on perceived external threats, but noted the text remains unpublished – shielding the authorities from scrutiny. – UN rights chief warns of deepening repression in Venezuela, rising toll in Ukraine | UN News
(Peace and Security-Gaza) The ceasefire in Gaza remains fragile, while humanitarians continue to face obstructions in delivering aid to the people, a senior UN official working to promote greater peace in the region told the Security Council on Tuesday. Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, provided the update during his quarterly briefing on Council resolution 2334 (2016) which calls for Israel to cease settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He said the UN is doing its part to support the ceasefire. – Gaza ceasefire still fragile as cold turns deadly, Security Council hears | UN News
(Peace and Security-West Bank) Israel has issued new demolition orders for the Nur Shams camp in the north of the occupied West Bank effective this week, which a senior official with the UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) labelled as “more devastating news” for the region. Some 25 buildings face imminent demolition starting on 18 December, impacting hundreds of forcibly displaced Palestinians, the Director of UNRWA Affairs for the occupied West Bank, Roland Friedrich, said on Tuesday in a statement posted on social media. Furthermore, satellite imagery shows that nearly half of all buildings in the camp, 48 per cent, had already been damaged or destroyed before this latest order. – New demolition order for West Bank camp is ‘more devastating news’ | UN News
(Economic Development-Global Trade) Moving goods around the world could soon become cheaper, faster and far more flexible, following the adoption of a new United Nations-backed agreement that modernises the paperwork behind global shipping. The UN Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents creates, for the first time, a single document that can be used for trains, trucks and planes which allows logistical changes to be made for goods already on the move. That means valuable cargo can be sold, rerouted or used to secure financing during what could be a long journey, not just before being loaded aboard. “This is a real game changer for international trade,” said Anna Joubin-Bret, Secretary of the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), which led the three-year negotiations. “One single document of transport which is multimodal, fully electronic, and negotiable.” – UN deal delivers a smoother ride for global trade | UN News
