(Peace and Security – Gaza/Middle East) The Security Council has passed a US-backed resolution which will establish an international force to restore order in Gaza, protect civilians and open the way for large-scale aid and rebuilding. There were 13 votes for, none against – while Russia and China abstained amid concerns that Russia might veto the text. US ambassador Mike Waltz thanked ambassadors, hailing it as an “historic and constructive resolution” which charts a new course for the Middle East. – Security Council LIVE: US hails ‘historic and constructive resolution’ on Gaza | UN News – UN Security Council authorizes temporary international force for Gaza | UN News
(Climate and Environment – COP30) The last week of COP30 has begun in Belém with a palpable sense of urgency. Ministers and senior officials are now stepping into the spotlight, as negotiations move from technical wrangling to political decision-making. The stakes? Nothing less than charting a credible path to climate justice in a world running out of time. – COP30 enters its final stretch: urgency, ambition, and voices from the streets | UN News
(Peace and Security – Sudan) UN relief chief Tom Fletcher held “useful” and “tough” discussions with the two sides battling for control of Sudan this week, pushing for access to aid for those in desperate need, he told journalists in New York on Monday. In recent days the Emergency Relief Coordinator has travelled to various parts of the war-torn country and met leaders, frontline responders and survivors of the crisis. “We need more UN boots on the ground,” Mr. Fletcher said. “The UN is a ship that was not built to stay in the harbour, and this visit has been part of that big push to make sure we’re mobilised closer to those we serve.” – UN aid office pushes for ‘unhindered’ humanitarian access in Sudan | UN News
(Migrants and Refugees – UK) The UN refugee agency has welcomed aspects of the United Kingdom’s proposed changes to its asylum system, while emphasising the importance of fair, efficient protection for those fleeing conflict and persecution. The UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood formally announced the measures on Monday, aimed at tightening controls on irregular arrivals while maintaining the country’s commitment to offering sanctuary. She told the House of Commons that some families whose asylum claims have failed were not being removed “even when we know their home is perfectly safe.”. The proposals include new rules to manage the assessment of asylum claims, provisions for safe and legal resettlement pathways, and mechanisms for the return of individuals found not to require international protection. – UNHCR urges balance as UK unveils new asylum proposals | UN News
(Human Rights – Bangladesh) A domestic war crimes court in Bangladesh sentenced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan to death on charges of crimes against humanity carried out during last year’s student protests. In its response to the verdict, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) reiterated its opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances. Last July, student protests which began over a quota system for public service jobs in Bangladesh quickly escalated into widespread demonstrations, which were violently repressed by national security forces. Following the former prime minister’s resignation she fled the country for India. A UN-led investigation into alleged crimes found that 1,400 people – including many children – may have been killed while thousands were injured during July and August last year. – UN opposes death penalty but pushes for justice in Bangladesh | UN News
(Peace and Security) For millions of people worldwide caught up in conflict, “war and hunger are often two faces of the same crisis,” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told the Security Council on Monday, as it met to examine how food insecurity fuels fighting. “This Council’s mandate is maintenance of international peace and security, and there can be neither peace where people are starving, nor security where hunger drives conflict,” she said. A recent UN report warned that the world’s most extreme food crises are driven primarily by armed conflict and violence, including famines in Gaza and Sudan – the first time such a hunger emergency has been declared in a single year. Haiti, Yemen, the Sahel region in Africa and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are among other areas of concern. – Conflict and hunger ‘two faces of the same crisis’, UN deputy chief tells Security Council | UN News
