After the close of the UN General Assembly’s General Debate, meetings on nuclear abolition and moves toward choosing the next Secretary-General continued this week. Headlines on humanitarian challenges in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere also stood out. We look back at the week through the headlines.
Nuclear abolition meeting at the UN: Secretary-General says “the most dangerous moment since the end of the Cold War”
From the editors: This article reports that, at a UN meeting on nuclear abolition, the Secretary-General expressed strong concern about the current situation. With the first Review Conference of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons coming up in November, interest among civil society is likely to grow.
UN Secretary-General race: Costa Rica’s Grynspan first for the second time in a row (Mainichi Shimbun)
From the editors: In the Security Council’s vote to select the next UN Secretary-General, Costa Rica’s Grynspan again came out on top, the article says. It is a development worth watching as to who will steer the UN next.
UN warns that 75% of Yemeni families suffer food shortages amid Houthi attacks
From the editors: The UN has warned that many families in Yemen are suffering from a lack of food. This headline shows, in numbers, how conflict affects people’s daily lives.
Fighting intensifies in Yemen; displaced people increase in Djibouti, and UN agencies appeal for relief supplies
From the editors: As fighting in Yemen intensifies, the number of displaced people in Djibouti is rising, and UN agencies are appealing for relief supplies. It suggests the impact is spreading to neighboring countries as well.
UN concerned about the impact of the war in Lebanon on agriculture
From the editors: The article reports that the UN has voiced concern over how the war in Lebanon affects agriculture. It also looks at the impact on the livelihoods that sustain people’s food.
UN envoy calls for support for Syria’s reconstruction and warns of Israeli incursions
From the editors: The article reports that a UN envoy has asked the international community to support Syria’s reconstruction. It shows that how to support reconstruction remains an ongoing issue.
UN 1.5-degree overshoot report
From the editors: WWF Japan takes up a UN report on 1.5-degree overshoot. It looks like a useful topic to consider when thinking about responses to climate change.
From participation to leadership: women driving governance and peacebuilding
From the editors: This United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) article spotlights women leading governance and peacebuilding. The headline conveys a trend that is moving beyond participation toward leadership.
ICC Assembly of States Parties venue moved from UN Headquarters in New York to The Hague; president unable to attend due to US sanctions (Sankei Shimbun)
From the editors: The article reports that the venue of the International Criminal Court’s Assembly of States Parties has been changed from UN Headquarters in New York to The Hague. It is a topic worth keeping an eye on as a development concerning the international justice system.
UN launches a common platform for searching about 44 million statistical data points, with natural-language search and AI agent integration
From the editors: The article reports that the UN has opened a common platform for searching across about 44 million statistical data points. Data is expected to help in analyzing development issues and shaping policy.
Headlines belong to the respective news outlets and sources (copyright remains with each). Please read the full articles at the linked pages. The “From the editors” comments were written by the NGO Network Japan editorial team based on the headlines.