Week in Review

When the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, screened a film about the inspiring true story of two sisters who swam for their lives to escape war-torn Syria, one UN official hailed it as “a testament to the strength, courage, and perseverance” of the more than one hundred million people forcibly displaced s around the world. 

On Thursday, the UN launched amplifyHER; a vibrant, music-filled podcast, celebrating exciting women artists from around the world.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is not only one of the worst forms of discrimination but also remains the most widespread and pervasive human rights violations in the world, 11 UN entities said on Friday, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

After days of intense negotiations that stretched into early Sunday morning in Sharm el-Sheikh, countries at the latest UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, reached agreement on an outcome that established a funding mechanism to compensate vulnerable nations for ‘loss and damage’ from climate-induced disasters. 

The latest actions by Taliban de facto authorities targeting women and girls “should be investigated as gender persecution” eleven UN-appointed independent human rights experts said on Friday.

At this transitional moment for humanity, it is important to uphold mutual respect, unity, and solidarity, the senior UN official promoting cross-cultural understanding and cooperation has stated. 

Addressing the Security Council on Wednesday, Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, warned of the devastation caused by Russia’s “relentless attacks” against civilians and critical infrastructure across Ukraine.

The ninth Global Forum for the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) concluded its work on Wednesday in the Moroccan city of Fez, emphasizing the values of dialogue and tolerance, as well as the role of Africa as a positive actor in the international arena.

After risking their lives on dangerous journeys, more than 50,000 migrants are known to have died worldwide since 2014, the UN migration agency, IOM, said on Wednesday. 

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced on Tuesday, the 2022 Champions of the Earth for their transformative action to prevent, halt or reverse ecosystem degradation.  

Seven weeks since the UN-mediated nationwide truce in Yemen expired, the UN Special Envoy told the Security Council on Tuesday that despite “incidents of concern”, full-fledged war has not returned. 

More than 40 people have been killed in Iran during the past week, including two teenagers, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday. 

A community health worker in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, has been describing how she is going door-to-door to raise awareness about cholera prevention.

Living with fear and the daily threat of death is something that all Ukrainians have had to reckon with since Russia’s invasion of 24 February, and local UN staff are no exception.