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Reports on Friday that major cities in Afghanistan have been bombed by the Pakistan military in a new escalation between the two countries have raised fears for civilians already struggling under the harsh rule of the de facto Taliban authorities.
One evening in war-ravaged southern Ukraine, a group of armed men entered Maryna’s home. She had nowhere to hide.
The UN rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday highlighted the “human-made disaster” across the Occupied Palestinian Territory stemming from Israel’s disregard for human rights norms and serious violations also committed by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
The UN on Thursday condemned the latest attacks against civilians in Ukraine by Russian forces, reiterating that they always constitute a violation of international law “and must stop immediately.”
UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday appealed for dialogue between Afghanistan and Pakistan amid border clashes and deadly airstrikes, while condemning ever harsher “apartheid” edicts issued by the Afghan de facto authorities that continue to severely impact women and girls.
Fresh from holding the most extensive elections in its history, the Central African Republic (CAR) is entering what the UN’s top envoy in the country describes as a “decisive period” in consolidating fragile peace gains, even as security challenges persist and disarmament efforts continue.
Mr. President,
Four years after the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war remains a stain on our collective conscience.
Day after day – year after year – we have witnessed the cascading consequences of this blatant violation of international law, including the UN Charter.
Shattered lives. Devastated communities. And deepened regional and global instability.
The human toll is catastrophic.
Despite unprecedented diplomatic efforts, last year was the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since 2022.
More than 15,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the invasion, and more than 41,000 injured.
Millions have been forced to flee from their homes. Millions more require life-saving assistance.
Human rights violations are rampant.
The plight of Ukrainian children is particularly dire.
More than 3,200 children have been killed or injured.
More than one-third of Ukrainian children remain displaced and an estimated 2.2 million require humanitarian assistance.
A whole generation has lost years of education as schools have come under fire.
Mr. President,
This winter, the Russian Federation intensified strikes against Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure.
Large-scale attacks have killed and injured scores of civilians, and deprived millions of electricity, heating, and water for prolonged periods --including in the capital, Kyiv.
In sub-zero temperatures, strikes on electricity, heating and water systems turn access to basic services into a matter of life and death.
Civilians in the Russian Federation are also increasingly affected by reported Ukrainian strikes.
International humanitarian law is unequivocal: attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are strictly prohibited.
I condemn all such attacks, no matter where they occur.
I urge both sides to implement an immediate moratorium on all such attacks.
Mr. President,
The ongoing fighting also poses direct risks to the safe and secure operations of Ukraine’s nuclear sites.
This unconscionable game of nuclear roulette must cease immediately.
I commend the International Atomic Energy Agency and its teams for their critical efforts on the ground, despite the serious dangers involved.
Mr. President,
Even as the fighting rages, the UN is working closely with the Government of Ukraine to repair damaged infrastructure, keep people warm, and sustain critical services.
Despite limited access and the deteriorating security situation, we are also working with local partners to deliver food, water, medical supplies and other humanitarian aid, including to those in front-line communities.
I urge Member States to fully fund the humanitarian response.
Mr. President,
Throughout the war, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported widespread human rights violations - torture, sexual violence, and even executions of prisoners of war and civilian detainees.
These acts have gone with virtually no accountability.
I welcome ongoing prisoner exchanges and urge that all prisoners of war and detainees be treated humanely and released in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
Any Ukrainian children deported or forcibly transferred to the Russian Federation and occupied areas of Ukraine must be returned home to their families without delay.
I commend efforts to facilitate such returns and family reunifications. We will continue to work closely with all relevant actors to ensure that this happens in a safe, swift and verifiable manner.
I urge the sides to continue to work constructively to address these concerns as a matter of priority.
Mr. President,
A year ago, this Council adopted resolution 2774 imploring “a swift end to the conflict” and urging “a lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.”
I commend the ongoing diplomatic efforts by the United States and others to end the war.
But we need concrete measures to de-escalate the fighting without delay and to create the space for diplomacy.
The longer this war continues, the greater the suffering – and the greater the risks for regional and international peace and security.
As complex as the path may be, our collective obligation is clear: use every diplomatic tool to end this war.
United Nations expertise is readily available to support the ongoing peace efforts. Our tools are at the disposal of the parties and mediators.
The parameters of peace in Ukraine are not a mystery.
It must be in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter and relevant UN resolutions.
And it must uphold the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders.
Enough with the death. Enough with the destruction. Enough with the broken lives and shattered futures.
It is time for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire – the first step toward a just peace that saves lives and ends the endless suffering.
Thank you.
Children in Gaza are voicing their demands for the future through a UN-run initiative that seeks to amplify their voices and restore the “fundamentals of childhood”.
Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UN is marking the day with high-level debate and renewed calls to end the war - including in the General Assembly which passed a resolution reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The UN chief just told the Security Council diplomats must use every tool available to finally end the war. UN News App users can follow the coverage here. For full UN meetings coverage today and every day, go here.
The international community must “use every diplomatic tool” to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Tuesday as Russia’s full-scale invasion entered a fifth year.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on 24 February 2022 shattered the peaceful aspirations of an entire continent, but war must never be the new normal, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on 24 February 2022 shattered the peaceful aspirations of an entire continent, but war must never be the new normal, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on 24 February 2022 shattered the peaceful aspirations of an entire continent, but war must never be the new normal, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday.
The 2025 edition of the Highlights of Security Council Practice is officially out and available on the website of the Security Council. The annual publication, prepared by the SCAD of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), provides a concise and data-driven overview of the main developments in the Council.
In 2025, the Security Council, the United Nations principal organ with primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, continued to discharge its mandate while registering notable shifts in its working methods and decision-making trends.
The Council met formally 255 times and hosted 115 informal consultations, marking a 16 percent decrease in meetings compared to 2024. The Council also held 14 high-level meetings, down from 23 in 2024. Trends in the use of less formal meeting formats by Council members also changed in 2025, with 13 Arria-formula meetings being held — the lowest number since 2016 — combined with a four-fold increase (from two in 2024 to eight in 2025) of informal interactive dialogues, an informal closed-door format mainly used for discussions with key stakeholders on the ground.
With regard to decision-making, in 2025, the Council adopted 44 resolutions, slightly below the 46 adopted in 2024, continuing the decline observed since 2020. The rate of unanimous adoptions fell from 65 percent in 2024 to 61 percent in 2025, and further below the 80 percent average during the previous decade (2015–2024). While the draft resolutions which were not adopted pertained to the situation in Gaza, Ukraine and the Iranian nuclear programme, non-unanimous adoptions occurred on a range of files before the Council, including regarding the renewal of sanctions and the mandates of peace operations.
The number of briefers invited to Council formal meetings also decreased compared to the previous year, broadly proportionate to the 16 percent decline in the number of meetings. Specifically, there were 376 rule 39 invitees in 2025, down from 464 in 2024 (a 19 percent decrease) Notably, the number of invitees from what are classified in the Highlights Paper as “other entities” (which includes civil society) decreased by almost 40 percent. Women represented 43 percent of rule 39 participants, a decrease from 49 percent in 2024.
While the publication does not express any opinion on the trends in the Security Council amid a particularly challenging global political environment, the Highlights provide a breakdown of Council activity that can help policymakers, researchers and analysts studying trends in international relations. “The responsibility of the Secretariat is to provide Member States with as much information as possible in a timely, efficient and user-friendly manner. This enables them to make their own assessments and take decisions. In that sense, the Highlights of Security Council Practice, now in its fifteenth iteration, has become an important component of the Secretariat’s work upon which Member States, as well as analysts and practitioners of the Council continue to rely”, said Claudia Banz, Director of the Security Council Affairs Division (SCAD).
On the thematic and country-specific meetings, the Council’s maintained its longstanding focus on the Middle East and Africa, which together accounted for nearly 75 percent of country-specific meetings. Thematic items represented 32 percent of the meetings, with sustained focus on files falling under the ‘Maintenance of international peace and security’ and ‘Threats to international peace and security’ agendas. Council members have been increasingly using these two thematic items to discuss country and region-specific situations and conflicts.
At the subsidiary body level, the Council adopted decisions concerning the mandate of eight peacekeeping operations and five special political missions and adopted decisions concerning eight sanctions-monitoring mechanisms. In addition, the number of meetings of subsidiary bodies decreased from 135 in 2024 to 76 in 2025, owing mainly to the relatively late appointment of the chairs of those bodies (on 29 May 2025).
Also in 2025, the Council undertook two missions, namely, to the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa and to Syria and Lebanon.
The full 2025 Highlights of Security Council Practice provides a deeper look at these developments, enriched with charts, data visualizations and analytical insights and is now available on the SCAD website. The Highlights is just one of multiple online research tools available on the website, covering the full breadth of the Council’s substantive and procedural practice.
***
Published every year since 2011 by the Security Council Affairs Division (SCAD), the Highlights Paper offers a snapshot of the most significant procedural and constitutional developments relating to the activities of the Council and its subsidiary bodies over the past year. It is part of SCAD’s larger commitment to bringing innovation to the Council’s functioning in line with the goals of the Secretary-General’s Data and New Technologies Strategies and making available a wealth of data and information concerning the work of the Council on a wide range of issues including its past and current practice, working methods, sanctions measures and bodies, mandates of existing peacekeeping and special political missions as well as on the current and upcoming programme of work of the Council on its website. SCAD also regularly prepares analytical information relating to the Council’s work.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has received credible reports of civilian casualties following airstrikes carried out by Pakistan inside Afghanistan late on 21 February and into the early hours of the next day.
In Geneva, delegates from more than 120 countries gathered on Monday to mark 20 years of the UN Human Rights Council and a shared commitment to international law, amid runaway global instability, wars and resurgent conflict.
Although fighting had been raging in the east of Ukraine since Russia's invasion of Crimea in 2014, most in the country did not believe all-out war would occur. With the full-scale invasion now reaching the four-year mark, many Ukrainians cannot believe it has gone on for so long, with no end in sight.
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The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator arrived in South Sudan on Friday to visit one of the most under-reported humanitarian crises in the world, as clashes between government and opposition forces continue in Jonglei state.
Thank you, Madam President,
Just over a month ago, Sudan reached a horrific milestone: 1,000 days of a brutal war that has nearly destroyed the third largest country in Africa.
1,000 days of staggering violence and unimaginable suffering.
1,000 days of total impunity for the perpetrators of a long list of atrocities and war crimes.
And as we near the fourth year of the war, the fighting continues to expand. In recent weeks, the frontlines have fluctuated in North Darfur, North Kordofan, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
In South Kordofan state, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) reported breaking sieges by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Kadugli and Dilling.
The security situation in these areas remains fluid, with military activity – including drone attacks – putting civilians at great risk.
North Kordofan remains a focus of conflict. The state’s capital, El Obeid, is besieged from three sides by the RSF.
The SAF continue to reintroduce their presence in and around the city – a key logistical hub for ongoing operations in the Kordofan region.
Ground fighting inside El Obeid would have catastrophic consequences and deal a significant blow to the prospects for a ceasefire.
The RSF have also opened a new front in Blue Nile state, where they launched attacks on southern localities in January.
While the RSF seem to be in control of most of Darfur, fighting has recently erupted in North and West Darfur between the RSF and the SAF and their Joint Forces allies, including clashes along the Sudan-Chad border.
Across these battlegrounds and beyond, the use of long-range drones and aerial strikes by both parties has become a defining feature of this conflict.
The consequences for civilians and civilian infrastructure are severe. No corner of Sudan is safe from the threat of attack.
Madam President,
The risk of regionalization of the conflict is a matter of urgent concern.
On 16 January, the Government of Chad announced that seven Chadian soldiers had been killed during a confrontation with RSF elements in the border area.
The RSF later acknowledged the clash, characterizing the incident as an “unintentional mistake”.
Movements of armed groups across Sudan and South Sudan’s border in both directions continue to be reported.
These are only some of the potential flashpoints in the Sudanese war that could destabilize the broader region.
Reports indicate that weapons also continue to transit through Sudan’s neighbors.
Escalating tensions and rhetoric among neighboring states over the situation in Sudan underscore the impact of the conflict on regional stability.
Madam President,
The horrific events in El Fasher in October 2025 were preventable.
While El Fasher was under siege for more than a year, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights repeatedly sounded the alarm about the risk of mass atrocities.
But the warnings were not heeded.
High Commissioner Türk has now alerted the global community to the possibility of similar crimes in Kordofan.
Civilians are again at risk of summary executions, sexual violence, arbitrary detention and family separation.
During the final offensive of the RSF on El Fasher, reports indicate that sexual violence against women and girls was widespread. Women and girls are also particularly vulnerable to displacement, poverty and systemic exclusion.
The time to act to prevent a repeat of atrocities elsewhere in the country is now.
The parties to the conflict must adhere to international humanitarian law and human rights law.
Those who violate these laws must be held accountable.
Madam President,
Amid this bleak picture, efforts to find a path toward peace are intensifying.
We welcome the progress in the initiative led by the Quad countries – Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States – to secure a humanitarian truce in Sudan.
These efforts offer a critical opportunity for immediate and much-needed de-escalation and could pave the way for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.
We call on both parties to the conflict to engage with this initiative in good faith and without preconditions.
We welcome ongoing discussions on potential United Nations support to the implementation of a humanitarian truce.
Madam President,
Alongside work to silence the guns, progress on charting a political vision for the future of Sudan is of utmost urgency.
We must anchor any ceasefire in a credible political process that can pave the way for an inclusive transition.
And we are firmly committed to ensuring that voices reflecting Sudan’s diversity are heard.
The partnership among the Quintet members – combining the capacities of the African Union, the European Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States and the United Nations – is central to this work.
We will continue working to ensure that mediation initiatives are well coordinated and based on our respective comparative advantages and a clear delineation of labour.
Madam President,
It is critical for all of Sudan’s partners to be united behind peace efforts.
This entails ensuring that the flow of weapons to the warring parties is cut off. The war has gone on this long and been this deadly in large part because of the support the parties have received from abroad.
Unified messaging and strong action by the Security Council is more important than ever.
Pressure must be brought on the parties and those who back them to end the war now.
The parties must also know that there will be accountability.
For our part, we will continue to do everything within our means to help bring this devastating conflict to an end.
Thank you, Madam President.
Nearly three years into Sudan’s war, violence is intensifying, famine conditions are looming in parts of the country, and civilians remain trapped between shifting front lines, senior UN political and humanitarian officials told the Security Council on Thursday, warning that the risk of further mass atrocities remains alarmingly high.
The UN Security Council meets this morning to discuss Sudan as the war nears its third year, with fighting intensifying across multiple regions and civilians facing deepening humanitarian catastrophe. Senior UN political and humanitarian officials are expected to brief ministers on a conflict marked by shifting front lines, advanced weaponry and widespread displacement. The meeting comes amid fresh warnings that atrocities in Darfur, including acts bearing the “hallmarks of genocide” in El Fasher, signal a dangerous escalation. Follow the live coverage below, UN News App users click here.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out ethnically targeted killings, widespread sexual violence and enforced disappearances during their late-October takeover of El Fasher in Sudan’s Darfur region — acts that a UN fact-finding mission said show “hallmarks of genocide” against the Zaghawa and Fur communities and signal an ongoing risk of further atrocities.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is scaling up its emergency response in South Sudan’s Jonglei state, where escalating conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and pushed hunger to critical levels.
Thank you, Madam President.
This is a pivotal moment in the Middle East.
After years of devastating conflict and immense human suffering, there is an opening, one that could allow the region to move in a different direction. But that opening is neither assured nor indefinite.
The decisions taken in the coming weeks – by the parties and by members of this Council – will determine whether it is sustained.
Our collective efforts must now consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza and alleviate the suffering of the population.
We need concrete progress toward stabilization and recovery, consistent with international law, to lay the foundations for lasting peace.
The Board of Peace meeting in Washington, D.C., tomorrow is an important step.
We have a responsibility to work collectively to implement Phase II of the Gaza ceasefire and advance efforts toward a credible political path leading to a negotiated two-State solution.
This must include the demilitarization of the Strip, the decommissioning of weapons held by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, and the establishment of security arrangements that can facilitate the important transitional governance tasks of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
In parallel, the entry of assistance into Gaza must increase significantly. This is essential for an inclusive, Palestinian-led recovery and reconstruction.
Madam President,
Encouraging progress has been made since the ceasefire came into effect last October in aid access and delivery.
Still, the vast majority of Gaza’s population remains displaced and continues to endure extremely harsh living conditions.
Humanitarian operations in Gaza have continued amid severe constraints. Scaled-up entry of shelter materials, educational supplies, and medical equipment, among other items, is urgently required.
The UN and its partners are expanding efforts to stabilize and rehabilitate essential systems and services as a bridge for longer-term recovery.
The opening of the Rafah crossing to pedestrian movement in both directions on 2 February was a welcome development.
The UN team on the ground is working closely with local and international stakeholders to promote a safe, dignified environment at the crossing and enable those in need to access medical assistance.
The UN supported the medical evacuation of many patients and received hundreds of returnees. Thousands still urgently require treatment unavailable in Gaza.
We remain committed to supporting the implementation of Security Council resolution 2803 and all relevant resolutions.
Madam President,
Despite the ceasefire, Gaza is still not at peace.
In recent weeks, the Israeli military intensified strikes across Gaza, hitting densely populated areas and killing dozens of Palestinians.
Air strikes were particularly heavy on 31 January and in early February.
Armed exchanges between Palestinian armed groups and Israeli soldiers have also continued.
In the occupied West Bank, meanwhile, the situation is deteriorating rapidly.
There, Israeli forces continued large-scale operations across the West Bank, frequently involving live fire and raising serious concerns about the use of lethal force.
Widespread raids have been accompanied by home takeovers, mass detentions, movement restrictions, and repeated displacement of Palestinian families, particularly in the north.
Attacks by Palestinians against Israelis, and confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli security forces, have also continued.
Israeli authorities also expanded operations in areas around Jerusalem and extended their operations in the northern West Bank.
These developments unfolded alongside continued settlement expansion, rising settler violence, and accelerated demolitions and evictions in East Jerusalem.
We are witnessing the gradual de facto annexation of the West Bank, as unilateral Israeli steps steadily transform the landscape.
I echo the Secretary-General’s grave concern regarding the Israeli security cabinet’s reported decision to authorize a series of enforcement measures and transfer of authorities in Areas A and B of the occupied West Bank.
If implemented, these measures will constitute a dangerous expansion of Israeli civil authority in the occupied West Bank, including in sensitive areas like Hebron.
The moves could lead to settlement expansion by removing bureaucratic barriers and easing land purchases and building permits.
I reiterate the Secretary-General's condemnation of the Israeli government’s 15 February decision to resume land registration procedures in Area C of the occupied West Bank.
The decision threatens to dispossess Palestinians of their property and expand Israeli control over land in the area.
Israel should immediately reverse these measures.
All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and their associated regime and infrastructure, have no legal validity. They violate international law and UN resolutions.
Madam President,
Continued unilateral Israeli measures to withhold clearance revenues have deepened a persistent fiscal crisis for the Palestinian Authority.
This has led to partial salary payments for civil servants, severe cuts to basic services, and growing arrears and debt to the private sector and financial institutions.
Correspondent banking agreements, essential for the Palestinian economy, were renewed on 12 February for an additional two weeks.
A long-term extension, alongside renewed technical discussions between Israeli and Palestinian financial regulators, is critical for financial stability and for enabling large-scale recovery in Gaza, in line with Resolution 2803.
Madam President,
Allow me to conclude by stressing that at this fragile juncture for the region, we cannot afford half measures.
The US-led Comprehensive Plan must be implemented fully, alongside urgent action to de-escalate and reverse the dangerous trajectory in the occupied West Bank.
At the same time, we must seize this opportunity to restore a credible political horizon - one that leads to a lasting peace in Gaza, brings an end to the occupation and realizes a two-State solution in line with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
The United Nations remains steadfast in our commitment to that goal and to supporting Palestinians and Israelis in achieving it.
Thank you.
Libya’s prolonged political stalemate, worsening economic conditions and an emerging split within the judiciary pose mounting risks to the country’s unity, the UN’s top envoy for the country, Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, told the Security Council on Wednesday.
The UN Security Council meets at 3 PM (New York time) on Wednesday to discuss the situation in the Middle East, with rising tensions in the occupied West Bank expected to dominate the session. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo is scheduled to brief members. The meeting follows recent Israeli cabinet decisions expanding control in Areas A, B and C of the West Bank. Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that the current trajectory is “eroding the prospect” of a two-State solution. Follow the live coverage below, UN News App users click here.
The world has “entered the age of clean energy” and renewables are now the cheapest, fastest and safest source of new electricity almost everywhere, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message to the International Energy Agency ministerial meeting in Paris on Wednesday.
Palestinian Walid Al-Assi was playing with his young granddaughter this week, promising to take her to the market in Gaza City with the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan as his family had done before the Israel-Hamas war, but now circumstances had changed.
As the war in Sudan approaches a fourth year, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and 123 partners appealed on Tuesday for $1.6 billion to support millions of people forced to flee the country in pursuit of safety.
At least 52 people have died after Tropical Cyclone Gezani made landfall on the eastern coast of Madagascar on 10 February, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday, citing the authorities.
More than 60 years after the UN launched its formal decolonization drive, Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday urged renewed commitment to completing the unfinished business of ending colonial rule.
The Tawila camp for internally displaced in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region is home to more than half a million people who live in makeshift huts of sticks, hay and plastic sheeting.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned Israel’s decision to resume land registration procedures in a large part of the occupied West Bank, his Spokesman said on Monday.
Calling for sweeping reforms of global institutions, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told African leaders on Saturday that the absence of permanent African seats on the Security Council is “indefensible,” declaring: “This is 2026 – not 1946.”
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A sharp increase in drone attacks across the Kordofan region in the centre of Sudan is endangering civilians and damaging critical infrastructure.
Syria’s fragile political transition has gained fresh momentum with a landmark agreement between Damascus and Kurdish authorities in the northeast, but renewed violence in the south, Israeli incursions and deep humanitarian needs underscore how precarious the path to stability remains, senior UN officials told the Security Council on Friday.
Indigenous Peoples — around 476 million across 90 countries — are among the planet’s fiercest biodiversity guardians. And many live on the frontlines of conflict: 80 percent of armed conflicts globally are unfolding in biodiversity-rich hotspots. Indigenous women in particular bear the brunt of these overlapping crises, even as they lead the way in advancing climate and peace initiatives.
Against this backdrop, DPPA, UN Women, the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) — supported by the Global Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, Gender Justice and Peace — brought together Indigenous women leaders on 19 November 2025, at the COP30 joint Pavilion of IOM and the Brazilian Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. The session spotlighted the powerful nexus between Indigenous women’s leadership, climate action and peace, aligning with COP30 Goals 6 and 19 and SDGs 5, 13 and 16.
Binalakshmi Nepram, Indigenous peacebuilder from Manipur, India, and moderator of the event, opened the discussion with a clear message: Indigenous women remain excluded from global climate and peace decision-making, even though they are essential to solutions. She highlighted the role of the Global Network of Indigenous Peacebuilders in amplifying their voices.
Speakers from four continents shared powerful testimonies.
Maryanne Rimbao, founder and director of Humanity and Nature Indigenous Women’s Association of Papua New Guinea (PNG), described how her country is experiencing rising sea levels, landslides and climate-induced displacement. She highlighted how Indigenous women mediate conflicts and protect communities despite cultural stigma and ongoing risks.
Tarcila Zea Rivera, an Indigenous woman from Peru and director of the Center for Indigenous Cultures of Peru, CHIRAPAQ, explained how extreme heat and other climate impacts threaten food security in forest and Andean communities, stressing that peace requires understanding ecosystems, embracing intercultural knowledge and respecting Indigenous knowledge.
Nohora Alejandra Quiguantar, Indigenous youth leader and environmental human rights defender from Colombia, illustrated how Indigenous women are leading land recovery, forest restoration and community revitalization in areas affected by conflict and climate change. She added, though, that programs focusing on climate and women, peace and security remain insufficient.
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous issues and founder of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad, described how droughts, floods and desertification in the Sahel drive conflict and insecurity, with Indigenous women disproportionately affected and lacking access to resources.
Across all interventions, a common theme emerged: only a fraction of bilateral aid in conflict settings targets gender equality, and funding for initiatives that link climate action with Women, Peace and Security is exceedingly rare. This gap severely limits the scale and impact of Indigenous women’s grassroots initiatives.
From the UN System, Sarah Hendriks, Director of the Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division at UN Women, emphasized that while Indigenous women are leading innovative environmental protection and conflict-prevention efforts, they face severe risks. She urged the global community to commit predictable, flexible, and accessible financing and protect Indigenous women’s rights and leadership. Tendai Kasinganeti, Climate, Peace and Security Advisor with the UN Office to the African Union (UNOAU), underscored ongoing UN efforts to integrate climate related risks into peace and prevention work, with a focus on conflict-sensitive, inclusive approaches that empower Indigenous women.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Mateja Vodeb Ghosh, Head of Sector for Global Challenges at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, highlighted how her country linked women, peace and security with climate issues during its Security Council term (2024–2025) and the vital leadership of Indigenous women in these interconnected areas.
The session concluded with a united call: to recognize and support Indigenous women’s leadership in climate action, peacebuilding and environmental protection by reflecting their knowledge in global frameworks; to ensure their meaningful participation in climate and peace decision-making; to strengthen Indigenous-led platforms such as the 2026 Second Global Summit on Indigenous Peacebuilding; and to increase funding for gender-responsive, Indigenous-led climate and peace initiatives.
Amid reported heavy Russian strikes across Ukraine on Thursday, UN human rights chief Volker Türk has condemned the “continual bombardment” the country’s people are facing.
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen on Thursday welcomed recent steps to bolster stability and improve living conditions, but told the Security Council that only a renewed political process can end the country’s long-running conflict.
After three decades of its mandate to protect children caught up in war, the UN’s top advocate on the issue is determined to remind the world that prevention and protection go hand in hand.
The UN Secretary-General has expressed his sorrow over Tuesday’s deadly shooting at a school in rural Canada that left at least eight dead and 25 wounded.
Escalating aerial attacks in Sudan are killing children, damaging schools and striking United Nations facilities, placing civilians and humanitarian workers at growing risk, the UN warned on Wednesday.
A UN humanitarian convoy reached frontline communities in Ukraine’s Dnipro region on Wednesday, delivering critical medical and hygiene supplies as fighting continues to take a heavy toll on civilians and infrastructure across the country.
Broadcaster Rami Al-Sharafi works on a laptop inside the damaged Zaman FM radio station building in Gaza, marking what may seem an unlikely return to the airwaves amid the rubble of the deadly two-year Israel-Hamas war.
Fresh airstrikes and shelling across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours have put civilians at renewed risk and compounded months of hardship, the UN said on Tuesday, warning that humanitarian needs continue to outpace access and capacity.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk appealed on Tuesday to all parties involved in renewed heavy fighting in Ethiopia’s ‘precarious’ Tigray region to step back, warning of the potential for a deepening crisis in the country’s war-weary north and beyond.
Escalating violence, political stalemate and humanitarian constraints are pushing South Sudan’s civilians to the brink once again, while funding cuts weaken the UN mission tasked with protecting them.
