Describing the level of devastation across the Gaza Strip as “absolutely staggering”, the Head of Emergency Communications for the World Food Programme (WFP) has told UN News in an interview that civilians are desperate for lifesaving aid and there’s a growing risk of widespread famine.
The General Assembly adopted two key resolutions on Wednesday night, demanding an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all hostages. It also reaffirmed its full support for the embattled UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA).
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an armed group designated as a terrorist organization by the UN Security Council, has emerged as the dominant force in Syria, following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.
The UN Secretary-General has expressed concern over the hundreds of Israeli airstrikes against targets in Syria since the overthrow of the Assad regime, calling for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the demilitarized zone in the strategically important Golan.
The Taliban’s continued imposition of strict interpretations of Islamic law and Afghan culture has resulted in unprecedented restrictions on women and girls, the UN envoy for the country warned on Thursday.
The General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted two resolutions, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and calling on Israel to drop its ban on the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, following an emergency special session triggered by another use of a veto in the Security Council. Follow the latest from the ground and other key updates from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. App users can follow our live coverage here.
The General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted two resolutions, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and calling on Israel to drop its ban on the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, following an emergency special session triggered by another use of a veto in the Security Council. Follow the latest from the ground and other key updates from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. App users can follow our live coverage here.
Peace is possible in Yemen, and continued support from the international community is essential to achieve it, the UN Special Envoy for the country told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Secretary-General António Guterres said the UN is “totally committed” to supporting a smooth transition of power in Syria through an inclusive political process that guarantees full respect of minority rights.
Following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime on Sunday, Syria has entered a period of profound uncertainty, and the UN will have a vital role in ensuring an orderly transition to renewed, stable institutions, continuing efforts to bring together different groups and factions which began at the outset of war in 2011.
Syria’s historic power reset coupled with the highly volatile situation there, has increased basic needs in a country where nearly 17 million people already depended on aid, UN aid teams insisted on Tuesday.
UN agencies continue their response to the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Lebanon, as access challenges, food shortages and reconstruction needs plague both regions.
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, has issued an alert after a surge in the number of displaced people fleeing war-torn Sudan for neighbouring South Sudan.
Barely 48 hours since opposition forces including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept into Damascus and forced out President Bashar al-Assad, the top UN negotiator tasked with helping the Syrian people to create a peaceful and democratic future insisted that nothing could be taken for granted.
The historic power shift in Syria adds new complexity to the Middle East crisis, with ongoing Gaza hostilities, violence in the West Bank, and a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon. A closed-door Security Council meeting is expected today. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis deepens, with millions in urgent need. UN News app users can follow here.
At least 184 people, including 127 elderly men and women, were killed in Haiti’s Wharf Jérémie neighbourhood of Cité Soleil over the weekend, prompting strong condemnation from Secretary-General António Guterres.
The UN Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) briefed the Security Council on Monday on recent developments, including political disagreements over constitutional reform and escalating insecurity in the east.
This publication is a collection of inspiring messages shared by young leaders during the 6th Dialogues between Governments and Youth of Central Asian countries. These discussions took place as part of the 14th annual meeting of the Deputy Foreign Ministers of Central Asian States on November 26, 2024, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Full publication is available ...
As reports continued to emerge from Damascus where opposition forces declared victory on State television on Sunday, the UN’s top humanitarian official insisted that aid teams will continue to provide emergency relief wherever possible.
After 14 years of brutal war and the fall of the dictatorial regime, today the people of Syria can seize an historic opportunity to build a stable and peaceful future, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Sunday.
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More than 280,000 people have been uprooted in northwest Syria in a matter of days following the sudden and massive offensive into Government-controlled areas led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is sanctioned by the Security Council as a terrorist group.
More than 280,000 people have been uprooted in northwest Syria in a matter of days following the sudden and massive offensive into Government-controlled areas led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is sanctioned by the Security Council as a terrorist group.
One of the last partially functional health centres in besieged northern Gaza was hit several times overnight into Friday, leaving four health workers among the casualties and the dead, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
There have been significant developments in Iraq in recent months – which has so far avoided being dragged into the widening Middle East conflict – but corruption and other challenges persist, the new UN Special Representative for the country told the Security Council on Friday.
The UN Secretary-General appealed on Thursday for an end to the fighting in Syria, where a recent escalation raises the risk of further division in the ongoing civil war.
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador Ishmael Beah visited Sudan this week, meeting children and families whose lives have been upended by the brutal war between rival militaries which has upended the country.
The plight of children impacted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine was the focus of debate in the UN Security Council on Wednesday.
The Middle East crisis continues to deepen, with families in Gaza struggling to secure basic food amid constant displacement, plummeting temperatures, and relentless conflict. Meanwhile, civil war in Syria has reignited, where the status quo has been “radically altered” in recent days, creating an “extremely fluid and dangerous” situation, says the UN Special Envoy there. Violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon are also continuing – we're covering it all live. UN News app users can follow here.
Every year, the launch of the Global Humanitarian Overview is an opportunity to highlight where needs are greatest and how much funding is needed to help some of the most vulnerable people on Earth. Read our live updates of events as they unfolded in Kuwait, Nairobi and Geneva, hosted by the UN's new Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, with highlights from humanitarians around the world, from Gaza to Ukraine. UN News app users can follow our coverage here.
The “Guatemala Joven Conversa” initiative brought together hundreds of young people from around the country to discuss the political issues and challenges they face in their daily lives. DPPA, with funding from its Multi-Year Appeal, helped participants overcome barriers to connectivity.
This autumn, from September to November, with support from DPPA’s Innovation Cell, over 300 young Guatemalans joined a series of AI-powered digital dialogues on civic engagement and political participation. To take part, all they needed was internet access and a desire to share with others their views on critical national issues, from the fight against corruption to the need for electoral reform.
The dialogues were facilitated as part of the Guatemala Joven Conversa initiative, a collaborative project led by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) and Fundación Esquipulas, a civil society organization that focuses on peace, democracy, and social and economic development in the Central American and Caribbean region. The initiative aimed to strengthen youth political participation in Guatemala by providing a platform for young leaders to discuss their visions for the country’s future.
The project’s three digital dialogues each focused on distinct topics: electoral law reform, youth participation in development, and corruption. The hundreds of young people that participated came from 22 departments, and included Indigenous communities; 64 percent of them identified as women.
“DPPA embraces innovative technologies like AI to amplify marginalized voices,” said Diego Antoni, Peace and Development Advisor in Guatemala. “The Guatemala Joven Conversa initiative highlights how AI-enabled dialogues can empower youth and marginalized communities to shape their country’s future and drive transparency and accountability.”
Guatemala’s youth: overcoming barriers for participation
Young people are a significant demographic in Guatemala, where they have historically championed peace and human rights through social engagement. Formal spaces to inform decision-making involving youth remain limited, especially for young women and Indigenous peoples.
Fundación Esquipulas and the Joint UN Development Programme (UNDP)-DPPA Programme-supported Peace and Development Advisor in the UN Office of the Resident Coordinator in Guatemala launched the Guatemala Joven Conversa initiative to amplify young leaders’ voice on issues such as electoral reform, anti-corruption, and local governance and development. With the aim of engaging a broad and diverse youth audience, the team turned to AI-powered digital dialogues to create a wide platform for engagement.
Using AI to amplify young leaders’ participation
With support from DPPA’s Innovation Cell, the Guatemala Joven Conversa initiative launched three digital dialogues, each involving over 300 participants. This technology enabled real-time, anonymous exchanges among young people ages 18 to 30 from all 22 departments of Guatemala. Participants needed only access to a phone or computer connected to the internet, making the dialogues simultaneously available nationwide. By allowing participants to vote on each other’s input, it ensured the conversation stayed focused on key issues, offering a more engaging and inclusive approach than traditional methods.
“The digital dialogues provided a different dynamic than what we are used to,” said Laura Regina Lopez, youth leader from the International Youth Leaders Network REDJINOL. “These experiences normally take place in platforms such as Zoom or Meet, where people often are inhibited or feel embarrassed to voice their opinions, afraid of what others might say. In this type of dialogue, the dynamic was different, which allowed people to freely express themselves.”
Approximately 60 per cent of the participants were women, and 40 per cent self-identified as Indigenous — a critical representation in a country where over 43 per cent of the population identifies as Indigenous. To encourage diverse participation, DPPA, with funding from its Multi-Year Appeal, paid for mobile data coverage for roughly 200 participants in each dialogue to overcome connectivity barriers, especially in rural communities. Additionally, DPPA funded three in-person workshops to review the findings of the digital dialogues with 25 youth leaders, enabling a deeper analysis of the topics discussed.
Advancing youth perspectives for peace, development and human rights
Speaking online, youth leaders often noted the need to address Guatemala’s pressing challenges, from strengthening democracy and advancing sustainable development to combating corruption. Whether through voting, engaging in local governance, or participating in social movements, youth are eager to contribute. However, they shared significant barriers for participation, including discrimination and limited access to information.
Several of the youth leaders highlighted the corrosive impact of corruption on institutional trust and resource allocation, which are essential for addressing inequality. Worryingly, some 70 per cent expressed fear of criminalization and political persecution for speaking out against corruption, including fear of facing prosecutorial retaliation, underscoring the ongoing risks of advocating for transparency and justice in Guatemala.
Ixmucane Caal, a youth leader from the Political Association of Mayan Women Mo’Loj, said that “As young people we can make corruption visible, it is important that the population knows what is happening, so that we can take action and protest.” She went on to stress that “Raising our voices […] is the best way to make rights violations and acts of corruption visible.”
Throughout the dialogues, youth expressed their ambitions to confront systemic challenges and to promote greater inclusivity and transparent governance. With support from the Guatemala Joven Conversa team, key government counterparts, such as the National Youth Council, the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the Decentralization Presidential Secretariat, and the Electoral Tribunal were invited to observe the dialogues. The results of the process will be formally presented to them, in a step toward ensuring that youth voices play a central role in shaping Guatemala’s future.
