Source: United Nations (video statements)
United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Representative in Mozambique, Xavier Creach, connecting from Erati, said that 100,000 people had arrived in northern Mozambique in past two weeks alone, having faced several attacks from armed groups. Humanitarian workers are unable to provide the assistance people need, forcing some to return to very unsafe areas. UNHCR calls for stronger international support now.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Severe floods and landslides across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia have claimed more than 1,000 lives and displaced millions. The United Nations remains in close contact with national authorities and stands ready to support ongoing relief and response efforts.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
December marks the conclusion of the UN Assistance Mission’s for Iraq mandate, following more than two decades of support to the country through transition and shifting regional dynamics. Addressing the Security Council, the UN’s top envoy in the country said Iraq’s progress was shaped by sustained international support and years of costly effort.
Mohamed Al Hassan, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) highlighted major developments in Iraq’s repatriation efforts, praising Baghdad for showing “commendable leadership” in accelerating the return of its nationals from northeast Syria.
He said, “To date, approximately 20,800 people have returned to Iraq – no small feat, by any measure,” adding that continued resources are essential to ensure “dignified and sustainable reintegration,” from basic services to livelihood support.
He also welcomed Iraq’s election to the Human Rights Council but cautioned that the role carries new obligations. Membership, he said, comes with “responsibility to uphold the highest standards” on human rights, particularly regarding minorities, women, youth, freedom of expression, and “respect of the rights of girls and refraining from underage marriages.”
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
-Floods in Asia
-Iraq
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Syria / Israel
-Ukraine
-Mozambique
-UNDP
-Artificial Intelligence
-Haiti
-Abolition of Slavery
-Force Commander / UNISFA
-Guest Tomorrow
FLOODS IN ASIA
The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life caused by severe flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. More than 1,000 people have reportedly been killed, with many missing and millions affected as heavy rains continue to inundate large areas.
The Secretary-General conveys his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and expresses his solidarity with all those affected by these devastating floods.
The United Nations is in close contact with authorities in all four countries and stands ready to support relief and response efforts. UN Country Teams remain at the disposal of Governments to provide necessary assistance.
IRAQ
This morning, the Security Council heard, for the last time, from the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in a briefing on the situation in Iraq. The mission will conclude its mandate on 31 December this year.
Mohamed Al Hassan, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq and Head of UNAMI, opened by expressing profound appreciation to the Government and people of Iraq who have stood as partners to the UN through some of the nation’s most challenging chapters.
He recalled that when the Council established UNAMI 22 years ago, Iraq was confronting the legacy of dictatorship, regional wars, internal conflict, foreign occupation and the terror of Da’esh. But with the support of the international community, Iraq emerged stronger.
The UN underscores that UNAMI’s departure does not mark an end to the Iraq-UN partnership.
The UN will continue to stand by Iraq to build on its hard-won gains, and we hope that a new Government will be formed without delay.
Finally, the UN look forward to transferring the mandate on missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing property, including the national archives, from UNAMI to a Senior Representative, as decided by the Security Council.
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2025-12-02
Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Website: https://www.un.org/sg/en/spokesperson
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Press Conference by Cesar Nunez, Director of the UNAIDS New York Office, on the launch of the World AIDS Day report, Overcoming Disruption: Transforming the AIDS response.
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“The HIV epidemic is not over, and our previous progress is at risk,” warned César Antonio Núñez, Director of the UNAIDS New York Office, as the UN marked World AIDS Day with an assessment of shrinking global resources.
Briefing reporters at UN headquarters, Núñez said the findings of UNAIDS’ new Global Report: Overcoming disruption, transforming the response, point to mounting threats driven by a sharp decline in international funding. The report, launched last week in Geneva, underscores “the importance of overcoming the current disruption in the financing of the AIDS response.”
He highlighted severe pressures on countries already struggling to maintain services. “OECD projects that external health aid will drop by 30 to 40 per cent in 2025 compared to 2023,” he said, adding that the cuts are “causing immediate and severe disruption to health services in low- and middle-income countries.”
Núñez said the downturn is hitting prevention and community programs first. “The resources, the response and prevention, has kind of flatlined,” he said. Treatment uptake, once rising steadily, “has also been reduced,” with consequences for “prevention programs for young people and key populations.”
These setbacks carry long-term risks, he cautioned. Without urgent corrective action, “that will take us back, 3.9 million people newly acquiring HIV by 2030, in excess of what we would have hoped to be the end of AIDS as a public health threat.”
While some governments have rushed to close gaps, Núñez said the efforts could be insufficient. “Will the funding sources that still remain and the countries filling in the gaps be enough? Not necessarily,” he said.
Countries will have to make sharper strategic choices. “Prioritization will be essential,” Núñez said.
He added, “Evidently, we point to prevention because we need to reduce the number of new infections in order to address…the growing epidemic.”
Source: United Nations (video statements)
“Well, this exhibition—this UNIDO exhibition—has been conceptualized as an immersive journey where participants can learn about UNIDO’s work and global impact. We showcase, for example, where we are present worldwide, and we focus on our priorities and global impact. For example, we want to showcase our work on three thematic priorities, from building sustainable supply chains to ending hunger and expanding clean energy and climate action.
You can see here three alcoves where we feature several impactful projects from the organization. Here during the conference, we have launched the Fair Share programme, which is a very important initiative, but we also feature many other products that are very successful and can also be scaled up.
The next alcove shows our work on ending hunger, which is a very important topic, and the next one is about clean energy access and climate action, which is of course extremely relevant, especially when we talk about industrialization. There is also a very important section in this exhibition dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment, an important area of work for UNIDO.
Women contribute to industry, they need to be part of the economy, and they are crucial in sustainable development. What you see here is just a sample of 60 women among the many women UNIDO is empowering. These 60 women are part of a campaign we are placing in communications. In total, we have 130 stories. For example, here we have Sonia Yanahi. She is an entrepreneur— a very successful one. She benefited from the EDIP programme, which is run by ITPO-Bahrain. Her dream was always to have a business in chocolate, and she established the first chocolate franchise in Bahrain. With UNIDO’s support, she is now getting a business plan approved.
We are also supporting the investment approach for her to acquire a cocoa plant in Côte d’Ivoire, where she wants to employ local communities and ensure fair trade—fair share—and standards applied to the process of chocolate export.
What you see here with a round shape—if you had a drone right now, you would see from above that it resembles the logo of the conference. It shows circularity; it shows three segments because this conference discusses mainly three topics: investment and partnerships, women’s empowerment, and youth as the generation of the future, and this resembles the logo of the conference.
And maybe I can show you as well the area of funding partners, which is of course one of the most important areas of work for our organization. We see here China, Austria, Germany, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, but we also have important non-governmental donors, such as the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, and the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.”
Source: United Nations (video statements)
“Overall for the regular budget, I am proposing to bring the resource requirements for 2026 down to 3.238 billion US dollars,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced, unveiling a sweeping revision to next year’s spending plan amid deepening financial strains across the organization.
Addressing Member States in New York City today (01 Dec), Guterres said the updated proposal marks a significant shift from the version drafted earlier this year. “A few weeks ago, I introduced the proposed programme budget for 2026 which had been for the most part prepared before the launch of the UN80 Initiative,” he said, noting that the original document “did not yet reflect the first outcomes of the Secretariat’s comprehensive review of its resource requirements for 2026.”
The revised estimates now incorporate early results from the UN80 reform effort, which he said underscores “both the urgency and the ambition” driving the Secretariat’s modernization. The report contains two linked components: “initial measures to improve the management and operations of the Secretariat” and “targeted efficiencies and cost reductions to the proposed programme budget for 2026 and the support account budget for 2025/26.”
Under the proposal, the UN’s regular budget would fall by $577 million, or 15.1 percent, compared with 2025. The staffing table would shrink to 11,594 posts, including Special Political Missions, a reduction of 2,681 positions, or 18.8 percent.
But Guterres emphasized that budget tightening alone cannot resolve the UN’s widening liquidity crisis. “We ended 2024 with $760 million in arrears, of which $709 million is still outstanding… We have also not received $877 million of 2025 dues,” he said. “Thus, arrears now stand at $1,586 million.”
He again urged Member States to meet their assessed contributions “in full and on time,” warning that persistent shortfalls are forcing the organization to manage cash “well below budget levels.”
Guterres reiterated his proposal to temporarily suspend the return of credits, saying, “It is difficult for us to give back money that we have not – because we didn’t receive it,” and called for a temporary account to safeguard Member States’ rights until liquidity improves.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has declared the end of its latest Ebola outbreak in Kasai Province. With national leadership, WHO support, and a new innovative treatment facility designed to protect health workers and improve patient care, the outbreak was contained within months. Strengthened preparedness and better tools are helping save lives.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
UN Revised Budget Update: Shrinking Resources and Targeted Reductions
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Middle East
– Ukraine
– Sudan
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2025-12-01
