On 31 October 2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day, will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people.
Bogotá video
World Cities Day 2025 video
Welcome Notes:
Opening address by Mr. Carlos Fernando Galán, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
Welcome remarks by Ms. Helga Rivas, Minister of Housing, Cities, and Territory, Colombia
Message by Mr. António Guterres,
United Nations Secretary-General read by Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat
Video message by Mr. Nga Kor Ming, President of the United Nations Habitat Assembly, and Minister of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia
Statement by Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat
Ministerial Remarks:
Perspectives on Urban Development
Ms. Edna Elena Vega Rangel, Secretary of Rural, Territorial and Urban Development, Mexico
Mr. Ni Hong, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, China
World Cities Day brings Urban October to an end on 31 October each year and was first celebrated in 2014. As with World Habitat Day, a global observance is held in a different city each year and the day focuses on a specific theme.
On 31 October 2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day, will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people.
More info: https://urbanoctober.unhabitat.org/wcd
To watch all the LIVE events, please go to: https://webtv.un.org/en
Briefing remotely from the Caribbean, the United Nations resident and humanitarian coordinators in Haiti and Cuba reported widespread damage on the wake from Hurricane Melissa.
Reporting from Havana, the Resident Coordinator for Cuba, Francisco Pichon, said, “Melissa is now classified as one of the three most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in Cuba, the strongest worldwide in 2025 so far. And it made, landfall, directly in the province of Santiago de Cuba, and for six hours it battered eastern Cuba with very heavy torrential rains and sustained winds in addition to 200 kilometres per hour.”
Pichon said, “the needs far exceed the response capacity of the country,” noting that “the eastern territories hit by Melissa are also the same areas devastated a year ago by Hurricane Oscar and two earthquakes for which the UN is implementing and underfunded recovery plan.”
He told journalists in New York that “due to the blockade and the sanctions, the country is excluded from international financial institutions and also from many global markets. And this makes it very difficult for the country to finance disaster response.”
From Port-au-Prince, the Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim for Haiti, Gregoire Goodstein, said over the last several days, Melissa “swept across Haiti’s southern departments, and it moved gradually north at a very slow speed, which brought torrential rains, flash floods and, of course, landslides.”
Unfortunately, Goodstein said, “a number of lives were lost, homes were damaged as well as destroyed. Roads have been cut off and, and many families have been displaced.”
The death toll, he said, “now stands at 24 people who have died.”
Goodstein said having had funding in advance, “which allowed for preparedness and planning, made a real difference.”
He said, “by October 22nd the UN agencies were able to deploy a lot of resources, communities were mobilised, emergency stocks were transported and put into place. We had a few hundred evacuation shelters that were also opened, cleaned up, made ready to function. You have to keep in mind a lot of the families, when they left their homes, they prioritised women and children to be put in those evacuation shelters.”
Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica on Wednesday as a category 5 storm before moving north as a category 3.
Joint stakeout by the Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine Crisis, following a meeting of the group. Fu Cong, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, Sérgio França Danese, Permanent Representative of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the United Nations, and other representatives from Global South countries.
The Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine Crisis reaffirmed, “only a negotiated political solution, including through inclusive diplomacy and political means based on the UN Charter, can bring this conflict to an end.”
The Group of Friends for Peace on the Ukraine Crisis held a joint press encounter today (29 Oct) after a meeting. Ambassador Sérgio França Danese of Brazil and Ambassador Fu Cong of China spoke on behalf of the Group. Other representatives from Global South countries were present at the press encounter.
Brazilian Ambassador Sérgio França Danese said, “Our group has consistently called for an early peaceful settlement of the conflict, remained dedicated to fostering dialog and engagement, and actively engaged with relevant parties with a view to promoting common ground across the international community.”
“All efforts have been guided by our strong commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of any States and the peaceful settlement of disputes,” Ambassador Danese reiterated.
He reiterated that the Group remains committed to “promoting the spirit of solidarity and partnership between nations that’s emphasized by the Bandung Principles inter alia.”
Ambassador Danese also said, “Deeply troubled by the prolonged hostilities and the immense negative impacts, this Group was among the first to call for an immediate and complete ceasefire – a call we firmly reiterate today.”
He underscored the need to “observe principles for de-escalation and the importance of non-expansion of the battlefield, and non- intensification of fighting.”
The Brazilian Ambassador said, “We believe that avoiding actions that could further fuel the conflict, including the proliferation of weapons and other means of war into the parties of the conflict, would help pave the way toward a ceasefire and political settlement.”
For his part, Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said, “The shared goal must be to find a comprehensive, just and lasting solution – one that addresses mutual concerns of the parties of the conflict and leads to a peace agreement, negotiated directly by and acceptable to them.”
He said that the Group “stands ready to support the next steps agreed by the relevant parties to the conflict, including the possible discussion on the roadmap.”
“We believe that the UN has a role to play in fostering the diplomatic efforts, and in the implementation of any peace agreements,” Ambassador Fu said.
The Group also called for “increased humanitarian assistance and the strengthening of the protection of civilians, in particular women, children and the humanitarian personnel.”
“All parties are obligated to strictly, comply with international humanitarian law. Civilian infrastructure and objects, including nuclear facilities and other installations containing dangerous forces, must never be the target of military operations,” Ambassador Fu said.
The Group also stressed that all parties are “bound by the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution in the conduct of hostilities”
The Group emphasized the “obligation of the humane treatment of prisoners, and encourage and support initiatives to facilitate the safe exchange of prisoners of war as a confidence building measure that alleviates human suffering,” Ambassador Fu concluded.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Pobee said that the situation in Sudan is “simply horrifying.”
Briefing the Security Council today Pobee said that the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra has invited both parties, the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, to separately enter into technical talks with the UN, focused on de-escalation and the protection of civilians.
She added that both parties have shown encouraging signs of their willingness to engage.
She reported, “The conflict in Sudan has deteriorated even further. It has caused widespread suffering and new surges of horrific violence. After more than 500 days under siege, the city of El Fasher in North Darfur has been captured by the Rapid Support Forces. Only small pockets of resistance remain.”
She continued, “Other parts of the country have not been spared from the relentless violence. In recent weeks, fighting has intensified in the Kordofan region. This is likely the next arena of military focus for the warring parties. In North Kordofan, the city of Bara, just 40 kilometers from the state capital of El Obeid and a strategic location for both sides, was captured by the Rapid Support Forces last week. This marked another escalation on the ground. Drone strikes by both parties are also affecting new territories and new targets. These include Blue Nile, Khartoum, Sennar, South Kordofan and West Darfur, suggesting that the territorial scope of the conflict is broadening.”
She stressed, “The risk of mass atrocities, ethnically targeted violence and further violations of international humanitarian law, including sexual violence, remains alarmingly high across the country, and particularly in El Fasher. The situation is simply horrifying.”
She highlighted, “Communications have been cut off. The situation is chaotic. In this context, it is difficult to estimate the number of civilians killed. Despite commitments to protect civilians, the reality is that no one is safe in El Fasher.”
Pobee urged Member States with leverage over the parties to encourage them to take this critical step and called on the Security Council to use all tools available to demand peace in Sudan.
She said, “Reports and warnings about the unfolding catastrophe in El Fasher have been issued for months. Thus far, the Unted Nations Security Council has not taken decisive action to prevent the situation from deteriorating. We must all play our part in helping to bring this devastating war to an end.”
Briefing remotely from the Caribbean, the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Cuba, Francisco Pichon, reports widespread damage in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.
As UN Security Council Resolution 1325 marks its 25th anniversary, Harriette Williams Bright from UN Women explains how this landmark framework advances equal rights for women. Yet the numbers tell a stark story: in 2024, only 7% of peace negotiators were women, revealing how far we still need to go. Investing in women peace builders means investing in long-term peace, as inclusive peace processes address root causes of conflict and create lasting outcomes for all generations.
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Sudan/Security Council
Sudan/Humanitarian
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Lebanon/Israel
Yemen
Hurricane Melissa
Viet Nam
Clarification
Financial Contribution
Briefings Today and Tomorrow
SUDAN/SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning, Martha Pobee, the Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, briefed Security Council members on Sudan. She said that the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra has invited both parties, the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, to separately enter into technical talks with the UN, focused on de-escalation and the protection of civilians. She added that both parties have shown encouraging signs of their willingness to engage. Ms. Pobee urged Member States with leverage over the parties to encourage them to take this critical step and called on the Security Council to use all tools available to demand peace in Sudan.
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, also briefed the Council, describing the horrific humanitarian situation in El Fasher. He said that the Sudan crisis is fundamentally a failure of protection, and of our responsibility to uphold international law. The violence extends beyond Darfur as well. Mr. Fletcher noted that across Sudan, and despite the massive threats, cuts, and constraints to our work, the humanitarian community has reached 13.5 million people between January and August.
The Security Council also issued a press statement expressing grave concern about the violence in and around El Fasher.
SUDAN/HUMANITARIAN
Staying in Sudan. A joint UN convoy from the UN Refugee Agency, the UN Children’s Fund and the World Food Programme has reached the towns of Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan, delivering urgently needed food, health, and relief supplies to families cut off for months by siege and conflict.
This marks the first major joint UN convoy to the area since the conflict began.
Despite the long and fraught journey, and the looting of some aid en route, the mission represents a vital breakthrough toward establishing sustained humanitarian access. We, once again, underscore the urgent need for safe passage, protection of aid workers, and continued cooperation to deliver life-saving assistance to all hard-to-reach areas in Sudan.
We and our partners are scaling up response efforts also in Tawila. Mobile health clinics there are providing urgent medical and nutrition services for people who have newly arrived there.
The UN and our partners are also sustaining water, sanitation and hygiene operations across Tawila, Melit and surrounding areas, trucking safe water, installing latrines, distributing hygiene kits and conducting cholera prevention campaigns.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Later this afternoon, the Secretary-General will address the Conference in support of peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes region via pre-recorded video message.
He will tell participants that this conference must be a turning point and will urge donors to support the Humanitarian Response Plan in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which remains underfunded.
He will also call on parties to honour their commitments under the Washington Peace Agreement and Doha Declaration of Principles, and to comply fully with Security Council resolution 2773.
The Secretary-General will also reiterate our support for peace efforts, including through MONUSCO’s support for the implementation of a permanent ceasefire.
And in a statement, our colleagues at UNICEF also reminded participants of the conference that more than 12 million children across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Burundi depend on humanitarian aid simply to survive.
Full Highlights
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2025-10-30
On 31 October 2025, the Global Observance of World Cities Day, will be linked to people-centred smart cities. It will showcase how data-driven decision making, technology, and AI can be used to improve urban life and recover from current shocks and crises. It will also focus on promoting smart city initiatives centered on people.
Bogotá video
World Cities Day 2025 video
Welcome Notes:
Opening address by Mr. Carlos Fernando Galán, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
Welcome remarks by Ms. Helga Rivas, Minister of Housing, Cities, and Territory, Colombia
Message by Mr. António Guterres,
United Nations Secretary-General read by Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat
Video message by Mr. Nga Kor Ming, President of the United Nations Habitat Assembly, and Minister of Housing and Local Government, Malaysia
Statement by Ms. Anacláudia Rossbach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat
Ministerial Remarks:
Perspectives on Urban Development
Ms. Edna Elena Vega Rangel, Secretary of Rural, Territorial and Urban Development, Mexico
Mr. Ni Hong, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, China
