Source: United Nations (video statements)
The outgoing Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, Dr. Natalia Kanem, reflects on almost a decade leading the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency. As she concludes her assignment – and ahead of World Population Day – Dr. Kanem sat down with UN News for an exclusive interview.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
2025 Celebration of the 1st International Day of Hope. The meeting will focus on effective implementation and inspiring more likeminded individuals toward hope for existence and harmony with others.
Our goal is to create awareness about the International Day of Hope, establish a collaborative platform for governments and non-governmental organizations to exchange ideas and share diverse perspectives on humanity and “Hope”.
Strengthening the power of “Hope” through this meeting will contribute to transforming the world, paving the way for a sustainable future for all. It will further provide insight into fostering peace, prosperity, and sustainable development through “Power of Hope” for a failing system.
Leaders will share their experiences, insights, and visions to promote the spirit of cooperation in building Hope as well as strategies that will help restore Hope in a failing generation. We believe that by the end of this meeting, the value and significance of promoting the power of hope will be intensified, encouraging people around the world to confront the global crisis we face today with Hope that inspires action and unites love and conscience to overcome challenges and realize our shared goals.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025
Francesca Albanese
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Lebanon
Ukraine
Sudan
Somalia
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Libya
UN Environment Programme/Report
Briefings
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS REPORT 2025
On Monday, in a press conference, the Secretary-General will launch the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025. He will be joined by the Deputy-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and our Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Li Junhua.
The press conference will take place at 12:45 p.m., just after the noon briefing.
FRANCESCA ALBANESE
In response to questions on the sanctions imposed by the United States on Francesca Albanese, the Spokesman said that the imposition of sanctions on special rapporteurs is a dangerous precedent.
Francesca Albanese, like all other Special UN Human Rights Rapporteurs, is an independent human rights expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and reporting to the Human Rights Council. Special Rapporteurs do not report to the Secretary-General, and he has no authority over them or their work.
That being said, Member States are perfectly entitled to their views and to disagree with the reports by the Special Rapporteurs, but we encourage them to engage with the UN human rights architecture.
The use of unilateral sanctions against special rapporteurs, or any other UN expert or official is unacceptable.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that a UN team managed to bring about 75,000 litres of fuel from Israel into the Gaza Strip. That is the first such provision in 130 days. As mentioned yesterday during the noon briefing, the UN and its humanitarian partners need hundreds of thousands of litres of fuel each day to keep essential life-saving and life-sustaining operations going, meaning the amount entered yesterday isn’t sufficient to cover even one day of energy requirements. Fuel is still running out and services will shut down if greater volumes do not enter Gaza Strip immediately.
One partner, for instance, reported that this week that in a matter of days, fuel shortages could cut off supplies of clean drinking water to about 44,000 children that depend on that water source. The lack of fresh water would further increase the risk of waterborne illnesses such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military continues its operations across the Gaza Strip, including shelling and ground incursions. This morning, people waiting to get nutritional supplements were reportedly struck in Deir al Balah. According to Al-Aqsa Hospital, the attack resulted in dozens of casualties, the majority of whom were women and children.
In a statement issued today, Catherine Russell, the Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said she was appalled by the reported killing of 15 Palestinians, including nine children and four women, who were just waiting in line for nutritional supplies their children. And I can tell you that the UN, yet again, condemns the killing of civilians in Gaza.
OCHA stresses that parties are bound by international humanitarian law to prevent such excessive death and injury of civilians in the midst of war.
All parties must take all feasible precautions to avoid and minimize civilian harm, and indiscriminate attacks are strictly prohibited.
Another strike today reportedly hit the office of a humanitarian partner in Gaza city; three staff were killed.
Yesterday, UN partners providing education services said that between October 2023 and June of this year, 626 temporary learning spaces have been established in Gaza, with 240,000 students enrolled, about half of those students are girls. However, UN partners say that only 299 spaces are currently operational due to the ongoing displacement orders, funding shortfalls and other challenges.
UN humanitarian partners, including first responders, health workers, and aid workers, continue to deliver food and other assistance under intolerable conditions, and they themselves are facing hunger. A number of our own colleagues are also facing hunger. They also face water scarcity and threats to their personal safety, just like everyone else in Gaza.
As we said, time and again: This catastrophic situation must end. A ceasefire is not only urgent, it is long overdue, and all of the hostages need to be released unconditionally and immediately.
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=10%20July%202025
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Hybrid press briefing by Ambassador Aksoltan Ataeva, Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the United Nations and Rabab Fatima, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative, Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (USG/OHRLLS), on the upcoming Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3), that will take place in Turkmenistan from 5-8 August 2025.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
“The multilateral system is the best we’ve got. There is no other system that can help us to deal with our global problems,” says Bob Rae, President of the Economic and Social Council and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations. As the international community is getting ready to convene for the 2025 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development this month, Ambassador Rae stresses the opportunities for multilateral action.
Read more: https://desapublications.un.org/un-desa-voice/feature/july-2025/advancing-global-goals-together
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Hans Grundberg recognized that “for some – on both sides of the conflict – the appetite for a military escalation remains.”
Briefing the Security Council today (9 Jul) Grundberg said, “We are now with grave concern seeing an escalation in the Red Sea with attacks on two commercial ships earlier this week by Ansar Allah, resulting in civilian loss of life and casualties as well as the potential for environmental damage. These were the first attacks on commercial vessels in over seven months. In response, Israeli air strikes have hit Sana’a earlier in the reporting period as well as the ports of Hudaydah, Ras Issa and Salif and a power station on Sunday.”
He added, “Yemen must not be drawn deeper into regional crises that threaten to unravel the already extremely fragile situation in the country. The stakes for Yemen are simply too high.”
He highlighted, “There has been a continuation of military activity in governorates such as Al Dhale’a, Al Jawf, Ma’rib, Ta’iz and Sa’dah. I am also concerned about troop movements towards Al Dhale’a, Ma’rib and Ta’iz. I recognise that for some – on both sides of the conflict – the appetite for a military escalation remains. A military solution, however, remains a dangerous illusion that risks deep ening Yemen’s suffering.”
He stressed, “It is urgent to move forward as time is not on our side. The longer the conflict is drawn out, the more complex it becomes.”
Turning to economy, Grundberg stated that across Yemen, “the little money people do have in their hands is either falling in value or literally falling apart.”
Grundberg stressed, “A positive shift towards greater stability in the region would certainly be welcome and could help create an environment for Yemen to move forward — but this cannot be a precondition for change. Yemen must advance regardless.”
He concluded by reiterating his call for the unconditional and immediate release “by Ansar Allah of all those arbitrarily detained from the United Nations, national and international NGOs, civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions. The number of cases requiring urgent medical attention are increasing. They need access to medical assistance. They need to be home with their families. We will not let this issue drop. Our detained colleagues are not forgotten, not by me or my mission, nor by all of us in the UN working tirelessly for the sake of the Yemeni population.”
According to the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher the food security crisis in Yemen has been steadily accelerating since late 2023.
“Today, more than 17 million people in Yemen are going hungry. That number could climb to over 18 million between September and February,” he said
Abdullah Ali Fadhel Al-Saadi, Permanent Representative of Yemen to the United Nations, stated, “We reaffirm that the success of any political approach to achieving peace and ending the Yemeni crisis requires addressing the roots of this crisis—particularly, the coup by the Houthi militias against the state, its constitutional institutions, the national consensus, and the aspirations of the Yemeni people—and therefore there is a need to stop the destructive approach of these militias destabilizing Yemen, the region, and the world.”
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Deputy Secretary-General
– Yemen
– Sudan
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Syria
– Ethiopia
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where she is attending the International Conference on the Blue Economy in the Gulf of Guinea. She is doing that on behalf of the Secretary-General.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, she highlighted the vast potential of the Blue Economy in the region, stressing the importance of protecting the ocean, unlocking its economic power, and ensuring maritime security to deliver benefits for people. She also underscored that the Blue Economy is not only central to SDG 14 — which as you all know is Life Below Water — but is also a powerful enabler of the entire 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
During her visit, the Deputy Secretary-General also held bilateral meetings with senior government officials, including the Prime Minister of Cameroon, Joseph Dion Ngute.
They discussed regional challenges, strengthening the cooperation between Cameroon and the United Nations, and accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
YEMEN
Hans Grundberg, our Special Envoy for Yemen, briefed the Security Council today and expressed his grave concern at the escalation in the Red Sea with attacks on two commercial ships earlier this week by Ansar Allah that resulted in civilian loss of life and casualties as well as the potential for environmental damage to the Red Sea.
He said that freedom of navigation in the Red Sea must be safeguarded, and civilian infrastructure must never become a target in conflict. Above all, he warned, Yemen must not be drawn deeper into regional crises that threaten to unravel the already extremely fragile situation in the country.
Mr. Grundberg reiterated his call for the unconditional and immediate release by Ansar Allah of all those who are arbitrarily detained from the United Nations, national and international NGOs, civil society organizations, as well as diplomatic missions in Yemen.
For his part, Tom Fletcher, our Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, also briefed the Council and he told the fifteen members that the food security crisis in Yemen has been steadily accelerating since late 2023. Today, he said, more than 17 million people in Yemen are going hungry and that number could climb to over 18 million by September. He called for increased funding now to scale up emergency food and nutrition support for all those who need it.
SUDAN
Turning to the situation in Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the situation in North Darfur State remains alarming, as fighting continues to drive families from their homes.
Yesterday, shelling reportedly hit the market area inside the Abu Shouk camp, killing three civilians and injuring many more. As a reminder, this is a displacement camp where famine was confirmed last year. This tragic incident is another reminder of the toll this conflict is taking on civilians.
Prior to yesterday’s incident, the International Organization for Migration reports that more than 3,200 people had fled Abu Shouk camp and parts of El Fasher between June 26th and July 6th, and that they were seeking safety in places like As Serief, Tawila and At Tina.
In the Kordofan region, the humanitarian situation is also deteriorating.
Ongoing violence is forcing more people to flee, often into areas with little or no assistance. IOM says that on July 5th, nearly 800 people were displaced from Bara, in North Kordofan State, and are now sheltering in White Nile State.
Despite the challenges, our humanitarian partners are doing everything they can to keep services running. In North Darfur, they are supporting over 1.7 million human beings with basic healthcare, using both remaining health facilities and mobile clinics. However, medical supplies are running critically low.
We and our partners are rushing assistance to the Darfur region.
A humanitarian convoy that crossed into Darfur from Chad on July 6th – and that convoy was led by our Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator, Antoine Gerard – is carrying 180 metric tonnes of life-saving relief items for almost 400,000 conflict-affected and displaced people both in the East and South Darfur states.
Meanwhile, flash flooding threatens to make it more difficult for humanitarians to reach people in need. Today in eastern Sudan, heavy rains triggered flash floods in the Northern Delta locality of Kassala State. This comes as authorities began releasing water from several major dams to manage rising floodwaters. OCHA is closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates as they come in.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Secretary-General/BRICS
Bosnia And Herzegovina
Haiti
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ukraine
South Sudan
Somalia
Briefings Tomorrow
SECRETARY-GENERAL/BRICS
The Secretary-General is wrapping up his visit to Rio de Janeiro, where he was attending the BRICS Summit. He held a number of bilateral meetings today, notably with the Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Li Qiang. They discussed cooperation between the United Nations and China, sustainable development, climate change and financing.
And yesterday afternoon, on the margins of the BRICS, the Secretary-General also met the Iranian Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi. The Secretary-General noted the importance of the consolidation of the ceasefire to lay the groundwork for the resumption of negotiations.
He also held a bilateral meeting with the Foreign Minister of Türkiye, Hakan Fidan. They exchanged views on the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and the next round of meetings on Cyprus.
The Secretary-General is leaving Rio later today and will be back in New York at daybreak tomorrow.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
This morning, the General Assembly held a ceremony in solidarity and reflection on the 30th anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, as mandated by the General Assembly.
Courtenay Rattray, the Secretary-General’s Chef de Cabinet, delivered remarks on the Secretary-General’s behalf, saying that we must remember the more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys who were killed at Srebrenica, and we pay tribute to the strength, to the dignity and the courage of the survivors and their families.
Thirty years ago, the Secretary-General said in his message, the United Nations and the world failed the people of Srebrenica. This collective failure, he added, was the result of policies, propaganda, and international indifference.
Today, he said, we remember, and we must also confront reality.
After Srebrenica, the world said – once again – “Never Again”. Hate speech is on the rise again – fueling discrimination, extremism, and violence. We see the glorification of war criminals. We see the same dangerous currents that once led to atrocity crimes. The Secretary-General said we cannot ignore these warning signs.
As a note, Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, will be representing the Secretary-General at the official remembrance in Srebrenica that takes place this Friday.
HAITI
Turning to Haiti, where the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report that armed attacks in the Centre department last week displaced more than 16,000 human beings. Most have found refuge with host families, while 2 per cent of them have settled in seven informal displacement sites that were created in the wake of these incidents.
These developments reflect the continued deterioration of the security situation in Haiti, which is compounding humanitarian needs in a country where more than 1.3 million people are already internally displaced. Half of those are children. Overall, 6 million people in Haiti need humanitarian assistance, amid persistent insecurity and the gradual collapse of essential services.
Displaced women and girls face particular risks.
They face severe risks to their safety, including exposure to sexual and gender-based violence, with cases reported in some displacement sites.
Despite major challenges, humanitarian partners continue to deliver life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable in Haiti. From January to March, more than 720,000 people received emergency food assistance, 25,000 people received emergency shelter kits, and 35,000 benefited from essential non-food items. Nearly 170,000 people gained access to safe drinking water, and 55,000 accessed emergency sanitation facilities.
However, as we said yesterday, the lack of funding is significantly impacting our ability and our partners’ ability to meet the growing needs of the Haitian people. And as I said, unfortunately, the Haitian humanitarian appeal remains the least funded of all of our humanitarian appeals, which are almost all underfunded. Out of the $908 million we need, we have less than $75 million in the bank.
OCHA remains committed to working closely with humanitarian partners, national authorities and others to increase funding levels, coordinate the delivery of assistance, facilitate humanitarian access, and ensure that the needs of Haiti’s most vulnerable people are addressed.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=08+July+2025
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
Ukraine
Ukraine/Humanitarian
Secretary-General/Travels
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Lebanon
Yemen
Security Council
West Africa
Bangladesh
Hurricane Beryl
Sustainable Development
Financial Contribution
UKRAINE
The Secretary-General strongly condemns today’s missile attacks by the Russian Federation hitting residential and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, including in the cities of Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro and Pokrovsk. The strike reportedly killed dozens of civilians, including children, and injured over 150 more.
The incidents in which missiles hit the Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialized Hospital in Kyiv, the largest pediatrics facility in Ukraine, and at another medical facility in the capital’s Dniprovsky district, are particularly shocking.
Directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is prohibited by international humanitarian law, and any such attacks are unacceptable and must end immediately.
The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the families of all the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.
UKRAINE/HUMANITARIAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the children’s hospital in the centre of Kyiv was severely damaged as children were receiving treatment.
OCHA says that rescue workers, hospital staff and volunteers are currently clearing the rubble and searching for people trapped under debris.
Our health partners are helping to move patients to other facilities, providing psychosocial support and assisting with other urgent needs. They are also in contact with the hospital to coordinate any additional support required.
Humanitarian workers are on-site at the hospital to provide water and psychosocial support, among other assistance.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
The Secretary-General returned to NewYork, after his visit to Central Asia.
In Turkmenistan, his last stop before returning to New York, he met with Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the President of Turkmenistan.
They discussed cooperation between the United Nations and Turkmenistan, and regional developments in Central Asia. The Secretary-General thanked the President for providing the UN Country Team in Turkmenistan with a new building.
In a press encounter following the meeting, the Secretary-General said that Turkmenistan is playing a very important role in international relations and commended Turkmenistan’s policy of neutrality.
He noted that Central Asia continues to face many obstacles to development – like water shortages, land degradation, natural hazards, and a lack of adequate connectivity.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=08%20July%202024
Source: United Nations (video statements)
One Day, I Will is an ongoing series by photographer Vincent Tremeau, capturing children in crisis-affected settings as they dress up as who they want to become in the future. In 2025, one year after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Japan’s Noto Peninsula on New Year’s Day, Vincent brought the project to local schools, inviting children to share their dreams, fears, and hopes in the wake of disaster. These portraits and testimonies are more than dress-up, they reveal resilience, imagination, and the enduring strength of children who continue to dream, despite difficult circumstances. Each of them reminds us: hope can grow even from the most challenging places. “One Day I Will” is one of the exhibits in the UN Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai. The project was made available by OCHA (UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) with support from KUMON, a global after-school math and reading programme.
