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Source: United Nations (video statements)

In the heart of Manhattan, the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly visible.

New York’s Central Park—one of the city’s most iconic landmarks—is facing heavier rainfall, flooding, soil erosion and prolonged heatwaves, putting increasing pressure on its fragile ecosystem.

But nature is fighting back. A composting project in the park is helping enrich the soil, strengthen plants and build resilience to a changing climate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D6z8wbpMjw

Source: United Nations (video statements)

Hybrid Press Briefing by Ms. Annalena Baerbock, outgoing President of the United Nations General Assembly, on her tenure and the way forward.

Outgoing General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock described international law as “life insurance”, urging countries to uphold it amid global challenges, while emphasizing that courage is “infectious” for collective action.

As her term as the President of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly coming to an end, Baerbock said that besides all the headwinds during the Session, and besides all the fragmented times out in the world, “here inside the building, Member States were more united then divided.”

The President of the august Hall highlighted the Session opened “a new, entirely chapter for the United Nations in the field of AI.”

She said, “for the first time ever, an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI was established, composed not only from experts from all around the world, but also for the first time in gender parity.”

On UN reform, Baerbock said, “we need less bureaucracy, and we need to be way more effective and efficient in a digitalized world. And this is why implementing UN80 reform measures was, besides protecting the Charter, my second priority of my presidency.”

Asked about the selection of the new UN chief, the President of the General Assembly said, “because the choice UN makes about the 10th Secretary-General will send a message about whether this Organization truly represents the people it is meant to serve.”

She added, “Who leads this Organization matters not only to the people in this building, but to billions of people around the world,” urging the “continuation of this spirit of openness and scrutiny through the final stages of the selection and appointment process of the next Secretary-General.”

Asked about UNRWA, the President of the General Assembly said, “I had always have a very clear stance on the support of UNRWA,” calling on Member States “not only to underline that UN premises have a special protection, as the SG did as well, but also call on Sember States to fund UNRWA, because otherwise, not only was the situation in Gaza, but also with neighboring countries, be it Jordan, be it Syria, be it Lebanon, we are not delivering on what we are promising here.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNL7SUKFbe4

Source: United Nations (video statements)

UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu told the Council today (03 Sep) that the OPCW’s May 2026 deployment led to the discovery of previously undeclared chemical weapons, prompting Syria to submit amendments to its initial declaration in June.

“The Syrian Arab Republic declared one additional chemical weapons production facility, a newly discovered chemical used in the production of nerve agents, and empty chemical munitions,” Nakamitsu said. “It also declared two chemical weapons storage facilities, where the newly discovered materials were being stored.”

She said an OPCW team deployed to Syria in August to verify the destruction of Category 3 chemical weapons, conducting Article IV verification activities at storage and destruction facilities.

“The OPCW verified that inventories matched recent declarations by the Syrian Arab Republic and verified the irreversible destruction of 42 aerial bombs,” she said.

“This significant development means that for the first time since 2014, the OPCW has verified the destruction of chemical munitions from the Syrian Arab Republic,” Nakamitsu said. “As reported by the OPCW Director-General, this is a result of the close collaboration between the Syrian government and the OPCW Technical Secretariat.”

Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, called the operation “a historic moment – the start of the destruction of some of the chemical materials found in Syria, as part of the verification procedures of the Technical Secretariat” of the OPCW.

“This is the first destruction operation since Syria’s liberation from the former regime, but it is also the first destruction of chemical munitions on Syrian soil in more than a decade,” he said, adding that it proved a file that for years was “a source of danger to Syrians and to the world” but could become “a model of what diplomacy – coupled with resolve, sincere will and a spirit of international cooperation – can achieve on the ground.”

The cooperation, he said, amounted to “a deep political shift in Syria’s approach to salvaging the multilateral system."

Olabi said repeated Israeli attacks had obstructed search-and-destruction operations, halting them entirely at points and forcing the cancellation of flights, putting Syrian national teams, OPCW teams and the sites being secured at risk.

“We cannot safeguard the region’s security while our own security is under threat from Israel,” he said. “Nor can we safeguard the international system while Israel rides roughshod over international law.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37uB-y03JtE