Birth registration increases, but 150 million children still ‘invisible’

However, the report, The Right Start in Life: Global Levels and Trends in Birth Registration, also highlights a troubling reality: 150 million children under five still go unregistered, meaning they don’t officially exist as far as government systems. According to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, it is crucial that we provide “stronger efforts to ensure that […]

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UN chief offers condolences amid devastating wildfires in California

The fires, described as some of the worst in the city’s history, have burned thousands of acres, destroyed homes and left firefighters battling to contain multiple blasts in unprecedented conditions. “The Secretary-General is shocked and saddened by the widespread devastation caused by the fast-moving wildfires,” said his Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, in a statement released on […]

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Lebanon: UN hails election of new President as a critical first step

General Joseph Aoun was declared President on Thursday following voting in Lebanon’s parliament. UN Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated the new leader as he takes up his functions, saying this is a critical step towards overcoming Lebanon’s political and institutional impasse after over two years of presidential vacuum.  The election of the President provides an important […]

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Ukraine: Zaporizhzhia attack marks highest civilian casualties in nearly two years

Thirteen civilians were killed, and 110 injured, when two aerial bombs struck an industrial facility in the southern city. This marks the largest number of casualties the HRMMU has recorded since a residential building in Dnipro city was struck on 14 January 2023, and the deadliest since a supermarket in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, was hit […]

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Avian flu risk still ‘low’ after first US patient dies from H5N1 virus: WHO

WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris told reporters in Geneva that the H5N1 virus causing the disease is “not circulating in humans but jumping into humans” who are exposed to poultry or dairy cattle. “We’re not seeing sustained circulation,” she insisted. Underlying conditions The man who died of the disease in Louisiana was over 65 and […]

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Iran: UN experts call for strict new hijab law to be repealed

Independent UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts said in a statement that it represents a fundamental attack on women’s rights. The legislation, which applies to children as young as 12, combines severe criminal penalties with mandatory citizen surveillance and systematic enforcement across all sectors of society, the experts added. The Law on Protecting the Family through […]

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US: Rights experts urge Senate to reject bill sanctioning the International Criminal Court

The ICC issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Go here to read our analysis of the decision and the likely next steps, and here for our ICC explainer.  Asked by reporters at the regular noon […]

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2025 agenda: ‘We must not let opportunities pass,’ says UN Assembly President

Under the theme Unity in Diversity, he emphasised the need for collective action to address pressing global challenges and deliver tangible progress.  Highlighting the mandates entrusted to the 79th Session, he outlined critical events, including the High-Level Meeting to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth and the World Social […]

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UN pledges continued humanitarian support to Ukraine, as war enters fourth year

More than 12.7 million people inside Ukraine require aid, as do the more than 6.8 million Ukrainian refugees worldwide. On Tuesday, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher visited the Kharkiv region, located in the east. Support in frontline areas He travelled to the village of Shevchenko, some 30 kilometres from the front lines, and another […]

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It’s not censorship to stop hateful online content, insists UN rights chief

“Allowing hate speech and harmful content online has real world consequences. Regulating this content is not censorship,” Volker Türk wrote on X. In a longer LinkedIn post on the same theme, Mr. Türk maintained that labelling efforts to create safe online spaces as “censorship…ignore[s] the fact that unregulated space means some people are silenced – […]

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