UN galvanizes regional migrant and refugee response amid persistent challenges
The Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V), co-led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced the 2025-2026 regional response plan to support over…
Mexico: Boom in organised crime making femicide invisible, local activist says
Local activist Norma Andrade, who was recently at the UN Office in Geneva to raise awareness about femicide, knows the issue first-hand. Her own daughter, Lilia Alejandra, was murdered in that same city in 2001. “As my granddaughter would sum it…
Haiti’s children: Crisis demands urgent action
That was the stark message heard during a special session on Monday convened by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), where UN officials and humanitarian leaders highlighted the dire conditions in Haiti and called for immediate action to support its…
‘Everything is expensive!’ Bolivia faces a shocking economic collapse
Fuel is rapidly becoming one of Bolivia’s scarcest commodities. Long lines of vehicles snake for several kilometers outside gas stations all over Bolivia, once South America’s second-largest producer of natural gas. Some of the queues don’t budge for days. While…
What to know about plastic pollution crisis as treaty talks conclude
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA — The world’s nations will wrap up negotiating a treaty this weekend to address the global plastic pollution crisis. Their meeting is scheduled to conclude Sunday or early Monday in Busan, South Korea, where many environmental organizations…
Devastating 2024 Atlantic hurricane season ends, marked by record-setting storms
This year saw 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and five major hurricanes – classified as Category 3 or higher – marking the ninth consecutive above-average season for the Atlantic basin. “Year after year, the climate crisis continues to break new…
In wake of G20, Gulf states boost ties to Brazil, Latin America
Middle East analysts are welcoming a series of agreements concluded during the recent summit in Brazil of the 20 biggest economies, saying they open new avenues for Gulf Cooperation Council states to strengthen economic relations with emerging markets across Latin…
Mexico, Canada warn Trump against raising tariffs
MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday that Mexico would retaliate if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump followed through with his proposed 25% across-the-board tariff, a move her government warned could kill 400,000 U.S. jobs and drive up…
France’s farmers resume strike over South American trade deal
Protests by French and other European farmers are threatening a long-expected trade deal between the European Union and South American trading bloc Mercosur, comprising Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The EU hopes to clinch it next month — but individual…
‘The UN is not leaving Haiti,’ spokesperson afffirms
In a briefing on Tuesday, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq highlighted the deepening insecurity, noting that essential personnel from various UN agencies and the UN Mission in Haiti (BINUH) are remaining in Port-au-Prince to continue their critical activities. While the…