National pledges fall short as global biodiversity pact reaches midpoint
U.N. biodiversity chief points to finance and subsidies as hurdles to filling gaps between commitments and targets.
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Turkey's COP31 president urges leaders to prioritize climate finance
Nation's top climate official calls for nations to pay for "concrete outcomes that address real challenges people face."
Iran nuclear dispute returns to Security Council on verification gap
IAEA says it lost continuity of knowledge over Iran's enriched uranium as Tehran says war made inspections impossible.
Hormuz disruption risks squeezing smaller firms out of supply chains
UNCTAD warns trade could recover while becoming more concentrated as smaller companies face higher costs.
U.N. rights chief pushes AI ‘red lines’ as nations vie to shape global rules
Volker Türk calls for independent verification and common safety limits as AI initiatives reach the Human Rights Council.
U.N. backs African push to redraw how the world is mapped
General Assembly votes 164-1 for equal-area maps as African countries challenge Mercator's distortion of continental size.
U.N. training merger to cut staffing by 26% under UN80 reforms
Consolidation of UNITAR and the U.N. System Staff College is expected to generate savings of up to $7 million.
El Niño has strengthened into a major global weather threat
WMO expects a strong event into 2027, prompting an unprecedented mobilization of national weather services.
Warming must peak near 1.8° to keep Paris climate goal within reach
Breaching 1.5° is now expected, leaving governments with a narrower and more difficult task of limiting the overshoot.
Island nations' sovereignty in focus as seas rise and rivalries sharpen
Pacific island nations want to preserve vast maritime zones as climate change alters coastlines and competition intensifies.
Africa-Europe-Mediterranean research takes on lab-to-market gap
The 2026 A.U.-E.U.-Med Innovation Fair invites startups and research projects to pitch food and agriculture technologies.
COP17 turns to private capital as land restoration finance gap persists
Only $216 million of a $1.3 billion finance portfolio is confirmed as governments seek ways to close a funding gap.
Nepal floods expose challenge of forecasting cascading hazards
A new flood alert forced evacuations as rescuers seek nearly 1,000 missing people, underscoring the forecasting challenge.
Arms treaty monitor says export restrictions often lag civilian harm
New assessment finds transparency at its lowest level since the Arms Trade Treaty took effect as conflicts test the rules.
U.N., Red Cross warn autonomous weapons nearing a ‘moral red line’
Renewed appeal seeks binding prohibitions as governments approach a decision on whether to launch negotiations.
Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana takes lead in second U.N. chief straw poll
No candidate reaches nine-vote threshold as opposition grows and race to succeed António Guterres remains wide open.