Vendetta in Democratic Republic of Congo
1/10/2025: A Congolese military court’s conviction and death sentence imposed on former President Joseph Kabila, for charges ranging from treason to war crimes, pose a threat to both the rule of law and the country’s democratic future. The military court tried Kabila in absentia and without defense counsel, in violation of the right to a fair trial under international human rights law.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Nuclear testing threats are returning, warns UN chief
30/9/2025: As rumours grow that the unpredictable Trump administration is contemplating a resumption of nuclear tests, the UN Secretary-General has called on every State to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. This would end once and for all the enduring harm of poisoned lands and chronic illness caused by tests.
Source: Inter Press Service
Time to build a better system for food aid
30/9/2025: Despite decades of international commitments to reduce global hunger, projections show that progress has stalled. We need to move away from the outdated and inefficient approach to emergency food aid, and toward more anticipatory, collaborative, and resilient local food systems.
Source: Devex
UN appeals to all parties to commit to US Gaza peace plan
30/9/2025: The UN Secretary-General has acknowledged the important role played by Arab and Muslim States in creating a peace proposal for Gaza that has been accepted by Israel. Unfettered humanitarian access across Gaza will depend on support from all parties.
Source: UN News
Rohingya repatriation ‘catastrophic’ under existing conditions in Myanmar
29/9/2025: Amnesty International has warned against premature decisions to repatriate Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh. Conditions in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine State are unsafe for return, due to forced labour, food and health crises, and escalating armed conflict.
Source: Amnesty International
UN ends high-level week with calls for action on peace, climate and UN reform
29/9/2025: At the close of its 80th session, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock called on nations to convert the week’s momentum into concrete action. She invoked the UN’s founding in the wake of World War Two and its mission “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.”
Source: UN News
Supreme court rules that Trump can let foreign aid expire
27/9/2025: The US Supreme Court has overturned a lower court order that the Trump administration should honour a commitment to $10.5 billion in foreign aid funding set to expire on Sept. 30. The high-stakes case sheds light on how much power the executive branch has over government spending, which is typically the purview of Congress.
Source: Devex
Progress assessment towards food and agriculture SDG indicators
25/9/2025 A new report assesses progress on food-related indicators spanning the Sustainable Development Goals. The world is close to achieving one-quarter of the relevant targets, while another quarter remains far or very far from completion. An estimated 8.2 percent of the global population may have faced hunger in 2024.
Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization
The Ganges River is drying faster than ever
24/9/2025: The Ganges is drying at a rate scientists say is unprecedented in recorded history. Climate change, relentless extraction and damming are pushing the mighty river towards collapse, with consequences for food, water and livelihoods for hundreds of millions across South Asia.
Source: The Conversation
Billions still lack basic services in health care facilities
24/9/2025: Over 100 countries have made unprecedented efforts to improve basic services in health care facilities according to the latest joint WHO/UNICEF global progress report. While this represents progress, significant investment is urgently needed to meet 2030 targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Source: World Health Organization