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July 2025

Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: ITU chief Doreen Bogdan-Martin (LINK) — ground.news: 81 media reports (LINK) 27 July 2025

— Concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology — including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying. "There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach". "85% of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies". Her comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI.


World Health and COVID-19 special envoy David Nabarro dies at 75 (LINK) 26 July 2025

Ground News: Sir David Nabarro, a British physician and WHO special envoy for COVID-19, died suddenly at age 75 on Friday at his home in Ferney-Voltaire, France: he received a knighthood from King Charles III in March 2023 for his leadership in global health, including coordinating responses to crises like Ebola and the 2004 Indian tsunami. 21 media reports (LINK) 25 July 2025


Gaza running out of specialized food to save malnourished children: supplies of ready-to-use-therapeutic food will be depleted by mid-August if nothing changes, says Unicef (LINK) 25 July 2025


UK: Palestine Action ban 'disturbing' misuse of UK counter-terrorism legislation, Türk warns (LINK) 25 July 2025


Top UN court says countries can sue each other over climate change (LINK) 23 July 2025


At least 72 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in previous 24 hours as Unwra chief brands Gaza 'hell on earth': Head of UN Palestinian Refugee Agency says aid distribution points are a 'sadistic death trap' (LINK) 22 July 2025

— Unrwa commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini said snipers opened fire randomly on crowds at aid sites as if they are given a "licence to kill". The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation responded by claiming the UN was "refusing" to deliver aid in Gaza that could help end the desperation in the region.


Switzerland announced CHF 8 million (approximately $10 million) in funding to the International Trade Centre (ITC) from 2025 to 2029, in a signing ceremony on the sidelines of the first-ever Global SME Ministerial Meeting in Johannesburg (LINK) 22 July 2025


IOM makes a high-level hire as thousands in the agency lose jobs (LINK) 21 July 2025

— Appointment of Michele Sison, a close ally of Director-General Amy Pope, another American,as director of the Washington-based IOM Global Office may violate the organization’s internal rules on staff age. PassBlue found that appointments cannot be offered to candidates who are 63 and older. Sison, born in 1959, turned 66 in May. At the time of her hire, she was technically over the age limit, which would have made her ineligible under the stated guidelines. In February employees were told about 3,000 were about to get laid off in agencywide job cuts. An additional 20 percent staff cut, affecting 250 positions at IOM headquarters, followed shortly thereafter. In total, IOM has laid off more than 6,000 of its personnel worldwide so far this year.

— "Although Pope assured staff in an email that executive posts would not be spared from the 'structural adjustments', this has not been the case. Sources told PassBlue that jobs close to Pope have largely been protected from the major shakeup." In 2024, the US was the IOM's largest donor, contributing $1.6 billion in voluntary funding to its operations. That support has dropped significantly with President Donald Trump’s UN-wide and other funding cuts, but neither IOM nor the State Department provided precise information on the amounts.


UN mission in Afghanistan concerned by Taliban's arrest of Afghan women and girls for dress code violations (LINK) 21 July 2025

— In May 2022, the Taliban government issued a decree calling for women to show only their eyes and recommending they wear a head-to-toe burqa. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said it was concerned by the arrest of "numerous" women and girls in Kabul between July 16 and 19, who authorities claimed had not followed instructions on wearing the hijab, or the Islamic headscarf. "These incidents serve to further isolate women and girls, contribute to a climate of fear, and erode public trust," the mission added, without details including the number of arrests or the ages and where they have been held.


Israel confirms it not to extend visa of the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Jonathan Whittall, who resides in Jerusalem and divides his time between there and Gaza (LINK) 20 July 2025

— “Following a biased and hostile conduct against Israel — which distorted reality, presented falsified reports, slandered Israel, and even violated the UN's own rules of neutrality — and in accordance with the recommendation of professional bodies, I instructed not to extend the visa of the head of OCHA's office in Israel, Jonathan Whittall,” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said.

— Whittall had said that the conditions near aid distribution sites in Gaza are "created to kill", and that "what we are seeing [in Gaza] is carnage. It is weaponized hunger. It is forced displacement. And it's a death sentence for people just trying to survive."


UN human rights expert Mary Lawlor: Justice & Peace Netherlands is launching a new call for applications for human rights defenders at risk to participate in Shelter City Netherlands. The deadline for applications is 10 August 2025 at 23:59 CEST (Central European Summer Time) (LINK) 20 July 2025


US-UN Tracker: Gaza this week (LINK) 18 July 2025


U.N. Secretary-General Appoints independent Scientific Panel on the Effects of Nuclear War (LINK) 17 July 2025

— The panel will study the possible impact of a nuclear war on everything from public health to ecosystems, agriculture, and global socioeconomic systems. The last cross-sectional United Nations study of this kind was undertaken almost four decades ago in 1988. The Panel will hold its first meeting in September and will submit a final report to the General Assembly in 2027.


WHO endorses twice-yearly HIV prevention injection of lenacapavir (LINK) 14 July 2025


Visual Capitalist: the 28 biggest global risks, according to the UN (LINK) 14 July 2025

— 1. Climate change inaction. 2. Large-scale pollution. <h4>WHO endorses twice-yearly HIV prevention injection of lenacapavir<small> (<a href="https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/who-endorses-twice-yearly-hiv-prevention-injection-2025a1000ilu" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">LINK</a>) <span class="odate">14 July 2025</span></small></h4> <hr> 3. Fake news. — UN Global Risk Report 2024 (LINK PDF)


The United Nations Set of Principles and Rules on Competition: Implementation after 40 years: also identifies areas for improvement (LINK) 14 July 2025

— "The Set has not been updated to take into account the significant economic, political and technological changes that have taken place during the last 40 years. In order for the Set to retain its policy significance, there should be some effort made to reconnect with the current discussions relating, first, to the transition from a global economy dominated by multinational enterprises/ transnational corporations to one in which most of the economic activity is structured within global value chains and global business ecosystems, second, to the increase of global economic concentration and the complexity and inherent difficulty of enforcing competition law vis-à-vis the Big Tech Platforms, and third, to the importance of SDGs in guiding various fields of public policy, including competition law enforcement." (p34)


UN agencies warn fuel shortage in Gaza reaches critical levels (LINK) 12 July 2025

— "Fuel is the backbone of survival in Gaza. It powers hospitals, water systems, sanitation networks, ambulances, and every aspect of humanitarian operations. Fuel supplies are needed to move the fleet used for transporting essential goods across the Strip and to operate a network of bakeries producing fresh bread for the affected population. Without fuel, these lifelines will vanish for 2.1 million people. For the first time in 130 days, a small amount of fuel entered Gaza this week. This is a welcome development, but it is a small fraction of what is needed each day to keep daily life and critical aid operations running."


Haiti gang violence claims 5,000 lives in less than a year, UNOCHR report (LINK) — ground.news: 20 media reports (LINK) 12 July 2025


UN's food agency limits aid operations in West and Central Africa due to funding cuts (LINK) — ground.news: 16 media reports (LINK) 11 July 2025


UNESCO adds Diy-Gid-Biy (Cameroon), Mount Mulanje (Malawi) sites to heritage list (LINK) — ground.news: 21 media reports (LINK) 11 July 2025

— UNESCO seeks to boost Africa's representation in the heritage list, as highlighted by Director-General Audrey Azoulay.


UN, Netherlands cancel LGBTQ event in Senegal after government warning (LINK) — ground.news: 7 media reports (LINK) 11 July 2025


Tighter borders and aid cuts could risk greater instability, IOM chief warns (LINK) — ground.news: 18 media reports (LINK) 10 July 2025


Sand and dust storms affect about 330 million people in over 150 countries, WMO says (LINK) — ground.news: 21 media reports (LINK) 10 July 2025


ICC issues sealed arrest warrants for Taliban Supreme Leader and Chief Justice for persecuting women and girls as a crime against humanity (LINK) — ground.news: 226 media reports (LINK) 9 July 2025


US 'will sanction' UN official over political 'warfare' against Israel (LINK) — ground.news: 167 media reports (LINK) 9 July 2025


ITC: Green trade is a path to climate resilience for the Philippines (LINK) 8 July 2025


The U.N. General Assembly adopts a resolution over U.S. objections calling on Afghanistan's Taliban rulers to reverse their worsening oppression of women and girls and eliminate all terrorist organizations (LINK) 7 July 2025


World Tariff Profiles 2025: approximately 74% of global trade is still conducted on MFN (most-favoured-nation) terms [reduced or zero tariffs], as of May 2025, despite recent trade tensions. (LINK) 7 July 2025


IAEA pulls inspectors from Iran as standoff over access drags on (LINK) — ground.news: 51 media reports (LINK) 4 July 2025


UNAids chief 'shaken and disgusted' by US cuts that will mean millions more deaths: Winnie Byanyima tells the Guardian she considered resigning when Donald Trump cancelled Pepfar funding (LINK) 4 July 2025


UN experts say Rwanda supported rebels in Congo and smuggled minerals at 'unprecedented levels' (LINK) — ground.news: 8 media reports (LINK) 4 July 2025


Reuters: Blistering heat and empty chairs mar UN's flagship development event (LINK) 4 July 2025

— Just one G7 leader — France's Emmanuel Macron — attended the event, where he and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez addressed rooms with dozens of empty chairs. Organisers initially said they expected 70 heads of state; that was whittled to 50 as the conference got under way. Event leaders were relieved to produce an outcome document — despite gnawing fears in the past months that Washington would torpedo any deal.


UN: The Sevilla Commitment is a turning point. At the #FFD4 Conference in Spain, countries reached consensus on a new roadmap for financing sustainable development—fairer tax systems, debt relief, and investment in local solutions. Now, the focus is on implementation (LINK on X) 3 July 2025

Investing in communities beats b


order spending on security, says UN migration chief (LINK) 2 July 2025



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