Collated by Peter Hulm
November 2025
Europe is using AI in health care without enough guardrails, WHO warns: just four out of 50 surveyed countries have national strategies for AI in health care (LINK) 19 November 2025
Catchup: Mongabay: Indonesia labeled 'Fossil of the Day' on 15 November for echoing industry talking points at COP30 (LINK) 18 November 2025
— Indonesia was publicly called out for the first time in the history of the U.N. climate talks, receiving the "Fossil of the Day" award on Nov. 15 for allegedly allowing fossil fuel lobbyists to shape its official negotiating stance. The award, handed out daily by the Climate Action Network (CAN) International, a coalition of more than 1,900 civil society groups, accused Indonesia of echoing talking points from industry groups during negotiations on Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement, the U.N.'s new carbon market mechanism.
Ministers from global north and south unite in call for a roadmap away from fossil fuels (LINK) 18 November 2025
Ethiopia confirms 3 Marburg virus deaths, 3 more under investigation, and 9 cases in new outbreak at Jinka town, Southern Ethiopia (LINK) — ground.news: 105 media reports (LINK) 17 November 2025
— Health Ministry sadi 129 people who were in contact with the confirmed cases had been isolated and are being monitored. The World Health Organization is deploying a team to Ethiopia to support disease surveillance, testing, infection control, clinical care, and community engagement. Marburg virus disease, part of the same family as Ebola, is transmitted to humans through fruit bats and spreads rapidly between people through bodily fluids. Previous outbreaks in Africa have resulted in fatality rates as high as 80% or more, typically within eight to nine days of symptom onset.
UN peacekeepers say Israeli forces fire on them in southern Lebanon (LINK) — ground.news: 42 media reports (LINK) 16 November 2025
— Israel blamed "poor weather conditions" for a situation in which Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fired at UN peacekeepers in Lebanon on Sunday, saying that blue-helmeted UNIFIL peacekeepers had been mistaken for "suspects" and that IDF troops had fired "warning shots".
Al Jazeera: Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,360: United Nations chief Antonio Guterres "strongly" condemned Russia’s "large-scale missile and drone strikes" on Ukraine, the secretary-general’s spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said. (LINK) 15 November 2025
— Italy signed off on a 12th package of military support for Kyiv and pledged to help Ukraine overcome its energy crisis this winter by sending generators. Germany said it will raise military aid to Ukraine to 11.5 billion euros ($13.4bn) in 2026.
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: Occupied West Bank: Increased Israeli violence against Palestinians must stop (LINK) 14 November 2025
— "We reiterate that the Israeli Government’s assertion of sovereignty over the occupied West Bank and its annexation of parts of it are in breach of international law, as the International Court of Justice has confirmed. They also violate the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.
— "More settler attacks were recorded in October than in any month since 2006 – over 260 attacks. Since 7 October 2023, and up until 13 November 2025, Israeli security forces and settlers have killed at least 1,017 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Among the victims were 221 children. This does not include Palestinians who have died in Israeli detention. During the same period, 59 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks or alleged attacks or armed clashes."
UN: Protecting lives in a warming world: Health takes centre stage at COP30 (LINK) 13 November 2025
— "Hailed by Brazil as 'a crucial moment to demonstrate the strength of the health sector in global climate action,' a blueprint for global health systems to adapt to rising temperatures and extreme weather has been launched at the COP30 UN climate conference.
UN report reveals revolutionary shift in global energy: 'We stand at a unique and defining moment in history': solar and battery projects will be more than sufficient to hit the 2030 climate goal of tripling renewable capacity (LINK) 14 November 2025
World still on track for catastrophic 2.6C temperature rise, Climate Action Tracker report finds: "a world at 2.6C means global disaster” (LINK) 13 November 2025
Paris Agreement 10 years on: More wins than you may realize (LINK) 12 November 2025
Former UN rapporteur Richard Falk, 95, who investigated Israeli abuses, interrogated for 4 hours in Canada at Toronto Pearson international airport on "national security" grounds as he travelled to Canada this week to attend a Gaza-related event: "It was my first experience of this sort — ever — in my life" (LINK) 13 November 2025 2025
EUR 1 million Dutch contribution strengthens IOM's Resilience Fund for migrants worldwide (LINK) 12 November 2025
— In addition, the Netherlands has provided EUR 3 million in flexible funding to IOM in 2025. The Netherlands also continues to support key IOM initiatives, including the COMPASS programme on protection and safe migration and the Afghanistan response, which provides life-saving assistance and reintegration support to vulnerable returnees. The Resilience Fund is a global campaign to mobilize USD 100 million in flexible funding.
UN's Internal Courts: the 17 November vote (LINK) 12 November 2025
Existential Politics: Why Global Climate Institutions Are Failing and How to Fix Them by Jessica F. Green: A new way to tackle the real politics of climate change through asset revaluation (LINK) 12 November 2025
— "Governments have misdiagnosed the political problem of climate change, focusing relentlessly on measuring, reporting, and trading emissions. Green proposes using international tax, finance, and trade institutions to create new green asset owners and constrain fossil asset owners, reducing their clout."
India asks UN wildlife body [CITES] not to curb its animal imports amid Ambani zoo furore at Vantara, large private zoo run by Asia's richest family: accused by non-profits of irregular imports, Indian investigators have cleared Vantara of any wrongdoing (LINK) 12 November 2025
Women in Darfur report rape "used intentionally and systematically" and lost children amid Sudan violence, UN Women says (LINK) — ground.news: 10 media reports (LINK) 11 November 2025
UN rights chief calls for a probe into killings in Tanzania and allegations of concealing evidence (LINK) — ground.news: 16 media reports (LINK) 11 November 2025
Dozens of indigenous protesters breach COP30 summit venue in Brazil: minor injuries reported (LINK) — ground.news: 165 media reports (LINK) 11 November 2025
Climate Change News: Not another COP-out: We must rewrite the rules of the UN climate talks (LINK) 11 November 2025
— "The world doesn't just need stronger climate targets. It needs a fairer, faster and more accountable multilateral system to deliver climate action."
UNEP: In the run-up to the first session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution (ISP-CWP P1), the ISP-CWP Secretariat, in collaboration with the Geneva Environment Network, is organizing a series of events to prepare governments, non-government stakeholders and other interested parties for the session, to be held from 2 February to 6 February 2026 at CICG (LINK) 11 November 2025
— Established on 20 June 2025 under the mandate of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution 5/8, the Panel addresses one of the most critical but under-supported pillars of the global environmental agenda: pollution.
COP30: Green Digital Action Hub to accelerate innovation for a sustainable future: New global nerve centre will harness digital technology for climate action and sustainable development for all (LINK) 10 November 2025
— The hub, anchored in Brazil as a legacy of the 30th UN Climate Change Conference, COP30. is set to become the nerve centre of Green Digital Action, a partnership kicked off by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) with leading tech organizations at COP28 in 2023. The GDA Hub will provide tools, expertise, and data to help nations scale up green technologies, reduce the environmental footprint of technology and ensure access to sustainable digital solutions for all. The new hub builds on the COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action, endorsed by 82 countries and nearly 1,800 companies and organizations last year.
— Organizations shaping discussions and engagement at the hub will include the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the World Bank Group, the European Green Digital Coalition (EGDC), Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH?, the Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES), and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), as well as ITU. In parallel, an International Advisory Board led by Brazil will oversee progress to ensure inclusive and impactful outcomes.
WEF: What does a successful COP30 look like? 5 climate leaders share their calls to action (LINK) 10 November 2025
Fight fake news and climate deniers, Brazil's Lula tells UN talks (LINK) 10 November 2025
Rich countries have lost enthusiasm for tackling climate crisis, says Cop30 chief (LINK) 10 November 2025
COP 30 press office: Switzerland calls on all countries, particularly major emitters, to submit ambitious new greenhouse gas reduction targets (LINK) 8 November 2025
— Switzerland submitted its revised targets in January, committing to cut emissions by at least 65% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, mainly through domestic measures.
COP30 climate summit hears from countries suffering global warming harms (LINK) 7 November 2025
ICC issues arrest warrant for ally of Philippine ex-President Duterte over drug war, ombudsman says (LINK) — ground.news: 26 media reports (LINK) 8 November 2025
Guardian: Thousands of fossil fuel lobbyists got access to UN climate talks — and then kept drilling (LINK) 7 November 2025
UN chief: Failure to contain global heating amounts to "moral failure and deadly negligence" (LINK) 6 November 2025
Triple-whammy of hottest ever years risks 'irreversible damage', says UN chief. WMO: The past 11 years, back to 2015, will also be the 11 warmest years on record (LINK) 6 November 2025
2017 Minamata Convention COP-6 opens in Geneva to strengthen global action on mercury pollution: 3-7 November (LINK) 3 November 2025
— COP-6 will consider measures to curb the illegal trade of mercury and strengthen control of its supply and compounds; review progress on artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), which remains the largest source of global mercury emissions, and assess the enforcement of the ban on mercury-added skin-lightening products. Parties will also discuss a proposal to phase out dental amalgam, evaluate feasible mercury-free alternatives in vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) production, and examine updates to the Convention's financial mechanism, including guidance to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Specific International Programme (SIP).
Bangladesh Government and UNDP collaborate in GEF-funded project to advance low-carbon urban development in major cities (LINK) 2 November 2025
White House says it will not send any high-level officials to COP30 climate talks (LINK) 1 November 2025
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