News headlines in January 2023, page 16

Five UN agencies on Thursday called for urgent action to protect millions of malnourished children in the 15 countries hardest hit by the unprecedented food and nutrition crisis. 

The rule of law forms the bedrock of all international cooperation and the ability of multilateralism to operate effectively, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Thursday, describing it as “foundational” to the whole United Nations.

With the number of people aged 65 and over projected to more than double by the middle of the century, the rights and well-being of older persons must be prioritized in efforts to achieve a sustainable future, the UN said in a new report launched on Thursday. 

The UN weather agency, WMO, said on Thursday that 2022 was the fifth or sixth warmest year on record, adding to deep concerns that the likelihood of breaching the 1.5 degree Celsius limit of the Paris Agreement “is increasing with time”.

HAVANA, Jan 11 (IPS) - Félix Morffi supports the energy needs of his home with the help of the sun, in some cases through handcrafted solutions that make the most of an alternative source that is abundant in Cuba, but still used very little.

DUISBURG, Germany, Jan 11 (IPS) - If our societies are to become resilient and sustainable, our priorities must change towards de-escalation, including in diplomacy and economy.

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 11 (IPS) - The long-delayed salvaging of an abandoned tanker, the FSO Safer off the Yemeni coast, has been described as a humanitarian disaster waiting to happen.

The rusting vessel, according to the UN, has remained anchored for more than 30 years. But off-loading and maintenance of the vessel ceased back in 2015, following the start of a devastating civil war in Yemen.

There are plentiful opportunities ahead for peacebuilding in Colombia, the head of the UN Verification Mission in the country told the Security Council on Wednesday. 

Recent Biden Administration border policy reforms “risk undermining the basic foundations of international human rights and refugee law”, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said on Wednesday.

Although virus sequencing is vital to detect and track new variants in the COVID-19 pandemic, sharing this information must be stepped up globally, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday in Geneva.