Editor's note: Here is a fast take on what the international community has been up to this past week, as seen from the United Nations perch.
Guterres writes to Putin about grain deal
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a letter Tuesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin outlining a proposal aimed at removing hurdles affecting financial transactions through the Russian Agricultural Bank, while allowing for the continued flow of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea grain deal. The deal could expire on July 18 if Moscow decides to pull out, as it has repeatedly said it is not benefiting enough from the nearly year-old initiative.
Food security report shows unprecedented hunger
Hopes of ending hunger by the end of this decade have all but evaporated as multiple crises — climate change, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, including the war in Ukraine — have pushed more than 122 million people into hunger since 2019 to reach an unprecedented high of 735 million.
Russia uses veto to block aid to millions of Syrians
On Tuesday, Russia vetoed the continuation of a U.N. aid operation that is a lifeline to more than 4 million Syrians living in areas outside government control. U.N. aid trucks stopped rolling through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Turkey and northwest Syria at midnight on Monday when the Security Council authorization expired. On Thursday, the Syrian government announced it would allow the U.N. to use Bab al-Hawa for six months – removing the need for council authorization. Not everyone was pleased. Some aid groups and Western diplomats said this would mean that control of the crossing (and the aid that goes through it) would now shift from a neutral party – the United Nations – to the Syrian government, which is responsible for much of the suffering in northwest Syria. The U.N. says it is studying the Syrian offer and, as of Friday, had not moved any aid through the crossing.
Global public debt hit $92 trillion in 2022
The secretary-general warned Wednesday that nearly 40% of the developing world is in serious debt, as public debt reached a record $92 trillion last year. "Some 3.3 billion people — almost half of humanity — live in countries that spend more on debt interest payments than on education or health," Guterres said, calling for reform of the international financial system.
Rights chief slams Russia’s ‘costly, senseless’ war in Ukraine
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a costly, senseless war that has killed or injured thousands of civilians and violated the human rights of millions. Turk presented an oral update on the situation in Ukraine and Crimea on Wednesday to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.
In brief
— The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Thursday that his office is investigating reports that at least 87 people were found in a mass grave in Sudan’s West Darfur state. The U.N. human rights office said the dead, including women and children, were found outside El Geneina and included members of the Masalit ethnic group. The U.N. said there is credible evidence that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces and an allied militia were responsible for the killings.
— The U.N. children’s agency said Friday that in the first six months of this year, approximately 11,600 children are believed to have made the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe and nearly 300 have died. Both figures are double those from the same time last year, making the Mediterranean one of the deadliest migration routes in the world for children. UNICEF said the deaths are preventable and called for safe, legal and accessible pathways for children to seek protection and reunite with their family members.
— It is possible to end AIDS by 2030 if countries demonstrate the political will to invest in prevention and treatment and adopt nondiscriminatory laws, UNAIDS said in a report Thursday. Of the estimated 39 million people living with HIV globally, 29.8 million are receiving lifesaving antiretroviral therapy. UNAIDS says prevention and treatment must be scaled up and sustainable and adequate funding is needed.
— A peacekeeper from Rwanda was killed Monday when his patrol came under attack by an armed group in the Haute-Kotto prefecture in the northeastern Central African Republic. Sergeant Eustache Tabarao, 39, was on his second deployment to the C.A.R. with the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission known as MINUSCA.
— The United States officially rejoined the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on Monday. Under the Trump administration, Washington pulled out of UNESCO, citing what it said was its anti-Israel bias and need for reform. In June, the U.S. informed the Paris-based organization that it wanted to rejoin as a full member and would pay about $619 million in arrears over several years. On June 9, members voted 132 in favor and 10 against to readmit the United States. Washington’s return will boost UNESCO’s bottom line, as it funds 22% of the organization’s regular budget.
Good news
Preparatory work for the transfer of a million barrels of oil from the decaying floating supertanker FSO Safer onto a rescue vessel off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea has begun, the United Nations said Monday. The transfer should start next week and be completed by early August, allaying fears of a potentially catastrophic oil spill.
Next week
On July 18, the U.N. Security Council will hold its first meeting on artificial intelligence. While the technology has the potential to benefit humanity, experts are also raising alarm about grave potential dangers. The council will hear from briefers, including Guterres and two AI experts, on how to harness international cooperation for its safe and responsible use.
