KERALA, India, Dec 09 (IPS) - As the fifth round of negotiations of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for a global plastics treaty concluded in Busan, South Korea (25 November-December 1 2024), the meeting underscored both the complexities and the promises of multilateralism. What we saw in Busan was indicative of other environmental treatymaking spaces, including ones on climate and biodiversity.

At least 184 people, including 127 elderly men and women, were killed in Haiti’s Wharf Jérémie neighbourhood of Cité Soleil over the weekend, prompting strong condemnation from Secretary-General António Guterres.

As Human Rights Day dawns on 10 December, it serves as a reminder of the ongoing importance of equality, justice, and dignity for all people worldwide.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk delivered his annual statement on Monday, urging global solidarity and decisive action in the face of mounting challenges to fundamental human rights.

The UN Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) briefed the Security Council on Monday on recent developments, including political disagreements over constitutional reform and escalating insecurity in the east.

The historic power shift in Syria adds new complexity to the Middle East crisis, with ongoing Gaza hostilities, violence in the West Bank, and a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon. A closed-door Security Council meeting is expected today. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis deepens, with millions in urgent need. UN News app users can follow here.

As delegates and staffers gear up to tackle another day at UN Headquarters, a quiet yet stirring tradition unfolds: the raising of flags representing all Member States.

As reports continued to emerge from Damascus where opposition forces declared victory on State television on Sunday, the UN’s top humanitarian official insisted that aid teams will continue to provide emergency relief wherever possible.

Some one billion people globally under the age of 25 live in regions where they depend on the land and natural resources for jobs and livelihoods, according to the UN, but their future is increasingly under threat due to desertification and land degradation.

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Syria announced on Saturday that the Organization is removing non-critical staff from the country, emphasizing that this is a precautionary step to protect UN personnel “while maintaining essential operations”.