UNITED NATIONS, Nov 08 (IPS) - When the United Nations imposes sanctions or penalizes a member state – be it the General Assembly or the Human Rights Council – the resolutions are "non-binding" and often remain unimplemented.

But the Security Council resolutions are "binding" – and still openly violated by countries such as North Korea—because all these UN bodies have no means of implementing these resolutions, nor a standing army to forcibly enforce them. But they only carry moral weight.

The twelfth edition of the World Urban Forum wrapped up on Friday with the adoption of the Cairo Call to Action, after intense discussions focused on the global housing crisis and financing urbanization, all under the theme “It All Starts at Home.”

The crisis in Haiti continues to deteriorate as violence escalates across the country. According to the UN human rights office on Friday, between January and September of this year nearly 4,900 people have been killed.

An alarming surge in ransomware attacks is putting the world’s healthcare infrastructure at critical risk, endangering patient safety and destabilising health systems, the head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday, as the Security Council convened to discuss strategies to counter the growing threat.

There is a strong likelihood that famine is imminent in areas within the northern Gaza Strip, food security experts said on Friday.

The UN’s independent Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua has raised alarm over rights violations which have been sanctioned by the Government against the university sector.

Despite progress over the past 10 years to promote and protect the human rights of Black people worldwide, racism and discrimination persist, the President of the UN General Assembly President said on Friday.

There must be “due reckoning” for horrific violations and possible atrocity crimes in Gaza, the UN human rights chief said on Friday following the release of a new report outlining actions taken by Israeli forces during the ongoing war with Hamas.

Sudan’s displaced have endured “unimaginable suffering” in their search for shelter from the country’s ongoing war, UN humanitarians warned on Friday.

The UN human rights office released a scathing report on the ongoing war in Gaza as deadly Israeli military operations continue to pound the Strip and Lebanon, wreaking havoc on civilians, destroying homes and public buildings. Follow our live coverage through the day. Coverage for UN News app users available here.