NEW YORK, July 22 (IPS) - At the UN 2025 High Level Political Forum last week, global energy leaders warned that without urgent action in expanding access to clean energy, hundreds of millions will remain vulnerable, and the world will risk falling short of its 2030 SDG deadline.

BANGKOK, Thailand, July 22 (IPS) - The Asia-Pacific region is becoming a showcase for regional solutions. As electric vehicles (EVs) rapidly gain traction, the region must confront a dual challenge: managing the environmental and health risks of end-of-life EV batteries, while actively pursuing the economic and technological opportunities of a circular economy.

The Security Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution urging all Member States to “utilize effectively” the mechanisms for pacific settlement of disputes as outlined in the United Nations Charter, including “negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement” and other peaceful means of their choice.

The chief economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Máximo Torero Cullen, previewed its annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report in a briefing on Tuesday to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York.

As the humanitarian crisis deepens in Sudan, the UN and partners have revised and scaled up a response plan to support thousands of displaced people in Tawila, North Darfur state.

The United States announced on Tuesday that it will leave the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which will take effect at the end of December 2026.

Protecting underwater ecosystems from the growing interest in rare mineral mining, framing deep-sea laws and building a biobank are among landmark achievements of the UN’s International Seabed Authority (ISA), which is marking its 30th anniversary at its Kingston, Jamaica, headquarters.

Warning that the world is failing to uphold international law as wars stretch from Gaza to Ukraine, UN Secretary‑General António Guterres urges all nations to choose diplomacy over division and recommit to settling disputes peacefully.

UN Secretary‑General António Guterres declared the world has “passed the point of no return” on the shift to renewables and implored governments to file sweeping new climate plans before November’s COP30 climate summit in Brazil, saying the fossil fuel era is nearing its end.

The UN Security Council meets today for a high-level open debate on Promoting International Peace and Security through Multilateralism and Peaceful Settlement of Disputes, chaired by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to brief as over 80 Member States join discussions on strengthening diplomacy and mechanisms for conflict prevention. UN News, in coordination with UN Meetings Coverage, brings you live updates. UN News App users can follow here.