The time has come to free the 48 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza and to stop the bombing, massacres and displacement in the embattled enclave, French President Emmanual Macron told delegates in the UN General Assembly Hall on Monday.

Without greater international engagement, Haiti risks sliding deeper into crisis, leaders warned on Monday at a meeting in New York convened to address the country’s security collapse.

Hostilities between Israeli forces and Hamas have led to the shuttering of almost half of all malnutrition centres in and around Gaza City, the northern area of the Strip where famine was declared a month ago.

Only the fifth woman to preside over the UN General Assembly in its 80-year history has praised the courage of those “who fought for every phrase, every word in the Beijing Declaration,” marking the 30th Anniversary of the pivotal international conference on women’s empowerment.

Music, memories and messages of peace filled the UN General Assembly Hall on Monday as the world body commemorated 80 years since its founding.

The Security Council met in New York in emergency session on Monday after planes from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) intercepted three Russia jets in Estonian airspace last Friday, according to the Estonian Government. Referencing the intensifying attacks by Russia on Ukraine and reported casualties inside Russia, “the world simply cannot afford such danger to spiral out of control,” said Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča. Follow the meeting coverage live below, and UN News app users can click here.

World leaders are gathering this week at United Nations Headquarters in New York at a time of global upheaval. Wars, poverty, human rights abuses and climate change are all issues that the 193 Member States will address with the UN at the centre of those discussions. UN News app users can follow here.

In the three decades since the groundbreaking Beijing Declaration on women’s rights was adopted by the nations of the world, great progress has been made but women and girls still face unacceptable levels of violence and discrimination. At this year’s General Assembly, UN delegates will reflect on the achievements made and raise awareness about the huge amount of work that still needs to be done.

The United Nations, African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) have reaffirmed their commitment to peace and sustainable development in Africa, pledging deeper cooperation to end conflicts, support stability and tackle global challenges from debt to climate change.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres marked the International Day of Peace on Sunday with a stark warning that “our warring world is crying out for peace,” urging people everywhere to act now to silence guns, heal divisions and build hope.