HIGHLIGHTS OF THE U.N. SYSTEM
THURSDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2025
MEETING OF G20 FOREIGN MINISTERS
This morning, in a meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers, the Secretary-General noted that we know when violence erupts, capital flees, services collapse, and poverty deepens. When development falters, social contracts fray, institutions weaken, and instability follows, and climate change intensifies the pressure at every turn. Meanwhile, he said, we just released a report that found global military spending soared to 2.7 trillion US dollars last year – nearly 13 times all official development aid, adding that by comparison, the UN’s regular budget – 750 times smaller – is a rounding error.
The Secretary-General emphasized that peace is not a dividend of development, it is its foundation – and highest-return investment. Financial justice is not an aspiration, it is a requirement for global stability, he said.
The Secretary-General called on all to work together to reaffirm peace as the surest path to sustainable economic development, and multilateralism the anchor of a safer, fairer future for all.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
This afternoon, the Secretary-General will deliver remarks during a high-level meeting to launch the Global dialogue on artificial intelligence governance.
He is expected to say that we are laying the cornerstones of a global AI ecosystem that can keep pace with the fastest-moving technology in human history.
A system that rests on three fundamental pillars – policy, science and capacity.
That is multilateralism at its best, the Secretary-General is expected to say – agile, inclusive, and anchored in shared responsibility.
And yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General addressed the Security Council open debate on artificial intelligence and international peace and security.
He is told council members that the question is not whether AI will influence international peace and security, but how we will shape that influence.
He recalled the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence and annual Global Dialogue on AI Governance established by the General Assembly last month – and beginning today- adding that they represent practical tools to make AI safer, more inclusive, and more accountable.
He urged all Member States to nominate eminent, diverse experts and support the scientific Panel’s expertise, independence and regional balance – with the resources needed for timely, science-based assessments.
Mr. Guterres also called on governments and stakeholders to engage fully in the Global Dialogue, and to shape inclusive, human-rights-based global norms.
SOMALIA
This morning, the Secretary-General also delivered remarks at the High-level Meeting on Financing for the African Union Stabilization Mission in Somalia. He noted that the meeting was taking place at a moment of promise and peril for Somalia’s transition.
The Secretary-General pointed out that the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia is essential, and yet chronic underfunding is putting the Mission – and hard-won gains – at risk. Let’s be clear, he said, this is not just about financing a mission for its own sake, it is about safeguarding gains achieved through years of collective investments – and preventing a reversal that would echo across the region and beyond.
CLIMATE
Yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General delivered remarks to the opening of the High-level Special Event on Climate Action. He noted that the science compels climate action, and so does the economics.
The Secretary-General pointed out that clean energy is powering jobs, growth and sustainable development. The bottom-line, he said, is that clean is competitive, and climate action is imperative.
During a Climate Summit convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil on the margins of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, close to 100 countries — including nearly 40 Heads of State and Government — announced, committed to finalizing, or set out their commitment to implementing their new climate targets ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil this November.
For the first time, several major economies including China – the world’s largest emitter – as well as Nigeria announced economy-wide emissions reduction targets covering all greenhouse gases and all sectors. Other nations detailed ambitious renewable energy goals, plans to curb methane emissions, strategies to safeguard forests, and measures to phase out fossil fuels.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that intensified strikes on Gaza City continue to cause heavy casualties and displacements, with attacks over the past week hitting tents, residential buildings and infrastructure. This is threatening the continued operation of life-saving services, including ambulances, health facilities, nutrition treatment support and community kitchens.
Although people continue to flee the Israeli offensive in Gaza City, hundreds of thousands still remain there, at a time when the humanitarian community’s ability to support them is eroding.
Today, all attempts by the UN to coordinate its staff and partners’ access to, or within, the north were denied by Israeli authorities, except for a single mission that had to be canceled by the organizers. This prevented the implementation of planned missions as critical as water trucking. Over the past week, even missions that were approved by Israeli authorities often took hours to complete, with teams compelled to wait on dangerous or congested roads. Following the closure of Zikim crossing on 12 September, the denial rate of humanitarian movements to northern Gaza rose to 40 per cent by 22 September, compared with 18 per cent over the previous 11 days.
OCHA stresses that civilians in Gaza City and the north require sustained humanitarian support at scale, which in turn requires continued access and reliable safety guarantees for aid workers.
In the south, humanitarian teams continue to collect supplies from Kerem Shalom crossing. Yesterday and today, they were able to bring food, health supplies and fuel closer to where they are desperately needed in southern Gaza. Teams also carried out field assessments to further inform humanitarian planning.
Meanwhile, the UN continues to receive reports of people being killed or injured while seeking food or aid. According to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), between 17 and 22 September, 21 fatalities were reported in this context, including near three militarized supply sites and along the Morag route south of Khan Younis. Since 27 May, at least 2,340 people have been killed while seeking food or aid – just over half near militarized supply sites and the rest along convoy routes.
UNRWA
The Secretary-General will speak today at a high-level ministerial meeting on support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which, he will say, is a force for stability in the most unstable region of the world.
He will say that UNRWA is being forced to operate under extreme and rising pressure, with more than 370 UNRWA staff having been killed in Gaza and UNRWA premises there destroyed. And everywhere, UNRWA faces budget shortfalls – and a firehose of disinformation, he will say.
The Secretary-General will ask UN Member States to stand in solidarity, provide political support and counter the distortions that threaten one of the only lifelines many Palestine refugees have left. And he will urge them to ensure that UNRWA has the resources to carry out its mandate.
SYRIA
According to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in just nine months, one million Syrians have returned to their country since 8 December 2024. In addition to those returning from outside Syria, another 1.8 million people who were displaced inside the country have also returned to their areas of origin, a sign of the great hope and high expectations Syrians have, following the political transition in the country.
But those who are returning face immense challenges. Destroyed homes and infrastructure, weak and damaged basic services, a lack of job opportunities, and volatile security are challenging people’s determination to return and recover.
UNHCR is calling on the international community to scale up its support to end the suffering and displacement of millions of Syrians who were forced to flee their homes in the past 14 years and help the country to rebuild.
With more than 7 million Syrians still displaced inside the country and more than 4.5 million abroad, support must be provided to vulnerable families and investment and stabilization efforts increased.
UNHCR continues working with the Syrian authorities and other UN agencies, including WFP, UNICEF, UNDP, IOM, ILO and UNFPA to create conditions conducive for return and reintegration in areas severely affected by the decade-long conflict.
HAITI
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that cholera continues to affect displaced and host communities in Haiti.
During the second week of September, the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization (WHO/PAHO) reported 30 suspected cases of cholera across more than a dozen communes in five departments, bringing the total number of cases to more than 3,100 this year. Most of these new cases were in the West department, including several in displacement sites. Two active transmission hotspots were identified: Saint-Raphaël in the North department, and Saint-Michel in the Artibonite department.
Three quarters of the cases were treated in nine health facilities supported by WHO/PAHO, with one death recorded. Humanitarian partners – including WHO/PAHO and Médecins Sans Frontières – are supporting health authorities in Haiti with treatment, community awareness-raising, and water, sanitation and hygiene assistance.
The recent visit of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, to Haiti underscored the immense challenges facing the health sector, where less than a third of health facilities with inpatient capacity remained fully operational. The system is struggling to cope with recurring cholera cases, rising malnutrition and increasing violence.
OCHA warns that communities have limited access to clean water, sanitation conditions are poor at displacement sites, and insecurity has constrained access to affected areas.
Armed violence continues to take a toll on civilians across the country. On 20 September, armed attacks in the commune of L’Estère, in the Artibonite department, displaced more than 6,000 people, according to the International Organization for Migration – with most seeking safety in the municipalities of Desdunes and L’Estère.
With just three months left in the year, the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti is 13 per cent funded – with only $118 million received of the $908 million required – severely constraining humanitarians’ ability to respond at the necessary scale. Additional support is urgently needed to save lives.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, allocated yesterday $2.5 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to support the Government-led response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Kasai province. The funds will go towards scaling up the response in Bulape area to contain the outbreak and prevent its spread to neighbouring provinces. They will support infection and prevention control, vaccination, strengthened surveillance measures, and logistics. The outbreak is occurring in a remote area with limited infrastructure. The local health system is overwhelmed and lacks sufficient capacity for timely diagnosis, isolation and treatment.
Health partners are currently providing active support to national authorities across key response pillars, including case management, surveillance and laboratory capacity, community engagement and vaccination activities.
As of 22 September, the Ministry of Health has reported a cumulative total of 58 cases. Of particular concern are five confirmed cases reported among health workers.
More than 1,000 contacts have been identified and are currently under active follow-up.
LIBYA
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) publishes today its first report on youth voices from across the country and their recommendations for a better future in Libya.
Over 1,200 young men and women engaged with UNSMIL through its YouEngage Programme, taking part in over 40 workshops and trainings between May 2024 and June 2025.
The Special Representative of the Secretary General, Hanna Tetteh, said that the Libyan youth said that “they want unified institutions, better quality of education and healthcare, better employment opportunities, access to training and digital opportunities, and, consistently, they want fair and representative political inclusion.” She added that young women in particular want to be able to lead in their communities without fear of online or real-life violence.
REPORT/FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SDG INDICATORS
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today released a new report assessing progress on 22 indicators under the Organization’s custodianship spanning six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to the report, the world is close to achieving one-quarter of the relevant targets, while another quarter remains far or very far from completion. For the remaining half, countries in general are moderately positioned to meet them.
Global food insecurity remains far above 2015 levels: about 28 per cent of the global population – nearly 2.3 billion people – were moderately or severely food insecure in 2024 compared to 21.4 per cent (1.6 billion) in 2015. Meanwhile, an estimated 8.2 per cent of the global population may have faced hunger in 2024.
Globally, between 2019 and 2023, only 65 per cent of women of childbearing age achieved minimum dietary diversity (MDD-W), with sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia and Southern Asia lagging. Despite a modest decline in 2023, the incidence of food price anomalies remains three times higher than the 2015–2019 average due to ongoing geopolitical tensions and weather-related disruptions.
WORLD MARITIME DAY
Today is World Maritime Day. This year’s theme is “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity.”
In his message for the Day, the Secretary-General said that this year’s World Maritime Day reminds us that the ocean is far more than a highway for commerce. It is a life force -- feeding billions, regulating our climate, and sustaining biodiversity. It is also a source of jobs, opportunity, and hope for millions of people.
