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Oslo, March 25, 2025 – Wide-ranging cuts in aid will lead to a diminishing footprint of humanitarian agencies in Afghanistan and leave the lives of millions on an increasingly dangerous trajectory, affecting women and children most adversely, warns the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

“At a time when men, women and children in Afghanistan urgently need international funding and support, NRC and our partners are facing drastic funding cuts from key donors. This situation leaves us with no choice but to make untenable reductions in our services, further jeopardising vital lifelines for the most vulnerable and impoverished communities,” said Suze van Meegen, NRC’s interim country director in Afghanistan.

“Like many humanitarian organisations, NRC Afghanistan has been forced to close offices in several provinces and lay off many dedicated and professional humanitarian staff, with a particularly adverse impact on female aid workers. These funding cuts have far-reaching consequences. They extend from communities that have lost access to basic assistance to thousands of experienced Afghan staff that have lost their livelihoods,” stated van Meegen.

In January, the United States (US) suspended ongoing aid projects which forced the majority of US-funded humanitarian work to be put on hold or end. Other governments – including Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom – have also announced that their global aid budgets will be reduced in the coming years, foreshadowing a significant drop in the assistance available to the world’s most vulnerable. 

“This is the most challenging situation that NRC Afghanistan has faced in its 22 years in the country. However, I want to emphasise that NRC Afghanistan is not shutting down its operations. We remain committed to staying in Afghanistan to support displaced women, men and children and to ensure that communities affected by decades of war are not left behind,” said van Meegen.

Since January, NRC has been forced to close two of its community resource centres, with two more at risk without suitable funding in the coming month. The centres have been crucial in supporting returning and internally displaced Afghans, providing assistance with housing, food, legal assistance and referrals to healthcare providers, particularly for Afghan women who are heading their families and depend on female-to-female aid. The loss of female aid workers across the country is further restricting women and children’s access to essential services, reinforcing the conditions that prevent them from enjoying their basic rights.

The sudden halt of services from aid agencies is deeply felt in Kahdestan, an informal settlement for internally displaced outside Herat City: “NRC’s staff used to be present in the community every day, aware of the people’s problems. Now they are not here [anymore], and almost all aid has stopped – educational classes are closed, and a health clinic that was here has also closed. Now we don’t know where to turn,” said Adbul-haq, 45, who was displaced from Badghis province in 2017 due to drought and conflict.

“Decisions made in distant capitals, with little regard for human consequences, have drastically reduced humanitarian funding for Afghanistan and severely limited our ability to respond to urgent needs. These sharp cuts to foreign assistance reflect a blatant disregard by key donors for the 0.7% of gross national income that OECD countries should contribute to those in greatest need. To prevent catastrophic damage in Afghanistan, the international community needs to step up and commit to supporting a population that has faced decades of war and neglect,” said Suze van Meegen. 

Notes to editors: 

• NRC is not ending its work in Afghanistan due to the US funding suspensions. Work supported by other donors will continue. 
• Due to United States funding suspensions and cuts, NRC has been forced to end some of its programming in Afghanistan, including community resource centres, as well as shelter and livelihoods support. The closure of programmes has led to the closure of two provincial offices and necessitated termination of dozens of contracts, including both international and Afghan staff. 
• NRC has been present in Afghanistan since 2003, delivering key services with the support of its generous donors, directly delivering assistance to people in need. This includes providing shelter and protection services to displaced Afghans and those returning from neighbouring countries.
• 22.9 million Afghans need humanitarian assistance, according to the UN. 
• 1 in 3 Afghans (more than 14 million people) do not know where their next meal will come from, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). 
• In 2024, the United States contributed just under USD 742 million to Afghanistan’s USD 1.72 billion Humanitarian Response Plan – this equaled 43.4 per cent of humanitarian funding (UNOCHA Financial Tracking Service; OECD ODA Recipients). 
• The 2025 humanitarian response plan for Afghanistan is current just 13.3 per cent funded (UNOCHA Financial Tracking Service). 
• In January the United States (US) suspended ongoing aid projects which forced the majority of US-funded humanitarian work to be put on hold or end (Devex.org). In February, the United Kingdom announced it would be cutting Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5% to 0.3% of Gross National Income (UK Government). In February the Dutch government also underscored their scale back in aid announcing a 2.4 billion cut on development aid from 2027 (Government of the Netherlands). The French government announced it would reduce public development assistance by more than 2 billion Euros – close to 40% of its annual funding (RFI). Swiss, Swedish, German and Belgian governments have also announced cuts in assistance budgets (Devex.org, Devex.org, Swiss info, Development Today).
• Photos from Afghanistan are available for free use here.

For more information, please contact:

• NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329
• Regional Media and Communications Adviser, Christian Jepsen: christian.jepsen@nrc.no +254 706 248 391

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Note: Decades of work to achieve gender equality by international organizations resulted in “limited progress” as men continue to dominate society. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the “poison of patriarchy” while Sima Bahous, the Executive Director of the specialized agency UN Women, warned that “misogyny is on the rise” while women and girls are victims of multiple crises and conflict around the world. The following is a study published at the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women at UN Headquarters in New York (March 10-21).

New York, March 11, 2025 – New data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women reveals limited progress in achieving gender equality in political leadership at the start of 2025, the year which marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the landmark UN framework which set out the roadmap for gender equality and women’s rights.

According to the 2025 edition of the IPU-UN Women Women in Politics map, men outnumber women by more than three times in executive and legislative positions. The map presents the latest rankings of women in executive positions and national parliaments as of 1 January 2025.

While the proportion of women in parliament has increased fractionally by 0.3 percentage points to 27.2% compared to a year ago, in government positions it has declined by 0.4 percentage points.

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UN chief: How to tackle the ‘poison of patriarchy’

For the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the “poison of patriarchy” is apparent while women’s rights are currently “under siege”, UN News reported.

“The masters of misogyny are gaining strength,” Guterres said, pointing to the “bile” hurled at women online and leaders who “are happy to throw equality to the wolves” when he opened the 69^th Commission on the Status of Women, the world’s largest conference on gender equality underway in New York.

Guterres said the “antidote is action”, including the Pact for the Future and other efforts prioritising, among other things, investments in education, tackling violence against women and girls, supporting women’s organisations and human rights defenders, encouraging women’s leadership in technology and guaranteeing their full participation, from politics to peacebuilding.

“In these perilous times for women’s rights, we must rally around the Beijing Declaration, recommit to the Platform for Action and stand firm in making the promise of rights, equality and empowerment a reality for every woman and girl around the world,” the UN chief said.

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IPU President Tulia Ackson said: “The glacial pace of progress in women’s parliamentary representation, even after a year of significant elections, is alarming. The global disparity highlights a systemic failure to advance gender equality in politics in some parts of the world. It’s high time for decisive action to shatter these barriers and ensure women’s voices are equally represented in politics worldwide. The health of our democracies depends on it.”

Martin Chungong, IPU Secretary General, said: “The lack of progress in achieving gender equality in political leadership serves as a sobering call to action. Accelerating progress requires the active participation and support of men. It is our collective responsibility to break down barriers and ensure that women’s voices are equally represented in leadership roles, fostering a more inclusive and robust democracy for all.”

Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, stated: “Thirty years after the Beijing Declaration, the promise of gender equality in political leadership remains unfulfilled. Progress is not just slow—it is backsliding. We cannot accept a world where half the population is systematically excluded from decision-making. We know the solutions: quotas, electoral reforms, and the political will to dismantle systemic barriers. The time for half-measures is over—it is time for governments to act now to ensure women have an equal seat at every table where power is exercised.”

Women leading countries remain the exception

Women hold top State positions in just 25 countries. Europe remains the region with the highest number of women-led countries (12).

Although 2024 saw historic firsts — including the first directly elected women Presidents in Mexico, Namibia and North Macedonia — 106 countries have still never had a woman leader.

Women’s representation among Cabinet Ministers declines

As of 1 January 2025, the proportion of women heading ministries decreased to 22.9%, down from 23.3% a year ago. This decline is due to 64 countries seeing a decrease in women’s representation at this level and another 63 stagnating, with just 62 increasing compared to a year ago.

Only nine countries, predominantly in Europe, have achieved gender-equal cabinets, with 50% or more women holding cabinet positions as heads of ministries. These are Nicaragua (64.3%), Finland (61.1%), Iceland and Liechtenstein (60%), Estonia (58.3%), and Andorra, Chile, Spain and the United Kingdom (all at 50%). This represents a decline compared to 2024, when 15 countries had gender-equal cabinets.

There are an additional 20 countries where women’s representation among Cabinet Ministers ranges between 40% and 49.9%, with half of these countries in Europe. Nine countries, mostly in Asia and the Pacific, do not have any women serving as Cabinet Ministers, an increase from seven countries in 2024.

Europe and North America (31.4%), and Latin America and the Caribbean (30.4%), have the highest shares of women Cabinet Ministers.

In contrast, women are significantly underrepresented in most other regions, with regional figures as low as 10.2% in the Pacific Islands (excluding Australia and New Zealand) and 9% in Central Asia and Southern Asia.

Ministerial portfolios continue to endure gender-based bias – The allocation of ministerial portfolios highlights a continuing gender bias. Women are still primarily assigned to head policy areas concerning gender equality, human rights and social affairs. Most influential policy areas, such as foreign affairs, financial and fiscal affairs, home affairs and defence remain largely controlled by men.

While still underrepresented, new data shows more women at the helm of other important policy portfolios, such as culture (35.4%), education (30.6%) and tourism (30.5%).

Growth of women in parliament stalls – The map follows the release of the IPU’s annual Women in parliament report, which revealed that, despite 2024 being a super election year, progress towards greater women’s representation was the slowest since 2017.

The data also reveals significant regional disparities: – The Americas has the highest proportion of women MPs (34.5%) and women Speakers of parliament (33.3%).

Europe comes second with 31.8% women MPs and 30.4% women Speakers.

The Middle East and North Africa region is placed last, with women occupying only 16.7% of parliamentary seats and currently no women Speakers of Parliament.

In a rare bright spot, the total number of women Speakers increased to 64 out of 270 positions, reaching 23.7%, up from 22.7% in 2023 (62 out of 273).

And women Deputy Speakers of Parliament now constitute 32.6% of the total, up from 28.9% in 2023.

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New York, February 28, 2025 – The Trump administration’s abrupt cancellation of the US foreign aid will have damaging impact on critical programs ranging from lifesaving humanitarian work, development projects, counterterrorism and initiatives to combat drug trafficking, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned.

“The consequences will be especially devastating for vulnerable people around the world,” Guterres told reporters at the UN Headquarters the day after the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) confirmed that the US has cut $377 million worth of funding to the UN reproductive and sexual health agency.

UNFPA said it was informed that nearly all of its grants – 48 as of now – with USAID and the US State Department have been terminated and the cut will lead to potentially “devasting impacts” on women and girls worldwide.

.“This decision will have devastating impacts on women and girls and the health and aid workers who serve them in the world’s worst humanitarian crises,” the UN specialized agency said.

It said the USAID grants were meant to provide critical maternal healthcare, protection from violence, rape treatment and other lifesaving care in humanitarian settings. This includes UNFPA’s work to end maternal death, safely deliver babies and address horrific violence faced by women and girls in places like Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine.

UNFPA said it has partnered with 150 countries to provide access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services and its goals had been to  prevent maternal death, gender-based violence and harmful practices, including child marriage and female genital mutilation by 2030.

“These termination notices include grants for which we had previously received humanitarian waivers, as they were considered lifesaving interventions for the world’s most vulnerable women and girls,” UNFPA said.

The grants funded programs in countries including Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Mali, Sudan, Syria and its neighboring countries, as well as Ukraine.

UN chief thanks US “leading role” in humanitarian and development aid.

The UN chief expressed the UN’s gratitude for the US “leading role” in foreign aid thanks to US taxpayers’ dollars and other donors, which had provided humanitarian assistance to more than 100 million people each year through UN programs. But he pointed that the cuts came at a time when global crises are intensifying, leaving millions at risk of hunger, disease and displacement.

Guterres said more than nine million people in Afghanistan could lose access to health and protection services, as hundreds of mobile health teams and other critical programs face suspension because of the US aid cuts. The cuts will affect 2.5 million people in northeast Syria who require humanitarian assistance and already are creating difficulties to inhabitants in Ukraine, South Sudan and Sudan and others countries where humanitarian programs depended on US aid.

The cuts will force the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to halt many counter-narcotics operations, including those targeting the fentanyl crisis and dramatically scale back its activities against human trafficking. They will also cancel health programs combatting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and cholera, Guterres said.

“The generosity and compassion of the American people have not only saved lives, built peace and improved the state of the world. They have contributed to the stability and prosperity that Americans depend on,” Guterres said and urged the US Government to reconsider the funding cuts and warned that reducing America’s humanitarian role would have far-reaching consequences, not only for those in need but also for global stability.

“Going through with these cuts will make the world less healthy, less safe, and less prosperous,” he said. “The reduction of America’s humanitarian role and influence will run counter to American interests globally. We look forward to working with the United States in this regard.”  (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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In advance of the G20 Finance Ministers meeting in South Africa, the UN Development Programme has released a new policy brief Development Gives Way to Debt, which offers a call for urgent and immediate debt stress relief for the poorest countries. The new analysis found that interest payments of 56 development countries exceed 10 percent of their government revenue, while 17 countries among them pay more than 20 percent. Development spending trade-offs for staggeringly high debt servicing demands is having devastating consequences for the world’s poorest countries.  UNDP recommends an urgent debt restructuring and an overhaul of the borrowing system to address debt stress. It calls for an immediate fiscal lifeline for developing countries and urgent overhaul of the borrowing system.

Cape Town, 25 February 2025 – The debt crisis facing many developing countries is reaching new heights not seen in more than two decades resulting in devastating development trade-offs, according to a new policy brief by UNDP. 

A new policy brief, released ahead of the G20 Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors meeting in Cape Town, warns that debt vulnerability indicators remain alarmingly elevated, and are only worsening. Debt servicing is consuming a high and growing share of national revenue in developing countries-, particularly in Least Developed Countries.

Currently, interest payments exceed 10 percent of government revenue in 56 developing countries – nearly double the number from a decade ago. Among them, 17 countries spend more than 20 percent on interest payments, a threshold strongly linked to default risk.

“The debt-development trade-offs threaten a lost decade of development progress for many of the world’s poorest nations,” said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator. “The international community must not wait until the last minute to provide tangible financial lifelines. A new debt relief initiative makes financial and political sense.” 

The total external public debt for the 31 poorest countries currently in or at high risk of debt distress is estimated at $205 billion – less than a third of the 2021 IMF Special Drawing Rights allocation, which predominantly went to wealthy countries, and less than one year of total official development assistance (ODA) from the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee.

UNDP’s analysis stresses that without better access to more effective debt relief, many developing countries risk long-term solvency crises.

In 2023, developing economies’ total external debt servicing reached a record $1.4 trillion. The poorest countries have been hit hardest, with debt servicing costs tripling and interest payments quadrupling over the past decade, totaling an estimated $36 billion.

Looking ahead to the International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, Spain, this June, UNDP is urging policymakers to prioritize three key debt policy reforms:

• A more effective and orderly debt restructuring framework – ensuring all developing countries access when needed.
• A systemic debt relief initiative – to support the poorest countries in breaking the vicious cycle of underinvestment in development. 
• Reducing excessively high borrowing costs – to allow developing countries to invest in long-term growth.

“Forums like the G20 have an important role in shaping long-term financing solutions that promote sustainable growth opportunities” UNDP Administrator Steiner said. “Critical priorities like debt stress are reaching a tipping point that require bold, immediate action to create a path towards growth and stability for those who need it most.”

To read the full Policy Brief, visit www.undp.org/publications/undp-debt-update-development-gives-way-debt

 Press release (English / French / Spanish): https://www.undp.org/press-releases/ballooning-debt-service-payments-poorest-countries-reach-alarming-levels-undp-warns

Media contacts:

Anna Ortubia | Communications Specialist | anna.ortubia@undp.org

Lesley Wright | Communications Specialist | lesley.wright@undp.org

Victor Garrido Delgado | Media Specialist | victor.garrido.delgado@undp.org

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New York, February 5, 2025 – In remarks to a UN conference on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed support for a two-state solution to end the crisis in the Middle East and rejected any suggestion to relocate the Palestinians.

Guterres’ remarks followed statements made by US President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan and for the US to “take over the Gaza Strip,” which has suffered heavy human losses and destruction in the enclave during the Israel-Hamas war that started on October 7, 2023. A ceasefire reached by both sides appeared to have ended the conflict.

Trump said during a press conference held with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on February 4 that

“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip. I do see a long-term ownership position, and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East, and maybe the entire Middle East.”

Guterres said, “In the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse. It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law.  It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.”

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric was asked at the daily briefing at UN Headquarters in New York whether Trump’s statements regarding the Palestinians amounted to ethnic cleansing. He said, “Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”

At the meeting of the UN Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, Guterres said “at its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land.”

“Of course, nothing justifies the horrific Hamas attacks of October 7. And nothing justifies what we have seen unfold in Gaza over these last many months. We all know too well the catalogue of destruction and unspeakable horrors,” he said, referring to the nearly 50,000 people — 70% of them women and children — who have been reported killed and the destruction of most of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.

“I thank the mediators —Egypt, Qatar, and the United States— for the continued efforts to ensure implementation. Now is the time to be crystal clear about objectives going forward,” he said.

He urged governments, donors and the international community to fully fund humanitarian operations in Gaza and the essential work of the UN refugee agency known as UNRWA.

Ambassador Riad Mansour, the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine, said the ceasefire must become permanent and cover the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory, UN News reported. It said Mansour called for all the provisions in the ceasefire to be implemented, including the reconstruction of Gaza and freedom for people to return to areas where they were displaced from.

Mansour also highlighted responsibilities and objectives to be achieved by the end of the year, starting with defending UNRWA “because it is the most successful story of multilateralism and the United Nations since its inception.”

The UN agency provides healthcare, education and social services for more than five million Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and elsewhere in the Middle East. (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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New York, February 5, 2025 – With a brief announcement on its website, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has abruptly ended its role as the world’s largest donor to humanitarian activities that have assisted millions of at-risk people in over 130 countries. USAID, with an annual budget of $40 billion, also funded major UN humanitarian programs, but those money may dry out quickly.

On February 7, most of the more than 10,000 direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally. The announcement on the USAID website said simply, “Thank you for your service.”

“On Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:59 pm (EST) all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs. Essential personnel expected to continue working will be informed by Agency leadership by Thursday, February 6, at 3:00pm (EST),” the announcement said.

It said plans are being worked out to allow USAID personnel working overseas to return to the US within 30 days and their contracts with the agency will be terminated if it is determined that they are not essential.

The Trump administration has decided to withdraw from the World Health Organization, the UN Human Rights Council, the Paris Climate Agreement and is considering to exit the UN Population Fund and the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It has stopped funding the Palestinian relief agency UNRWA.

UN humanitarians have decried the Trump administration’s funding pause of billions of dollars and warned of deadly consequences if life-saving assistance is terminated for millions of people. USAID has supported programs from education and development to health and environmental protection around the world for decades.

Pio Smith, the regional director for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Population Fund, told journalists in Geneva that his agency “has suspended services funded by US grants that provide a lifeline for women and girls in crises, including in South Asia” as a result of the US decision, UN News reported.

Smith warned that the absence of US financial support will likely result in 1,200 additional maternal deaths and 109,000 additional unintended pregnancies between 2025 and 2028 in Afghanistan. He said his agency was seeking “more clarity” from the administration “as to why our programs are being impacted, particularly those which we would hope would be exempt” on humanitarian grounds.

Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said his agency’s country offices were “in close contact” with local US embassies to better understand how the situation will unfold, UN News said.

Laerke said the US government funded around 47 per cent of the global humanitarian appeal across the world last year; “that gives you an indication of how much it matters when we are in the situation we are in right now, with the messaging we’re getting from the government”.

 “Women give birth alone in unsanitary conditions,” Laerke said. “The risk of obstetric fistula is heightened, newborns die from preventable causes; survivors of gender-based violence have nowhere to turn for medical or psychological support.”

“We hope that the US Government will retain its position as a global leader in development and continue to work with UNFPA to alleviate the suffering of women and their families as a result of catastrophes they did not cause.”

UNFPA said the lack of US funds in Afghanistan will affect more than nine million people who are expected to lose access to health and protection services.

“Every two hours, a mother dies from preventable pregnancy complications, making Afghanistan one of the deadliest countries in the world for women to give birth. Without UNFPA’s support, even more lives will be lost at a time when the rights of Afghan women and girls are already being torn to pieces,” the agency said.

The agency said 1.7 million people in Pakistan, including 1.2 million Afghan refugees, will suffer from the USAID closure as these people will be cut off from lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services with the closure of over 60 health facilities. It said nearly 600,000 people in Bangladesh, including Rohingya refugees, face losing access to critical maternal and reproductive health services.

The agency said it needs more than $308 million to sustain essential services in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan in 2025.

(By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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• The DRC announced the creation of the world’s largest tropical forest reserve.
• Other leaders who addressed the meeting included the prime ministers of Malaysia and Spain, UN secretary-general, foreign ministers of the Palestinian Authority and Syria, and Iran’s vice-president for strategic affairs.
• Social media reform in Europe and closer regional integration in Asia were among the key themes, with optimism expressed for Middle East progress.
• Follow the Annual Meeting here and on social media using #WEF25. (Following is a News Release from WEF)

Davos, Switzerland, 22 January 2025 – President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo announced today at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025 the creation of the world’s largest tropical forest reserve. The Kivu to Kinshasa Green Corridor Reserve will protect over 550,000 square kilometres of forest throughout the Congo River Basin.
 
This historic, unprecedented initiative will transform not only our natural landscapes, but also the livelihoods of millions of our citizens,” he said, adding that the initiative goes far beyond environmental preservation and includes economic development.
 
As he prepares to assume the ASEAN chairmanship, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed optimism about the 10-nation union’s future and Malaysia’s role in it. “The spirit of collaboration and esprit de corps between [ASEAN] leaders is unique,” he said, pointing to the contributions that closer regional integration in green energy has made to Malaysia’s emergence as a high-tech manufacturing powerhouse.
 
Anwar noted that while the US remained the largest single investor in Malaysia, the nation’s “closeness, investment and trade with China” are growing. Stressing the importance of dialogue over conflict, he remarked: “We don’t go to war or threaten – we discuss, get a little angry, but focus on economic fundamentals and move on.”
 
In a special address, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for a reform of social media governance across the European Union to curb misinformation and cyber harassment. He urged for stronger enforcement of the Digital Services Act and expanded powers for the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency. He emphasized that “the values of the European Union are not for sale” and called for increased funding for research into social media algorithms to ensure Europe’s brightest minds address this critical challenge.
 
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning about two escalating global threats: the unchecked expansion of artificial intelligence and the climate crisis. These challenges, he warned, pose unprecedented risks to humanity and demand immediate, unified action from governments and the private sector.
 
On artificial intelligence, Guterres acknowledged its immense potential but cautioned against the risks of leaving AI ungoverned. He emphasized the need for international collaboration, pointing to the Global Digital Compact adopted at the United Nations as a roadmap for harnessing digital technology responsibly. “We must collaborate so that all countries and people benefit from AI’s promise and potential to support development and social and economic progress for all,” he said. He also called on the private sector not to backtrack on their climate commitments, and for governments to “keep their promise to produce new, economy-wide national climate action plans this year.”
 
Palestinian Authority Foreign Affairs Minister Varsen Aghabekian expressed cautious optimism following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. ”Optimism is not a choice; it is a must,” adding that she hopes the ceasefire brings something more sustainable in the future. Addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Aghabekian underscored the need for immediate relief efforts and long-term planning. “We have to ensure that the aid is reaching the people,” she said.
 
Weeks after the sudden collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hasan AlShaibani outlined the new government’s plans. “We will not look to the past. We will look to the future. And we promise to our people that this misery will not be repeated,” adding that the government will respect the rights of women and reject the sectarian division that has long plagued the country.
 
He also urged the removal of remaining sanctions, assuring the world Syria would no longer be a source of threats. “Thousands are returning to Syria and they need to help rebuild the country. Now we open a new page…We need Syria to be a country of peace.”
 
In a conversation with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Iranian Vice-President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif expressed hope that a second Trump presidency would reconsider his withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPOA or the Iran nuclear deal) in 2018, during his first administration, and would be “more serious, more focused, more realistic” about the cost of his withdrawal from the agreement.
 
“In terms of being able to dissuade Iran, [the withdrawal from JCPOA] has failed,” he said. “It has imposed heavy economic costs on the Iranian people. Of course, the Iranian government is suffering, but the Iranian people and the most vulnerable groups in Iran are suffering the most,” Zarif said.
 
About the Annual Meeting 2025
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025, taking place in Davos-Klosters from 20 to 24 January, convenes global leaders under the theme Collaboration for the Intelligent Age. The meeting will foster new partnerships and insights to shape a more sustainable, inclusive future in an era of rapidly advancing technology, focusing on five key areas: Reimagining Growth, Industries in the Intelligent Age, Investing in People, Safeguarding the Planet, and Rebuilding Trust. Click here to learn more.
 
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