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Note: With progress on attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) not only stalling but spiraling downwards, UN report highlights urgent reforms and innovations to restore peace, justice, and inclusion worldwide. Following is a press release from the UN Development Program (UNDP).

New York, 23 September 2025 – Ten years after world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda, a new UN report finds that none of the 23 targets under Sustainable Development Goal 16 are on track. Moreover, 15 per cent of the Goal’s targets are regressing, based on a recent assessment by the UN Statistics Division.

The Global Progress Report on Sustainable Development Goal 16 released today by UNDP, UNODC, and OHCHR underscores the central role of peaceful, just and inclusive societies in advancing the United Nations’ founding vision. 

Yet instead of progress, the past decade has brought surging conflict-related deaths, rising attacks on journalists and human rights defenders, and growing discrimination, leaving the world further from the vision of peaceful, just and inclusive societies than it was in 2015.

“The message of this report could not be clearer: without urgent investment in governance that is effective, accountable and inclusive, the foundations of our societies are at risk,” said Haoliang Xu, Acting Administrator of UNDP.  “Restoring peace and rebuilding after conflict is not only about repairing infrastructure, but also about ensuring dignity, livelihoods, and the institutions that allow societies to govern themselves fairly and effectively.”

Disproportionate impact on women and children  –  Between 2023 and 2024, more than 21,000 women and nearly 17,000 children were killed in conflicts, a fourfold increase compared to the previous two years. Of these, 8 in 10 children and 7 in 10 women were in Gaza, reflecting the devastating impact of the war. 

Globally, 2024 marked the third consecutive year of steep rises in conflict-related deaths of civilians and persons of undetermined status, representing a growth of 40 per cent compared to the previous year. 

“These distressing figures reveal a stark deviation from the trajectory towards global peace, security and sustainable development,” states the report. “Immediate and concerted efforts are imperative to reverse this trend and to adhere to international humanitarian and human rights law.”

Human rights defenders under attack – Persistent rights abuses by governments, organized crime groups, and other non-state actors are eroding civic space. Every 14 hours, a journalist, trade unionist, or human rights defender was killed or disappeared.

To counter this, OHCHR is developing new approaches to integrate multiple data sources and advanced data science methods to track attacks against civic space actors.

“The success of the entire 2030 Agenda depends on an unshakeable commitment to human rights. Universal and indivisible, they are the foundation not only of SDG 16 but of all the Goals, gathering, sharing and using data. That is why we are developing the Human Rights Data Exchange, a groundbreaking platform to make human rights data more accessible, transparent, and actionable for all,” said Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Solutions for safer societies – The report emphasizes that governance failures like corruption, illicit arms flows, and weak rule of law are at the root of many conflicts. Strengthening governance is essential to breaking cycles of violence and building trust. 

Encouragingly, global homicide rates have fallen since 2015, with projections suggesting they could continue dropping if current trends continue. Technology, including AI, could accelerate these gains if deployed responsibly. 

“We are witnessing alarming levels of violence and persistent gaps in access to justice,” said UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly. “The report shows that these trends are eroding hard-won progress and pushing us further off track from delivering on the SDGs. Unless we act decisively to strengthen the rule of law, rebuild trust in institutions, and guarantee equal access to justice for all, we risk failing not only on SDG16 but the wider 2030 Agenda.”

A critical moment for the UN – The report is released as the UN marks its 80th anniversary and advances the UN80 reform initiative, a system-wide effort to adapt the organization to today’s complex global challenges amid budget pressures and tightening resources.

Aligned with the UNGA’s 80th anniversary theme, “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights,” the UN and its partners are scaling up innovation, capacity building with governments, and new forms of collaboration with the private sector to counter regression and accelerate progress.

With such clear evidence of the inextricable link between effective governance and peaceful societies, the authors call on governments, donors, and international partners to collaborate and invest in the rule of law, civic space, and data-driven innovation so that peace, justice, and inclusion can remain within reach by 2030.

Read the full report here.

For media queries:

UNDP: Sangita Khadka – sangita.khadka@undp.org  | New York

OHCHR: Fiona Willis-Núñez – fiona.willis-nunez@un.org  | Geneva

UNODC: Sonya Yee – unodc-press@un.org | Vienna

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New York, 23 September 2025 – The United Nations celebrated its 80^th anniversary before opening its annual session attended by leaders of the 193 state members. UN Secretary General Antonio warned, however, that the organization’s principles are under siege.

The UN chief was not alone to admit that there was nothing to celebrate. The newly appointed president of the 193-nation UN General Assembly, former German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, said the UN was founded in the aftermath of two world wars and the signing of the UN Charter on 26 June 1945 “was a promise from leaders to their peoples, and from nations to one another, that humanity had learned from its darkest chapters.”

But she said, “the hours indeed feel dark once again,” with crises in Gaza, Ukraine and in some African countries. “As we mark 80 years of our United Nations, we are once again standing at a crossroads,” Baerbock told the assembly members. “We cannot take the easy path and simply give up. We have to choose the right path; to show the world that we can be better together.”

Guterres said in an address opening the 80 UN General Assembly session. ”We have entered an age of reckless disruption and relentless human suffering. Look around. The principles of the United Nations that you have established are under siege. Listen. The pillars of peace and progress are buckling under the weight of impunity, inequality, and indifference.”

He said the UN’s ability to carry out its mission has been cut while sovereign nations are invaded, hunger is weaponized and truth is silenced.

Despite the brutal assessment of the current conditions around the world, Guterres said the UN remains “a moral compass” for all its members, a force for peace and peacekeeping, a guardian of international law, a lifeline for people in crisis and a lighthouse for human rights.

The UN chief urged governments to choose to strengthen the UN for the 21^st century because “the forces shaking our world are also testing the foundations of the United Nations system. We are being hit by rising geopolitical tensions and divisions, chronic uncertainty, and mounting financial strain. But those who depend on the United Nations must not be made to bear the cost.”

A total of 36 presidents were to address the assembly on its first day (September 23) of debate, which is to conclude on September 29. The speakers on the first day included the presidents of Brazil, the US, Indonesia, Turkeye, Peru, Portugal, Egypt, Slovenia and Uzbekistan.

US President Donald Trump blasts the UN

President Trump complained to the assembled world leaders that the escalator leading to the assembly hall wasn’t working properly and the teleprompter at the podium was not working either. But he said he can deliver his speech without notes and teleprompter. But he was reading from a script.

“I’ve always said the UN has such tremendous, tremendous potential,” he said. “But it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential. For the most part, at least for now, all they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter. It’s empty words and empty words don’t solve war.”

Trump told the UN that the US is “the hottest country anywhere in the world, and there is no other country even close.” He said the US is the “best country on earth to do business” and its economy now is “bigger and even better” than during his first term, which he described as “the greatest … in the history of the world.”

The US president also criticized European nations that have recognized Palestine as a state. “As if to encourage continued conflict, some in this body seek to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state,” he said. “This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities, including October 7th. But instead of giving in to Hamas as ransom demands, those who want peace should be united with one message: release the hostages now. Just release the hostages now.” (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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New York, 22 September 2025 – The UN General Assembly, presided by French President Emmanuel Macron, held a session attended by heads of state and government to “preserve the very possibility” of Israel and Palestine coexisting in peace and security – which the world organization calls the two-state solution.

“We must do everything within our power to preserve the very possibility of a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security,” Macron told the assembly that comprises 193 member states.

Macron and Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, whose countries spearheaded the movement to recognize the state of Palestine, led the session one day before the assembly were to hold a world summit (September 23-29) with about 140 presidents attending in person. The UN’s 193 member states have sent delegations to address the assembly session.

“The time has come.,” Macron said. “This is why – true to the historic commitment of my country to the Middle East, to peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians—this is why I declare that today, France recognizes the state of Palestine. Some may say it’s too late; others may say it’s too early. But one thing is certain—we can no longer wait.”

Macron also added that “nothing justifies the ongoing war in Gaza. Everything compels us to definitively end it.”

France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, Belgium, Australia are among the many countries are in favor of the State of Palestine. Countries that opposed are the United States and Israel.

 “Recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people in no way detracts from the rights of the Israeli people, which France has supported from day one and to which it is no less committed. This is precisely because we are convinced that this recognition is the only solution that will bring peace to Israel. This recognition of the State of Palestine is a defeat for Hamas and for all those who fuel anti-Semitic hatred, fuel anti-Zionist obsessions, and seek the destruction of the State of Israel.“

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said at opening of the session that the Israel-Hamas was made the situation in Gaza “intolerable, and it is deteriorating by the hour.”

“We are here today to help navigate the only way out of this nightmare: A Two-State solution, where two independent, sovereign, democratic States – Israel and Palestine – live side-by-side in peace and security within their secure and recognized borders on the basis of pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states – in line with international law, UN resolutions and other relevant agreements. I welcome the measures many Member States are taking to galvanize support for the Two-State solution – including pledges to recognize the State of Palestine,” he said.

Guterres repeated a call for “an immediate and permanent ceasefire; the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages; and immediate, full, safe, unconditional and unhindered humanitarian access.” Hamas militants launched attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducted 251 others.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who was denied a US visa to attend the UN meetings in New York, addressed the assembly through a video set up. He urged Israel to negotiate an “end to this bloodshed and bring about a comprehensive peace in Gaza. We affirm our condemnation of the crimes of the occupation, and we also condemn the killing and capture of civilians, including what Hamas committed on October 7, 2023.”

Abbas declared, “Hamas will not have a role in government, and it and other factions must surrender their weapons to the Palestinian Authority, because we want a single, unified state. One legitimate, one armed, and one law.”

The UN said the nearly two-year old war in Gaza has inflicted widespread and after nearly two years of war in Gaza, the suffering of its residents shows no sign of easing. As Israel launches a major ground offensive in the north of the enclave, attention once again turns to the United Nations. 

The session supporting the state of Palestine and the two-state solution was the culmination of discussions over the years. The assembly on September 12 this year adopted the “New York Declaration,” which followed a July conference also convened by France and Saudi Arabia which called for “just and lasting peace grounded in international law and based on the two-state solution.” The declaration urged Hamas to “end its role in Gaza, and handover its weapons to the Palestinian Authority.” The US and Israel, which had boycotted the July conference, voted against the declaration. (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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New York, 18 September 2025 – The United Nations General Assembly will hold its 80^th session (September 23-29) during which nearly 150 heads of state and government and dozens of high-ranking officials are to address the world’s current situation. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is urging those world leaders to take action to end crises – from wars and famine to climate change

“We are gathering in turbulent – even uncharted – waters,” he said ahead of the session. “Geo-political divides widening. Conflicts raging. Impunity escalating. Our planet overheating. New technologies racing ahead without guardrails. Inequalities widening by the hour. And international cooperation is straining under pressures unseen in our lifetimes.”

“But next week every country will be here – including nearly 150 Heads of State and Government. This is an opportunity we cannot miss.”

Guterres urged world leaders attending the annual session to “get serious and deliver” reminding them that the high-level meetings are known also as “the World Cup of diplomacy … but this cannot be about scoring points, It must be about solving problems.”

“The United Nations is the place. Next week is the time. Leaders must get serious,” he said.

UN announces cuts in budget and staff while damages inflicted on children’s education and health and needy people are palpable

Just before the 193 UN member members are to begin their annual meetings to celebrate the organization’s 80^th anniversary, they are told of significant cuts in the budget for global activities and how the cuts would affect humanitarian and peacekeeping activities as well as personnel.

The UN chief said the revised regular annual budget for 2026 is estimated at $3,238.2 million after a reduction of nearly $577 million following an extensive review done in previous months by the UN Secretariat about how to implement its mandate and allocate the diminished resources. As for human resources, there will be a reduction of 2,691 posts and the estimated total number of UN posts in 2026 will be 11,594 – or a reduction of 18.8 per cent.

“While ensuring balance among the three pillars of our work – peace and security, human rights and sustainable development – Secretariat entities explored how to improve delivery to optimize the use of resources. As a result, we identified targeted efficiencies and cost reductions to the regular and support account budgets for 2026 – reductions of more than 15 per cent in the regular budget level and about 19 per cent in posts, compared to the approved levels for 2025,” Guterres said in a letter to UN state members.

He said the reductions have been “carefully calibrated” to shield programs and activities directly supporting member states, particularly least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states, and advocacy for the development of Africa. Support for peacebuilding and resident coordinators will also remain.

The report on budget reductions has been sent to the Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions in the UN General Assembly for its consideration as part of the UN80 programs. The report is expected to be adopted by the membership to reform and improve efficiencies in the UN global programs despite funding cuts. UN members are expected to negotiate and decide on administrative and budget programs so they can take effect beginning of 2026.

In another letter to the UN staff, Guterres said the changes made in the budget and programs are expected to affect their daily work and professional lives. But he assured them: “You will be fully engaged and supported throughout the process.”

He said the changes are “not across-the-board reductions” because they maintain balance between the three pillars of the organization – peace and security, human rights and sustainable development.

Funding cuts have closed hundreds of humanitarian organizations –

Tom Fletcher, the head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said on 15 September that humanitarian programs are “underfunded, overstretched and under attack” since fundings are drastically reduced and his department has only 19 per cent of the funds needed in response to crises. The top donors to humanitarian programs have been the European Commission, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Fletcher pointed out that OCHA and the international community have been dealing with crises around the world, including the war in Ukraine and Gaza, and conflicts as well as humanitarian crises in Sudan, Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Haiti and Myanmar. OCHA and humanitarian partners had called for $44 billion to assist 180 million vulnerable people in 70 countries in 2025 but received under $15 billion.

Funding cuts have forced six million more children to stay out of school in 2025, the UN Children’s Fund said, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees warned that 11 million refugees may no longer receive any help they need. (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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Note: UN Women exists to advance women’s rights, gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. As the lead UN entity on gender equality, we shift laws, institutions, social behaviors and services to close the gender gap and build an equal world for all women and girls. We keep the rights of women and girls at the center of global progress – always, everywhere. Because gender equality is not just what we do. It is who we are. Following is a press release.

New York, 15 September 2025 – The newly released Gender Snapshot 2025 report by UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) shows that the world is at a crossroads. With investments, gender equality is within reach. Girls are now more likely to complete school than ever before, and maternal mortality declined by nearly 40 per cent between 2000 and 2023. Rates of intimate partner violence are 2.5 times lower in countries with comprehensive measures on violence (i.e. laws, policies, institutional mechanisms, research and data, prevention, services, and budgets) compared to those with weak protections. Women’s leadership in climate talks has doubled. In the past five years, 99 new or reformed laws tore down discrimination.

“Where gender equality has been prioritized, it has propelled societies and economies forward,” said Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women. “Targeted investments in gender equality have the power to transform societies and economies. Just closing the gender digital divide alone could benefit 343.5 million women and girls worldwide, lift 30 million out of poverty by 2050, and generate an estimated $1.5 trillion boost to global GDP by 2030.”

The report is available at this link 

At the same time, an unprecedented backlash on women’s rights, shrinking civic space, and growing defunding of gender equality initiatives is threatening hard-won gains. If current trends continue, the world will reach 2030 with 351 million women and girls still living in extreme poverty.  Conflict is getting deadlier for women and girls.  Today, 676 million women and girls live within reach of deadly conflict – the highest recorded since the 1990s. 64 million more female adults were moderately or severely food insecure than male adults in 2024. The data shows that the world is retreating on gender equality, but it also tells us that with investment and political will, this trend can be reversed. 

“Only five years remain to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with targets aimed at making gender equality a reality for all. The Gender Snapshot 2025 shows that the costs of failure are immense but so are the gains from gender equality. Accelerated action and interventions focused on care, education, the green economy, labour markets and social protection could reduce the number of women and girls in extreme poverty by 110 million by 2050, unlocking an estimated $342 trillion in cumulative economic returns,” said Li Junhua, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

The Gender Snapshot report is the world’s leading source of data on gender equality and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Drawing from more than 100 data sources, it tracks progress for women and girls across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The 2025 edition shows that with five years left to achieve the SDGs, the world is currently on the trajectory to miss every single indicator under SDG5, the gender equality goal. 

“As world leaders gather in New York for UNGA80, and to commemorate 30 years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action on 22 September 2025, the Beijing+30 Action Agenda provides a clear path forward towards rights, equality and empowerment for all women and girls. It outlines six priority areas for accelerated implementation: freedom from poverty, zero violence, equal power and leadership, climate justice, peace and security, and full participation in the digital revolution. Cutting across the six is amplifying the voices of young women and girls. I encourage all leaders to make commitments and investments towards this and to choose a world where women’s rights are delivered at scale, and the returns are shared by all,” concluded UN Women Executive Director Bahous.

About the Gender Snapshot Report – The Gender Snapshot is the world’s leading source of data on gender equality and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Drawing from more than 100 data sources, it tracks progress for women and girls across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. With just five years left to deliver on the 2030 Agenda, and three decades since the adoption of the Beijing Platform for Action, the report offers both a stark warning and a clear way forward. Anchoring the Beijing+30 Action Agenda, it identifies six priority areas where urgent, accelerated action is needed to achieve gender equality for all women and girls by 2030. 

About the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) – Rooted in the United Nations Charter and guided by the transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN DESA upholds the development pillar of the United Nations. The Department brings the global community together, working towards common solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. UN DESA helps countries translate their global commitments into national action in the economic, social and environmental spheres.  

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New York, 9 September 2025 – The United Nations opened the 80^th annual General Assembly session with warnings that it is not a time to celebrate while children are dying of hunger in Gaza, girls are banned from attending schools in Afghanistan and more than 800 million people remain poor while funding cuts are cancelling humanitarian activities.

The international organization established 80 years ago after World War II is faced with unprecedented challenges as its main financial supporter, the United States, has cut fundings for several of its specialized agencies like the UN Children’s Fund and World Health Organization, forcing it to reform and cut 20 percent of personnel.

Annalena Baerbock , the new president of the 193-nation General Assembly and a former foreign minister of Germany, said, “Instead of celebrating, one might rather ask: where is the United Nations, which was created to save us from hell?”

“Where is the United Nations as conflicts spread, as our planet burns, as human rights

are trampled?” she said. “Our answer must be clear: We are not giving up. We are here.

We see you. Even when we face setbacks and frustrations. When diplomacy fails us and consensus eludes us. We will unite to deliver for the people of the world. We will unite to defend the principles of this institution.”

Baerbock urged UN member states to adopt the reform agenda known as UN80 and implement the Pact of the Future adopted by the assembly in 2024.

General political debate September 23-29 – The assembly is scheduled to hold a week-long general debate that will hear dozens of presidents and prime ministers. But on the first day of the debate (September 23) the president of Brazil, by tradition, will speak to open the debate. He will be followed on the same day by 35 other presidents, including presidents the United States, Indonesia, Turkeye, Peru, Jordan, South Korea, Qatar, Suriname and Lithuania.

In addition to the General Assembly debate, the UN has scheduled other high-level meetings at UN headquarters in New York, as provided by the UN Department of Global Communications:

September 22 – SDG Moment: The annual SDG Moment highlights inspiring action on the Sustainable Development Goals, showcasing stories of transformation across sectors — from renewable energy to gender equality. The 2025 SDG Moment will bring together global and national efforts to accelerate just and inclusive transitions, even in the face of global challenges.

22 September | High-level Meeting on the 30th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women – Marking the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the UN General Assembly will convene a High-level meeting highlighting achievements, best practices, gaps and ongoing challenges in advancing gender equality worldwide under the theme “Recommitting to, resourcing and accelerating the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.” 

25 September | High-level Meeting to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth – Under the theme “World Programfor Action for Youth (WYAP) at 30: Accelerating Global Progress Through Intergenerational Collaboration,” this high-level meeting will focus on strengthening intergenerational partnerships and renewing commitments to advance the global youth agenda.
 

30 September | High-level Conference on the Situation of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar – The UN General Assembly will hold a High-level plenary meeting to address the crisis facing Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. The meeting aims to sustain international attention, review the situation on the ground and propose a concrete, time-bound plan for a sustainable resolution—including efforts to ensure the voluntary, safe and dignified return of displaced communities.

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Note: Education funding faces US$3.2 billion decline by 2026, placing millions of children’s futures at risk. Following is a press release from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

New York, 3 September 2025 – As global education funding faces steep cuts, an estimated 6 million additional children could be out of school by the end of 2026, around one-third of them in humanitarian settings, UNICEF warned in a new analysis released today.

Official Development Assistance (ODA) for education is projected to fall by US$3.2 billion – a 24 per cent drop from 2023 – with just three donor governments accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the cuts. Such a decline would push the number of out-of-school children worldwide from 272 million to 278 million – the equivalent of emptying every primary school in Germany and Italy combined.

“Every dollar cut from education is not just a budgetary decision, it’s a child’s future hanging in the balance,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Education, especially in emergency settings, often serves as a lifeline, connecting children to essential services like health, protection, and nutrition. It also provides the strongest opportunity for a child to escape poverty and build a better life.”

According to the analysis, West and Central Africa faces the sharpest impact, with 1.9 million children at risk of losing out, while the Middle East and North Africa could see an increase of 1.4 million out-of-school children, alongside major rollbacks in all other regions.

The analysis finds that 28 countries are projected to lose at least a quarter of the education assistance they rely on for pre-primary, primary, and secondary schooling. Among them, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali face some of the greatest risks, with enrolment at risk of declining by 4 per cent – equivalent to 340,000 and 180,000 students, respectively.

Primary education is expected to be hit hardest around the world, with funding set to fall by a third – deepening the learning crisis and putting affected children at risk of losing an estimated US$164 billion in lifetime earnings.

In humanitarian settings, where education goes beyond learning, offering life-saving support, stability, and a sense of normalcy for traumatized children, funding could drop sharply – in some cases, cutting the equivalent of at least 10 per cent of the national education budget. For example, in UNICEF’s Rohingya refugee response, 350,000 children risk losing access to basic education permanently. Without urgent funding, education centres may close, leaving children vulnerable to exploitation, child labour, and trafficking.

Essential services such as school feeding programmes, sometimes a child’s only nutritious meal of the day, could see funding slashed by more than half, while support for girls’ education is also set to decline significantly.

Wide cuts at the system level will also undermine governments’ ability to make evidence-based plans, adequately support teacher development, and monitor learning outcomes. This means that even children who remain in school could see their learning suffer, with at least 290 million students across all regions projected to face a decline in education quality.

UNICEF urges donor and partner countries to act now to protect education by:

·       Rebalancing education assistance to be more equitable and effective with a minimum of 50 per cent directed to least developed countries;
 

·       Safeguarding humanitarian education funding and prioritizing education as a lifesaving intervention alongside other essential services;
 

·       Focusing education assistance on foundational learning, concentrating on early childhood and primary education where the returns are the highest;
 

·       Simplifying global financing architecture in line with the UN80 Initiative to improve efficiencies;
 

·       Expanding innovative financing without replacing core funding to education.

“Investing in children’s education is one of the best investments in the future – for everyone,” said Russell. “Countries do better when their children are educated and healthy, and it contributes to a more stable and prosperous world.”

#####

Notes to editors:

The projections are based on data from the OECD Creditor Reporting System (CRS, 2023 – the latest available year) and DonorTracker (July 2025). Public donor statements and policy documents were used to identify where education budgets are being reduced, with proportional cuts assumed for others. The estimate of additional children at risk of dropping out focuses on low- and lower-middle-income countries where education aid for primary and secondary schooling is projected to fall by 25 per cent or more. It assumes that cuts of this scale cannot be absorbed quickly by governments. In countries where dropout rates had already stalled, the impact would be felt more in the quality of education than in school attendance in the coming year.

Download multimedia content here. (Please reach out if you’re looking for b-roll, which will be available in a couple of hours).
Read the 2-pager brief and more on the methodology here.

About UNICEF 

UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, works to protect the rights of every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and in the toughest places to reach. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfil their potential. 

For more information about UNICEF and its work, please visit: www.unicef.org  

Follow UNICEF on X (Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube 

For more information, please contact:  

Sara Alhattab | UNICEF New York | +1 917 957 6536 | salhattab@unicef.org
Nadia Samie-Jacobs | UNICEF New York | +1 845 760 2615| nsamie@unicef.org

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Note: The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warns about the grave consequences for civilians if Israel’s expanded military operation in Gaza City continues. Civilians already weakened by hunger and repeated displacements cannot withstand further bombardment. A UN-backed study by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has confirmed that more than 600,000 people in Gaza are trapped in famine. Following is a press release from the NRC.

Oslo, 22 August 2025 – The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warns that Israel’s expanded military operations in Gaza City will cause mass civilian deaths and intensify famine amid the collapse of humanitarian access. Civilians already weakened by hunger and repeated displacements cannot withstand further bombardment.

The spread of famine in Gaza City is compounded by growing needs caused by Israel’s systematic blocking of humanitarian aid. NRC and countless other aid groups have been blocked from bringing in any aid since March. Families are living under bombardment, while being intentionally deprived of the essentials needed for survival — food, clean water, medicine, and shelter — which sit waiting to enter mere kilometres away.

“Engineered scarcity has created a man-made famine. The people of Gaza are not only being bombed and displaced, but they are also being starved,” said Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. 

“In Syria, the Security Council created a way for aid to reach besieged communities. In Gaza, under occupation, Israel has a duty to allow relief but aid remains blocked. States must use their political and diplomatic weight to break the obstruction and get aid to civilians. Gaza’s children go without food or safety and their mothers ask which will come first, bombardment or starvation.”

Israel must abandon its intensified assault in northern Gaza, immediately allow a surge of all relief items, and allow all aid groups working in Gaza to reach civilians wherever they are, including Gaza and North Gaza governorates. 

“People are exhausted and fearful, caught between staying in Gaza City and fleeing south. Both choices are terrifying, and no one knows what to do,” said Salma Altaweel, NRC’s Northern Gaza Office Manager.

An estimated 86.3 per cent of Gaza falls within Israeli-designated militarized zones, areas under relocation directives or both. Displacement sites are at breaking point, forcing families into unsafe and undignified conditions.

While Israel has permitted the entry of limited quantities of commercial goods into Gaza in recent weeks, this is far from sufficient to reverse the spread of famine. 

“There will be a damning historical verdict on global leaders who confine themselves to express ‘concern’ as civilians in Gaza are bombarded, displaced, and starved,” Egeland continued. “An immediate ceasefire is the only way to stop the killing, secure the release of all hostages, and allow the massive humanitarian response needed to save lives.”

Notes to Editors: 

On 22 August, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed that there is a famine in Gaza City and warned that without immediate action famine could spread to other parts of the Gaza Strip. 

The NRC-led Shelter Cluster estimates that 1.4 million people require emergency shelter items and 1.45 million need essential household items. More than one million tarpaulins and sealing-off kits, 86,000 tents and about five million non-food items have been procured or in-process for delivery to Gaza. Ongoing restrictions on INGOs and UNRWA continue to block shelter deliveries, with critical materials denied entry even after approval. Following the announcement by the Israeli authorities that the ban on the entry of shelter supplies would be lifted, humanitarian agencies continue to face major challenges, including in relation to registration. 

According to OCHA, Israel began allowing limited amounts of commercial goods into Gaza on 4 August.  

According to the OCHA, an estimated 86.3 per cent of Gaza falls within Israeli-designated militarised zones, areas under relocation directives or both.  

Israel continues to obstruct the operations of international NGOs by rejecting requests to bring in lifesaving aid to Gaza and requiring organisations to submit to new registration rules, under which registration can be denied on the basis of vague and politicised criteria, such as alleged “delegitimisation” of the state of Israel.  

Media contact: Ed Prior, Media Adviser to the Secretary General

Advocacy and Media Section, Norwegian Refugee Council,

Oslo. Mobile: +47 902 94379 | ed.prior@nrc.no 

For information or to arrange an interview, please contact:  

NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no, +47 905 62 329 

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Note: Amid the global plastic treaty negotiations, a new study of rivers in eight countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and Africa unveils largest dataset ever collected on plastic pollution in rivers; predicts 1.95 million metric tons of plastic — the weight of 5.3 Empire State buildings — travels down rivers worldwide every year. Following is a news release of the study.

Santa Barbara, California, 8 August 2025 – A sweeping new study in the Journal of Environmental Management has amassed the largest-ever continuous dataset on plastic pollution in rivers globally, classifying 66% of the debris analyzed as macroplastic — or large, visible pieces of plastic like bottles, bags, straws and cutlery. Whereas much plastic pollution research relies on models and estimates to make their conclusions, this dataset draws on an unparalleled, locally-led global effort to count trash found in rivers.

“We know that rivers worldwide are clogged with plastic — and that this plastic often ends up in the ocean. Researchers have provided large-scale modeling to show how this plastic travels from land to rivers to the ocean. This is the first on-the-ground data that helps shed light on why plastic is showing up in rivers in the first place,” said Chase Brewster, the lead author of the study and a project scientist in UCSB’s Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory. “Assessing macroplastic debris collected from eight diverse river systems across four continents: Insights from synchronous three-year community-led research effort.”

The research by experts at the University of California, Santa Barbara, used on-the-ground data from plastic-clogged rivers in Mexico, Jamaica, Panama, Ecuador, Kenya, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. The study provides a valuable source of hard data on the scale of the plastic crisis amid negotiations this week at INC-5.2 in Geneva, Switzerland, to finalize an agreement to end plastic pollution.

“Negotiators and country officials can use this data to assess the river plastic pollution problem in real life, look at differences in pollution in different places, and test ideas about what policies and systems are working,” Brewster said.

Based on their study, researchers offer four key recommendations to help solve the plastic pollution problem:

1. Implement policies such as minimum recycled content, bottle deposit fees, and virgin production caps to create market conditions for a circular economy.

2. Support the informal waste-picking sector while investing in waste management and recycling infrastructure and services.

3. Conduct more consistent and more transparent monitoring and data collection to inform targeted upstream actions.

4. Pursue thoughtful, well-designed local and national policies as well as ambitious international frameworks to address the different scales of the problem.

To gather data, researchers worked with local partners to collect data from river sites between 2020 and 2023, with teams collectively removing and analyzing 3.8 million kilograms of river debris (equivalent to 380,000,000 single-use plastic water bottles). This large-scale, synchronous effort — rare in its scope and level of coordination — enabled researchers to compare data across diverse social, economic and environmental settings.

Researchers found substantial variation in the amount of plastic pollution intercepted in rivers studied, but all had plastic. Scaling up average plastic collection rates documented in this study would generate a preliminary estimate of 1.95 million metric tonnes (Mt) of plastic traveling down rivers worldwide every year. “That is an immense amount of plastic pollution,” said co-author and Director of the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, Professor Douglas McCauley.

Unique among many global pollution studies, the project took a community-led approach that emphasized local autonomy. Local nonprofits and social enterprises led the work in their own communities, sorting plastic waste by item type, polymer category, and other metrics. “Each site was an independent project,” Brewster explained. “They weren’t just collecting data. They were implementing technology to remove plastic from rivers, engaging governments, empowering communities, and improving local conditions.”

Together, these local teams form the Clean Currents Coalition, a global initiative directed by the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory to intercept plastic before it reaches the ocean while fostering education and employment, restoring habitats, investing in local infrastructure, and cultivating systemic change. Since 2020, the Clean Currents Coalition has removed more than 7.3 million kilograms of debris (over 4.4 million kilograms of it plastic) from rivers worldwide.

“This work is really about turning off the tap of plastic pollution at its source,” Brewster added. “It’s not just cleaning rivers, it’s about doing purposeful science and supporting the communities that are the real leaders that will make this change last.”

For more information, please contact:
Chase Brewster (chasebrewster@ucsb.edu in Santa Barbara, California)
Rachel Bacal (rachelbacal@ucsb.edu in Santa Barbara, California)

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Note: An annual survey on Norwegian views on peace and war under the current global situation shows that 59% of people surveyed believe in a new armed conflict in Europe within the next decade and 45% consider it likely that a new world war will break out within the next decade. More findings from the survey are available in the press release below.

Oslo, 5 August 2025 – Anxiety among Norwegians about the state of global peace and security continues to grow, according to a new survey released by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).

The annual survey which gauges Norwegian attitudes toward war and peace, reveals that 59% of people questioned believe a new armed conflict in Europe is likely within the next decade, up from 55% last year. Similarly, 45% of respondents consider it likely that a new world war will break out withing 10 years, up from 41% in 2024. Almost 40% believe a nuclear attack somewhere in the world is likely in the next five years.

At the same time, concern about the erosion of global democratic values and the decline of international institutions is becoming more apparent. The survey finds that 62% of people believe democracy is in decline globally. Similarly, 64% agree that institutions such as the United Nations are less powerful than they once were.

While the concern over conflict globally and regionally remains high, Norwegians are also increasingly concerned about the country’s own security: 31% believe it is likely that Norway will experience armed conflict on its territory within the next decade (up from 26% in 2024), while 11% think it is likely that a nuclear attack against Norway will take place within the next five years.

The broader picture is one of growing global anxiety and declining trust in international institutions.

“A sense of foreboding about the future is growing among Norwegians. These findings paint a picture of a public increasingly attuned to global instability and skeptical about the capacity of institutions to manage it,” said Nina Græger, Director of PRIO. “This growing concern about international conflict and democratic backsliding will be central to our conversations at Arendalsuka festival next week, where PRIO is hosting three events to engage with the public and policymakers on the future of peace and security.”

PRIO will take part in Arendalsuka, Norway’s largest political gathering, with a series of events addressing the resilience of democratic institutions and the global backsliding of women’s rights, against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and rightwing populism. “In these times of uncertainty and polarization, dialogue and evidence-based policy are more important than ever,” added Græger.

These Norwegian perceptions mirror a grim global reality. The world is witnessing a surge in violence unprecedented since the end of World War II. In 2024, the number of state-based armed conflicts reached its highest level in over 70 years. According to PRIO’s Conflict Trends: A Global Overview report, a staggering 61 conflicts erupted across 36 countries last year—underscoring a world order under immense strain.

For more information or to arrange an interview:

Contact Michelle Delaney, Communication Director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) | michelle@prio.org | mobile +47 941 65 579

For more information about PRIO’s events at Arendalsuka, visit our website here.

The survey was conducted by YouGov between 28 May and 2 June on a sample of 1,004 adults in Norway. The full survey data is available on request.

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