July 2023 — Page 2 of 14 — Human Rights & Charity

Climate Litigation Report reveals spike in cases demanding action

The trend indicates that climate litigation is becoming an integral part of the international push for greater climate action and justice.

UNEP

The Global Climate Litigation Report: 2023 Status Review, is based on a review of cases up to the end of 2022, compiled by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, which partnered with UNEP on the research.

The report was launched on eve of the first anniversary of the UN General Assembly’s declaration that access to a clean and healthy environment is a universal human right.

“Climate policies are far behind what is needed to keep global temperatures below the 1.5°C threshold, with extreme weather events and searing heat already baking our planet,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

“People are increasingly turning to courts to combat the climate crisis, holding governments and the private sector accountable and making litigation a key mechanism for securing climate action and promoting climate justice.”

A tool to advance climate action

Action is accelerating, the report said, and in 2017 “we reported 884 cases in 24 jurisdictions, and today in our report we say that there are over 2,180 cases in 65 jurisdictions, said Andrew Raine, Head of the Frontiers in Environmental Law Unit of UNEP, in an interview with UN News.

“There is seemingly a new case every week”, he added.

Although the United States is still leading the process with 1,522 cases having gone through the courts, the percentage of cases outside the US has risen from 26 to 30 per cent over the past five years, including a significant rise in developing countries, where about 17 per cent of cases overall have been filed.

Who’s suing who?

Children, youth, women, senior citizens, and indigenous peoples are using litigation to ensure their voices are heard and their needs considered in climate plans and decisions made by both public institutions and the private sector.

Notably, cases that contest deforestation and resource extraction-dependent projects also offer co-benefits in preventing pollution and safeguarding nature and ecosystems.

The report categorizes ongoing climate litigation into six main types of cases, ranging from human rights-based claims compelling climate action to seeking corporate accountability for climate harms and advocating for greater climate disclosures and an end to greenwashing.

What’s to expect

Looking forward, the authors of the report anticipate several trends in global climate litigation.

Among them is an expected rise in cases filed by migrants, internally displaced people, and asylum seekers forced to relocate from their homes, partly due to climate change impacts.

However, as the litigation evolves, warns Andrew Raine, potential backlash from the accused parties is to be expected.

“By this we mean cases brought against climate activists, or cases against those who are seeking to take climate actions,” he said, adding that it will be important to keep track of the data going forward.

‘Urgent steps’ needed to end surge in violence across West Bank

“This deterioration is taking place alongside ongoing unilateral steps that undermine a two-State solution, the absence of a peace process and the continuing economic challenges facing Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority (PA),” said Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, briefing ambassadors.

“It is critical that all parties take urgent steps to stop the downward spiral and engage with each other to seek a constructive path forward,” he stressed.

Scores of deaths, injuries

Since 27 July, 21 Palestinians – including five children – have been killed, along with nearly 250 injured, by Israeli security forces carrying out search-and-arrest and counter-protest operations; as well as during attacks and alleged attacks against Israelis, and other violent incidents.

Another 20 Palestinians, including five children, were injured by Israeli settlers or other civilians, Mr. Khiari said.

According to Israeli sources, two members of the Israeli security forces were killed and eight injured, while another 39 Israelis, including three children, were injured by Palestinians in shooting and ramming attacks, through stone throwing and Molotov cocktails, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other incidents, he added.

Operation in Jenin camp

He highlighted the 3 to 4 July Israeli military operation in the Jenin Refugee Camp, marked by multiple drone airstrikes and the use of over 1,000 ground troops.

The resulting deaths and injuries were the worst in a single operation in the West Bank since the UN began tracking casualties in 2005, Mr. Khiari told ambassadors.

Targeted sites included locations adjacent to UN facilities and a school, while exchanges of fire took place near health facilities. The only health clinic in the camp – run by the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA – was damaged and remains closed, he said

The operation also had a significant humanitarian toll on the camp and its residents, with over 460 houses damaged, roads dug up and families displaced.

A number of priority needs have been identified by UN and humanitarian partners, including clearing unexploded ordnance, restoring water and sewage services, and repairing and restocking medical facilities.

Attacks against Israelis

A number of attacks were also carried out by Palestinians against Israelis, including a ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv that injured eight Israeli civilians, including a pregnant woman, on 4 July, informed Mr. Khiari.

Militants in Gaza fired five rockets from Gaza towards Israel, responding to the operation in Jenin, on the night of 4 July, Mr. Khiari added.

All were intercepted by Israel’s aerial defence system, with shrapnel landing in the city of Sderot. In response, the Israeli Air Force carried out airstrikes against what it said were Hamas targets in the Strip.

Targeting of civilians unacceptable

Mr. Khiari underscored that targeting civilians, including children, was unacceptable and must be condemned and rejected by all.

“All perpetrators of violence must be held accountable and swiftly brought to justice,” he said.

“Israel has an obligation to protect Palestinians and their property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and ensure prompt, independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all acts of violence.”

In his briefing, Mr. Khiari also spoke of demolitions by Israeli authorities of Palestinian-owned buildings, as well as evictions.

Click here for full coverage of the Security Council meeting.

New Economic and Social Council leadership takes the helm

The 54-member body, which is one of the six main pillars of the UN system, elected Paula Narváez Ojeda of Chile to the top seat.

It also elected as Vice-Presidents, Akan Rakhmetullin (Kazakhstan), Ivan Šimonović (Croatia) and Robert Rae (Canada), representing the Asia-Pacific, Eastern European, and Western European and other regional groups, respectively.

The election of the Vice-President from the African regional group will be held at a later date.

‘A unifying platform’

Delivering her opening remarks as President, Ms. Ojeda said she is committed to ensuring that ECOSOC provides a unifying platform to advance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The SDG Summit in September will be a pivotal moment in our path to the 2030 Agenda; it would be critical for the Economic and Social Council to build on the momentum from the SDG Summit to support countries in their efforts to achieve the SDGs,” she said.

Presenting her priorities for the new session, Ms. Ojeda underlined the importance of leveraging ECOSOC’s policy guidance to help ease emergencies, focusing on the food supply crisis and strengthening humanitarian aid, while also addressing gaps in the international financial architecture.

UNECOSOC

She added that she would also focus on concrete solutions for climate action, promote gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, while also strengthening institutions in the context of technological change and engaging civil society.

‘Unprecedented levels’

Reflecting on her year in office, outgoing President Stoeva noted that the world is still grappling with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, escalating inequalities, debt and climate change.

“Humanitarian needs are at unprecedented levels globally, we are at record levels of acute food insecurity and risk of famine and we are seeing ever-increasing number of refugees and internally displaced persons,” she said.

Though the picture is grim, Ms. Stoeva continued, it can be changed with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, “our roadmap to transform the world.”

She also highlighted the major accomplishments of her year in charge of ECOSOC, including the Youth Forum, preparations for the SDG Summit, the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development earlier this month, as well as engagements with diverse stakeholders.

Workplan

At the meeting, ECOSOC adopted the agenda for its 2024 session, as well as a resolution on its working arrangements.

In accordance with established practice, ECOSOC President Ojeda then drew a lot to determine the seating arrangement for the July 2023-July 2024 session, selecting Croatia to take the first seat, with others to follow in alphabetical order.

Hottest July ever signals ‘era of global boiling has arrived’ says UN chief

Echoing that warning in New York, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that “short of a mini-Ice Age” in coming days, July 2023 would likely “shatter records across the board”.

“Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning,” said the UN chief, warning that the consequences are as clear as they are tragic: “children swept away by monsoon rains, families running from the flames (and) workers collapsing in scorching heat.”

‘Remarkable and unprecedented’

antonioguterres

In Geneva, scientists from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service described conditions this month as “rather remarkable and unprecedented”.

They said that new data showed that so far, July has seen the hottest three-week period ever recorded and the three hottest days on record.

“We can say that the first three weeks of July have been the warmest three weeks periods ever observed in our record,” said Carlo Buentempo, Director of Copernicus Climate Change Service, via Zoom.

“This anomaly is so large with respect to other record-breaking months in our record that we are virtually certain that the month, the month as a whole will become the warmest July on record, the warmest month on record, in all likelihood.”

Ocean temperature record

Just as worrying was the fact that ocean temperatures are at their highest-ever recorded levels for this time of year. This trend has been apparent since the end of April.

Citing “a clear and dramatic warming decade on decade” since the 1970s, WMO’s Director of Climate Services Chris Hewitt noted that 2015 to 2022 saw the eight warmest years on record, based on a 173-year dataset.

This was despite the fact that the La Niña sea-cooling phenomenon prevailed towards the end of that period in the Pacific region, which reined in global average temperatures slightly, Mr. Hewitt explained.

“But now the La Niña has ended” – to be replaced by the sea-warming El Niño effect – waters have begun to heat up in the tropical Pacific, bringing the “almost certain likelihood that one of the next five years will be the warmest on record”.

It is also “more likely than not” that global average temperatures will temporarily exceed the 1.5°C threshold above pre-industrial levels “for at least one of the five years”, the WMO scientist continued.

‘Era of global boiling’

Speaking at UN Headquarters, the Secretary-General underscored the need for global action on emissions, climate adaptation and climate finance.

He warned that “the era of global warming has ended” and “the era of global boiling has arrived.”

Although climate change is evident, “we can still stop the worst,” he said. “But to do so we must turn a year of burning heat into a year of burning ambition.”

Climate action now

He said leaders “must step up for climate action and climate justice”, particularly those from the G20 leading industrial nations, responsible for 80 per cent of global emissions.

He pointed to upcoming summits – including the UN Climate Ambition Summit in September and the COP28 climate conference in Dubai in November – as critical opportunities.

Net-zero goal

Mr. Guterres highlighted the need for new national emissions targets from G20 members and urged all countries to push to reach net zero emissions by mid-century.

He said all actors must unite to accelerate the just and equitable transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, while stopping oil and gas expansion and phasing out coal by 2040.

Action from companies, cities, regions, financial institutions and fossil fuel companies is also critical.

“No more greenwashing. No more deception. And no more abusive distortion of anti-trust laws to sabotage net zero alliances,” he said.

Four years of consecutive droughts have left families in southern Madagascar desperate and unable to feed themselves.

Investment for adaptation

With extreme weather “becoming the new normal”, Mr. Guterres appealed for “a global surge in adaptation investment” to save millions from the impacts of climate change, particularly in developing countries.

He said developed countries must present a clear and credible roadmap to double adaptation finance by 2025. Furthermore, all governments should implement a UN action plan aimed at ensuring everyone on the planet is protected by early warning systems by 2027.

Honour the commitment

On finance, the Secretary-General urged richer countries to honour their commitments to provide $100 billion annually for climate support in developing countries and to fully replenish the Green Climate Fund.

“I am concerned that only two G7 countries – Canada and Germany – have made replenishment pledges so far,” he said. “Countries must also operationalize the loss and damage fund at COP28 this year. No more delays or excuses.”

Mr. Guterres also reiterated the need for “a course correction in the global finance system” to support accelerated climate action.

Measures would include putting a price on carbon and getting multilateral development banks to scale up funding for renewable energy, adaptation, and loss and damage.

Sudan health crisis reaches ‘gravely serious levels’: WHO

Cases of infectious diseases and other illness have been reported among displaced populations who have sought shelter in hard-to-reach locations, where health services are limited.

“The scale of the health crisis is enormous. We are working hard to step up our response, delivering critical medical and other emergency health supplies,” said Dr. Nima Saeed Abid, WHO Representative in Sudan, speaking during a virtual press conference.

Crisis could worsen

WHO is one of many UN agencies that have been responding to meet the immense needs since war erupted in mid-April between the Sudanese army and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary organisation.

WHOAFRO

Last month, the agency issued an emergency appeal for $145 million to support its operations, which is only around 10 per cent funded.

With the health crisis affecting the entire region, and little hopes for peace, the fear is that things could worsen.

Health facilities attacked

The health situation in Sudan itself “has reached gravely serious levels”, WHO said.

More than two-thirds of hospitals remain out of service amid increasing reports of attacks on health facilities. WHO has so far verified 51 attacks on health facilities, resulting in 10 deaths and 24 injuries – and cutting off access to urgently needed care.

“Although the attacks on health facilities and the widespread insecurity are compounding the challenges, we’re determined to reach those most in need and urge for increased donor support to ensure that we deliver adequately,” said Dr. Nima.

Supporting neighbouring countries

Nearly 760,000 people uprooted by the fighting have escaped to five neighbouring countries – Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan – where WHO and partners are supporting national authorities to provide emergency health assistance to them.

Most refugees have headed to Chad, which is receiving an average of 2,500 arrivals daily. WHO and partners have identified and treated more than 1,400 trauma cases there, including over 60 major surgeries.

Some 70 per cent of trauma cases are due to gunshot wounds, while malaria, malnutrition and cholera infections are also being reported among the displaced.

‘Huge pressure’ in Chad

Chad alone is now hosting more than a quarter of a million people, with an equal number projected to arrive by the end of the year, said Dr. Jean-Bosco Ndihokubwayo, WHO Representative in the country.

“This will significantly increase the health needs and exert huge pressure on the available health facilities,” he added.

WHO said cases of malaria among children under five, as well as suspected cases of yellow fever, have also been identified among the roughly 17,000 people who sought refuge in the CAR.

At breaking point in South Sudan

A suspected cholera outbreak has also been reported in locations in northern Ethiopia receiving large numbers of the displaced.

Meanwhile, the influx of more than 176,000 people into South Sudan has overstretched facilities in the northern Renk region where an upsurge of acute watery diarrhoea among under-fives is driving up mortality. A significant rise in cases of severe acute malnutrition and measles among these children has also been reported.

Swift aid response

WHO is working with partners to swiftly deliver emergency assistance in the face of the crisis.

Over 36 tonnes of supplies have been shipped to Chad and an emergency medical team has been deployed to the country. Emergency medical and non-medical supplies have also been delivered in the CAR, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

In addition, disease surveillance is being stepped up to guide prevention and enable early detection of potential outbreaks, and national authorities are receiving technical support to strengthen the emergency health response.

WHO and partners are also supporting priority interventions that benefit the provision of basic health services, such as improving water and sanitation, carrying out vaccine drives, and strengthening infection prevention and control.

Warming trend in Asia set to cause more disruption: UN weather agency

Melting ice and glaciers and rising sea levels threaten more socio-economic disruption in future, according to the agency’s latest State of the Climate report for the region.

The mean temperature over Asia for 2022 was the second or third warmest on record and was about 0.72 degrees Celsius (°C) above the 1991–2020 average, which was itself roughly 1.68°C above the WMO 1961–1990 reference period for climate change.

Drought, disasters and death

Asia is also the world’s most disaster-prone region, according to the agency’s new report.

WMO

In 2022, there were more than 80 disasters on the continent, mainly floods and storms, which killed upwards of 5,000 people and affected 50 million more. Overall economic damage exceeded $36 billion.

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said many areas in Asia experienced drier-than-normal conditions and drought last year.

He highlighted the case of China, where prolonged drought conditions affected water availability and the power supply. The estimated economic losses were over $7.6 billion.

“Most glaciers in the High Mountain Asia region suffered from intense mass loss as a result of exceptionally warm and dry conditions in 2022. This will have major implications for future food and water security and ecosystems,” he added.

Devastating losses in Pakistan

Last year also saw severe flooding in Pakistan. The country received 60 per cent of its normal monsoon rain within just three weeks of the start of the monsoon season last June.

More than 33 million people were affected, or roughly 14 per cent of the population, and more than $15 billion in losses were recorded. National authorities put the death toll at over 1,730, while nearly eight million people were displaced.

Asia also shows an overall surface ocean warming trend beginning in 1982. In the northwestern Arabian Sea, the Philippine Sea and the seas east of Japan, the warming rates exceed 0.5°C per decade, roughly three times faster than the global average.

Focus on agriculture

The report was released during a meeting of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s (ESCAP) Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction. It is accompanied by an interactive story map, with a special focus on agriculture and food security.

WMO said the expected increase in the frequency and severity of extreme events over much of Asia will impact agriculture, which is central to all climate adaptation planning.

The UN’s milestone operation to salvage Yemen’s stricken oil tanker: Key questions answered

The task of transferring a million barrels of oil from the stricken supertanker Yemen, will take some 19 days – preventing what would be the fifth largest spill in history, were the rusting tanker to break apart.

But this process will not end with the oil transfer, because the FSO Safer will continue to pose an environmental threat, the UN is warning. And an additional $22 million in funding is still needed to finish the job.

How did the tanker end up off the Yemen coast?

The Safer was built as a supertanker in 1976, and converted a decade later into what is in effect, a floating oil container.

This ship is anchored around 4.8 nautical miles off the coast of Al Hudaydah Governorate in Yemen and contains an estimated 1.14 million barrels of light crude.

The production, offloading and maintenance operations of the tanker were suspended in 2015 due to the conflict between Houthi rebels and a pro-Government coalition in Yemen, and the structural integrity of the tanker deteriorated significantly, putting it it at risk of collapse.

The systems needed to pump inert gas into the tanker stopped working in 2017, resulting in a real risk of explosion, and the tanker was deemed to be beyond repair.

War-torn Yemen has no capacity or ability to deal with the impact of a massive oil spill, endangering the entire marine ecosystem and economy of the Red Sea – an area that is home to key shipping lanes.

One million barrels of oil is due to be pumped from the FSO Safer off the coast of Yemen.

What are the implications of a massive oil spill?

The cost of emptying the Safer and salvaging it, is estimated at $20 million. But if it were to break apart with the oil onboard, the disaster could cost around $20 billion to clean up.

And if any massive oil spill occurred, it would devastate fishing communities on Yemen’s Red Sea coast, as millions depend on fishing in the area. An oil spill could immediately wipe out 200,000 livelihoods. Entire communities will be exposed to life-threatening toxins, the UN warns.

This major oil spill could shut down the nearby ports of Hudaydah and Saleef; two key outlets for food, fuel and life-saving supplies in a country where 17 million people need food assistance.

The environmental impact on the waters, coral reefs, mangroves and diverse marine life would be severe. The spilled oil could reach the shores of Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia. Desalination plants on the Red Sea coast could also be shut down, cutting off fresh water sources for millions of people.

Any possible leakage would pollute the air on a large scale. It is also possible that the vital navigation traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait to the Suez Canal could be disrupted for a long time, which will cause billions of dollars in losses per day. Tourism would also suffer.

What are the details of the UN-led operation?

Following failed attempts to agree a plan to salvage the Safer in a highly politicized conflict environment, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, David Gressly, launched a new initiative, aimed at private sector partners, in mid-2021.

The initiative called for selecting a leading company in the field of marine salvage to remove the oil from the Safer.

A draft plan coordinated by the UN was presented in December 2021.

Since then, the UN has worked closely with the Government of Yemen in Aden, which supported the initiative with a $5 million donation last year.

The Houthi authorities in Sana’a – who control the area in front of which the ship anchors – also signed a memorandum of understanding with the UN on March 5, 2022, setting out a cooperative framework.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is implementing the project which began on Wednesday, which includes the following steps:

• A leading global salvage company inspected the Safer, making it safe for the process of transferring the oil.

• Installation of the Calm anchor buoy (CALM) by which the replacement tanker is attached, as well as the scrapping of the Safer tanker

• Preparations began at the end of 2022 as UNDP brought together technical experts from around the world, including a marine management consultancy, a marine law firm, insurance and ship brokers, and oil spill experts.

• In March, the UNDP agreed with EURONAV to purchase a replacement tanker, which was subsequently modified for the operation.

• In April, the UNDP contracted salvage experts SMIT, a subsidiary of Boskalis.

How was the Safer fitted out to complete the oil transfer?

On May 30, the salvage tanker Nadevor arrived at the site to begin the operation.

The Safer crew worked extensively with the rescue team, while the technical committee on the Safer in Hudaydah provided access, security and technical support, and maintained a high level of coordination and cooperation with the UN Operations Team.

The SMIT team did everything they could to maintain the stability of the tanker and prepare the transfer. That process included:

• Comprehensive structural evaluations of the tanker hull, which confirmed that the hull thickness levels are sufficient to withstand the forces generated during the transportation of oil.

• Pumping inert gas into oil shipping tanks to greatly reduce the risk of fire or explosion, and continuous testing to ensure that the atmosphere inside the tank remains at a safe level.

• Preparing portable transfer pumps, preparing hoses and valves, and repairing the Safer reservoir manifold through which oil will flow during the operation.

• Advance preparation of oil spill response equipment.

On July 10, Houthi authorities based in the capital Sana’a granted permission to begin the transfer.

The UNDP, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), provided high-level expertise to monitor the work and are supporting Yemeni efforts in the event of any accident during the operation.

The World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Department of Safety and Security, and the UN Mission in Support of the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) is also providing expertise and operational support.

The Safer has been at risk of breaking up or exploding for years.

Does the transfer really mean the environmental threat is over?

Even after the transfer, the dilapidated Safer tanker will continue to pose an environmental threat resulting from the sticky oil residue inside the tank, especially since the tanker remains vulnerable to collapse.

To finish the job, $22 million is urgently needed – including a $20 million repayment of internal financing provided by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) which has provided sufficient liquidity to begin the operation.

To date, Member States, the private sector and the public have crowdfunded $121 million in contributions and pledges.

The UN is now counting on more generous support to finish this critical task without delay.

Cambodia: UN rights chief regrets ‘severely restricted’ poll and opposition clampdown

In a news release issued by his Office, Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, denounced “constant shrinkage” in Cambodia’s democratic space in recent years, which he said is undermining citizen’s fundamental freedoms and their right to participate in the public square.

In the lead up to the elections, Cambodia’s National Election Committee disqualified two leading opposition political parties and, immediately prior to polling day, authorities ordered internet service providers to block social media accounts of three media organizations which they deemed critical of the Government, OHCHR said.

“Opposition political parties, activists, members of the media and others have faced numerous restrictions and reprisals that appear intended to curb political campaigning and to hinder the exercise of fundamental freedoms essential for free and fully participatory elections,” said Mr. Türk.

‘A chilling effect’

The UN rights chief also expressed concerns that the restrictions and other intimidatory measures, including some physical attacks, created a “chilling effect”, depriving people of credible news and information sources needed to make informed choices.

According to media reports, Cambodia’s longtime ruling party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen, won an overwhelming number of seats in what was practically an uncontested election.

UNHumanRights

Multiple news outlets also reported on Wednesday that Hun Sen had announced he will resign and hand over power to his son, who is also the country’s army chief, in early August.

‘Address shortcomings’

Mr. Türk called on the Government to address the shortcomings and hold dialogue with all political parties and civil society actors to create an enabling and inclusive civic space for all Cambodians.

“A vibrant strong and inclusive democracy that nurtures and respects a plurality of voices and opinions is fundamental to ensuring the respect and protection of human rights and is key to peaceful social and economic development,” he said.

He also urged Cambodian authorities to boost participation of marginalized groups, including women, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and youth, to foster a more inclusive and representative democracy.

Transforming food systems, key to get SDGs back on track: Mohammed

According to development indicators, almost half of the SDG targets are moderately or severely off track, and 37 per cent are showing no change.

“Transforming our food systems is one key to getting the world back on track and reversing these worrying trends,” Amina J. Mohammed said at the closing of the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment, in Rome.

Investments lacking

However, adequate funding remains a major obstacle for countries to improve their food systems and ensure everyone can access nutritious diets.

Ms. Mohammed announced the launch of a new initiative to support needed to address the lack of resources and “turn the situation around.”

The Joint SDG Fund’s Window on Food Systems, she added, will bring to life an investment strategy in food systems and “catalyse the rapid and system-wide action needed for food system transformation under the UN Food Systems Hub.”

Food solutions from space

Earlier today, the Deputy Secretary-General spoke at an event on the use of space technology for transforming agrifood systems, saying that the profound changes underway in outer space, especially our growing access and use of low-earth orbit, can become game-changers for the 2030 Agenda.

“If we can effectively harness its potential, space technology could become among the most significant new technologies for agricultural and agri-food systems and ultimately lead to more sustainable, resilient, and efficient agri-food systems,” she said.

Space technologies are already increasing the productivity and efficiency of farms – and if fully utilized, they can help farmers increase yields by more than 10 per cent, according to estimates.

Space solutions can also cut down costs by up to 20 per cent, including fertilizers, fuel and pesticides – protecting land from degradation, improving soil quality and contributing to climate action through a more sustainable use of Earth’s natural resources.

Ukraine: ‘Latest attacks signal a calamitous turn’, Security Council hears

The Council meeting was convened following the missile strikes on Sunday which damaged the centuries-old Transfiguration Cathedral, the first and foremost Orthodox church in the historic city.

Other landmarks in the city centre, a protected World Heritage Site, were also damaged in the attack, which killed one person and injured several others.

Culture under fire

Khaled Khiari, UN Assistant Secretary-General for political and peacebuilding affairs, noted that this was far from the first attack against Ukrainian culture and heritage. Since the start of the war, UN cultural agency UNESCO has verified damage to 274 cultural sites in Ukraine, including 117 religious sites.

“As the Secretary-General stated this weekend, we are concerned about the threat that this war increasingly poses to Ukrainian culture and heritage, and we urge the Russian Federation to immediately cease attacks against cultural property protected by widely ratified international normative instruments,” he said.

Port facilities hit

The attack was preceded by several successive nights of missile and drone strikes against Odesa and other cities in southern Ukraine, including Mykolaiv and Chornomorsk, following the collapse of the UN-brokered Black Sea Initiative on grain exports. Three people were killed and dozens more were injured.

Mr. Khiari recalled that both the UN political affairs chief and Humanitarian Coordinator warned the Council last week that attacks against Ukrainian Black Sea port facilities could have far-reaching impacts on global food security.

“We have now seen disturbing reports of further Russian strikes against port infrastructure, including grain storage facilities, in Reni and Izmail ports on the Danube River – a key route for shipment of Ukrainian grain, not far from Ukraine’s borders with Moldova and Romania,” he said.

Deliberately targeting infrastructure that facilitates the export of food to the rest of the world could be life-threatening to millions, he added, appealing for an immediate end to the attacks.

The Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa, which is a World Heritage Historic Centre has been damaged by shelling.

Latest war ‘casualties’

“In the wake of Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Initiative, these latest attacks signal a calamitous turn for Ukrainians and the world,” he said.

“Port cities that allow for the export of grain such as Odesa, Reni and Izmail, are a lifeline for many. Now they are the latest casualties in this senseless, brutal war.”

Mr. Khiari also highlighted the desperate need for funding to support humanitarian operations in Ukraine. While the UN and partners reached some 7.3 million people during the first half the year, a $3.9 billion response plan is less than 30 per cent funded.

Meeting on religion

The Security Council held another meeting earlier on Wednesday focused on alleged persecution involving the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Russia had requested the meeting, having first raised the issue in January when it alleged that Ukraine was attempting to “destroy” the Church, which is affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Nihal Saad, Director of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), which promotes intercultural dialogue, said politicization of religion in the context of the war in Ukraine fuels intercommunal tensions, stokes fear and triggers violence.

Concern over restrictions

She said restrictions to freedom of religion and the safety of religious communities, both in territory controlled by the Ukrainian Government and in Russian-occupied areas, is a matter of grave concern.

UNAOC

Citing UN human rights reports, she noted that incidents of violence against members and supporters of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church increased between February and April of this year.

April also saw several city and regional councils banning Ukrainian Orthodox activities, as well as a surge in hate speech and several incidents of violence.

Meanwhile, in areas under Russian control, troops perpetrated actions against clergy and members of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic and Christian Evangelical communities, including forced disappearance, arbitrary detention, torture and unlawful deportations during the period from 1 August 2022 to 1 January 2023.

Russian authorities also raided, ransacked and closed three places of worship belonging to the Baptist community in the city of Melitopol, allegedly for the community’s purported links with foreign intelligence services.

Role of religious leaders

Ms. Saad said urged both sides to respect and uphold freedom of religion or belief.

“Targeting religious actors and faith communities across Ukraine is short-sighted, miscalculated and counter-productive,” she said.

“The role of religious leaders in maintaining solidarity across ecumenical lines is crucial to preserving the social fabric of a unified Ukraine and will be a key factor in peacebuilding if and when the war comes to an end,” she added.

Prior to the start of the meeting, Russia expressed disagreement because one of the two non-UN briefers it had proposed, an Orthodox priest, was not invited to participate.

The United Kingdom, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, said Russia had been asked to limit participation to one briefer.

Russia called for a procedural vote to extend an invitation to the speaker, which failed to pass. The country said it would not speak in the subsequent meeting as a sign of protest.