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Week in Review 16 November 2024

1,000 days into Ukraine war, winter poses critical challenge to aid effort In the nearly 1,000 days since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, thousands of civilians have been killed, the country's energy capacity is on the brink of collapse and drones terrify communities on the frontline, the UN's top aid official in the country said on Friday Read more Peace and Security Will COP29 deliver the trillions needed to halt the man-made climate crisis? COP29, this year's UN Climate Conference, is being called the "climate finance COP", because delegates are expected to sign off on a beefed-up funding target to replace the existing $100 billion per year commitment. The final figure the negotiators arrive at remains to be seen and it could be anywhere from a few hundred billion, to over a trillion dollars per year. On this episode of The Lid Is On, we explain what has been achieved so far, and why the deal gavelled through on carbon markets is important. We also find out what the UN is doing to prevent the rush for the minerals needed for the climate transition turning into a "stampede for greed.' Correspondents in Baku: Nazrin Babayeva and Lara Palmisano. Music by Joachim Harris (all rights reserved) UN News coverage of COP29: https://news.un.org/en/events/cop29 Read more The Lid is On UNRWA chief: Agency enduring 'darkest moment', as Israeli laws threaten operations The UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, is living through the "darkest moment" of its 75 year history, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Wednesday, pointing to a trifecta of legislative, operational and security challenges. Read more Peace and Security One in three women experiences gender-based violence Every year, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign led by UN Women serves as a powerful reminder of the widespread violence women and girls face worldwide. Read more Women Antimicrobial resistance crisis 'happening now,' WHO's Tedros stresses at Jeddah summit The top UN health official gave a sobering reality check as the Fourth Global High-Level Ministerial Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance began Friday in Jeddah: "AMR doesn't just threaten to make the medicines on which we depend less effective; it's happening now." Read more Health COP29: 'You have every right to be angry' Guterres tells youth advocates frustrated over lack of climate action As negotiations over how to tackle climate change head into their fifth day in Baku, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed solidarity with young climate advocates at COP29, who told him they are frustrated by the lack of political action on the crisis. Read more Climate and Environment Everyone has a role in press freedom, insists Narcos star Diego Luna Mexican actor, producer and director Diego Luna took a break from the big screen on Thursday to highlight the dangers faced by journalists in his country and beyond, condemning murders of reporters everywhere as "a scandal". Read more Human Rights Middle East crisis: Live updates for 15 November At least 100,000 people have been forced to leave northern Gaza, with UN colleagues on the ground reporting worsening conditions and Israel's continuous denial of aid delivery requests as displacement and the death toll rises there and in Lebanon amid constant airstrikes. App users can follow our live update through the day here. Read more Peace and Security COP29: Governments, industry must stop 'lip-service' on methane and slash emissions, says UNEP The UN environment agency chief warned the COP29 climate summit in Baku on Friday that methane emissions must come down – "and come down fast" –to have any chance of controlling global warming.  Read more Climate and Environment Gaza: Israeli war tactics condemned as aid still blocked from reaching north Intense Israeli military operations have continued in Gaza as UN humanitarians reported that multiple attempts to deliver lifesaving aid to besieged areas in the north of the enclave had been either "denied or impeded". Read more Peace and Security COP29: 'Now is the time to fast-track, not backtrack' on the path to net-zero Meeting on Thursday with non-governmental entities in Baku for the COP29 climate talks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the crucial role that cities, regions, businesses and financial institutions must play in driving the worldwide effort towards reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century. Read more Climate and Environment Adolescents face mounting pressure at school, decline in family support Adolescents across Europe, Central Asia and Canada say they face rising school pressure and diminishing support from families and friends, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. Read more Health Sudan: Allies of warring generals 'enabling the slaughter', Security Council hears The people of Sudan face an ever-deepening crisis as the relentless war between rival militaries pushes the country further into chaos, the UN's top political affairs official told the Security Council on Tuesday, underscoring that a ceasefire and a negotiated political solution remain the only viable path to peace. Read more Peace and Security Myanmar: Civilians caught in the middle, as fighting intensifies The armed conflict in Myanmar is escalating. Ethnic armed groups have captured key towns and regions, and the country's military – known as the Tatmadaw – are employing increasingly brutal tactics, including heavy weapons and airstrikes. Caught in the middle, civilians are bearing the brunt. Against this background, UN News' Vibhu Mishra spoke with Nicholas Koumjian, head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), which monitors and collects evidence of crimes in the country. He said as violence intensifies, new actors and alliances are emerging – and it's incumbent on the international community to act. Established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2018, the IIMM is mandated to collect and preserve evidence of the most serious international crimes and violations of international law and prepare files for criminal prosecution. Previous interviews with IIMM: Myanmar: Technology key to aid war crimes investigations Myanmar citizens show 'great desire' for justice: Investigative Mechanism chief For head of Myanmar Mechanism, time is of the essence for accountability Read more UN Interviews 'Pay up or humanity will pay the price', Guterres warns at COP29 climate summit UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday that leaders gathered in Baku for the COP29 Climate Action Summit must take immediate steps to cut emissions, safeguard people from climate chaos, and "tear down the walls to climate finance" in response to the "masterclass in climate destruction" that the world has witnessed in 2024. Read more Climate and Environment Children face unprecedented crisis amid rising violence in Haiti This year has seen a staggering 1,000 per cent or ten-fold surge in sexual violence against children in Haiti, during an unprecedented crisis which has seen armed gangs continue to terrorize communities amid a growing humanitarian disaster. Read more Peace and Security World's largest urban development forum concludes with Cairo Call to Action The twelfth edition of the World Urban Forum wrapped up on Friday with the adoption of the Cairo Call to Action, after intense discussions focused on the global housing crisis and financing urbanization, all under the theme "It All Starts at Home." Read more SDGs Iran: Transparency, women's rights and the right to life The number of prisoners in Iran being executed is rising while civic space shrinks, according to the independent human rights expert who monitors the country. Special Rapporteur Mai Sato was at UN Headquarters last week briefing the General Assembly, where she highlighted lack of transparency by authorities in Tehran and the failure to uphold the right to life, while also raising the alarm over the worsening situation facing women in the country. In an interview with UN News's Julia Foxen, the UN Human Rights Council-appointed expert who only took up her role in August this year, explained how she hopes to fulfill her mandate and hold authorities to account. Read more UN Interviews

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