Syria’s new institutions take shape, but the economy is the test

Syria is building new State institutions and pushing its political transition forward, but recovery, inclusive representation and transitional justice remain major hurdles, according to the UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria. Speaking to UN News’ Khaled Haridy during the General Assembly’s High-Level Week, Claudio Cordone said a People’s Assembly is now in place, with an electoral commission and permanent constitution in preparation. In a call for greater international support, he said around four million Syrians have returned home – but the economy and infrastructure must be rebuilt, with most still living below the poverty line.

Every day, more than a billion meals are thrown away, and this rotting food produces the greenhouse gas methane which is responsible for around a third of global emissions overall. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that food waste and loss threaten food security, forests and sustainable agrifood systems in a world where millions are still going hungry. UN News’s Dianne Penn in Nairobi spoke to Michael Muratha, a Project Manager at UNEP – which is headquartered in the Kenyan capital – who makes the case for preventing and reducing food loss to benefit farmers, families, vulnerable communities and the planet.

The full-scale Russian invasion is placing immense pressure on healthcare across Ukraine, limiting people’s access to essential services and damaging medical facilities. That’s according to Halyna Skipalska, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health, which receives support from the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA. Ms. Skipalska was at Headquarters this week and spoke to UN News’s Liudmila Blagonravova about the most urgent health needs, support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and concerns around continued attacks on energy infrastructure as winter approaches.

The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, says intensified diplomatic efforts are offering cautious grounds for hope, despite the continued fighting between rival militaries – and complexity of the brutal conflict. Speaking to UN News on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr. Haavisto said while military leaders in Khartoum and senior RSF militia are not yet ready to sit together, even small “baby steps” through UN shuttle diplomacy are significant at this stage. Speaking to Abdelmonem Makki, Mr. Haavisto insisted that the Sudanese people “are not alone” while warning that fighting and attacks on humanitarian convoys and workers continue to obstruct the delivery of crucial aid.

Food insecurity in Sudan could worsen sharply in the coming months as conflict and displacement are compounded by the effects of the El Niño weather pattern, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Friday. With rainfall forecast to decline by up to 40 per cent in parts of the country, FAO is urging donors to fund proven measures that can protect livelihoods and boost food production – despite the ongoing war between rival militaries. Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience, spoke to UN News’s Ezzat El-Ferri following his visit to Khartoum, White Nile and Sennar states, where he met farmers, pastoralists and fishing communities.

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes society, actor and UN Global Advocate for Human-centric Digital Governance Joseph Gordon-Levitt is calling for stronger rules to ensure the technology remains accountable to people. Mr. Gordon-Levitt’s role is affiliated with the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) / UN DESA, which brings together diverse voices to help shape a more inclusive and human-centred digital future. In an interview with UN News, Mr. Gordon-Levitt argued that AI should be “governed by people and for people.” His comments come as the global debate on AI guardrails moved to UN Headquarters this week, with many world leaders citing concerns from the podium. Speaking to UN News’s Charlotte Dawson, he said one of his biggest concerns is the growing influence of AI on children, particularly its potential effects on attention and human relationships.

For over eight decades, the UN General Assembly has served as the world’s most representative forum, bringing nations together to debate some of the defining challenges of the day. When it was founded in 1945, the architects of the UN expected the Security Council to be at the centre of global decision-making. But Cold War tensions soon sowed division – shifting much of the political debate to the assembly. Richard Gowan, Director of UN and Multilateral Diplomacy at the International Crisis Group in New York, tells UN News’s Ana Carmo that, despite repeated predictions of its demise, the assembly remains indispensable.

Rapid advances in technology are fundamentally changing the global crime landscape, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). As its newly-appointed Executive Director, Monica Juma is heading to the 15th UN Crime Congress, taking place in Abu Dhabi from 26 September through 1 October, for the first time in charge of the key agency. In an interview with UN News’s Ezzat El-Ferri in Vienna, Ms. Juma highlighted how criminal groups are making increasing use of digital tools to reach victims across borders almost instantly. She tells us it’s time for governments and institutions to respond more effectively.

Yemen's decade-long conflict between Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces has dangerously escalated over the past week, reaching a new peak after months of rising tensions. An estimated 46,000 people have been displaced since fighting resumed just over a week ago, with numbers expected to rise further as the situation continues to change "by the hour". Houthi fighters have seized the strategic port of Mokha and reportedly an island in the Red Sea — a major threat to the shipping routes they have been targeting. Speaking to UN News' Khaled Haridy, Abdusattor Esoev, Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Yemen, explains how the humanitarian crisis is worsening, the UN response to growing needs, and the challenges hampering its work.

Two weeks after a glacier collapse triggered devastating floods in northern Nepal, entire communities remain cut off, homes lie buried under tonnes of rubble, and families are still waiting for news of loved ones. According to latest figures from the UN humanitarian affairs office, 1,267 people have died and some 5,132 remain missing, while the UN estimates the disaster created at least 2.2 million tonnes of debris. The regional director for UN field operations arm UNOPS, Sara Netzer, was on the ground following the floods that affected around 84,000 people. In an interview with UN News’s Nancy Sarkis, she says the scale of destruction is unlike anything she saw after Nepal’s 2015 earthquake, and that rebuilding will take time.