UN Interviews

After more than 1,000 days of conflict, Sudan’s education system is in crisis, with an estimated eight million children currently out of school, the UN child rights agency, UNICEF, warned ahead of the International Day of Education marked on 24 January. According to its Sudan spokesperson, Eva Hinds, one in three schools has been damaged or destroyed, nearly 6,400 are closed nationwide, and around...

The war that erupted in Sudan in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed thousands of civilians and caused devastation, mass displacement and famine. The conflict is a major preoccupation of UN human rights chief Volker Türk, who is just back from visiting the country. There, he met victims of terrible sexual violence, including escapees fr...

More than two years into the conflict, Sudan is facing one of the world’s most serious and complex health emergencies, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).  The fighting, which began in April 2023, has forced millions of people from their homes, deepened hunger and left much of the country’s health system barely functioning, said Dr Shible Sahbani, WHO Representative in Sudan, in...

Created in 1966 to boost development within newly independent countries from the Global South, the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has stayed true to its founding mission, in a world that has been transformed over the past six decades. At UNIDO’s Global Industry Summit, held in Riyadh this November, the agency’s Member States reaffirmed their commitment to help developing countries...

Europe’s influenza season has arrived earlier than expected this year, raising concerns about pressure on health systems as respiratory illnesses circulate during the winter months.   While the surge has prompted questions about vaccine effectiveness and vulnerable groups, health experts say the situation remains manageable – if people take the right precautions. Speaking with UN News’s...

For the second time since its launch in 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Summit on Traditional Medicine took place in India, bringing attention to the role of natural and cultural remedies around the world, as well as the science behind them.  On the sidelines of the summit in New Delhi, UN News’s Anshu Sharma spoke with Sung Chol Kim of WHO’s Traditional, Complementary and In...

As the world debates how technology is shaping societies, actor and filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been sharing why people and purpose must remain at the heart of the digital future. UN News’ Vibhu Mishra spoke with him on the sidelines of a high-level UN meeting marking 20 years of global cooperation on the internet and digital technologies. Mr. Gordon-Levitt reflected on creativity, inclusio...

Mass atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region show alarming indicators associated with the risk of genocide, according to the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Chaloka Beyani, who has completed a mission to Kenya. Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), alongside other armed groups, has plunged large parts of Sudan in...

An independent journalist is warning against the unchecked rise of artificial intelligence (AI), comparing the public to “guinea pigs” in a global experiment. Atif Rashid, Editor in Chief of Analyst News – a non-profit international news website – was a panelist in the thematic session held during the UN Alliance of Civilizations Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 14-15 December. Speaking to UN N...

Africa doesn’t have a million problems. It has one: a mindset problem, according to the UN Special Adviser on Africa Cristina Duarte. Research suggests that nearly two-thirds of Africans believe their countries are currently heading in the wrong direction. Speaking after the UN Academic Conference on Africa held earlier this month, Ms. Duarte emphasised that by transforming thi...

After more than 22 years at the heart of Iraq’s political transition and post-war recovery, the UN will close its political mission in the country at the end of 2025. Established in 2003, the mission (UNAMI) has played a central role in supporting inclusive political dialogue, national reconciliation, credible elections and the protection of human rights. UN News’s Reem Abaza spoke to the mission...

Financing and climate solutions have become an increasingly important focus for the UN’s work worldwide. Taking place this year in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, the UN Environment Assembly is advancing sustainable solutions for all. Richard Munang, Africa climate change coordinator for UN Environment Programme, UNEP, spoke to UN News’s Stella Vuzo in Nairobi about financing in Africa and the signif...

Living heritage gives people a sense of meaning and belonging, connecting individuals and communities across generations. On Thursday, the UN culture agency, UNESCO’s committee which safeguards living cultural traditions worldwide, added 67 new living heritage elements to UNESCO’s extensive lists. UN News’s Anshu Sharma in the Indian capital, New Delhi, spoke to Tim Curtis, Director of the UNESCO...

Latest available figures published on Tuesday show more than 272 million children around the world were out of school through 2023, underscoring a deepening global education crisis. That’s according to UN education and cultural organization, UNESCO, which says that despite lack of access, significant progress has been made in advancing gender parity and integrating emerging technologies in classro...

Despite widespread suffering driven by escalating conflict, displacement and disasters, Myanmar’s humanitarian emergency has become all but “invisible” to the world, the top UN official in the country has warned. Gwyn Lewis, the UN’s interim Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Myanmar, issued the alert during a visit to UN Headquarters, where she has been urging Member States and diplomats t...