World leaders say UN SecurityCouncil failing to function

 

SHOCK MOMENT: Mike Waltz Gets Into Shouting Match With Cuban Delegate At The United Nations

World Food Programme Cuts Aid to 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza, Citing Funding Shortages

By Reuters
|
Oct. 19, 2026, at 3:21 a.m.


World Food Programme Cuts Aid to 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza, Citing Funding Shortages



REUTERS

Palestinian children wait to receive food from a soup kitchen funded by the World Food Programme (WFP), in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip October 18, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa


CAIRO/GAZA, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The UN World Food Programme ⁠has ⁠said funding shortages are ⁠forcing major cuts to its aid programme in Gaza, leaving ​about 500,000 people without monthly food support in a territory where two-thirds of the population ‌struggle to get enough to eat.

The ‌WFP said it was reducing the number of recipients of its monthly assistance ⁠to 1.1 ⁠million people from 1.6 million.

In addition, food rations have been halved, ​cash assistance has been cut for 75,000 families, and the number of daily hot meals for those unable to cook has fallen to 150,000 from 250,000, with some families in ​hard-to-reach areas now receiving a hot meal only every other day.
c
The WFP said ⁠about ⁠1.4 million people, or two-thirds ⁠of Gaza's ​population, face crisis levels of food insecurity or worse, including roughly 200,000 people in ​emergency conditions.

Last year's US-brokered ⁠Gaza ceasefire calls for the eventual reconstruction of the territory. But little progress has been made towards implementing a deal to end the conflict that includes terms for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its troops.

"It's a year into the agreement ⁠of this ceasefire. Well, life is still brutal here. There is no ⁠proper shelter.. There is no basic services. There is no safety, no security," acting Executive Director of the World Food Program WFP Carl Skau told Reuters in Gaza.

"These cuts are happening just as we are facing the fourth winter. You know, I've been through the winters here, absolutely brutal," he added.

The WFP said it urgently needs $450 million over the next six months to maintain critical operations in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

"We tell ⁠the world now is this is not the time to look away. This is the time to step up to sustain this support, to protect the progress that has been made, but also to push for early ​recovery," said Skau.

(Reporting by Nidal Al-Mughrabi in Cairo and Mahmoud Issa ​in Gaza;Editing by David Goodman, William Maclean)


Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

Source

Global Security Forum in Doha, Qatar

 LIVE: Global Security Forum in Doha, Qatar

Reuters

Qatar holds the annual Global Security Forum in Doha, where Qatar's PM, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, is expected to give the opening speech

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 17 October 2026

International Day For The Eradication Of Poverty, 17 October 2026

Date: Fri, Oct 16 2026 | International Day
Location: United Nations Headquarters in New York

United for Peace and Human Rights: Safe Homes for All

16 October 2026 | United Nations Headquarters, New York

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is officially observed each year on 17 October. This year, the United Nations commemoration will take place on Friday, 16 October 2026, bringing together people with lived experience of poverty, Member States, civil society and other stakeholders.

Under the 2026–2028 theme “United for Peace and Human Rights,” this year’s observance highlights the close connections between poverty, human rights and peace. The theme recognizes that peace requires more than the absence of conflict. It also requires justice, social protection, meaningful participation and respect for human dignity and human rights.

The 2026 focus, “Safe Homes for All,” draws attention to adequate housing as a foundation for a life of dignity. More than 2.8 billion people worldwide face some form of housing inadequacy, with the greatest burden falling on people already experiencing poverty and exclusion.

The commemoration will amplify the voices and lived experiences of people affected by poverty and emphasize the importance of developing policies with people experiencing poverty, not simply for them. It will also highlight the Doha Political Declaration’s reaffirmation of the right to an adequate standard of living, including safe, accessible and affordable housing.

Source

World Food Forum 2026: FAO Director-General opens 5th Science and Innovation Forum

Event calls for accelerating science and innovation for food security impacts

Established by the Director-General in 2022, SIF is a key pillar of the World Food Forum (WFF), whose theme this year is "Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow."

©FAO
13/10/2026

Rome - The 5th edition of the Science and Innovation Forum (SIF) opened Tuesday at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with Director-General QU Dongyu calling for the benefits of science and innovation to reach those most in need at a time when 645 million people continue to face hunger worldwide.

Established by the Director-General in 2022, SIF is a key pillar of the World Food Forum (WFF), whose theme this year is "Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow." The Forum serves as a platform to advance science-based solutions and foster collaboration among policymakers, researchers, innovators and partners working to transform agrifood systems.

Held from 13 to 16 October 2026, the Forum highlights the importance of harnessing science, technology and innovation to build agrifood systems that are more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable, helping to improve food security, nutrition and livelihoods.

While science and innovation are rapidly transforming how food is produced, accessed and consumed, one in four people worldwide still face food insecurity, and one in three cannot afford a healthy diet.

Groundbreaking innovations such as biotechnology, remote sensing, robotics and artificial intelligence are increasingly available. Yet their potential can only be realized if they are accessible, affordable and adopted by those who need them most.

Welcome to the SDG Media Zone / UN Peace Circle | United Nations

The United Nations and the Sunday Law. Security Council Mural. Mark of the Beast. Tim Rumsey

A Campaign to Address Global Economic Inequality

This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.

Friday, October 2, 2026 at 4:21 PM EDT

by Lawrence S Wittner
Community

Although the temper tantrums of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu dominated mass media coverage of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, which opened in September 2026, the event also included the announcement of a far more significant matter: a campaign to address the problem of worldwide economic inequality.

On September 24, standing in for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Ronald Lamola, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, told General Assembly delegates that “the promise of democracy and international cooperation wanes when we cannot demonstrate that they can address inequality and insecurity.” Thus, “together with Brazil, Norway, and Spain, South Africa calls on this Assembly to throw its weight behind the establishment” of an International Panel on Inequality (IPI). Based on the model of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPI would research inequality within and between countries and develop policies to close the widening gap between the rich and the poor.

That gap is enormous. As Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and other specialists have recently reported, “the richest 10 percent of adults globally receives more than half (53 percent) of the world’s income, whereas the poorest half receives 8 percent.” When it comes to wealth, that “is even more concentrated, with the richest 10 percent owning around three-quarters of global wealth while the poorest half owns just 2 percent.” And “almost two-thirds of people live in countries where inequality is rising.” In turn, this economic inequality leads to “unequal access to education, health care, housing and finance,” factors shaping “the opportunities that direct people’s lives.”

The speech at the General Assembly, as well as the specialists’ report, originated with developments within the G20, an international forum of nations with advanced and emerging economies seeking to coordinate global economic policy. In 2025, when the South African government held the presidency of the G20, it commissioned a study of global inequality by independent experts and chaired by Stiglitz. Appearing last November, the study maintained that “inequality is one of the most urgent concerns in the world today,” and that “combating it is necessary and possible.” Indeed, according to the study, the inequality emergency was on a par with the climate emergency, and an IPI, once established, would gather information on the problem and propose solutions to it.

Recently, the campaign for a global response to global economic inequality has picked up momentum. By mid-September 2026, when the UN General Assembly session was underway, more than 1,500 economists and academics from more than 100 countries had signed an open letter backing the creation of an International Panel on Inequality. Among the high-profile signatories were former U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu, and numerous other prominent economists, including Thomas Piketty, Mariana Mazzucao, and Jayati Ghosh. In the letter, they maintained that “extreme concentrations of income and wealth translate into undemocratic concentrations of power, unravelling trust in our societies and polarizing our politics.”

The United Nations in Bible Prophecy? Babel, Babylon, and the Spirit of the UN | Tim Rumsey

Faith That Is Forced Is No Longer Faith": Papua New Guinea PM's Bold UN Message on Religion at UNGA | AC1G

"Faith That Is Forced Is No Longer Faith": PNG PM's Bold UN Message on Religion at UNGA | AC1G

DRM News 

Sep 25, 2026  

Papua New Guinea's PM James Marape delivered a passionate UN appeal for freedom of conscience, declaring "faith that is forced is no longer faith" and urging every nation — Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist — to protect religious minorities, while warning that "no nation is so powerful that it can live apart from the earth." For more details, watch our story and subscribe to our channel, DRM News.

"Faith That Is Forced Is No Longer Faith": PNG PM's Bold UN Message on Religion

PNG PM to Christian Nations: "You Don't Promote Peace, You're Not Sons of God"

"No Nation Is So Powerful It Can Live Apart From Earth": Marape's UN Warning

James Marape Defends Religious Minorities Worldwide in Passionate UN Speech

UN General Assembly Day 4 live, UNGA 2026 Day 4, Shehbaz Sharif UN speech, Pakistan PM UNGA 2026, world leaders UNGA live, United Nations General Assembly live, UNGA New York live stream,

#UNGA2026 #UNGA #UnitedNations #WorldLeaders #UNGA81 #BreakingNews #LiveNews #GlobalPolitics #Diplomacy #DRMNews #UNLive #Geopolitics

 

UN General Assembly 2026 LIVE: Shehbaz Sharif, Edi Rama and World Leaders Address the Assembly |AC1B

USN: ADOQG0788

Vatican Secretary of State Addresses United Nations General Debate, 81st Session | #UNGA

Democratic House candidate arrested during Netanyahu protest in NYC

Darializa Avila Chevalier was among several progressive elected officials and nominees who protested Netanyahu’s speech at the U.N.

September 24, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EDT

“I refuse to allow a war criminal to roam the streets of our city unchallenged,” Darializa Avila Chevalier, left, said in a statement after her arrest. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

By Teo Armus

Darializa Avila Chevalier, a democratic socialist overwhelmingly favored in the race for a House seat representing part of New York City, was arrested Thursday while protesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations.

Avila Chevalier, who ousted longtime Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D) in a June primary, had been among hundreds of people who rallied outside the U.N. headquarters and blocked traffic with a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups.

“I refuse to allow a war criminal to roam the streets of our city unchallenged,” Avila Chevalier said in a statement. “I refuse to play host to a man who has overseen the slaughter or injury of more than 64,000 children in Gaza with American taxpayer dollars.”

Avila Chevalier ran for Congress in part on her past activism on the war in Gaza. She participated in the 2024 encampments at Columbia University, her alma mater, and was also arrested this spring at a protest asking Sens. Chuck Schumer (D) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D) to vote against selling weapons to Israel.

She said she decided to challenge Espaillat in part because of his slow response to the federal detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a constituent and Columbia University encampment organizer.

A spokeswoman for Avila Chevalier said police instructed demonstrators to disperse or risk potential arrest. She had not been released as of about 3:30 p.m.

Several other progressive Democratic nominees for the U.S. House, including Melat Kiros (Colorado), Chris Rabb (Pennsylvania), Adam Hamawy (New Jersey) and Brad Lander (New York), were also at the demonstration, her spokeswoman said. Comedian Caleb Hearon and actor Hannah Einbinder were also arrested.

Avila Chevalier is all but guaranteed to win her general election in the deep-blue 13th District in New York that backed Kamala Harris by nearly 60 percentage points.

Source

Benjamin Netanyahu's Speech at UNGA in New York City [FULL]

Tensions rise at the United Nations General Assembly

 

Live: Iran to speak at United Nations General Assembly

 

Xi is going to be in America, but not at the UN: Why China’s president chose Trump over the General Assembly

Edited By Jatin Verma
Published: Sep 22, 2026, 14:53 IST | Updated: Sep 22, 2026, 14:53 IST

Xi Jinping and Donald Trump Photograph: (AFP)

Story highlights

Xi Jinping is skipping the UN podium to meet Donald Trump in Washington, putting China-US ties, trade, AI and Taiwan at the centre of his US visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in the United States this week, but he will not be taking the podium at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Instead, Xi is heading to Washington for a state visit and a closely watched meeting with US President Donald Trump. The UN General Debate opens in New York on September 22, bringing together more than 130 world leaders at a moment marked by wars, economic tensions, artificial intelligence risks and questions over the future of the multilateral system. Yet Xi's three-day US visit begins on September 23, with his most important engagement taking place at the White House on September 24.

The decision means Xi will be hundreds of kilometres away from the UN podium while Trump addresses the General Assembly in New York. But Beijing has not presented Xi's absence as a rejection of the UN. China has officially said Xi is travelling to Washington at Trump's invitation from September 23 to 25, where the two leaders will discuss China-US relations as well as international issues involving peace and development.

Washington takes centre stage

For Beijing, the immediate diplomatic priority appears to be direct engagement with Washington. The White House has planned a high-profile reception for Xi. Trump is scheduled to personally greet the Chinese president at Joint Base Andrews on September 23, followed by a state arrival ceremony at the White House on September 24. The visit comes more than a decade after Xi's previous White House visit.

That symbolism matters. Rather than participating in the crowded diplomatic environment of UNGA, Xi will have direct access to Trump in a bilateral setting where trade, technology, Taiwan and wider geopolitical issues can be discussed without the constraints of a multilateral forum. The meeting also comes after years of friction between the world's two largest economies, including tariff disputes, technology restrictions and tensions over Taiwan.

Trade, AI and Taiwan on the table

The Trump-Xi meeting is expected to cover several of the most sensitive areas of the relationship. Trade remains a central issue, with both sides having an interest in preventing another escalation in tariffs and economic restrictions. Artificial intelligence and technology controls are also increasingly important areas of competition, particularly over advanced chips and access to critical technologies. Taiwan is another major fault line. US arms sales to Taiwan and Washington's broader security relationship with Taipei remain highly sensitive issues for Beijing.

Not a Chinese withdrawal from the UN

It would be misleading, however, to interpret Xi's absence as China walking away from the United Nations. China continues to participate in the UN system, and Chinese officials remain involved in the General Assembly and other diplomatic discussions. Xi's choice is better understood in the context of his unusually significant Washington agenda this week.

Why the timing matters

Xi's decision comes at a moment when Washington and Beijing are attempting to manage competition without allowing it to spiral into a broader confrontation. The two leaders have already met earlier this year, and the September visit is being presented by Beijing as another important high-level engagement. The White House, meanwhile, is giving Xi a formal state welcome, underscoring the importance Washington attaches to the meeting.

For Xi, the Washington meetings offer an opportunity for sustained, direct discussions with the US president on issues that affect China's economic and strategic interests. For Trump, hosting Xi during UNGA week puts the US-China relationship at the centre of an already crowded diplomatic calendar.

Source

P.S.

Global leaders head to UN, Xi Jinping will go to White House

Kremlin says UN Security Council should add new permanent members, keep veto power that Erdogan urged scrapping

By ReutersSeptember 22, 20266:38 AM EDT

The United Nations emblem can be seen at the entrance to the general assembly hall as the United Nations prepares for world leaders to convene for the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US, September 21, 2026. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado 

MOSCOW, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Russia believes the UN Security Council should expand its number ​of permanent members beyond the ‌current five, and that the existing veto system should remain, the Kremlin said ​on Tuesday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov ​was responding to a question ⁠from reporters about Turkish President Tayyip ​Erdogan's call to abolish both ​permanent membership and the veto.

Erdogan has long criticised the council, saying its veto-carrying permanent ​members - Britain, China, France, Russia ​and the US - are not reflective of the ‌international ⁠community and are unable to take swift decisions.

Peskov said Russia wanted the council to be reformed, and the permanent ​membership ​expanded.
"At the ⁠same time, we believe that the institution of ​permanent members of the Security ​Council, ⁠as well as the right of veto, are very important elements of ⁠the ​entire structure of ​the United Nations," he said.


Reporting by Dmitry Antonov Writing ​by Alessandra Prentice Editing by Mark Trevelyan

Source

President Trump Delivers Remarks to the United Nations General Assembly

Vatican’s UN diplomat: Hate speech violates command to love one’s neighbor

by Gina Christian - OSV News

September 18, 2026

Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia el-Kassis, the Holy See's new permanent observer to the United Nations in New York, poses in an undated photo with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. At a conference sponsored by the U.N.'s Alliance of Civilizations Sept. 17, the archbishop said in an address, "Hate speech of any kind "contradicts the commandment to love one's neighbor, poisons public discourse, inflames division, and too often prepares the ground for violence and persecution. Credit: OSV News photo/Eskinder Debebe, courtesy United Nations


(OSV News) — Hate speech “contradicts the commandment to love one’s neighbor,” said the Vatican’s top diplomat to the United Nations.

Archbishop Christophe Z. el-Kassis, apostolic nuncio and the Holy See’s permanent observer to the U.N., shared his thoughts in a statement during the Sept. 17 “Global Conference on Promoting Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and Tolerance in Countering Hate Speech.”

The conference, which took place at the U.N.’s New York headquarters, was sponsored by the U.N.’s Alliance of Civilizations, created in 2005 to address social and cultural polarization.

In his address — which came one day after three Vatican dicasteries released a new note on the importance of interreligious and ecumenical dialogue — Archbishop el-Kassis said hate speech “poisons public discourse, inflames division, and too often prepares the ground for violence and persecution.”

Such damage is inflicted regardless of whether hate speech is “directed against individuals or communities on the basis of their religion, ethnicity, nationality, or any other characteristic,” he said.

While “freedom of expression is a fundamental right that must be protected,” said the archbishop, “this freedom carries corresponding responsibilities.”

“Speech that deliberately incites hatred or violence cannot claim the protection of liberty,” he said, since “it erodes the very conditions in which genuine freedom can flourish.”