Development

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the informal interactive dialogue on the implementation of the Pact for the Future, in New York today:

Development cooperation must not retreat when the world needs it the most; rather, it must become more equitable, impactful and country-led, the biannual Forum on that topic heard today.

Amid major challenges to international development cooperation, dwindling global solidarity and shrinking development assistance, a paradigm shift is urgently needed, speakers at the Economic and Social Council’s 2025 Development Cooperation Forum stressed as they opened its annual session in New York today.

Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children Najat Maalla M’jid presented her annual report to the Human Rights Council today, which highlights an alarming rise in child trafficking. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), children now represent 38 per cent of detected victims.

The United Nations welcomes the agreement signed by the leaderships of the caretaker authorities in Syria and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on 10 March. Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen hopes that the agreement can feed into a broader, credible and inclusive political transition process.

Following is UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s message, as prepared for delivery, on the occasion of the Group of 20 (G20) Finance Ministers and Central Banks Meeting Session II: International Financial Architecture, held in Cape Town, South Africa, today:

Following is UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s message for the opening of the Finance in Common Summit, held in Cape Town, South Africa, today:

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the Group of 20 (G20) side event — Domestic Resource Mobilization: Bridging the Tax Gap, held in Cape Town, South Africa, today:

In Somalia, some 3.4 million people are already experiencing crisis-levels of hunger. This figure is expected to rise to 4.4 million between April and June when below-average rains are forecast. However, the $1.42 billion humanitarian appeal is only 12 per cent funded.

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message at the twelfth session of the Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development 2025, in Bangkok today: