Human rights

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues continues its 2025 annual session today.

Representing the largest international annual gathering of Indigenous Peoples with around 1,000 participants, the twenty-fourth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues opened today at UN Headquarters in New York, putting a spotlight on some of the most urgent and interconnected issues facing Indigenous Peoples today.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the opening ceremony of the twenty-fourth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, in New York today:

The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues opened its 2025 annual session today, with speakers united in their call to protect and promote the rights of Indigenous Peoples worldwide.

In Sudan, a World Food Programme team successfully arrived today in greater Khartoum, where they are coordinating with local authorities to scale up assistance. WFP aims to expand aid deliveries to nearly 1 million people over the coming month, amid high risk of famine in many areas.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, delivered by Courtenay Rattray, Chef the Cabinet, to the fourth session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, in New York today:

In Ecuador, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team reports at least 150,000 people have been impacted by the massive oil spill in Esmeraldas in March and need humanitarian assistance.

The United Nations team in Afghanistan today urged the international donor community to maintain critical support for the people of Afghanistan. With 22.9 million men, women and children in need of assistance in 2025, the country is today the world’s second-largest humanitarian crisis.

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message at the opening of the Global Disability Summit in Berlin today:

In Somalia, nearly 4.6 million people are likely to experience high levels of hunger from now until June, according to United Nations estimates. Humanitarian needs in the country are rising at a time when funding for aid operations is plummeting.