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Forty-seventh session of the Human Rights Council
Rolando Gomez, for the Human Rights Council (HRC), announced that the forty-seventh session would commence on 21 June and run until 13 July. The session would be based from Room XVIII, with most statements delivered virtually. On 21 June, the session would open at 10 a.m. with a statement by the Council President, to be followed by an oral update by the High Commissioner on the activities of her office. She would then present a report on States responding to the pandemic, to be followed by the presentation of a report by the new Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea – Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker. An interactive discussion on the High Commissioner’s presentation would also be held on 21 June.
All key statements would be shared with the media as soon as possible. The session would be webcast live at webtv.un.org, and press summaries would be prepared by the UN Information Service. Side events would be organized virtually.
Impact of fighting on civilians in Yemen
Elisabeth Throssell, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stated that the OHCHR was seriously concerned about the continuing impact of fighting on civilians and the targeting of civilian objects in Marib Governorate in Yemen, which Houthi forces, also known as Ansar Allah, had been trying to seize from the Yemeni Government for several months.
Among recent attacks, a civilian compound in Marib City - which included the Governor’s office, the local branch of the Ministry of Planning, police headquarters, a mosque and a women’s prison – had been hit on 10 June by what were believed to be missiles, and possibly an explosive-laden drone, launched by Ansar Allah. Eight civilians had been killed and 30 other civilians injured. A few days earlier, on 5 June, a petrol station reserved for military personnel and authorized civilians, located within a Government military base close to the city, had been hit by an Ansar Allah missile.
OHCHR called on all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including their obligation to respect the principles of distinction, which prohibited the targeting of civilians and civilian objects and infrastructure, as well as the principles of proportionality and precautions during attacks. OHCHR also urged all parties to the conflict to go back to the negotiating table and agree on a nationwide ceasefire.
Full statement is available here.
Responding to questions, Ms. Throssell reiterated the OHCHR was concerned about civilian objects being hit and repeated its call to all parties to respect international humanitarian law.
Mr. LeBlanc referred to a statement by Martin Griffiths, the outgoing UN Special Envoy for Yemen, who admitted that the differences between the warring parties remained significant, and also praised the efforts of civil society in trying to move the peace process forward.
Pakistan enforced disappearances law
Elisabeth Throssell, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that OHCHR was encouraged by the Government of Pakistan’s tabling this month of a bill before Parliament to criminalize enforced disappearances. The proposed legislation would be a major step forward in addressing enforced disappearances, which, for decades, had been a key human rights concern in Pakistan. OHCHR urged Pakistan to take all necessary steps to ensure the bill’s timely passage.
The UN Human Rights Office stood ready to lend any technical advice or assistance required in adopting the law in line with international standards.
OHCHR statement can be read here.
World Refugee Day: hunger levels increase among refugee populations
Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), read parts of the UN Secretary-General’s message on the occasion of the World Refugee Day, 20 June. The Secretary-General stated that for so many refugees, the pandemic had wiped out their livelihoods, led to stigmatization and vilification and exposed them disproportionately to the virus. At the same time, refugees once again demonstrated their invaluable contribution to their adoptive societies as essential and frontline workers. We all had a duty to help refugees rebuild their lives, he said.
Tomson Phiri, for the World Food Programme (WFP), said that refugees worldwide were facing increased hunger because of funding gaps due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant funding shortfalls in Africa and the Middle East had led to rations being cut by as much as 60 per cent. In Jordan, more than 230,000 Syrian refugees could be cut from the assistance altogether, unless more funding was received. Sufficient funding was needed at least a month in advance of a predicted gap, to secure continuity. Some of the most underfunded WFP operations supported large refugee populations, as in Uganda. Refugees were among the most vulnerable people in the world, and their situation deteriorated by the ongoing pandemic, stressed Mr. Phiri.
Answering questions, Mr. Phiri reiterated that the cuts were very serious and could lead to hunger amongst the vulnerable refugees. In Cameroon, for example, the WFP might need to reduce rations for over 100,000 people who had crossed the border from the Central African Republic. Programs for refugees were included in the WFP’s overall activities; the WFP needed USD 5 billion to avert famine for the people most at risk around the world. While the WFP had received a record contribution from donors in 2020, the situation in 2021 could not be considered “business as usual”.
Number of people at risk of famine increases globally
Tomson Phiri, for the World Food Programme (WFP), said the global hunger continued to rise as the effects of climate change, conflict, and the pandemic overlapped. More than 217 million people were estimated to be extremely food insecure or at risk of famine in 2021. The number of people teetering on the brink of famine had risen to an estimated 41 million in June, and even the slightest shock could push them into famine. South Sudan, Madagascar, Ethiopia, and Yemen were of particular concern; Nigeria and Burkina Faso had also recently had areas affected by Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Phase 5. Meanwhile, food prices continued to increase globally. WFP was targeting 159 million people this year, said Mr. Phiri. WFP needed USD 5 billion in 2021 to avert famine; that was one-third of the WFP’s resourcing needs for this year. In a response to a question, Mr. Phiri confirmed that the WFP was working with agrobusiness and small farmers to stimulate and support food production. More information is available here.
Geneva announcements
Speaking on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Rhéal LeBlanc said the UNDP would release on 24 June a policy brief assessing the IMF members Special Drawing Rights and highlighting the huge potential a redirecting of the allocation could have to secure sustainable development prospects of the 82 highly debt vulnerable countries. On 22 June, there would be a media briefing with Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator; George Gray Molina, UNDP Chief Economist and Lars Jensen, the author of the Brief, at 3:30 p.m. Geneva time. Journalists could get more information from Sarah Bel.
Mr. LeBlanc also informed that on 21 June at 12:30 p.m., Edward Kallon, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, would hold a press briefing on the situation in Nigeria. There would be live webcast on http://webtv.un.org
On 23 June at 10 a.m., the International Trade Center would present the SME Competitiveness Outlook 2021: Empowering the green recovery. Speakers would be Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director, International Trade Centre; Barbara Ramos, Chief Economist; and Vittorio Cammarota, Chief of Communications and Events.
The Conference on Disarmament had held a plenary meeting at 10 a.m. today. Ambassador Eheth had made closing remarks at the end of the presidency of Cameroon, before handing over the presidency to Canada.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) would open its seventy-ninth (online) session on 21 June.
Mr. LeBlanc announced that the General Assembly was expected to confirm António Guterres as the Secretary-General for the second term. The latter was expected to address the media at a stakeout around 4:30 p.m. Geneva time.
The Security Council would hold a special meeting on Myanmar today, which would be attended by the SG’s Special Envoy. A stakeout was expected around 6 p.m. Geneva time. There would be no noon briefing in New York today.
19 June was the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, said Mr. LeBlanc, who referred to the Secretary-General’s message in which he said that the world could not allow this already underreported crime to slip further into the shadows. “Perpetrators must be punished,” he said.
Responding to questions, Fadéla Chaib, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said the WHO was currently considering a gradual return of journalists to its premises. Journalists would be duly informed once a decision had been made. For the time being, Dr. Tedros’s press conferences would continue to be held twice a week, she confirmed.
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As world’s water reserves change, countries must prepare for a new reality: WMO
New data showing that rivers were at their lowest level for decades last year provides further evidence that the climate crisis is real and countries must act immediately to protect themselves from the increasing threat to communities and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.
The key findings from WMO’s State of Global Water Resources 2025 report covering the hydrological cycle and extreme events in the five-year period to last year:
- 2025 was one of driest years for river discharge in 35 years
- Past seven years have seen abnorfmal river flows
- Water storage on Earth’s land surface has decreased in past decade
- Widespread glacier loss across all regions for fourth consecutive year
- Asia and Africa are regions most affected by water-related disasters
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Highlighting the long-term decline in the Earth’s freshwater storage and glacier melt, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo explained that the planet’s water reserves used to act as a planetary “savings account” that absorbed the occasional dry season, avoiding a water crisis. “One of the central stories of the 2025 report is what is happening to that savings account? And the simple answer is that we are depleting it,” she told journalists in Geneva.
Groundwater reserves are equally stretched and have been in decline since 2014, WMO’s report states, with nearly two-thirds of monitored wells worldwide showing levels lower than the historical norm and indicating a shift “further toward deficit…not recovery”.
“At the same time, we are seeing more water-related disasters,” Ms. Saulo said, while also stressing that the currently strengthening El Niño “will increase the risk of drought in some areas, and flooding in others”.
Glaciers disappearing
In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass, leading to short-term hazards including floods and long-term water insecurity, according to WMO.
Responding to a question about whether the changing global water cycle might have contributed to the deadly Nepal-China flooding disaster, Ms. Saulo explained that melting ice and rock was just one factor in the chain of events that ultimately sent a massive and deadly wall of water and debris downstream on 26 August, killing at least 1,367 people.
“You asked if it could happen again? Absolutely; the problem in this region is that there’s 63,700 glaciers at the last count,” she told a Press Conference in Geneva. “Even if you’re looking with remote sensing with satellites at these glaciers, you might see some faults, you might see some slight shifting, that does not mean necessarily catastrophic collapse. So, in order to plan for this, it’s very, very difficult. But the international community is looking very hard at ways in which we can bring people together to solve some of these monitoring issues.”
Data indicates that glaciers shrank between 2023 and 2025 with cumulative losses of 1,400 gigatonnes of water – or about one third of annual fresh water needs.
Every major glacier region on Earth lost ice for the fourth consecutive year.
“All 19 glacier regions around the globe lost ice; in Central Asia, Iceland, the Russian Arctic and western Canada and the United States, it was among the three worst years on record,” said Wayne Jenkinson, WMO’s Director of Hydrology and Cryosphere.
Some regions with smaller glaciers such as Central Europe, the Caucasus, the western Canada and the United States may already have reached “peak water”, Mr. Jenkinson warned.
“After this point, the glacier gives less meltwater each year simply because there is less ice left to melt. That matters for every community downstream that relies on water during hot, dry summers,” he explained.
Narelle van der Wel, WMO’s Head of Cryosphere Monitoring, Predictions and Services, stressed that while some further glacier loss is unavoidable, the eventual scale of the decline is not predetermined.
“Some glacier loss is inevitable, but total loss of glaciers is not yet inevitable,” she said, pointing to emissions reductions as central to limiting future losses.
Preparing for moving baselines
The report does not attribute every observed change to climate change alone. WMO says pressure on water resources and natural variability also contribute.
Mr. Jenkinson said governments need to prepare for “moving baselines” as historical patterns become less reliable.
“The situation 30 years ago is not where we are today,” he said. Countries, he added, need to prepare “for those changes that have really already arrived”.
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