Interviews

As COP30 brings leaders and negotiators together from around the world, the spotlight is not only on policy but also on the real-life experiences of those most affected by climate change.From Ethiopia, Mekebib Tadesse, representing the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) delegation, brings a firsthand perspective on the human and humanitarian dimensions of the crisis.In an interview with Felipe Carvalho – who's in Belem for UN News – Mekebib shared insights on how climate change is upending his home country.

Climate change is no longer a distant threat; it is already reshaping lives and communities around the world.Extreme weather – from unprecedented tornadoes to rising seas and creeping desertification – is forcing millions on the run, often within their own countries.At COP30 in Belém this week, Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), stressed the importance of local, people-centred solutions.“Early warning systems, predictable funding, and locally led adaptation are critical,” she told UN News's Felipe de Carvalho. 

At a time when false narratives about climate change are spreading faster than ever online, the UN education and culture agency, UNESCO, is calling for stronger global cooperation to safeguard information integrity.Speaking to UN News's Felipe de Carvalho in Brazil's coastal city of Belém which is hosting COP30, Guilherme Canela, UNESCO's Head of Digital Policies who takes a lead on promoting accurate information regarding climate change, says misinformation has become one of the most significant global risks – alongside climate change itself.He stressed that protecting reliable, science-based information is essential for effective climate action.

Filipinos are picking up the pieces after super typhoon Fung-Wong ripped through the country.Eight people including three children are reported to have died because of the typhoon, but it could have been much worse: over a million people were evacuated from homes in 13 of the country's 18 regions, in one of the Philippines' largest ever pre-emptive operations.Arnaud Peral, the UN Resident Coordinator in The Philippines, told UN News's Conor Lennon the way authorities prepared for the impact is testament to the coordination between the government, the United Nations and the international NGOs on the ground.

People being held in prisons in Haiti are dying of starvation in subhuman conditions according to the UN's Designated Expert on the human rights situation in the Caribbean island nation, William O'Neill.Haiti is facing an increasingly perilous security crisis as gangs compete to control the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas, impacting an already dysfunctional justice system.Prisons are severely overcrowded, and some detainees can wait for years to be tried for minor offences, including the theft of chickens or shoes.Daniel Dickinson began by asking Mr. O'Neill to describe the conditions he has witnessed in Haitian prisons.

With half the world's population under 30, sidelining young people is no longer an option. That's according to UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, Felipe Paullier, who champions the determination and creativity of the world's youth.He's been at the World Summit for Social Development in Doha this week, issuing a strong call to action and urging world leaders to put young people at the heart of decision-making.In an interview with UN News's Abdelmonem Makki, he said that real progress means making space, so young people have a main seat at the table: “They're not waiting for us,” he adds, “they're finding solutions.” 

For millions of people with disabilities around the globe, the World Social Summit happening in Doha this week, represents something more powerful than promises – it represents hope.That's according to Fatma Al Jassim, who is in Doha representing the Global Disability Innovation Hub, a pioneering research centre in the UK, dedicated to driving disability innovation for a fairer world.Speaking to UN News's Abdelmonem Makki, Ms. Al Jassim explained why true inclusion is key to real change. 

Nearly 30 years after the landmark Copenhagen Declaration – when governments pledged to make societies fairer and more inclusive – conversations about putting social development back at the centre of the global agenda have taken on renewed importance.To understand why it's so critical, and how social protection connects to the broader pursuit of social justice, UN News's Vibhu Mishra has been speaking to Srinivas Tata, of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).They're both in Doha where the Second World Summit for Social Development is in full swing, and Mr. Tata began by explain why social justice is not just a vague concept – but an achievable goal.

Thirty years after the first World Social Summit in Copenhagen, global leaders have reconvened in Doha to assess progress and chart a path forward on poverty eradication and social development.Over the past three decades, 1.5 billion people have been lifted out of poverty, and global life expectancy has increased by nearly seven years.However, significant challenges remain, with an estimated 800 million people still living in extreme poverty, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).Speaking on the role of the UN and on the actions that governments must take to make social development more resilient and sustainable, UNDP's acting administrator Haoling Xu underscored the importance of rebuilding global trust and solidarity.He spoke to UN News' Abdelmonem Makki following the political declaration adoption at the World Summit for Social Development on Tuesday.UN News continues to provide on-the-ground coverage from Doha.

The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda – launched 25 years ago through Security Council resolution 1325 – recognized women are affected by wars in specific ways and must also play a distinct role in resolving them.Mexico, Chile and Colombia have all adopted foreign policies which emphasise gender equality in diplomacy, peacebuilding and development – but more needs to be done for women to be meaningfully included in peace processes and conflict resolution. UN News's Ileana Exaras spoke to Laura Flores, Director of the Americas Division in the UN's political affairs and peacebuilding department, about the progress and challenges that continue to affect women in politics across Latin America.

Getting relief to communities in Jamaica cut off by the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa remains the “main challenge” for UN aid agencies in the Caribbean country.The hurricane tore through the western part of the island — damaging homes, roads, and hospitals, cutting off access to some of the hardest-hit communities.The United Nations team in Jamaica, working alongside the government and local partners, is focusing on providing urgent support — from food, water, and shelter to restoring health services and rebuilding critical infrastructure.UN News' Charlotte Frantz asked Dennis Zulu, the UN's Resident coordinator and most senior official in Jamaica, about the immediate priorities on the ground. 

In a world grappling with growing inequalities, demographic shifts, and the fast pace of technological and environmental change, the Second World Summit for Social Development is bringing leaders together in Doha to talk and take action.Thirty years after the landmark Copenhagen Summit, the mission remains the same: to build a world where progress is measured not just in wealth, but in well-being, equality, and human dignity.Throughout the week, UN News will be on the ground in Doha, bringing you live updates, in-depth reporting, and exclusive interviews.Ahead of the Summit, UN News's Vibhu Mishra sat down with Bjørg Sandkjær, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination, to discuss the priorities and expectations for global social development.

Horrifying videos and reported atrocities allegedly carried out by RSF militia in and around the Sudanese city of El Fasher demonstrate a “total disregard” for both protection of civilians and the Security Council's resolution demanding an end to the civil war.That's according to the UN's head of humanitarian operations in the country, Denise Brown, who told UN News after recently visiting the Darfur region before the fall of the city this week, that it's proving hard to verify information from the stricken city due to a communications blackout.She told Ezzat El-Ferri she feels a “huge sense” of tragedy and responsibility to continue providing UN relief services, adding that the atrocities must be documented so that “justice can be served.”

While the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is not “blind” to political context or the human suffering behind many cases, its main job is to be the interpreter of international law in disputes between States, said the newly appointed President of the UN World Court, Yuji Iwasawa.This year, ICJ issued two advisory opinions that made headlines: one that decided Israel must allow aid to flow freely into Palestine and another ruling that countries have a responsibility to protect the environment.Mr. Iwasawa spoke to UN News's Ileana Exaras about the functions and responsibilities of the court, the significance of advisory opinions and what he'd like to accomplish throughout his tenure. 

As airstrikes and conflict continue to devastate communities across Ukraine, the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, is raising urgent concerns about the mental health and well-being of the country's children.Kenan Madi, Chief of Field Operations for UNICEF in Ukraine, warns that the war is leaving thousands of children without homes, heat, power, or access to basic services, making everyday life “extremely difficult.”Education has also been severely disrupted.Despite ongoing efforts, UNICEF's appeal for Ukraine remains only partially funded, leaving millions of children at risk as another harsh winter looms.UN News's Nargiz Shekinskaya started by asking Mr. Madi what are the main needs of the children living on the frontlines of the conflict. 

The Russian shelling of a UN humanitarian convoy in the Kherson region of Ukraine earlier this month underscores the risks aid workers face every day, as the Russian full-scale invasion of the country enters its fourth winter.Andrea de Domenico is the Ukraine country head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. He told Nargiz Shekinskaya from UN News that, despite the dangers they face, and limited resources, he and his team remain committed to helping the population. 

As access slowly improves under the Gaza ceasefire deal, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) is scaling up operations and mobilising funds to ensure the safe removal of dangerous munitions following two years of devastating bombardment.Priority is being given to main roads, infrastructure, and essential services for civilians in the enclave who face a deadly threat from unexploded hazards.Luke Irving, head of UNMAS's mission in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, spoke to UN News's Ezzat El-Ferri, emphasising a message of hope and resilience for civilians through “small steps” each day.

Women are central to achieving food security in Tanzania as they make up 70 per cent of the East African nation's agricultural workforce; that's according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in the country, Nyabenyi Tipo.FAO is celebrating its 80th anniversary on World Food Day on 16 October, the theme for which is collaborating for a peaceful, sustainable, prosperous, and food-secure future.Sabrina Said asked Ms. Tipo about the significance of this milestone and how FAO Tanzania is celebrating the occasion.

The head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, is urging people in the restive eastern part of the country not to lose hope after years of conflict.Binto Keita spoke to UN News's Jérôme Bernard a few days after she briefed the Security Council in New York on the overall situation in the DRC.She emphasized that the government, the UN and the international community remain engaged in efforts to bring peace to the east, where armed groups continue to terrorise communities.Ms. Keita expressed compassion and empathy for the Congolese people whose “resilience is also very much admirable.” 

A larger and more robust force in Haiti could help “turn the tide” against murderous gangs and give Haitians hope for the future, according to the UN's designated expert on the human rights situation in the Caribbean country, William O'Neill.Up to 90 per cent of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince is controlled by numerous gangs who murder with impunity and take hostages for ransom.A UN-backed Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) has been unable to stem the violence, but it is hoped the transition to a new, larger and better equipped Gang Suppression Force could prove decisive.UN News's Daniel Dickinson asked Mr. O'Neill how important it is to establish the new force. 

At just 15 years old, Zunaira Qayyum has already emerged as a climate champion and a UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Youth Advocate for Climate Action and Girls' Empowerment in Pakistan.In 2022, she began researching how floods and heatwaves in her hometown of Hub, Balochistan, were forcing girls out of school. Her work earned her recognition as one of the winners of UNICEF's Policy Research Challenge the following year.Today, children across Pakistan face mounting threats from floods, heatwaves, and other extreme weather events, which are making access to education increasingly difficult.UN News's Hareem Ahmed spoke with Zunaira about her advocacy for gender and climate justice, as well as her views on the importance of youth inclusion in climate action.

As war in Ukraine intensifies, five European countries – Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland and Poland – withdrew this year from the Ottawa Convention banning landmines and the Convention on Cluster Munitions – a move that is deeply concerning Tamar Gabelnick.As Director of both the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and the Cluster Munition Coalition, she was in New York urging action to defend the conventions last week as world leaders addressed the General Assembly.In an interview with UN News's Cristina Silveiro she said considering Russia's continuing invasion of Ukraine it made sense for nearby nations to focus on self defence – but anti-personnel landmines “remain the dumbest weapon in the world” and “it's pure chance who they will strike.”

Since the UN was created eight decades ago in the wake of a catastrophic World War, real progress has been made on freedom and equality and justice.But that's not much comfort to those living in conflict zones today worldwide, where accountability is scarce and impunity is rife.UN News's Conor Lennon caught up with the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Wednesday who's in New York for high-level week and began by asking him what can really be done to rein in the abusers, beyond naming and shaming them.

In the margins of the General Assembly's high-level week, UN agencies and partners have come together to highlight the plight of Palestinian children in the West Bank and Gaza.According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), over 19,000 youngsters have been killed in Gaza over the past two years – an average of 28 children killed every day – the equivalent of an entire classroom. Another 42,000 children have been injured.   Speaking to UN News's Khaled Mohamed UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban emphasized that the international call to action aims to uphold child rights and help them envision a viable future.

Five years away from the 2030 deadline, none of the global gender equality targets are on track. From poverty to conflict, the setbacks are staggering.According to a new UN report launched on Monday, extreme poverty rates for women and girls have hardly moved in the last five years.Data shows that by the year 2030, there will be 351 million women and girls who live in the very worst forms of poverty around the world.But the report also points to real solutions, and what's possible when countries invest in women and girls.UN News's Ana Carmo sat down with Sarah Hendriks, Director of the Policy Division at UN Women, to discuss the main findings of the 2025 SDG Gender Snapshot report. 

With just five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), not a single gender equality target is on trackThe finding comes in the Gender Snapshot 2025 report issued on Monday by UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).Prior to the launch, UN News's Anshu Sharma spoke to Christine Arab, UN Women's Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.She discusses the report and how women's groups there are ensuring their voices are heard, including in promoting climate resilience.  

Around the world, education is under attack, impacting millions of children. In Ukraine alone, more than 1,800 schools have been damaged or destroyed since 2022, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), depriving countless children of their right to safe learning.But the crisis goes beyond damaged buildings. Nelson Rodrigues, Education Specialist for UNICEF Ukraine, told UN News that children's well-being has been severely damaged by constant air raid alerts, living underground in shelters – and the psychological toll of uncertainty.He told UN News's Nargiz Shekinskaya the disruption is not only about shattered classrooms – it's also about the daily resilience children must show just to keep learning under fire.

Following the Nepalese government's ban on social media platforms due to non-registration and concerns about misinformation, large youth-led protests erupted across the capital Kathmandu and other cities on Monday.The demonstrations are escalating rapidly, with at least 15 people killed and more than 100 injured amid clashes, curfews, and reports of police using tear gas and possibly live ammunition.UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal, Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, described the events as “unlike Nepal,” expressing deep concern for civilian safety and stressing the urgent need to ensure unrestricted medical access for the injured.UN News's Anshu Sharma began by asking her to describe the situation on the ground.

Nearly four years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and 11 years since conflict began, the toll on people's mental health is severe.Women and girls are disproportionately affected, facing displacement, economic uncertainty, heightened risks of gender-based violence, and the constant pressure of protecting their families during repeated attacks.Speaking from the capital Kyiv, which suffered deadly strikes last week, and following a visit to the frontline region of Sumy, UN Women's Representative in Ukraine Sabine Freizer Gunes described both the emotional exhaustion and resilience of women.She told UN News's Nathalie Minard that empowering women and restoring a sense of normalcy are crucial steps to help relieve the stress of war.

The numbers of dead and wounded following the deadly earthquake in remote eastern Afghanistan – as well as the needs of survivors – are going to climb in the days ahead, the UN warned on Tuesday.The head of the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) in Afghanistan, Amy Martin, told UN News's Sachin Gaur that at least 20 emergency rapid assessment teams have been deployed, amid major access challenges, a disastrous drought – and shrinking aid budgets.

The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has renewed his urgent call for a ceasefire in Gaza, warning that civilians face death not only from bombardment but also from mass starvation and lack of aid.Despite severe restrictions on humanitarian access, UNRWA continues to provide medical care, clean water, and shelter to hundreds of thousands. But Israel continues to severely impede food distribution – despite international food experts' assessment that famine will spread.“Every hour today counts, the more we wait, the more people will die,” the UNRWA Commissioner-General said in an interview with UN News's Daniel Johnson.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, has operated since the late 1970s, tasked with monitoring the demilitarisation of the south of the country, supporting the Lebanese army, and ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in need.Every year, the mandate has to be renewed by the Security Council, but powerful voices have been raised against extending it, which could spell either its closure, or lead to budget cuts that reduce its ability to operate effectively.With the Security Council deadline just a few days away, Nancy Sarkis from UN News spoke to Andrea Tenenti, UNIFIL's long-time spokesperson, and began by asking him to explain why it's still needed.

An education specialist who left Somalia as a child when the civil war broke out in 1991 has now returned to support the Ministry of Education as they expand national testing.  The programme which enabled this specialist, named Shire Salad, to return — Migration for Development in Africa or MIDA — is run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and recruits diaspora experts who have  a “personal desire to give back."MIDA then pairs these experts with local professionals who work together to advance the development of hospitals, schools and other institutions. While the diaspora experts ultimately leave, the hope is that their skills will remain.  UN News' Naima Sawaya spoke with Mr. Salad about his experience returning to Somalia after so many years.

People in Haiti are living through “hell on earth,” according to William O'Neill, the UN's designated expert on human rights in Haiti.  Armed gangs – predominantly in the capital Port-au-Prince – are parasitically extracting financial resources from the population and perpetrating horrific acts of violence, he says – but they're just one cog in a larger cycle of impunity, corruption and violence.Following the release of the most recent report on human rights in Haiti, UN News' Naima Sawaya spoke to Mr. O'Neill about whether a path forward to peace even exists. She began by asking if he had ever met a gang leader. 

In Gaza, women and girls have been bearing the brunt of the catastrophic humanitarian situation for the past 22 months.  In addition to the constant threat of sexual violence, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in the enclave face a daily struggle to get the help they need.  Despite the continuing devastation – as Israel moves to assert more military control over the enclave – the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners are mobilised and working around the clock to provide life-saving services on the ground, as UN News's Nathalie Minard has been hearing from Laila Baker, Regional Director for Arab States for UNFPA.  

In Sudan, as violent conflict between forces of the Sudanese military and their rival Rapid Support Forces militia rages for its third year, women are facing the brunt of the humanitarian crisis.Female-led households struggle to access food, girls and women face high risks of exploitation and abuse when trying to access humanitarian aid, and all the while, A accessible women-run organizations are vastly under-resourced.Salvator Nkurunziza, the UN Women representative in Sudan, sat down with UN News's Abdelmonem Makki to discuss the struggles women face in Sudan and the solutions that should be implemented.

Some 1.3 million people displaced. 5.7 million people not getting enough food. How do you even begin to conceive of the magnitude of Haiti's crisis, borne from years of political insecurity, gang violence and climate shocks? And how do you begin to feed the country?For Pierre Vauthier, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Haiti, hope lies in smaller, locally-driven solutions which empower communities to take control of their own food production.  A school feeding programme, for example, which instead of financing imported food, uses funds to expand the capacities of local farmers, not only feeds children but also generates rural self-sufficiency.UN News' Naima Sawaya spoke with Mr. Vauthier to learn more about FAO's work in Haiti and why he remains hopeful for Haiti's future.  

More than 30 landlocked developing countries – from Bolivia to Bhutan and Burkina Faso – face some of the world's highest trading costs, deepest poverty and weakest investment flows.Rebeca Grynspan, head of the UN's trade and development agency, UNCTAD, has told UN News that they are "invisible to much of the world", prisoners of outdated structural constraints.Speaking on the sidelines of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, in Awaza, Turkmenistan, she explained to Nargiz Shekinskaya why digital trade, regional integration and long-term investment are critical to unlocking their potential.

If ever the world needed to agree on stopping plastic pollution, it's now, supporters of a deal say.According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), plastic production and waste is due to triple by 2060.In Geneva, where international talks are underway this week for a legally binding deal to stop plastic pollution, campaigners are also having their say.They include Shellan Saling, from California, who's the interim chair of the Youth Plastic Action Network (YPAN). Achieving an ambitious treaty is critical today because plastic impacts everything from climate change to people's health and much more besides, she explains.

Human trafficking is a global threat driven by organised crime and each year, more and more women, children and men are being exploited, including for forced labour and sex.That's according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) which works to provide humanitarian, legal and economic assistance to survivors.  Through the UN Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons (UNVTF), the UN prioritises working with grassroot organisations carrying out survivor-led initiatives, facilitating on-the-ground assistance and protection to victims of trafficking.On the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, UN News's Emma Trager-Lewis met with Mira Sorvino, Oscar-winning actress and UNODC's Goodwill Ambassador for the global fight against human trafficking.

UN agencies continue to draw attention to the dire conditions in Gaza, where food security experts warned this week of mounting evidence of famine and widespread starvation due to conflict, displacement and the near-total collapse of essential services.Ricardo Pires, Communication Manager with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), is fresh from a mission to the enclave, where a man-made drought is also looming.He told UN News' Daniel Johnson that lack of drinking water means children are dehydrated and at risk of disease as families resort to using contaminated water sources.

Around the world, women and girls of African Descent continue to face the double burden of racism and sexism, often navigating systemic barriers that hinder their development and violate their rights, according to the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA.Last year, the UN General Assembly voted to recognise 25 July as the International Day for Women and Girls of African Descent as they continue to face multiple and overlapping forms of discrimination, manifesting in higher rates of poverty, barriers to education, limited access to quality healthcare, and underrepresentation in decision-making.UNFPA's “Leave No One Behind" commitment focuses on dismantling systemic barriers and ensuring equal access to rights, services, and health outcomes for all women and girls.UN News's Emma Trager-Lewis sat down with Patricia DaSilva, UNFPA Senior Programme Adviser and Global Coordinator for “Leave No One Behind” to discuss how the agency is working to uplift women and girls across the African diaspora.