New UN websites & publications
TOPIC OF THE MONTH: UN Observances
The United Nations observes designated days, weeks, years, and decades, each with a theme, or topic. By creating special observances, the United Nations promotes international awareness and action on these issues.
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Further information:
- WHO global health days and campaigns: https://www.who.int/campaigns
- UNESCO Commemorations and celebrations: https://www.unesco.org/en/commemorations-celebrations
For 2026, the General Assembly has declared three international years. In addition, one international decade will start in 2026:
International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026
English: https://www.fao.org/rangelands-pastoralists-2026/
French : https://www.fao.org/rangelands-pastoralists-2026/fr
Spanish: https://www.fao.org/rangelands-pastoralists-2026/es
Trello: https://trello.com/b/NikUAQlN/year-of-rangelands-and-pastoralists-2026
International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development 2026
https://knowledge.unv.org/international-volunteer-year
Trello: https://trello.com/b/MnFNvURi/international-volunteer-year-2026
International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026
English: https://www.fao.org/woman-farmer-2026/
French: https://www.fao.org/woman-farmer-2026/fr
Spanish: https://www.fao.org/woman-farmer-2026/es
Trello: https://trello.com/b/mmGO8txY/year-of-the-woman-farmer-2026
United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026 – 2035
https://sdgs.un.org/un-decade-sustainable-transport-2026-2035
Trello: https://trello.com/b/NzBYGO0v/united-nations-decade-of-sustainable-transport
The United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport will be an opportunity to further raise awareness of transport’s crucial role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and to gather and rally new solutions, resources and partnerships to advance sustainable transport globally.
UN in General
https://doi.org/10.58338/JQXX3532
UNESCO’s flagship report on global trends in freedom of expression and journalism points to a historic 10% decline in freedom of expression globally between 2012 and 2024. This trend is a consequence of the alarming rise in self-censorship by journalists and the attacks they face – both in real life and online.
Résolutions ! Le Monde diplomatique (Non-UN source)
https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/resolutions/
Rechercher des résolutions : Le moteur de recherche permet de naviguer dans l’océan des résolutions à travers le temps, l’espace et les thèmes. Ou en indiquant la référence d’une résolution spécifique. Sélectionnez les critères d’intérêt et lancez votre recherche.
see also : Analyser les votes aux Nations unies : Une seule solution, la résolution ! (Le Monde diplomatique, Décembre 2025) : https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2025/12/GAIDOZ/69059
Economic Growth and Sustainable Development
https://www.unccd.int/resources/publications/economics-rangeland-restoration-discussion-paper
Sustainable rangeland management and rangeland restoration offer substantial returns across ecological, social, and economic dimensions. Realizing these benefits depends on the coordinated efforts of investors, governments, policymakers, pastoralist communities, and development partners. Suitable investment can be enabled by more effective governance, inclusive participation, and innovative financing solutions. Produced by UNCCD, The Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR), this discussion paper serves as a basis for the upcoming global report on “The Economics of Rangelands Restoration” and highlights the global importance of rangelands and the opportunities, as well as mechanisms for investing in their restoration. Furthermore, it analyzes the costs and benefits of rangeland restoration as well as the key enabling conditions for scaling up finance and concludes with concrete recommendations for policymakers, investors and practitioners to unlock potential for rangeland restoration. It also points out what further research is needed – and will be covered in the upcoming global report.
https://unece.org/info/publications/pub/410146
This new UNECE publication reframes the policy question from “Which energy efficiency technologies should be deployed?” to “How to design the system, so that proven measures scale, persist, and stay affordable?” It firmly positions energy efficiency as a first-order system resource and a cornerstone for achieving sustainable energy transitions and economic viability, and calls for integrated governance across energy, materials, and infrastructure planning to maximize economic and social benefits.
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000396617
A new era of educational planning is upon us. The pace of change across all sectors today is calling for an overhaul in how ministries, civil society, development partners, and private institutions work together to plan and manage education systems. This emerging approach, as described in a new book from the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), is more participatory, outcome-oriented, adaptive, resilient, and future-forward. Bringing together nearly 30 contributions from leading thinkers, ministers, IIEP experts, and national planners and practitioners, the book offers a multifaceted reflection on the critical space for educational planning in today’s world.
https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cd7557en
Glaciers are critical lifelines, sustaining rivers that support agriculture, food security and livelihoods for nearly two billion people in mountain and downstream regions. Rising global temperatures are causing glaciers to melt rapidly, reshaping ecosystems, threatening food and water security and increasing disaster risks. This technical brief examines the links between glaciers, agriculture and livelihoods, drawing on evidence from the Andes, Himalaya, Central Asia and beyond. It highlights the potential of sustainable mountain farming to restore ecosystems, conserve resources and build resilience. Launched on International Mountain Day 2025, the brief underscores that protecting glaciers is essential to safeguarding our shared future.
https://doi.org/10.54677/DYSX2722
Glaciers are among the most striking features of our planet, shaping landscapes, sustaining ecosystems and providing vital freshwater to billions of people. In mountain regions, glacial meltwater supports drinking supplies, agriculture and hydropower. Yet, due to rising global temperatures, glaciers are disappearing at an alarming rate, threatening ecosystems, economies, cultures and livelihoods. To raise awareness and call for action amongst policy-makers and the wider public to preserve glaciers for our future, UNESCO and GRID-Arendal have jointly developed this exhibition for the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025 (IYGP25). The exhibition features examples of glaciers around the world facing specific challenges in relation with the thirteen IYGP25 Key Messages.
https://www.unep.org/resources/global-environment-outlook-7
The most comprehensive assessment of the global environment ever undertaken has found that investing in a stable climate, healthy nature and land, and a pollution-free planet can deliver trillions in additional global GDP, avoid millions of deaths and lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and hunger. The Global Environment Outlook, Seventh Edition: A Future We Choose (GEO-7), released on 9 December 2025 during the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, is the product of 287 multi-disciplinary scientists from 82 countries.
English: https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2025-11/2517467_E_PDF_WEB_updated.pdf
French: https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2025-12/2517467_F_PDF_WEB_0.pdf
This publication provides a path forward to ensure AI technologies serve all members of society fairly and inclusively. The five recommendations aim to provide guidance for all relevant actors to draw upon in the standard-setting and implementation process to strengthen equity, transparency, and accountability in AI governance.
https://www.iaea.org/publications/15857/monitoring-for-protection-of-the-public-and-the-environment
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has released a new safety guide to help countries design and run radiation monitoring programmes to ensure people and environment are protected from harmful effects of ionizing radiation. Radiation monitoring is essential to verify that radiation levels are within national radiation limits and it also helps to inform decision makers evaluate how to strengthen national radiation protection approaches.
https://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:10363/Interoperability_in_AI_Safety_Governance.pdf
The United Nations University Institute in Macau has released this new policy report offering critical recommendations to strengthen global AI safety frameworks through enhanced interoperability. Drawing on country studies from China, South Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, the report identifies effective tools and key barriers to interoperability in AI safety governance. It highlights practical ways to build a governance ecosystem that is globally informed yet locally grounded.
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000396613
To mark Human Rights Day and the 65th anniversary of the 1960 Convention against Discrimination in Education, UNESCO released this new global report on the right to education, which tracks progress over the past 25 years and gives directions for the future of this essential right. The report shows the progress achieved over the past 25 years. Significant advances have been made to guarantee the right to education. Near universal access to primary school has been reached, and opportunities have expanded from early childhood programmes to higher education.
Urban Lingo: A UN-Habitat dictionary
https://unhabitat.org/urban-lingo-a-un-habitat-dictionary
Whether you’re a city planner, a student, or just curious about how cities work, this is the place to get a clear understanding of the terms we use every day in our efforts to build better, more sustainable urban environments.
https://hdl.handle.net/10986/43949
The report provides the most comprehensive assessment of the global landscape of standards today and how they can be used to accelerate economic development. It offers a practical framework for countries at all stages of development. Countries at the earliest stage should adapt international standards to suit local conditions when needed, whereas at more advanced stages, they should aim to align domestic markets with international standards. Meanwhile, all countries should author international standards in priority areas.
International Peace and Security
https://tinyurl.com/mvu7hze6
This guidance offers a range of considerations, approaches, methodologies and tools to support United Nations leadership and practitioners operating in conflict-affected settings, 4 including those in the Resident Coordinator System, where applicable, in efforts to prevent and address corruption. It also provides a basis for constructive dialogue on how to apply an anti-corruption lens across broader United Nations engagement aimed at promoting sustainable peace and security.
Amplifying Inclusivity within Insider Mediation: A UNDP Guidance Note
https://www.undp.org/publications/amplifying-inclusivity-within-insider-mediation
This Guidance Note aims to strengthen the meaningful participation of women and young people in peace and security processes. It addresses gaps in the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, focusing on women as essential actors and peacebuilders. Grounded in intersectionality, the note ensures diverse experiences of women are acknowledged, tackling barriers faced by individuals from varied backgrounds and identities.
Concept note for the Security Council open debate on the theme “Leadership for peace” in connection with the item entitled “Maintenance of international peace and security”
English, French & Spanish: https://docs.un.org/S/2025/788
Slovenia, in its capacity as President of the Security Council for the month of December 2025, held an open debate on the theme “Leadership for peace” on 15 December 2025. In order to guide the discussions on this topic, Slovenia has prepared a concept note.
Concept note for the Security Council briefing on the theme “Enhancing regional counter-terrorism cooperation in West Africa and the Sahel” in connection with the item “Peace consolidation in West Africa”
English, French & Spanish: https://docs.un.org/S/2025/718
The Republic of Sierra Leone, in its capacity as President of the Security Council for the month of November 2025, held a briefing on 18 November 2025 in connection with the item entitled “Peace consolidation in West Africa”, on the theme “Enhancing regional counter-terrorism cooperation in West Africa and the Sahel” and prepared this concept note for the event.
https://unmha.unmissions.org/en/news/stories-field-how-qips-are-changing-lives
Across Hudaydah, women are leading efforts to strengthen their communities despite years of conflict. This collection of stories brings forward the voices of women who transformed hardship into opportunity through coaching, vocational training, and small business grants. The Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) by the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) provided the support that helped many of these initiatives take shape, but the drive and ingenuity came from the women themselves. The stories highlight the journeys of landmine survivors regaining confidence, displaced women rebuilding their livelihoods, and partner staff who overcame personal challenges to continue serving others. They also reflect the vital role of UNMHA’s implementing partners, whose dedication in the field ensures that support reaches those who need it most. Together, these narratives demonstrate how QIPs help strengthen community resilience and advance both the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agendas by amplifying local voices and creating pathways for stability and empowerment.
Human Rights
https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/tools-and-resources/corruption-and-human-rights-practical-guide
Building on and complementing the mandates of the Human Rights Council, this Practical Guide is intended to be the first in a series of knowledge products to support the understanding of the linkages between corruption and human rights. It reflects the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights commitment to advancing accountability, transparency, and appropriate victim responsive approaches in both anti-corruption and human rights frameworks.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/position-papers/protecting-human-rights-while-using-artificial-intelligence-counter
This Position Paper focuses on the key human rights risks of developing and using relevant AI systems to counter terrorism. It addresses how the design, development and use of AI engages international human rights law, how human rights must inform decisions relating to the operation of AI systems, and the responsibilities of public authorities and private actors.
https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2025/12/tipping-point-the-chilling-escalation-of-violence-against-women-in-the-public-sphere-in-the-age-of-ai
Online violence against women has become a growing global crisis. What begins on a screen can quickly fuel harassment, intimidation, and even real-world harm. Women who speak up, report the news, or defend human rights are increasingly targeted with threats, abuse, and misinformation designed to push them out of public life. This publication examines this urgent issue. Developed under UN Women’s EU-funded ACT to End Violence against Women Programme, the publication draws on a global survey reaching women from 119 countries. It highlights how online attacks—once dismissed as “virtual” problems—are now spilling offline, affecting women’s safety, well-being, and ability to participate freely in public debate. The report also explores how new technologies, including artificial intelligence, are making abusive content easier to create and harder to control, further heightening risks for women in public life.
https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/glossary/glossary-the-manosphere
Online violence stemming from the manosphere spreads through coded language. Familiarize yourself with some key terms so that you can spot subversive and harmful content in your feed.
https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2025/12/un-women-strategy-preventing-and-eliminating-technology-facilitated-violence-against-women-and-girls
Technology and digital tools are transforming everyday life, opening new opportunities for women and girls—but they are also being weaponized to harass, threaten, and silence them online. Technology-facilitated violence against women and girls (TF VAWG) is now a defining challenge for gender equality, closely linked to violence offline and shaped by deep-rooted discrimination. This publication sets out UN Women’s approach to tackling this growing threat. Aligned with the UN Women Strategic Plan 2026–2029, this strategy positions TF VAWG as a core concern across all areas of UN Women’s work and explains how it fits within the wider violence-against-women continuum.
https://www.undp.org/publications/undp-digital-rights-dashboard-pilot-country-insights
The Digital Rights Dashboard (DRD), a new addition to UNDP’s Digital Development Compass, provides an overview of countries’ progress in embedding human rights within the digital space. To showcase how the DRD findings can serve as a starting point for understanding and shaping conversation on rights-based digital transformation, this methodological note together with 5 pilot country insights is featured in this publication.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/ongoing-studies/universality-meditation-report-prepared-under-united-present-initiative
This report, prepared under the coordination of the Well-Being Unit of the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) within the framework of the United & Present initiative, provides an illustrative overview of meditation and contemplative practices as reflected in the history of the United Nations and in public life worldwide. It takes note of the recognition of meditation reflected in General Assembly resolution A/RES/79/137 proclaiming World Meditation Day.
Justice and International Law
WMO Database on National Laws and Decrees Regulating Meteorology & Hydrology
https://tinyurl.com/2uhpvvtu
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has launched a new database that compiles national laws and decrees governing meteorology and hydrology across all WMO Members.
This resource provides a clear, accessible overview of the legal frameworks that define and reinforce the role of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs). It also supports stronger, more strategic collaboration among public, private and academic actors in the weather, water and climate ecosystem.
Each entry is organized under four categories:
• Type of legal instrument
• Title of legal instrument
• Link to the legal text
• Other relevant regulatory frameworks
Newsletter Archive: https://unric.org/en/unric-info-point-library-newsletter-archive