Tag Archives: UN General Assembly

AMA, Environment

Tanzanian hip hop artist Frida Amani named UNEP Advocate

MaraviPost

Nairobi, Kenya, 2 December 2025-/African Media Agency(AMA)/- The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) today named Tanzanian hip hop artist Frida Amani as its first-ever Advocate for Ecosystem Restoration. The designation comes ahead of the seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly, in Nairobi.

With more than one million social media followers, Frida Amani is among East Africa’s most celebrated female rappers and media personalities. She has won multiple accolades, including the Music Cities Award – which recognises and celebrates the best uses of music to drive economic, social, environmental, and cultural development in cities and places worldwide – and the Orange Award in Tanzania. 

“Growing up, we saw nature as a great protector – providing water, food, shade, and meaning. We also watched it become increasingly vulnerable to climate change and unsustainable exploitation, resulting in floods and droughts. By joining the UN Environment Programme, I wish to inspire my fans to become part of a generation committed to ecosystem restoration. It is no longer enough to lament nature’s loss – we must bring it back. We are Generation Restoration,” Amani said.

Amani becomes UNEP’s first Advocate for Ecosystem Restoration. In this role, she will work to raise awareness and mobilize young people to prevent, halt, and reverse ecosystem degradation. At the midpoint of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, her voice is poised to strengthen efforts to rehabilitate degraded natural areas—from oceans to mountains and from cities to savannahs, grasslands, and forests.

“Frida sings, speaks, and acts for a healthy environment, so I am pleased to welcome her to the UNEP family,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen. “Reflected in her work is a relentless passion for restoration, where care for people and nature go hand-in-hand, making her an inspiring role model for young people across Africa and beyond.”

Amani’s social and environmental activism is woven into many of her musical productions and performances. This includes songs such as Kisiki Hai (Famer-Managed Natural Regeneration in Swahili), the Performance for Nature event, the Mote Mama Gizani campaign for the health of pregnant women, as well as her role as Goodwill Ambassador for the Lead Foundation. Frida Amani has set up her ow foundation – the Amani foundation – through which she supports causes like the Performance for Nature concert held in Tanzania earlier this year. 

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf UN Environment Programme

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

The UN Environment Programme is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

The UN General Assembly has declared 2021–2030 a UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the UN Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration. 

About the UN Environment Assembly 

The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) is the world’s highest-level decision-making body for matters related to the environment, with a universal membership of all 193 Member States. It sets the global environmental agenda, provides overarching policy guidance, and defines policy responses to address emerging environmental challenges. It undertakes policy review, dialogue and the exchange of experiences, sets the strategic guidance on the future direction of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and fosters partnerships for achieving environmental goals and resource mobilization.

About UN Goodwill Ambassadors

United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors, including Advocates, are high-profile individuals who have committed themselves to helping the United Nations and its specialized agencies focus worldwide attention on pressing global issues that are close to their hearts. These prominent public figures volunteer their time, talent, and passion to raise awareness of UN efforts to improve the lives of billions of people everywhere. UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassadors and Advocates are designated by the UNEP Executive Director and approved by the Secretary-General of the UN. 

For more information please contact:
News and Media Unit, UN Environment Programme

The post Tanzanian hip hop artist Frida Amani named UNEP Advocate appeared first on African Media Agency.

Health

Kenya’s Ruto demands permanent African seat on the Security Council, highlights support for Haiti

MaraviPost

Kenyan President William Ruto told world leaders at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that Africa’s exclusion from permanent membership of the Security Council is “unacceptable, unfair and grossly unjust.”

Lifestyle

ICJ begins hearings on Israel’s humanitarian obligations in Palestinian territories

Maravi Post Reporter

The United Nations’ International Court of Justice opened public hearings on Monday about Israel’s obligations to “ensure and facilitate” humanitarian aid into Palestinian territories.  

The five days of hearings respond to a request made in December 2024 by the UN General Assembly, after Israel blocked the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, from operating on its territory. 

In a resolution sponsored by Norway, the General Assembly requested an advisory opinion, a non-binding but legally important decision from the court, regarding Israel’s legal obligations. 

Lawyers from more than 40 countries claim that Israel’s decision breaches the UN Charter. 

Speaking on Monday morning, Palestinian representative to the Netherlands Ammar Hijazi told the ICJ that Israel was using aid blockage as “a weapon of war.” 

Ardi Imseis, a professor of international law at Queen’s University who spoke “on behalf of the state of Palestine and the Palestinian people”, told the court that UNRWA possessed “experience, expertise and all-important community trust”, making it “absolutely vital.”  

The UN agency said it reached 2 million people with food assistance in Gaza during the ceasefire that began on 19 January and was broken when Israel resumed its bombardments on 18 March.

Israel claims that Hamas has infiltrated UNRWA, an allegation that has been contested. 

“Israel decided not to take part in this circus. It is another attempt to politicise and abuse the legal process in order to persecute Israel. The goal is to deprive Israel of its most basic right to defend itself”, said Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, speaking from Jerusalem as the hearings opened in The Hague. “This case is part of a systematic persecution and delegitimisation of Israel.” 

The ICJ has already issued several rulings demanding that Israel let aid enter Gaza.  

In July 2024, the court also ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories was unlawful. 

The new ICJ hearings open as the humanitarian aid system in Gaza is nearing collapse. Israel has blocked the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other humanitarian supplies into Gaza since 2 March.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/13/43/64/00/ED_PYR_1343640_20250428114318.mp4
Lifestyle

Hurricane Helene Makes Landfall, Netanyahu Addresses UN, Sudan Civil War

Maravi Post Reporter

Hurricane Helene has been downgraded to a tropical storm, but when it made landfall late last night as a Category 4 hurricane, it packed a dangerous one-two punch of high winds and a storm surge. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, and the Sudanese army has launched a major offensive to take back the capital.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Russell Lewis, Tara Neill, Donald Clyde, HJ Mai and Ally Schweitzer. It was produced by Iman Maani, Nia Dumas and Mansee Khurana. We get engineering support from Carleigh Strange, and our technical director is Andie Huether.

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Development, Regional

Sudan crisis: Countries gather at UN General Assembly for action call

Maravi Post Reporter

On Wednesday afternoon, the UN Security Council discussed the current humanitarian crisis in Sudan, More than 16 months of war.

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee said, “The current wave of fighting marks the latest chapter of violence in El Fasher and occurs amidst a months-long siege and attack on the city at the hands of the Rapid Support Forces.”

Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee also said, “this has caused appalling levels of suffering for the civilian population, including famine conditions in Zamzam camp south of El Fasher, among other locations.”

Sudan was plunged into chaos in April last year when simmering tensions between the military and a powerful paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, exploded into open warfare across the country.

The conflict has turned the capital, Khartoum, and other urban areas into battlefields, wrecking civilian infrastructure and an already battered health care system. Without the basics, many hospitals and medical facilities have closed their doors.

The country, which has gone through the shocks of civil war and climate change is in need of humanitarian aid with an estimated 9 million people — 73% of the country’s population — projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance during 2024, according to the 2024 UN Humanitarian Needs Overview for South Sudan.

Sourced from United Nations Africa Pages

Lifestyle

Israel-Hezbollah Conflict Escalates, UN General Assembly, Alabama Mass Shooting

Maravi Post Reporter

Israel’s military has warned people in southern Lebanon to evacuate homes used to store weapons for Hezbollah. This comes after last week’s explosion of Hezbollah communication devices and multiple strikes. World leaders gather in New York this week to discuss the biggest geopolitical issues and crisis, and the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, is calling for action after a mass shooting.

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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Vincent Ni, Tara Neill, Russell Lewis, HJ Mai and Mohamad ElBardicy. It was produced by Iman Maani, Nia Dumas and Julie Depenbrock. We get engineering support from Carleigh Strange, and our technical director is Zac Coleman.

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Regional

Three African countries lose UN voting rights over unpaid dues

Maravi Post Reporter
South Sudan, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon have lost their voting rights at the United Nations for non-payment of dues.

The three countries are part of six nations facing such a punitive measure for owing arrears in dues to the United Nations’ operating budget.

The other countries are Dominica, Venezuela and Lebanon, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

These countries can’t participate in votes in the 193-member General Assembly, the U.N. chief said in a letter circulated last week.

Gabon is serving a two-year term on the Security Council though its voting rights there are not affected.

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The General Assembly however decided Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe and Somalia who are also owing keep their voting rights. They have been granted an exemption.

According to the secretary-general’s letter, the minimum payments needed to restore voting rights are $76,244,991 for Venezuela, $1,835,303 for Lebanon, $619,103 for Equatorial Guinea, $196,130 for South Sudan, $61,686 for Gabon, and $20,580 for Dominica.

The U.N. Charter states that members whose arrears equal or exceed the amount of their contributions for the preceding two full years lose their voting rights.

But it also gives the General Assembly the authority to decide “that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the member,” and in that case a country can continue to vote.

Gabon’s foreign minister dies of heart attack

Source: Africa Feeds

Regional

AU chairman calls for lifting of sanctions on Zimbabwe

Maravi Post Reporter
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The African Union chairman and president of Senegal President Macky Sall has called for the lifting of sanctions placed on Zimbabwe.

Mr. Sall told the 77th UN General Assembly in New York that current sanctions against Zimbabwe were destructive and aggravating the suffering of citizens.

For over two decades Zimbabwe has struggled to rebuild its economy and sanctions have been blamed largely for this.

The US and the European Union (EU) have maintained sanctions on Zimbabwe. They both cite a lack of progress in democratic and human rights reforms as well as restrictions on press freedoms as reasons for maintaining the sanctions.

The sanctions have targeted specific individuals including President Emmerson Mnangagwa and some companies.

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Last year the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat also called for the removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

Zimbabweans led by their president, Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2019 embarked on a march to demand an end to foreign sanctions.

The government launched that campaign to make unpopular what it considered at the time foreign sanctions that have crippled the economy.

Government officials including the President insisted that sanctions particularly from the United States of America have made it impossible for any major progress to be achieved in growing and rebuilding the Zimbabwean economy.

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Source: Africafeeds.com

Source: Africa Feeds

Regional

The 17 African countries that declined to deplore Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Maravi Post Reporter

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Seventeen (17) African countries on Wednesday abstained from voting to deplore Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when a vote was called on the subject at the UN General Assembly.

These countries included South Africa, Algeria, Uganda, Burundi, Senegal, South Sudan, Mali and Mozambique.

The rest were Sudan, Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Central Africa Republic, Madagascar, Tanzania and Congo.

Most of these seventeen countries have some ties with Russia and are enjoying some support from Russia in the area of infrastructure investment.

Uganda though explained why it abstained from the vote, saying it wanted to uphold “neutrality” as the incoming chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (Nam).

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Nam is a forum made up of 120 developing countries to assert their independence from the competing claims of the two superpowers.

In a tweet, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Adonia Ayebare, said the country will “continue to play a constructive role in the maintenance of peace and security both regionally and globally”.

Eritrea was the only African country that voted against the resolution to deplore Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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<

p data-reactid=”.1wq5jw2ovnu.1.0.1.1.1.1:$post-62205790980bea49f4b7adc0.0.6.0.0:$post_3″>In all 35 countries abstained from condemning the Russia invasion of Ukraine but there was an emphatic condemnation of the ongoing war by the 193-member body.

141 countries voted in favour of the UN resolution to deplore the Russia invasion which has left hundreds dead and thousands fleeing.

AU condemns reported ill treatment of Africans trying to leave Ukraine

Source: Africafeeds.com

Source: Africa Feeds