The world continues to grapple with unprecedented challenges but there are reasons for cautious optimism in 2025 - on a long-awaited Gaza ceasefire, climate action, tackling inequaity and harnessing AI for the public good - Secretary-General António Guterres insisted on Wednesday.In his traditional new year address to the General Assembly setting out his key priorities for the global organization, the UN chief acknowledged the “turmoil of our world” and conceded that “it is understandable to get overwhelmed”.Nonetheless, Mr. Guterres urged delegates to “never lose sight of progress and potential”, highlighting the ceasefire in Lebanon which is “largely holding” and the country’s recent election of a President, after a two-year stalemate.Away from the world’s battlefields, the UN chief underscored positive developments on climate action that reflect the commitment of the United Nations to combating global warming, as “the world now invests almost twice as much in clean energy as it does in fossil fuels…almost everywhere, solar and wind are now the cheapest sources of new electricity - and the fastest growing in history,” he said.And as a measure of how much socio-economic progress has been made in line with UN values, Mr. Guterres noted that “in much of the world, girls have achieved parity in education. On health matters, moreover, “more children are surviving today than ever before,” he insisted, before adding that HIV infections “continue to dramatically decline, along with malaria mortality rates”.He described the UN as “a force of construction” that is always strengthening how it works and delivers, proving the maxim that global problems need global solutions.Pandora’s BoxBut there can be no illusions that action or inaction has “unleashed a modern-day Pandora’s Box of ills,” he continued, highlighting protracted wars, inequality, the climate crisis and “out of control technology.”Conflicts are multiplying with the full spectrum of human rights under increasing attack.Mr. Guterres called for negotiators who are reportedly close to a deal on a Gaza ceasefire to finalise the deal. Throughout the whole Middle East “we must deny extremists a veto over a peaceful future,” he said.He announced he would be travelling to Lebanon later in the day, emboldened by the positive developments there in recent weeks that could see Israelis and Lebanese forge a new and lasting era of peace and security.He highlighted conflict in Ukraine, Sudan, the Sahel and Haiti.Tackling inequality“Inequalities can be beaten,” he said boldy, starting with accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through multilateral reform on all fronts.He said the scourge of discrimination and hate speech was also fuelling inequality, demonstrating the need to strengthen “communities of belonging”: “This is even more crucial as guardrails around social media platforms are being dismantled, allowing disinformation and hate speech to run rampant.”Climate crisisReferencing the infernos engulfing the canyons of Los Angeles, the UN chief said everyday people worldwide are suffering the deadly effects of a warming planet and extreme weather.But here too, there is a huge opportunity to reverse the damage and build on climate action such as renewable energy growth, a commitment to net zero and national plans to cut emissions.The UN is assisting nearly 100 developing countries with their climate action plans ahead of the pivotal COP30 in Brazil later this year and he promised a special stocktaking event to keep the 1.5℃ target within reach.Technology raceThe Secretary-General said the technology revolution in 2025 also offers “unprecedented opportunities” but needs careful stewardship and a commitment to equal access for all.Rapid and decisive action must be taken across the UN to ensure a level playing field including the setting up of an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI – without delay.Secondly, governance of Artificial Intelligence must protect human rights while also promoting innovation. Third, developing countries must be supported so AI can be leveraged for sustainable development, he said.“Humanity’s hand must be firmly in control” of the tech revolution, he added, with every nation helping to shape AI to advance human progress, equality and dignity.Hope remainsIn closing, he noted that the Pandora myth includes one often overlooked detail. After the box was opened unleashing its horrors, there was one thing left inside – hope.“We must never lose sight of hope,” Mr. Guterres said. “And we will work to lift the lid on that hope through action. To make it real, to help it spread – sticking to principles, speaking the truth, never giving up.”

UN weather experts from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed on Friday that 2024 was the hottest year on record, at 1.55 degrees Celsius (C) above pre-industrial temperatures.“We saw extraordinary land, sea surface temperatures, extraordinary ocean heat accompanied by very extreme weather affecting many countries around the world, destroying lives, livelihoods, hopes and dreams,” WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis said. “We saw many climate change impacts retreating sea ice glaciers. It was an extraordinary year.”Four of the six international datasets crunched by WMO indicated a higher than 1.5℃ global average increase for the whole of last year but two did not. The 1.5℃ marker is significant because it was a key goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement to try to ensure that global temperature change does not rise more than this above pre-industrial levels, while striving to hold the overall increase to well below 2℃.Climate deal under pressureThe Paris Agreement is “not yet dead but in grave danger”, the WMO maintained, explaining that the accord’s long-term temperature goals are measured over decades, rather than individual years.However, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo insisted that “climate history is playing out before our eyes. We’ve had not just one or two record-breaking years, but a full ten-year series. “It is essential to recognize that every fraction of a degree of warming matters. Whether it is at a level below or above 1.5C of warming, every additional increment of global warming increases the impacts on our lives, economies and our planet.”LA fires: climate change factorAmid still raging deadly wildfires in Los Angeles that weather experts including the WMO insist have been exacerbated by climate change - with more days of dry, warm, windy weather on top of rains which boosted vegetation growth – the UN agency said that 2024 capped a decade-long “extraordinary streak of record-breaking temperatures”..UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the WMO’s findings as further proof of global warming and urged all governments to deliver new national climate action plans this year to limit long-term global temperature rise to 1.5C – and support the most vulnerable deal with devastating climate impacts.“Individual years pushing past the 1.5℃ limit do not mean the long-term goal is shot,” Mr. Guterres said. “It means we need to fight even harder to get on track. Blazing temperatures in 2024 require trail-blazing climate action in 2025,” he said. “There’s still time to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe. But leaders must act – now.”The datasets used by WMO are from the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the Japan Meteorological Agency, NASA, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the UK Met Office in collaboration with the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia (HadCRUT) and Berkeley Earth.Ocean warmingHighlighting a separate scientific study on ocean warming, WMO said that it had played a key role in last year’s record high temperatures.“The ocean is the warmest it has ever been as recorded by humans, not only at the surface but also for the upper 2,000 metres,” the UN agency said, citing the findings of the international study spanning seven countries and published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences.WMO noted that about 90 per cent of the excess heat from global warming is stored in the ocean, “making ocean heat content a critical indicator of climate change”.To put the study’s findings into perspective, it explained that from 2023 to 2024, the upper 2,000 metres of ocean became warmer by 16 zettajoules (1,021 Joules), which is about 140 times the world’s total electricity output. 

UN Women Türkiye kicked off the Beijing+30 celebrations with its first Speed Dialogue Meeting, uniting pioneers of the women’s movement in Türkiye with young activists. This dynamic event, held on the eve of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, featured an interactive format: young participants rotated between tables, engaging in focused discussions with senior activists. The meeting sparked vital discussions on combatting gender-based violence and highlighted the progress made and the work still ahead as we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration.As part of the upcoming 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025, UN Women Türkiye initiated its first Beijing+30: Speed Dialogue Meeting with the participation of women activists from different generations. The meeting was held on November 22, on the eve of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign.The first Speed Dialogue Meeting brought together pioneers of the women’s movement in Türkiye and young women activists, fostering a platform to have a ‘speed dialogue’ discussion on combatting violence against women as part of the 16 Days of Activism campaign. Activists shared their experiences, achievements, and challenges in addressing gender-based violence while discussing activism, evolving tools for advocacy, and strategies to tackle emerging forms of violence. The meeting featured an interactive format with participants rotating between tables, engaging in discussions with each other.  This initiative is part of the journey to mark 30 years since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action - the most visionary agenda for the empowerment of women and girls. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted by 189 governments and supported by thousands of activists at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 in Beijing, China. Despite significant progress over the past three decades, achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls require continued collective action and innovative approaches.Beijing+30: Speed Dialogue Meetings aim to foster intergenerational connections among women activists, provide a space for mutual learning, and enhance collective efforts towards achieving gender equality.“It was a joy to discuss the changing needs and diversified methods in an era of multiple crises. This allowed us to learn from each other and to amplify our collective voice more effectively, renewing our hope. Together, through the right policies, participatory processes, and solidarity, we can achieve equality,” said Betül Demirses, General Coordinator of ICHILD.“Participating in this event and being among women activists from different generations empowered me and gave me hope for the future. It reminded me that I am not alone in this fight against gender-based violence, and our intergenerational solidarity continues to grow. This experience renewed my optimism for achieving gender equality in the future,” reflected İrem Tunca, a young activist from the Foundation for Women’s Solidarity.“We reflected on where Türkiye’s women’s movement has come from, the efforts expended, and the sacrifices made along the way. When the fresh ideas and enthusiasm of today’s activists merged with this history, we felt an incredible synergy emerge,” said Ayşe Yetmen, a pioneer activist. “We shared our personal activism stories highlighting our unique paths in the fight for equality. These stories show how the struggle unites and connects us. This meeting, which made me feel the power of our knowledge, also renewed my energy and faith. It will be very useful if such meetings continue in different regions and provinces. Because this is solidarity and solidarity keeps us alive, grow, and deepen,” said Nazik Işık, a pioneer activist.“The Speed Dialogue Meeting was more than just a dialogue for me. Talking with experienced activists, I not only learned many things but also realized this struggle didn’t start recently because the patriarchal dominance over women wasn’t established yesterday. Being part of that space became even more meaningful when I understood this,” said Sena Özden Alan, a university student and activist.Speed Dialogue Meeting enabled participants to reflect on the rich history of the women’s movement in combatting violence in Türkiye and explore pathways for future progress. Through dialogue sessions and group discussions, activists from different generations exchanged ideas and built solidarity to reimagine gender equality efforts in Türkiye.“By bringing together activists from different generations, we hope to inspire a renewed commitment to gender equality and to carry the legacy of the women’s movement forward. This is also significant as we approach the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, offering an opportunity to address both the progress made and the gaps that still remain,” said Ebru Ağduk, Programme Manager at UN Women Türkiye. The Speed Dialogue Meeting was organized within the framework of the “Reimagining Gender Equality Across Generations and Communities in Türkiye” project, implemented by UN Women Türkiye with financial support from the Government of Norway. 

In Türkiye, nearly four in ten women with disabilities report experiencing violence, and half face challenges in accessing healthcare services, 69% of women face difficulties accessing public buildings and spaces. From navigating inaccessible public spaces to facing prejudices in the workplace, women with disabilities encounter a unique intersection of gender and disability-based inequalities that profoundly shape their lives.A new report by the Association of Women with Disabilities (ENG-KAD), conducted in collaboration with UN Women and with the financial support of the European Union, highlights these realities. The report titled “The Status, Needs, and Priorities of Women with Disabilities in Türkiye: A Rights-Based Study” which addresses the living conditions, needs, and priorities of women with disabilities in Türkiye, aims to address intersecting inequalities, such as gender and disability, and the challenges they pose to the social participation and access to fundamental rights for women with disabilities. The report aims to address the critical lack of data in this field.Based on the experiences and knowledge of women with disabilities, the research was designed using a participatory approach. Conducted between September and November 2023, the fieldwork surveyed 991 women with disabilities (898 women with disabilities and 93 caregivers of women with disabilities). The findings reveal the difficulties faced by women with disabilities in areas such as education, employment, health, social participation, and violence. The report provides evidence-based policy recommendations to improve their access to rights and services. Key Findings highlight the inequalities faced by women with disabilities: Violence and Safety: Nearly 4 out of 10 women with disabilities (35.8%) report having experienced violence. Among those, 89.5% have faced emotional/psychological violence, 23% socio-economic violence, 13.5% sexual violence/harmful practices, and 4.7% physical violence. Women with psychosocial disabilities report the highest rates of violence (68%). However, only 31% of women who experienced violence reported or disclosed their experiences to an institution or someone else.Employment: Women with disabilities face significant barriers to participating in the workforce and securing employment. For instance, half of the women report not being directed toward jobs suited to their disabilities, and 34.4% say they were not guided toward jobs matching their educational qualifications. One in four women has experienced discrimination in the workplace, with 41% encountering biased behavior from colleagues and 73% from employers or managers. Among the respondents, 37.7% are employed in income-generating jobs, a figure higher than the general employment rate for women (32.5%) and the rate for women with disabilities in the general population (12.6%) in Türkiye. The unemployment rate among women with disabilities seeking work is 11.6%. Furthermore, 1 in 10 women with disabilities lacks social security, and 60.5% rely on the income of other household members as their primary source of income.Access to Education: Women with disabilities face challenges in continuing their education due to insufficient family financial resources (47%), physical barriers to school access (35.6%), and lack of family support (27.5%). Additionally, 13.5% state that they are not provided with education support or information suitable for their disability, and 11.7% find that curricula and educational materials are not disability-inclusive. Access to and continuity in education are crucial for the employment of women: 54.4% of women who continued their education are employed in income-generating jobs, compared to only 16.6% of those who did not. Healthcare: Nearly half (47%) of the participants report difficulties in physically accessing healthcare services. Many women also struggle to access assistive devices and materials suited to their needs based on their type of disability. Among women who participated directly in the survey, 4 out of 10 face challenges in accessing assistive devices, while this figure rises to 7 out of 10 among women whose information was provided by caregivers. Women with intellectual disabilities report the highest difficulty (82.4%) in accessing assistive devices. Despite having social security through Türkiye’s Social Security Institution (SGK), 9.9% of respondents lack any form of social security. The research highlights the need for inclusive, directly communicative healthcare services tailored to the needs of persons with disabilities.Urban Access and Social Participation: 69% of women with disabilities report difficulties accessing public buildings and spaces. One in four women with intellectual disabilities cannot use parks, squares, or public transportation, while nearly half of women with visual or orthopedic disabilities cannot access transportation services. Women with hearing disabilities often face barriers to accessing social events such as cinema, theater, or other cultural activities due to limited accessibility.Most Common Concerns: Four out of 10 women with disabilities express concerns about giving birth and raising children due to societal expectations and prejudices, while another 4 in 10 refrain from learning new skills because of fear of judgment. Additionally, 3 in 10 women worry about being attacked by strangers. “Our goal as the Association of Women with Disabilities is to highlight the discrimination women face at the intersection of disability and gender, and to seek solutions. This research fills a critical gap, as the lack of data hinders problem-solving and policy development. More comprehensive and representative studies are essential to address these issues fully. Women with disabilities are part of every aspect of life, so disability must be mainstreamed and considered in all research on women,” said Elif Emir Öksüz, Member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Women with Disabilities.“As the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration approaches, we see this as an opportunity to advocate for the rights of women with disabilities and remove barriers to their empowerment. UN Women works with stakeholders to promote disability-inclusive gender equality and amplify their voices. This research fills a critical data gap, laying a foundation for future advocacy and policies to improve access to rights and services, contributing to a more equitable world,” says Ebru Ağduk, UN Women Project Manager.Ağduk also stressed the importance of identifying the needs of women with disabilities after the earthquakes in Türkiye and collecting data to guide post-earthquake interventions and policies. “This step is essential to protect the rights of both individuals with disabilities and women with increased caregiving responsibilities,” says Ağduk. The report was prepared and published by ENG-KAD as part of UN Women’s “Strong Civic Space for Gender Equality” project, funded by the European Union, with its first phase completed in October 2024.