UN News Today 24 October 2025 |

UN chief calls for urgent Security Council reform

Speaking on Friday at an open debate marking the Security Council’s 80th Anniversary, Secretary-General António Guterres said the world faced ‘grave danger’ unless the body is urgently reformed.

While Mr. Guterres praised the Council’s achievements – from helping Cambodia recover from genocide to supporting peace in South Africa, Liberia and Timor-Leste, he noted that the Council’s legitimacy remained fragile.

He warned that too often, nations act outside the UN Charter, undermining trust and stability. “When one nation flouts the rule”, he said, “others think they have license to do the same”.

The UN chief called for expanding permanent membership to include countries from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Asia-Pacific region – calling reform a matter of both justice and effectiveness while also encouraging a rethink of the veto power.

“Reform of the Security Council is imperative, and long overdue, for the maintenance of global order and safety. This includes expanding the membership. Almost half of all UN peacekeeping missions — along with numerous special political missions — take place in Africa. Yet Africa has no permanent voice at this table. The Pact for the Future calls on us to correct this imbalance as a matter of urgency.”

Ending with a powerful appeal, Mr. Guterres said: “The time has come to open the doors of the Chamber and let in the light – make this Chamber worthy of the hopes of every man, woman and child.”

Gaza: Opening all crossings is ‘critical’, says WHO

Two weeks on from the Gaza ceasefire coming into effect, the World Health Organization (WHO) noted progress on the flow of aid, while calling for more evacuations of critical patients, and better access for essential medicines and supplies.

Speaking from Jerusalem on Friday, WHO’s representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, said while the agency has been rapidly scaling up its operations, more access routes into the region are needed.

Only the Kerem Shalom and Kissufim crossings in the southern half of the Strip are open.

Here he is briefing journalists in Geneva:

“Opening up all the crossings is critical and even more so to get diverse food, shelter and all shelter-related items, with the winter approaching”.

The WHO representative highlighted the devastation of Gaza’s health system following two years of brutal war.

More than 170,000 people have been injured, while many are still unable to access treatment inside the enclave.

WHO carried out the first medical evacuation since the ceasefire on Thursday, transporting 41 patients and 145 companions, to various countries.

The agency aims to scale up evacuations to a minimum of 50 patients per day plus companions, in line with the previous ceasefire.

“We all know that this will be a long and winding road, with a lot of setbacks and obstructions. But we can only be hopeful that this ceasefire will hold, that we go to peace and we get to a proper political solution.”

Forty migrants, including children, perish in Tunisia shipwreck

A tragic shipwreck off the coast of Tunisia has claimed the lives of at least forty African migrants.

The United Nations migration agency, IOM, says the disaster once again highlights the deadly risks faced by people travelling along irregular sea routes to Europe.

The boat had set off from the Tunisian village of Salakta, but it capsized soon after leaving shore.

Among the victims were nine women, 19 men, and 12 children, all under the age of five.

A nearby fishing vessel managed to raise the alarm leading to the rescue of 30 survivors – men, women, and children from Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Guinea.

According to IOM, it’s one of the deadliest maritime incidents recorded along North Africa’s coast this year.

The agency says it underscores the urgent need for coordinated action to prevent further loss of life.

Charlotte Frantz, UN News