UN News Today 31 August 2026 |

UN chief calls for action on equality and justice 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres marked the International Day for People of African Descent on Monday by honouring their enormous contributions around the world.

He also recalled the work still to be done towards ensuring their full enjoyment of human rights, equality and opportunity, warning that progress towards equality is being rolled back in some countries.

In his message for the day, Mr. Guterres stressed the need to remove barriers that prevent people of African descent from fully reaching their potential.

Highlighting that calls for reparatory justice and addressing historical wrongs are increasingly being heard, he said that the second International Decade for People of African Descent is a further opportunity to drive meaningful progress.

UN rights chief Volker Türk welcomed global progress in addressing racial discrimination while acknowledging that in some countries there is growing backlash to these efforts.

“Racism damages us all. It steals lives and opportunities and corrodes our social fabric. It leaves us with a smaller version of what our communities, our countries and our world can be. Let us refuse that smaller future and instead, let us embrace the full richness of our shared humanity.”

Through messages across the UN system, the organization reaffirmed its call to dismantle systemic racism and advance equality and justice worldwide.

Enduring harms of slavery require reparations: UN committee

The legacy of chattel slavery continues to shape people’s lives today, contributing to racial disparities in education, economic opportunity, health and environmental safety, according to a UN committee.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said racialised violence, stereotyping and structural barriers have created enduring inequalities while the economic effects of “centuries of stolen labour” have compounded across generations, highlighting the need for comprehensive reparations.

In a new set of recommendations, the committee said anti-Black racism created to sustain chattel slavery has survived abolition and continues to shape laws, policies and institutions. It also pointed to intergenerational psychological, health and economic harms linked to enslavement.

The committee called on governments to provide reparations for these harms, including financial compensation, rehabilitation and reforms to laws and institutions.

It added that the passage of time should not prevent countries from recognising historical injustices or addressing their continuing consequences. The committee argued that denying effective reparations can itself amount to racial discrimination, which violates a landmark UN convention.

The committee recommended that governments involve people of African descent in designing and implementing reparations programmes.

It also called on universities, banks, businesses and other institutions that profited from slavery to acknowledge their roles and contribute to efforts to implement reparations.

Pacific Islands Forum underway in Palau

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed is in Palau today to brief Pacific leaders on the Secretary-General’s report on the growing threat of sea-level rise, as the region faces mounting pressure from climate change, economic challenges and geopolitical competition.

The report, published in May, says global sea levels are rising faster than at any point in recorded history. In 2024 alone, seas rose by a record 5.9 millimeters. It warns that nearly 770 million people live in coastal areas less than five metres above high tide, with rising seas threatening livelihoods, food and water security, infrastructure and, in extreme cases, the territory and sovereignty of island States.

Ms. Mohammed’s presentation comes as Pacific leaders gather in Palau for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum.

The 18-member forum will review progress on its 2050 Blue Pacific strategy, discuss institutional reforms and coordinate climate priorities ahead of November’s COP31 climate summit.

Members are expected to discuss security and the region’s growing strategic importance, with the United States, China, Japan and Singapore returning as non-member dialogue partners after being excluded last year.

Isaiah Steinberg, UN News