Episode Details

War leaves scars not only on people but also on the land. In Ukraine, vast fields are littered with explosive remnants, threatening the future of farming. Tiphaine Lucas, a Programme Coordinator for FAO’s Mine Action and Land Rehabilitation Initiative, is on a mission to collect and analyze soil samples, ensuring the land can once again grow wheat and sustain communities. Watch how science and resilience are helping Ukraine rebuild.

Financing challenges are at the heart of the current sustainable development crisis. The International Commission of Experts on Financing for Development, a group of experts on Financing for Development, will launch its report on pathways to resolve this crisis on Tuesday, 11 February 2025, at 1:15 p.m. (EST). The launch will take place on the sideline of the 3rd Preparatory Committee Session of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), which will take place at UN Headquarters from 10 to 14 February 2025.  The report provides innovative ideas and fresh perspectives critical to shaping the future of financing for development, putting forward proposals for concrete actions across a range of areas, including debt restructuring and strengthening the global safety net.   The International Commission of Experts on Financing for Development comprises 14 distinguished experts, including Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Laureate and Professor at Columbia University. Chaired by Professor José Antonio Ocampo, the Commission has developed a comprehensive set of recommendations to support all stakeholders involved in the substantive preparations and negotiations of the outcome document for the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain.   The Commission was set up by the Spanish Government, in support of its commitment to advancing the Financing for Development (FfD) process and welcomed by the UN Secretary-General. 
The Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov today (10 Feb) told the Security Council that the “volatile situation in the Syrian Arab Republic is of great concern, especially as there is a risk that stockpiles of advanced weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists.”
Briefing the Council on the threat posed by Da’esh to international peace and security, Voronkov noted that the Syrian Badia region “continued to serve as a centre for Da’esh external operational planning and a critical region for their activities.”
He also expressed concern over the situation in detention camps and other facilities in the north-east of the country.
On Afghanistan, Voronkov said ISIL- Khorasan “has continued to pose a significant threat in Afghanistan, the region and beyond,” as supporters have “plotted attacks in Europe and were actively seeking to recruit individuals from Central Asian States.”
He stressed that no State can confront terrorism in isolation, and noted that Member States “must prioritize comprehensive, long-term responses that address the conditions conducive to terrorism while strengthening the rule of law and upholding international human and humanitarian rights.”
Also, addressing the Security Council on the twentieth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by Da’esh to international peace and security, Natalia Gherman, the Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, highlighted the UN’s efforts to support Member States in addressing the challenges.
Gherman said, “the challenges posed by Da’esh remain complex, with humanitarian, security, and governance concerns persisting across regions affected by its activities.”
She said, “after devastating so many parts of the world for more than a decade, Da’esh and other terrorist groups now pose the most significant threat to peace, security and sustainable development across the African continent.”