Dear Reader,

Below we list the latest news and articles from our website related to international affairs and issues such as sustainable development.

Read these stories and more, plus information about forthcoming events, by following the links below.

You might also like the Coventry Climate Action Network website which we also maintain. Please check it out at https://covcan.uk/

Philip Brown

Secretary, UNA Coventry Branch
philip@unacov.uk

Recent Articles

See our website for more of our recent news articles.

UN at 80 - Due for Retirement or Still Vital for the World?

On 26 June, the 80th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter in 1945, the BBC PM programme broadcast the above interview with Mary Robinson, previously the President of Ireland (with approval ratings frequently over 90%) and then the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Background to this interview 2025 is a year for the UN and its members …

310 Civil Servants' “longstanding concern” with UK Gaza policy

The Letter On 16 May 2025, 310 staff of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) wrote to the UK Foreign Secretary in a letter marked OFFICIAL SENSITIVE saying, among other things: In July 2024, staff expressed concern about Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law and potential UK Government complicity. In the intervening period, the reality of Israel’s disregard …

Was Trump's bombing of Iran legal?

According the the New York Times (NYT), the US Constitution says Congress has the power to declare war while it makes the president the commander in chief of the military so he can take decisions about bombing once a war has been declared. And since the US Congress has not declared war on Iran, his bombing would seem to be …

Videos of US President and Iranian Foreign Minister on bombing of nuclear facilities

On the evening of 21 June 2025 Donald Trump announced that U.S. military had bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran. Donald Trump's Statement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPv8zXepRp0 Iran's foreign minister responds to attack Seyed Abbas Araghchi says the attack is a grave violation of the UN Charter and of international law. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diet_Alh3zM&t=40s Bernie Sanders responds to Trump announcement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMo_snZ0iV0

COP30

The UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) 30 will take place in Belém, Brazil, 10-21 November 2025. In preparation for the Conference, a Climate Change Conference is being held in Bonn June 16-26, 2025. What is the COP? The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) often referred to …

The Guardian view on Gaza’s engineered famine: stop arming the slaughter – or lose the rule of law

On 17 June 2025 the Guardian Newspaper published an Opinion piece which began... As Palestinians starve amid the rubble, western governments defend Israel, fund armed aid and dismantle the very rules they claim to uphold. Here are some extracts which convey the sense of this important article. Gaza’s cries have been drowned out by Israel’s strikes on Iran, and the …

Videos of statements by Iran and Israel about current war

Both the following statements were made on 20 June 2025, one week after Israel started the war against Iran. Israel on Iran Media stakeout before a UN Security Council meeting in New York by Danny Danon, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kKUcGNrGjE Iran on Israel Statement to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva by Seyed Abbas …

UNA-UK calls for an immediate end to Israel-Iran war

On 19 June 2025, UNA-UK published the following statement. UNA-UK supports and reiterates the call of the UN Secretary-General and the UK government for urgent de-escalation, and a diplomatic resolution to Israel and Iran’s legitimate concerns about security and nuclear proliferation. The most urgent priorities are to stop the war from widening further, implement a ceasefire, and prevent Iran from leaving the NPT. …

Volunteer

Want to meet some interesting people and help make the world safer, fairer and more sustainable? Want to gain valuable experience in planning and organising fantastic events? Or fancy writing web articles about climate change, international peace and security, human rights and sustainable development? Then find out about our available roles and complete the application form below to register as …

Join UNA-UK

You can now join UNA-UK as a member for £10 per year and stand with us in support of a strong, credible and effective UN. Over the last 18 months, UNA-UK has been engaged in an extensive process of reviewing our engagement structures - how our members, supporters, and network of UNA Groups interact with us as an organisation and contribute to the …

Forthcoming Events

If you have an idea for an event you want us to organise, please contact events@unacov.uk

4th International Conference on Financing for Development

4th International Conference on Financing for Development will take place in Sevilla, Spain from 30 June to 3 July 2025. The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) provides a unique opportunity to reform financing at all levels, including to support reform of the international financial architecture and addressing financing challenges preventing the urgently needed investment push for the …

Nuclear Weapons still threaten us all TODAY! What can we do about it?

Lauren Muir On Saturday 12th July 2025, Warwick District UN Association is honoured and delighted to welcome UNA-UK's Policy & Outreach Officer and support officer for UK All Party Parliamentary Group on UN, Lauren Muire, who will address the meeting in person on the subject: Nuclear Weapons still threaten us all TODAY! What can we do about it? The meeting …

COP30 - UN Climate Change Conference

The UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) 30 will take place in Belém, Brazil, 10-21 November 2025. What is the COP? The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments …

Produced by United Nations Association Coventry branch.

Thank you for subscribing. If you find this newsletter interesting please tell your friends to visit the unacov.uk website and subscribe!

Please follow us on Twitter @UNACoventry, on Instagram and like our Facebook page.