Colombia, with the support of Russia and China, has initiated a meeting of the UN Security Council, Reuters reported, citing information from diplomats.
The agency also quotes an excerpt from a letter sent to the UN Security Council by Venezuela’s ambassador to the UN, Samuel Moncada.
” This is a colonial war aimed at destroying our republican form of government, freely chosen by our people, and establishing a puppet government that will allow our natural resources, including the world’s largest oil reserves, to be plundered,” Moncada wrote in a letter to the UN Security Council on Saturday, noting that the US had violated the UN Charter.
Metinvest Group has won the UN Global Compact Partnership for Sustainability Award 2025 in Ukraine in the “Reconstruction of Ukraine” category for creating the first underground steel hospital on the front line.
According to the company’s press release, the Partnership for Sustainability Award is the most prestigious award in the fields of corporate sustainability and ESG (environment, social responsibility, and governance). The annual award recognizes the best partnership projects implemented by business, government, and society. These projects are aimed at achieving Sustainable Development Goals, protecting the environment, overcoming social and economic challenges, and promoting peace. Since 2018, the award has brought together more than 600 cases of successful partnerships that have become examples of sustainable leadership.
This year, 150 applications from 22 countries were submitted to the competition, of which 93 projects were selected for the final. They were evaluated by an independent international jury, which included experts from Harvard University, the London School of Economics, the World Economic Forum, the Basel Institute on Governance, and other influential international institutions.
Winners were selected in seven categories. The “Reconstruction of Ukraine” category covered support for Ukraine’s defenders, humanitarian aid to the civilian population, demining and evacuation, human rights protection, and reconstruction projects.
Metinvest created Ukraine’s first underground medical stabilization point on the front line in coordination with the Skhid Medical Forces. The steel hospital is submerged to a depth of 6 meters and equipped with communications, electronic warfare systems, alternative power sources, and security measures. Inside, there is a laboratory, surgical equipment, oxygen concentrators, a ventilator, defibrillators, and more. In terms of staffing, it corresponds to Role/Echelon 2 field hospitals according to NATO standards.
“This hospital has already saved about 4,000 lives of servicemen performing combat missions 8-10 km from the contact line. Recently, one of these units was directly hit by three aerial bombs. Thanks to the hospital, it was possible to save people. Thank God, the entire unit survived,“ said Roman Kuziv, commander of the Medical Forces ”East” group.
The hospital receives up to 100 wounded per day.
“Underground hospitals are our know-how, created on the basis of steel bunkers – ‘hideouts’. When it comes to saving the lives of defenders, every minute is crucial. That is why the location of stabilization points near the front line and their concealment from the enemy allow medics to work safely and provide timely assistance. This Ukrainian engineering invention has already proven its effectiveness and attracted the interest of one of the world’s leading armies,” said Metinvest’s Chief Operating Officer Oleksandr Myronenko.
The UN Global Compact in Ukraine is the official representative of the world’s largest community of responsible businesses that shapes ESG culture. The initiative brings together more than 25,000 participants in 167 countries around the world. The Ukrainian network includes nearly 150 companies from various sectors of the economy. Metinvest Group joined the UN Global Compact in 2010.
The United Nations is short of more than a billion dollars to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine in 2025, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator for Ukraine Matthias Schmale said at a briefing in Geneva, Deutsche Welle reports.
He noted that about four million Ukrainian residents received humanitarian aid this year, but funding remains insufficient.
“This year, donors have provided only $1.15 billion, which is 44% of the total amount estimated to be needed for humanitarian aid to Ukraine,” Schmale said.
According to the UN, due to massive Russian strikes, part of Ukraine’s energy, water, and heating systems remain paralyzed, so with winter approaching, the affected regions need urgent support.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that Italy intends to submit a proposal to the United Nations for a general ceasefire during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
According to ANSA, the initiative will cover all armed conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and hostilities in the Middle East.
“We support the US plan (for Gaza) and, as Pope Leo said, we must never lose hope for peace. Rome and Italy are becoming increasingly important crossroads of peace, development, and growth. In view of the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, we are submitting a proposal to the UN for an Olympic truce for all wars, including Ukraine and the Middle East,” said the Italian Foreign Minister.
The XXV Winter Olympic Games will be held in Italy from February 6 to 22, 2026.
These are the first Olympic Games to be hosted by two cities at the same time — Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
According to Olympic tradition, host countries often appeal to the UN with an “Olympic Truce” initiative, calling on world powers to cease military action during the Games in the spirit of international unity and peace.
Italy expects its proposal to be considered by the UN General Assembly in the near future.
GAZA STRIP, ITALY, OLYMPICS, truce, UN
China’s Global Governance Initiative will have a significant economic impact, believes the Ambassador of the PRC to Ukraine, Ma Shenkun.
“It creates new opportunities for the development of trade, investment, and technological exchange, and it can also help the recovery of the world economy after crisis phenomena,” the diplomat noted in a blog.
He pointed out that the Chinese approach envisions “openness, inclusiveness, and mutually beneficial cooperation.”
Ma Shenkun has been serving as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the PRC to Ukraine since 2023.
A career diplomat, he previously held senior positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, worked in PRC missions in European countries, and participated in multilateral negotiations in the field of economic and security cooperation.
Source: Author’s column by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Ukraine Ma Shenkun on the website of the information agency “Interfax-Ukraine”.
GLOBAL GOVERNANCE INITIATIVE, INTERNATIONAL LAW, PRC, UN, Xi Jinping
According to a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) entitled “The real fertility crisis,” global birth rates have reached an all-time low, confirming the global trend toward demographic decline.
Key findings of the study
The average fertility rate has fallen from 5 to approximately 2.2–2.3 children per woman since 1950.
In more than half of countries, including the US, Germany, India, and Brazil, the average number of children per parent is below the replacement level of 2.1–2.2.
One in five adults in 14 countries surveyed (the US, India, Brazil, Germany, etc.) said they could not have as many children as they would like, primarily due to the high cost of living and financial problems.
The analysis shows that the problem is not a lack of desire to have children, but a lack of opportunities — a lack of social and financial support.
“The world has entered a phase of large-scale fertility decline… Many people feel they cannot have the family they want, and this is indeed a crisis,” said Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the Fund.
Demographic instability — population decline and an aging population — threaten the economy and social structure of countries. The loss of young citizens — young families are postponing having children or deciding not to have them at all, which reduces consumption and national wealth. Geographical heterogeneity — while the populations of Europe and Japan are declining, growth is occurring mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The UNFPA report clearly states that fertility is declining not because of a lack of desire to have children, but because of a lack of adequate support from governments. Without PROGRAMMATIC assistance in the social and economic spheres, global societies risk facing demographically impoverished future generations.
