UN News Today 22 September 2025

All eyes on UN General Assembly as world leaders arrive in New York

In New York, all eyes are on the UN General Assembly as world leaders arrive in New York for the annual high-level session.

It's 80 years since the global body was founded, and Secretary-General António Guterres in New York stressed that the pursuit of peace today is just as important as it was then, in the aftermath of the Second World War.

In 1945, many UN staff bore the wounds of that conflict, Mr. Guterres said, but each of them chose to serve peace, despite seeing the "worst of humanity".

In building the United Nations, the organization's workers created a place where all nations could come together to solve problems that no country can solve on its own, the UN chief said, in a call for all nations to stand together against division at a time of raging conflict, climate change and inequality.

"Peace is the most courageous, the most practical, the most necessary pursuit of all. In building the United Nations, they created something extraordinary. A place where all nations - large and small - could come together to solve problems that no country can solve alone. And yet, at this moment, the principles of the United Nations are under assault as never before."

To watch all the week's proceedings in New York live, go to webtv.un.org and you can follow all our live pages on news.un.org.

Ukraine war: Russian forces 'used drones to pursue and bomb victims'

Next, to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, which has been hearing about the ongoing and devastating impact of the full-scale Russian invasion on Ukraine.

In an update, independent investigators from the Commission of Inquiry created by the Council expressed deep concern at the growing number of civilian casualties from Russian attacks.

Erik Mose, chair of the panel, said that "relentless attacks with long-range weapons…have intensified" throughout Ukraine.

Attacks against civilians have also increased using short-range drones in frontline areas, he said:

"Russian armed forces have been carrying out attacks from positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River with drones that allow real time observation and tracking of targets. They pursued victims with drones and dropped explosives on them, causing deaths and injuries. Drones have also struck ambulances and other emergency services, preventing them from reaching the victims."

Mr. Mose, who is not a UN staff member and works in an independent capacity, said that the investigation had been unable to verify Russian allegations of drone attacks by Ukrainian armed forces, citing a lack of access to the affected territory and a lack of engagement by the Russian authorities.

In a related development, the UN Security Council was due to meet on Monday after Estonia claimed that Russian MiG-31 fighter jets had violated its airspace.

In a letter dated 20 September to the Council, Estonia alleged that three jets had been involved in the incident last Friday.

The request to convene the Security Council reportedly received the backing from its five European members - Denmark, France, Greece, Slovenia and the UK - all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Jail sentence for China blogger Zhang Zhan 'disturbing': OHCHR

The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has described the jailing in China of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan as deeply disturbing.

The development comes after Ms. Zhan was sentenced to four more years in prison on what OHCHR calls "the vague and ill-defined charge of 'picking quarrels and provoking trouble'."

More details of this latest charge have not been divulged, but it is believed to be based on her social media activity, the UN rights office said. It also raised concerns about the conduct of her trial, claiming that independent observers were not allowed to attend her hearing.

According to OHCHR, this is the second time that Ms. Zhan has been convicted and imprisoned for this offence.

It has called for her "immediate and unconditional release".

Daniel Johnson, UN News

• Pursuing peace is not naïve, Guterres tells UN General Assembly
• Ukraine war: Russian forces used drones to pursue and bomb victims HRC60 hears
• Jail sentence for China blogger Zhang Zhan 'disturbing': OHCHR