Critical Energy Transition Minerals, Iran, Yemen & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

Okay. Hello. Good afternoon, everyone. In a short while, I will be joined by my guests, Philippe Pollier, the Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, and Saira Al Nahari, a young leader for the Sustainable Development Goals. They will be here to brief you on the issues surrounding mental health and football. Then tomorrow, our guest will be our friend Maximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization. He will be here to brief you on the high cost of a healthy diet and what to expect from the upcoming State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report 2026, which will be launched on the 21st of July in Rome. Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will start a visit to China, where he will have several official engagements. During the visit, the Secretary-General will travel to Yunnan Province. He will visit the Erhai Lake Ecological Quarter in Dali, a 900-hectare nature-based restoration project that has significantly boosted local biodiversity. Afterwards, in Kunming, he will interact with beneficiaries and local counterparts of UN programmes supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in China. Among these are programmes on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration, low-carbon rural development and sustainable agriculture, rural revitalization, as well as gender equality and social inclusion. While in China, the Secretary-General will also attend the opening ceremony of the World AI Conference in Shanghai. In his address, he will emphasize that the defining question is not whether artificial intelligence will transform our world, but whether that transformation will reduce inequalities and expand opportunity. The Secretary-General is expected to underscore that the technology that will shape the future of humanity must be shaped by all of humanity, and that it cannot be governed by a handful of countries or companies. The Secretary-General will also deliver remarks at the opening session of the World AI Conference Meteorological Forum. The Secretary-General will return to New York on Monday, the 20th of July. This morning, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, addressed a high-level meeting on critical energy transition minerals. She stressed that advancing the energy transition at speed and scale has never been more urgent or vital. Ms. Muhammad noted that the climate crisis is driving us deeper into planetary overshoot, with rising temperatures pushing us closer to irreversible, catastrophic tipping points. And at the same time, she added, a global energy crisis is exposing the folly of a world still hooked on hydrocarbons, with limited access to cleaner fuels for the poor, and accelerated destruction of our natural systems, pushing ecosystems to the brink. The Deputy Secretary-General pointed out that these crises have one common cause: fossil fuels. She underscored that they demand the same answer: a fast, fair, and inclusive transition to clean energy, along with shared benefits from decarbonization and a surge in adaptation finance, resilient infrastructure, and climate justice for those already facing climate harm. Her full remarks have been shared with you. Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said today that the return to wider hostilities in the Middle East between the US and Iran is a huge setback for civilians in the region and beyond. It undermines peace efforts and deepens instability, with grave risks for human rights across the entire region. He said that all parties must respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law, including by taking all necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian objects, and must respect their obligations under international human rights law. They must also independently and promptly investigate all alleged violations. The International Maritime Organization is gravely concerned by the latest attacks on shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz reported on Monday night. which have claimed the lives of at least 2 seafarers and injured several others. IMO condemned these attacks, saying that the cycle of escalation must end. These actions carry profound human costs and consequences that will be felt across the region and far beyond its borders. Both statements are online. The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grunberg, is in Muscat in Oman. Today he held meetings with senior Omani officials and Ansar Allah's chief negotiator, Mohammed Abdusalam. The discussions focused on the need for immediate de-escalation and establishing an agreed way forward to preserve the relative calm Yemen has experienced since the 2022 truce agreement. The Special Envoy stressed the need for the parties to engage in negotiations under UN auspices on political, security, and economic priorities to advance a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the conflict. As you know, the Security Council also met on Yemen yesterday. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Khaled Kiyari, expressed deep concern over the risk of a wider regional escalation and called on all actors to engage constructively in negotiations under UN auspices. For his part, Indrika Ratwate, Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said that any further escalation in Yemen or across the wider region could have immediate and severe humanitarian consequences, including more displacement, higher prices for essential imports, and additional constraints on humanitarian access. The remarks were shared with you. From Lebanon, OCHA reports that people continue to return to their communities in the south of the country, although many families remain unable to go home. More than 430,000 people are still internally displaced. Since the latest ceasefire announcement, 50 collective shelters have closed in South Governorate, while 45 remain open, hosting around 7,000 people. New shelters have also been set up in Deir District for families moving closer to their communities but unable to return because their homes have been damaged or destroyed. Insecurity, damaged homes and infrastructure, the presence of unexploded ordnance, and limited access to basic services are hindering safe and sustainable returns. We stress that all returns must be safe, voluntary, and dignified, and call for sustained humanitarian access and the protection of civilians, including humanitarian personnel and health workers. Our partners continue to respond to growing needs. Since the escalation began, they have reached more than 330,000 people with protection services, including child protection assistance and support for survivors of gender-based violence. The $640 million revised Lebanon flash appeal is only 43% funded, constraining the response at a time when humanitarian needs remain high. Turning to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that the UN and our humanitarian partners continue to face significant challenges in reaching communities located near the Yellow Line in northern Rafah, Families reportedly remained inside their tents for much of the day due to fears of being injured by gunfire or stray bullets. Humanitarian partners also received reports this afternoon of intensified military activity in the vicinity of sites near the Yellow Line, including reported tank movements towards one of the sites. Initial reports indicate that one Palestinian was killed and 3 others were injured at one of the sites. The injured were reportedly transferred to the ICRC field hospital for treatment. Our humanitarian partners report that the insecurity is severely disrupting the delivery of essential assistance, including water, food, bread, hygiene support, and routine site management services. A water truck driver was reportedly injured by gunfire last Wednesday. Some residents told humanitarian partners they wish to relocate but have few viable options because of limited space elsewhere, shortage of tents and other essential items, and inadequate access to services. Others say they remain because they fear losing access to their homes, land or property. Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected at all times, and humanitarian organizations must be able to reach people in need safely and without impediment. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, OCHA reports that between 10 July and yesterday, settlers reportedly attacked Palestinians working on agricultural land in an area in southern Hebron Governorate. Some 30 Palestinians were injured, including children, women, and older persons. Damage to olive trees and agricultural infrastructure were also reported. These incidents reflect a recurring pattern of settler violence affecting Palestinians attempting to access and cultivate their agricultural land. Our humanitarian partners are providing assistance, including legal assistance, to affected communities. We reiterate that civilians must be protected and that all incidents of violence must be addressed in line with international law. This morning, the Head of our Office for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, briefed the Security Council. He said 3 broad trends stand out in the region: the concerning security situation, the renewal of momentum for dialogue and cooperation, and finally, the democratic developments occurring in the region. On the security situation, Mr. Chamau said the threat posed by terrorists and other non-state armed groups remains acute, especially in the Central Sahel and northern Nigeria. He added that these groups are adapting their tactics, increasingly using advanced technology such as drones and cryptocurrencies. Their attacks are coordinated across multiple fronts, including across countries, and their actions intersect with transnational organized crime. The human cost of the violence is devastating, the Special Representative said, adding that regional actors are working hard to find solutions. He told Council members the region is also experiencing a renewed momentum for dialogue and noted that on issues related to the Sahel, there is a shift from confrontation towards collaboration and constructive engagement that is beginning to produce concrete results. Mr. Chamaou flagged peaceful elections in Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea, as well as reforms and continued steps towards accountable governance in the region. The Special Representative will be available to speak to you at the stakeout immediately after the end of consultations, and we will alert you a few minutes before. Turning to Sudan, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warn that fighting and disease outbreaks continue to take a heavy toll on civilians across the country. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that multiple drone attacks have been reported across Darfur and Kordofan in western and central Sudan. In North Kordofan State, humanitarian partners said that on Sunday, a drone reportedly struck a fuel station in the Al Majala area of El Obeid. On the same day in North Darfur, a drone struck several trucks traveling along the road between El Fasher and Umgadada. In a special— in a separate incident, Another reported drone attack resulted in civilian casualties in Kubum town in South Darfur State. For its part, the World Health Organization said that as of July 7th, there have been 1,330 confirmed cases and 114 confirmed deaths from the cholera outbreak. We, along with our partners, continue to preposition supplies and scale up the response to the outbreak as cholera continues to spread to new areas in Darfur, and Kordofan. Our humanitarian colleagues note that new cases were also reportedly confirmed in Kampala displacement camp in South Darfur, and a first suspected case was reported in Tawalla locality in North Darfur. In West Kordofan, which has seen the highest number of cases, 6 new suspected cases and 2 associated deaths have been recorded by health partners. On July 12th, UNICEF delivered essential health supplies to El Fula in West Kordofan, to support the ongoing cholera response. The supplies are expected to benefit more than 429,000 people. In Nyala South, our partners continue preventive and control measures, including community outreach and health awareness campaigns, household chlorination, and the distribution of chlorine strips to reduce the risk of transmission. This time last year, Sudan faced a major cholera outbreak that resulted in more than 80,000 suspected cases, and over 2,000 associated deaths. We once again call for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. We also reiterate the need for rapid and flexible funding so our partners can respond to growing needs across Sudan. Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our OCHA colleagues report that efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak are scaling up following the spread of disease to 2 additional provinces. Hotwele, and Shopo. The confirmation of cases in Kisangani, a city of more than 1.6 million people and a major transport hub linking the country's east and west, highlights the risk of wider transmission along key transport corridors, including the Congo River. Our Senior Ebola Coordinator, Julian Harnes, returned yesterday from a mission to Kisangani with the Congolese Minister of Health, the incident managers from Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, And the WHO to support provincial authorities in strengthening the response. National organizations, faith-based groups, and local community networks are already mobilized on the ground. We and our humanitarian partners, in support of the authorities, are expanding surveillance, laboratory capacity, case management, and community engagement efforts to contain the outbreak. The response has been made— has made important gains in recent weeks. With 85% of alerts now being investigated and 80% of identified contacts being traced and monitored. 11 decentralized labs are now operational, raising testing capacity to up to 250 samples per day. At the same time, treatment capacity has expanded to 22 Ebola treatment centers and 7 transit centers, providing more than 700 beds across affected areas. Meanwhile, ongoing insecurity in parts of North Kivu and Ituri continues to hamper the response. At least 4 civilians were reportedly killed and several others abducted during an armed attack overnight between July 12th and 13th in Beni Territory, North Kivu Province. Several people remain unaccounted for and population displacement has been reported. On a positive note, South Kivu has now recorded 49 consecutive days Without a new confirmed case of Ebola, twice exceeding the maximum incubation period. The province is maintaining enhanced surveillance as it moves towards a possible declaration of the end of transmission. We call on all stakeholders to enhance— to ensure the safety of health workers and humanitarian personnel and to facilitate access to affected communities. Continued community engagement, early reporting of suspected cases and a secure operating environment remain essential to interrupting transmission and bringing this outbreak under control. We have an update from our peacekeeping colleagues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on their support to the implementation of a ceasefire in North and South Kivu, in line with Security Council Resolution 2808. As you will recall, under this resolution, MONUSCO is authorized to support the implementation of a permanent ceasefire including through the expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus. In this context, our colleagues report that yesterday, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Viviane Vandepaere, travelled to Goma aboard a MONUSCO flight, accompanying 3 members of the Congolese Armed Forces designated by their government to serve as representatives to the expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus. This deployment, supported by the peacekeeping mission, marks an important step towards the full operationalization of this mechanism and regional peace efforts. And last, we have a quiz today. Ready? This country is one of extreme landscapes and ancient history, boasting the largest proven oil reserves in Africa and the longest Mediterranean coastline in North Africa. Despite being over 90% desert, it is home to the great man-made river the world's largest irrigation project? You got it, Libya. Abdelhamid, you get first question. We say thank you to our friends in Tripoli for their full payment to the regular budget. Libya's payment brings the number of fully paid-up member states to 120. And so we turn to you before— and we'll turn to you for questions before we go to our guests.

Yes?

Okay, 2 questions. First, I repeat.

Sorry.

Yeah, in Gaza, 11 Palestinians were killed, including a police head of a police center and a woman. However, I haven't seen that coming or in your briefing. 11 Palestinians.

Although we didn't have those numbers confirmed, I did at the start of this briefing point out the fighting in Gaza. So I did talk about that, including the movement of Israeli tanks. And the initial reports that we have from our side is that 1 Palestinian was killed and 3 others were injured. Those numbers may increase.

Okay. And the second question, the Israeli cabinet 4th, met officially and celebrated, in fact, the decision to expand settlement activities with a budget of 8.5 billion shekels, which equals $2.8 billion, to expand the settlement activities, including legalizing all outpost centers or all about— Illegalized, uh, centers and building new 12,000 units. And Netanyahu and his cabinet, Smotrich and others, were in this meeting and they were like celebrating that decision. What is your opinion?

As you know, we're against settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory. Settlement activity, we've repeatedly said, contravenes international law. And it is unhelpful to the peace process and the two-state solution that we continue to advocate for. Yes, please.

Thank you, Farhan. On the escalation of tensions between Iran and the United States, do you have any new statements from the Secretary-General on that?

I read out at the start of this briefing statements from several officials, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Maritime Organization. You saw what the Secretary-General said on Sunday, and he continues to have the same concerns we expressed at the time. And he and his officials, including Jean-Arnaud and others, continue to work with partners in the region trying to see what can be done to deal with this crisis.

More specifically on what President Trump said yesterday, I believe that the United States would be the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz, and they will be Regarding the idea of charging a toll on ships going through the Strait, this is the same thing that Iran, you know, has demanded. Where does the Secretary-General stand on that?

Regardless of who says it, the Secretary-General's position is consistent that we believe that there must be free movement of shipping across the Strait of Hormuz. the freedom of movement of shipping. And you will have seen that the International Maritime Organization has also come out with a statement against any imposition of tolls by any party. Gabriel.

Thank you, Farhan. On the SG's trip to China, is there— are there any plans for him to meet with President Xi and/or Foreign Minister Wang Yi?

At this stage, we'll let you know about meetings, high-level meetings as they proceed. There's nothing to announce at this point.

Okay. And on his trip to China, he's got quite an extensive agenda, as he always does on these foreign trips. I'm just trying to get a sense, is his main purpose of this trip the AI conference in Shanghai, or was it a mix of many different things?

Well, it's a number of things. As you can see, he is going to be looking at a restoration project that's boosted biodiversity. He's going to deal with programs that help to boost support for the Sustainable Development Goals in China. And yes, he will be participating in the World AI Conference in Shanghai.

Thank you. If I could just get one more, Farhan, before we go to our guests, and that's on a separate topic, Gaza. Specifically, I preface this by saying I understand that the SG and yourself don't speak for the Board of Peace. That's very clear. However, the UN works in Gaza, and the UN and your partners rely on external forces for security in Gaza and other means, right?

Mm-hmm.

So in the context of that, we hear every day here, including today, how humanitarian partners in the UN, the security situation is severely disrupted, the delivery of essential assistance. We hear that multiple times almost every day. What is the SG's assessment of the Board of Peace work in Gaza so far in relation to how the UN and your partners are able to do your job?

Ultimately, it's not for us to assess the work of the Board of Peace. We are not the body that created it, nor are we the body to whom it reports. Obviously, the The Security Council has helped in its resolutions to authorize the work of the Board of Peace, and we will leave it to them to follow up on any monitoring of the work that's being done. We're concentrating on our work, and I'll continue to update you, as will Stéphane and all of us here at the UN Spokesperson's Office, about the work that we're doing, some of which, in terms of our humanitarian mandate, is part of the authorization that has been given to the Board of Peace.

Simple follow-up. Has the UN's work in— has the situation in Gaza in relation to the UN's work there gotten better or worse in the last year?

I would not be able to say that it has done either thing. The Secretary-General, I think, has put it very well that he said repeatedly that this is not a ceasefire but a lesser fire. And every day, including just now, I've told you about the obstructions we face, including obstructions caused by continued fighting. Sinan.

Thank you, Farhan. I have a question about FIFA and racism. There have been a series of racist comments tied to FIFA 2026 from Senator Amarilla from Paraguay about French player Mbappé. And I think it was yesterday, former Spanish Prime Minister saying France team has, I'm quoting, no French players. What is the Secretary-General's reaction regarding all these racist comments and reactions?

Well, for that, I would actually just refer you to our colleagues in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights who addressed this very question just last week, and they put out a statement about their concerns about racism expressed during the course of this particular tournament. and particularly referred to one of the quotes that you just mentioned. So please look at what they said about that. Yes, please.

About the itinerary of the SG in China, you said he will be in Yunnan and Kunming and then Shanghai. Will he travel on to Beijing?

At this stage, there's no travel to Beijing to report. those 3 locations. All right, let me go get our guest. One second, please.

Hello.

How are you guys?

How are you? Please, we're ready for you. Thanks. How are you doing? Please, why don't you sit in the left and center seats?

Perfect. Great.

Good afternoon.

How are you?

Use yours.

Sorry about that. Hi, we're very pleased to have with us now our 2 guests. The Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs at my extreme left, and in the center, Saira Al Nahari, a young leader for the Sustainable Development Goals. And of course, this has been a great series of weeks to be talking about football, and they're here to brief you about football and mental health. So with that, I will now turn it over to our guests, please.

Thank you, Farhan, for having us, and good afternoon to all the members of the press. Thank you for being here today. My name is Felipe Pollé. I am the Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, and I'm head of the United Nations Youth Office. I'm pleased to be with Zahida because it's always good also to brief about our work and our initiatives with young people themselves. Zahida is one of our Sustainable Development Youth Leaders, and she will bring also her perspective to this conversation. This is the first time I'm actually joining the noon briefing, and I'm grateful That is to speak on, on a major event we have on Friday, but especially on a major topic, which is the topic of youth mental health and well-being, and a campaign we are launching on youth mental health and well-being. And I hope that this is something of interest to the press, and we hope that you can help us also to replicate and to, and to make the message strong. The Youth Office that I head is a quite new office in the UN system. I would say it's youthful yet. It was established by the General Assembly, and it was actually one of the recommendations of the Secretary-General, António Guterres, in our Common Agenda. And we have a mandate to really advance youth engagement across all the pillars of the UN's work. And also about strengthening coordination and partnerships in how the UN works with youth and for youth, with member states, but also with civil society organizations and youth organizations. And we have a very simple principle in how we work, which is really that if we include young people in in how the UN works, we have a better UN, and we have a UN which is better trusted by youth, which compose a third of the world's population. And today, in this world where uncertainty is one of the common things that we are facing, few topics are more urgent and more connected to our mandate in terms of advocacy than the topic of mental health and well-being of young people. Young people are navigating a very complex world with unpredictable change, changes in terms of digital disruption, changes in terms of economic uncertainty, absolutely the consequences of armed conflicts across regions and displacement, but also social isolation in this paradox we live. Where we are most interconnected than ever, but at the same time, we have very worrying figures about isolation among people in general, and especially adolescents and youth. And the scale of this challenge, it's really significant. According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 2 people will experience a mental health disorder in their lifetime. And most of them will begin before the age of 24. But also, we know that the investments that the world is taking on mental health are not sufficient, and actually most countries allocate less than 2% of their annual health budgets to mental health. This contributes, according to WHO figures, to an annual financing gap of $200 billion. US dollars. And the truth is that behind these figures, behind these numbers, there's actually people, millions of young people, families, and communities that are carrying a pain which is often unseen, unspoken, and unsupported. And that's why for the United Nations Youth Office, it's important to launch this advocacy campaign, which is part of a flagship initiative that we will launch during the World Social Summit in Doha, Qatar, in November 2025, which is about positioning mental health and good mental health not simply as the absence of illness, but actually about systems and how systems allow young people to learn, to connect, and to contribute. And that is why for this we need really to drive systemic and global shifts in narratives. And that's why we're taking this event, we're taking this moment where everyone is looking into football as a connector of humanity, football as something that brings us together, sometimes to celebrate, to talk about something, sometimes to cry when our team is not performing well. And that's why next Friday, in this UN headquarters in New York, with the United Nations Member States Friends of Football, we will convene this event, One World, One Game, One Goal, just ahead of the FIFA World Cup Men's Final, which is happening actually in this same city on Sunday, because we believe that football and sports are really a powerful messenger.

Yes.

Not only in terms of what they represent when they connect people, how we belong to something, how we empower communities, but also because we know football, football legends, and all in relation to it can be strong messengers to transform narratives. So this Friday, we will bring young leaders, policymakers, UN member states, more than 40 partners from civil society and private sector coming together in these whole different sessions, and I hope some of you can also be part of it and cover this. We will launch a 1-year campaign, a public advocacy campaign, that is about elevating youth mental health and well-being onto the world stage, because we believe that we cannot advance any of the Sustainable Development Goals if there's not a generation that feels supported, that feels empowered and resilient. We want also to make the case about the importance of investments when it's about youth mental health and well-being of young people. I hope you can join us on the 17th to cover the movement, but also to replicate and to help us in really reducing the stigma around mental health, which is something very important, especially in some regions of the world. Once again, thank you, and I will pass the floor to Sahida, who will share her perspective on this topic.

Thank you so much, Dr. Filippi. Well, first of all, good afternoon, members of the press. As a lifelong Liverpool fan, I feel obligated to start today with a quote from our legendary manager, Bill Shankly. He once joked, some people think football is a matter of life and death. I can assure you it is much more serious than that. We laugh, but with the Men's World Cup final happening right across the river in just days, the world is vibrating with that exact energy. Football fills our stadiums. It also fills our living room. It gives us tactics, glory, and sometimes heartbreak. And if we look closely, it holds a perfect mirror up to the human condition. And that's why we're here today. In my role as a young leader for the Sustainable Development Goals, I'm incredibly proud to contribute to this initiative. So the UN Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Flagship Initiative is coming and would be launched on July 17th here in the UN, as Dr. Filippi mentioned, under the title of One World, One Game, One Goal. So what does that mean? Let's break it down. So when we're talking about one world, like football, it's a universal language. But unfortunately, youth mental health also kind of Doesn't have any borders, can affect anyone in any country, in any single crisis, and not for a single crisis. And there's the statistics which were mentioned about the World Health Organization highlighting how it's impacting, impacting young people. And suicide is also one of the leading causes of death for young people. So those are not just statistics, those are stolen futures. So So we cannot erase all the problems that are happening in the world overnight, but because it's a crisis that is universal, our response cannot be fragmented. We must face it as one world. What about one game? So football has a lot for us to learn from when we're facing a global crisis. Let's zoom into the stadiums. When we look at the stadiums, we learn discipline. Resilience, and how to recover from profound loss. It prepares us ultimately for the most complex match of all, which is the game of life. And on the field, absolutely no one wins alone. Players depend on a whole ecosystem. So you have defenders, you had midfielders, coaches, medics, and fans in the stand, all having important roles. And so when we approach youth mental health, we require the same exact ecosystem. I would like to invite you all to have a look at the brochure that is related to this initiative. There's a beautiful diagram in one of the pages that shows the whole ecosystem that revolves around mental health, and that illustration is not just a mere picture. But it's actually our playbook. Because I can tell you, I'm a doctor myself, and I can assure you that mental health is not solved in a clinical vacuum. It's actually revolved around so many things. We're talking about sports, technology, housing, and community support. They all play a vital role on the field, but the most important player are the youth themselves. They are not waiting on the sidelines to be saved. They are already building solutions, and our responsibility is to go to them, reach out, listen, and to partner with them as we succeed to play this game together and for us to win one game. So after all of this, what's the goal? What's the one goal? We brought a global team together. What are we playing for? Our goal is not to help young people to survive a crisis. It is to empower them to transcend it when it happens. We have to have them prepared for it, and to achieve that, we have to give them the tools needed before they break down. And the first universal language, as we started, which is sport— today, 4 out of 5 young people sit physically still while their mind is racing. Sport often is an outlet, a sense of belonging, a safe place to fall and rise again. And we see this life-saving power in Alfonso Davies— I hope I pronounced it right— who found his voice on a refugee camp football pitch. We also find it in Yusra Mardini, who swam for her life across the open sea before reaching Olympic But sport is just one tool. To truly protect youth mental health, our playbook must also give them the tools for safe digital spaces, peer-led mentorship, and accessible community resources. We want to make sure that every young person has access to the tools that suit them well, for them to thrive, and for them— for all of us to reach that one goal of empowering them. So to summarize everything, one world, one game, one goal. Thank you.

All right, thank you both, and I'll now turn over the floor for questions. And please, as you ask, please let the speakers know to whom you're asking your question. Thanks very much. Yes, do you have one?

Thank you. Thank you for this briefing. My name is Abdelhamid.

Thank you.

Thank you again. I wonder if you first— you didn't mention Resolution 2250 of the Security Council resolution authorizing the initiating of the Youth Office, I think, and the first youth representative was from Jordan, the country that sponsored that resolution. So I was wondering why it didn't come during your briefing. And second, were you thinking of all the underprivileged youth around the world in conflict areas when you talk about one world, but there are underprivileged groups in conflict areas like in Gaza, in Sudan, in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon? Myanmar, Kashmir, and many other places in Africa, as you know. So how are we going to integrate all those underprivileged youth? And for you, Dr. Sahra, about the mental health, there are 2 million in Gaza who need help. Every young child, every man, every woman, they need— which is that WHO recently said everyone in Gaza needs some kind of psychological and mental assistance. Is that also in your mind when you talk about one world, one game? Thank you very much.

Thank you very much for, for your questions. And, and actually, Resolution 2250 precedes the establishment of the Youth Office. It was approved in 2015. sponsored by, by the Crown Prince of Jordan, actually, when at that point the UN had an envoy for youth, one of my predecessors, Ahmad. After him, Jayatma came, 2 of them amazing young leaders that actually have been able to drive transformation across the UN and actually institutionalize youth in the UN. And that's why the establishment of the office in 2022 by this General Assembly resolution, I think it's a recognition of, of their work, of the leadership, but also a recognition of what young people have been claiming for, which is actually an institutional and formal decision-making space in the UN system. And of course, the peace and security dimension is one of the critical areas of work of our office. Definitely, I believe this flagship effort, in terms of advocacy, in terms of making visible, it's actually interconnecting the 3 pillars and definitely the humanitarian response of the UN. That's why this flagship I was mentioning that was launched within the World Social Summit platform back in November was actually launched with the support of UNICEF, of WHO, the Health Organization, and with UNESCO. And since then, more and more UN entities have joined this, including the Refugees Agency, including the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, including UNFPA. I would say that every one of us have a role to play in this very big and complex UN system. Our office has definitely this convening and advocacy role. I think when we are bringing this topic of youth mental health, we're bringing this from this angle because we believe that most— the ones that need the most support on their mental health are those in the most complex of the contexts, those in countries that are being affected by conflict. How we're approaching that? Through our wider UN Youth Strategy, because we have a strategy to work on youth and our office is the convener and the coordinator of that strategy. After this, I'm going to present the accountability report to show how the UN worked in 2025 on the implementation of this strategy, where all of these entities are actually driving the change at the national level, where they need the most the UN and where the UN can have the strongest response. But also something for us very critical was since the beginning to build this flagship with youth participation. We have 800 youth organizations that have been part of the core of the establishment of this flagship initiative, and most of them are actually in those contexts. Most of them are actually youth initiatives in Global South countries, in those countries where young people are not waiting for change to happen, they are changing things themselves. That would be my response. Thank you for the question. Zahida, you want to address it or you want me to? You want to? Yes.

Well, I appreciate your question, and we want everyone in the world, especially our brothers and sisters in Gaza and everyone who are in conflict area, to have that accessibility and that tool. It is a big mission. It's quite a big mission, and it's our responsibility starting from this program. So being selected as a United Nations Young Leader for Sustainable Development Goals It's other 16 people with me from diverse countries. I get to hear their stories. I get to hear their interactions and how valuable it is. For example, Sahba, she's one of the young leaders. She's a very strong advocate. She's from Gaza, and I hear from her the story. So now we could work together, see how we could bridge and help people there, and therefore, like, other countries. So it starts from here. but it is growing. We're looking to expand it in other regions around the world and what is good for them. Like, it's easy to assume, but it's very important to go to the people, listen, what do they need and how we could help them in the most maximum way possible. And if you have anything to add, thank you.

Can I just have one follow-up? Are you aware that 566 Palestinian soccer players had been killed in Gaza, which equals to 25 teams altogether. Have you issued any eulogy, any statement recognizing those victims? Thank you.

Thank you for acknowledging this. Um, and our office hasn't issued a statement about that, but, um, you know how, how strong has been the position of the UN on all of these issues and how the UN has been at the ground working and pushing for this topic.

Thank you very much for the briefing. On behalf of the UN Correspondents Association, welcome to the room, especially Felipe, your first time. We hope to see you back many more times in the future, to both of you actually. My name is Gabriel Elizondo from Al Jazeera English. I have a question for each of you. Felipe, number one for you is How do you see artificial intelligence and the explosion of this new technology, transformative technology, in relation to youth and mental health? Do you see it as a possible tool to improve mental health, or do you see it as an obstacle to obtaining good mental health, particularly in the context of youth? And then for Sajida, feel free to answer that as well if you want. But the other question I had for you is, as you know and alluded to in the briefing, there's a real stigma with mental health around the world, and it varies by culture, varies by country. How do you see mental health with youth, and how do you approach it? given the different cultures that approach the subject in a very different way? Some cultures are more open to discussing mental health, as you well know, other cultures not so much. It can even be families within the same culture. So how do you approach this subject with that context in mind? Thank you to both of you.

I think I can start. Great. So definitely artificial intelligence, as any new technology, and especially one that has accelerated at a speed which is unprecedented, presents opportunities and challenges. So I was last week joining the AI Dialogue on Governance, but also the AI for Good Summit. And one of the key areas that we actually launched a joint work with the ITU, the Inter-Telecommunications Union, with the Secretary-General herself, is a collaboration in terms of digital well-being. This is connected to this broader flagship effort and the work we are doing, as I was mentioning, with many of the UN leading entities on each of these fields. And I mention these 2 dimensions because it's actually true. Many of these youth-led projects I was mentioning are actually using AI to support their peers when it's about access to mental health. I was recently in China in Tsinghua University, and one of the leading PhD professors was sharing about some paper they were launching showing that how artificial intelligence can create that peer support can be at the same level of experts, physicians, and mental health experts. So definitely, there's huge opportunities with this technology. On the other hand, what is also happening is that all of these technologies are transforming the way we correlate with each other at a community level. And there is more and more evidence that also hyperconnection doesn't mean we are more humanly connected. And we have this isolation also factor growing and growing, and there's some figures that show that, especially how this is affecting young people. So that will be my reflection, and of course working on this with the academia, because we believe that we need to drive these also next steps, not only with the formal UN entities, but also with leading universities. And also in our flagship initiative, there's very well-renowned UN universities from different regions that are supporting this effort and the evidence, behind this holistic, ecosystemic approach that we're taking on mental health?

Well, thank you also for this amazing question. And as we discussed today, the entryway for those discussions is sport. So if we use the things that are fun and enjoyable and people feel comfortable to participate in, then it releases the pressure of how heavy mental health discussions are and allows it to be conversational. And the same thing as art. So I'm a strong lover for arts, and back at home I founded an initiative called Shifa Art. And the concept is you get people to paint and then discuss how we're feeling and having that open conversation. So sometimes the tools don't have to feel heavy. We have to find tools that gives us the gateway. We go to areas where youth are already participating. So where they're playing around, where they're engaging, and also like having a strong social media presence that could communicate well with them in their language. So then they feel comfortable to reach out, to ask questions, to engage more sufficiently. So there's so many methods that we could approach. This is a really good entryway, and we can think of so many more. It's just about being creative and and trying to make it not as a heavy topic, even though it is, but like ease the language into it. And as you mentioned, it affects different people differently. So like for men, for example, in the art workshops, they're always hesitant. They're like, what if you can read my feelings? Like, I'm not comfortable opening up. But it's just like, have fun with it. And surprisingly, they always end up throwing football on them or their favorite team. But then they talk to their They express how they're feeling at work or how even when we're in Shifa Art, we target art in hospitals. And I remember having an interview with an artist who had to deal with cancer, and art was their way of managing the mental load of this illness throughout that journey. So the question is, let's experiment with tools. And see, like, it's not always go to a therapist or always go and take medications. Like, let's explore the range of tools available for us to be able to talk about this conversation.

Yes, Sinan.

Thank you, Farhan, and thank you very much for your time. My name is Sinan Tunçdemir from the Amargi. I have a few questions. I'm going to ask 2. If there is more time, I will ask more. My questions are for both of you, if I may. The first one is, I noticed that you use football instead of soccer. I don't judge, I use football too. Can you explain to us why do you use football instead of soccer? And my second question is, when it comes to the mental health, what do you do for that, especially when it comes to the conflict areas? Let's, let's say Syria, Haiti, or other conflict areas. Do you find money to build, for example, soccer field or Or do you send— I said soccer, sorry about that. What do you do to help especially the young people in those conflict areas, or do you find money for that? Thank you very much.

Great, thank you. I will need to be very brief in the responses because I need to be downstairs for the launch of this Youth 2030 progress report I was mentioning. I maybe start with the last question. This advocacy campaign has an initial objective of really shaping the narratives because we are fully convinced that the first step to have budgets, have programs, and have services is having this topic at the centrality of the UN discussions. And that's why also as part of these advocacy efforts, we've been for the past few months organizing in-close discussions with some member states from across regions to really drive it forward. So currently, there is not a fundraising concrete initiative behind this effort. It's more about the structural change we can bring and how we mobilize also the member states into that direction. And I connect this with the other piece of the question. Which is specifically how we move and how we respond specifically to those humanitarian contexts where the responses need to happen. I've been 2 and a half years working for the UN now, and I've learned— and I've, every time I visit some of those contexts, I've learned about those initiatives where the UN is already doing things on this. And these initiatives are happening from many different parts of the UN. In some cases, it's UNICEF, in some cases it's WHO, in some cases it's IOM, in some cases it's the Refugees Agency. So that's why our office took this advocacy role, this leading role, and also this role of doing things with youth and trying to position this topic from that angle. But what we're trying is to continue to push the limits so there's more and more responses and more and more of these concrete programs and services can coming from the UN side. As wider of this effort I was mentioning on the UN Youth Strategy, we're now trying also to accelerate and to understand what are all of those initiatives happening across regions. Hopefully, in the next few months, we will have a broader picture and we can show it also to you so you can also showcase how the UN is actually supporting the ones that need the UN the most.

Before we go to the last questions, I want to let you know The Security Council consultations have just wrapped up, so the Special Representative for West Africa, Leonardo Santos-Samau, will be going to the stakeout. So those of you who want to leave and head to the stakeout, you can feel free to do so. I think we have a couple last questions, so if we could lump them in quickly together. Yes, in the back. And did you still have a question, or— okay. Yes, in the back, last question. Yes, please. Thank you.

Yeah.

Yes, you can go.

Okay. Hi, thank you.

Ibtisam.

Yes, thank you. I wasn't sure if you were meaning me. I know. Yeah, today I took a— anyways, my name is Ibtisam Azem, Al Arabi Al Jadiid newspaper. My question is to both of you or to any of you who would like to answer it, and it's about actually the issue of mental health. When we talk about mental health, and approaches and research and initiatives. The issue is that there are actually also different schools and there is an alternative approach today that talks about mental health from the perspective of brown and black and the global south because— and connect the whole issue to also systematic oppression, to decolonialization, etc. So to which extent in your work, when you talk about these different approaches, you take also this into consideration? Thank you.

So, so I think we, we will share more details about the broader flagship initiative, not just the event on, on Friday, because I think that that also will reflect broadly the foundations of all this moment. I want to emphasize that this is not an event. This is an event which is a driver of a broader structural work we are doing with different parts of the UN, and that will continue to evolve as we move forward, because we want really to use not only sports, Zahira was also mentioning arts, because we really want to meet young people where they are, and mental health and youth well-being is something of them. They have a different generational way of also understanding the topic. This is a strong issue when it's about intergenerational disconnections, and that's why it's so critical for us to move it forward. The approach that we're taking, actually, it's grounded from a fundamental human rights perspective, because Human Rights Resolution 6118 recognized mental health as a fundamental human right. And that's the foundation also of how we look at mental health. But it's also the broader definition that WHO has when it's about this state of well-being that enables young people to cope with stress of life, abilities, and it's much more than just disorders and conditions. That is the foundation. Just to respond indirectly, because I cannot say directly we are taking that specific lens, I think grounding this whole flagship in 800 youth-led organizations that are bringing their perspective from the grassroots has been our way of also being connected to how young people see themselves. Of course, supported by the evidence, the data, and the experts, because this is a very sensitive topic and we need to be very responsible when we approach it, but also grounded on the lived experiences of young people, especially in Global South countries.

Zahida?

I just want to share a few stories. While I was working on this project and like doing my research and reaching out to different people, I received interesting stories. So one of them was someone from Saudi who shared the story of how she went to refugee camps in Syria and she would paint with young people. And one of them expressed how much he loves Cristiano Ronaldo. He did not have the jersey and he ended up like painting the jersey and like on the shirt. And she found a way to bring the jersey to Cristiano Ronaldo and get it signed for him. It's stories like that, like this kid, Mohammed Al-Ghazawi, like it's a story like this that you come across and it shows hope and inspiration. Inspiration, yeah. And then we also like deal with stories about how when I was looking into therapeutic arts, we see how sometimes when you study the different art formats in different areas in the world, for example, a patient who is— or an old person in a nursing home in comparison, for example, young kids who just escaped a conflict area, you see a lot for you to learn from. Like, you see how they envision their futures, what gives them safety and protection. It's a huge topic. It's a very, very huge topic. What we could do is just build those connections, try to come close to them, and restrain the hope. Restrain, like, restrain the— I think it's like, like building the hope and make sure that it's still like living there. And then the ecosystem also focuses on home housing and human rights. And I think that's a bigger topic than me. Like, it takes a bigger person to do that, but it's us being educated about it and working together to at least help in progressing towards that whole goal, or like this one goal of working together as one world.

Thank you, Fahida.

Thank you.

That was a great story. I'd like once more to thank our guests, Philippe Pollier, the Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, and Zahra Al Nahari, a Young Leader for Sustainable Development Goals. Thanks very much, and I hope you get to your next meeting on time. On time. Thanks.

Thank you, thank you.

Thank you for spending time with us.

Thank you for being present in the room.

Thank you so much.

Thanks a lot.

Thank you, Zahida.

You're welcome.