US PresidentJoe Biden addresses 78th Session of General Assembly Debate (UN Photo/ Manuel Elias)

⚠️ ‘The UN is in danger of marginalisation.’ The absence this week in New York of many leaders of major powers at the United Nations General Assembly is worrying. And indicative of multilateralism in crisis at a time when it is more necessary than ever.

🇻🇪UN rights experts report rise of efforts in Venezuela to squelch democracy ahead of 2024 election. An international fact-finding mission said Venezuela’s government has intensified efforts to curtail democratic freedoms with use of threats, surveillance and harassment.

🥫WTO: Ukraine files trade complaint over food ban. The World Trade Organization confirmed that Ukraine had taken the first step in a trade dispute by filing a complaint to the global trade body over bans on food imports from Ukraine.

🇺🇳 Leaders suggest UN may be more appropriate to lead pandemic response than WHO. Speaking at the General Assembly, Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia, believes the UN may be the better forum as “pandemic preparedness encompasses far more than health”.

🔬World’s five biggest science and technology clusters are now in East Asia, according to data from WIPO’s annual Global Innovation Index. China is emerging as the country with the greatest number of clusters, the index showed.

🕊️Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenian forces reach Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire deal. Armenian forces surrendered all their ammunition to the Azeri army as the warring sides confirmed a ceasefire mediated by Russian peacekeepers.