The Assembly Hall at the United Nations during renovations, in the context of the Strategic Heritage Plan, Geneva, Switzerland, 8 May 2024. (Keystone/Salvatore Di Nolfi)

Washington falling short in overseeing UN renovation spending, US federal watchdog says. As Washington ramps up pressure on the UN, a US agency looking into the organisation’s renovation spending notes that while multiple UN bodies are focused on ensuring that plans stick to budget, the State Department lacks the capacity to keep a closer eye.

'A dream come true': international Bonn is benefiting from donor cuts and UN reform. After three decades of hosting UN agencies, Bonn is increasing efforts to attract more organisations, particularly those based in Geneva, amid competition from other cities. Last week, the city marked a milestone by opening its growing UN Campus to the public for the first time.

🐟︎AQUACULTURE. As a growing food industry estimated to employ over 20 million people globally, aquaculture will be the focus of a meeting of experts at the International Labour Organization this week, set to agree on a health and safety code of practice.

From salmon farming in Canada and Norway, to industrial aquaculture systems in China and elsewhere, workers in the sector face serious and underreported risks, including drowning, chemical contamination, infections and zoonotic diseases.

💧WATER CONVENTION. As water resources are increasingly affected by climate change, population increases, and the building of hydroelectric power installations, global conflict over shared water sources – including rivers and lakes – has been on the rise.

But transboundary cooperation remains limited. According to the UN, the world will not achieve sustainable water management until at least 2049.

On Friday, the UN Economic Commission for Europe’s Water Convention bureau, made up of representatives from member states, will meet ahead of the UN Water Conference in December.

— By Paula Dupraz-Dobias