This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.

‘We need a system that delivers for all humanity’: UN chief to G-77 and China

The world is failing developing countries and needs to build an international system that upholds human rights and works in their interests, UN chief António Guterres said on Friday.

Addressing a summit of the G-77 and China in Havana, Cuba, Mr. Guterres recalled his proposals to make the global financial architecture more representative and responsive to the needs of developing economies.  He said the SDG Summit at the UN General Assembly in New York next week and the Summit of the Future next year were “real chances” to make headway. He also called on developed countries to redouble efforts on climate adaptation funding for emerging economies.

The UN chief condemned continuing inequalities of access to science and technology, criticizing wealthy nations for “hoarding” COVID vaccines while the pandemic “ran rampant” in the Global South. 

He advocated for a “just transition” to a digital economy and invited developing countries to play a leading role in negotiations on a Global Digital Compact. 

Morocco and Libya: UN scales up support in tale of two disasters

Two very different catastrophes in Morocco and in Libya, united by the “unimaginable trauma” of bereaved families continue to mobilize the UN’s relief  efforts, the organisation’s top aid official said on Friday.

Martin Griffiths called for solidarity with the people of the two countries and spoke of the tragedy facing those looking desperately for loved ones for days on end.  

And as the response to last Friday’s earthquake in Morocco enters its second phase focused on aid to survivors, the veteran aid coordinator said the UN’s disaster assessment and coordination team was being redeployed from Morocco to Libya following the deadly flooding and dam breaches from Storm Daniel:

“We decided with the consent also of the Moroccan authorities, to redeploy that team, and they are now in Libya. They’re on the way clearly to the epicentre. And they will help the Libyan authorities on coordination. If you don’t have coordination, there’s chaos. And that loses lives.”

Some 20,000 people may have been killed in the flooding in eastern Libya and 900,000 had been affected. The UN launched a flash appeal for more than $71 million on Thursday to support 250,000 people over the next three months.

Saudi Arabia: revoke death penalty for social media activity: rights experts 

Saudi Arabia faced an urgent call on Friday from top rights experts to immediately revoke the death sentence handed down to retired teacher Mohammed Al Ghamdi for his tweets and YouTube activities.

The independent UN-appointed human rights experts include the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz. 

He insisted that posting critical views online did not meet the threshold under international law for the imposition of the death penalty.

“Under no circumstances do the alleged crimes constitute the ‘most serious’ crimes,” the experts said.

Now on death row, Mr. Al Ghamdi was arrested by the Saudi security services in June last year and charged with criminal offences for opinions expressed on social media.

The charges included “betrayal of his religion, country and rulers”, “spreading false rumours with intent to disrupt public order and destabilise security” and “supporting terrorist ideology and a terrorist group”. 

Saudi Arabia’s Specialised Criminal Court found Mr. Al Ghamdi guilty and sentenced him to death in July 2023.

Dominika Tomaszewska-Mortimer, UN News.