News

No Time to Wait: Global Leadership, Domestic Survival, and Justice at COP31 As the world prepares for COP31—the UN Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Türkiye—we face an undeniable ‘now or […]

The Foreign Secretary made a major statement in the House of Commons on 10th September, 2026. LASER strongly supported this statement and the Chair sent the following letter to the […]

This month we are using the summary from Proximities which brings you three essential non-Western news stories each weekday, free of charge, as well as a “deeper dive” for paid subscribers. […]

from LASER Campaigns Officer, Valeria Misini Lebanon is currently facing a humanitarian catastrophe of unprecedented proportions. Once known as ‘the Switzerland of the Middle East’, the nation is now defined […]

As we enter 2026, the global landscape feels more fractured than ever. While the eyes of the world remain fixed on high-profile geopolitical rivalries, a ‘New World Disorder’ is quietly taking […]

In an age of continually changing headlines, it’s easy for even the most heart-breaking stories to fade from our attention. The war in Ukraine is one such story. It has […]

The recently published 2025 Global Peace Index (GPI) paints a stark and sobering picture of our world. Far from moving towards greater harmony, the report reveals a fundamental reshaping of the global order, […]

The following resolution was agreed at the LASER Summer Council on 21st June 2025 UNA London & South East Region: Concerned that the Israel-Iran conflict has escalated since the pre-emptive […]

In 2024, international aid fell for the first time in six years and will likely fall further once the implications of the recent UK and US foreign aid cuts are […]

World leaders recently gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan for COP29 (the 29th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN FCCC). Scientists had just noted that […]

Every September, world leaders gather at the UN Headquarters in New York City to begin a new session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA). The biggest event on the annual […]

A general election has been called in the United Kingdom, taking place on July 4. This election takes place against the backdrop of significant political divide in the country. Important […]

In the lead up to the 25th anniversary of landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325(UNSCR 1325), the UK launched its fifth National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2023-2027 (NAP […]

2023 was marred by severe climate events – including erratic rainfall patterns, persistent drought, and record-breaking summer temperatures – as well as environmental damage thought to be the result of […]

The following speech was given by UNA Westminster Chair, David Wardrop, on UN Green, Westminster, on 10th December 2023. On 10 January 1946, exactly where we are standing now, large […]

The situation in Israel/Palestine is terrible and fast getting worse. Many of those trying to help – including at least 11 staff members of  UNWRA (the UN agency doing humanitarian […]

This year, UNA London and Southeast Region (UNA LASER) has campaigned on: the political turmoil in Peru human rights in the Holy Land changes in UK aid harming the world’s […]

This year is forecast to be among the hottest on record worldwide. Countries like Spain have experienced record-breaking weather over Easter; the UK has experienced its hottest June on record; […]

The United Kingdom’s aid budget is set to be slashed for the third time in three years, with development organisations bracing for a £1.7 billion cut to be made in […]

UNA LASER Campaign Alert: April 2023  What took the aid so long? The UN Must Accelerate its Crisis Response  A recent investigation by the BBC uncovered some harrowing information regarding […]

Under the UN Convention on the Law Of the Seas (UNCLOS), and for decades, the High Seas have been considered international waters, and therefore noone’s waters. They have been over-exploited, […]

Background Human rights and dignity for all – the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 2023 is the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which has led […]

While the majority of what we read on the news focuses on conflicts closer to our doorstep, we should not turn our backs on the ongoing political crisis unfolding in […]

    We Must Not Turn Our Backs on Somalia Famine has, once again, come to Somalia, a country on the Horn of Africa which has had its fair share […]

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has announced that she will not be seeking a second term in office after her current one expires at the end […]

Chair of UNA Westminster, David Wardrop, has given the following response to the BBC programme The Whistle-blowers: Inside the UN The BBC programme The Whistle-blowers: Inside the UN’ will have shocked […]

In July 2021, The Nationality and Borders Bill was introduced to Parliament. It contained provisions about nationality, asylum, immigration, victims of slavery and human trafficking. The UK government stated that […]

Since 2004, The Houthi movement has been leading an insurgency against the military in Yemen. In 2014, tensions between Houthis and government forces escalated into outright civil war. Protests around […]