UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING
Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section, United Nations Information Service (UNIS) at Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Health Organization, and the International Labour Organization.
Greenhouse Gas Bulletin
Ko Barrett, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Deputy Secretary-General, said today the World Meteorological Organization was releasing its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin for 2025. Once again, it reported that levels of long-lived greenhouse gases in the atmosphere were at record levels, particularly carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Since the 1960s, growth rates of carbon dioxide had tripled, from 377.5 parts per million in 2024, to 426.8 parts per million in 2025, with levels continuing to rise in 2026. Every additional part per million mattered, because it trapped additional heat, effectively supercharging the ocean and atmosphere. This meant that heatwaves, tropical cyclones, and rainstorms were intensifying faster than expected. An exceptionally strong El Niño in 2026 had set the stage for another surge in carbon dioxide levels, and the risks of reduced carbon dioxide uptake by a warming ocean were also increasing.
Another gas in much lower concentrations but of potential concern, was sulphur hexafluoride, which was closely related to electricity production and distribution. Its rates had been rising over the past three decades because of the switch to global electrification.
Sulphur hexafluoride concentration in 2025 had increased by 249 per cent relative to 1995 levels. Because this gas had an atmospheric lifetime of up to 3,200 years, its global warming potential was more than 24,000 times that of carbon dioxide. The energy transition was essential and welcome, but needed to be done in a smart way, informed by environmental observations. WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch and the annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin were vital for coordinating and collecting these observations.
Oksana Tarasova, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Senior Scientific Officer, said the report showed that all three main greenhouse gases had reached new heights in 2026, with levels rising significantly above pre-industrial levels. The growth rate for carbon dioxide was higher than the ten-year average, and the curve was continuing to increase in 2026. Carbon dioxide accumulated in the atmosphere and stayed for thousands of years. As in previous El Niño years, the strong carbon dioxide rates had peaked in 2026. However, although 2025 was not an El Niño year, the growth that year was comparable with these figures. This meant that the capacity of the natural systems which dealt with greenhouse gases was diminishing. Carbon dioxide was the key greenhouse gas and since pre-industrial times, had provided 66 per cent of all contributions to global warming. WMO’s figures showed that a huge amount of warming had been done over the past three years alone. Levels of methane and nitrous oxide were also rising. The concentration of sulphur hexafluoride, which was closely related to the energy transition, had tripled in 30 years. This was concerning, as the impacts of this gas could linger for a very long time. All the information presented in the report was based on real-world measurements.
Responding to questions from the media, Ms. Tarasova said sulphur hexafluoride was still representing a small concentration of gases, but the rate of increase was concerning. Given the expediential growth, this could be highly dangerous.
Answering additional questions, Ms. Barrett said the energy position was positive news and it was happening. But it had to be done in a smart way to avoid negative side-effects. One of the values of being able to observe the atmosphere directly, meant that WMO could receive advanced notice to inform of changes which may be needed, to ensure the transition was conducted in a positive way.
Ms. Tarasova said sulphur hexafluoride was a greenhouse gas, but it would take a while for it to reach the levels of carbon dioxide. As it stayed in the atmosphere for thousands of years, it could potentially have a significant impact in the future.
Ms. Tarasova also said the current El Niño would absolutely have an impact on carbon dioxide. During El Niño, there were a lot of droughts in tropical areas, which stressed the terrestrial system and meant plants were bringing in more carbon dioxide than they were photosynthesising and emitting this gas into the atmosphere rather than dispersing it.
Responding to further questions, Ms. Barrett said the information shared by WMO was important to people around the world. There were positive responses to the Organizations’ no-nonsense based information sharing, including from policy makers. Ms. Tarasova said even if someone didn’t take the information into account, they could see the changes occurring in the climate system, including heatwaves.
Clare Nullis, for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said the WMO would be issuing its State of the Climate update for COP31, which would present the impact of the record levels of carbon dioxide in clear terms. Embargoed materials would be distributed to the media. Answering questions, Ms. Barrett said the negotiators at the COP summit were not the main audience for the report, but the information was valuable for those driving forward action. Ms. Tarasova said the report spoke about the global average of the final distribution of greenhouse gases, rather than what was omitted at individual areas.
As attacks intensify UNHCR urges support for war ravaged Ukrainians
Philippe Leclerc, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Bureau Director for Europe, said as Russian strikes across Ukraine intensified, UNHCR was urging the international community to maintain support for those who remained in Ukraine and those who sought refuge abroad. Relentless attacks on critical infrastructure were leaving millions at risk of prolonged power outages, limited heating, electricity and water, while long-range missile and drone strikes meant no part of the country was fully safe. UNHCR and its Ukrainian NGO partners continued to provide emergency assistance, including shelter, legal aid, mental health support and cash assistance. However, humanitarian operations had also come under attack. Between 1 September and 14 October, 10 security incidents affected UNHCR personnel or partners, damaging aid facilities, vehicles and other critical assets. UNHCR again called on the Russian Federation to cease attacks on civilians and to respect the protection of humanitarian workers and infrastructure.
Displacement within Ukraine was expected to continue as evacuations from frontline areas increased. Since January 2026, more than 136,000 evacuees had passed through UNHCR-supported transit centres, around 70 per cent more than in 2025. Many of those forced to flee were particularly vulnerable, with nearly 40 per cent elderly and many others living with disabilities. Overall, 10.8 million people in Ukraine required humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile, nearly 5.2 million Ukrainian refugees remained across Europe. The strong solidarity shown by host countries since 2022 enabled refugees to access protection, services and opportunities to become more self-reliant. According to a recent inter-agency survey, 67 per cent of adult refugees in nine countries were employed and 84 per cent of refugee children were enrolled in national schools. Refugees were also contributing economically, with research showing Ukrainian refugees generated 2.4 per cent of Poland’s GDP in 2025. Yet after four and a half years of displacement, pressures on host countries were increasing and signs of refugee fatigue were emerging. Many refugees still faced challenges finding affordable housing and suitable employment, particularly older people, persons with disabilities and single-parent households. This was not a moment to disengage, but to sustain support and protect the progress achieved for Ukrainians both inside Ukraine and across Europe.
The full statement can be viewed here.
Responding to questions, Mr. Leclerc said UNHCR had played a role in supporting Ukrainian authorities and the Red Cross in the evacuation of more than 130,000 people this year. When people were evacuated from dangerous places, they were supported with psychological and medical support in UNHCR centres, through close coordination with partners and the Ukrainian government.
Answering another question, Mr. Leclerc said there had been a strong increase in attacks on UNHCR and partner warehouses, with three NGOs who were supporting UNHCR attacked. There had been casualties, including people working for NGOs, who had died due to the attacks. Even though the NGOs were affected by the attacks, this did not prevent them from continuing their work to have access to people in need. This was a clear violation of humanitarian law. There had been increased attacks, including in towns like Kyiv, as well as seemingly deliberate attacks against energy-related centres, which would provide support to civilians during the winter.
Mr. Leclerc said humanitarians were being exposed to new situations of war, where having access to civilians was more difficult. UNHCR was reacting by using armoured vehicles and facilitating the creation of bomb shelters. The agency was aiming to secure areas as best as possible, while adapting to the new ways of war.
Clinical trials in DRC: vaccines and beyond
Dr. Meg Doherty, Director, Department of Science for Health for the World Health Organization (WHO), speaking from Bunia, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), said she was in Bunia to support the launch of TUMAINI, meaning hope in Swahili, a crucial clinical trial that would hopefully answer one of the most urgent scientific questions in the outbreak; could vaccines protect people against Bundibugyo virus disease? On Friday, Dr. Doherty was present as the DRC launched the trial, where four people were vaccinated. It was moving to see the trial begin, just as it had been deeply sad to see the effects of this outbreak on communities. The trial was led by the Democratic Republic of Congo, integrated into the outbreak response and managed by the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, the national public health and biomedical research institute. TUMAINI was a platform clinical trial, designed so that several vaccine candidates could be evaluated within one research framework, using a ring-vaccination approach involving contacts of people with confirmed disease.
Ten years ago, during the West Africa Ebola outbreak, WHO and partners used the same ring-vaccination approach in Guinea to help establish the efficacy of Ervebo. Today, scientists were building on that experience to seek answers about Bundibugyo virus.
Ervebo was the first vaccine being evaluated, known to be safe, and effective, against Ebola caused by what used to be called the Zaire virus. It was not yet known if it would have any protective effect against Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus. Last week, technical advisory groups convened by WHO evaluated the evidence on two vaccines designed specifically against Bundibugyo: ChAdOx1, developed by the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India, and Moderna’s mRNA-1469. The advisory groups would publish their recommendations this week. In the meantime, rings were being set up, with two currently in place and several more being prepared. Community members were already walking into the site asking to be enrolled, highlighting the intense need for an efficacious vaccine. It was expected the results would take several months to emerge. But already, having the trial represented an important step towards gathering scientific data that would help policy makers reach decisions on vaccine use, and to protect people in the current and future outbreaks.
Responding to questions, Dr. Doherty said the trial was designed to vaccinate those who were eligible to vaccinate those between 1- and 21-days exposure, who were known to have Ebola Bundibugyo disease. They wouldn’t have more information about timings until later down the track.
Answering other questions, Dr. Doherty said TUMAINI was a platform trial. As vaccines became available, they could be studied in this trial. It was starting with Ervebo because it was available and in country. It was hoped by mid-November, WHO could start adding in the vaccines from Oxford and Moderna, which were Bundibugyo-specific vaccines. The trial was based on the number of events which occurred or were prevented. It would likely take several months to ascertain the numbers. There could be thousands of people involved in the trial eventually. WHO was aware of several studies, including looking at long-term immunity.
Dr. Doherty clarified that the Ervebo was a vaccine that had been developed and was licensed for use and had been known to prevent a different type of Ebola to the Bundibugyo virus. TUMANI was looking at vaccine efficacy across all the vaccines, to see if it prevented new infections. There was no information about the Oxford and Moderna vaccines as they were brand new and had been developed rapidly. It would be helpful if they showed levels of vaccine efficacy and reductions in transmission between people.
New global and regional estimates on domestic work, informality and working conditions
Shahra Razavi, Director of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Labour and Social Protection Department, said today the International Labour Organization was releasing new global and regional estimates on domestic work, providing an updated picture of who domestic workers were, how much they earned, how many hours they worked and whether they enjoyed effective protection. The findings showed both progress and significant remaining challenges. An estimated 80 million domestic workers were employed worldwide, up from 75.6 million in 2019. However, domestic work remained stable as a share of total employment, with the increase largely reflecting overall employment growth rather than an expansion of the sector itself.
A key finding concerned informality. An estimated 66.5 million domestic workers, or 83.1 per cent, were informally employed, making them more than twice as likely as other employees to lack effective labour and social protection. Yet there were encouraging signs of progress: among countries with comparable data, more than half had reduced informality among domestic workers since 2019, showing that improvement was possible. Pay remained a major concern. Domestic workers earned on average just 53.3 per cent of the monthly wages of other employees, falling to 48.7 per cent for those in informal employment. Wage gaps remained substantial and, in many cases, were widening. Working hours also highlighted persistent inequalities. More than one-third of domestic workers worked at least 49 hours per week, while nearly 15 per cent worked 60 hours or more. There was also a strong gender dimension. Women accounted for 77.2 per cent of domestic workers globally and were heavily concentrated in cleaning and care occupations. Female domestic workers earned on average only 48 per cent of the monthly wage of all other employees, raising broader questions about how societies valued care work.
As the world marked the International Day of Care and Support on 29 October, the ILO emphasised that domestic workers were an essential part of the care workforce. Whether providing direct care to children, older people and persons with disabilities, or indirect care through household services, their work underpinned both families and economies. 15 years after the adoption of ILO Convention No. 189, the principle remained clear: domestic work was work, and domestic workers deserved the same rights and protections as all other workers. The challenge now was to translate that recognition into reality through greater formalization, stronger protections and wider ratification of the Convention. Ensuring decent work for domestic workers was not only a matter of rights; it was also essential to building sustainable, high-quality care systems for the future.
Responding to questions from the media, Ms. Razavi said efforts made to formalize domestic work were encouraged, but the way it was done was important. This included the role of intermediaries and whether they were public or private, and whether charges were made for their work. It was pleasing to see that 40 countries had ratified ILO Convention 189. In countries like Uruguay, integrated care systems had been put in place which recognised the importance of domestic workers, as well as the social dialogue which involved them.
Claire Hobden, Specialist on vulnerable workers at the International Labour Organization (ILO), said the service voucher systems as a means to formalize informal work, were considered to be good practices for a policy solution to a societal problem. The systems were designed with household employees in mind and were simple to use. ILO were looking to replicate these in other countries, taking specific contexts into account.
Answering another question, Ms. Razavi said 40 ratifications in 15 years was not an insignificant number, but there was a need to increase the call to countries to ratify, particularly in regions where it remained low, including Asia and the Arab States. Those who had done it had set good examples in what ratification could achieve, particularly when it was followed by policies. Security and protection for domestic workers not only recognised the rights of a fundamental sector of the workforce but also had a positive impact on the level and quality of care.
Ms. Hobden said all countries took the ratification process very seriously. If countries didn’t feel that they were in a position to enforce compliance, they would not ratify right away. However, since the adoption of the Convention, most countries had extended some form of protection to domestic workers, even if they hadn’t yet ratified the Convention. The people who were being entrusted with care were being paid in a way which was highly discriminatory and not reflective of their work.
Ms. Razavi said after spending a lifetime of caring for others, there could sometimes be no pension or opportunity to for these workers to provide care for themselves, and it was a stigma for any society to have these conditions. There needed to be a call to move beyond words and apply that in actions and policies.
Announcements
Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section, United Nations Information Service (UNIS) at Geneva, said the Secretary-General had addressed Cairo University during his visit, and held a press conference where he addressed many issues including Gaza, Sudan, Libya, and global governance. The Secretary-General’s readout with the president of Egypt had also been shared with the media.
Mr. Gómez also said on 31 October, the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS) would complete its two-year transition and cease operations. The Secretary-General’s statement on the matter had already been shared with the media.
He also said that this morning, the Human Rights Committee would hold the second and last part of its review of the report of Jamaica.
Additionally, yesterday the Secretary-General launched a report on women, peace and security. The report stated that at least 25 women and girls were killed every day, sexual violence rose, and women were largely excluded from peace negotiations.
Finally, Mr. Gómez referenced an X post from Jorge Moreira da Silva of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) which stated that the team in Gaza had reported three incidents over three consecutive days, affecting their convoys and premises, in the past week alone.
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