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January 8, 2026 UN

The top news of the day at the UN and around the world: the UN regrets the US decision to withdraw from dozens of international organizations, large-scale airstrikes were carried out on Ukrainian cities overnight, the Security Council held a meeting on chemical weapons in Syria, and the UN released its global economic forecast for 2026.

US Memorandum

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed regret In connection with the United States' decision to withdraw from several United Nations entities, while emphasizing that the UN system will continue to fulfill all its mandated functions. In accordance with the UN Charter, contributions to the Organization's regular budget and peacekeeping budget are approved by the General Assembly and are considered mandatory for all Member States. For 2026, the General Assembly approved a budget of $3.45 billion, representing a sharp reduction compared to previous years.

Strikes against Ukraine

UN humanitarian agencies, citing local authorities, report that last night throughout Ukraine several civilians were killed and wounded, as well as damage to energy and port infrastructure. Nearly two million people were left without electricity. Heating, water supply, mobile phone service, and public transportation were disrupted. The mayor of Dnipro declared a state of emergency. In Kryvyi Rih, yesterday's strikes were reportedly among the largest combined attacks since the start of the full-scale war. Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Matthias Schmale called for the protection of civilians amid the harsh winter weather.

Chemical weapons in Syria

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and Syria continue to cooperate on the issue elimination of any elements of the chemical weapons program, developed by the country's previous government. This was stated by Adedeji Eboh, Acting Head of the Office of Disarmament Affairs, at a meeting of the UN Security Council. He welcomed the progress made, while emphasizing the existence of serious obstacles. According to Eboh, it is now possible to obtain clarification regarding the full scope of Syria's chemical weapons program and finally eliminate the existing arsenal.

Economic Prospects

The global economy will grow in 2026. by 2.7 percent, which is slightly below the 2.8 percent estimate for 2025 and significantly below the pre-pandemic average of 3.2 percent, according to the United Nations' World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026 report released today. Last year, the global economy's unexpected resilience to the sharp rise in US tariffs, supported by stable consumer spending and moderating inflation, helped maintain growth. However, weak investment and limited fiscal space are holding back economic activity.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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January 8, 2026

© UNICEF/K. Fiennachit

Southeast Asia has seen significant economic and social progress, but frequent natural disasters bring uncertainty and instability.

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January 8, 2026 UN

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed regret over the decision of the United States to withdraw from a number of United Nations structures, while emphasizing that the UN system will continue to carry out all the tasks entrusted to it.

"As we have repeatedly emphasized, contributions to the United Nations regular budget and peacekeeping budget approved by the General Assembly are a legal obligation under the UN Charter for all Member States, including the United States," the UN press service said in a statement Thursday.

A memorandum signed by US President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening directs US executive departments and agencies to immediately begin withdrawing from dozens of international organizations, conventions, and treaties that Washington deems contrary to the country's interests.

According to the memorandum, this decision affects 31 UN agencies and structures. These include:

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which promotes maternal and child health and combats sexual and gender-based violence; the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which promotes global cooperation on climate change; the United Nations Democracy Fund, which funds and supports civil society projects in the field of democratic development; and other UN Secretariat units based in New York and elsewhere, including those working on the protection of children in armed conflict and ending the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.

The list also includes four of the five UN regional commissions (Asia and the Pacific, West Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean), which are key platforms for multilateral cooperation.

The decision to withdraw from UN structures means “cessation of participation in the activities or funding of these structures to the extent permitted by law,” the memorandum says.

The work will continue

As the UN Secretary-General emphasized, despite the US decision, the work of the Organization will continue.

"All United Nations entities will continue to fulfill their mandates as entrusted to them by Member States," the statement said. "The United Nations is accountable to those who rely on our work. We will continue to deliver on the mandates entrusted to us."

In accordance with the UN Charter, contributions to the regular budget of the Organization and the peacekeeping budget are approved by the General Assembly and are considered obligatory for all Member States.

For 2026, the General Assembly approved a regular budget of $3.45 billion, which represents a sharp reduction compared to previous years, including a 15 percent reduction in financial resources and a nearly 19 percent reduction in staffing.

A blow to climate cooperation

Commenting on the US decision to withdraw from the UNFCCC, the Convention's Executive Secretary, Simon Steele, emphasized that this decision represents a step backwards in global climate cooperation.

"The United States played a vital role in the creation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement because both are deeply in the United States' national interest," Steele said in a statement.

"While all other countries are moving forward together, this latest example of a retreat from global leadership, climate cooperation, and science can only harm the economy, jobs, and living standards in the United States as wildfires, floods, megastorms, and droughts rapidly worsen. This is a colossal own goal that will make the United States less safe and less prosperous," he added.

Steele noted that the UNFCCC will continue to work tirelessly: “The door remains open for the US to return in the future, as it did previously with the Paris Agreement.”

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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January 8, 2026 Economic development

Economic growth in the post-Soviet countries will decline to 2.1 percent in 2026, compared to 2.2 percent in 2025, according to a new UN report.

Average GDP growth rates in the region slowed in 2025, primarily due to a slowdown in the Russian Federation. In contrast, most countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia maintained strong momentum, and this trend is expected to continue in 2026. The limited dependence of post-Soviet economies on the US market significantly reduces the impact of high US tariffs.

Low growth in Russia

The Russian Federation's economy is projected to grow by 1.0 percent in 2026, up from 0.8 percent in 2025. While moderate monetary easing is expected to have a positive impact on economic activity, growth is likely to be constrained by labor shortages, weakening private consumption, and fiscal tightening.

The country remains under sanctions, primarily targeting oil exports and restricting access to high-tech imports.

Ukraine's GDP will grow by 2.3 percent

Ukraine's economy faces significant challenges in 2025 amid military conflict and repeated disruptions to the country's energy infrastructure, which have led to a decline in electricity generation capacity. GDP growth is projected at 2.3 percent in 2026, down from an estimated 1.5 percent in 2026.

However, the outlook for Ukraine remains unclear due to uncertainty about the trajectory of the war and the timing and scale of reconstruction efforts.

Caucasus and Central Asia: Positive Dynamics

For the countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia, the impact of their use as hubs for trade with the Russian Federation is gradually diminishing. However, most countries in the subregion continue to experience robust growth, supported by strong domestic demand.

Key factors behind the positive dynamics include robust private consumption, supported by rising real incomes and declining unemployment, a stable inflow of remittances, and rapid growth in household lending. Public investment, including regional infrastructure projects, also contributed to economic growth.

Inflation is accelerating

The report notes that inflation has accelerated in many CIS countries, driven by a combination of general factors such as rising food prices and large-scale budget spending, as well as country-specific factors.

Globally, policymakers are facing a more challenging inflation environment, driven in particular by climate-related disruptions. While monetary policy remains the central tool in the fight against inflation, it must be complemented by robust fiscal and social measures and policies that strengthen productive capacity and supply chains.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Source: United Nations – United Nations –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

January 8, 2026 Peace and security

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and Syria continue to cooperate on eliminating any remnants of the chemical weapons program developed by the country's previous government. This was announced during a briefing on the progress of the program. Resolution 2118 (2013), which provides for the elimination of the chemical weapons program of the Syrian Arab Republic, was announced at a meeting of the UN Security Council on Thursday by the acting head of the Office of Disarmament Affairs, Adedeji Eboh.

He welcomed the progress made, but stressed that serious obstacles remained.

As previously reported, since 2014, the OPCW Technical Secretariat has been unable to confirm the accuracy and completeness of the declaration submitted by the previous Syrian authorities due to incomplete and unreliable information. According to Ebo, the new government is working with the Technical Secretariat to clarify the full scope and nature of the previous program and ensure long-term compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention.

More than 100 possible objects

The OPCW's latest report, he noted, confirms that in addition to the 26 officially declared chemical weapons-related facilities, the organization has information about more than 100 other locations that may have been involved in related activities by the previous government. The Technical Secretariat plans to visit all of these facilities, taking into account security and other considerations.

Since March 2025, the total number of locations visited has reached 19. Four of these were previously declared, and 15 were suspected chemical weapons-related sites. Based on the data obtained, a UN representative reported that at least two of these may be subject to declaration under the Convention.

The need for international support

According to the rapporteur, serious challenges remain ahead, and the successful completion of the process will require the consistent support of the entire international community.

Ebo emphasized that the OPCW Technical Secretariat remains committed to fulfilling its mandate to verify Syria's full compliance with all Convention requirements, decisions of the OPCW's governing bodies, and Security Council resolutions. He also reiterated his welcome for the new Syrian government's openness to cooperation with the Organization.

In conclusion, the UN representative recalled that there is currently a “critical opportunity” to obtain long-awaited clarification regarding the full scale of Syria’s chemical weapons program and to finally eliminate this arsenal in the country.

He called on Security Council members to unite and show leadership by providing the support needed for these efforts and stressed the United Nations' commitment to continue to uphold the norm of non-use of chemical weapons "whenever and wherever".

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.