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February 20, 2026 Sustainable Development Goals

UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the key role of science in the global governance of artificial intelligence, speaking Friday at an event in New Delhi, India, on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit.

"By building on science, we can transform artificial intelligence from a source of uncertainty into a reliable driver for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals," he said.

The Secretary-General called on the international community to build a future "in which policies are as smart as the technologies they are designed to guide."

New expert group

Guterres noted that "AI innovation is advancing at lightning speed, outpacing our collective ability to fully understand it, let alone manage it effectively." He argued that for AI to serve humanity, policies must not be based on guesswork. What's needed are "facts that can be trusted—and shared across countries and sectors."

That's why the UN is developing mechanisms that place science at the center of international cooperation in the field of AI. In particular, the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence was recently established, which includes40 leading experts were included.

The group aims to bridge the AI knowledge gap and assess the real-world economic and societal impacts of new technologies, so that governments can make decisions with an equally clear understanding of the situation, regardless of their own technological advancement.

Accelerating progress and preventing risks

"The Group will provide a common analytical framework, helping Member States move from philosophical discussions to technical coordination and evidence-based decision-making," the UN chief emphasized.

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In addition, the international community will be able to identify potential consequences of AI in advance, such as risks for children or the labour market, which will allow countries to “prepare, protect people and invest in their future.”

Risk of fragmentation

Guterres noted that international cooperation today is complicated by declining trust and increasing technological rivalry.

"Without a common framework, fragmentation takes over, with different regions operating under incompatible policies and technical standards," the UN chief warned. This, he said, only increases costs, reduces security, and deepens inequality.

The Secretary-General indicated that countries could agree on "technical benchmarks" based on the work of the International Panel and another UN initiative, the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, which will be held in Geneva in May.

Human control

Concluding his speech, the UN chief emphasized that human control over AI must be "a technical reality, not a slogan."

This means the need for “real human oversight in high-stakes decisions – in justice, health care, lending,” and a clear accountability system so that responsibility “is never shifted to an algorithm.”

“People must understand how decisions are made, have the opportunity to challenge them and receive answers,” the Secretary-General concluded.

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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Dominika Tomaszewska-Mortimer

February 20, 2026 Peace and security

Four years after Russia's full-scale invasion, millions of Ukrainians are facing numerous hardships, including interruptions in heat and electricity supplies. The crisis is particularly hard on women and vulnerable groups, UN humanitarian officials warned at a briefing in Geneva on Friday.

The status of women

Returning from a recent visit to the country, UN Women Humanitarian Programme Director Sophia Collthorpe spoke to journalists in Geneva about the suffering of Ukrainian families left without heat, electricity, or shelter amid extreme cold. Sixty-five percent of Ukraine's energy capacity, she said, was destroyed as a result of deliberate attacks.

"These power outages are more than just technical glitches," she said. "They directly undermine women's safety, security, and economic stability."

Many Ukrainian women work in the sectors where extended power outages have the most severe impact – education, healthcare, social services, and retail – and now these women are increasingly losing their jobs.

"In Kyiv, in a large heated tent set up to support people, I met Irina," Collthorpe said. "She told me, 'No electricity means no school for my children and no work for me. That means there's nothing to live on…'"

Last year was the deadliest year for women in the entire war, with more than 5,000 deaths and 14,000 injuries confirmed.

According to a recent study on the impact of aid cuts, one in three women's organizations in the country will likely not survive for more than six months.

"By the end of the year, they risk losing at least $53.9 million," said UN Women spokesperson Sabina Fraser-Güneş. "If this situation continues, approximately 63,000 Ukrainian women will lose access to critical services such as support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in 2026."

The crisis is draining both the most vulnerable and the most resilient.

Extended power outages pose a mortal threat to the most vulnerable: the elderly, people with disabilities, and those with chronic illnesses. The psychosocial consequences of the energy crisis are no less severe: darkness, isolation, and constant uncertainty exhaust even the most resilient. Jamie Wa, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told reporters via video link from Kyiv.

Attacks on hospitals

The conflict's devastating impact on human health is compounded by persistent attacks on hospitals and clinics. Over the past four years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded more than 2,870 confirmed attacks, resulting in 233 deaths and 937 injuries, including both health workers and patients.

"Medical facilities are operating at the limit of their capacity, there is a shortage of personnel, and the infrastructure is damaged," warned World Health Organization representative Christian Lindmeier.

According to the WHO, the number of people with disabilities in Ukraine has increased by almost 390,000, or more than 10 percent, since February 2022. "Numbers are one thing. The stories behind them are much more," emphasized Christian Lindmeier.

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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February 20, 2026 Human rights

The UN Human Rights Office has collected evidence of the situation of hundreds of thousands of victims of human trafficking who are forced to engage in fraud in major criminal hubs in Southeast Asia and other regions of the world.new reportCases of torture and ill-treatment, sexual violence and exploitation, forced abortions, food deprivation and solitary confinement have been documented.

The victims also spoke about assistance to the criminals from some border guards and about intimidation and extortion by the police.

Promises of legal work

According to satellite imagery and on-the-ground data, nearly three-quarters of such operations concentrated in the Mekong regionHowever, the activities of fraudulent centers have also spread to some Pacific island states, countries in South Asia, the Persian Gulf, West Africa, and the Americas.

The report is based on interviews with victims from Bangladesh, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, India, China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and South Africa. They were trafficked to trafficking centers in Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates between 2021 and 2025. The study also interviewed representatives of the police, border agencies, and civil society.

Victims reported being lured in with promises of legitimate work, only to be coerced into participating in online scams ranging from telephone extortion to financial scams and "romantic" schemes.

Cruel punishments

Some of the victims described large gated communities of over 200 hectares, resembling autonomous cities, with multi-story fortified buildings, high walls topped with barbed wire, and armed guards.

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There are also reports of deaths during escape attempts – some fell from balconies and rooftops. Escape attempts were harshly punished. A Vietnamese survivor reported that her sister was beaten, shocked with a taser, and locked up without food for seven days.

Coercion to commit fraudulent activity

According to the report, recruiters often arranged video calls with victims' relatives, forcing them to watch the abuse in order to extract ransom payments.

Most victims received only a fraction of the promised wages: various fines and "expenses" were deducted from their earnings. One interviewee reported being forced to "earn" up to $9,500 daily as part of a fraudulent scheme, otherwise he faced beatings or being "resold" to another center with harsher conditions.

The inadmissibility of punishing victims of human trafficking

"The scale of abuse is both shocking and heartbreaking," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. He emphasized that victims often face mistrust, stigma, and even punishment instead of protection and rehabilitation.

According to Türk, effective measures must be based on human rights, including recognition of forced recruitment into criminal activity and the principle of non-punishment of victims of human trafficking.

The report also emphasizes the need for safe and timely release operations, respect for the principle of non-refoulement, and access to medical and psychological care for victims.

Fight against corruption

Researchers conducted a behavioral and systems analysis to examine the reasons why people continue to fall victim to such schemes. Proposed measures include expanding safe channels for labor migration, monitoring online job postings, and actively engaging civil society organizations and associations of victims themselves in prevention efforts.

The High Commissioner called on States to combat corruption associated with fraudulent networks and bring criminal syndicates to justice, and also to ensure the free operation of independent media and human rights defenders who combat human trafficking.

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.