24 September 2026
World leaders approved the UN Declaration on Sea Level Rise by consensus at a high-level meeting of the General Assembly on Thursday, 24 September 2026. The declaration covers better observation, shared data and early warning; more predictable and accessible funding, especially for small island and least developed countries; protection of coastal livelihoods and culture; and a presumption in favour of continued statehood and the ability to maintain maritime zones established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, despite rising seas. Secretary-General António Guterres said global sea levels rose by almost six millimetres in 2024, the largest annual increase ever recorded, and that around 770 million people live less than five metres above the high-tide line. He said emissions must fall 60 per cent by 2035 and adaptation finance must triple. Cabo Verde co-facilitated the negotiations. The declaration calls for a further high-level meeting before the end of the General Assembly's 84th session.
Adopted:
by consensus, 24 September 2026
Sea-level rise in 2024:
almost six millimetres
People less than 5 m above high tide:
around 770 million
Co-facilitator:
Cabo Verde
Why it matters for exams: Sea-level rise, small island states, UNCLOS maritime zones and statehood are high-value environment and international-law topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea — The 1982 treaty that sets out maritime zones such as territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.
SIDS Small Island Developing States — A UN-recognised group of small island countries highly vulnerable to climate change.
Adaptation finance — Money to help communities cope with climate impacts that cannot be avoided.
24 September 2026
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the general debate of the UN General Assembly's 81st session on Thursday, 24 September 2026, by pre-recorded video after his delegation was, for the second consecutive year, denied US visas. He warned that Israeli policies threaten the existence of the Palestinian people and urged the world not to allow "another Nakba". He called for the reunification of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, opposed the E1 Settlement Plan and sought implementation of Security Council resolution 2334 on halting settlement activity. He said legislative elections will be held on 28 November, followed by renewal of the Palestinian National Council and presidential elections. He thanked the 160 states that have recognised the State of Palestine and called for full UN membership, and demanded the release of more than $6 billion in Palestinian funds withheld by Israel.
Legislative elections:
28 November
States recognising Palestine:
160
Resolution cited on settlements:
UNSC resolution 2334
Withheld funds:
more than $6 billion
Why it matters for exams: Palestinian statehood, recognition count, UNSC resolution 2334 and the Nakba are recurring world-affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Nakba — Arabic for 'catastrophe'; the mass displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
E1 Settlement Plan — An Israeli settlement plan east of Jerusalem that would separate East Jerusalem from the West Bank.
Resolution 2334 UN Security Council resolution 2334 (2016) — A resolution stating that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory have no legal validity.
24 September 2026
UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the annual ministerial meeting on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), held during High-Level Week in New York on Thursday, 24 September 2026, that the agency's work and its entire mandate from the General Assembly are in "jeopardy". He said nearly 400 members of UNRWA's workforce in Gaza have been killed and that the agency faces a cash shortfall of $100 million. Israeli Knesset legislation passed nearly two years ago bans the agency from operating on Israeli territory, including East Jerusalem. Commissioner-General ad interim Christian Saunders said more than 10,000 UNRWA personnel in Gaza are still assisting 1.7 million people, including some 70,000 medical consultations a week. He said displacement in the West Bank is at levels unseen since 1967, and that 41 of the 50 recommendations of the independent neutrality review have been fully implemented.
Staff killed in Gaza:
nearly 400
Cash shortfall:
$100 million
People assisted in Gaza:
1.7 million
Neutrality review recommendations implemented:
41 of 50
Why it matters for exams: UNRWA's mandate from the General Assembly and its funding crisis are standard questions on UN agencies and the Middle East.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East — A UN agency set up by the General Assembly in 1949 to serve Palestine refugees.
Knesset — Israel's unicameral parliament.
High-Level Week — The week in late September when world leaders gather for the UN General Assembly's general debate and summits.
24 September 2026
Haiti's Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé addressed a special UN meeting on the future of security in Haiti on 24 September 2026. Speakers expressed broad support for extending the mandate of the UN Security Council-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), which aims to neutralise armed gangs, protect infrastructure and open access for aid. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, said the force has only 1,083 personnel on the ground instead of the 5,500 authorised. Around 6.4 million people in Haiti require humanitarian assistance and almost 1.5 million have been displaced; gangs control large parts of Port-au-Prince. The Prime Minister said Haiti is recruiting more police and soldiers and that two specialised judicial units are fighting impunity and financial crime.
GSF personnel on the ground:
1,083
Authorised strength:
5,500
People needing aid:
around 6.4 million
Displaced:
almost 1.5 million
Why it matters for exams: Haiti's crisis and the Security Council-backed Gang Suppression Force are a live case study in UN-authorised security missions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
GSF Gang Suppression Force — A Security Council-backed force in Haiti meant to neutralise armed gangs and secure key infrastructure.
SRSG Special Representative of the Secretary-General — The senior UN official who leads the UN's presence in a country or crisis.
24 September 2026
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the UN General Assembly's general debate on Thursday, 24 September 2026, that Australia is seeking a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2029-2030. He said Australia would uphold international law, including the UN Charter and the sovereignty of all States, and amplify the voices of small States and middle powers on the Council. He said the UN mission cannot be entrusted solely to the great powers or subcontracted to the world's richest companies, and called for cooperation on climate change, AI and the breakdown of international rules. He recalled that Australia instituted a social media ban for people under 16 last year, and said more than 20 countries are bringing in or have brought in age restrictions on social media.
Security Council term sought:
2029-2030
Social media age limit in Australia:
under 16 banned
Countries with or bringing age limits:
more than 20
Why it matters for exams: Security Council elections, non-permanent seats and the middle-power debate are standard UN questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Non-permanent member — One of the ten Security Council members elected for two-year terms without veto power.
Middle power — A state with significant but not great-power influence in world affairs.
24 September 2026
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah told the general debate of the UN General Assembly's 81st session on Thursday, 24 September 2026, that the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli disaster in northern Nepal four weeks earlier — described as a "Himalayan Tsunami" — killed at least 1,400 people. More than 6,000 people remain missing and damage is estimated at around 10 per cent of Nepal's gross domestic product. He said Nepal contributes less than 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse-gas emissions, and that melting permafrost is destabilising Himalayan slopes. He proposed a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism led by Nepal, India and China to share satellite data, monitor dangerous glacial lakes and strengthen early warning. He called the Loss and Damage Fund, the Global Environment Facility and other mechanisms "grossly inadequate" and sought more grant-based climate finance.
Deaths:
at least 1,400
Missing:
more than 6,000
Damage:
around 10 per cent of GDP
Nepal's share of global emissions:
less than 0.1 per cent
Why it matters for exams: Himalayan glacial hazards, climate justice and the Loss and Damage Fund are core environment topics for both PSC and UPSC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Loss and Damage Fund — A UN climate fund agreed at COP27 to help vulnerable countries recover from climate disasters.
GEF Global Environment Facility — A multilateral fund that finances environmental projects in developing countries.
Permafrost — Ground that stays frozen for at least two consecutive years.
24 September 2026
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced at the UN General Assembly's general debate on Thursday, 24 September 2026, that Barbados is joining 123 other Member States in supporting the Franco-Mexican initiative restricting use of the veto in situations involving mass atrocities. She said "reform cannot be selective" and that the Security Council had failed to keep pace with a changing world, pointing to the absence of a permanent seat for Africa and of assured representation for small island developing States. She described a "crisis of responsibility" and urged leaders to turn what they know into what they do. She also called for greater investment in conflict prevention, mediation and adequately resourced peacekeeping, and for governing artificial intelligence together.
Initiative:
Franco-Mexican initiative restricting the veto in mass atrocities
Other supporting Member States:
123
Why it matters for exams: Security Council reform and the veto are among the most-asked UN topics; the Franco-Mexican initiative is a specific reform proposal.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Veto — The power of a permanent Security Council member to block a substantive resolution by voting against it.
SIDS Small Island Developing States — A UN-recognised group of small island countries facing shared vulnerabilities.
Mass atrocities — Genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes on a large scale.
24 September 2026
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) left the SNB policy rate unchanged at 0% in its monetary policy assessment of 24 September 2026. The discount on banks' sight deposits above a threshold stays at 0.25 percentage points, and the SNB remains willing to act in the foreign exchange market as necessary. Swiss inflation rose from 0.6% in May to 0.8% in August, mainly because of higher prices for oil products. The conditional inflation forecast puts average annual inflation at 0.7% for 2026, 0.8% for 2027 and 0.8% for 2028. The SNB expects GDP growth of between 1.5% and 2% in 2026 and around 1.5% in 2027, and named the situation in the Middle East as the main source of uncertainty.
SNB policy rate:
0% (unchanged)
Inflation, August 2026:
0.8%
Inflation forecast 2026 / 2027 / 2028:
0.7% / 0.8% / 0.8%
GDP growth forecast 2026:
1.5% to 2%
Why it matters for exams: Central-bank policy rates of major economies, and why energy prices move inflation, are regular economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SNB Swiss National Bank — Switzerland's central bank, responsible for monetary policy and the Swiss franc.
Sight deposits — Balances that commercial banks hold at the central bank and can withdraw at any time.
Conditional inflation forecast — An inflation projection that assumes the policy rate stays at a given level.
24 September 2026
Norway's central bank, Norges Bank, published on 24 September 2026 its decision to raise the policy rate from 4.25% to 4.50%, taken by its Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Committee at a meeting on 23 September. The new rate is effective from 25 September 2026. Governor Ida Wolden Bache said inflation has been above target for several years and that the Committee is prepared to raise the rate further if needed to bring inflation down to the 2% target. CPI inflation has been higher than projected, while underlying inflation measured by the CPI-ATE has been lower than projected. The Committee cited uncertainty from the conflict in the Middle East and higher oil, gas and commodity prices. The next decision will be published on 5 November.
Policy rate:
4.25% to 4.50%
Effective from:
25 September 2026
Inflation target:
2%
Next decision:
5 November
Why it matters for exams: A rate hike by a major oil-exporting economy's central bank illustrates how monetary tightening is used against inflation.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Norges Bank — Norway's central bank; its Monetary Policy and Financial Stability Committee sets the policy rate.
CPI-ATE CPI adjusted for tax changes and excluding energy products — Norway's main measure of underlying inflation.
Policy rate — The interest rate a central bank sets to steer borrowing costs and inflation.
24 September 2026
Sveriges Riksbank, Sweden's central bank, announced on 24 September 2026 that its policy rate is held unchanged at 1.75 per cent, applying from 30 September 2026. It said GDP has grown faster than expected and the Swedish economy is approaching normal conditions. Measured inflation is low, but stronger economic activity, a weaker krona and higher energy prices mean it is expected to rise. The decision was taken at the monetary policy meeting held on 23 September 2026 and published with the September Monetary Policy Report. The next monetary policy meeting is on 3 November 2026, with the decision communicated on 4 November 2026.
Policy rate:
1.75 per cent (unchanged)
Applies from:
30 September 2026
Next decision communicated:
4 November 2026
Why it matters for exams: Central-bank policy rate decisions, and the factors such as currency moves and energy prices that drive inflation forecasts, are standard monetary policy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Riksbank Sveriges Riksbank — Sweden's central bank, which sets the policy rate at its monetary policy meetings.
Krona — The currency of Sweden.
24 September 2026
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said on 24 September 2026, in its annual report on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, that people in Gaza now earn just 58 cents a day. The report found that 92 per cent of Gaza's businesses are damaged or destroyed and that more than nine in 10 working-age adults are out of work. Housing has suffered more damage than any other sector, and rebuilding homes alone will cost an estimated $19 billion, said UNCTAD Coordinator Mutasim Elagraa in Geneva. He said the population is condemned to multidimensional poverty — lacking shelter and access to health, education and sanitation as well as income. According to the Board of Peace, around $71 billion will be needed over the next decade to rebuild Gaza.
Daily earnings in Gaza:
58 cents
Businesses damaged or destroyed:
92 per cent
Cost of rebuilding homes:
$19 billion
Ten-year rebuilding need (Board of Peace):
around $71 billion
Why it matters for exams: UNCTAD's reports and the concept of multidimensional poverty are frequently tested in economy and international-organisation questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNCTAD UN Trade and Development (formerly UN Conference on Trade and Development) — The UN body on trade, investment and development, based in Geneva.
Multidimensional poverty — Poverty measured by deprivations in health, education and living standards, not income alone.
24 September 2026
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said on 24 September 2026 that Russian armed forces had carried out repeated attacks across Ukraine using ballistic and cruise missiles, drones and guided aerial bombs. Between 1 and 24 September, the Mission recorded at least 200 civilians killed and 1,234 injured, figures expected to rise as verification continues. In the latest strike on Thursday, a vegetable sorting facility on a farm in Stara Hnylytsia, Kharkiv region, was hit, killing seven civilians and injuring 12. Kyiv saw civilian casualties on 16 of the first 24 days of September, the highest monthly frequency since the full-scale invasion began. Mission head Danielle Bell cited hits on shopping centres, pharmacies, food warehouses and fuel stations.
Civilians killed, 1–24 September:
at least 200
Injured:
1,234
Days with civilian casualties in Kyiv:
16 of the first 24
Why it matters for exams: The war in Ukraine and the UN's human-rights monitoring of civilian harm are recurring world-affairs topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
HRMMU UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine — A mission of the UN human rights office that documents civilian harm and rights violations in Ukraine.
Guided aerial bomb — A bomb dropped from aircraft and steered to its target, often from long range.