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GLOBAL: Countries must act fast to save the Sustainable Development Goals – Amnesty International

 Source: Amnesty International

With countries in danger of failing to meet their Sustainable Development Goals targets – and their human rights obligations – leaders attending the Financing for Development Conference must act fast to avert climate catastrophe and guarantee the human rights of billions of people currently being denied socio-economic justice, said Amnesty International.

The 4th International Conference for Financing for Development will take place from 30 June to 3 July in Seville, Spain. It provides a unique opportunity to reform development financing at all levels and address financing challenges preventing the urgently needed investment push to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The SDGs were put in place 10 years ago to guarantee peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future.

“Years of underinvestment by all states mean the majority of the Sustainable Development Goals are way off track from their 2030 target. This conference must confront the immediate crisis linked to the cutting of international assistance by major donors, whilst committing to structural reforms that could provide sustainable sources of financing for the longer term – from advancing international tax cooperation and addressing the debt crisis, to reforming international financial institutions and promoting more inclusive systems of financing and development,” said Riva Jalipa, Amnesty International’s Financing for Rights Lead Adviser.

“A series of robust measures must be put in place if the SDGs are to become a reality. The US and other governments must reverse cuts to aid budgets. Wealthy states must support the UN tax treaty process whilst providing debt relief for countries in or at risk of debt distress including cancellation where appropriate. Fossil fuels subsidies must be redirected towards investment in clean energy and leaders must commit to a full, fast, fair and funded fossil fuel phase out across all sectors and invest adequately in a just and equitable transition. Adopting these measures will go a long way to rescuing the SDGs and ensure social, economic and climate justice for millions across the world.”

Amnesty International will also be co-hosting a Virtual Side Event at the Financing for Development Conference, Seville: Reparative Justice in Financing for Development. The session will focus on development financing and reparative justice as a means through which a human rights-based economy which redresses both existing and historical injustices can not only be conceptualized but also practically actioned. Register to attend via Zoom.  

Background

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were put in place 10 years ago to guarantee peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future. The 17 goals aimed to address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice – to ensure no one was left behind. However, years of underinvestment by all states mean over 80% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’ targets are off track due to underinvestment by all states.

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Gaza’s Taps Running Dry: Fuel Crisis Deepens Daily Struggle for Families – UNICEF

Source: UNICEF

UNICEF Spokesperson James Elder at press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva

AMMAN/GENEVA, June 2025 – “In a war already defined by its brutality, Gaza now teeters at its deadliest edge. Currently just 40 per cent of drinking water production facilities remain functional in Gaza (87 out of 217). Without fuel, every one of these will stop operating within weeks.
 
“Since all the electricity to Gaza was cut after the horrific attacks of 7 Oct 2023, fuel became essential to produce, treat and distribute water to more than two million Palestinians.
 
“If the current more than 100-day blockade on fuel coming into Gaza does not end, children will begin to die of thirst. Diseases are already advancing, and chaos is tightening its grip.
 
“Whilst alarm bells rightly ring on the nutrition situation in Gaza – just [last week] UNICEF reported a 50 per cent increase in children (6months to 5yrs) admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition from April to May – water cannot be sidelined.
 
“And so in the most relatable terms: Gaza is facing what would amount to a man-made drought. Water systems are collapsing.
 
“However, because this is man-made, it can be stopped. None of these problems are logistical or technical. They are political. Denial has become policy. If there is political will, the water crisis will be eased overnight – fuel would mean that water flows from hundreds of groundwater wells and restores supply within a day. But time is running out.

“To help paint the picture: without fuel, desalination plants that already operate on reduced capacity will cease completely, and critical membranes in the machinery will close, doing immense damage. Without fuel, trucking the millions of litres of water to people will stop. At major production points, large numbers of donkeys are starting to replace trucks. This is the last gasp of a collapsing system. A donkey cart can barely carry 500 litres. A truck, 15,000. And even the donkeys are slowing – there’s barely enough food to keep them moving.
 
“Fuel is also the thread holding Gaza’s devastated healthcare system together. Without it, hospital generators stop, oxygen production stops, and life-support machines fail. Ambulances can’t move. Incubators go dark. Denying fuel doesn’t just cut off supply – it cuts off survival.
 
“Or sanitation: The sewerage systems are broken. Sewage now flows into makeshift shelters and tents. There are already suspected cases of HepA and HepE, which are highly infectious.
 
“Or nutrition: Just as the water crisis is manmade, so too is the malnutrition it drives. In Gaza, these two crises feed off each other, creating a deadly cycle. On average, more than 110 children (6months to 5yrs) have been admitted for treatment for malnutrition every day since the beginning of 2025.
 
“At the start of this month a friend in Gaza said to me: ‘we have learnt to live without so much. Without our homes; without safety; without loved ones…but we cannot live without food'.
 
“This week he clarified that: ‘we have learnt to live without so much. Without our homes; without safety; without loved ones…we have even learnt we can live without food for a week, or more…but we cannot survive days without water’.
 
“UNICEF is very clear. This is Gaza’s most critical moment since this war on children began – a woeful bar to sink below. A virtual blockade is in place; humanitarian aid is being sidelined; the daily killing of girls and boys in Gaza does not register; and now a deliberate fuel crisis is severing Palestinians most essential element for survival: water.”

 
About UNICEF
UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, works to protect the rights of every child, everywhere, especially the most disadvantaged children and in the toughest places to reach. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfil their potential.
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NZ becomes first country to back out of Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance – Greenpeace

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace says that the New Zealand Government has lost its last shred of climate credibility in light of its withdrawal from the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance – a global first.
Greenpeace spokesperson Amanda Larsson says, “This is a Government that is refusing to invest in a safe and livable future. Luxon has made an unconscionable decision with no thought for the implications on our kids’ and grandkids’ futures.”
“From choosing to reverse the oil and gas ban, to offering up $200 million in taxpayer-funded subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, it’s clear that Luxon can’t be trusted to make decisions on climate change.
“Abandoning the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance is like withdrawing your investments in smartphones to back fax machines instead. These are not serious people.”
Larsson says that there is a growing risk that the Government’s reversal of climate change policies will result in backlash from New Zealand’s trading partners, citing advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade that said that repealing the ban on offshore oil and gas was likely to breach New Zealand’s free trade deals with the UK and European Union.
Additionally, Member of the European Parliament Saskia Bricmont has asked questions of the European Trade Commissioner about the impacts of New Zealand’s regressive climate policies on the EU-NZ Free Trade Agreement – specifically, the move to revise New Zealand’s methane emissions target in line with the controversial concept of ‘no additional warming’.
“The Luxon Government is bending over backwards for two of the most polluting industries in the world – the intensive livestock industry, and the fossil fuel industry,” says Larsson.
“They are turning New Zealand into a laughing stock on the global stage as they continue to let polluters write policies that harm regular people.
“Already, international climate scientists have called out the Prime Minister for ignoring scientific evidence by exploring dodgy accounting tricks for measuring methane emissions from livestock. It is the first time in Luxon’s political or business career that he has made the front page of the Financial Times – and it was humiliating. He should expect more international criticism to come.”
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Child Fund – Children bear the brunt as risk of war increases

Source: ChildFund New Zealand

Violence against children in areas with armed conflict has reached unprecedented levels, with children bearing the brunt of violent clashes, indiscriminate attacks, disregard for ceasefires and peace agreements, and deepening humanitarian crisis, according to a new report from the United Nations.
“As wars across the world escalate, from Ukraine and Yemen, to Gaza, Israel and Iran, it is always children who suffer the most and are uniquely vulnerable to abuse,” says Josie Pagani, CEO of ChildFund.
According to the United Nation’s annual report into Children and Armed Conflict, last year:
  • 22,495 children were illegally recruited into armed groups, killed, maimed, raped or victims of other forms of sexual violence, and abduction in conflict zones
  • 4,676 children were killed, and 7,291 maimed, affecting a staggering 11,967 children
  • 41,370 were victims of grave violations, including attacks on schools and hospitals and denial of humanitarian access
  • Grave violations against children increased by 545% in Lebanon, 525% in Mozambique and 490% in Haiti
  • 3,018 children were jailed for association with parties to conflict.
“In too many examples, perpetrators targeted attacks on children, used explosive weapons in populated areas, and systematically exploited children in hostilities for military and sexual purposes.”
“There is still a blatant disregard for international law at the moment, where ‘might is right’, and humanitarian access in war is denied. Children are the silent victims when the law is ignored,” says Josie Pagani.
Charities like ChildFund are on the ground, doing what they can to protect children in war zones.
“Through our partners in Gaza, we are distributing water, hygiene kits, and doing everything possible to keep on top of the rapid increase of illnesses spreading through communities and in the camps for displaced people.”
In Gaza, 92% of homes, 88% of schools, 68% of cropland, and 68% of road networks have been destroyed, while only 50% of hospitals are functioning – most of them only partially.
In Ukraine, ChildFund partners have reached nearly 3000 people, including 1,797 children and teenagers with food and water, and provided safe spaces for children to keep learning during the war, and to get the psychosocial support they need.
“We must keep calling out those on all sides of a conflict who disregard international law, or recruit children as combatants in wars, target citizens illegally, or ride roughshod over the Convention of the Rights of the Child. These legal principles are there precisely to protect the most vulnerable people in the most violent situations.”
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Wellington Regional Council must stand up to short-sighted Coalition Government and continue with its plan to restore water quality for its people – CCW

Source: Choose Clean Water – Tom Kay


Greater Wellington Regional Council must stand up to the short-sighted Coalition Government in its vote tomorrow on whether to continue with its regional plan change to protect and restore water quality in the region, say freshwater campaign group Choose Clean Water.

Regional council papers show councillors will be considering three options for the region’s freshwater plan change at their meeting on Thursday 26 June: to pause the plan change until October, to pause the plan change until they can continue with ‘confidence’ about upcoming changes to national direction, or to withdraw the plan change entirely.

“Regional councils are being bullied by this short-sighted Coalition Government into stopping their years-long, vital work to save our waterways from further degradation and protect our drinking water sources. This Government is compromised by its close ties to polluting commercial interests and Wellington regional councillors must stand up to them for the health of their region’s environment and people,” says Choose Clean Water spokesperson Tom Kay

Kay says Wellington Regional Council’s uncertainty in moving ahead with their plan change is another sign of the Government trying to take power away from communities to make decisions about managing their rivers, streams, and harbours, and instead give it to polluting commercial interests.


“There is no reason to throw out this plan change. Councillors are risking starting this process all over again on the basis of yet-to-be-seen national policy and speculation about what may or may not eventuate. They should keep calm and carry on.”

The plan change forms part of a program to restore and protect fresh and coastal water health the Regional Council has been working on for the last 15 years, including with significant investment and support from communities and iwi. It would bring policies and rules for two major Wellington catchments into line with the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020, including the prioritisation of freshwater and community health in decision-making over commercial interests.

But with changes to weaken freshwater policy announced by the Government, councillors are now considering whether to continue or not, risking undermining years of progress and future potential for healthy water in the region, say campaigners.

“The council meeting papers say that if the plan change is withdrawn, water quality that is already degrading by some measures is likely to continue to degrade because the old plan provisions are less protective.”

“Communities have been waiting decades for these plan changes, particularly in places like Te Awarua-o-Porirua / Porirua harbour, which continues to suffer from issues like sediment buildup and pollution from heavy metals, pathogens, and nutrients, with impacts on fishing and food gathering, swimming, boating, and human health.”

“The plan also promotes planting of highly erosion-prone land, and adds provisions on stormwater and earthworks that would help reduce risks of flooding and erosion. We’ve seen what Cyclone Gabrielle did in regions that hadn’t prepared for the impacts of these natural hazards. Why would we delay these actions that will build resilience?”

“This Government came into power saying they were going to allow local communities to make decisions at a community level. But they lied. We saw it with Otago Regional Council being stopped when they tried to progress a freshwater plan change that was years in the making. Now we risk seeing it with Wellington.”

“Wellington Regional Council must push ahead as soon as possible.”

Wellington Regional Council will vote on whether to proceed with the plan tomorrow, 26 June.

The Government’s consultation document on freshwater policy is open for submissions until 27 July. The consultation document proposes to remove national bottom lines for pollution as well as to remove or rewrite Te Mana o te Wai, the decision making framework in current national policy that prioritises the public interest in healthy water bodies.


Note: Tom Kay participated in the Environment Court hearings process for the operative Natural Resources Plan and participated in the current Plan Change 1 process (including providing evidence) while in previous roles at Forest & Bird.

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Appointments – New Te Whatu Ora / Health NZ CEO takes over at a challenging time for health – PSA

Source: PSA

The PSA welcomes the appointment of Dr Dale Bramley who takes over as Te Whatu Ora / Health NZ CEO next month at a very challenging time for health services.
“We have met Dr Bramley in his current role as interim CEO and have welcomed the constructive discussions to date,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“Dr Bramley takes on the role at a very challenging time for our public health system. Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand has been starved of the funding it needs to deliver the better patient outcomes the Government is demanding.
“We hope Dr Bramley is clear with Ministers about how their decisions to fund tax cuts over properly funding the health system has impacted the health services New Zealanders expect from his agency.
“The PSA represents some 24,000 health workers across the sector who experience every day the struggle to deliver to the needs of patients. This must change if New Zealanders are to have confidence that the health system will be there for them when they need it.
“The PSA will continue to advocate for greater funding and looks forward to further making that case with Dr Bramley in his new role along with Ministers.”
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.
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Stats NZ information release: Overseas merchandise trade: May 2025

Overseas merchandise trade: May 2025 – information release

25 June 2025

Overseas merchandise trade statistics provide information on imports and exports of merchandise goods between New Zealand and other countries.

Key facts
This release refers to trade in goods only.

In May 2025, compared with May 2024:

  • goods exports rose by $676 million (9.7 percent), to $7.7 billion
  • goods imports fell by $499 million (7.2 percent), to $6.4 billion
  • the monthly trade balance was a surplus of $1.2 billion.

Visit our website to read this information release:

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Stats NZ information release: National labour force projections: 2024(base)–2078

National labour force projections: 2024(base)–2078 – information release

25 June 2025

National labour force projections indicate the future size and age-sex structure of the labour force usually living in New Zealand based on assumptions about labour force participation and average hours worked, and current policy settings.

Key facts
National labour force projections indicate the future size and age-sex structure of the labour force living in Aotearoa New Zealand. All data cited here relate to June years. Data before 2024 are sourced from the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS, year ended June, unless otherwise stated).

The projections indicate that:

  • New Zealand’s labour force will continue to grow, but the growth rate will slow in the long-term
  • the labour force will age, reflecting increasing labour force participation rates among males and females aged 50 years and over (50+), and the general ageing of the population.

Visit our website to read this information release:

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Tech and Business – Fibre broadband extension a priority for business

Source: BusinessNZ

BusinessNZ supports the Infrastructure Commission’s endorsement for extending fibre broadband to more areas of New Zealand.
A proposal by Chorus to gain government backing for expanding fibre broadband from 87% to 95% of households and businesses has been endorsed by the Infrastructure Commission as a national priority.
BusinessNZ Advocacy Director Catherine Beard says Chorus’ proposal would bring a significant boost to business and rural connectivity, bringing economic benefit to more parts of country.
“More urban and rural businesses would be able to take part in the digital economy with modern connectivity that is scalable for business needs.
“BusinessNZ agrees with the Infrastructure Commission’s assessment of the proposal as a national priority.”
The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.
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Culture – Ice skaters and Korean intergenerational storytelling: Ngā Kōrero Tuku Iho funding recipients 2025

Source: Ministry for Culture and Heritage

“I am delighted to announce this year’s Ngā Kōrero Tuku Iho Piki Ake! Kake Ake! recipients,” says Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae, Secretary for Culture and Heritage.
12 grants totalling $101,075.00 are being awarded for this round of Ngā Kōrero Tuku Iho New Zealand Oral History Grants.
“This year was a particularly difficult selection process for the assessment panel. What’s clear is that each of the successful awarded projects bring to the fore stories that are yet to be told.
“The projects cover themes from the experiences of the Deaf community to survivors of abuse in care, Korean intergenerational storytelling to ice skating, and Pacific women in Porirua to kaumātua of Te Taiao (environmental guardians).
“Both Selwyn Kātene’s work on religious leaders from all denominations and Ruth Greenaway’s oral history with Jocelyn Armstrong, an interfaith leader, have been funded.
“A history of queer homemaking and houses in Aotearoa, the experience of those involved in assisted dying, and the Filipino community’s role in nursing and caregiving are also receiving grants in 2025.
“For over thirty years, Ngā Kōrero Tuku Iho has supported community projects, and we are continuing to see an increased breadth of topics, areas and applicants. I’m excited for these lesser-known histories to be shared.
“We’re really proud of this round of Ngā Kōrero Tuku Iho. I can’t wait to see these histories join Aotearoa’s extraordinary canon of oral histories,” says Leauanae.
Ngā Kōrero Tuku Iho grants are selected by an external panel of experts. Manatū Taonga administers the grants, which were established by the Australian Sesquicentennial Gift Trust in 1990 to honour 150 years since the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The grants support community-based oral history projects that reflect diverse identities and perspectives.
Each year around $100,000 is divided between approximately 12 grants.
The 2025 Ngā Kōrero Tuku Iho New Zealand Oral History grant recipients are:
  • Emily Anderson, Assisted Dying in New Zealand – Three Years On, $10,000
  • Grace Bateman and Paul Garbett, Ice Skating in New Zealand, Part 2: 1980s onward, $8,000
  • Matilda Bercic, “Matakite: Ko taku whanautanga tenei – Seer: It is my birthright”, $6,000
  • Little Acres Survivors Group, Little Acre Survivors Oral History Project, $15,822
  • Ruth Greenaway, A life dedicated to interfaith dialogue – Jocelyn Armstrong, $5,000
  • Selwyn Katene, Religious Leaders in New Zealand, $9,354
  • Lori Leigh, “Homo Sweet Homo”: The History of Queer Houses in Aotearoa, $8,000
  • Sarah Lipura, Pangangalaga (Care) at Pamilya (Family): Filipino Nurses and Healthcare Workers’ Perspectives, Experiences and Aspirations in Aotearoa New Zealand, $7,500
  • SignDNA – Deaf National Archives, SignDNA: Preserving Deaf Stories for the Future, $10,000
  • Jenny Taotua-O'Carroll, P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A Inc: Commemorating 50 Years of Pacific Women’s Allied Council in Porirua, $5,500
  • Maree Tapu, Pūkōrero Ani Martin: Rukuhia Te Puna O Te Roto Ōmāpere, $10,000
  • Joonseob Yi, Voices Across Generations: An Oral History of Korean New Zealanders, $5,899.
Further information about the grants, including how to apply, can be found on the Manatū Taonga website.