As delegates and staffers gear up to tackle another day at UN Headquarters, a quiet yet stirring tradition unfolds: the raising of flags representing all Member States.

Some one billion people globally under the age of 25 live in regions where they depend on the land and natural resources for jobs and livelihoods, according to the UN, but their future is increasingly under threat due to desertification and land degradation.

As reports continued to emerge from Damascus where opposition forces declared victory on State television on Sunday, the UN’s top humanitarian official insisted that aid teams will continue to provide emergency relief wherever possible.

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Syria announced on Saturday that the Organization is removing non-critical staff from the country, emphasizing that this is a precautionary step to protect UN personnel “while maintaining essential operations”.