Progress has slowed in most regions since 2015, with conflict and population growth being some of the main drivers.
“Progress in keeping children in school has slowed in almost all regions,” the report notes, with sub-Saharan Africa being particularly hard hit.
In conflict zones, the situation is even more serious, with millions more children out of school than official figures reflect.
Gains were also recorded
Despite these setbacks, UNESCO highlighted important advances in the last two decades. Global enrollment has increased markedly, with “more than 25 additional children entering school every minute” since 2000.
Some countries have made notable progress, dramatically reducing out-of-school rates and expanding access to all levels of education.
However, the report warns that no single policy can address exclusion, and calls for tailored approaches and sustained investments to ensure all children can learn.
Ukraine: Massive drone and missile attack reported
U.N. human rights monitors reported Wednesday that Russia launched a massive and deadly new wave of attacks in Ukraine two nights ago.
According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), on March 23 and 24, Russia launched “almost 1,000 drones and dozens of missiles” against Ukrainian cities, killing at least six people and injuring almost 100.
“The attacks damaged residential areas, medical facilities and energy infrastructure,” the mission said.
The targets included a monastery in the western city of Lviv and a maternity hospital in the neighboring Ivano-Frankivsk region.
deadly tactic
The UN mission noted that this latest bombing was a repeat of an alarming tactic used by Russia last year that involved firing “powerful long-range weapons into densely populated areas,” which contributed to the rise in civilian casualties.
It has been more than four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
More than 15,000 civilian killings have been confirmed, although the true number is likely much higher, according to the UN monitoring mission.
In addition, 3.7 million people are now internally displaced in areas still controlled by the kyiv government.
Migratory species in decline
Nearly half of all migratory species requiring protection are declining, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
The figure is up from 44 percent two years ago. Likewise, species threatened with extinction have also increased, going from the previous 22 percent to 24 percent.
“The protection of these (migratory) species cannot be achieved by any country acting alone. Their survival depends on coordinated international action,” said UNEP’s Elizabeth Maruma Mrema at the global conference on the conservation of migratory species (CMS COP15) in Brazil.
Environmental multilateralism works
“At a time of geopolitical tensions and uncertainty, an important truth stands out: environmental multilateralism works,” he said.
“Cooperation to protect biodiversity, especially migratory species that cross borders and oceans, is effective and essential,” he added.