Kenya’s Nzambi Matee beams brightly, thrusting a brick forth to coincide with the click of the camera. It is no ordinary brick – the entire thing is made from plastic waste – and no ordinary photo, either. Behind her, stands the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed. Ms. Mohammed rests her hands on Nzambi’s shoulder, undoubtedly proud of her. Around her are a dozen other young environmental advocates.

World News in Brief: Refugee funding, US migration policy triggers ‘cascade’ of rights violations, world forests report, restorative justice in Colombia
From energy crisis to energy transition: How renewables are reshaping energy security
Sudan tells UN: No imposed solutions to country’s conflict
‘Ballot must replace the bullets’, South Sudan tells General Assembly ahead of elections
DPR Korea tells UN its nuclear status is ‘irreversible’, rejects outside pressure
UN leaders renew push to defeat racism, 25 years after Durban