Zero Waste Day: UN calls for a war on garbage

Crimes against nature: UN agency puts environmental legislation under scrutiny

“Stronger legislation can help deter potential and repeat offenders and expand the range of investigative tools and resources for law enforcement to stop crimes that affect the environment,” said Angela Me, Chief of Research and Analysis at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), presenting the report. Launched in Vienna, ‘The Landscape of Criminalization’…

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Mongolian dzud: Extreme weather puts 90% of country at ‘high risk’

Mongolian dzud: Extreme weather puts 90% of country at ‘high risk’

About 190,000 herder households are struggling with inadequate feed, skyrocketing prices and heightened vulnerabilities, according to the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia. Herding and livestock have traditionally been integral to Mongolia’s economy, culture and way of life. Estimates indicate that there are over 64 million livestock this winter season in Mongolia. “The…

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Israel-Palestine: Blockade puts Gaza aid on the line, WHO spotlights soaring mental health needs in Israel

Israel-Palestine: Blockade puts Gaza aid on the line, WHO spotlights soaring mental health needs in Israel

An alert from Gaza’s main hospital in the south of the enclave that lifesaving operations would stop on Wednesday evening because of fuel shortages followed an appeal from UN chief António Guterres for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. A truce was needed, he told the Security Council on Tuesday, “to ease epic suffering, make the delivery…

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As record warming puts climate targets at risk, young people’s ‘green skills’ may help save the planet

As record warming puts climate targets at risk, young people’s ‘green skills’ may help save the planet

International Youth Day is marked annually on 12 August and the 2023 edition spotlights green skills and the major role young people will play in driving the much-needed shift towards an environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly mindset. These include technical knowledge and skills that enable the effective use of green technologies and processes in occupational settings,…

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Afghanistan: Guterres says women worker ban ‘unacceptable and puts lives in jeopardy’

Afghanistan: Guterres says women worker ban ‘unacceptable and puts lives in jeopardy’

Secretary-General António Guterres was speaking to reporters in Doha, Qatar, after convening an international meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan. He said they had agreed on the need for a “strategy of engagement” with the Taliban, to help the country’s most vulnerable people. No question of Taliban recognition Mr. Guterres made clear that the gathering had not focussed…

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WFP chief puts hold on Sudan aid operations, following death of 3 staff in unrest

WFP chief puts hold on Sudan aid operations, following death of 3 staff in unrest

According to a statement attributable to the Executive Director of the UN agency, Cindy McCain, the workers were carrying out life-saving duties in Kabkabiya, North Darfur. In a separate incident on Saturday, a WFP-managed UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) aircraft was significantly damaged at Khartoum International airport during an exchange of gunfire, seriously impacting WFP’s…

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