That’s when environmental protection was not yet a priority of national political agendas, but a growing movement took hold across the planet. In 1971, UN Secretary-General U Thant held a special ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York, proclaiming 22 April the world’s first Earth Day. A team prepares posters and signs to be used…
The northeast African country is already in the grip of the world’s largest displacement crisis, the UN World Food Programme, WFP, noted. Fighting between the Sudanese Army and a rival group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left thousands dead and eight million displaced. A staggering 14 million children are in desperate need…
“The child deaths we feared are here,” Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement issued on Sunday. At least 10 children have died from dehydration and malnutrition at Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north in recent days, according to reports. Helplessness and despair Ms. Khodr warned…
With more than 7,000 delegates from 182 UN Member States and more than 170 ministers participating in Nairobi, UNEA-6 adopted a package of action plans, from promoting sustainable lifestyles to the sound management of chemicals and waste and sand and dust storms, issuing calls for immediate steps to rein in overconsumption and take smarter, greener steps towards sustainability. “The…
At the beginning of each year, UNICEF looks ahead to the risks that children are likely to face, and suggests ways to reduce the potential harm. The latest report, Prospects for Children 2024: Cooperation in a Fragmented World, paints a picture of a short-term future characterized by continued conflict and economic uncertainty. Here is a breakdown…
The southeast Asian country’s opium output has surpassed that of Afghanistan, where the Taliban imposed a ban on its production in April last year – leading to a 95 per cent fall in cultivation, UNODC said. The area under opium cultivation this year is estimated to be 47,100 hectares, up from 40,100 last year, while…
Convened in the town of Kasane, the Intergovernmental Committee is considering new entries to UNESCO’s Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage and on Tuesday night they unveiled dozens of different entries which have made the cut already, ranging from glass blowing to poncho weaving. The session in Botswana – the latest annual gathering of the committee –…
The new findings from the UNICEF research wing focus on Member States of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU). Analysing child support policies among the group of developed economies, the report finds that despite an overall decrease in poverty of nearly eight per cent over the seven year…
These sites promote biodiversity conservation with sustainable use and are located across 134 countries, with 21 new reserves added in the past two years alone. The rapid expansion of this network testifies to the growing awareness that our common future depends upon reconciling lifestyle with greater respect for nature, said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UN…
“It is important that we understand the issues of concern to Member States not only at the global level, but also regionally, noting the differences in priority and emphasis,” said Joachim Harris, Chief of the Digital and Promotion team in the UN’s Department of Global Communications. His team data crunched all speeches made at the…
