12 December 2018 — Universal health care for all, leaving no one behind, by 2030: that’s the call going out on International Universal Health Coverage Day, which this year falls on Wednesday. Why 2030? Because that’s the target date for completion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which (SDG3), calls for the promotion of healthy lives and well-being for all.
12 December 2018 — While there is “staunch support” among Member States for the 2016 Iran nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, that is tempered by concerns over some of its other activities, which Iran “should carefully consider and address” according to the latest report on the deal from the UN Secretary-General.
12 December 2018 — With roadblocks continuing at the COP24 climate change conference over how to implement the historic 2015 Paris Agreement, United Nations chief António Guterres returned to Poland on Wednesday, to challenge the more than 100 Government leaders gathered in Katowice to find consensus and “finish the job.”
11 December 2018 — The adoption by more than 160 governments of the first-ever global migration pact is a triumph of multilateralism and highlights the importance of dispelling “myths” and fear-mongering over the issue, said the UN’s senior migration official on Tuesday, bringing the key two-day Marrakech conference to a close.
11 December 2018 — United Nations-sponsored political consultations in Sweden, involving the warring parties in the Yemen war, have led to progress “on a number of issues,” said Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy for Yemen, at a press conference on Monday.
10 December 2018 — Across the world, the UN family has been making sure that this year’s Human Rights Day – which falls on Monday, and marks 70 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – succeeds in raising awareness of the principles enshrined in the document, which are as important and relevant today, as they were in 1948.
10 December 2018 — The Global Compact for Migration was adopted on Monday by leading representatives from 164 Governments at an international conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, in an historic move described by UN Chief António Guterres as the creation of a “roadmap to prevent suffering and chaos”.
8 December 2018 — Paving the way to the key UN migration conference in Marrakech, Morocco, which it is hoped will agree new measures to make life safer and more dignified for people on the move, UN agencies held a series of side events to highlight the different aspects of migration, paying special attention to the most vulnerable, and the challenges they face on their often perilous journeys.
Sexual harrassment is an insidious expression of gender inequality. It knows no social, economic or national boundaries. Especially when the threat persists in public spaces, sexual harrassment restricts girls from pursuing education and employment by restricting their movement. For the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, UNFPA and Cheer Up Luv present the stories of 16 women who have endured sexual harassment on public transport in Sri Lanka.
Almost one billion people live in mountain areas, and over half the human population depends on mountains for water, food and clean energy. Yet mountains are under threat from climate change, land degradation, over exploitation and natural disasters, with potentially far-reaching and devastating consequences, both for mountain communities and the rest of the world. The theme of the 2018 International Mountain Day is "Mountains Matter." Use the hashtag #MountainsMatter to tell us why mountains matter to you.
Each year on 12 December, Universal Health Coverage advocates raise their voices to share the stories of the millions of people still waiting for health, champion what we have achieved so far, call on leaders to make bigger and smarter investments in health, and encourage diverse groups to make commitments to help move the world closer to UHC by 2030. The theme for the 2018 International Universal Health Coverage Day is: "Unite for Universal Health Coverage: Now is the Time for Collective Action."
During the global annual advocacy campaign, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (25 November–10 December), UN Women announced the appointment of internationally renowned award-winning actor-playwright Danai Gurira as its Goodwill Ambassador. As a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Gurira will lend her name and dedicate her support to putting a spotlight on gender equality and women’s rights, as well as bringing unheard women’s voices front and centre. Gurira is the first Black American-Zimbabwean Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women, and is commonly referred to as “General Okoye” due to her on-screen persona in the films Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War.
The Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration takes place in Marrakech, Morocco on the 10th and 11th of December, 2018. The Conference is convened under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly and is held pursuant to its resolution, entitled "New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants," which decided to launch a process of intergovernmental negotiations leading to the adoption of the Global Compact for Migration. The non-binding Global Compact is grounded in values of State sovereignty, responsibility-sharing, non-discrimination, and human rights.
Each month, we provide an editorial package focusing on one of the Sustainable Development Goals, containing interviews, links to campaigns, social media assets, and resources.
