Suspected cholera cases in Yemen surpass one million, reports UN health agency
22 December 2017 – The total number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen has crossed one million, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) reported today, urging greater efforts to tackle the outbreak and deal with the deteriorating health situation in the war-torn nation.
The epidemic is not yet over and more concerted efforts need to be deployed to ensure that it is controlled in the immediate term and prevented from reoccurring in the near future, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarevic told a press briefing in Geneva.
UN urges international cooperation to make migration safer in a world on the move
18 December 2017 – On International Migrants Day, the United Nations is appealing for cooperation in managing migration to ensure that its benefits are most widely distributed, and that human rights of all concerned are protected – as recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The UN SDG Action Challenge Awards
In order to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, innovators, mobilizers, connectors, storytellers, communicators, visualizers and includers are invited to submit their applications for the UN SDG Action Challenge Awards from 1 December 2017 to15 January 2018.
The aim of this challenge is to find the change-makers of today and celebrate their achievements with the world. Members of the global SDG community are invited to enter their projects, initiatives, networks and people for the chance to win a UN SDG Action Challenge Award at the UN SDG Action Challenge Awards Ceremony on 21 March 2018 during the Global Festival of Action for Sustainable Development in Bonn, Germany (21-23 March 2018).
Children are the face of conflict-fuelled humanitarian tragedy in South Sudan – UNICEF
15 December 2017 – South Sudan's children are facing a raft of daily horrors and deprivations and urgently require a peaceful, protective environment, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Friday, warning that anything less, places children and women at even greater risk of grave violations and abuse.
The 2018 World Economic Situation and Prospects report published
13 December 2017 - The 2018 World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report was presented on 11 December 2017 by Liu Zhenmin, United Nations Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, at a press briefing at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The report outlines prospects for the global economy in the upcoming years. The report focuses on the ways in which a fairer globalization can be achieved through public policies.
According to the WESP report, the world economy has strengthened even though the recovery from the 2008-2009 global financial crisis has been uneven around the world. The WESP report forecasts that all developing regions will record positive labour productivity growth in 2018.
Make digital world safer for children, increase online access to benefit most disadvantaged – UNICEF
11 December 2017 - UNICEF released Monday its annual flagship report, the State of the World's Children. This year's report focuses on children in the digital age. UNICEF pointed out that digital technologies can be key to changing the fate of vulnerable children, providing them with new opportunities for learning, socializing and expressing their opinions, yet millions of children are being abandoned by an increasingly connected world.
UN designates 2021-2030 'Decade of Ocean Science'
On the 6th of December 2017 the United Nations designated the years 2021 to 2030 as the 'Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development' to boost international coordination and cooperation in research and scientific programmes for better management of ocean and coastal zone resources and reducing maritime risks.
Paramount that civilians are protected in Yemen, underscores UN
4 December 2017 – Voicing concern over the dramatic escalation in fighting in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, and surrounding areas, that have reportedly killed about one hundred people and injured many more, the United Nations called on the parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international law and ensure that civilians are not harmed.
It is paramount that civilians are protected, that the wounded are afforded safe access to medical care, and that all sides facilitate life-saving humanitarian access, Stéphane Dujarric, the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, told reporters Monday at a regular press briefing at the UN Headquarters, in New York.
We remind all parties to the conflict that deliberate attacks against civilians and against civilian and medical infrastructure are clear violations of international humanitarian law and may constitute war crimes.
Antalya: Solutions to today's development challenges exist in the Global South, stresses UN official
27 November 2017 – Solutions to today's critical development challenges exist in the Global South, and every country – large or small, emerging economy or least developed – has something to offer to the world, a senior United Nations official said today, as the 2017 Global South-South Cooperation Expo opened in Antalya, Turkey.
The advantage and beauty of South-South cooperation is that this modality of international relations relies on solidarity expressed in concrete and demonstrable sharing of technical know-how, experience and resources among developing countries, said Jorge Chediek, the Secretary-General's Envoy on South-South Cooperation and Director of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), at the opening ceremony.
UN chief 'horrified' at buying and selling of African migrants in Libya
20 November 2017 – Expressing horror at news reports and videos showing African migrants in Libya allegedly being sold as slaves, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called on the authorities to urgently investigate the situation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Slavery has no place in our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights and may amount to crimes against humanity, Mr. Guterres told reporters at a press stakeout at the UN Headquarters, in New York, Monday.
He added that he has asked the relevant UN actors to actively pursue the matter.
Desperate Rohingya refugees use home-made rafts to get to Bangladesh – UN
17 November 2017 – Over the past 10 days, dozens of makeshift rafts carrying more than a thousand people have floated into Bangladesh, proof that Rohingya refugees are resorting to increasingly desperate means to flee to Myanmar, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday.
Unable to pay for the crossing, refugees are building rafts from whatever material they can get their hands on – mostly bamboo poles and empty jerry cans tied together with rope and covered with plastic sheets, William Spindler, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters at the regular press briefing in Geneva.
Peace is ... Solidarity
13 November 2017 — The fifth instalment of Peace is … took place on Monday at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Organized by the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations in collaboration with the Department of Public Information, Peace is … Solidarity featured an artistic performance by the COBU collective entitled Dance Like Drumming, Drum Like Dancing. Led by Yako Miayamoto, the COBU female artists combined tap dancing with traditional Japanese Taiko drumming.
In his opening remarks, the Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations, Mr. Koro Bessho, said the event represented a way to provide an opportunity for all of us to think about how we can show solidarity for women's empowerment in a unique way. The Deputy Executive Director of UN-Women, Ms. Lakshmi Puri, expressed her hope that the performance would symbolize the drumming of peace that ought to replace the beating of war drums.
In Manila, UN chief tells South-east Asian summit cooperation is vital to address shared challenges
13 November 2017 – Addressing the ninth Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)-United Nations Summit in Manila, the Philippines, Secretary-General António Guterres called for collective global and regional action to combat the challenges facing the world, in particular, those related to climate change.
Unhealthy diets could undo progress on food security in Asia-Pacific, warns UN report
10 November 2017 – Urgent action is needed to tackle malnutrition and promote consumption of healthier foods in the Asia-Pacific region – home to most of the world's undernourished people – the United Nations food security agency said Friday.
Good nutrition depends on raising awareness about healthy foods and choices, as well as efficient, affordable and sustainable systems to deliver that food, said Kundhavi Kadiresan, the head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the Asia-Pacific region, announcing findings from the agency's regional report on food security and nutrition.
If we are to reach the Sustainable Development Goal of [ending hunger] in the region, we must invest to improve our food systems and pool our knowledge and resources to meet our current food and nutrition challenges head on.
Accelerating Action on the SDGs: A Guide for Universities
Universities across the world are aware of the crucial role they play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but very little guidance has been available on how to incorporate these goals into academic life and work. The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Australia/Pacific, however, has recently issued a new guide that helps bridge this gap.