World Science Day for Peace and Development 10 November
Science is highly diverse. Each year, World Science Day for Peace and Development offers an opportunity to demonstrate why science is relevant to people&rsquos daily lives and to engage them in debates on related issues. In 2016, the celebration focuses on science centres and science museums to highlight their important contribution to science communication.
On historic day for climate action, Ban urges sustained momentum for better, safer future
4 November 2016 – As the Paris Agreement on climate change enters into force, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for the same determination going forward to implement the Agreement as well as to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Seton Hall Sustainable Development Challenge
Come up with an innovative idea to address climate change, poverty, education or another Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), and you could win a Seton Hall scholarship and cash prize to help you put your project idea into action!
Seton Hall University's School of Diplomacy and International Relations announced the launch of its second UN Sustainable Development Challenge. This year, the University is sponsoring two challenge programs: one for high school students and a second grad challenge for college seniors and recent bachelor's degree graduates.
2017 Echidna Global Scholars Program
The Centre for Universal Education at Brookings has extended the deadline for submissions to the 2017 Echidna Global Scholars Program, and will now receive applications until November 14, 2016. Echidna Global Scholars spend nearly five months at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. to pursue research on global education issues with an emphasis on girls' education.
Almost one in seven children breathing heavily toxic air – UNICEF report
31 October 2016 – About 300 million children in the world are living in areas with outdoor air so toxic – six or more times higher than international pollution guidelines – that it can cause serious health damage, including harming their developing brains, a new United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) report has revealed.
Global Goals can 'propel us towards a better future for all on a healthy planet,' Ban says on UN Day
24 October 2016 – In his last United Nations Day message as Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon recognized the efforts of courageous UN staff members who are on the frontlines of disaster and violence and continue to respond to the plight of the vulnerable people across the world.
We have also suffered enormous heartbreak – including unresolved conflicts causing immense suffering throughout the troubled Middle East, South Sudan, the Sahel and beyond, said Secretary-General Ban in his message on the Day, observed annually on 24 October, the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter.
RiverCity Gothenburg: A City Built On Inclusion
This article from the Gothenburg City Council is the third in the UNAI START series that looks at Sustainable Development Goal #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. UNAI member institutions as well as government leaders and policymakers were asked to submit articles highlighting research and policy development and implementation relating to the design and construction of more resilient and sustainable cities for the 21st century, and to showcase the importance of addressing urbanization in achieving the 2030 Development Agenda. Please note that the articles are for discussion, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.
Urban Resilience for a Changing Climate
This article from UNAI Member School New York University is the second in the UNAI START series that looks at Sustainable Development Goal #11:Sustainable Cities and Communities. Schools and departments of urbanization at UNAI member institutions were asked to submit articles highlighting research and work relating to the design and construction of more resilient and sustainable cities for the 21st century, and to showcase the importance of addressing urbanization in achieving the 2030 Development Agenda. Please note that the articles are for discussion, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.
Translating Goals into Action: Academia Towards an Inclusive Society
This article from UNAI member university Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture (BNCA) for Women is the fourth in the UNAI START series that looks at Sustainable Development Goal #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Schools and departments of urbanization at UNAI member institutions were asked to submit articles highlighting research and work relating to the design and construction of more resilient and sustainable cities for the 21st century, and to showcase the importance of addressing urbanization in achieving the 2030 Development Agenda. Please note that the articles are for discussion, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.
Habitat III and the New Urban Agenda: Growing Cities and Opportunities
Today, 54 per cent of the world's population lives in urban areas, accounting for more than 70 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and consuming close to two thirds of the world's energy. Projections show that the number of city dwellers will only increase, reaching 6 billion inhabitants by 2050. The data suggests that urbanization poses many challenges, including meeting the demand for affordable housing, well-connected transport systems, and other infrastructure, basic services and educational and employment options, particularly for the nearly 1 billion urban poor who live in informal settlements to be near job opportunities. The upward trend in urbanization also presents opportunities, as well-designed and managed cities can contribute to sustainable growth by increasing productivity, reducing consumption and allowing innovation and new ideas to emerge.
Building Cities of the Future Must Start Today
This article from the Asian Development Bank is the first in the UNAI START series that looks at Sustainable Development Goal #11:Sustainable Cities and Communities. Schools and departments of urbanization at UNAI member institutions were asked to submit articles highlighting research and work relating to the design and construction of more resilient and sustainable cities for the 21st century, and to showcase the importance of addressing urbanization in achieving the 2030 Development Agenda. Please note that the articles are for discussion, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.
Imagine for a second that you have the ability to look into the future and see the city you live in. What would it look like? Would it be green, peaceful and safe or would it be full of crime, darkness and pollution? Maybe it is a city with skyscrapers and flying cars, where technology and the environment live in harmony?
'All girls count,' says UN, calling for reliable data to uncover and tackle inequalities holding them back
11 October 2016 Girls are the sometimes-hidden change-makers of the present and future, and to make sure their voices are heard, the United Nations is marking the International Day of the Girl Child by calling on governments, civil society groups, and communities to provide more and better gender data to so that in the sustainable development era, no girls are left behind.
'The wellbeing, human rights and empowerment of the world's 1.1 billion girls are central to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. When we agreed on that agenda, we promised girls quality education and health services,' said Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in his message on the Day, which this year tackle the theme Girls' Progress = Goals' Progress: A Global Data Movement
Security Council recommends former Prime Minister of Portugal Guterres as next UN Secretary-General
6 October 2016
The Security Council today formally chose the former Prime Minister of Portugal, António Guterres, as its nominee to be the next Secretary-General of the United Nations for a five-year term when incumbent Ban Ki-moon steps down on 31 December.
The recommendation, made in a resolution adopted in a private meeting by acclamation, now goes to the 193-member General Assembly for formal approval.
On an official visit to Italy, Mr. Ban said in Rome this morning that Mr. Guterres is an excellent choice noting that the two had worked closely during Mr. Guterres long and outstanding tenure as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
'He showed deep compassion for the millions of people who were forced to leave their homes' Mr. Ban said, adding: 'His past experience as Prime Minister of Portugal, his extensive knowledge of world affairs and his keen intelligence will serve him to lead the United Nations at a crucial period'
Call for Participants for COP22 Side Event in Marrakech 10-11 November
The 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) and the twelfth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 12) will be held in Marrakech, Morocco from 7-18 November 2016.
According to Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, The UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech is the crucial next step for governments looking to operationalize the Paris Climate Change Agreement adopted last year. COP 22 is therefore incredibly important.
UN Secretary-General´s message on World Habitat Day
3 October 2016
Later this month, Governments and their partners will meet in Quito, Ecuador, for the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III).Held every 20 years, the Habitat conference is designed to reflect on the state of human settlements and on what we want the towns and cities of the future to look like.
With the world embarking this year on implementing the historic 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Habitat III has particular resonance.The 2030 Agenda is a comprehensive, integrated and inclusive blueprint for peace, prosperity, dignity and opportunity for all people on a healthy planet.Achieving its 17 Sustainable Development Goals will depend, in large part, on whether we can make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.