July 2023 - Career Meaning

Northern hemisphere summer marked by heatwaves and wildfires: WMO

Record temperatures have been reported on land and in the sea, while wildfires have sparked devastation, caused dozens of casualties, and forced thousands to be evacuated. Last week, scientists from the UN agency and the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said new data showed that July was on track to be the warmest month…

WHO hails Mauritius, Netherlands for tobacco control measures but global risks remain

Hailing Mauritius and the Netherlands for implementing all of the UN health agency’s MPOWER tobacco control measures – a feat matched to date only by only Brazil and Türkiye – the WHO said that 2.3 billion people in 44 countries remain unprotected by tobacco control measures, exposing them to sickness and the economic burden of…

New Economic and Social Council leadership takes the helm

The 54-member body, which is one of the six main pillars of the UN system, elected Paula Narváez Ojeda of Chile to the top seat. It also elected as Vice-Presidents, Akan Rakhmetullin (Kazakhstan), Ivan Šimonović (Croatia) and Robert Rae (Canada), representing the Asia-Pacific, Eastern European, and Western European and other regional groups, respectively. The…

Sudan health crisis reaches ‘gravely serious levels’: WHO

Cases of infectious diseases and other illness have been reported among displaced populations who have sought shelter in hard-to-reach locations, where health services are limited. “The scale of the health crisis is enormous. We are working hard to step up our response, delivering critical medical and other emergency health supplies,” said Dr. Nima Saeed Abid,…

World entering a ‘humanitarian doom loop’, warns UN food aid official

At a press briefing in New York, Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme, said that the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative after Russia ended its engagement was “regrettable, to say the least.” Under the initiative, WFP shipped more than 725,000 tons of grain, relieving hunger in some of the…

UN pledges to ‘remain engaged and committed’ amid attempted coup in Niger

Nicole Kouassi, UN Acting Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, was speaking from the capital, Niamey, just hours after the general whose troops seized the democratically elected president, announced that he was assuming control of the country. On behalf of UN agencies on the ground, she echoed the Secretary-General’s condemnation of Wednesday’s coup attempt declared against…

During visit to Greece, UN official calls for enhanced refugee protection

During the visit, Ms. Triggs mentioned that one of the worst shipwrecks in the Mediterranean happened just over a month ago. Protecting refugee rights “The Pylos tragedy and the other devastating tragedies in the Mediterranean underscore the primacy of saving lives and protecting the rights of people forced to flee. This was my message to…

OHCHR condemns executions in Kuwait and Singapore, pushes for global ban

“We deplore the multiple executions carried out this week in Kuwait and Singapore and oppose the death penalty under all circumstances,” said OHCHR Spokesperson Seif Magango. Immediate moratorium “We urge Kuwait and Singapore to immediately establish a moratorium on executions and join the more than 170 States that have so far abolished or introduced a…

Niger: Security Council strongly condemns ‘efforts to unconstitutionally change’ the government

The members of the Security Council strongly condemned the efforts to unconstitutionally change the legitimate government of the Republic of Niger on 26 July 2023. Earlier this week, the demand to release the President of Niger was voiced by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Late on Wednesday, a group of Nigerien military officers made a television…

INTERVIEW: Heatwaves endanger workers and reduce productivity

Data from the UN’s World Meteorological Organization reveals this July is set to be the hottest month ever recorded. Heatwaves not only threaten the environment but create additional obstacles for countries attempting to achieve sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all, the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 8, according to the ILO’s…