Social justice must be the foundation for the changing world of work: Guterres
The two-day meeting has been organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to inform its proposal for a Global Coalition for Social Justice, aimed at reducing and preventing inequalities. “The world is at a decisive moment. Today’s policies on climate, on threats to global security, on social solidarity and more, will shape our future and that of our children and…
Read MoreTürk calls for action to enable ‘equal and meaningful’ participation of women in public life
“Patriarchy must be a thing of the past. Our future depends on women and girls being at the table everywhere when decisions are made,” said Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Only 1 in 4 parliamentarians are women “It was only last year that for the first time in history women were…
Read MoreProgress on disability rights risks going in reverse: Guterres
Addressing a conference to take stock of action since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) 17 years ago, he urged countries to “do much, much better” to achieve greater inclusion and accessibility. There are more than one billion persons with disabilities worldwide, most of whom are of working…
Read More‘Inclusion is strength’ stresses UN, marking Albinism Awareness Day
Persons with the condition – which is caused by a lack of melanin pigmentation, affecting skin, hair and eye colour – continue to face an uphill battle to attain a life with dignity and equality, said Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond, the UN Independent Expert on albinism. “My clarion call today is for Governments, UN counterparts, civil society…
Read MoreClimate shocks set to worsen already fragile hotspots, Security Council hears
Climate shocks are triggering worsening security environments, from Afghanistan to Mali, and UN peacekeeping missions are taking steps to adapt, from reducing their carbon footprint to addressing myriad related consequences. “Given the growing linkages of climate change, peace, and security as well as the broader changes to the conflict dynamics in the areas in which…
Read MoreKakhovka dam disaster a health crisis in the making: WHO
WHO’s representative in Ukraine Dr. Jarno Habicht told reporters that after the collapse of the dam caused severe flooding and massive displacement, the agency’s primary concern was the potential outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid, as well as rodent-borne diseases. The agency’s teams were monitoring the situation on the ground and were…
Read MoreUnited States commits to rejoin UN cultural agency
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay told Member States that the decision was “a strong act of confidence, in UNESCO and in multilateralism,” and in the way that the agency was implementing its mandate on culture, education, science and information. Reforms and modernisation UNESCO said that in a letter sent to Ms. Azoulay, the US State Department…
Read More‘Immense tragedy’ underscores need to address unexploded ordnance danger in Somalia
UNMAS issued a statement saying it was “deeply saddened and profoundly alarmed” by the deaths of 27 civilians, including 22 children, in a “tragic incident” involving unexploded ordnance (UXO) that occurred on Friday in the Lower Shabelle region. Fifty-three people were also injured. Innocent lives lost “UNMAS expresses its sincere condolences to the families affected…
Read MoreOne in every 10 children works – instead of going to school
On Monday’s World Day against Child Labour, the International Labour Organization (ILO) shared these staggering numbers as a reminder of the urgent need to end this practice. ILO’s Director-General Gilbert Houngbo said that for the first time in 20 years, child labour is on the rise. “Child labour rarely happens because parents are bad, or…
Read MoreUN chief calls for new era of social media integrity in bid to stem misinformation
Alarm over the potential threat posed by the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) must not obscure the damage already being done by digital technologies that enable the spread of online hate speech, as well as mis- and disinformation, he said. The policy brief argues that they should be integral players in upholding the…
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