Tag: Day
World Toilet Day, flush with innovations for safer sanitation
In line with this year’s theme of accelerating change, innovators have been part of ongoing efforts to address the needs of some of the world’s 3.5 billion people living without safe toilets. From a Nepalese woman who prompted her village to improve hygiene to a fresh game plan launched in 2022 by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), these…
Read MoreWorld Habitat Day focuses on cities as drivers of growth
Global economic growth is declining to about 2.5 per cent this year, the UN said. Apart from the initial COVID-19 crisis three years ago, and the global financial crisis in 2009, this represents the weakest level since 2001. Given the size of the contribution of cities to national economies, the future of many countries will…
Read MoreWorld News in Brief: Peace day, high seas treaty, Palestinian displacement rises, polio in Ukraine
“People and our planet are in crisis”, the UN chief said, highlighting how conflicts continue to drive the vulnerable from their homes, while heatwaves and floods claim lives and division prevails. ‘Leave no one behind’ This year’s Peace Day coincides with the halfway point on the road to the Sustainable Development Goals, and the UN’s…
Read MoreUN marks International Day to Protect Education with call to action
Growing concern over safety and security prompted UN Secretary-General António Guterres to address the global phenomenon on Wednesday – during his remarks at an event commemorating the International Day to Protect Education from Attack. “Children’s education is being snatched away by threats, violence and attacks.” Mr. Guterres said, during his remarks to a group of…
Read MoreInternational Youth Day: Battling the stigmatization of teen pregnancy in Thailand
A young mother sits on a low wooden stool above burning embers from a piece of bark placed in a small earthenware pot. A bright purple and white cloth covers her legs and keeps the smoke from escaping. This is part of a lower-body treatment process for mothers who have given birth as teenagers. She…
Read MoreIndigenous Day celebrates youth shaping a sustainable tomorrow
As many young Indigenous People are engaging in climate action, human rights and cultural conservation, the message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres resonates loudly – this year, it’s all about the youth. “We celebrate young Indigenous Peoples, and their role in creating change and shaping the future,” he said in his message for the Day.…
Read More‘Real challenges’ must be addressed beyond polling day, urges UN West Africa envoy
In his first briefing to the Security Council since being appointed to the position, Leonardo Santos Simaõ recalled elections in Benin, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. He said they had “marked important steps towards democratic consolidation, offering opportunities for citizens to choose their leaders and representatives at the national and subnational level”.…
Read MoreOn Peacebuilding Day, ambassadors discuss response to organized crime in the Sahel
The PBC, an intergovernmental advisory body launched in 2006, plays a crucial role in supporting peace efforts in conflict-affected countries. Consisting of 31 Member States elected from the General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council, it brings together top donors and troop-contributing countries. Ambassador Ivan Šimonović of Croatia, Commission Chair, cited the…
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 MoreWorld Oceans Day underscores need to protect ‘the foundation of life’
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for greater action to protect oceans in his message to mark World Oceans Day on Thursday. “The ocean is the foundation of life. It supplies the air we breathe and food we eat. It regulates our climate and weather. The ocean is our planet’s greatest reservoir of biodiversity,” he…
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