United Nations

Image: Coral reef fish swim in French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. Ocean Image Bank/Jayne Jenkins.

The Ocean Is Now in Need of Support

By Santo D. Banerjee

NEW YORK (IDN) — “The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods” was the theme for World Oceans Day 2021 as well as a declaration of intentions that launches a decade of challenges to get the Sustainable Development Goal 14, “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources”, by 2030.

The importance of the theme of this year's World Oceans Day celebrated on June 8, is underlined by the fact that the ocean covers over 70% of the planet. It is our life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth.

: Santo D. Banerjee; SUSTAINABILITY; Oceans, seas and marine resources; 09 June 2021

Photo: Risk of COVID-19 surge threatens Africa’s health facilities. Credit: WHO Africa

WHO Warns of the Risk of COVID-19 Upsurge Threatening Africa’s Health Facilities

By Jamshed Baruah

GENEVA | BRAZZAVILLE (IDN) — The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of the threat of a third wave of COVID-19 in Africa threatening Africa's health facilities, and advised them to urgently boost critical care capacity to prevent health facilities from being overwhelmed. At the same time, vaccine shipments to the continent are grinding to a near halt.

: Jamshed Baruah; SUSTAINABILITY; Health & Well Being; 06 June 2021

Photo: Women carrying pearl millet harvest home in Mali. Credit: ICRISAT/Agathe Diama

Millets Prove Tasty Solution to Climate and Food Security Challenges

By UN News

NEW YORK (IDN) — A renewed focus on boosting the production of millets and highlighting their benefits, is critical to reducing over-reliance on more commonly grown crops, boosting diverse diets, and food security. That’s especially true during periods of natural disaster when food becomes scarce, according to Dr Nancy Aburto, an agriculture expert at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Food security, nutrition & sustainable agriculture; 30 May 2021

Photo: UNRWA Commissioner-General Lazzarini visits the site of an air strike, one of many buildings destroyed in this latest round of violence in Gaza. © 2021 UNRWA Photo by Mohammed Hinnawi

UNRWA Chief Presents a Heart-Rending Account of the Palestinians' Plight

By Radwan Jakeem

NEW YORK (IDN) — The Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has informed the Security Council of the humanitarian plight of Palestine refugees as affected by the recent Israel-Hamas conflict.

: Radwan Jakeem; THE WORLD; Middle East; 27 May 2021

Photo: Anti-coup protesters form a human chain to block police from advancing, near the University of Yangon in Myanmar. Created: 8 February 2021. CC BY-SA 4.0

UN Expert Greets “New Blow” Against Myanmar Junta’s Finances

By Jaya Ramachandran

GENEVA (IDN) — The United States has taken one of the most significant steps to date against the Myanmar junta, first by sanctioning not only individuals but the State Administrative Council (SAC) itself; and second, by opening the door to targeting those who continue to do business with the junta and therefore aid and abet their relentless attacks against the people of Myanmar.

: Jaya Ramachandran; SUSTAINABILITY; Peace & Justice; 24 May 2021

Photo: View of Santo Domingo streets. Credit: Adobe Stock

Latin America and the Caribbean Boost Chances of Success at Climate Conference

By Caroline Mwanga

NEW YORK | SANTO DOMINGO (IDN) — The three-day Virtual Thematic Sessions of the Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week 2021 (LACCW2021), which wrapped up on May 14, hosted by the Government of the Dominican Republic, are reported to have provided important momentum for a successful UN Climate Change Conference COP26 from November 1 to November 12 in Glasgow.

: Caroline Mwanga; SUSTAINABILITY; Health & Well Being; 16 May 2021

Image: The UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development will be held as a virtual conference from 17 to 19 May 2021. Credit: UNESCO

Education For Sustainable Development as Overarching Framework to Achieve the SDGs

Viewpoint by Simone Galimberti

The writer is Co-Founder of ENGAGE, a not-for-profit in Nepal. He writes on volunteerism, social inclusion, youth development, and regional integration as an engine to improve people’s lives. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

KATHMANDU, Nepal (IDN) — A life insurance policy for humanity, this is how Audrey Azoulay, the UNESCO Director-General defined the scope of all efforts focused on addressing climate change and the persistent degradation of our biodiversity.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 15 May 2021

Photo: The statue of Duke Ellington in New York’s Central Park. Source: UNAI

Musings on Jazz and the 30th Anniversary of the 1991 Windhoek Declaration on a Free Press

By Ramu Damodaran

The writer is Chief, United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) hosted in the Department of Global Communications. Following are excerpts of the OpEd, first published in #WhyWeCare on May 7.

NEW YORK (IDN | UNAI) — Last weekend was bookended by two celebratory observances, the International Day of Jazz on April 30, and World Press Freedom Day on May 3.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 10 May 2021

UNESCO Creative Cities of Music Celebrate Intl. Jazz Day

By Robert Johnson

PARIS (IDN | UNESCO) — As the great Nina Simone said, "Jazz is not just music, it is a way of life, it is a way of being, a way of thinking", says UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It adds: "The story of Jazz is written into the quest for human dignity, democracy and civil rights. It has given strength to the struggle against discrimination and racism."

: Robert Johnson; SUSTAINABILITY; Peace & Justice; 09 May 2021

The NPT Review Conference: Still Haggling for a Date

“The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over, and then expecting different results”……attributed to Albert Einstein, but first said by Rita Mae Brown (Sudden Death)

Viewpoint by Tariq Rauf *

VIENNA (IDN) — For more than a year, a vain search has been continuing to find an appropriate date to convene the Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), as the deadly COVID-19 pandemic rages taking millions of lives with it.