United Nations

Photo: Secretary-General António Guterres launched Youth 2030, the United Nations Youth Strategy, at a high-level Event held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, 24 September 2018. Credit: Mark Garten/UN Photo

Educating Youth for Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

By Jayathma Wickramanayake

The writer is UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. Following are extensive excerpts from her article in July 2019 issue of the UN Chronicle. The views expressed do not necessarily imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.

NEW YORK (IDN-INPS) – At the end of May this year, I visited the Gaza Strip for the first time in my life. I was there to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) with their work on advocacy, policy influencing and resource mobilization. While visiting a school, I met two young people, Deema and Kareem, who were kind enough to show me around. Deema, Kareem and their friends dream of becoming teachers, doctors or engineers.

: UN Bureau; OPINION; 22 August 2019

Photo: Code Pink anti-war activists protest U.S. Senators supporting Saudi-U.S. arms deals, December 2017. Source: Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0

UN Forced to Close Down Life-Saving Aid Operations in Yemen

By Caroline Mwanga

NEW YORK (IDN) – Because money pledged by Member States has “failed to materialize”, the United Nations is being forced to cease several relief operations in Yemen, which is embroiled in the worst humanitarian crisis triggered by a long-drawn conflict.

“All of us are ashamed by the situation,” Lise Grande, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, said on August 21. “It’s heart-breaking to look a family in the eye and say we have no money to help.” She added: “We are desperate for the funds that were promised. When money doesn’t come, people die.”

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Peace & Justice; 21 August 2019

Photo: Offshore wind turbines. Credit: UN

‘Green Tickets’ for First Ever UN Youth Climate Summit

UN Chief Urges Young People Worldwide to Join Online and in Local Communities

By Santo D. Banerjee

NEW YORK (IDN) – In an obvious expression of support for the ‘FridaysforFuture’ movement, whose initiator Greta Thunberg is sailing to New York, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is keen to mobilize youth for what he has termed “the defining issue of our time”. One hundred outstanding young climate champions chosen from around the world will receive support to participate in the first-ever UN Youth Climate Summit on September 21 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

: Santo D. Banerjee; SUSTAINABILITY; Climate Action; 21 August 2019

Photo: Ivana Farina, Inger Andersen and Elizabeth Mrema. Photo by Florian Flussstetter/ UN Environmen

Prosecutors Are Key to Progressing Environmental Law

By UN Environment

NAIROBI (IDN) – If human society is to stay within the bounds of critical ecological thresholds, it is imperative that environmental laws are widely understood, respected and enforced. This is the environmental rule of law.

Since the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development of 1992, the world has converged on protecting our ecosystems; to illustrate, environmental laws and agencies have expanded 38-fold in the last few decades.

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Climate Action; 12 August 2019

New Multilateralism Vital to Shift to Sustainable Tracks

By Santo D. Banerjee

NEW YORK (IDN) – “We need a new multilateralism to shift the world to sustainable tracks,” United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Liu Zhenmin, has accentuated in a conversation with the UN DESA ‘Voice’, which offers an insider's look at the world body in the area of economic, social and sustainable development policy.

It is produced by the Strategic Planning and Communications Services of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) with articles written by UN DESA staff. This is an electronic publication – no printed edition is generated.

: Santo D. Banerjee; SUSTAINABILITY; 01 August 2019

Photo: Bakery in Addis Ababa. Credit: UNCTAD

Entrepreneurship for Structural Transformation in LDCs Is Possible

By Paul Akiwumi

The writer, a national of Ghana, is UNCTAD's Director of the Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes. This article was first published in The EastAfrican, print edition (20-26 July 2019).

GENEVA (IDN-INPS) – Meskerem is a middle-aged Ethiopian woman, who runs a café and bakery with ten employees in an affluent neighbourhood of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Decent Work & Economic Growth; 29 July 2019

Photo: The conference room at the UN Office, Nairobi. Credit: ENB | IISD

NGOs Seen to Play Crucial Role in Implementing Global Environment Pacts

By Justus Wanzala

NAIROBI (IDN) – The civil society and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) supported by local communities can play a critical role in addressing climate change and growing inequalities, and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, according to participants of the recent High-level Political Forum (HPLPF) at the UN headquarters in New York.

: Africa & ME Editor; SUSTAINABILITY; Climate Action; 28 July 2019

Photo: The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the United Nations Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. Credit: UN Photo/Kim Haughton

Nationally-owned Transitions Are Key to Sustainable Peace

Viewpoint by António Guterres

Following are extensive extracts from the UN Secretary-General's remarks at Security Council Briefing on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace: Strengthening Partnerships for Successful Nationally-owned Transitions on July 18, 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN-INPS) – United Nations special political missions and peacekeeping operations are some of our most effective tools to promote and maintain international peace and security. But they are temporary. We are strengthening our focus on moments of transition, when our missions are reconfigured or leave a country.

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Peace & Justice; 27 July 2019

Photo: Inga Rhonda King, Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to @UN and outgoing President of @UNECOSOC, hands over the gavel to Mona Juul, Permanent Representative of Norway to the UN and incoming President of ECOSOC, at opening meeting of 2020 session. ‏ @UN_Photo July 25.

Top UN Economic and Social Body Has a New Head with an Ambitious Agenda

By Santo D. Banerjee

NEW YORK (IDN) – Norway's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Mona Juul, has taken over from Rhonda King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines the presidency of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), who chaired the recently-concluded High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development. Having served as one of the four ECOSOC Vice-Presidents, Juul was elected by acclamation on July 25 seventy-fifth President of the Council.

: Santo D. Banerjee; UN INSIDER; 26 July 2019

Photo: Kulangsu, a Historic International Settlement World Heritage site (China). © Cultural Heritage Conservation Center of THAD / Qian Yi

World Heritage Committee Stresses Need to Enhance and Preserve African Heritage

By Krishan Dutta

PARIS (IDN) – The World Heritage Committee has inscribed a total of 29 new sites on the World Heritage List – one in Africa, two in the Arab States, ten in the Asia Pacific region, 15 in Europe and North America and one in Latin America. The List now features 1,121 sites in 167 countries.

The Committee approved the removal from the List of World Heritage in Danger of the sites of Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (Chile) and Birthplace of Jesus: the Church of the Nativity and Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (Palestine). One property has been added to the List of World Heritage in Danger: the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California (Mexico).