United Nations

Photo: While more girls are attending school than before, they are significantly under-represented in STEM subjects in many settings and they appear to lose interest in STEM subjects as they reach adolescence. Credit: UN Women Viet Nam/Pham Quoc Hung

Women and Girls Can Help Tackle Some of The World’s Biggest Challenges

By Caroline Mwanga

NEW YORK (IDN) – Nearly 90 per cent of future jobs will require some form of ICT (information and communication technology) skills, according to a new World Economic Forum report, 'The Future of Jobs'. The fastest growing job categories are related to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), and recent studies indicate 58 million net new jobs, in areas such as data analysis, software development and data visualization.

The United Nations is concerned that women and girls will not be in a position to benefit from emerging opportunities because too many of them are being discouraged from the sciences. Data from UNESCO, the UN agency for education, science and culture, shows that less than a third of all female students choose STEM-related subjects in higher education, whilst just three per cent of women choose ICT subjects.

: UN Bureau; GLOBAL GOVERNANCE; United Nations; 18 February 2019

UN Fights Back but Not Immune to Cyberattacks

By Erol Avdovic

This article is the second in a series of WebPublicaPress Online Magazine's analyses being published by IDN-InDepthNews, flagship of the International Press Syndicate.

UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – When in United Nations headquarters, be careful what you say over your phone or communicate in your e-mails. The chances are you are being listened to, read or watched without your consent. More so if you are a diplomat, but you can also be a person of interest if you are a journalist.

Several UN colleagues, including two presidents of the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) have complained about their e-mails being hacked.

: UN Bureau; UN INSIDER; 15 February 2019

Photo: Euro-Asian Regional Midterm Review participants. Credit: UNESCAP

Bangkok Meeting Reviews Programme of Action for LLDCs

By Santo D. Banerjee

NEW YORK | BANGKOK (IDN) – Lack of territorial access to the sea, isolation and remoteness from world markets impose constraints on trade competitiveness of the 32 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and their overall socio-economic development.

In addition to the geographical impediments, LLDCs face challenges linked to high trade and transport costs, limited or low-quality infrastructure, delays at borders, bottlenecks related to customs procedures and border crossing regulations, and productivity constraints.

: Santo D. Banerjee; UN INSIDER; 12 February 2019

Photo: José David Dominguez, 9 years old, is accompanied by his mother, Yenni Dominguez, to get his vaccine at UNICEF's health point in Ipiales, Colombia. UNICEF has launched a regional response effort to support Venezuelan children and families, as well as children in host communities. © UNICEF/UN0253234/Moreno Gonza.

UN Committed to Providing Humanitarian Aid to Venezuelans

By J Nastranis

NEW YORK (IDN) – In view of the increasingly critical situation for ordinary Venezuelans, the United Nations remains committed to providing humanitarian support, based on “need, and need alone”, according to a senior aid official.

But the oil-rich country is not only suffering from food and medical shortages. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) noted that dozens of opposition politicians continue to face ongoing harassment in the South American country.

: J Nastranis; THE WORLD; Latin America & the Caribbean; 11 February 2019

Photo: Secretary-General António Guterres (right) briefs the UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security. The focus of the meeting on February 4 was on mercenary activities as a source of insecurity and destabilization in Africa. UN Photo/Evan Schneider.

Mercenaries Undermine Rule Of Law, Perpetuate Impunity

Viewpoint by António Guterres

The following is the text of UN Secretary-General's remarks to a high-level debate of the Security Council on 'Mercenary activities as a source of insecurity and destabilization in Africa' with the Central African sub-region as a focus, under the presidency of Equatorial Guinea for the month of February. Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo chaired the meeting on February 4. – The Editor.

NEW YORK (IDN) – The use of mercenaries dates back through the ages. From antiquity to the medieval era to the present day, those who fight for financial reward or other material compensation have been a near constant on the battlefield. The shadowy nature of the practice makes data hard to come by. Reports suggest a surge in the use of mercenaries and other foreign fighters. While the numerical picture may be murky, the impacts of mercenaries today are all too clear.

: UN Bureau; OPINION; 05 February 2019

Photo (left to right): CTBTO Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo; UNIDO DG LI Yong; new G-77 Vienna Chapter Chair, Ambassador Omar Youssef of Egypt; IAEA DG Yukiya Amano; and UNODC Deputy Executive Secretary and Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV). Credit: UNIDO

Egypt Assumes Presidency Of The Group Of 77 At UN In Vienna

By Reinhard Jacobsen

VIENNA (IDN) – While the State of Palestine has in a historic move taken over the presidency of the Group of 77 (G-77) and China at the United Nations in New York, Egypt has assumed the chairmanship of the Vienna Chapter of the largest Inter-Governmental Organization of developing countries in the UN, comprising 134 countries representing some 80 percent of the world population.

Egypt has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause since the 1950s. Even today Cairo maintains strong relations with the Palestinian Authority and it favours peace between both Israel and Palestine.

: Reinhard Jacobsen; GLOBAL GOVERNANCE; The Group of 77; 03 February 2019

International Year Kicks Off To Protect Indigenous Languages

By UN DESA Voice

NEW YORK (IDN) – Languages play a crucial role in our daily lives. They also make up our unique cultural identities. Yet, of the about 6,700 languages spoken in the world today, 40 percent are at risk of disappearing. Most of them are indigenous languages. And when a language dies, it can mean the end of a community’s values and traditions.

This is where the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages comes in. UN DESA Voice spoke with Mirian Masaquiza in UN DESA’s Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD), about the year and its mission to protect and preserve the world’s indigenous languages.

: J Nastranis; UN INSIDER; 01 February 2019

Progress In Retrieving Lands Improves Rural Livelihoods

By Rita Joshi

BONN | GEORGETOWN (IDN) – Significant progress is under way in repairing degraded lands and managing droughts more effectively, according to reports released for review by an inter-governmental meeting in Georgetown, Guyana.

An assessment of land degradation in 127 countries revealed that close to 20 percent of healthy land was degraded between 2000 and 2015. Around the world, 169 countries are affected by land degradation, desertification or drought.

: Rita Joshi; GLOBAL GOVERNANCE; United Nations; 28 January 2019

Photo: High-level Event on Youth2030: Launch of the UN Youth Strategy and Generation Unlimited Partnership (UN Photo)

Nuclear Weapons Abolition, Sustainable Development: Buddhist Leader Urges Increased Role For Youth

By Ramesh Jaura

BERLIN | TOKYO (IDN) – The need to accelerate progress toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, encourage youth engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and expand the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) network of universities has been highlighted in a wide-ranging proposal by Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhist movement.

: Ramesh Jaura; UN INSIDER; 28 January 2019

UN Warns Of The Confluence Of Significant Risks Threatening Global Development

By Jaya Ramachandran

GENEVA (IDN) – The convergence of several significant risks is endangering efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – the universally adopted plan containing 17 specific goals to promote prosperity and social well-being while protecting the environment, a new report has warned.

The risks with the potential to severely disrupt economic activity and inflict significant damage on longer-term development prospects include waning support for multilateral approaches; the escalation of trade policy disputes; financial instabilities linked to elevated levels of debt; and rising climate risks, as the world experiences an increasing number of extreme weather events.