United Nations

Photo: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo closes the Global Refugee Forum. © UNHCR/Andrew McConnell

Historic Meeting Wraps Up With Pledges to Boost Opportunities for Refugees

By Tim Gaynor and Matthew Mpoke Bigg, UNHCR

GENEVA (IDN) – A historic meeting in Geneva wrapped up on December 18 with wide-ranging and substantial commitments to help millions of refugees and the communities they live in worldwide, including important pledges of new long-term support for their inclusion.

“I want to salute the efforts pledged by many countries — both donors and by host countries — and by business leaders, civil society and refugees themselves, to redouble efforts in support of refugee inclusion, self-reliance and solutions,” UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi told the closing session at the first-ever Global Refugee Forum.

: Jamshed Baruah; UN INSIDER; 19 December 2019

Photo: UN Secretary-General addressing Global Refugee Forum. Screenshot UN WebTV.

Build A More Equitable Response to Refugee

Viewpoint by António Guterres

The following are extensive excerpts from the UN Secretary-General’s opening remarks at the first Global Refugee Forum (17-18 December 2019). It came at the end of a tumultuous decade in which the number of refugees has risen to over 25 million people worldwide. Guided by the Global Compact on Refugees, the Forum was an opportunity to translate the principle of international responsibility-sharing into concrete action.

GENEVA (IDN-INPS) – I have been fortunate to have had many formative experiences in my life: as a social volunteer in the poor neighbourhoods of Lisbon; being part of a democratic revolution in my country; public service in parliament and government.

: Jamshed Baruah; OPINION; 19 December 2019

Photo: Collage of Inge Kaul’s photo (left top – Credit: UNESCO) mounted on UN Chief Guterres’ addressing the opening of COP25 (Credit: twitter.com/antonioguterres)

From the ‘War Against Nature’ to ‘Peace with Nature’

Viewpoint by Inge Kaul*

BERLIN (IDN) – In his opening address to COP25 UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that, in the field of climate change, we are fast approaching the point of no-return and that, therefore, “our war against nature must stop”. He added that “that is possible”. Only, what “is still lacking is political will”. So how to summon the political will to act?

: UN Bureau; OPINION; 05 December 2019

Photo: Displaced children stand in the shredded remains of tents in Abs settlement, Yemen, for internally displaced persons. Located just 40 km from the frontlines, the settlement is regularly damaged by passing sandstorms. Credit: OCHA/Giles Clarke

UN Calls for $32 Billion to Battle Humanitarian Crises in 2020

By Jaya Ramachandran

GENEVA (IDN) – As 2019 comes to a close, the United Nations has warned that climatic shocks, large infectious disease outbreaks and intensifying, protracted conflicts will constrain nearly 168 million – or one person in 45 on the planet – to seek humanitarian assistance and protection next year in crises spanning more than 50 countries. Also, millions of children across the globe will need life-saving support.

: Jaya Ramachandran; UN INSIDER; 04 December 2019

Photo: Germany and UNIDO reinforce partnership through strategic talks. Credit: UNIDO.

Strategic Talks Reinforce UNIDO Partnership with Germany

By Jutta Wolf

BERLIN (IDN) – Germany and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have agreed to strengthen their partnership towards the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During high-level strategic talks in Berlin, hosted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on November 26-27, Germany and UNIDO underlined the importance of each other as partners.

: Jutta Wolf; THE WORLD; EU & Europe; 01 December 2019

Photo: Collage of portraits of ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana (left) and UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (right). Photos by ESCAP.

A Lot More Needs Be Done to Achieve Gender Parity

By Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

Government Ministers and senior officials from the Ministries of Women, National Planning, and Finance, representatives of civil society and other key stakeholders from across the Asia-Pacific region have gathered at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand for a three-day Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+25 Review concluding on 29 November. The following is a joint viewpoint of Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women.

: UN Bureau; OPINION; 27 November 2019

Photo: Collage of Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is Executive Director of UN Women and Generation Equality. Source: Kea Taylor | UN Women.

End Rape and Usher in A Far-Reaching Shift for Our Society

Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

The following statement by Executive Director of UN Women is for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November 2019. [Also available in ar, es, fr, ru]

NEW YORK (IDN) – If I could have one wish granted, it might well be a total end to rape. That means a significant weapon of war gone from the arsenal of conflict, the absence of a daily risk assessment for girls and women in public and private spaces, the removal of a violent assertion of power, and a far-reaching shift for our society.

: UN Bureau; SUSTAINABILITY; Gender Equality; 21 November 2019

Photo: Soil erosion is a major problem for Benin's farmers. Nuclear techniques help scientists find its exact causes, so that they can tackle erosion. Credit: E. Fulajtar | IAEA.

Two UN Agencies Reveal High Rate of Soil Erosion in Benin

By Emil Fulajtar and Joanne Liou*

VIENNA (IDN) – Harmless traces from nuclear testing more than half a century ago are helping researchers assess soil erosion rates. In Africa, about 65 percent of the continent's farmland is affected by erosion-induced losses of topsoil and soil nutrients, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Benin is among those countries severely impacted by soil erosion, which poses a major problem for economic development since agriculture represents approximately 35 percent of the country’s GDP and 80 percent of its export income. A recent study applied a nuclear technique to assess rates of soil erosion and support land conservation in Benin.

: Jaya Ramachandran; SUSTAINABILITY; Food security, nutrition & sustainable agriculture; 14 November 2019

Photo: The containment area inside Belgian Reactor 2, one of the oldest research reactors in Western Europe. Credit: SCK•CEN.

IAEA Ensures Effectiveness and Sustainability of Ageing Research Reactors

By Joanne Liou*

VIENNA (IDN) – As over two thirds of the world’s operating research reactors are now over 30 years old, operators and regulators are focusing on refurbishing and modernizing reactors to ensure they can continue to perform in a safe and efficient manner. This is also one of many topics that will be discussed from November 25 to 29 at the International Conference on Research Reactors of the UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Agency’ (IAEA) in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

: Jaya Ramachandran; UN INSIDER; 14 November 2019

Photo: Afro-Latinos. Source: World Bank.

Fulfil the Rights of Afro-descendants in Latin America and the Caribbean

Viewpoint by Natalia Kanem

Following are extensive extracts from the Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem at the High-level Meeting on "Accelerating global action for the fulfilment of rights for Afro-descendant people in Latin America and the Caribbean", San José, Costa Rica, in October 2019.

NEW YORK (IDN-INPS) – Leave no one behind – that is the global community’s ambitious pledge. And the Sustainable Development Goals call on us to reach those furthest behind first.