The world is in trouble. We need look no further than the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which UN Secretary-General António Guterres called “code red for humanity.”
The world “is challenged like never before”, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, but the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) still offer a roadmap to get back on track.
In a nutshell, there is no easy way around this new normal derived from the pandemic. But amid so many challenges, Peru has also given some important lessons. First, democracy is a pillar for sustainable development. This is particularly important to stress as we mark the International Day of Democracy, 15 September, only three months after Peru’s electoral process, indicative of a vibrant democracy.
Celebrating the UN’s 75th anniversary last year, prompted major internal discussion about its future, and a new direction away from the post-World War Two consensus of its early days. These reflections have resulted in Our Common Agenda, a landmark new report released today by the UN Secretary-General, setting out his vision for the future of global cooperation.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Bruno Lemarquis shares his deep appreciation for all those responding to the crisis and urges the global community to aid in alleviating the hardship by contributing to the appeal for financial support.
In the southern region of Madagascar, hundreds of thousands of people are suffering from one of the worst droughts in the region in 40 years. In the town of Amboasary Atsimo, for example, about 75 per cent of the population is facing severe hunger and 14,000 people are on the brink of famine. UN Resident Coordinator Issa Sanogo recently visited the region, where the population is facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has begun. The UN has appealed to leaders of Latin America and the Caribbean — a region containing seven of the most biodiverse countries in the world — to scale up commitments made to restore our much-needed ecosystems. This plea comes as Caribbean countries brace for an active hurricane season.
As a witness to the impacts of Syria’s internal conflict over the last decade, Bassel Al-Madani, a young engineer and former volunteer with the UN, was inspired to set up Entrepioneers 2030, a group that rallies youth to get involved in shaping the future of their country.