After years of preparations and engagement, and a postponement of one full year due to COVID-19, Expo 2020 will open its doors to in-person visitors on 1 October 2021 for six months. In keeping with past practice and the great value of convening at world Expos, and at the invitation of the Government of the United Arabi Emirates, the United Nations will be present at Expo 2020 in Dubai.
Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians paid an in-person visit to UN House in Brussels, the headquarters of several agencies, funds, and programmes of the UN in the Belgian capital, as well as a virtual visit to the UN in Liberia. During her meeting with representatives from UN organisations, Her Majesty discussed the main priorities of the UN, and in particular the implementation of the SDGs.
Chanel Bernard, 29 years-old, is from Pestel, a township in Haiti's Grand'Anse department, located some 80 kilometers from the city of Les Cayes. The 90,000 inhabitants of this town nestled between the sea and the mountains live according to the rhythm of the market days—Wednesdays and Saturdays— and the flow of ships unloading their goods from neighbouring cities into the port.
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.
Rural women have great potential as leaders and entrepreneurs. They also have the desire to lead. But they face many obstacles: few job opportunities, low levels of education, and lots of unpaid work. They are also often openly discouraged by their loved ones to pursue their dreams, pressured by traditional stereotypes.
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.
By its magnitude, its duration and the changes it has generated, the COVID-19 pandemic has very quickly proved to be a multidimensional crisis, affecting the health, social, economic and human spheres of our societies.
