Rwanda's national stunting rates remain high at 32.4 percent despite a significant decrease from 34.9% in 2018. In addressing these root causes of malnutrition, the UN stepped in and worked hand in hand with the government to initiate a joint nutrition programme to train parents on feeding infants and young children with a minimum acceptable diet.
As calls for accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals grow louder at the halfway point towards the 2030 deadline, acknowledging the challenges of a small island developing state like Jamaica have become even more pressing.
On the summit of a hill, where access roads often succumbed to heavy rains, Hambini Village in Papua New Guinea stands as a symbol of resilience and community spirit. Its 9,000 residents, spread across 1,500 cocoa farming households, faced formidable challenges. Yet, amidst these challenges, a steady transformation has been taking place, led by the villagers of Hambini.
Wage losses, job insecurity, and a rising cost of living crisis have been a common thread in the past few years, across the world, directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, decent jobs that deliver a fair, secure income for all are critical to tackling inequality and poverty. Social protection systems help vulnerable people find such jobs and improve their ability to cope with crises through increased access to education, health, and other social security nets, helping absorb the impacts of shocks without major social or economic setbacks.
Our UN teams are on the ground in 162 countries and territories, coordinating joint programmes and tackling a range of priorities and initiatives — from climate action and food security to gender equality and safety of civilians.
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Mr. Bakhodir Burkhanov of Uzbekistan as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), with the host Government’s approval.
The UN Resident Coordinator and Country Team in Peru are promoting basic services for refugee populations from Venezuela and finding new ways to bridge cultural gaps through food.
The world needs to focus on the transformative entry points that can have catalytic impact for achieving the Goals: food systems; energy access and affordability; digital connectivity; education; jobs and social protection; and climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. This action has already begun. At the country level, Resident Coordinators and UN country teams have been on the ground working with host Governments to boost SDG progress and engagement in the areas it matters the most.
Current projections show that by 2030, nearly 660 million people will continue to live without electricity and 1.9 billion without clean cooking fuels. The world needs a transformed global energy system, that prioritizes access and affordability. We can get there with the right energy access policies and regulations, focusing on the needs of vulnerable communities.
