World Refugee Day on 20 June provides an opportunity to recognize the perils asylum seekers, stateless and displaced people around the globe face; celebrating their strength and resilience in extraordinary circumstances.
n June 2022, Kenya launched a “National Action Plan Against Hate Speech”, as part of its long-term “Roadmap for Peaceful Elections”, which was designed to curb and prevent disinformation and inflammation via social media and to inform peaceful counter-messaging. Having helped Kenya to develop this milestone plan, the United Nations was equally determined to help find innovative ways to support its implementation.
Djibouti seldom garners the kind of international attention usually given to its neighbors- Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. Yet the country’s experience living through cycles of drought and food insecurity offers immense lessons to the rest of the world.
It is crucial to address the structural causes of displacement in the countries of origin, promoting human rights, peace, peaceful coexistence, and fostering sustainable development and social justice in the region. No country can face these challenges alone. Leaders must take serious steps to respond to this challenge and reach firm agreements which comply with international commitments. In this sense, multilateral cooperation is a transformative agent of change in tackling the challenges of human mobility.
Reforming the global financial system, moving beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of economic progress, and addressing technology challenges are crucial to achieving a more just and equitable future for all, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said this week.
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.
Aside from recurrent drought and climate induced emergencies, Somalia is facing other deep-rooted yet interlinked challenges, including violent conflict, corruption, poverty and rising numbers of internal displacement. For the Resident Coordinator and the UN country team, breaking these chronic cycles of crises and tackling the root causes of displacement, insecurity and climate induced emergencies and support Somalia’s development ambitions been a key overarching priority.
In a session like no other, against a background of urgent global crises and at the mid-point towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN leaders and Member State representatives gathered in New York at the ECOSOC Segment on Operational Activities for Development to take stock of the UN development system’s progress and challenges ahead from 23-25 May 2023.
The UN Development System stocktaking moment that happened last week in New York was marked by the strong support of the Member States with the concrete results achieved by the Resident Coordinator System and the UN development system at large.
"First, the objective of the Funding Compact holds true. Adjusting the quantity and quality of funding does have a multiplier effect on the implementation of the SDGs...These results do not happen in a vacuum. They can only be achieved through funding adequate expertise in UN development system entities and in UN country teams to provide advice adjusted to country needs and priorities. Yet, and this is my second point, the implementation of the Funding Compact commitments remains mixed overall."
