UN Secretary-General Message On The International Day Of The Girl Child

Today, 600 million adolescent girls are preparing to enter a world of work transformed by innovation and automation. They are the largest generation in history and a vast source of ideas and solutions for all career fields. Yet far too often, girls are not given the space and opportunities they need to achieve their full potential. Multiple barriers include systematic discrimination, biases and lack of training.

We need concerted efforts to overcome the obstacles that mean that, for example, women make up less than 30 per cent of graduates in information and communications technology and occupy less than 30 per cent of research and development jobs worldwide
Negative gender stereotypes related to girls’ education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics begin as early as primary school, and have the devastating effect of making them doubt their own potential.

Although the number of girls attending school is the highest ever, many are still not getting the skills necessary for lifelong success. Moreover, it is estimated that five years from now, over one-third of the abilities considered important in today’s workforce will have changed.
We need to equip girls with transferable and lifelong skills such as critical thinking, creativity and digital awareness. Having role models will also be critical, especially in the sciences and other fields where the presence of women is sparse.

To help empower young people, I recently launched Youth2030, a strategy that aims to work with them, understand their needs and help put their ideas into action. On this International Day of the Girl, let us recommit to supporting every girl to develop her skills, enter the workforce on equal terms and reach her full potential.

11 October 2018

Women’s Empowerment Remains A Challenge In The Pacific – Says Human Development Report

 

What is important about the report, what Pacific Islands were included – how did they go – what successes, what challenges? Progress for women? How is the Pacific doing compared to the rest of the world?

We put these and other questions to Matthew Johnson-Idan Development Economist , United Nations Development Programme Pacific Office in Fiji.

For more information on the Human Development Index Report click here 

UN Secretary-General Message For World Mental Health Day

Health encompasses both physical and mental well-being.

Yet for too long, mental health has been mostly an afterthought, despite its overwhelming impacts on communities and young people, everywhere.

This year’s World Mental Health Day focuses on young people.

One in five young people will experience a mental health problem this year. Half of all mental health conditions start by the age of 14. Most cases are, however, undetected and untreated.

Poor mental health during adolescence has an impact on educational achievement and increases the risk of alcohol and substance use and violent behavior. Suicide is a leading cause of death in young people.

Millions of people are caught up in conflict and disasters, putting them at risk of a range of long-term mental health problems. Violence against women — physical, sexual and psychological — results in lasting scars, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Yet despite these challenges, a great deal of mental health conditions are both preventable and treatable, especially if we start looking after our mental health at an early age.

The 2030 Agenda is clear: We must leave no one behind. Yet, those struggling with mental health problems are still being marginalized.

Healthy societies require greater integration of mental health into broader health and social care systems, under the umbrella of universal health coverage.

The United Nations is committed to creating a world where by 2030 everyone, everywhere has someone to turn to in support of their mental health, in a world free of stigma and discrimination.

If we change our attitude to mental health – we change the world. It is time to act on mental health.

10 October, 2018

Statement by the UN Secretary-General on the IPCC Special Report Global Warming of 1.5 ºC

Earlier today the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its long-awaited special report on global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

This report by the world’s leading climate scientists is an ear-splitting wake-up call to the world. It confirms that climate change is running faster than we are – and we are running out of time.

More

Summary for Policymakers of IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C approved by governments

Incheon, Republic of Korea, October 8 – Limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society, the IPCC said in a new assessment. With clear benefits to people and natural ecosystems, limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C could go hand in hand with ensuring a more sustainable and equitable society, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said on Monday.

The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C was approved by the IPCC on Saturday in Incheon, Republic of Korea. It will be a key scientific input into the Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland in December, when governments review the Paris Agreement to tackle climate change.  More

Or you can watch the archived press conference from today here ( starts about ten minutes in)

The IPCC Will Release An Important Report–The IPCC Special Report Global Warming of 1.5 ºC – On Monday, 8 October in Incheon, Republic of Korea.

The report comes soon after the UN Secretary-General raised the alarm about the urgent need for greater climate ambition and action in a speech on 10 September.

It is an assessment of more than 30,000 scientific publications.

There is no draft of the report to share beforehand, as it is subject to approval by the Panel, which is comprised of Member States.

The IPCC will present the Summary for Policymakers of the report at a press conference in Incheon, Republic of Korea on Monday 8 October at 10 a.m. local time.

It will be possible to follow this press conference (and for the media to submit questions) remotely, without being in Incheon in person, as it will be live-streamed see this link (https://www.ipcc.ch/ ).

(For example 10 a.m. in Incheon is 13:00 in Suva, 12:00 in Sydney, 10:00 in Tokyo, 09:00 in Beijing, 06:30 in New Delhi, 03:00 in Johannesburg, Paris and Brussels, 02:00 in London, 22:00 (Sunday 7 October) in São Paulo, and 21:00 (Sunday 7 October) in New York.)

There is also an advisory listing experts available for interview on 8 October and explaining the process for requesting interviews. The link is here:
http://www.ipcc.ch/news_and_events/ma-sr15-authors.shtml

WMO has shared a brief providing the context and explanation of key concepts for policymakers, media and others about the Special Report on 1.5°C. This brief, produced prior to the release of the report, does not contain results from the report itself.

The brief can be downloaded at
https://library.wmo.int/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=20660#.W7SVxRMzYdU

The IPCC website is https://www.ipcc.ch/

Background: Governments adopted the Paris Agreement in December 2015, setting a target of holding global warming well below 2 ºC above pre-industrial levels while pursuing efforts to keep it below 1.5 ºC. This goal will be achieved by actions set by each government for themselves, known as Nationally Determined Contributions. The Paris Agreement includes regular reviews to see whether the target remains appropriate and whether the Nationally Determined Contributions and their implementation are on track to deliver it. An initial review takes place at COP24 in Katowice, Poland, this December, known as the Talanoa Dialogue.

At the time the Paris Agreement was adopted, relatively little was known about the risks that could be avoided in a world where the rise of temperature was limited to 1.5 ºC compared with a 2ºC warmer world, or about the pathway of greenhouse gas emissions compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5 ºC. As a result, governments asked IPCC to prepare a report on warming of 1.5 ºC to be delivered in 2018. The IPCC will consider this report in Incheon, Republic of Korea, on 1-5 October.

For more information, contact Dan Shepard, shepard@un.org ( NY Based)
The UN Secretary-General is expected to release a statement after the Report is released.

Marking World Space Week, UN Stresses Power Of Space To ‘Unite The World’

“Space Unites the World,” the theme for World Space Week (WSW) 2018 is inspired by UNISPACE+50 – a UN conference in June this year – that brought together leaders in exploration, and experts on space applications from all over the globe.

In addition to promoting cooperation between space-faring and emerging space nations, UNISPACE+50 saw Member Sates pledge their collective efforts to enhance the ways space science is used for sustainable development. More.

UN Disability Rights Experts Issue New Legal Guidance

 

GENEVA (3 October 2018) — People with disabilities and their representative organizations must participate in public decision-making processes about their own human rights, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities said today as it issued new legal guidance on the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The new guidance, issued as general comment No. 7, upholds the right of all persons with disabilities to participate and be involved in all issues relating to them. It also clarifies States parties’ obligations to ensure the participation of persons with disabilities, through their representative organizations, in the implementation and monitoring of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in line with articles 4 (3) and 33 (3) of this international treaty.

More Including Press Contacts

Stories of Migrant Women by Migrant Women in Bega, Australia

UNIC Canberra travelled to Bega, New South Wales to meet with women at the Funhouse Studio to hear about the women’s lives and journeys to Australia.

As part of the day we all participated in a story telling project  part of which the women interviewed each other and recorded their stories and made this video as part of the UN’s Global “Together, Respect, Safety and Dignity for All” Global Campaign.

Thanks to Yvi at the Cooma Multicultural Centre for her continued partnership with us and of course to the women whose dignity and courage never ceases to amaze.