Monthly Archives: November 2020

Secretary-General’s message on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

As the United Nations marks its 75th anniversary, the question of Palestine remains distressingly unresolved.

The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the Palestinian economy and undermined the already fragile humanitarian, economic and political situation in Gaza, further entrenched by crippling restrictions on movement and access.

Meanwhile, prospects for a viable two-State solution are growing more distant. A host
of factors continue to cause great misery, including: the expansion of illegal settlements, a significant spike in the demolition of Palestinian homes and structures, violence and continued militant activity. Continue reading →

First Person: ‘people with disabilities are the greatest untapped resource on the planet’

Worldwide, persons with disabilities experience higher levels of unemployment and economic inactivity than non-disabled persons. Ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Mike Hess, US-based entrepreneur and founder of the Blind Institute of Technology, spoke to UN News as part of the International Labour Organization (ILO) photography project “Dignity at Work: The American Experience”.More

Build on momentum to end violence against women and girls: Secretary-General

Although much progress has been made in highlighting the pressing issue of violence against women and girls, UN Secretary-General António Guterres is pushing the world to go further towards ending what he has characterized as a blight on all societies. More

Secretary-General’s message on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Violence against women and girls is a global human rights challenge.  The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed this issue as a global emergency requiring urgent action at all levels, in all spaces and by all people.  The social and economic fallout from the pandemic is disproportionately pushing women and girls into poverty, and the risk of violence against them is rising. Continue reading →

The things we do, the actions we take have an impact way beyond our imagination

The Head of the UN Office in Fiji , Mr. Sanaka Samarasinha explains what it is like visiting the remote islands of Fiji, who he went with, why he went and who he spoke with – he ends by stressing that climate change is unfolding in a very serious tragic way on these remote islands we must all rise to the of this existential threat and leave no-one behind- An UNIC Canberra interview for UN Radio. Listen

Donating after a disaster? Think outside the box! 

Donating goods overseas after disasters can be unhelpful and even harmful and with the Pacific Cyclone season now in full swing the World Food Programme this week started a campaign urging people to donate responsibly.

Julia Dean from the United Nations Information Centre in Canberra spoke with Jo Pilgrim, Director of WFP’s Pacific Multi-Country office in Fiji and first asked what are the goods often donated and where does this generosity come from? Listen

Image: UBDs in Vanuatu : Photo: Vanuatu National Disaster Management Office

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