The report from a team of international scientists assembled by the World Health Organization (WHO) to examine how COVID-19 first spread to humans was published on Tuesday, and was described by the UN health agency’s chief as a welcome start, but far from conclusive. More
Category Archives: News
UN-Habitat report calls for cities post-pandemic to lead the way to a fairer, greener, healthier future
A new report on pandemics and cities from UN-Habitat, points the way to how hard-hit urban centres can reduce the impact of future outbreaks and become more equitable, healthy and environmentally friendly. More
Perseverance, Partnership, Progress Exhibit
The new exhibit Perseverance, Partnership, Progress created and organized by UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS), is launching on Wednesday, 31 March, in advance of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (4 April). This exhibit highlights the women and men who, in the face of great challenges, including ongoing and protracted conflicts, new insurgencies, fresh contamination, and the COVID-19 pandemic, steadfastly and diligently continued their work to find and disarm landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices. It features stories of survivors of explosive ordnance accidents, beneficiaries and partners working together to advance progress in mine action. View here
Guterres calls on US to lead global vaccination plan effort, climate action, welcoming Blinken to Headquarters
The Secretary-General welcomed a recommitted and re-engaged United States administration to United Nations Headquarters on Monday, albeit virtually, calling on it to play a leadership role in drawing up a global vaccination plan to beat COVID-19, and make the upcoming COP26 a watershed moment for climate action. More
‘Racist lie’ must end, UN chief warns on Remembrance Day for enslaved people
Although the transatlantic slave trade ended more than two centuries ago, “the ideas of white supremacy that underpinned it remain alive”, the UN chief said on Thursday, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. More
Over 20,000 gather at the SDG Global Festival of Action, calling for transformative change to turn things around for people and the planet
Calling for the beginning of a ‘new era’ following COVID-19 recovery, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed alongside United Nations Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner, spoke today at the fifth annual SDG Global Festival of Action, bringing to attention the urgent need for economic and social change that protects our ecosystems and humanity’s well-being. GFoA 2021_Press Release
Global COVID-19 infections rise for fourth consecutive week, deaths level off
COVID-19 confirmed cases continued to rise around the world for a fourth consecutive week, with around 3.3 million new cases reported in the past seven-day period, the UN health agency said on Wednesday. More
Hard-fought progress on TB in Kiribati at risk due to COVID-19
Under the World Health Organization (WHO)’s End Tuberculosis (TB) Strategy, countries around the world have set out ambitious targets to reduce the number of TB cases and deaths, as well as catastrophic expenses due to TB, by the year 2035, with interim milestones set for 2020 and 2025. Even before the onset of COVID-19, we were running out of time, and now because of the pandemic the targets are in jeopardy. More
Experts debate links between political leadership and preventing violence against women
Ending violence against women in politics is critical to encouraging more women to participate in public life, the President of the UN General Assembly said on Tuesday. More
Guterres welcomes Saudi peace initiative to end fighting in Yemen
The UN Secretary-General on Tuesday welcomed the announcement by Saudi Arabia of steps aimed at helping end the fighting and restart the political process in Yemen. More