The world will not be able to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) if half the planet is left behind, the UN Deputy Secretary-General said in Papua New Guinea on Sunday: International Women’s Day. More
Managing genetic diversity ‘essential’ for species to adapt to climate change
After more than 240 days, the Australian state of New South Wales is finally free from bush fires, officials there announced last week. More
‘Critical’ window of opportunity closing fast in Iraq, Security Council hears
Political leaders in Iraq will have to “step up to the plate” and prioritize national interests if the country is to realize a more just and prosperous future, the top UN official there said in the Security Council on Tuesday. More
UN releases emergency funds to help vulnerable countries fight coronavirus COVID-19
$15 million dollars has been released from the UN’s Central Emergency Fund to help fund global efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, particularly vulnerable countries with weak health care systems. More
Make this the century of women’s equality: UN chief
The 21st century must be the
century of women’s equality, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday, in a call to transform the world by ensuring equal participation for all. More
A UN-backed boost for women-run businesses in the developing world
Many women running small businesses in emerging markets in developing countries have to juggle their business objectives with family obligations and personal savings goals. By supporting a women-focused bond providing loans to micro-finance institutions and impact enterprises, the UN is helping women entrepreneurs facing similar challenges, to succeed in their professional and private lives. More
UN High-Level Visit Fiji, New Zealand and Australia
MEDIA ADVISORY
WHO: Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
WHAT: Mission to Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia
WHEN: 23-28 February 2020
WHERE: Suva, Wellington, and Canberra
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock will be visiting the Pacific for the first time as UN Humanitarian Chief. He will be there to explore the important contribution Fiji, New Zealand and Australia make to the global humanitarian system.
Mr Lowcock will be in Suva, Fiji on 23-24 February, where he will meet senior Government officials and humanitarian partners. On 24 February, he will travel to Deuba in Serua Province to meet people from coastal communities and take stock of the humanitarian consequences of climate change in low lying islands.
Mr Lowcock will then travel to Wellington, New Zealand, on 25-26 February, followed by Canberra, Australia, on 27-28 February for a series of meetings with senior Government officials to discuss key humanitarian issues and strategic partnerships in the Asia Pacific region and globally.
For further information on media opportunities during the mission, please contact:
Zoe Paxton, + 1 917 297 1542 zoe.paxton@un.org
People of South Sudan “deliberately starved”
The people of South Sudan have been “deliberately starved” in different parts of the country for ethnic and political reasons, and sexual violence against women and men as a weapon of war is ongoing, UN investigators said on Thursday. More
UN Chief Calls for Immediate Ceasefire In Syria
Alarmed by the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in north-west Syria and the tragic suffering of civilians,
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing fight that has displaced more than 900.000 civilians since early December. More
Coronavirus containment is the key, as infections tick up: Tedros
After earlier describing cases of infection in people with no travel history to China as possibly the “tip of the iceberg”, the World Health Organization Director-General warned in Geneva that while the spread of coronavirus appeared to be slow, it could accelerate and that Governments should continue to treat containment of the respiratory disease as a priority. More