Tag: Economic development

$20 million appeal to support Palestine labour market — Global Issues

The funding appeal – launched on Thursday in Geneva – will be used to implement a three-phase programme to provide immediate relief and support longer-term job and business recovery, as well as social protection.

“The hostilities have resulted in – and continue to cause – both a tragic loss of human life, and an unprecedented loss of livelihoods, jobs, income, businesses, and civilian infrastructure,” saidILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo, speaking at the launch, which was held on the sidelines of the latest session of the agency’s governing body.

Economic activity crippled

The ILO has published a bulletin that examines how the conflict – which erupted on 7 October – has so far impacted the labour market and livelihoods in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), home to more than 3.4 million people, with a labour force of over 1.5 million.

The UN agency estimates at least 61 per cent of the labour market in Gaza has been wiped out; equivalent to 182,000 jobs. The conflict is also having spillover effects in the West Bank, where nearly 24 per cent of employment has also been lost, equivalent to 208,000 jobs. Put together, this translates to $16 million in daily labour income that has been lost.

Mr. Houngbo outlined the destruction in Gaza. He said entire neighbourhoods have been destroyed, infrastructure has been severely damaged, businesses have closed, large-scale internal displacement has occurred, and the lack of water, food and fuel are crippling economic activity.

Workers stranded, trade restricted

Additionally, almost 6,000 residents who were working in Israel prior to the conflict are presently stranded in the West Bank amidst dire conditions. UN health and aid workers on the ground are also in extreme danger.

Furthermore, access measures enforced by Israel across the OPT have effectively revoked access rights, as workers and traders with valid permits are prevented from entering Israel and East Jerusalem through any checkpoints.

Trade restrictions have also been applied for vital goods transiting from Israeli ports to the OPT, further jeopardizing the basic needs of families and the overall economy.

Situation set to worsen

Gaza has been under Israeli blockade since 2006, so conditions were already particularly dire even before the conflict. The enclave has had persistently high rates of poverty and vulnerability and its unemployment rate – 46.4 per cent as of the second quarter of this year – is among the highest in the world.

“The already huge losses our research has identified are only projected to increase if the conflict and tragic humanitarian crisis continue, with repercussions that will be felt for many years to come,” warned ILO Regional Director for Arab States, Ruba Jaradat.

Assistance, analysis and recovery

The ILO response programme aims to address the impact of the crisis in three phases.

The first focuses on immediate relief and is already underway. It entails providing immediate assistance such as emergency livelihood support schemes to Palestinian workers, including the Gazans who are now stranded in the West Bank after losing their jobs inside Israel.

The ILO has already channelled around $2 million of its internal resources towards emergency relief interventions and preliminary data collection. It is also working on allocating further resources to implement the response plan.

The second stage covers data collection and impact analysis to help plan, prioritize and fine-tune interventions.

The final phase addresses recovery. The focus will be on job creation through “employment intensive infrastructure recovery” and other means, in addition to social protection measures and recovery of jobs and businesses.

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UNCTAD development finance call, Nepal quake update, religious freedom in Nicaragua — Global Issues

That’s the message from the UN’s trade and development body UNCTAD, which called on Tuesday for urgent reform of the international financial system to support the world’s 46 Least Developed Countries.

In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, these most vulnerable economies urgently require foreign investment to add value to their economic output, avoid debt distress and finance a low-carbon transition.

UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan stressed that the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is “inextricably linked to the progress of these nations”.

The UN agency says that achieving better social protection and decent jobs will require a cash injection equivalent to 45 per cent of each Least Developed Country’s total economic output.

But multiple global crises have hampered growth and left the world’s most vulnerable countries with a debt burden which soared to $27 billion in 2021.

To help, UNCTAD economists called for urgent debt relief and a “substantial” increase in accessible development and climate finance for LDCs, including grants and low-cost loans.

Children account for half the dead and injured in Nepal quake

Almost half of those reported killed and injured in the deadly earthquake that struck western Nepal at the weekend are children, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.

According to latest Government figures, the 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck shortly before midnight on 3 November claimed 153 lives and injured more than 338 people. In addition, a 5.8 magnitude aftershock hit the affected areas, exacerbating fear among the survivors, in particular children.

“Tragically, and yet again, so many lives have been lost in this devastating earthquake. Children are disproportionately affected and are forced to spend the nights out in the cold,” said Alice Akunga, UNICEF Representative to Nepal.

“These children and their families are in desperate need of medical support, shelter, safe drinking water, food, blankets, and warm clothes as the winter sets in,” she added.

UN teams are on the ground supporting relief efforts, in coordination with Government agencies. However, with winter setting in across the Himalayas, scaled assistance is urgently needed.

“UNICEF is doing everything possible, but we urgently need more help to respond to the needs of children and women in health, nutrition, education, protection, and water, sanitation and hygiene,” Ms. Akunga said.

Humanitarians supporting those affected also have to contend with remote locations, difficult terrain and high-altitudes.

UN agencies and aid partners must rely on helicopters to ferry personnel and relief supplies as there are no roads, Rafeeque Ahmad Siddiqui, Head of Karnali Field Office at UNDP-Nepal, told UN News in an interview.

Listen to the interview here:

Nicaragua: UN rights experts call for release of Catholic bishop

UN-appointed independent human rights experts on Tuesday demanded an end to the arbitrary detention by Nicaraguan authorities of the Bishop of Matagalpa, Monsignor Rolando José Álvarez, following the release of 12 Catholic priests last month.

“We are deeply concerned about the systematic patterns of harassment against members of the Catholic Church and other religious denominations by Nicaraguan authorities,” the two Special Rapporteurs said.

“The Government must immediately and unconditionally release Monsignor Álvarez and protect the right to freedom of religion or belief in the country,” added Nazila Ghanea, and Irene Khan.

The experts expressed their grave concern in an official communication sent to the Government of Nicaragua on 2 August.

It is estimated that since 2022, Nicaraguan authorities have cancelled the legal status of at least 1,000 non-profit organisations, of which more than 320 are said to be of a religious character.

Earlier this year, the Government cancelled the legal status of the historic Central American University (UCA) run by the Catholic order of the Society of Jesus and confiscated its facilities, together with two evangelical Christian universities and another associated with the Catholic Church.

The experts stressed these acts are contrary to international law and appear to be part of a broader pattern of repression against different elements of Nicaraguan civil society, especially those who voice criticism of the Government.

Special Rapporteurs and other Human Rights Council-appointed independent experts are not UN staff, nor do they receive payment for their work.



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‘Take steps to close the adaptation gap, now’ — Global Issues

The Adaptation Gap Report 2023 issued by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), says the world is underprepared, under invested and lacking the necessary planning, leaving us all exposed. It warns that instead of speeding up, progress on adapting to climate change is stalling.

The slowdown extends to finance, planning and implementation, says UNEP, with massive implications for loss and damage, particularly for the most vulnerable.

Financial lag

“Today’s report shows the gap in adaptation funding is the highest ever. The world must take action to close the adaptation gap and deliver climate justice,” said the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, commenting on the report’s findings.

The updated adaptation costs for developing countries are estimated at $215 billion to $387 billion annually this decade, reflecting higher estimates than previous studies which are bound to increase significantly by 2050.

And the needs of developing countries are 10-18 times higher than the flow of public financing – over 50 per cent higher than the previous estimated range.

Pledges peter out

Despite pledges made at COP26 in Glasgow to double adaptation finance support to around $40 billion per year by 2025, public multilateral and bilateral adaptation finance flows to developing countries declined by 15 per cent to around $21 billion in 2021.

Concurrently, the adaptation finance gap is now estimated to be $194-366 billion per year.

Costs will only rise

The report cites a recent study that indicates the 55 most climate-vulnerable economies alone have already experienced loss and damage valued at more than $500 billion in the last two decades.

© UNICEF/Howard Elwyn-Jones

In Glasgow, Scotland, people take part in a demonstration for climate action, led by youth climate activists and organized on the sidelines of the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).

Costs are likely to rise steeply in the coming decades, particularly in the absence of forceful mitigation and adaptation.

The new loss and damage fund will be an important instrument to mobilize resources, but issues remain, as the fund will need to move towards more innovative financing mechanisms to reach the necessary scale of investment.

The UN chief thinks one source could come in tax revenue from the big emitters and polluters.

“Fossil fuel barons and their enablers have helped create this mess; they must support those suffering as a result,” he said in his message, calling on governments to tax the “windfall profits of the fossil fuel industry”, and to devote some of those funds to countries suffering loss and damage.

Mitigate now to minimize future costs

Authors of the report advocate for an ambitious adaptation: it can enhance resilience, which is particularly important for low-income countries and disadvantaged groups, including women.

For example, every $1 billion invested in adaptation against coastal flooding leads to a US $14 billion reduction in economic damages, while $16 billion per year invested in agriculture could help an astonishing 78 million people avoid starvation or chronic hunger due to climate impacts.

Finding innovative ways

The UNEP report identifies ways to increase financing, including through domestic expenditure and international and private sector finance.

UNFCCC/Kiara Worth

Youth activists protest at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh demanding leaders to address ending the use of fossil fuels.

Additional avenues include remittances, increasing and tailoring finance to Small and Medium Enterprises, shifting finance flows towards low-carbon and climate resilient development pathways, and a reform of the global financial architecture.

“Multilateral Development Banks should also allocate at least fifty percent of climate finance to adaptation and change their business models to mobilize far more private finance to protect communities from climate extremes,” expanded this point the UN chief.

COP28 must address ‘adaptation emergency’

“We need bold action to respond to escalating loss and damage that results from climate extremes”, said the UN chief.

“All parties must operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund at COP28 this year. And we need new and early pledges to get the fund started on a strong footing”.

“We are in an adaptation emergency. We must act like it. And take steps to close the adaptation gap, now,” the UN Secretary-General said.

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UN General Assembly debates US embargo against Cuba — Global Issues

Cuba: Ending the U.S. Economic Embargo – Draft Resolution Voting | UNGA 78 | United Nations

10:58 AM

Gabon

The Representative of Gabon, Ambassador Aurélie Flore Koumba Pambo, voiced her country’s concern over the continuing embargo.

“The scale of its impact is more and more harmful to the Cuban people,” she said, noting that the “economic blockade is a “clearly a hostile act to region and continental cohesion”.

Speaking on behalf of her country – currently serving on the Security Council – she said the embargo stood against international law, the UN Charter and normal measures that “govern peaceful relations between States.” She said had a negative impact on culture, public health and the wellbeing of Cuba’s people.

“It is the main obstacle to the social and economic development of Cuba”, she added.

10:14 AM

Chile

Paula Narváez Ojeda, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile, reaffirmed her country’s conviction that the implementation of unliteral coercive measures runs counter to international law

“Chile does not agree with the imposition of unilateral sanctions of any kind, the only legitimate sanctions are those adopted by the Security Council in the exercise of its authority for the maintainance of international peace and security,” she said, referring to the responsibilities of the Council under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.

She noted that the economic embargo is an anachronism from a bygone age and must be ended once and for all.

10:07 AM

The President, or PGA as the UN acronym goes, has just formally begun proceedings. This is the 26th plenary meeting of the world body since the 78th session began in September.

The first to speak will be Peru, with 16 countries due to speak before the vote is due to take place.

Peru

Ambassador Luis Ugarelli said his country “shares the view of practically the entire international community” that the embargo is against the principles of the UN Charter and international human rights law, saying his country would support the resolution, as it has done for more than 30 years.

10:05 AM

The session is just about to get underway under the gavel of the President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis. Delegates are still filing in to the gilded Hall at UN Headquarters.

The US imposed the embargo in response to the revolution led by Fidel Castro and subsequent nationalization of property belonging to US citizens under the new Government.

A thaw in diplomatic relations between Cuba and the Obama administration in 2016 led the US to abstain on the resolution for the first time, but the US reverted to opposing the measure in 2017.

For a look back at the state of relations in the General Assembly when the US embargo was first imposed, here’s a video from our Stories From the UN Archive series featuring the longest address in history by the youthful Cuban leader:

Fidel Castro’s Epic 1960 UN Speech

The resolution has been overwhelmingly passed each time, but the pattern of voting has been carefully analyzed as a snapshot of current geopolitical alliances and tensions.

09:40 AM

Debate on the resolution began yesterday and continues today at 10 AM New York time, with Cuba and US among the key countries expected to take the floor today.

Yesterday saw an overwhelming number of Member States underscore the many harmful and long-lasting consequences the decades-long embargo has had on the Caribbean island nation.

Many cited the Secretary-General’s report on the impact on Cuba’s overall human development, with the Assembly calling for the embargo to be lifted every year the resolution has been debated.

Click here to catch up on the discussions from Wednesday, from the UN Meetings Coverage Section

Para seguir la cobertura en español pulse en este enlace

Action on the draft

At the end of the debate, action is expected to vote on a draft resolution entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.”

This item has been a regular fixture on the Assembly’s agenda, and the body has, in previous years, voted overwhelmingly in favour of an end to the measures.

Last year for instance, 185 Member States voted in favour to 2 against (Israel, United States), with 2 abstentions (Brazil, Ukraine), expressing concern about the adverse effects of such measures on the Cuban people and on Cuban nationals living in other countries.

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Situation in Gaza ‘growing more desperate by the hour’, says UN chief Guterres — Global Issues

The UN chief’s visit comes as the crisis in the Gaza Strip enters its third week following the 7 October incursion by Hamas militants into Israel and Israel’s subsequent declaration of war.

Late last week the UN adopted a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce, but the past few days have seen heavy bombardment and reports of ground operations inside Gaza by Israel.

“I know that even though the conflict in the Middle East is thousands of miles away, it has hit very close to home for the people of Nepal,” said the UN chief at a press conference on Sunday alongside Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Also expressing best wishes for the safe return of Bipin Joshi, a Nepalese citizen who is missing, the Secretary-General vowed that he would continue to insist on the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages in Gaza.

“And I repeat my utter condemnation of the appalling attacks perpetrated by Hamas. There is no justification, ever, for the killing, injuring and abduction of civilians,” he stated.

At the same time, Mr. Guterres noted the extremely dire situation in Gaza and expressed regret that instead of a critically needed humanitarian pause supported by the international community, Israel has intensified its military operations.

“The number of civilians who have been killed and injured is totally unacceptable. All parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law … which emerged from the tragedy and awful experiences of war,” he continued.

Emphasizing his consistent calls for strict compliance with international humanitarian law, the Secretary-General stated: “The Laws of War establish clear rules to protect human life and respect humanitarian concerns. Those laws cannot be contorted for the sake of expedience.”

Mr. Guterres said that in Gaza more than two million people with nowhere safe to go, are being denied the essentials for life – food, water, shelter and medical care – while being subjected to relentless bombardment.

“I urge all those with responsibility to step back from the brink,” he said calling the situation a “humanitarian catastrophe.”

The Secretary- General reiterated his appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the delivery of a sustained humanitarian relief at a scale that meets the needs of the people of Gaza.

“We must join forces to end this nightmare for the people of Gaza, Israel and all those affected around the world, including here in Nepal,” he said.

Nepal’s commitment to multilateralism, SDGs

The Secretary- General praised the Himalayan country’s long tradition of championing peace and multilateralism and called on the world to “be a better friend to Nepal”, which is caught in raft of crises not of its own making, including the threat posed by climate chaos.

Mr. Guterres thanked Prime Minister Dahal and said that the UN was hugely grateful to Nepal for its support for multilateral solutions – backed up its enormous contribution to peacekeeping missions worldwide.

At the start of his four-day visit to the country, the UN chief also praised Nepal’s “astonishing progress” over the past two decades, as it had become a republic, established peace, and thrown itself behind the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate action.

‘Graduation’ on the horizon

“And there’s more to come,” Mr. Guterres continued, explaining that “the next few years will be decisive, as Nepal prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country status.”

The Secretary-General was referring to the UN-facilitated process by which the world’s most vulnerable nations, once they meet a set of criteria (on income, human assets and economic and environmental vulnerability), may take phased steps towards ‘graduation’, which represents an important milestone in the development path of LDCs.

The UN chief went on to note that over the Next few years, Nepal would also embark on the final stages of the peace process: transitional justice.

“Transitional justice must help to bring peace to victims, families and communities,” he said, emphasizing that “the United Nations stands ready to support Nepal to develop a process that meets international standards, the Supreme Court’s rulings, and the needs of victims – and to put it into practice.”

‘Blizzard of global crises’

“Nepal is also caught in a blizzard of global crises not of its making: the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and the enormous threat posed by climate chaos,” said the Secretary-General.

As such, he said, much more international action is needed. Developed countries must step up to support sustainable development, and help developing economies including Nepal to tackle the climate crisis.

The UN chief noted that on this trip, he planned to visit the Himalayas to see first-hand the terrible impact of the climate crisis on the glaciers.

“The situation is dire, and it is accelerating. Nepal has lost close to a third of its ice in just over thirty years. And glaciers are melting at record rates,” he said, adding: “The impact on communities is devastating.”

With this in mind, Mr. Guterres said that he also planned to meet with local people in the Himalayas to hear directly from them about how they are affected.

He is also expected to travel to Pokhara and to Lumbini, to reflect on the Lord Buddha’s teachings of peace and non-violence.

“And I want to explore how the United Nations and Nepal can work together to solve problems, boost prospects, and improve international support. Because though Nepal is a friend to the world, the world must be a better friend to Nepal,” he concluded.

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‘Tipping points’ of risk pose new threats, UN report warns — Global Issues

Tipping points are reached when the systems we rely on stop functioning as designed, amplifying the risk of catastrophic impacts, according to new research published by the United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS).

The Interconnected Disaster Risks report 2023 finds that the world is fast approaching risk tipping points on multiple fronts.

Cliff fast approaching

By indiscriminately extracting water resources, damaging nature and biodiversity, polluting both Earth and space while cutting down options to deal with disasters, human actions introduces new risks and amplifying existing ones.

“With these risk tipping points, it is as though we are approaching a cliff that we cannot see clearly ahead of us, and once we fall off the cliff, we can’t easily go back,” said Dr. Zita Sebesvari, one of the report’s lead authors and UNU-EHS Deputy Director.

The report analyses six interconnected risk tipping points. Selected for their representation of large global issues that impact lives across the world they are:

  • Accelerating extinctions that trigger chain reaction to ecosystem collapse
  • Groundwater depletion that drains water risking food supply
  • Mountain glaciers melting
  • Space debris causing loss of multiple satellites, “our eyes in the sky”
  • Unbearable heat making it hard to live in some areas
  • Uninsurable future when rising risks make homes unaffordable

The impacts can also cascade through to other systems and places around the world, authors of the report warn.

Understanding and acting

If risk tipping points are understood, informed decisions and decisive actions to avert the worst are possible.

“Because of the interconnected nature of these risk tipping points, their drivers, root causes and influences, avoiding them will require more than a single solution”, explained Dr. Sebesvari.

“We will need to develop solutions that bring together different sectors and address the drivers and root causes in a systemic way.”

The report offers a new framework that categorizes risk mitigation solutions into four types based on their approach: Avoid (preventing risk), Adapt (dealing with risk), Delay (slowing risk progression), and Transform (system overhaul). This framework aids in evaluating a solution’s potential outcomes and trade-offs.

Identifying a solution’s category helps evaluate potential outcomes and trade-offs.

For instance, addressing the “Unbearable heat” tipping point due to climate change may involve an Avoid-Transform approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while an Adapt-Delay approach could be installing air conditioners in hot climates, although this may contribute to global warming if powered by fossil fuels.

“In our interconnected world, we can all make changes and inspire others towards transforming the way we use our systems to reduce risk,” said Caitlyn Eberle, another lead author of the report and senior researcher for the UNU study.

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Human right to food needs ‘massive investment’: Guterres — Global Issues

Addressing the UN-backed body meeting in Rome on Monday, António Guterres underscored that the session was taking place “at a moment of crisis for global food security” and provided some sobering statistics.

“Last year, 735 million people went hungry. More than 3 billion cannot afford a healthy diet,” said the Secretary-General in a video message, adding that “we are going backward on our goal of zero hunger by 2030.”

He emphasized that hunger and malnutrition were not just problems but human rights violations “on an epic scale”, painting a vivid picture of the dire consequences of the rolling crisis.

“When nutritious food is out of reach because of cost or geography; when bodies are eaten away by hunger; when parents watch helplessly as their children suffer and even die from a lack of food”, this is nothing less than “a human tragedy – a moral catastrophe – and a global outrage,” Mr. Guterres stated.

All about access

The Secretary-General made it clear the world has the resources to address this crisis. “There is more than enough food to go around. And more than enough resources to ensure that every person on the planet has enough to eat.”

He emphasized the role of governments in ensuring access to nutritious food, saying that while they have a responsibility to provide it, many governments lack the resources to do so.

António Guterres called for effective international solidarity to transform food systems for all people.

For that, explained the UN chief, massive investment, innovation, science, and technology are essential – to build “sustainable food systems in harmony with nature and addressing the climate crisis.”

Thinktank on food supply

He commended the work of the CFS – which includes staff from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) – emphasizing its importance in finding solutions.

“Your Committee’s work is critical to this process. From reimagining agrifood systems, to boosting the collection and use of data, to ensuring that the needs of women and girls are at the heart of all that we do.”

The Secretary-General implored the world to prioritize this fundamental human right: “Let’s give the fundamental human right to food the investment and urgent action it deserves.”

Established in 1974, the Committee on World Food Security was reformed in 2009 to become an inclusive international and intergovernmental platform tasked to ensure food security and nutrition for all.

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Global leaders call for action to meet ambitious development boost — Global Issues

The weeklong forum, organized by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), focuses on the challenges faced by developing countries amid today’s overlapping global crises.

The Secretary-General urged participants – including national and business leaders, sustainable stock exchanges, sovereign wealth funds and finance experts – to put the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) Stimulus Package into effect and work towards delivering $500 billion annual investment for developing countries.

Funding gap

The event also addressed the $4 trillion SDG investment gap, as today only 15 per cent of SDGs are on target to be met by 2030, with the investment gap in the developing world growing from $2.5 trillion per year in 2015 to $4 trillion today.

Leaders discussed ways to mobilise sustainable finance in global capital markets, ensure sustainability standards in sustainable finance, and channel more funds to where they are needed most.

They emphasised the need for international coordination involving both public and private sectors given the scale of the investment needs.

World Food Day

The first day of the forum also neatly aligned with World Food Day. Amid global supply chain disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, UNCTAD and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) emphasised the critical role agrifood systems play in tackling global malnutrition, the loss of biodiversity, and climate change.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said transforming agrifood systems in low and middle-income countries will cost around $680 billion annually between now and 2030. Therefore, there is a critical need to attract efficient public and private sector investment in agrifood systems.

UN rewards climate action

Ten investment promotion agencies and special economic zones received the Investment Promotion Awards 2023, with winners from Brazil, China, Egypt, France, India, Namibia, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates.

This year’s awards spotlight the work of investment promotion agencies in attracting investment to accelerate the transition to clean, sustainable energy aimed at curbing climate change, while recognizing innovative approaches to investment promotion, finance and partnerships.

While international investment in renewable energy has nearly tripled since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, much of the growth has been concentrated in developed countries. A dedicated track within the forum will focus on advancing climate finance and investment.

“Not enough funds are going into new renewable energy plants, water and sanitation installations, agricultural projects, hospitals. And only five per cent of all sustainable funds are located in developing countries. Funding exists, but allocation has been misguided,” said UNCTAD Secretary-General, Rebeca Grynspan.

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UN calls for closing internet connectivity and digital governance gap — Global Issues

With the Internet holding a critical role in navigating these complexities, the 18th annual Internet Governance Forum hosted by the Government of Japan is under the overarching theme, ‘The Internet We Want – Empowering All People.”

Mitigating the risks

Considering the rapid tech advances, including in Artificial Intelligence (AI), risking exacerbating existing inequalities, the Forum focuses on how we leverage the benefits of digital technologies, while mitigating the risks.

While technology is moving at warp speed in a select group of countries, the reality is that 2.6 billion people are still offline, mostly in the Global South and vulnerable communities.

According to the UN, digitalization is a whole-of-society phenomenon, impacting connected and unconnected populations alike, yet the distribution of its benefits remains highly uneven.

Harnessing digital technologies

In his opening message to the Forum, UN Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the need to work together to close the connectivity and digital governance gap, and to re-enforce a human right, human-centered approach to digital cooperation.

“We need to keep harnessing digital technologies enabled by the Internet to help deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals, take climate action and build a better world,” Mr. Guterres said in a video message on Sunday.

The Secretary-General also highlighted the importance of the UN Global Digital Compact which aims to set out principles, objectives and actions to secure a human-centred digital future, which will be taken up at the Summit of the Future next year.

He said “Governments, the private sector and civil society must come together regularly to ensure that the commitments enshrined in the Compact are followed up.”

The internet we want

The opening day of the Forum also saw the release of the ‘The Internet We Want’ vision paper by the UN Secretary-General-appointed IGF Leadership Panel Chair, Vint Cerf, who is recognized as one of the “fathers of the Internet”, and Vice-Chair, journalist Maria Ressa, a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Winner.

The paper reiterated that digital governance is critical for economic, social and environmental development, and is a crucial enabler of sustainable development.

It further elaborated what it means for the Internet to be whole and open, universal and inclusive, free-flowing and trustworthy, safe and secure and rights-respecting.

“The Internet We Want is: Whole and open, Universal and inclusive, Free-flowing and trustworthy, Safe and secure and Rights-respecting,” The IGF Leadership Panel added.

Navigating global challenges

Highlighting the integral role of the Internet in navigating global challenges, moving towards a better and more resilient future, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Li Junhua cautioned: “But this requires responsive policies that leverage the benefits of digital technologies while mitigating the risks.

“The Forum needs to further strengthen its role as being the global digital policy forum, in finding points of convergence and consensus and in identifying digital solutions in reaching the 2030 Agenda,” he said.

Internet Governance Forum (IGF)

The Internet Governance Forum, convened by the United Nations Secretary-General and hosted this year by the Government of Japan, is the global multistakeholder forum for dialogue on Internet governance issues.

The IGF annual meeting brings together stakeholders from around the world to discuss the most pressing Internet governance trends and challenges. The IGF meetings facilitate the exchange of information and the sharing of good policies and practices related to key elements of Internet governance in order to foster the sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development of the Internet.

Held from 8 to 12 October, this year’s IGF is bringing together more than 8,000 registered participants from over 170 countries, making it the largest and most geographically diverse Forum to date. Representatives from governments, the private sector, civil society, the technical community and international organizations, are participating.

The programme features over 300 sessions, with eight sub-themes:

  1. AI & Emerging Technologies;
  2. Avoiding Internet Fragmentation;
  3. Cybersecurity, Cybercrime & Online Safety;
  4. Data Governance & Trust;
  5. Digital Divides & Inclusion;
  6. Global Digital Governance & Cooperation;
  7. Human Rights & Freedoms; and
  8. Sustainability & Environment.

The outcomes of the IGF, including from its High-level, Parliamentary and Youth tracks, will also serve as a concrete framework for the Global Digital Compact that will be agreed on at the UN Summit of the Future next year.

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World Habitat Day focuses on cities as drivers of growth — Global Issues

Global economic growth is declining to about 2.5 per cent this year, the UN said. Apart from the initial COVID-19 crisis three years ago, and the global financial crisis in 2009, this represents the weakest level since 2001.

Given the size of the contribution of cities to national economies, the future of many countries will be determined by their productivity.

Investment and access

Urban areas can promote inclusive, green, and sustainable growth, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message for the Day.

“Building greater resilience and better protecting vulnerable populations requires far greater investments in sustainable infrastructure, early warning systems, and affordable, adequate housing for all,” he said.

“At the same time, we must work to improve access to electricity, water, sanitation, transport, and other basic services – while investing in education, skills development, digital innovation, and entrepreneurship.”

In this regard, “local action is vital, and global cooperation indispensable,” he added.

Planet urbanizing rapidly

The push for more resilient, safe and inclusive cities is among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which point the way to a fair, just and green future for all people and the planet by 2030.

Currently, more than half the world lives in cities, which is projected to rise to 70 per cent by 2050. Over one billion are living in slums, and their numbers will also increase.

Speaking at the official ceremony for World Habitat Day in Baku, Azerbaijan, the head of the UN’s urban development agency said countries are “far behind” in achieving SDG 11. The biggest challenge is data reporting and monitoring at the national and local levels.

Fair financing

Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, recalled that at the recent SDG Summit at UN Headquarters in New York, the Secretary-General urged world leaders to strengthen both multi-level governance and cooperation.

She also drew attention to “the elephant in the room” – financing – noting that the issue was raised by most delegates at the UN General Assembly last month.

“As the Secretary General said, we need to reform the current unsustainable and unfair financial system,” she told participants.

“We cannot expect least developed and small island developing states to implement the SDGs as well as climate adaptation measures if 70 per cent of their total revenues are used to service debt.”

Ms. Sharif said UN-Habitat is working with over 600 cities in all regions of the world and will finalize a position paper on financing sustainable urbanization.

Urban October

World Habitat Day has been commemorated annually since 1986.

It marks the start of Urban October, which provides an opportunity for people everywhere to join the global conversation around the potentials and perils of a planet that is becoming ever more urban.

The month concludes with World Cities Day on 31 October.

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