Tag: Sustainable Development Goals

A UN Resident Coordinator blog — Global Issues

Leading efforts by 25 UN entities and several partners for the last four years, she has been reflecting on efforts to achieve national sustainable development priorities that tap into Mozambique’s immense resources and potential.

“Mozambique and the Mozambican people are wonderful. The potential for sustainable development is enormous, considering its population, amazing wealth of natural and mineral resources, and geographical location of the country.

However, to be sustainable, development must be resilient to all types of shocks. Since mid-2019, my work and the UN Country Team’s endeavour has been to support Mozambican institutions, civil society, and people to achieve sustainable development while responding and overcoming shocks due to climate change, COVID-19, and conflict.

The start of my assignment coincided with the UN development system reform and the formulation of a new Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022-2026 by the Government of Mozambique and the UN. This resulted in a cooperation that focuses on the collective engagement of the UN in Mozambique with national institutions, civil society, and private sector.

I saw my role as one who listens and catalyzes capacities and resources to achieve priorities and overcome challenges. Four years on, through institutional will and leadership, civil society engagement, and a dynamic UN and international community’s effort, I can say much has been achieved.

© WFP/Alfredo Zúniga

UN Resident Coordinator Myrta Kaulard talks with people affected by Cyclone Freddy in Quelimane, Zambezia province, Mozambique. Freddy, the highest energy-producing tropical cyclone ever recorded worldwide, hit the country twice in the beginning of 2023.

Early warning systems saved lives

With UN support, public investments in early warning systems have been establishing a sophisticated forecasting and anticipatory action capacity, strengthening effective evacuation protocols and relocation plans, and expanding resilient building techniques and planning.

In the beginning of 2023, Cyclone Freddy, the longest-lasting and highest energy-producing tropical cyclone ever recorded worldwide, hit the country twice, causing considerably less loss of life than in 2019, when more than 600 people were killed by Cyclones Idai and Kenneth.

My first field visit, a few days after assuming my duties, was with António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, to meet survivors of Cyclone Idai.

Every year since, an extreme climate event has devastated parts of the country. The Mozambican people’s strength and resilience has left an enormous mark on me.

Hence, one of my top priorities was to leverage my convening and influencing role, scaling up the UN’s whole-system capacities for climate resilience and disaster risk reduction.

Now, climate resilience and disaster risk reduction are one of the four strategic priorities of the Cooperation Framework, as well as of the international community’s coordination platform, with exponentially growing success, despite titanic challenges.

Strategy to tackle COVID-19

Through a similar partnership, Mozambique implemented one of the most successful COVID-19 vaccination campaigns in Africa. Safety net schemes targeted the most affected populations and small businesses helping to absorb the shock of the crisis and mitigate negative coping mechanisms. Programs addressing gender-based violence enhanced their outreach despite movement limitations.

As UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, and thanks to guidance and support from the new UN Development Cooperation Office, I was able to contribute to UN entities’ coherent engagement to respond to the pandemic through the UN multisector response plan to COVID-19. The plan was instrumental in shaping the UN support to institutions, civil society, and international community achievements.

Reconstruction efforts

In northern Mozambique, through our combined efforts under the cooperation framework and the humanitarian response plans, the UN and partners have provided immediate support to over a million internally displaced people and host communities.

In parallel, we have been supporting Mozambique’s plan for the reconstruction and integrated development of the north and the reconstruction plan for Cabo Delgado to rebuild and extend basic services throughout, with opportunities for all as the pathway for sustainable peace.

Gender gains and challenges

Gender parity at the Council of Ministers was achieved in 2021, placing Mozambique among the top three countries in Africa to have 50 per cent or more women in ministerial positions.

Women are true leaders and shapers in Mozambique, at all levels, from key state institutions to the community and the household level. My greatest admiration and respect go to them, for their courage, resilience, and wisdom.

Yet, gender-based violence is extremely widespread. As a national priority, extended engagement in women equality is being leveraged to address gender-based violence building on the strong results of the UN-European Union’s Spotlight initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls.

Supporting landmark progress

These are a few out of the many examples of the instrumental role that the coherent UN engagement is playing, through its reform efforts and the enhanced Resident Coordinator system to support landmark progress in Mozambique’s sustainable and inclusive development.

It is a true and concrete demonstration of the Member States’ vision on how to successfully achieve the values of the UN Charter.”

UN Resident Coordinator

  • The UN Resident Coordinator, sometimes called the RC, is the highest-ranking representative of the UN development system at the country level.
  • In this occasional series, UN News is inviting RCs to blog on issues important to the UN and the country where they serve.
  • Learn more about the work of the UN in Mozambique here.
  • Find out more about the UN Development Coordination Office here.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

UN chief says regulation needed for AI to ‘benefit everyone’ — Global Issues

He stressed that AI must benefit everyone, including the third of humanity who are still offline, and insisted on the need to urgently find consensus on what the guiding norms for AI deployment should be.

The UN chief was speaking at the “AI for Good” summit organized in Geneva by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), bringing together governments, civil society, UN agencies, AI innovators and investors.

The event is exploring ways in which AI can be used to help the world achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Get the SDGs back on track

At the ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin called for global cooperation to “ensure AI reaches its full potential, while preventing and mitigating harms”. At the mid-point towards the deadline that humanity has given itself to achieve the SDGs, the world was off-track, the ITU chief said, and using AI to accelerate progress was now “our responsibility”.

In an ideal scenario, Ms. Bogdan-Martin said that we would be able to successfully harness AI to find cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s, step up clean energy production and support farmers in boosting crop yields.

AI risks on the rise

But a dystopian future was also possible, in which AI destroyed jobs and enabled an uncontrollable spread of disinformation, or in which only wealthy countries reaped the benefits of the technology, the ITU Secretary-General said.

Earlier this year, UN human rights chief Volker Türk had warned about the rapid and unchecked advances in generative AI. He said that “human agency, human dignity and all human rights are at serious risk”, calling for governments and businesses to anchor the technology’s development in rights considerations.

A ‘historic’ moment

The ITU chief stressed that the AI Summit was taking place at a “historic” moment when it was crucial to push for AI governance and ensure its inclusive, safe and responsible deployment.

“The future of AI has yet to be written,” she said.

Innovative robots

More than 50 robots will be present at the Summit as part of a “Robotics for Good” exhibition. Their inventors will demonstrate how the robots can support people’s health, provide educational services, help persons with disabilities, reduce waste and assist emergency response in disasters.

A number of humanoid robots are billed as “speakers” at the event and their capabilities as caregivers and companions for elderly people will be on display.

A press conference is due to take place on Friday where some of the humanoid robots will be taking questions.

© ITU/D.Woldu

AI for Good Global Summit 2023 Exhibitions..

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Meet the robots who are making the world a better place — Global Issues

As artificial intelligence (AI) sprouts new, powerful learning abilities, nations are working on strategies to govern it, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which is hosting the two-day summit to showcase a bevy of new technologies, including a range of robots who can handle everything from healthcare to rock music.

Prospering from a machine-assisted future is part of the challenge, as governments and industry leaders recognize the need to reach out to each other more than ever before as they look for the common blueprint for humanity, the agency said.

Aimed at connecting visionaries with an array of UN organizations and investors focused on sustainable development, the UN-driven event provides an unprecedented chance to empower these cutting-edge innovators to tackle global challenges, including the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“We have to engage and ensure a responsible future with AI,” explained ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin.

Robots enhancing social good

To help with that, the Global Summit’s guestlist features 51 innovative robots, including nine humanoid robots, equipped to help people with functions in line with the SDGs.

Robots like Grace can support people’s health and well-being, provide high-quality educational services, reduce inequalities by helping persons with disabilities, reduce waste, help build resilient infrastructure, and broadly enhance social good, according to the UN telecommunications agency.

The world’s most advanced humanoid healthcare robot, Grace can recognize emotions, shows perpetual empathy, and understands more than 100 languages, according to media reports.

First developed in partnership with Hanson Robotics and SingularityNET, Grace is “the world’s foremost nursing assistant robot”, made to provide support and care for the elderly. But, she can be used as nursing support in any healthcare or home setting, according to ITU.

© United Nations/Kensuke Matsue

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed interacts with Sophia the robot at the “The Future of Everything – Sustainable Development in the Age of Rapid Technological Change” meeting.

UNDP’s Sophia

Sophia is the first robot Innovation Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Built by Hanson Robotics, she personifies dreams for the future of AI, according to ITU.

As a unique combination of science, engineering, and artistry, Sophia is simultaneously a human-crafted science fiction character depicting the future of AI and robotics, and a platform for advanced robotics and AI research, the agency said.

She is already quite famous. Aside from her role as UNDP Innovation Ambassador, she has appeared on such popular television programmes as the Tonight Show and Good Morning Britain. She has also spoken at hundreds of conferences around the world, including at UN Headquarters in New York.

Meet Ameca

Ameca, developed by Engineered Arts, represents an ideal platform to explore how machines can live with, collaborate, and enrich humanity in tomorrow’s sustainable communities, according to ITU.

Integrating both AI and AB (artificial body) for advanced, iterative technologies that deliver superior motion and gestures, Ameca has a human form and robotic visage designed to make it a non-threatening, gender-neutral presence.

Assistive robots are transforming human lives in multiple ways, according to the UN agency. Using machine learning and AI, these robots offer support in mobility, communication, self-care, and other essential daily tasks, giving people who need it renewed confidence and autonomy.

Help wanted: AI for SDGs

Some robots are designed to tackle broader social and environmental challenges. In the face of rising climate risks and other disasters, specialized disaster-assistance robots are revolutionizing emergency response.

Others are transforming food preparation to ensure health and sustainability while avoiding food waste.

Amid global population growth, robots could also become key allies for humanity in addressing long-term development challenges, according to ITU.

Efficient construction robots, for instance, could pave the way to providing sustainable and affordable housing for everyone. Robots focused on transforming urban logistics and transportation, meanwhile, could lay the groundwork for greener, safer, and more inclusive living in the megacities of the future, the agency said.

Other robots visiting the Global Summit include: Nadine, one of the world’s most realistic humanoid social robots, created by the University of Geneva; Geminoid, an ultra-realistic humanoid robot by Hiroshi Ishiguro from Japan; and 4NE-1, among the world’s most advanced cognitive humanoid robots, designed by Neura Robotics to collaborate with humans.

On the cultural side, Ai-Da Robot, the first ultra-realistic robot artist, designed by Aidan Meller, and Desdemona, the “rockstar” robot of the Jam Galaxy Band, are also expected to make appearances at the Summit.

Learn more about the AI For Good Global Summit and the work of ITU here.

© ITU/D.Woldu

More than 50 robots attended the AI for Good Global Summit 2023.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Boost global action and ambition to reach SDGs, urges new UN campaign — Global Issues

Ahead of the critical SDG Summit in September, the campaign will amplify an urgent call for ambitious new action, showcase the Goals as the blueprint for sustainable progress globally, and mobilize people everywhere around this shared agenda for our common future.

Crisis multiplier

Halfway towards the 2030 deadline, the promise of the SDGs is in danger. For the first time in decades, progress on development has gone into reverse due to the combined impact of climate disasters, conflict, economic downturn, and lingering COVID-19 effects.

The SDG Summit will bring world leaders together at UN Headquarters in New York on 18-19 September to reaffirm their collective commitments to the Goals and the promise to leave no one behind.

It’s being billed as a defining moment to urgently put the world back on track to achieving the SDGs.

Getting everyone on board

One core campaign component is the call for individual action worldwide on the SDGs through the UN’s ActNow initiative.

“We want to get everyone on board for the SDGs”, said Nanette Braun, Director of Campaigns in the UN Department for Global Communications. “Our hope is that decision-makers and individual citizens alike will feel inspired to join the conversation and contribute to achieving the Goals with new resolve and ambition.”

Starting today, in a major digital activation across platforms and countries worldwide, the UN campaign aims to re-energize the conversation about the Goals.

Stellar circle of supporters

A curated group of high-profile influencers from entertainment, sports and beyond, the Circle of Supporters, will mobilize their social media communities with a combined reach of more than 80 million globally.

Some of the names lending their support are Grammy award winner Ciara, Academy Award winner Michael Douglas, and former captain of the Argentinian national football team, Javier Zanetti.

From advocating for public transport, to fundraising for schools or speaking up for equality, the platform lists steps that everyone can take to accelerate progress on the SDGs and create better lives on a healthier planet for all.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Activating ‘citizen mode’ to support democracy from the ground up — Global Issues

People around the world should be able to play a more significant role in decision and policy-making processes that impact them and their communities in order to uphold democracy; that’s according to participants in a discussion at the UN focusing on strengthening democratic governance.

In recent years, the UN has increasingly been looking at ways to restore frayed links between people and their governments by encouraging greater citizen involvement.

Civil society organizations (CSOs), in collaboration with the UN, are finding that citizen’s assemblies are a highly effective way of bringing together diverse members of local communities to work on policies and projects that directly affect them.

Representatives of three CSOs recently came to UN Headquarters to share their experiences of running citizen’s assemblies: Cynthia Mbamalu is Director of Programs at Yiaga Africa, a CSO in Nigeria, Silvia Cervellini is the co-founder of Delibera Brasil, and Iain Walker is the Executive Director of the Australia-based newDemocracy Foundation.

Cynthia Mbamalu: Nigeria has a growing and large youth population, and one of the things we’ve learned is that young people want to be part of the solution. They want to be heard.

We create safe spaces for youth dialogue, where diverse groups of young people learn by having conversations about policies. Whatever decisions come out of those conversations can feed into government actions.

But we need to go further, to help young people move from student union movements into mainstream politics, and learn how to advocate for policies that affect issues of concern to youth.

Silvia Cervellini: Brazil has a citizen’s constitution, which has led to the creation of important institutions, such as the National Conference of States and Municipal Councils, but there needs to be a constant effort to ensure that participation is truly universal.

In our experience, we repeatedly witness what we call “citizen mode” being activated, when different people work together to figure out the best possible solution for the common good, even in a time as polarized as ours.

Iain Walker We all want to have a say in the decisions which affect us as citizens. Citizens assemblies are a step to rounding out that role.

One reason is that they are a great chance to mix. We get people from all walks of life – old and young, white collar, blue collar, rich and poor – and put them into one room, to see what we can agree on.

Trust deficit

Cynthia Mbamalu: A lot of young people want to participate but, in Nigeria, there’s a huge trust deficit between citizens and the government.

United Nations

SDG 16 promotes peaceful and inclusive societies.

This is why we provide support for young people to promote the idea of electoral participation, so that they are the ones driving the conversation, and mobilizing their peers.

Silvia Cervellini: Trust goes both ways. We use any excuse to invite political leaders to trust the people, and when they see that citizens are involved in a participatory process, they trust them to give the best answers to a problem.

When you have the mayor, or city councillors saying, “I need your help to solve this”, people feel a sense of responsibility to make decisions for others who are not in the room.

And this is the magic of the “citizen’s mode”: they are not thinking about their individual interests or their preference. They are thinking, what’s the best for everybody.

IainWalker: We all tend to trust people a bit like us, yet parliamentarians often seem to be living in a remote and different world.

Ireland has been a pioneer in creating projects that put randomly selected people and members of parliament in the same process: after spending several days together, they realize that the MPs aren’t that different from them.

Politicians are used to people coming to them emphasizing disagreement, and we always see a breakthrough at citizen’s assemblies, when they say “wow, people really took this problem seriously, and worked to find an agreement”.

This is how we can rebuild trust in electoral democracy, 50 or 100 people at a time, to create a more trusted, cohesive society.

Cynthia Mbamalu, Silvia Cervellini and Iain Walker as well as Aleida Ferreyra, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Global Lead for Democratic Institutions and Processes, were interviewed by Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of UN Partnerships and the UN Democracy Fund, for an episode of SDG Roundtables, a series of videos discussing themes related to the Sustainable Development Goals.

How the UN supports civil society and human rights

This year marks 75 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a landmark agreement aimed at ensuring a common future of dignity, freedom, and justice for all.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has called for safe and open civic space that is inclusive, celebrates diversity, and incorporates an age and gender sensitive approach recognizing the role of civil society actors, especially women, human rights defenders and journalists.

Yiaga Africa works to increase the engagement of young people in the democratic process and, with UNDP, launched #SixtyPercentOfUs in May 2022, a project aimed at mobilizing at least 60 per cent youth voter registration.

Delibera Brasil, which organizes citizen’s assemblies backed by the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF), enabling the residents of Brazilian cities to directly participate in policy making to address poverty and inequality.

The newDemocracy Foundation, which, with UNDEF funding, has helped countries bring underserved communities into the political system, and produced a handbook on so-called “democracy beyond elections”, explaining how the principles of representation and deliberation can be applied to nations at different levels of development.

UNDEF is a grant-making body described as a fund for CSOs, aimed at strengthening the voice of civil society, promoting human rights, and encouraging the participation of all groups in democratic processes.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

A UN Resident Coordinator blog — Global Issues

“Since my arrival in Madagascar as the UN Resident Coordinator at the end of 2020, the country has been hit by unprecedented cyclones and experienced the most severe drought in 40 years.

Coupled with other extreme weather events, the drought caused widespread hunger and pushed thousands into near famine-like conditions. In the south of the country, where the land is arid and households more dependent on rain-fed agriculture, the issue of malnutrition is particularly acute.

Crops are not only suffering from a lack of water but have also been damaged by high winds which blow away the fertile topsoil. In these conditions, communities are struggling to grow key staples, including corn.

Improving nutrition

Last year, thanks to relatively sufficient rainfall and scaled-up humanitarian assistance from our UN Country Team and partners food security and nutrition improved in southern Madagascar. Our multi-sectoral humanitarian response benefited close to 1.1 million people in the areas of nutrition, food security and livelihoods, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, health and protections, and cash transfers.

In 2022, no district was classified as facing a nutritional emergency, compared to five districts the previous year. But, accelerating recovery from the drought and tackling these long-term impacts across the region require more than emergency assistance alone.

This is why, alongside ongoing humanitarian efforts, our UN Country Team has been working together to help communities across the region build greater resilience to the effects of droughts and prepare for future climate shocks.

The Resident Coordinator’s Office played a key role in promoting greater integration of agencies’ interventions; helping to increase synergies and boost the impact of our cooperation.

In April of this year, I visited the region to see the how our joint efforts were impacting communities on ground.

Here’s what is working:

Prevention is key

At a food distribution site in Maroalimpoty, run by the World Food Programme (WFP), I saw just how important integrated prevention measures are to tackle the issue of malnutrition. As well as providing general food distributions to meet the immediate food needs of the most vulnerable families in the area, WFP is using the same site to conduct screenings and hold nutritional support and awareness-raising sessions targeted towards children and pregnant and lactating women.

In a neighbouring commune, I visited an integrated health centre where UNICEF-trained nurses screened children for malnutrition. The centre provides a full package of high impact nutrition interventions and, with UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and World Health Organization (WHO) support, conducts preventive, therapeutic and advocacy activities on other health issues, benefiting the whole community.

At a near-by school, UNICEF collaborated with the Government and the private sector to install a solar-powered water desalination system to provide potable water to the integrated health centre, the school, and the rest of the community. WFP is active in the same school with its feeding programme which promotes school attendance and performance, both of which are key prevention measures.

© UNICEF Madagascar/Andrianantenaina

A young girl enjoys drinking water from a UNICEF-supported desalination system.

Eating with dignity

In the same commune, two Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) interventions are helping to increase the food production capacity of vulnerable households through sustainable agriculture practice.

Thanks to these interventions, the farmers associations in the commune received drought-resistant seeds, tools, and training on climate-smart agricultural practices. In addition to this, a solar-powered drop-by-drop irrigation system, developed by FAO, provides year-round access to water, enabling households to grow enough for their own consumption and a surplus to sell in the local market and conserve as seeds.

Some households I met in the commune said that during the height of the crisis, they sometimes only had cactus as a daily meal, but now, thanks to stronger crops they have enough to eat ‘with dignity’ and can even afford two meals a day.

For Madame Nativité, a widow with two children who was severely affected by the drought, the seeds and small amount of cash she received from the programme are helping her get back on her feet and send her children to school.

In the same area, I saw how a UN Development Programme (UNDP) project was adopting simple solutions to stabilize coastal sand dunes and protect crops from dust and sandstorms, known locally as tiomena. By planting three kinds of flora to lessen the impact of the wind and retain soil moisture, this project has helped communities grow cash crops in fields which were once lost to the sand.

Collaboration in building resilience

Agencies are collaborating in other ways to build economic resilience which leads to better nutrition and food security outcomes. For example, at the integrated development cooperative we visited, UNDP is providing training and equipment to modernize the growing and processing of the plant sisal to produce handicrafts for sale.

At the same site, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and WFP have given cooperative members tools and knowledge to process other plants into non-perishable products, including using manioc to produce flour, making jam from cactus, and organic soap with aloe vera, cactus, or other extracts.

Speaking to one of the members of the association, it was clear that during the dry season in particular, these handicrafts provide families in the region an additional, stable source of income.

With a longer-term development vision in mind, the eco-agriculture supported by IFAD aims to overcome chronic problems linked to drought and climate change through the large-scale adoption of improved adaptation practices.

Solar-powered hub

On our last stop, we visited the remote village of Anjamahavelo where WFP established a solar-powered hub, connectivity, and a sustainable water source that was being upgraded by UNICEF.

At this site, UN entities and partners are collaborating to power a drip irrigation system aimed at improving agricultural production as well as providing a range of integrated community services such as a digital classroom and a training centre for women and young people.

The solar hubs have the potential to eventually supply electricity to the community school and other structures as well as provide entrepreneurial opportunities to diversify livelihoods and support communities to withstand future climate shocks.

© UNICEF Madagascar/Andrianantenaina

A young girl accesses digital tools in a classroom in southern Madagascar.

Integrated approach is ‘best response’

There are daunting challenges ahead for communities in southern Madagascar, but I am also convinced that our increasingly integrated approach is our best response to the multidimensional problems of malnutrition and food insecurity.

In isolation, these interventions – ranging from food distribution and the treatment of severe acute malnutrition to the adoption of climate change adaptation agricultural practices and the generation of sustainable energy – would have a positive yet limited impact. But, by working together and building synergies across the UN Country Team, we are delivering more durable results and providing communities across the region the tools they need to rebound and recover with resilience.

UN Resident Coordinator

  • The UN Resident Coordinator, sometimes called the RC, is the highest-ranking representative of the UN development system at the country level.
  • In this occasional series, UN News is inviting RCs to blog on issues important to the UN and the country where they serve.
  • Learn more about the work of the UN in Madagascar here.
  • Find out more about the UN Development Coordination Office here.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Financial system must evolve in ‘giant leap towards global justice’: Guterres — Global Issues

Speaking at the Paris Finance Summit, Mr. Guterres said many African States were spending more on debt repayments than on desperately needed healthcare, and that over 50 countries were either in default or “dangerously” close to it.

The UN chief called for a debt relief mechanism that supports payment suspensions, longer lending terms and lower rates to make borrowing more affordable for poorer nations, as well as increased access to liquidity for developing countries via the International Monetary Fund’s Special Drawing Rights.

Mr. Guterres also repeated his urgent call to end fossil fuel subsidies and increase climate adaptation funding for vulnerable countries.

United Nations/Cyril Bailleul

French President Emmanuel Macron addresses the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact in Paris, France.

Steps to beat poverty, hunger

“Taken together, these steps would help to beat poverty and hunger, uplift developing and emerging economies, and support investments in health, education and climate action,” he said, stressing that the measures would enable a “giant leap” towards global justice.

Doing nothing is simply not an option and at the halfway point to reaching the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) they are “drifting further away by the day”, he warned delegates to the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact.

He said it was clear the international financial architecture built in the aftermath of World War Two “has failed in its mission to provide a global safety net for developing countries.

“It essentially reflects, even with some changes, the political and economic power dynamics of that time”, when three quarters of today’s nations weren’t around the table at Bretton Woods.

‘Outdated, dysfunctional, unjust’

“Nearly 80 years later, the global financial architecture is outdated, dysfunctional, and unjust. It is no longer capable of meeting the needs of the 21st century world: a multipolar world characterized by deeply integrated economies and financial markets. But also marked by geopolitical tensions and growing systemic risks.”

He warned the current global financial system exacerbates inequalities, denying the poorest countries the credit and debt support they need and deserve.

European citizens received nearly 13 times more than African citizens under current rules for Special Drawing Rights to weather recent crises, a situation that is “profoundly immoral” said Mr. Guterres.

“A financial architecture which does not represent today’s world is at risk of leading to its own fragmentation in a world where geopolitics is in itself a factor for fragmentation.

No solution without reform

“There will be no serious solution to this crisis without serious reforms.”

He said change would not happen fast and was a question of power and political will.

“But as we work for the deep reforms that are needed, we can take urgent action today to meet the urgent needs of developing and emerging economies.”

He said richer nations could establish “a really effective and time effective debt relief mechanism that supports payment suspensions, longer lending terms and lower rates, including for middle income countries with particular vulnerabilities, namely in relation to climate.”

Development and climate finance can be better capitalized, and development banks reformed, allowing better coordination. He said credit rating agencies had become “deeply biased” and contributed to many of the recent financial crises, rather than helping avoid them.

He said taking immediate action towards wholesale reform could curb hunger, “uplift developing and emerging economies, and support investments in health, education and climate action.”

“We can take steps right now – and take a giant leap towards global justice.”

The UN chief said he was aware of the scale of the challenges the international community now faces.

‘Urgent action’

“Power dynamics and constraints on global cooperation in today’s world make problems more difficult to solve. But solutions are not impossible. And we can start now.”

He said the following two days of discussion could yield results for millions of people in need.

“I urge you to make this meeting not just a cri du cœur for change, but a cri de guerre – a rallying cry for urgent action”, the Secretary-General told the Summit.

“We are at a moment of truth and reckoning. Together, we can make it a moment of hope.”

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

In a dangerous and divided world, yoga yields ‘precious’ benefits — Global Issues

This year’s observance organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in collaboration with the Secretariat, took place under the theme, Yoga for Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam (“the world is one family”).

In his video message for the event, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres reminded everyone that in a dangerous and divided world, the benefits of this ancient practice are particularly precious.

UN News/ Sachin Gaur

Yoga event at the United Nations headquarters in New York on International Yoga Day.

Yoga unites

Noting the various benefits, “yoga unites”, he added.

“It unites body and mind, humanity and nature, and millions of people across the globe for whom it is a source of strength, harmony, and peace.”

Careful arrangements were made to mark the day in a scenic setting close to New York City’s East River on the UN campus, including a display of the flags of each UN Member State.

The North Lawn area was converted into a temporary yoga studio to host the outdoor event, which was led by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In his remarks, PM Modi stressed that Yoga is free from copyright, patents or royalties. It is unifying and is for all ethnicities, faith, cultures.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, joins the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrated at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

‘A way of life’: Prime Minister Modi

“When we do yoga, we feel physically fit, mentally calm and emotionally content. But it is not just about doing exercise on a mat. Yoga is a way of life,” PM Modi said.

The UN General Assembly adopted a unanimous resolution declaring June 21 the International Day of Yoga, back in December 2014. Since then, millions of people have participated in the celebration every year across the world.

‘An ethical guide’

Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India, with the Sanskrit word yoga meaning ‘to unite’ – symbolizing the union of body and consciousness.

The President of the UN General Assembly, Csaba Korosi pointed out how yoga also promotes sustainable lifestyles and leads to overall societal well-being.

He said that thanks to his daughter, “I understand better yoga’s ethical guide. The guide which includes the principles of non-stealing, non-greed and nonviolence. In other words, yoga’s ethical guide is a guide to sustainability.”

​“Not overusing resources that belong to all of us. Not prioritizing short-term gains over planetary boundaries.​​ And working for transformation.”

Following the remarks, a yoga instructor led the opening chants and demonstrated basic yoga asanas (poses) as yoga lovers wearing customized white t-shirts joined in.

‘A sense of openness’: Richard Gere

Delegates from the UN Member States, officials, and staff of the Secretariat as well as eminent New Yorkers from all walks of life, were present at the event.

Hollywood actor Richard Gere told UN News, “usually we come to the UN, it´s very political, very goal-oriented to getting something done. But this is a place where you can feel that everyone has an incredible sense of openness, of sharing, there´s a great joy here.”

“I would hope this energy infuses the main building as well and especially the Security Council and its sense of responsibility…a very large human family, so we can work together.”

UN News / Sachin Gaur

Award-winning music composer and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Ricky Kej also attended the Yoga Day event at UNHQ in New York.

‘Healing powers’

Also attending the event was Grammy award winning music composer and UNHCR’s Goodwill Ambassador Ricky Kej. Speaking to UN News, Mr. Kej underscored the deep connection between Yoga and music.

“Yoga is far more enjoyable when there is music and I create a lot of music for yoga… I believe that both have got very strong healing powers and very strong palliative powers.”

“Everybody talks about preventative health and yoga is exactly that. If you lead a lifestyle of yoga, then basically you’ve got less chance of falling ill and can lead an overall life for wellness.”

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Countering ‘dark age of intolerance’ starts by tackling hate speech — Global Issues

Social media’s role in crushing hate speech

From COVID-19 to climate change, hateful exchanges among those with opposing views is a growing concern, said Latifa Akharbach, president of the High Authority of Audiovisual Communication (HACA) in Morocco.

The international community’s “failure” in managing and regulating migration “fuels the sponsors of hate speech” and helps them follow through with their plans, she said, calling on governments to adopt fair positions in the face of separation movements, terrorism, and violations of human rights.

She shared her perspective on the sidelines of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) ninth Global Forum, in Fez, Morocco, where a panel on countering and addressing online hate speech on social media had revisited the UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech, launched on this day in 2019.

Dwindling diversity is another concern, said Faouzi Skali, president of the Fez Festival of Sufi Culture. Promoting diversity must be understood across the media domain and social networks, especially at a time when it is already disappearing around the world, he explained.

Noting that 100 languages are spoken by 95 per cent of the world’s population, he said only “12 of them dominate all digital communication on a planetary scale”. At the current rate, “we lose about one language a week”, he added, noting that there are only 6,000 languages left of the 20,000 spoken in the Neolithic era.

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Henriette Mutegwaraba, survivor of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and founder of the Million Lives Genocide relief fund, addresses the commemoration of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide.

Pre-TikTok

Had social media existed in 1994, the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda would have been “much worse”, according to survivor Henriette Mutegwaraba, who recalled the hate speech propagated via radio at the time.

“A message that used to take years to spread can now be put out there, and in one second, everybody in the world can see it,” she said. “If there was Facebook, Tik Tok, and Instagram, it would have been much worse. The bad people always go to youth, whose minds are easy to corrupt. Who is on social media now? Most of the time, young people.”

‘Dark age of intolerance’

Mita Hosali, Deputy Director of the UN Department of Global Communication (DGC), said young people are often seen today as vectors of such toxic trends as online hate speech.

“Increasingly, we are entering this dark age of intolerance, fueled by polarization and mis- and disinformation, and there are all kinds of ‘facts’ swirling out there,” she cautioned.

“It’s like a ladder of incremental extremism,” Ms. Hosali said. “You start at the bottom with a stereotype, move on to emojis and memes that lead to harmful speech. Harmful speech leads to hate speech, a torrent of hate builds up, and results in the incitement of violence. And then you have actual violence.”

Tech companies must now show effective leadership and responsibility around moderation to set up guard rails for respectful online discourse, she said.

“It really boils down to leaders, whether they are political, business, faith, or community leaders,” she said, emphasizing that such efforts must also start within the family and ripple across all circles of influence so that ordinary people fight back against hate speech. “In my view, young people are the catalysts for change.”

© UNICEF Costa Rica

Children at a playground in Costa Rica.

Thinking equal

Leslee Udwin met hate up close when she interviewed perpetrators of a vicious, deadly gang rape of a young woman for her film India’s Daughter.

“These rapists and murderers had been taught to hate,” she said.

With this in mind, she said she put down her camera and launched Think Equal, a UN-supported programme operating in more than 50 countries and founded on the principles of former South Africa leader Nelson Mandela: no child is born hating another human being.

“It’s the very foundation for responsible global citizens for peaceful, inclusive, cohesive societies, and for human development,” she said. “We have to take responsibility, particularly in their early years. We are negligent if we do not take pains to create pro-social brains in our youngest, most vulnerable children, and that is what Think Equal is about.”

Changing history

Valika Smeulders, chief historian at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, which held an exhibit, Ten True Stories of Dutch Colonial Slavery, at the UN, said academia and organizations like the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have been calling out museums since the 1990s to present more of the social history of slavery, the legacy of which permeates today’s society.

“It’s not just about history; it’s also about our common future,” she said. “The legacy of slavery is among us every day. We need to address that, especially all the types of discrimination and racism that are still around.”

Part of the solution is “to recognize that by understanding that past, we understand today’s society as well,” she said, adding that to have that conversation going on at the UN and having the exhibit as a ‘talking stick’ is “really important to us”.

‘No short cuts’

There are no shortcuts to making sure hate speech goes away, Ms. Hosali said.

Pointing to the #NoToHate UN campaign, she summed up a common thread, saying that “every one of us, in whatever walk of life we belong to, have to play a role”.

Find out more about what other people are doing to change the narrative with the UN’s UNiting Against Hate podcast series, learn about how the UN is working to combat hate speech here, and test yourself with our quiz.

How can you combat hate speech?

You can make a difference. Join the campaign with the hashtag #NoToHate. Hate speech occurs in all societies, whether offline or online. While it may feel overwhelming to try to deal with obviously hateful content, here are some tips on how you can take a stand, even if you are not personally the victim of hate speech:

  • Pledge to pause: Refrain from making any hateful comments yourself and/or sharing such content. Check out the UN #PledgetoPause campaign to find out why it’s important to take a moment to pause before you share content online.
  • Fact-check: To detect false and biased information, including hate speech propaganda, be sure to check the content’s origin with the help of search engines, fact-checking tools, and other reliable sources. You can also download images and run them through image search tools to find out where they appeared first.
  • React: When possible, do not remain silent, even when others are targeted. Speak up calmly but firmly against hate speech, and call it out to make clear that you do not agree with the content. When relevant, refute misinformation with facts, providing reliable sources.
  • Challenge: Spread your own counter-speech. You can undermine hateful content with positive messages that spread tolerance, equality, and truth in defense of those being targeted by hate.
  • Support: Taking a public stand for, and extending solidarity to, people who are the targets of hate speech demonstrates that rejecting hate is the responsibility of every individual.
  • Report: Most online platforms and communities have rules to keep user discussions respectful and will let you easily report hate messages to administrators or moderators. For more serious cases that may constitute incitement to violence, harassment and/or threats prohibited by law, notify organizations fighting hate speech and/or file a complaint with police or the public prosecutor.
  • Educate: Raise awareness online or offline by engaging with your family and friends in conversations about how hateful content can harm societies. Advocate for responsible behaviour and share public campaigns and educational resources.
  • Commit: Consider joining an initiative that works to address the issue of hate speech in your community.

ILO/Yodhi Prasetyo

Laughter and smiles of children in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Combating drought, one garden at a time — Global Issues

The unpaved road to the village is bumpy and sandy. For people living here, however, the path and the intense heat are part of daily life.

High temperatures have not stopped Foureyratou Saidou, a single mother of four and recent widow, from tending to the community garden next to the village. The payoffs are worth it, she said.

“In this garden, we now grow and harvest onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and other vegetables that we eat and that we can sell in the local market,” she says. “Before, we didn’t have much to live for. Now we do, and we don’t want to leave.”

Ms. Saidou is among thousands of farmers benefiting from the World Food Programme’s (WFP) integrated resilience programme, launched nearly a decade ago in Niger and four other Sahel countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Mauritania.

WFP/Souleymane Ag Anara

A woman waters a community garden under a baking sun in Satara, Niger.

Harvesting hope

She is also among millions of women farmers across the world who are harvesting hope ahead of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, observed on 17 June. Her leafy garden represents a step towards cultivating land into a livelihood.

Supporting the Niger government’s national priorities and in partnership with multiple UN and non-governmental partners, the WFP initiative covers such areas as land rehabilitation, livelihood diversification, school meals, nutrition interventions, and improved agricultural production and market access.

So far, the effort is assisting 3 million people across the Sahel region, including 1.8 million in 2,000 villages in Niger last year, to better prepare for and recover from myriad interconnected shocks, including climate change, land degradation, soaring prices, and conflict.

WFP/Pamela Gentile

Women sell their garden surplus at a local market in Niger’s Tillaberi region.

Turning the tables

In regions severely affected by the ongoing food crisis, 80 per cent of villages benefitting from WFP resilience activities did not require humanitarian assistance in 2022, according to the agency. That translates into about 500,000 people who did not need emergency support, or about $30 million in savings, according to the UN agency.

Unrolled across the country, the programmes also promote women’s participation and empowerment, with a sharp focus on areas with the highest food insecurity that tend to face conflict or host large concentrations of displaced people, intensifying demand for scarce resources.

The initiatives include land rehabilitation, using such innovative techniques as digging in half-moon shapes that slow and capture rainwater flow, which helps to improve plant growth.

So far, more than 233,000 hectares have been rehabilitated since the initiative’s launch in 2014, with WFP now planning to expand to new areas and equip more people with the tools they need.

Tools to thrive

Such efforts are critical, as newly released expert findings show that acute food insecurity in the Sahel is expected to reach a ten-year-high by June, the agency said. In Niger, the findings predict some 3.3 million people will be acutely hungry during the June-August lean season, up from 2.5 million now.

“Turning around these numbers requires not only short-term actions but, above all, actors coming together to implement more sustainable and transformative solutions at an impactful scale,” WFP Niger Country Director Jean-Noel Gentile said. “Through our integrated resilience projects, WFP with the government and partners are together empowering vulnerable populations to have the tools they need to thrive.”

‘It all starts with the land’

WFP has scaled up its resilience activities in Niger, after findings showed they have restored natural resources, increased farm revenues, reduced migration and conflict over scarce resources, and improved education and nutrition.

“It all starts with the land,” said Volli Carucci, who heads WFP’s resilience programme. “Without productive land, there’s no food production. The land is the starting point of resilient food systems, which communities can count on.”

That’s the case in Satara, where a WFP-supported community gardening initiative has transformed once-barren land.

WFP/Souleymane Ag Anara

An aerial view of WFP-supported community gardens in Niger’s Tillaberi region, which are part of a broader, multi-partner Sahel resilience initiative.

Reasons for staying

Ms. Saidou is now a member of a village market cooperative that sells the garden’s surplus, beyond what members keep to feed their families, in the local market.

Profits are plowed back into village-level investments to improve land productivity, the UN food agency said. It is also one of many examples where WFP is better linking farmers to markets and expanding their profits and overall food access.

While many men have left villages like Satara in search of work, Ms. Saidou now sees reasons for staying.

“I am working for the good health of my children and to give them the chance to study and stay in our village,” she said. “I want the garden to grow bigger, so that we have more to sell and more income to invest in the family and in the community.”

Community role model

Around southeastern Niger’s Gaffati village, for example, some 300 people are participating in a WFP-supported reforestation project that sees acacia trees, native shrubs, and grasses for fodder sprouting across a region made barren by seasonal drought, floods, overgrazing, and other harmful practices.

“I am determined to teach other women everything I learned in the past years on how to cook healthy and nutritious meals to feed our children, and how to take care of ourselves as mothers,” says 40-year-old Alia Issaka, a single mother of eight, who is enrolled in a community-based nutrition programme.

“It is not an easy job to be a role model for the community,” said Ms. Issaka, who also heads a local women’s association. “But, I feel a responsibility, so more women can participate in decision-making and in improving their family’s health.”

Learn more about WFP’s work in Niger here.

WFP/Souleymane Ag Anara

Women work on a WFP land rehabilitation project in Niger, which promotes reforestation and delivers products like fodder that participants can sell.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Exit mobile version