Economist Impact 9th annual Sustainability Week: Sustaining planet and profit
2024-03-04 00:00 - 2024-03-06 23:59 (America/New_York) | Business Design Centre, 52 Upper St, London, N1 0QH, United Kingdom
We are not reaching net zero fast enough

Implementing a robust sustainability strategy that delivers a return on investment should be every organisation’s long-term ambition. Improving your implementation of sustainability projects is good for business and the planet, and expected by investors.
The 9th annual Sustainability Week, incorporating the Energy Transition summit (ETS), will deliver vital information that you can use to move faster on reducing emissions and improving your environmental impact in 2024. With new how-to workshops, the CSO Leaders’ Club and our unique Action Hour sessions, alongside extensive networking opportunities and an exhibition, this is an event not to be missed.

Join more than 6,000 industries leaders to shape the future of our planet
Register
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness
2024-03-05 00:00 - 23:59
The International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness seeks to promote better awareness and understanding of disarmament issues among the public, especially young people.
Since the founding of the United Nations, the goals of multilateral disarmament and arms limitation have been central to the Organization’s efforts to maintain international peace and security.
Weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons, continue to be of primary concern, owing to their destructive power and the threat that they pose to humanity. The excessive accumulation in conventional weapons and the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons jeopardizes international peace and security and sustainable development, while the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is seriously endangering civilians. New and emerging weapon technologies, such as autonomous weapons, pose a challenge to global security and have received increased attention from the international community in recent years.
Observed on 5 March, the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness plays a role in deepening the global public’s understanding about how disarmament efforts contribute to enhancing peace and security, preventing and ending armed conflicts, and curbing human suffering caused by weapons.
Through resolution A/RES/77/51, the General Assembly invites all Member States, the organizations of the United Nations system, civil society, academia, the media and individuals to commemorate the International Day, including through all means of educational and public awareness-raising activities.

Did you know?
Did you know that in 2021, global military spending reached $2.1 trillion? 12,700 nuclear weapons remain an existential threat to humanity today. 26,000 people can be treated for malaria for the price of 1 battle tank. Here are some outreach materials.
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

Asia Green Tech Summit
2024-03-07 00:00 - 23:59 | The Westin Singapore, 12 Marina View, Asia Square Tower, 018961, Singapore
Development in Asia hinges on decisive measures against climate change. The region is grappling with escalating climate disturbances, impacting countless individuals’ well-being, food stability, and health. While governments across Asia have made increasingly ambitious climate pledges to address this, substantial scope remains to accelerate decarbonisation and the transition to a greener economy.
Current and evolving climate technologies offer a promising avenue for Asia to establish itself as a net-zero leader. Reaching carbon neutrality in Asia via these technologies requires global cooperation, attractive climate policies and increased investment. How can Asia mobilise the necessary resources and green technologies to compete in the race to net-zero emissions?
The 2nd edition of the Asia Green Tech Summit, co-hosted by Nikkei and the Financial Times, will once again bring together leading policymakers, financial institutions, climate tech and industry leaders for thought-provoking keynotes and debates to provide critical insights about how climate tech will enable the decarbonisation of Asia.

Key Themes

How are climate policies across Asia competing on an international and regional Level?
From emissions to opportunities: Asia’s role as a global carbon market hub
The role of trading houses in facilitating the growth of the green economy
Unlocking finance for green tech investments in a time of high-interest rates
What role will carbon capture play in decarbonising hard-to-abate manufacturing in Asia?
Asia’s renewable energy supply chain: Overcoming fragmentation and scaling up to satisfy demand

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Women's Day
2024-03-08 00:00 - 23:59
Invest in women: Accelerate progress
Achieving gender equality and women’s well-being in all aspects of life is more crucial than ever if we want to create prosperous economies and a healthy planet. However, we are facing a key challenge: the alarming $360 billion annual deficit in gender-equality measures by 2030.
Join us on March 8, 2024, for International Women’s Day under the theme ‘Invest in women: Accelerate progress”, and take a stand with us using the hashtag #InvestInWomen.
Here are five key areas needing joint action:

Investing in women, a human rights issue: Time is running out. Gender equality is the greatest human rights challenge, benefiting everyone.
Ending poverty: Due to the COVID pandemic and conflicts, 75 million more people have fallen into severe poverty since 2020. Immediate action is crucial to prevent over 342 million women and girls living in poverty by 2030.
Implementing gender-responsive financing: Conflicts and rising prices may lead 75% of countries to cut public spending by 2025, negatively impacting women and their essential services.
Shifting to a green economy and care society: The current economic system disproportionately affects women. Advocates propose a shift to a green economy and care society to amplify women’s voices.
Supporting feminist change-makers: Despite leading efforts, feminist organizations receive only 0.13% of official development assistance.

This International Women’s Day, let’s unite to transform challenges into opportunities and shape a better future for all!

Did you know?

In 1984, Australia introduced the world’s first Women’s Budget Statement, paving the way for many others to follow suit.
There is an alarming lack of financing with a staggering USD 360 billion annual deficit in spending on gender-equality measures.
Just 5% of government aid is focused on tackling violence against women and girls, and less than 0.2% is directed to its prevention.

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day of Women Judges
2024-03-10 00:00 - 23:59
Background
While equality in the judiciary has been historically uneven, steps are being taken to remedy this as evidenced by the declaration by the United Nations General Assembly of 10 March as the International Day of Women Judges. The General Assembly resolution, drafted by the State of Qatar, is tangible proof of an positive shift.
Redressing gender inequalities is also at the core of UNODC’s Strategy for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, and is a goal shared by the Global Programme for the Implementation of the Doha Declaration, as it works to promote a culture of lawfulness around the world, providing education and training and supporting the full participation of women in every professional sphere.

To achieve justice, we need more women in justice
Despite women’s increased engagement in public life, they remain significantly underrepresented in decision-making positions. In fact, a relatively small number of women have been, or are part of, the judiciary, particularly at senior judicial leadership positions.
Women’s representation in the judiciary is key to ensuring that courts represent their citizens, address their concerns and hand down sound judgments. By their mere presence, women judges enhance the legitimacy of courts, sending a powerful signal that they are open and accessible to those who seek recourse to justice.
The entry of women judges into spaces from which they had historically been excluded has been a positive step in the direction of judiciaries being perceived as being more transparent, inclusive, and representative of the people whose lives they affect.
By marking the day, we will reaffirm our commitment to develop and implement appropriate and effective national strategies and plans for the advancement of women in judicial justice systems and institutions at the leadership, managerial and other levels.
Join us in celebrating this International Day of Women Judges with the campaign “Women in Justice, women for justice” to promote the full and equal participation of women at all levels of the judiciary, to celebrate the progress that has been made and raise awareness about the challenges ahead!

Women judges and the achievement of gender equality
The representation of women in the judiciary is significant for many reasons. In addition to ensuring that the legal system is developed with all of society in mind, it also inspires the next generation of female judges and motivates them to achieve their goals.
Women in the criminal justice system can act as agents of change and contribute to greater accountability. Women judges bring different perspectives and experiences, strengthening judicial systems. Women in leadership roles help disrupt networks of collusion, striking a blow against corruption.
Women’s representation in law enforcement and judicial institutions has been linked to more effective, victim-centered responses to crime.
By investing in women’s advancement and women justice leaders, we can help ensure that justice is better served and that women and all members of our societies are met with fairness and equality before the law, for the benefit of all.
Only through the active participation of women, on equal terms with men, at all levels of decision-making, we’ll be able to achieve sustainable development, peace and democracy.

Global Judicial Integrity Network
The Global Judicial Integrity Network of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) brings together female judges to learn from each other’s lived experiences and provide a source of solidarity. Find out more about the Networks’ work.

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

New tools for companies seeking to advance their ESG and Climate data transparency
2024-03-12 10:00 - 12:00 | Virtual Event
Overview for New tools for companies seeking to advance their ESG and Climate data transparency

As a sustainability leader, you need a strong and clear sustainability strategy that covers environmental, social and governance (ESG) and Climate aspects.

Join us to learn more about new tools and services from MSCI ESG Research to support corporate issuers in our coverage, as well as overall ESG and Climate data transparency and new engagement opportunities. In this webinar, we will cover the following topics and discuss how to:

Gain more insight into your ESG and Climate exposures
Explore company MSCI ESG & Climate metrics
Benchmark against industry peers and best practices
Deepen your engagement with our team
Support corporate climate commitments

Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how our tools and services can support your sustainability journey by providing you with more data insights.

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

CLIMATE CAPITAL LIVE
2024-03-13 00:00 - 2024-03-14 23:59 | County Hall, London, United Kingdom
COP28’s global stocktake recognised the global scientific consensus with the explicit acknowledgment of the need to “transition away” from fossil fuels. With a flurry of enhanced national plans to deliver 1.5C being delivered by next year in response, the pressure is now on for governments and businesses to turn climate commitments into concerted action. Bringing about an immediate and sustained reduction in global emissions will require further radical and co-ordinated action around policy changes, business strategies and innovative financing. This may involve more up-front costs to businesses and governments but also presents an opportunity to capitalise on the wide-ranging benefits of a greener economy. How can CEOs, policymakers and investors overcome these complex challenges and trade-offs to implement tangible change and build a climate-resilient future?
The Financial Times’ Climate Capital Live 2024 will once again provide a unique forum for climate leaders, politicians, CEOs and financiers to come together and discuss how their organisation can move from commitment to implementation on net zero targets. Through the expert moderation of the FT’s most senior journalists, the Summit promises to cut through the jargon and provide insights on how to accelerate science-aligned climate progress in an increasingly difficult economic environment.
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

From Concept to Reality: Real-life sustainability and ESG case studies on realizing the promise of generative AI
2024-03-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual Event
AI holds great promise: Better answers. Saving time. Driving revenue. Until now, these promises have been largely conceptual, especially when applied to specific verticals such as sustainability and ESG. In this webinar, sustainability, legal, investor relations and finance professionals will demonstrate how concepts turned into reality through tangible case studies from their peers on how they are leveraging AI.
Webinar participants will learn how AI can help:

Respond to questions from investors, customers, and executives
Prepare for global regulations
Research peer activities and best practices

Join us for this multi-faceted conversation to help professionals who are involved in their company’s ESG and sustainability programs take advantage of this transformative technology, understand what AI is replacing in current workflows, and how to budget for AI initiatives.
Moderator:

Lori Gustavus, Director, Europe, GreenBiz Group

Speakers:

Mike Stiller, New Initiatives, Capital Access Platforms, Nasdaq
Natasha Tuck, Director, Sustainability & ESG, Dolby Laboratories, Inc.
Mike Schwartz, Director, Sustainability, Republic Services, Inc.

If you can’t tune in live, please register and we will email you a link to access the webcast recording and resources, available to you on-demand after the live webcast.
REGISTER NOW
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day to Combat Islamophobia
2024-03-15 00:00 - 23:59
What is Islamophobia?
Islamophobia is a fear, prejudice and hatred of Muslims that leads to provocation, hostility and intolerance by means of threatening, harassment, abuse, incitement and intimidation of Muslims and non-Muslims, both in the online and offline world. Motivated by institutional, ideological, political and religious hostility that transcends into structural and cultural racism, it targets the symbols and markers of being a Muslim.
This definition emphasises the link between institutional levels of Islamophobia and manifestations of such attitudes, triggered by the visibility of the victim’s perceived Muslim identity. This approach also interprets Islamophobia as a form of racism, whereby Islamic religion, tradition and culture are seen as a ‘threat’ to the Western values.
Some experts prefer the label ‘anti-Muslim hatred,’ fearing that the term ‘Islamophobia’ risks condemning all critiques of Islam and, therefore, could stifle freedom of expression. But international human rights law protects individuals, not religions. And Islamophobia may also affect non-Muslims, based on perceptions of nationality, racial or ethnic background.

An epidemic of hatred
A recent report by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief found that suspicion, discrimination and outright hatred towards Muslims has risen to ‘epidemic proportions.’
Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and other horrific acts of terrorism purportedly carried out in the name of Islam, institutional suspicion of Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim has escalated to epidemic proportions. Numerous states, as well as regional and international bodies, have responded to security threats by adopting measures that disproportionately target Muslims and define Muslims as high-risk and at risk of radicalization. At the same time, widespread negative representations of Islam, and harmful stereotypes that depict Muslims and their beliefs and culture as a threat have served to perpetuate, validate and normalize discrimination, hostility and violence towards Muslim individuals and communities.
In states where they are in the minority, Muslims often experience discrimination in accessing goods and services, in finding employment and in education. In some states they are denied citizenship or legal immigration status due to xenophobic perceptions that Muslims represent national security and terrorism threats. Muslim women are disproportionately targeted in Islamophobic hate crimes.
Studies show that the number of Islamophobic hate crimes frequently increases following events beyond the control of most Muslims, including terrorist attacks and anniversaries of such attacks. These trigger events illustrate how Islamophobia may attribute collective responsibility to all Muslims for the actions of a very select few, or feed upon inflammatory rhetoric.

Combating Islamophobia
Many Governments have taken steps to combat Islamophobia by establishing anti-hate-crime legislation and measures to prevent and prosecute hate crimes and by conducting public awareness campaigns about Muslims and Islam designed to dispel negative myths and misconceptions.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution sponsored by 60 Member-States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which designated 15 March as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. The document stresses that terrorism and violent extremism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization, or ethnic group. It calls for a global dialogue on the promotion of a culture of tolerance and peace, based on respect for human rights and for the diversity of religions and belief.
Marking the first International Day to Combat Islamophobia in 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that anti-Muslim bigotry is part of a larger trend of a resurgence in ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazism, stigma and hate speech targeting vulnerable populations including Muslims, Jews, some minority Christian communities, as well as others. “As the Holy Quran reminds us: nations and tribes were created to know one another. Diversity is a richness, not a threat,” he added.
In response to the alarming trend of rising hate speech around the world, Secretary-General António Guterres launched the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech.
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day of Happiness
2024-03-20 00:00 - 23:59
What is the International Day of Happiness?
It’s a day to be happy, of course! Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness as a way to recognise the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world.
Happiness is a fundamental human goal. The United Nations General Assembly recognizes this goal and calls for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples.”
In 2015, the UN launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which seek to end poverty, reduce inequality, and protect our planet – three key aspects that lead to well-being and happiness.
The United Nations invites each person of any age, plus every classroom, business and government to join in celebration of the International Day of Happiness.

Background
The General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution 66/281 of 12 July 2012 proclaimed 20 March the International Day of Happiness, recognizing the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives. It also recognized the need for a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and the well-being of all peoples.
The resolution was initiated by Bhutan, a country which recognized the value of national happiness over national income since the early 1970s and famously adopted the goal of Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product. It also hosted a High Level Meeting on “Happiness and Well-Being: Defining a New Economic Paradigm” during the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly.

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

French Language Day
2024-03-20 00:00 - 23:59
On March 20, the UN celebrates French Language Day
Language Days at the United Nations were introduced in 2010 to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity.
The UN celebrates six “Language Days” each year, dedicated to the six official languages ​​of the United Nations, which are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
These days are an opportunity to raise awareness among the international community of the history, culture and use of each of these languages.
The date of French Language Day was chosen symbolically in reference to March 20, 1970, which marks the creation of the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT), which became the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) .
Multilingualism, more fundamental than ever
To emerge from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and build back better, we will need to continue to adopt an approach mobilizing all components of societies, all public authorities and the entire world in a spirit of compassion and solidarity. . An essential factor in harmonious communication between peoples, multilingualism is more than ever of particular importance for the UN because it promotes tolerance and ensures the effective participation of all in the Organization’s work process.
“The Francophonie of the future”
The date of March 20 is recognized by the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) as International Francophonie Day. The United Nations regularly cooperates with the OIF and its Member States in the spirit of the provisions of the resolutions on cooperation with the OIF adopted periodically by the General Assembly. In 2023, the OIF wishes to mark the celebrations of the International Day of La Francophonie under the theme “321 million French speakers, billions of cultural content” .

Multilingualism at the UN

On the occasion of French Language Day at the UN, consult the latest issue of the “Dossiers Phares” series from the Dag Hammarksjöld Library of the United Nations. The publication, dedicated to multilingualism at the UN, provides a historical overview of the linguistic arrangements of the Organization and explains how multilingualism evolved from a founding principle to that of a fundamental value of the UN.
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
2024-03-21 00:00 - 23:59
Background
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960.
In 1979, the General Assembly adopted a programme of activities to be undertaken during the second half of the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination. On that occasion, the General Assembly decided that a week of solidarity with the peoples struggling against racism and racial discrimination, beginning on 21 March, would be organized annually in all States.
Since then, the apartheid system in South Africa has been dismantled. Racist laws and practices have been abolished in many countries, and we have built an international framework for fighting racism, guided by the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Convention is now nearing universal ratification, yet still, in all regions, too many individuals, communities and societies suffer from the injustice and stigma that racism brings.

75th anniversary of the UDHR – an impetus to combat racism
The 2023 theme of the International Day focuses on the urgency of combatting racism and racial discrimination, 75 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
Seventy-five years ago, for the first time, the international community agreed on a set of common values and acknowledged that rights are inherent to every single human being and not granted by the State. These rights are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a blueprint for international human rights norms.
The UDHR states that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms, without distinction of any kind, such as race and colour, among others. However, racism and racial discrimination continue to affect people all over the world.
The commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the UDHR should give States an impetus to take prompt and robust steps, in law and in practice, to advance equality and combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
The UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has invited all States, as part of the Human Rights 75 initiative, to combat racial discrimination by committing to take specific and urgent actions.

Major UN meetings and events
In September 2021, the United Nations General Assembly brought together world leaders for a one day meeting in New York to mark the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action under the theme of “Reparations, racial justice and equality for People of African Descent.”
In 2001, the World Conference against Racism produced the most authoritative and comprehensive programme for combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance: the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA). In April 2009, the Durban Review Conference examined global progress made in overcoming racism and concluded that much remained to be achieved. Undoubtedly, the greatest accomplishment of the conference was the renewed international commitment to the anti-racism agenda.
In September 2011, the United Nations General Assembly held a one day high-level meeting in New York to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. There, world leaders adopted by consensus a political declaration proclaiming their “strong determination to make the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and the protection of the victims thereof, a high priority for [their] countries.”
Coming as it did during the 2011 International Year for People of African Descent, the 10th anniversary was a chance to strengthen political commitment in fighting racism and racial discrimination.
On 23 December 2013, the General Assembly proclaimed the International Decade for People of African Descent commencing 1 January 2015 and ending on 31 December 2024, with the theme “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development.”
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

World Down Syndrome Day
2024-03-21 00:00 - 23:59 | UN Headquarters, 405 E 45th St, New York, NY, 10017, United States
Background
The estimated incidence of Down syndrome is between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,100 live births worldwide. Each year, approximately 3,000 to 5,000 children are born with this chromosome disorder.
The quality of life of people with Down syndrome can be improved by meeting their health care needs, including regular check-ups with health professionals to monitor mental and physical condition and to provide timely intervention be it physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, counselling or special education. Individuals with Down syndrome can achieve optimal quality of life through parental care and support, medical guidance, and community based support systems such as inclusive education at all levels. This facilitates their participation in mainstream society and the fulfillment of their personal potential.

Down Syndrome
Down syndrome occurs when an individual has an extra partial (or whole) copy of chromosome 21. It is not yet know why this syndrome occurs, but Down syndrome has always been a part of the human condition. It exists in all regions across the globe and commonly results in variable effects on learning styles, physical characteristics and health.
Adequate access to health care, to early intervention programmes, and to inclusive education, as well as appropriate research, are vital to the growth and development of the individual.
In December 2011, the General Assembly declared 21 March as World Down Syndrome Day (A/RES/66/149). The General Assembly decided, with effect from 2012, to observe World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March each year. In order to raise public awareness of Down syndrome, the General Assembly invites all Member States, relevant organizations of the United Nations system and other international organizations, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, to observe World Down Syndrome Day in an appropriate manner.

With Us Not For Us
The message of With Us Not For Us is key to a human rights-based approach to disability.
We are committed to moving on from the outdated charity model of disability, where people with disability were treated as objects of charity, deserving of pity and relying on others for support.
A human rights-based approach views people with disabilities as having the right to be treated fairly and have the same opportunities as everyone else, working WITH others to improve their lives.
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day of Forests
2024-03-21 00:00 - 23:59
Background
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. Countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.
The organizers are the United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with Governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and other relevant organizations in the field.

Healthy forest for healthy people
When we drink a glass of water, write in a notebook, take medicine for a fever or build a house, we do not always make the connection with forests. And yet, these and many other aspects of our lives are linked to forests in one way or another.
Forest sustainable management and their use of resources are key to combating climate change, and to contributing to the prosperity and well-being of current and future generations. Forests also play a crucial role in poverty alleviation and in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet despite all these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, forests are endangered by fires, pests, droughts, and unprecedented deforestation.
The theme for 2023 is “Forests and health.”
Forests give us so much to our health. They purify the water, clean the air, capture carbon to fight climate change, provide food and life-saving medicines, and improve our well-being.
It’s up to us to safeguard these precious natural resources.
This 2023 calls for giving, not just taking, because healthy forests will bring healthy people.

Did you know?

A study from 43 000 households across 27 countries in Africa found that the dietary diversity of children exposed to forests was at least 25% higher than that of children who were not.
The total number of plant species used for medicinal purposes could be as high as 50 000.
Several studies proved that a visit to a forest environment lowers blood pressure and pulse rate, and reduces cortisol levels.
The world is losing 10 million hectares of forest each year due to deforestation – about the size of Iceland- and insects damage around 35 million hectares of forest annually.

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World Poetry Day
2024-03-21 00:00 - 23:59
Practiced throughout history – in every culture and on every continent – poetry speaks to our common humanity and our shared values, transforming the simplest of poems into a powerful catalyst for dialogue and peace.

Held every year on 21 March, World Poetry Day celebrates one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression and identity.
UNESCO first adopted 21 March as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999, with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard. World Poetry Day is the occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and raise the visibility of poetry in the media. As poetry continues to bring people together across continents, all are invited to join in.

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Nowruz Day
2024-03-21 00:00 - 23:59
What is Nowruz and why do we celebrate it?
The word Nowruz (Novruz, Navruz, Nooruz, Nevruz, Nauryz), means new day; its spelling and pronunciation may vary by country.
Nowruz marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, which usually occurs on 21 March. It is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by more than 300 million people all around the world and has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions.
Inscribed in 2009 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a cultural tradition observed by numerous peoples, Nowruz is an ancestral festivity marking the first day of spring and the renewal of nature. It promotes values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families as well as reconciliation and neighbourliness, thus contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples and different communities.
Nowruz plays a significant role in strengthening the ties among peoples based on mutual respect and the ideals of peace and good neighbourliness. Its traditions and rituals reflect the cultural and ancient customs of the civilizations of the East and West, which influenced those civilizations through the interchange of human values.
Celebrating Nowruz means the affirmation of life in harmony with nature, awareness of the inseparable link between constructive labour and natural cycles of renewal and a solicitous and respectful attitude towards natural sources of life.

Background
International Nowruz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/64/253 of 2010, at the initiative of several countries that share this holiday. Under the agenda item of “culture of peace”, the member states of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan prepared and introduced a draft resolution (A/64/L.30) entitled “International Day of Nowruz” to the ongoing 64th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations for its consideration and adoption.
In the 71st plenary meeting on 23 February 2010, The General Assembly welcomed the inclusion of Nowruz in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on 30 September 2009.
It also recognized 21 March as the International Day of Nowruz, and invited interested Member States, the United Nations, in particular its relevant specialized agencies, funds and programmes, and mainly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and interested international and regional organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations, to participate in events organized by States where Nowruz is celebrated.

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World Water Day
2024-03-22 00:00 - 23:59
Key messages for World Water Day 2024

Water can create peace or spark conflict. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people struggle for access, tensions can rise. By cooperating on water, we can balance everyone’s water needs and help stabilize the world.
Prosperity and peace rely on water. As nations manage climate change, mass migration and political unrest, they must put water cooperation at the heart of their plans.
Water can lead us out of crisis. We can foster harmony between communities and countries by uniting around the fair and sustainable use of water – from United Nations conventions at the international level, to actions at the local level.

Water for peace
Water can create peace or spark conflict.
When water is scarce or polluted, or when people have unequal, or no access, tensions can rise between communities and countries.
More than 3 billion people worldwide depend on water that crosses national borders. Yet, only 24 countries have cooperation agreements for all their shared water.
As climate change impacts increase, and populations grow, there is an urgent need, within and between countries, to unite around protecting and conserving our most precious resource.
Public health and prosperity, food and energy systems, economic productivity and environmental integrity all rely on a well-functioning and equitably managed water cycle.

Creating a positive ripple effect
The theme of World Water Day 2024 is ‘Water for Peace’.
When we cooperate on water, we create a positive ripple effect – fostering harmony, generating prosperity and building resilience to shared challenges.
We must act upon the realization that water is not only a resource to be used and competed over – it is a human right, intrinsic to every aspect of life.
This World Water Day, we all need to unite around water and use water for peace, laying the foundations of a more stable and prosperous tomorrow.

Play your part!

Be part of the global campaign on ‘Water for Peace’. We need everyone – from individuals and families to companies and governments – to do what they can to cooperate on water and pave the way for a more harmonious society. Download resources to get involved this World Water Day and find out more about the connection between water and peace.

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

World Meteorological Day
2024-03-23 08:00 - 17:00
Every 23 March, the World Meteorological Organization commemorates the coming into force of the Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization on 23 March 1950.
It showcases the essential contribution of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to the safety and wellbeing of society and is celebrated with activities around the world. The themes chosen for World Meteorological Day reflect topical weather, climate or water-related issues.

The future of weather, climate and water across generations
The international meteorological organization – WMO as we know it today – turns 150 this year. We started life with morse code and telegraphs and now embrace super-computing, satellites and artificial intelligence. Our long history of data exchange was a pioneer for the Big Data revolution. Our World Weather Watch preceded the World Wide Web (and is just as important!).
Our birth in 1873 was before pollution from greenhouse gases. Climate change is now the defining challenge of our times – and will shape the life of future generations.
Join us on our journey.
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

World Tuberculosis Day
2024-03-24 00:00 - 23:59
24 March is World Tuberculosis Day

Each year we commemorate World TB Day to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of tuberculosis (TB) and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic.
The date marks the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.

TB is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and it most often affects the lungs. TB is spread through the air when people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit. A person needs to inhale only a few germs to become infected.
Every year, 10 million people fall ill with tuberculosis (TB). Despite being a preventable and curable disease, 1.5 million people die from TB each year – making it the world’s top infectious killer.
TB is the leading cause of death of people with HIV and also a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance.

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims
2024-03-24 00:00 - 23:59
The Right to the Truth
The right to the truth is often invoked in the context of gross violations of human rights and grave breaches of humanitarian law. The relatives of victims of summary executions, enforced disappearance, missing persons, abducted children, torture, require to know what happened to them. The right to the truth implies knowing the full and complete truth as to the events that transpired, their specific circumstances, and who participated in them, including knowing the circumstances in which the violations took place, as well as the reasons for them.
International Day
Each year, on 24 March, the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims is observed.
This annual observance pays tribute to the memory of Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero, who was murdered on 24 March 1980. Monsignor Romero was actively engaged in denouncing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable individuals in El Salvador.

Purpose
The purpose of the Day is to:

Honour the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations and promote the importance of the right to truth and justice;
Pay tribute to those who have devoted their lives to, and lost their lives in, the struggle to promote and protect human rights for all;
Recognize, in particular, the important work and values of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, of El Salvador, who was assasinated on 24 March 1980, after denouncing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable populations and defending the principles of protecting lives, promoting human dignity and opposition to all forms of violence.

Background
On 21 December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 March as the International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims.
The date was chosen because on 24 March 1980, Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero of El Salvador was assassinated, after denouncing violations of human rights.
In a study conducted in 2006 the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded that the right to the truth about gross human rights violations and serious violations of human rights law is an inalienable and autonomous right, linked to the duty and obligation of the State to protect and guarantee human rights, to conduct effective investigations and to guarantee effective remedy and reparations.
The study affirms that the right to the truth implies knowing the full and complete truth as to the events that transpired, their specific circumstances, and who participated in them, including knowing the circumstances in which the violations took place, as well as the reasons for them.
In a 2009 report on the Right to the Truth, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights identified best practices for the effective implementation of this right, in particular practices relating to archives and records concerning gross violations of human rights, and programmes on the protection of witnesses and other persons involved in trials connected with such violations.
The Commission on the Truth for El Salvador was established in accordance with the Mexico Agreements of 27 April 1991 to investigate serious acts of violence that had occurred since 1980 and whose impact on society was deemed to require an urgent public knowledge of the truth. In its report of 15 March 1993, the Commission documented the facts of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero by pro-government forces, the so-called “death squads”. He was shot dead by an assassin as he celebrated mass on 24 March 1980.

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
2024-03-25 00:00 - 23:59
2024 Remembrance Programme
“Creating Global Freedom: Countering Racism with Justice in Societies and Among Nations”

The transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans represents one of the most horrific and traumatizing eras in human history.
This racialized system of enslavement abducted, trafficked, and brutally dehumanized Africans and their descendants over centuries leaving a pernicious legacy of racism grounded in the false narrative of white supremacy.
A critical antidote to countering racism with justice is to acknowledge the fundamental dignity, equality, and rights of people of African descent within communities, institutions, policies, laws, and governing bodies.
Recognizing the egregious history and legacies of enslavement the United Nations will step up efforts to address racism, intolerance, bigotry and hatred to advance the cause of global freedom.

25 March 2024
General Assembly Commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and The Transatlantic Slave Trade
The United Nations General Assembly will hold a meeting to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade reflecting of this year’s theme “Creating Global Freedom: Countering Racism with Justice in Societies and Among Nations”. Speakers will include the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General, Member States, a keynote and a youth speaker. (more to come)
Watch on UNWebTV: https://webtv.un.org/en

The Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery was established in 2007 with the adoption of General Assembly resolution 62/122. The Programme raises awareness of the history of the transatlantic slave trade, its impact on the modern world, and its legacies, including racism and prejudice. Over the years, the Programme has established a global network of partners, including from educational institutions and civil society, and developed resources and initiatives to educate the public about this dark chapter of history and promote action against racism.

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members
2024-03-25 00:00 - 23:59
Protecting UN staff
Since the founding of the United Nations in 1945, hundreds of brave men and women have lost their lives in its service. During the 1990s, the growing number and scale of UN peacekeeping missions put many more at risk. More lives were lost during the 1990s than in the previous four decades combined.
At that time, an awareness began to develop among Member States and staff, that the more active the UN became in the future, the more it was going to be targeted.
The first resolution on staff security was adopted by the UN Security Council in September 1993.
Complex negotiations subsequently took place in the Sixth (Legal) Committee of the General Assembly on an international legal convention to protect UN personnel.
The result of those negotiations was the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1994.

Origin
The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is marked each year on the anniversary of the abduction of Alec Collett, a former journalist who was working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) when he was abducted by armed gunman in 1985. His body was finally found in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in 2009.
The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members has taken on even greater importance in recent years, as attacks against the United Nations intensify. This is a day to mobilize action, demand justice and strengthen our resolve to protect UN staff and peacekeepers, as well as our colleagues in the non-governmental community and the press.
Purpose
This is a day to mobilize action, demand justice and strengthen our resolve to protect UN staff and peacekeepers, as well as our colleagues in the non-governmental community and the press.
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day of Zero Waste
2024-03-30 00:00 - 23:59
International Day of Zero Waste
The International Day of Zero Waste aims to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, support the societal shift towards circularity and raise awareness about how zero-waste initiatives contribute to the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The waste sector contributes significantly to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, and pollution. Humanity generates an estimated 2.24 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually, of which only 55 per cent is managed in controlled facilities. Every year, around 931 million tons of food is lost or wasted and up to 14 million tons of plastic waste enters aquatic ecosystems.
Zero-waste initiatives can foster sound waste management and minimize and prevent waste, helping to address the triple planetary crisis, protect the environment, enhance food security and improve human health and well-being.

Adopting zero waste
A zero-waste approach entails responsible production, consumption and disposal of products in a closed, circular system. This means that resources are reused or recovered as much as possible and that we minimize the pollution to air, land or water.
Achieving zero waste requires action at all levels.
Products should be designed to be durable and require fewer and low-impact materials. By opting for less resource-intensive production and transport methods, manufacturers can further limit pollution and waste. Advertising and closely managing demand can further enable zero waste throughout products’ life cycles.
Consumers can also play a pivotal role in enabling zero waste by changing habits and reusing and repairing products as much as possible before properly disposing of them.
With governments, communities, industries and other stakeholders increasingly recognizing the potential of zero-waste initiatives, bolstering waste management and improving recovery systems through finance and policymaking. The Global Strategy for Sustainable Consumption and Production can guide this transition. Established by the United Nations General Assembly, Member States and stakeholders, the strategy calls for the adoption of sustainable consumption and production objectives across all sectors by 2030.

Background
On 14 December 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution at its seventy-seventh session to proclaim 30 March as International Day of Zero Waste, to be observed annually. Türkiye, with 105 other countries, put forward the resolution. It follows other resolutions focused on waste, including “End plastic pollution: towards an internationally legally binding instrument”, adopted at the United Nations Environment Assembly on 2 March 2022.
During International Day of Zero Waste, Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, civil society, the private sector, academia, youth and other stakeholders are invited to engage in activities aimed at raising awareness of national, subnational, regional and local zero-waste initiatives and their contribution to achieving sustainable development. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) jointly facilitate the observance of International Day of Zero Waste.
Promoting zero-waste initiatives through this international day can help advance all the goals and targets in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including Sustainable Development Goal 11 and Sustainable Development Goal 12. These goals address all forms of waste, including food loss and waste, natural resource extraction and electronic waste.

Get involved

Join the conversation on social media using #ZeroWasteDay and #BeatWastePollution.
You can reduce your carbon footprint and also cut down on waste. Start with these ten impactful actions.

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

World Autism Awareness Day
2024-04-02 00:00 - 23:59
Background
Throughout its history, the United Nations family has celebrated diversity and promoted the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities, including learning differences and developmental disabilities. In 2008, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities entered into force, reaffirming the fundamental principle of universal human rights for all. Its purpose is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. It is a vital tool to foster an inclusive and caring society for all and to ensure that all children and adults with autism can lead full and meaningful lives.
The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2 April as World Autism Awareness Day (A/RES/62/139) to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with autism so they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society.
Autism is a lifelong neurological condition that manifests during early childhood, irrespective of gender, race or socio-economic status. The term Autism Spectrum refers to a range of characteristics. Appropriate support, accommodation and acceptance of this neurological variation allow those on the Spectrum to enjoy equal opportunity, and full and effective participation in society.
Autism is mainly characterized by its unique social interactions, non-standard ways of learning, keen interests in specific subjects, inclination to routines, challenges in typical communications and particular ways of processing sensory information.
The rate of autism in all regions of the world is high and the lack of understanding has a tremendous impact on the individuals, their families and communities.
The stigmatization and discrimination associated with neurological differences remain substantial obstacles to diagnosis and therapies, an issue that must be addressed by both public policy-makers in developing nations, as well as donor countries.

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action
2024-04-04 00:00 - 23:59
Background
On 8 December 2005, the General Assembly declared that 4 April of each year shall be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
It called for continued efforts by States, with the assistance of the United Nations and relevant organizations, to foster the establishment and development of national mine-action capacities in countries where mines and explosive remnants of war constitute a serious threat to the safety, health and lives of the civilian population, or an impediment to social and economic development at the national and local levels.
For over 20 years, the work of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has been driven by the needs of affected people and tailored to the threat of explosive hazards faced by civilians, peacekeepers and humanitarians.
UNMAS works to save lives, to facilitate deployment of UN missions and the delivery of humanitarian assistance, to protect civilians, to support the voluntary return of the internally displaced and refugees, to enable humanitarian and recovery activities and to advocate for international humanitarian and human rights law.

History
The United Nations advocates for the universalization of existing legal frameworks and encourages Member States to expand those regimes and develop new international instruments to protect civilians from the scourges of landmines and explosive remnants of war. It undertakes this work in collaboration with interested states, civil society, mine action and international organizations.
Since the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, commonly known as the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention opened for signature in 1997, 164 countries have ratified or acceded to it.
In addition to anti-personnel mines, challenges remain with respect to all other explosive remnants of war. On 12 November 2006, the Secretary-General welcomed the entry into force of Protocol V on explosive remnants of war from the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and reiterated his call for its universalization and implementation. In December 2008, the Secretary-General welcomed the opening for signature of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was joined by 108 states.
Guided by its inter-agency policy, the United Nations Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action (IACG-MA), consisting of 12 departments, agencies, funds and programmes, and with observer entities, such as the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research and World Bank continue to ensure system-wide coherence in all mine action pillars and activities.
In 2018 UNMAS convened, coordinated and led the drafting of the United Nations Mine Action Strategy 2019-2023. Two of the most significant aspects of the Strategy are that it represents an accountability framework for the United Nations system and introduces a Theory of Change for the United Nations engagement in mine action.

Mine Action Cannot Wait

In 2023 the United Nations Mine Action Service will acknowledge the day under the campaign “Mine Action Cannot Wait”, highlighting decades of contamination in Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Viet Nam, as well as draw attention to recent explosive ordnance contamination.
The over-arching goal will be to bring attention to areas of the world that remain contaminated after many years, and where generations have changed their lives to avoid the threat.
Explosive ordnance contamination threatens lives, curtails freedom of movement, limits access to arable land, disenfranchises communities and above all instills fear and insecurity. It spreads terror, and longstanding contamination internalizes this terror. The most affected are the most vulnerable populations.
This campaign makes it clear that the eradication of all landmines cannot wait. Whether it is new contamination in Colombia, Myanmar, Ukraine or Yemen, or old contamination, in Cambodia, Iraq or Viet Nam, clearance must be completed by mine action actors and States Parties of the Mine Ban Convention. It is a human problem.
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day of Conscience
2024-04-05 00:00 - 23:59
Promoting a Culture of Peace with Love and Conscience
The preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of humankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.” Moreover, article 1 of the Declaration states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”
The task of the United Nations to save future generations from the scourge of war requires transformation towards a culture of peace, which consists of values, attitudes and behaviours that reflect and inspire social interaction and sharing based on the principles of freedom, justice and democracy, all human rights, tolerance and solidarity, that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation and that guarantee the full exercise of all rights and the means to participate fully in the development process of their society.
Conscious of the need for the creation of conditions of stability and well-being and peaceful and friendly relations based on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, the General Assembly declared 5 April the International Day of Conscience.
The General Assembly invited all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, as well as the private sector and civil society, including non-governmental organizations and individuals, to build the Culture of Peace with Love and Conscience in accordance with the culture and other appropriate circumstances or customs of their local, national and regional communities, including through quality education and public awareness-raising activities, thereby fostering sustainable development.

Origins of a Culture of Peace
The concept of a culture of peace emerged from the International Congress on Peace in the Minds of Men, organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Côte d’Ivoire in July 1989. Since then the promotion of a culture of peace has increasingly been seen as a worthwhile objective of the international community. The evolving concept has inspired activities at so many levels and in so many regions with the full participation of civil society that the culture of peace is gradually taking on the characteristics of a global movement.
Within the United Nations system, the concept dates back to the Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), adopted more than 50 years ago, wherein that organization is called upon to construct the defences of peace in the minds of men because “a peace based exclusively upon the political and economic arrangements of Governments would not be a peace which could secure the unanimous, lasting and sincere support of the peoples of the world, and … the peace must therefore be founded, if it is not to fail, upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind”.

Building a Culture of Peace
The task of constructing a culture of peace requires comprehensive educational, cultural, social and civic action, in which each person has something to learn and something to give and share. It addresses all ages and all groups; it is an open-minded global strategy with a specific purpose, namely, to make a culture of peace inseparable from culture per se and to take root in people’s hearts and minds. Peace is not only the absence of differences and conflicts. It is a positive, dynamic, participatory process linked intrinsically to democracy, justice and development for all by which differences are respected, dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are constantly transformed by non-violent means into new avenues of cooperation.
Based on this broadest and most positive meaning of peace, a culture of peace is a set of values, attitudes, traditions and customs, modes of behaviour and ways of life that reflect and are directed towards respect for life, for human beings and their rights, the rejection of violence in all its forms, the recognition of the equal rights of men and women, the recognition of the rights of everyone to freedom of expression, opinion and information, attachment to the principles of democracy, freedom, justice, development for all, tolerance, solidarity, pluralism and acceptance of differences and understanding between nations, between ethnic, religious, cultural and other groups and between individuals.
The UN and a Culture of Peace
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations play an important role in fostering the intercultural dialogue. They conduct activities related to the culture of peace and non-violence and make efforts in promoting a culture of peace through a number of practical projects in the areas of youth, education, media and migration, in collaboration with governments, international organizations, foundations and civil society groups, as well as the media and the private sector.
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
2024-04-06 00:00 - 23:59
IDSDP 2024: Sport for the Promotion of Peaceful and Inclusive Societies
The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), which takes place annually on 6 April, presents an opportunity to recognize the positive role sport and physical activity play in communities and in people’s lives across the globe.
The global theme for 2024 is “Sport for the Promotion of Peaceful and Inclusive Societies”.
In observance of the International Day, on April 4 an event at UN Headquarters in New York will focus on how prominent sporting bodies engage in partnerships to make positive impacts for people and the environments in which they operate. It will bring together members of the international sporting community – including members of the United Nations Football for the Goals initiative – to share best practices, discuss challenges, and explore collaborative opportunities to drive positive social change and contribute to global efforts towards sustainable development and peace.
The United Nations has long recognized the power and universality of sport, using it to unite individuals and groups through supporting sport for development efforts, participating in events from the global to the grassroots level, and developing its own sports-related campaigns and initiatives.

Background
Due to its vast reach, unparalleled popularity and foundation of positive values, sport is ideally positioned to contribute towards the United Nations’ objectives for development and peace.
To raise awareness of this potential, 6 April was declared as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) by the UN General Assembly. The adoption of this Day signifies the increasing recognition by the UN of the positive influence that sport can have on the advancement of human rights, and social and economic development.
In its Resolution (A/RES/67/296) establishing the Day, the General Assembly

“Sport has the power to align our passion, energy and enthusiasm around a collective cause. And that is precisely when hope can be nurtured and trust can be regained. It is in our collective interest to harness the tremendous power of sport to help build a better and more sustainable future for all.”
– UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed
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World Health Day
2024-04-07 00:00 - 23:59
7 April is World Health Day

It is celebrated annually and each year draws attention to a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world.
The date of 7 April marks the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948.

ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.

International Day of Human Space Flight
2024-04-12 00:00 - 23:59
The beginning of the space era for mankind
The General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/65/271 of 7 April 2011, declared 12 April as the International Day of Human Space Flight “to celebrate each year at the international level the beginning of the space era for mankind, reaffirming the important contribution of space science and technology in achieving sustainable development goals and increasing the well-being of States and peoples, as well as ensuring the realization of their aspiration to maintain outer space for peaceful purposes.”
12 April 1961 was the date of the first human space flight, carried out by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet citizen. This historic event opened the way for space exploration for the benefit of all humanity.
The General Assembly expressed its deep conviction of the common interest of mankind in promoting and expanding the exploration and use of outer space, as the province of all mankind, for peaceful purposes and in continuing efforts to extend to all States the benefits derived there from.

The Voyager Golden Record: A reminder that we are all connected
The Voyager Golden Record shot into space in 1977 with a message from humanity to the cosmos – and decades later, it stands as a reminder that we are all connected. The United Nations displays a replica of the Golden Record at its Headquarters, and shares a deep connection to the process of creating it. A NASA committee asked the UN to provide materials to include on the playlist, and the first words on the Record itself are those of the then-UN Secretary-General expressing hope for peace and friendship with whoever discovers and plays it. Bill Nye “The Science Guy,” CEO of the Planetary Society, walks viewers through how to decipher the Golden Record, its significance today, and how reverence for the universe can inspire action for our planet. This aligns with the ongoing work of the United Nations to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use and exploration of space. The Director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, Simonetta Di Pippo, explains the significance of the Golden Record in our world now. “The undertaking of the Voyager project reminds us of who we are, where we came from, and that we should treat each other with care.”

Background
On 4 October 1957 the first human-made Earth satellite Sputnik I was launched into outer space, thus opening the way for space exploration. On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth, opening a new chapter of human endeavour in outer space.
The Declaration further recalls “the amazing history of human presence in outer space and the remarkable achievements since the first human spaceflight, in particular Valentina Tereshkova becoming the first woman to orbit the Earth on 16 June 1963, Neil Armstrong becoming the first human to set foot upon the surface of the Moon on 20 July 1969, and the docking of the Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts on 17 July 1975, being the first international human mission in space, and recall that for the past decade humanity has maintained a multinational permanent human presence in outer space aboard the International Space Station.”

UN and Space
From the very beginning of the Space Age, the United Nations recognized that outer space added a new dimension to humanity’s existence. The United Nations family strives continuously to utilize the unique benefits of outer space for the betterment of all humankind.
Recognizing the common interest of humankind in outer space and seeking to answer questions on how outer space can help benefit the people’s of Earth, the General Asssembly adopted its first resolution related to outer space, resolution 1348 (XIII) entitled “Question of the Peaceful Use of Outer Space”.
On 10 October 1967, the “Magna Carta of Space“, also known as the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies entered into force.
Today, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is the United Nations office responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. UNOOSA serves as the secretariat for the General Assembly’s only committee dealing exclusively with international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space: the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space(COPUOS).
UNOOSA is also responsible for implementing the Secretary-General’s responsibilities under international space law and maintaining the United Nations Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space.
ESG News Editorial TeamThe ESG News Editorial Team is comprised of veteran financial journalists and sustainability analysts dedicated to providing real-time, objective reporting on global ESG regulations, climate finance, and corporate governance. Our desk monitors daily developments from the SEC, IFRS, CSRD and international regulatory bodies to ensure our 1M+ readers receive accurate, data-driven insights into the evolving sustainable investment landscape. Follow the ESG News Editorial Team for expert reporting on global sustainability standards, ESG disclosures, and climate policy. Access over 10,000 investigative reports and real-time updates.
