ESG News

Session 3: Resilience in a time of crisis: Transforming Energy access, Climate Action Learning and strengthening indigenous knowledge to achieve the SDGs
2023-07-11 08:30 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Event
Resilience in a time of crisis: Transforming Energy access, Climate Action Learning and strengthening indigenous knowledge to achieve the SDGs

Fourth Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
2023-07-16 10:00 - 16:30 | United Nations New York Headquarters, 405 E 42nd St, New York, NY, 10017, United States
Background

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement are intrinsically linked, and one cannot be achieved without the other. In the same spirit, the Secretary-General in a recent address on his 2023 priorities stressed that “Climate action is the 21st century’s greatest opportunity to drive forward all the Sustainable Development Goals.” As such, maximizing on the interlinkages between the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement by leveraging climate action and SDG synergies has the potential of achieving both agendas faster, while ensuring a just and equitable future.
Integrated planning, coherent policies, and economic stimulus investments designed to meet both the SDGs and climate challenges can generate significant co-benefits and speed up progress. Research has shown that aligning actions on climate and SDGs globally can yield up to US$26 trillion before 2030 in economic gains, produce over 65 million new green jobs, and save approximately 7 million premature deaths per year. With concerted and coordinated global public and private collaborative efforts, achievement of all SDGs can be advanced, trade-offs avoided, and social disparities reduced.

FOURTH GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE AND SDG SYNERGIES

The Fourth Global Climate and SDG Synergy Conference is convened by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Conference is conducted in association with the 2023 HLPF. It thus also provides delegations the opportunity to reflect their on-going review of progress on achieving the SDGs, notably SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11, and 17, in a wider context of the multiple interlinkages between these goals and global climate action. The Conference will take stock of progress on synergistic action at all levels. It will also shed light on some of key findings and messages from the work of the Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergies. More specifically, the Fourth Global Conference on Climate and SDD Synergies will deliver:

A forward-looking summary, with a set of key recommendations for enhancing synergistic implementation of the SDGs and climate action at the political level as well as practical levels.
A set of empirical evidence on climate action and the SDGs co-benefits, including how various stakeholders are progressing in delivering jointly on these two agendas and transitioning towards just, equitable, and climate compatible pathways.

2023 Higher Education Sustainability Initiative Global Forum
2023-07-17 10:00 - 13:00 | United Nations New York Headquarters, 405 E 42nd St, New York, NY, 10017, United States
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) is an open partnership between several United Nations entities and the higher education community launched in the lead-up to the Rio+20 Conference in 2012. It is currently chaired by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the Sulitest Association – a non-profit organization and online platform aimed at improving sustainability literacy for all. Other UN partners include UNESCO, UN Environment Programme, UN Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative, UN University, UN-HABITAT, UNCTAD, UNITAR, UN Office for Partnerships and UN Academic Impact.
Each year, HESI organizes a global forum as a special event to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) – UN’s main platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level – to highlight the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development.
This year’s HLPF is focused on “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels”. The HLPF will provide an in-depth review of SDGs 6 on clean water and sanitation, 7 on affordable and clean energy, 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure, 11 on sustainable cities and communities and 17 on partnerships for the Goals. The HESI Global Forum will examine the role of higher education in achieving these goals.

2023 SDG Global Business Forum
2023-07-18 08:30 - 12:00 | Virtual Event
Turbocharging the 2030 Agenda with business impact
As we approach the halfway mark to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the world has been confronted with a complex web of interconnected crises that have put the achievement of the 2030 Agenda at serious risk. What needs to change to get back on track to achieve the 2030 Agenda? Who needs to play a more prominent role? How do we ensure a just and fair transition to net zero? What immediate action can companies, governments, business organizations and civil society take to move the needle on the 2030 Agenda?
This year’s 2023 SDG Global Business Forum, taking place alongside important policy debates at the ministerial segment of the 2023 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), will welcome a global community of movers and shakers, problem solvers and innovators to debate these questions, discuss priorities, build alliances and co-create high-impact business solutions to turbocharge the SDGs in the remaining seven years before 2030.
In-person registration is now closed. Those with a valid UN grounds pass or stakeholders already registered to attend the 2023 HLPF can attend in person.
An engaging virtual hour–long session is open and the remaining sessions will be available to view
on UN Web TV.

3rd International Forum on Low-Carbon Cities: City-led climate actions in North-east Asia
2023-08-28 19:30 - 2023-08-29 04:30 | Incheon (Hybrid), Republic of Korea
The 3rd International Forum on Low-Carbon Cities will be jointly organized by ESCAP East and North-East Asia Office and Incheon Metropolitan City on 29 August 2023 during the Korea Global Adaptation Week, in collaboration with Green Climate Fund, Incheon Carbon Neutrality Center, ICLEI, innovative Green Development Program, CityNet, Climate Change Center and Local Government Association for Climate and Energy Transition. The Forum is expected to facilitate information sharing and strengthen partnership and peer-learning among cities and city networks in North-East Asia and beyond, by bringing together local governments, international and regional organizations, national and regional city networks and various stakeholders.
More details including registration site will be updated in due course.

8th Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum (APAN Forum)
2023-08-30 00:00 - 2023-09-01 23:59 | Songdo Convensia Convention Center, Incheon City, Korea, Republic of
Considered Asia-Pacific’s largest and longest-standing gathering of adaptation practitioners to share information, knowledge and best practices in adaptation and resilience-building, the Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum (APAN Forum) is the biennial flagship event of the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN) Secretariat, hosted within the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
The APAN Forum serves as a primary regional platform for adaptation practitioners to meet, exchange knowledge and experiences, and collaborate towards the pertinent outcomes and practical solutions that are needed to address the challenges of climate change.
The 8th APAN Forum will take place in-person from 30 August (Wednesday) to 1 September (Friday) during the Korea Global Adaptation Week (KGAW) 2023. It will be hosted by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, the Korea Environment Institute – Korea Adaptation Center for Climate Change and Incheon Metropolitan City, and co-organised by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UNEP through the APAN Secretariat.
Objectives
The APAN Forum aims to:

Enhance understanding of climate change adaptation issues, approaches, and policies for effective planning;
Provide a comprehensive report on actions taken and progress made to address knowledge, policy, and funding gaps since the last APAN Forum;
Serve as a platform for accelerating action and implementing adaptation knowledge and programmes, offering actionable guidelines for communities, practitioners, and policymakers;
Formulate recommendations to expand adaptation efforts in the Asia-Pacific region, guiding contributions to COPs and other global/regional initiatives; and,
Promote climate change adaptation and resilience through knowledge sharing, collaboration, and amplification of messages from local to global levels.

Forum Theme
Resilience for All: Enabling transformative implementation
Over the past two decades, Resilience has served as a unifying theme for the APAN Forums. The past years have seen significant efforts towards generating knowledge and information on climate change adaptation at the global and regional levels. However, we are still significantly off-schedule to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and the world is in a state of climate emergency. The current climate change impacts are evident and disruptive in sectors like agriculture, ecosystems, human health, urban settlements and infrastructure.
Therefore, this year’s theme underscores the urgency of adaptation action that is required to build resilience and equip communities with the capacity to withstand and moderate worst-case climate scenarios. It is also in line with the key outcomes of COP 27, further emphasising the importance of transformative approach to accelerating and enhancing adaptation efforts.
Target Participants
Representatives from governments, financing institutions, academia and research, international organisations, UN agencies, civil society organisations, youth organisations and the private sector, among others, will participate in the 8th APAN Forum to work together to build and strengthen partnerships across sectors for adaptation action. The Forum will also provide a space to reflect on the outcomes of COP 27, and to highlight regional lessons learned. These will serve as inputs for the discussions at COP 28, which is to be held at the Expo City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates in November 2023.

2023 SDG Summit
2023-09-18 00:00 - 2023-09-19 23:59 | New York, New York
The 2023 SDG Summit will take place on 18-19 September 2023 in New York. It will mark the beginning of a new phase of accelerated progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals with high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to 2030.
Convened by the President of the General Assembly, the Summit will mark the half-way point to the deadline set for achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. It will be the centerpiece of the High-level Week of the General Assembly. It will respond to the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world and is expected to reignite a sense of hope, optimism, and enthusiasm for the 2030 Agenda.
REGISTRATION
Background
The 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a global plan of action to drive economic prosperity and social well-being while protecting the environment. Countries established the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) — to boost efforts to achieve the goals.
The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) meets every year in July under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, bringing high-level representatives of governments and stakeholders together to review progress, examine obstacles, exchange best practices, and recommend new actions to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. Countries agreed that every four years, the HLPF will meet under the auspices of the General Assembly at the level of Heads of State and Government. (General Assembly resolutions 67/290 and 70/299)
On 24 and 25 September 2019, the first SDG Summit – the HLPF under the auspices of the General Assembly was convened in New York since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in 2015. It resulted in the adoption of the Political Declaration, “Gearing up for a decade of action and delivery for sustainable development”. World leaders called for a decade of action to deliver the SDGs by 2030 and announced acceleration actions they are taking to advance the agenda. The General Assembly endorsed the Political Declaration on 15 October 2019.
The SDG Summit in September 2023 will be the second time for the HLPF to be convened under the auspices of the General Assembly at the level of Heads of State and Government. It will be chaired by the President of the General Assembly. The outcome of the Summit will be a negotiated political declaration.
Quick Links:

2030 Agenda
Sustainable Development Goals
High-level Political Forum (HLPF)
SDG Summit 2019
Voluntary National Reviews
Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR)
Inputs to the High-level Political Forum
Financing for Development Forum
Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs
Decade of Action
SDG Advocates & Champions
Goal of the Month

Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Rights in Asia
2023-10-04 00:00 - 2023-10-05 23:59 | United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC – BKK), Bangkok City, Thailand, United Nations Building, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, 10200, Thailand
The regional conference on Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Rights in Asia will bring together selected business leaders, investors, policy makers, academics and civil society champions to exchange views on the role of businesses and governments in supporting and strengthening the newly recognized right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Importantly, the conference will also facilitate learning and dialogue around emerging regulatory norms involving biodiversity impacts and disclosure, environmental and human rights due diligence, decarbonization strategies and carbon markets, and ESG reporting.

Who should attend?

Business: CSOs, CFOs, CEOs, Managing Directors, ESG Professionals, Sustainability Professionals

Finance Industry: CSOs, CFOs, CEOs, Managing Directors, Heads of Sustainability, Heads of ESG from the finance sector driving their internal sustainability strategies

Investors and Asset Managers: Directors of Sustainability, Heads of Sustainability and Heads of Sustainable Investing/Finance, Portfolio Managers at Asset Managers, Institutional Investors, Private Equity, Hedge Funds and Family Offices

Solution Providers: Business Development Directors, Consultants, Marketing Directors and Product Specialists providing solutions to businesses to help them with the sustainability and human rights due diligence challenges

Government: Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Chief of Staff, Other Senior Government Officials, Director Generals and Advisors

Not for profits: NGOs, Civil Society and Associations

Academia: Professors, Researchers and others

Press

Asia in Transition
Following the COP27 Climate Change Conference and the COP15 Conference on Biological Diversity, business leaders and investors in Asia are better placed to amplify actions to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. Today, business leaders understand that they must embrace and embed practices and policies which respond to Asia’s environmental priorities. But while some enterprises are already taking active measures to lower carbon and methane emissions, reduce deforestation risks in their supply chains, and embrace circular economy principles, there remains significant scope to reinvent, innovate and drive action on corporate sustainability in the region. What is the state of play on corporate action, including ESG investment in Asia? What are tools, mechanisms and incentives emerging from these global climate/environmental frameworks that businesses can use to advance their actions in these areas? Who is leading in sustainability practice and what are some initial results? Importantly, what is on the horizon and where are the blind spots?
Increasingly, sustainability professionals recognize that a level playing field will be necessary to drive practice at scale. With this in mind, action from government to ensure data transparency, policy coherence and environmental rule of law will be key. Some governments in Asia are now taking steps to strengthen environmental laws and policies, to improve implementation and enforcement measures, and to enhance vehicles for public participation in environmental decision-making, in alignment with international trends. Signaling a growing consensus among states, the UN General Assembly passed an historic resolution in July of 2022, recognizing the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.[1] This resolution followed quickly on the heels of a UN Human Rights Council resolution recognizing the same, in October of 2021.[2] These “twin resolutions” as they are often called, on the right to a healthy environment (RHE) have given additional, much-needed impetus to the work of promoting responsible business practices in Asia. But what does RHE and its relationship with environmental rule of law mean for business in the region, and how can it be translated into action by governments? What role, too, does the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) play, as increasing numbers of governments adopt national action plans to support UNGP implementation?
Hosted by UNDP and UNEP, the regional conference on Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Rights in Asia will explore efforts undertaken so far by States and business to address Asia’s environmental priorities. These include, mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, addressing adverse climate impacts, protecting nature, eliminating and reversing biodiversity loss, and mitigating air and water pollution, among others. In so doing, the conference will explore the advantages for business in adopting policies which promote and protect the right to a healthy environment. Further, the conference will examine current practices in decarbonization efforts, biodiversity loss assessments and disclosures, and good practices in addressing air and water pollution, and ensuring just transitions in the renewable energy space. The conference will also identify gaps and space for collaboration between partners on wider subjects including, loss and damage and the “30 by 30 plan” for nature conservation. A mix of exchanges on environmental rule of law topics, and deeper dives in regulatory practice will motivate a constructive dialogue among different stakeholders on opportunities for business to deliver on environmental and broader ESG commitments.
Conference outcomes
The regional conference on Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Rights in Asia will facilitate learning and dialogue around the role of business in strengthening the right to a healthy environment. Three outcomes are contemplated: 1) better understanding among business actors and experts on ways to reduce impacts on climate and the environment; 2) constructive dialogue between business, government and civil society on business policy formation, emerging regulatory requirements and enforcement measures; ; 3) stronger uptake by civil society, media and youth on specific environmental and climate-related priorities and; 4) greater awareness of the potential positive contribution of business in addressing these priorities in a just and sustainable way. Overall, the conference will result in a wider understanding of the applicability and utility of the right to a healthy environment, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and environmental rule of law principles to resolve a host of sustainability-related matters facing the people of Asia.
If successful, the conference on Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Rights in Asia will occur yearly and seek to refine outcomes as time progresses. In preparation of future events, committees may be formed around specific issues that tailor conversations to issues relevant to upcoming global conferences (Conference of the Parties) on climate change and biodiversity.
Who we are:
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UNDP is the United Nations global development network, present in over 170 countries and territories. UNDP’s mandate is to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality and exclusion, and achieve sustainable development. Since 2016, UNDP’s “Business and Human Rights in Asia” (B+HR Asia) programme has been partnering with government, business, and civil society leaders in Asia to promote the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). As the world’s most authoritative, normative framework guiding responsible business practice, the UNGPs provide an agreed pathway for governments and business to address business-related environmental and human rights risks and impacts. In pursuit of a responsible business agenda in the region, B+HR Asia has been a leading partner on corporate sustainability, producing reports, providing grants, training business, and advising governments, including on respect for the environment.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda; promotes the coherent implementation of environmental dimensions of sustainable development within the UN system; and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. UNEP’s mandate in the field of environmental law is to lead the United Nations System in the development and implementation of environmental rule of law with attention at all levels, including access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters. UNEP does this through the Montevideo Environmental Law Programme the ten-year intergovernmental programme on promoting and implementing environmental rule of law. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) supports the upholding of the right to a healthy environment through The Environmental Rights Initiative which is a coalition of state and non-state actors united to promote, protect and respect environmental rights.

[1] United Nations General Assembly resolution 76/300, The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, A/RES/76/300 (26 July 2022)

[2] United Nations Human Rights Council resolution 48/13, The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, A/HRC/RES/48/13 (8 October 2021)

The third Asian and Pacific Energy Forum
2023-10-18 13:00 - 2023-10-20 12:59 | United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC – BKK), Bangkok City, Thailand, United Nations Building, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, 10200, Thailand
The third Asian and Pacific Energy Forum (APEF3), is co-hosted with the Ministry of Energy of Royal Thai Government, to be held at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok and online on 19 and 20 October 2023. The Third forum will be organized under the theme “Building a secure, sustainable and interconnected energy future for Asia and the Pacific”
The participants of APEF3 will have chance to review the progress made in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and clean energy) in the Asia-Pacific region and in implementing the Ministerial Declaration on Regional Cooperation for Energy Transition towards Sustainable and Resilient Societies in Asia and the Pacific, which was adopted at the Second Asian and Pacific Energy Forum, in 2018.
Participants are also invited to discuss the progress achieved through the initiatives that enhancing energy security and developing appropriate policies and strategies to attain the Sustainable Development Goals. These initiatives include the development of Goal 7 road maps for countries in the region, the implementation of the Regional Road Map on Power System Connectivity: Promoting Cross-border Electricity Connectivity for Sustainable Development and the secretariat’s work on emerging areas of the energy transition.
The Asia Pacific Energy Week will also be held at the UNCC from 16 to 20 October 2023. During the Asia Pacific Energy Week, International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS) International Conference on 16 and 17 October together with exhibition and other side-events will be held. More information can be found at ‘Asia Pacific Energy Week’ tab.

COP 28: 2023
2023-11-30 00:00 - 2023-12-12 23:59 | Expo City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
COP28 UAE brings the world together at a critical moment for global transformative climate action. To deliver on its ambitious agenda, COP28 will be inclusive, transparent, pragmatic, and results-oriented.

WHAT IS COP?
A critical moment in global transformative climate action
In the three decades since the Rio Summit and the launch of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP) has convened member countries every year to determine ambition and responsibilities, and identify and assess climate measures. The 21st session of the COP (COP21) led to the Paris Agreement, which mobilized global collective action to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels by 2100, and to act to adapt to the already existing effects of climate change.

World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
2024-01-15 00:00 - 2024-01-19 23:59 | Davos, Switzerland
“Rebuilding Trust”
The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will provide a crucial space to focus on the fundamental principles driving trust, including transparency, consistency and accountability.
This Annual Meeting will welcome over 100 governments, all major international organizations, 1000 Forum’s Partners, as well as civil society leaders, experts, youth representatives, social entrepreneurs, and news outlets.

International Day of Education
2024-01-24 00:00 - 23:59
To invest in people, prioritize education
The year 2023 marks the mid-point since the UN adopted the 2030 Agenda for people, planet and prosperity, with a set of 17 interlocked goals that will come up for review at the SDG Summit in September on the theme of investing in people.
Building on the global momentum generated by the UN Transforming Education Summit in September 2022, this year’s Day calls for maintaining strong political mobilization around education and charting the way to translate commitments and global initiatives into action. Education must be prioritized to accelerate progress towards all the Sustainable Development Goals against the backdrop of a global recession, growing inequalities and the climate crisis.
The International Day of Education on 24 January 2023 is dedicated to Afghan women and girls.
Read UNESCO’s concept note for the 2023 celebration and download the programme.

Background
Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility.
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of education for peace and development.
Education is a human right
The right to education is enshrined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration calls for free and compulsory elementary education. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, goes further to stipulate that countries shall make higher education accessible to all.

Education is key to sustainable development
When it adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, the international community recognized that education is essential for the success of all 17 of its goals. Sustainable Development Goal 4, in particular, aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030.
Challenges to achieving universal education
Education offers children a ladder out of poverty and a path to a promising future. But about 244 million children and adolescents around the world are out of school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school and some four million children and youth refugees are out of school. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable.
Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind.

International Day of Clean Energy
2024-01-26 00:00 - 23:59
Clean energy: for all…
Energy lies at the core of a double challenge: leaving no one behind and protecting the Planet. And clean energy is crucial to its solution.
In a world grappling with climate change, clean energy plays a vital role in reducing emissions, and can also benefit communities lacking access to reliable power sources. Still today, 675 million people live in the dark – 4 in 5 are in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The connection between clean energy, socio-economic development, and environmental sustainability is crucial in addressing issues faced by vulnerable communities worldwide.
For populations without clean energy access, the lack of reliable power hinders education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, and many of these developing regions still rely heavily on polluting fossil fuels for their daily life, perpetuating poverty. If current trends continue, by 2030 one in four people will still use unsafe, unhealthy and inefficient cooking systems, such as burning wood or dung.
Although this situation has been improving, the world is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. The General Assembly will hold a Global Stocktaking on SDG7 in April 2024 to assess progress and recommend solutions.

… and for our planet
But adopting clean energy is integral to the fight against climate change, as well.
A large chunk of the greenhouse gases that blanket the Earth and trap the Sun’s heat are generated through energy production, by burning fossil fuels (oil, coal, and gas) to generate electricity and heat.
The science is clear: to limit climate change, we need to end our reliance on fossil fuels and invest in alternative sources of energy that are clean, accessible, affordable, sustainable, and reliable. Renewable energy sources – which are available in abundance all around us, provided by the sun, wind, water, waste, and heat from the Earth – are replenished by nature and emit little to no greenhouse gases or pollutants into the air.
The International Day of Clean Energy on January 26 is a call to raise awareness and mobilize action for a just and inclusive transition to clean energy for the benefit of people and the planet.

World Interfaith Harmony Week
2024-02-01 00:00 - 2024-02-07 23:59
Uniting for peace
World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual event observed during the first week of February, since the General Assembly designation in 2010. The General Assembly pointed out that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace and established World Interfaith Harmony Week as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.
Recognizing the imperative need for dialogue among different faiths and religions to enhance mutual understanding, harmony and cooperation among people, the General Assembly encourages all States to spread the message of interfaith harmony and goodwill in the world’s churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and other places of worship during that week, on a voluntary basis and according to their own religious traditions or convictions.
Origin and history
World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), conceived to promote a culture peace and nonviolence, was first proposed by King Abdullah II of Jordan at the United Nations in 2010. This was quickly adopted by the UN General Assembly (resolution A/RES/65/5), declaring the first week of February each year as World Interfaith Harmony week, calling on governments, institutions and civil society to observe it with various programs and initiatives that would promote the aim of the WIHW objectives.

World Wetlands Day
2024-02-02 00:00 - 23:59
Life interlaced: wetlands and people
Wetlands are ecosystems where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. A broad definition of wetlands includes both freshwater and marine and coastal ecosystems such as all lakes and rivers, underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands, peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, mangroves and other coastal areas, coral reefs, and all human-made sites such as fishponds, rice paddies, reservoirs and saltpans.
These lands are critical to people and nature, given the intrinsic value of these ecosystems, and their benefits and services, including their environmental, climate, ecological, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic contributions to sustainable development and human wellbeing.
Though they cover only around 6 per cent of the Earth’s land surface, 40 per cent of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands. Wetland biodiversity matters for our health, our food supply, for tourism and for jobs. Wetlands are vital for humans, for other ecosystems and for our climate, providing essential ecosystem services such as water regulation, including flood control and water purification. More than a billion people across the world depend on wetlands for their livelihoods – that’s about one in eight people on Earth.

Wetlands and Human Wellbeing

The theme for World Wetlands Day is “·Wetlands and human wellbeing”. Its goal is to highlight how all aspects of human well-being are tied to the health of the world’s wetlands -physical, mental, and environmental.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS INTERCONNECTION

Why they are in danger
Wetlands are among the ecosystems with the highest rates of decline, loss and degradation. Indicators of current negative trends in global biodiversity and ecosystem functions are projected to continue in response to direct and indirect drivers such as rapid human population growth, unsustainable production and consumption and associated technological development, as well as the adverse impacts of climate change.
Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests and are Earth’s most threatened ecosystem. In just 50 years — since 1970 — 35% of the world’s wetlands have been lost. Human activities that lead to loss of wetlands include drainage and infilling for agriculture and construction, pollution, overfishing and overexploitation of resources, invasive species and climate change.
This vicious cycle of wetland loss, threatened livelihoods, and deepening poverty is the result of mistakenly seeing wetlands as wastelands rather than lifegiving sources of jobs, incomes, and essential ecosystem services. A key challenge is to change mindsets to encourage governments and communities to value and prioritize wetlands.

International Day of Human Fraternity
2024-02-04 00:00 - 23:59
Human fraternity for peace and cooperation
We need — perhaps more than ever before — to recognize the valuable contribution of people of all religions, or beliefs, to humanity and the contribution that dialogue among all religious groups can make towards an improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all humankind.
We also need to underline the importance of raising awareness about different cultures and religions, or beliefs, and the promotion of tolerance, which involves societal acceptance and respect for religious and cultural diversity, including with regard to religious expression. Education, in particular at school, should contribute in a meaningful way to promoting tolerance and the elimination of discrimination based on religion or belief.
Furthermore, we must acknowledge that tolerance, pluralistic tradition, mutual respect and the diversity of religions and beliefs promote human fraternity. Thus, it is imperative that we encourage activities aimed at promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue in order to enhance peace and social stability, respect for diversity and mutual respect and to create, at the global level, and also at the regional, national and local levels, an environment conducive to peace and mutual understanding.
Within that frame, the General-Assembly took note of all international, regional, national and local initiatives, as appropriate, as well as efforts by religious leaders, to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue, and in this regard took note also of the meeting between Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad al-Tayyib, on 4 February 2019 in Abu Dhabi, which resulted in the signing of the document entitled “Human fraternity for world peace and living together”.

Background
Following the devastation of the Second World War, the United Nations was established to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. One of its purposes is to achieve international cooperation in solving international problems, including by promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion.
In 1999, The General-Assembly adopted, by resolution 53/243, the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, which serves as the universal mandate for the international community, particularly the United Nations system, to promote a culture of peace and non-violence that benefits all of humanity, including future generations.
The declaration came about as a result of the long-held and cherished concept — contained within the Constitution of UNESCO — that “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.” The Declaration embraces the principle that peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process, in which dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are resolved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation.
On 20 October 2010, the General Assembly in resolution A/RES/65/5 pointed out that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace and established World Interfaith Harmony Week as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith. It further recognized the imperative need for dialogue among different faiths and religions to enhance mutual understanding, harmony and cooperation among people.
At the core of all the faith systems and traditions is the recognition that we are all in this together and that we need to love and support one another to live in harmony and peace in an environmentally sustainable world. Our world continues to be beset by conflict and intolerance with rising number of refugees and the internally displaced in a hostile and unwelcoming world around them. We are also, unfortunately, witnessing messages of hate spreading discord among people. The need for spiritual guidance has never been greater. It is imperative that we double our efforts to spread the message of good neighborliness based on our common humanity, a message shared by all faith traditions.
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 4 February as the International Day of Human Fraternity, with resolution 75/200.

What is the Culture of Peace?
A culture of peace is a set of values, attitudes, traditions and modes of behaviour and ways of life based on:

Respect for life, ending of violence and promotion and practice of non-violence through education, dialogue and cooperation;
Full respect for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States and non-intervention in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any State, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law;
Full respect for and promotion of all human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts;
Efforts to meet the developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations;
Respect for and promotion of the right to development; Respect for and promotion of equal rights and opportunities for women and men;
Respect for and promotion of the right of everyone to freedom of expression, opinion and information;
Adherence to the principles of freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations; and fostered by an enabling national and international environment conducive to peace.

International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
2024-02-06 00:00 - 23:59
Ending Female Genital Mutilation by 2030
Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights, the health and the integrity of girls and women.
Girls who undergo female genital mutilation face short-term complications such as severe pain, shock, excessive bleeding, infections, and difficulty in passing urine, as well as long-term consequences for their sexual and reproductive health and mental health.
Although primarily concentrated in 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East, female genital mutilation is a universal issue and is also practiced in some countries in Asia and Latin America. Female genital mutilation continues to persist amongst immigrant populations living in Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Over the last three decades, the prevalence of FGM has declined globally. Today, a girl is one-third less likely to undergo FGM than 30 years ago. However, sustaining these achievements in the face of humanitarian crises such as disease outbreaks, climate change, armed conflict and more could cause a rollback of progress toward achieving gender equality and the elimination of FGM by 2030.
More than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation. This year, nearly 4.4 million girls will be at risk of this harmful practice. This equates to more than 12,000 cases every day.
With seven years remaining in this decade of action, our collective actions must be centered around creating environments where girls and women can exercise their power and choice, enjoying full rights to health, education, and safety. And this is possible through investments in initiatives led by survivors of female genital mutilation who are challenging harmful gender and social norms. Their voices and actions can transform deeply rooted social and gender norms, allowing girls and women to realize their rights and potential in terms of health, education, income, and equality.
To promote the elimination of female genital mutilation, coordinated and systematic efforts are needed, and they must engage whole communities and focus on human rights, gender equality, sexual education and attention to the needs of women and girls who suffer from its consequences.

2024 Theme: Her Voice. Her Future
Investing in Survivors-Led Movements to End Female Genital Mutilation
In 2012, the UN General Assembly designated February 6th as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, with the aim to amplify and direct the efforts on the elimination of this practice.
For more than a decade, the Joint Programme has supported survivors of FGM, prioritizing investments in survivor-led initiatives, centered around empowerment, agency and access to essential services.
There is an urgent need for even more targeted, coordinated and sustained and concerted efforts if we are to achieve our common goal of ending female genital mutilation by 2030. Every survivor’s voice is a call to action, and every choice they make in reclaiming their lives contributes to the global movement to end this harmful practice.
Join us on 6 February 2024 in our call to action. Share with the world how you support #HerVoiceMatters in leading the #EndFGM movement.
UN Action
Although the practice has been around for more than a thousand years, ending female genital mutilation within this generation is still possible if we accelerate our progress 10 time faster. That is why the United Nations strives for its full elimination by 2030, following the spirit of Sustainable Development Goal 5.
Since 2008, UNFPA, jointly with UNICEF, leads the largest global programme to accelerate the elimination of female genital mutilation. The Joint Programme currently focuses on 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East and also supports regional and global initiatives.
Over the years, this partnership has seen significant achievements. As of last year, the Joint Programme supported more than 11,000 organizations, of which 83 per cent were grassroots organizations partnering with coalitions and survivor-led movements, advocating for changes in policies and laws, and championing changes to social and gender norms. [source: 2022 Annual Report on FGM).
#EndFGM

Did You Know?

There are over 200 million girls and women alive today who are survivors of FGM.
Girls are today one third less likely to be subjected to FGM compared to 30 years ago; however, progress needs to be at least 10 times faster to meet the global target of FGM elimination by 2030.
In 2024, nearly 4.4 million girls – or more than 12,000 each day – are at risk of female genital mutilation around the world.
1 in 4 survivors underwent female genital mutilation by a health worker.
Daughters of FGM survivors are at significant higher risk to undergo FGM compared to daughters of women who have not undergone FGM.
The financial cost of health care for FGM survivors is USD 1.4 billion every year.

World Pulses Day
2024-02-10 00:00 - 23:59
What are pulses?
Pulses, also known as legumes, are the edible seeds of leguminous plants cultivated for food. Dried beans, lentils and peas are the most commonly known and consumed types of pulses.
Staples dishes and cuisines from across the world feature pulses, from hummus in the Mediterranean (chick peas), to a traditional full English breakfast (baked navy beans) to Indian dal (peas or lentils).
Pulses do not include crops that are harvested green (e.g. green peas, green beans)—these are classified as vegetable crops. Also excluded are those crops used mainly for oil extraction (e.g. soybean and groundnuts) and leguminous crops that are used exclusively for sowing purposes (e.g. seeds of clover and alfalfa).

Origin
#WorldPulsesDay #LovePulses
Recognizing their value, on 20 December 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/68/231) proclaiming 2016 as the International Year of Pulses (IYP). The celebration of the year, led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), increased the public awareness of the nutritional and environmental benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production.
Building on the success of the International Year of Pulses and recognizing their potential to further achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with particular relevance to Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 13 and 15, Burkina Faso proposed the observance of World Pulses Day.
In 2019, the General Assembly proclaimed 10 February as the World Pulses Day (resolution A/RES/73/251).

Why are pulses important crops?
Nutritional value
They are packed with nutrients and have a high protein content, making them an ideal source of protein particularly in regions where meat and dairy are not physically or economically accessible. Pulses are low in fat and rich in soluble fiber, which can lower cholesterol and help in the control of blood sugar. Because of these qualities they are recommended by health organizations for the management of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and heart conditions. Pulses have also been shown to help combat obesity.
Food security
For farmers, pulses are an important crop because they can both sell them and consume them, which helps farmers maintain household food security and creates economic stability.
Environmental benefits
The nitrogen-fixing properties of pulses improve soil fertility, which increases and extends the productivity of the farmland. By using pulses for intercropping and cover crops, farmers can also promote farm biodiversity and soil biodiversity, while keeping harmful pests and diseases at bay.
Furthermore, pulses can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing dependence on the synthetic fertilizers used to introduce nitrogen artificially into the soil. Greenhouse gases are released during the manufacturing and application of these fertilizers, and their overuse can be detrimental to the environment.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science
2024-02-11 00:00 - 23:59
Innovate. Demonstrate. Elevate. Advance. Sustain.
( I.D.E.A.S.)
Bringing Everyone Forward for Sustainable and Equitable Development
This year, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS) will focus on the role of Women and Girls and Science as relates to the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) in review at the forthcoming High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), namely SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and SDG17 (means of implementation), while following up on discussions on water held during from the “Water Unites Us” 7th IDWGIS, the 2nd High-Level International Conference on the International Decade for Action on Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028, held in Dushanbe, and the 2nd UN Ocean Conference and its High-Level Symposium on Water held in Lisbon, as a contribution for the 2023 UN Water Conference, and other UN Fora.
In doing so the IDWGIS aims to connect the International Community to Women and Girls in Science, strengthening the ties between science, policy, and society for strategies oriented towards the future. The IDWGIS will thus showcase best practices, strategies, applied solutions in addressing SDGs challenges and opportunities. It will also include for the first time a science workshop for Blind Girls and a session from the BLIND fellow SCIENTISTS on “Science in Braille: Making Science Accessible”.

Did you know?

Women are typically given smaller research grants than their male colleagues and, while they represent 33.3% of all researchers, only 12% of members of national science academies are women.
In cutting edge fields such as artificial intelligence, only one in five professionals (22%) is a woman.
Despite a shortage of skills in most of the technological fields driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution, women still account for only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of graduates in computer science and informatics.
Female researchers tend to have shorter, less well-paid careers. Their work is underrepresented in high-profile journals and they are often passed over for promotion.

Background
A significant gender gap has persisted throughout the years at all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the world. Even though women have made tremendous progress towards increasing their participation in higher education, they are still under-represented in these fields.
Gender equality has always been a core issue for the United Nations. Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will make a crucial contribution not only to economic development of the world, but to progress across all the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well.
On 14 March 2011, the Commission on the Status of Women adopted a report at its fifty-fifth session, with agreed conclusions on access and participation of women and girls in education, training and science and technology, and for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work. On 20 December 2013, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on science, technology and innovation for development, in which it recognized that full and equal access to and participation in science, technology and innovation for women and girls of all ages is imperative for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

International Mother Language Day
2024-02-11 15:00 - 2024-02-21 17:00 | UN Headquarters, 405 E 45th St, New York, NY, 10017, United States
Background
International Mother Language Day was proclaimed by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 1999. The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh. The UN General Assembly welcomed the proclamation of the day in its resolution of 2002.
On 16 May 2007 the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/61/266 called upon Member States “to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world”. By the same resolution, the General Assembly proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages, to promote unity in diversity and international understanding, through multilingualism and multiculturalism and named the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to serve as the lead agency for the Year.
Today there is growing awareness that languages play a vital role in development, in ensuring cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, but also in strengthening co-operation and attaining quality education for all, in building inclusive knowledge societies and preserving cultural heritage, and in mobilizing political will for applying the benefits of science and technology to sustainable development.

Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education
Globally 40 per cent of the population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. But progress is being made in multilingual education with growing understanding of its importance, particularly in early schooling, and more commitment to its development in public life.
International Mother Language Day recognizes that languages and multilingualism can advance inclusion, and the Sustainable Development Goals’ focus on leaving no one behind. UNESCO encourages and promotes multilingual education based on mother tongue or first language. It is a type of education that begins in the language that the learner masters most and then gradually introduces other languages. This approach enables learners whose mother tongue is different from the language of instruction to bridge the gap between home and school, to discover the school environment in a familiar language, and thus, learn better.
Multilingualism contributes to the development of inclusive societies that allow multiple cultures, worldviews and knowledge systems to coexist and cross-fertilize.
The theme of the 2023 International Mother Language Day, “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education” aligns with recommendations made during the Transforming Education Summit, where an emphasis was also placed on Indigenous people’s education and languages.
Multilingual education based on mother-tongue facilitates access to and inclusion in learning for population groups that speak non-dominant languages, languages of minority groups and indigenous languages.

Safeguarding Linguistic Diversity
Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance for people and planet. Yet, due to globalization processes, they are increasingly under threat, or disappearing altogether. When languages fade, so does the world’s rich tapestry of cultural diversity. Opportunities, traditions, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression — valuable resources for ensuring a better future — are also lost.
Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage. At least 43% of the estimated 6000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.
Multilingual and multicultural societies exist through their languages, which transmit and preserve traditional knowledge and cultures in a sustainable way.
International Mother Language Day is observed every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism
2024-02-12 00:00 - 23:59
Violent extremism is an affront to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. It undermines peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. No country or region is immune from its impacts.
Violent extremism is a diverse phenomenon, without clear definition. It is neither new nor exclusive to any region, nationality or system of belief. Nevertheless, in recent years, terrorist groups such as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Qaida and Boko Haram have shaped our image of violent extremism and the debate on how to address this threat. These groups’ message of intolerance — religious, cultural, social — has had drastic consequences for many regions of the world. Holding territory and using social media for real-time communication of their atrocious crimes, they seek to challenge our shared values of peace, justice and human dignity.
The spread of violent extremism has further aggravated an already unprecedented humanitarian crisis which surpasses the boundaries of any one region. Millions of people have fled the territory controlled by terrorist and violent extremist groups. Migratory flows have increased both away, from, and towards the conflict zones – involving those seeking safety and those lured into the conflict as foreign terrorist fighters, further destabilizing the regions concerned.
Nothing can justify violent extremism but we must also acknowledge that it does not arise in a vacuum. Narratives of grievance, actual or perceived injustice, promised empowerment and sweeping change become attractive where human rights are being violated, good governance is being ignored and aspirations are being crushed.

International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism
In its resolution 77/243, the General Assembly decided to declare 12 February the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism, in order to raise awareness of the threats linked to violent extremism, as and when conducive to terrorism, and to enhance international cooperation in this regard.
The General Assembly emphasized in this context the primary responsibility of Member States and their respective national institutions in countering terrorism, and underlined the important role of intergovernmental organizations, civil society, academia, religious leaders and the media in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism.
The resolution reaffirmed that terrorism and violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group.
The General Assembly invited the Office of Counter-Terrorism, in collaboration with other relevant entities of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, to facilitate the observance of the International Day.

Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism
On 15 January 2016 the Secretary-General presented a Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism to the General Assembly. On 12 February 2016, the General Assembly adopted a resolution welcoming the initiative by the Secretary-General, and taking note of his Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism.
The Plan of Action calls for a comprehensive approach encompassing not only essential security-based counter-terrorism measures but also systematic preventive steps to address the underlying conditions that drive individuals to radicalize and join violent extremist groups.
The Plan is an appeal for concerted action by the international community. It provides more than 70 recommendations to Member States and the United Nations System to prevent the further spread of violent extremism.

Global Tourism Resilience Day
2024-02-17 00:00 - 23:59
Resilient tourism
For many developing countries, including the least developed countries, small island developing states, countries in Africa and middle-income countries, tourism is a major source of income, foreign currency earnings, tax revenue and employment. Because tourism connects people with nature, sustainable tourism has the unique ability to spur environmental responsibility and conservation.
Sustainable tourism, including ecotourism, is a cross-cutting activity that can contribute to the three dimensions of sustainable development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by fostering economic growth, alleviating poverty, creating full and productive employment and decent work for all.
It can also play a role in accelerating the change to more sustainable consumption and production patterns and promoting the sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources, promoting local culture, improving the quality of life and the economic empowerment of women and young people, indigenous peoples and local communities and promoting rural development and better living conditions for rural populations, including small-holder and family farmers.
The use of sustainable and resilient tourism as a tool to foster sustained and inclusive economic growth, social development and financial inclusion, enables the formalization of the informal sector, the promotion of domestic resource mobilization and environmental protection and the eradication of poverty and hunger, including the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and natural resources and the promotion of investment and entrepreneurship in sustainable tourism.
Global Tourism Resilience Day (17 February), proclaimed by the General Assembly in resolution A/RES/77/269, aims to emphasize the need to foster resilient tourism development to deal with shocks, taking into account the vulnerability of the tourism sector to emergencies. It is also a call for action for Member States to develop national strategies for rehabilitation after disruptions, including through private-public cooperation and the diversification of activities and products.

Tourism Data Dashboard

The UNWTO Tourism Data Dashboard – provides statistics and insights on key indicators for inbound and outbound tourism at the global, regional and national levels. Data covers tourist arrivals, tourism share of exports and contribution to GDP, source markets, seasonality and accommodation (data on number of rooms, guest and nights).

DASHBOARD

Did you know?

Tourism supports millions of direct and indirect jobs all over the world, in particular for women and young people.
For some small island states and developing countries, tourism accounts for over 20 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).
The economic contribution of tourism (tourism direct GDP) was estimated at $1.9 trillion in 2021, higher than the $1.6 trillion recorded for 2020, but still well below the pre-pandemic value of $3.5 trillion.

World Day of Social Justice
2024-02-20 00:00 - 23:59
2023 Theme: Overcoming Barriers and Unleashing Opportunities for Social Justice
This year’s theme focuses on the recommendations of Our Common Agenda to strengthen global solidarity and to re-build trust in government by “Overcoming Barriers and Unleashing Opportunities for Social Justice”. Therefore, the 2023 World Day of Social Justice provides an opportunity to foster dialogue with Member States, youth, social partners, civil society, UN organisations and other stakeholders on actions needed to strengthen the social contract that has been fractured by rising inequalities, conflicts and weakened institutions that are meant to protect the rights of workers. Despite these multiple crises, there are many opportunities to build a coalition for social justice and to unleash greater investments in decent jobs, with a particular focus on the green, digital and care economy, and on young people. [Concept note]

Background
The International Labour Organization (ILO) unanimously adopted the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization on 10 June 2008. This is the third major statement of principles and policies adopted by the International Labour Conference since the ILO’s Constitution of 1919. It builds on the Philadelphia Declaration of 1944 and the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work of 1998. The 2008 Declaration expresses the contemporary vision of the ILO’s mandate in the era of globalization.
This landmark Declaration is a powerful reaffirmation of ILO values. It is the outcome of tripartite consultations that started in the wake of the Report of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization. By adopting this text, the representatives of governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations from 182 member States emphasize the key role of our tripartite Organization in helping to achieve progress and social justice in the context of globalization. Together, they commit to enhance the ILO’s capacity to advance these goals, through the Decent Work Agenda. The Declaration institutionalizes the Decent Work concept developed by the ILO since 1999, placing it at the core of the Organization’s policies to reach its constitutional objectives.
The Declaration comes at a crucial political moment, reflecting the wide consensus on the need for a strong social dimension to globalization in achieving improved and fair outcomes for all. It constitutes a compass for the promotion of a fair globalization based on decent work, as well as a practical tool to accelerate progress in the implementation of the Decent Work Agenda at the country level. It also reflects a productive outlook by highlighting the importance of sustainable enterprises in creating greater employment and income opportunities for all.
The General Assembly recognizes that social development and social justice are indispensable for the achievement and maintenance of peace and security within and among nations and that, in turn, social development and social justice cannot be attained in the absence of peace and security, or in the absence of respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
It further recognizes that globalization and interdependence are opening new opportunities through trade, investment and capital flows and advances in technology, including information technology, for the growth of the world economy and the development and improvement of living standards around the world, while at the same time there remain serious challenges, including serious financial crises, insecurity, poverty, exclusion and inequality within and among societies, and considerable obstacles to further integration and full participation in the global economy for developing countries, as well as some countries with economies in transition.
On 26 November 2007, the General Assembly declared that, starting from the sixty-third session of the General Assembly, 20 February will be celebrated annually as the World Day of Social Justice.

A Global Coalition for Social Justice
Poverty and inequalities within and among countries are on the rise in many parts of the world. The economic and social crises of recent years have been exacerbated by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters due to accelerating climate change, geopolitical tensions and armed conflicts. Beyond the human tragedies associated with them and their impact on the world of work, these crises have highlighted the interlinkages and dependencies of economies and societies around the world and shown the crucial need for concerted action to respond to them, at global, regional and national levels.
This has happened against the background of important changes such as, inter alia, growing disruptions in economies linked to globalization and technology, significant demographic transformations, increasing migration flows and protracted situations of fragility. The world of work has not been spared by these upheavals. The perceived lack of satisfactory responses to these multiple challenges and changes has led in many countries to growing discontent and mistrust vis-à-vis established institutions and actors of public life.
Confronted with this complex situation, the multilateral system has also struggled to adapt to a changing environment and to provide concrete and coordinated responses to many of the world’s most pressing challenges. The growing gap between international commitments and concrete achievements has fragilized multilateral action and its credibility, resulting in open criticism and disengagement. More than ever, it is urgent for the multilateral system to deliver and to contribute to bringing solutions to people’s daily problems, and to do so in a more efficient and coherent manner.
This sense of urgency has been shared by many, including the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General who, in his report “Our Common Agenda“, has warned against today’s growing divide and called for a more inclusive and networked multilateralism, re-embracing global solidarity and renewing the social contract between governments and their people and within societies, anchored in a comprehensive approach to human rights.
Social justice makes societies and economies function better and reduces poverty, inequalities and social tensions. It plays an important role in attaining more inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development paths and is key for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda), especially at a time when the achievement of those goals remains faraway.
It is more important than ever that the multilateral system coalesce around a set of shared values and goals and identify the means to respond to peoples’ aspirations and needs. Social justice has therefore to become one of the cornerstones of the renewed multilateralism that is required; a rallying objective but also a significant instrument for a more efficient multilateral system, ensuring coherence across a range of policy areas.

World Seagrass Day
2024-03-01 00:00 - 23:59
Healthy seagrass, healthy planet
In May 2022, the General Assembly adopted A/RES/76/265 proclaiming 1 March as World Seagrass Day. The resolution highlights the urgent need to raise awareness at all levels and to promote and facilitate actions for the conservation of seagrasses in order to contribute to their health and development, bearing in mind that enhancing ecosystem services and functions is important for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Why seagrass matters
Seagrasses are marine flowering plants that are found in shallow waters in many parts of the world, from the tropics to the Arctic circle. They form extensive underwater meadows, creating complex, highly productive and biologically rich habitats.
Covering only 0.1% of the ocean floor, these seagrass meadows provide food and shelter to thousands of species of fish, seahorses, turtles, etc. and sustain some of the world’s largest fisheries. They improve water quality by filtering, cycling and storing nutrients and pollutants, reducing contamination in seafood. Highly efficient carbon sinks, they can store up to 18% of the world’s oceanic carbon, making them a powerful nature-based solutions to tackle climate change impacts. Because they buffer ocean acidification, they contribute to the resilience of the most vulnerable ecosystems and species, such as coral reefs. And to the coastal populations, they act as the first line of defense along coasts by reducing wave energy, protecting people from the increasing risk of floods and storms.

A resource in danger
Despite its important contribution to sustainable development and climate change mitigation and adaptation, this core component of marine biodiversity is in danger and only about a quarter of all meadows fall within marine protected areas.
Seagrasses have been declining globally since the 1930s, with the most recent census estimating that 7% of this key marine habitat is being lost worldwide per year. It was recently noted that 21% of seagrass species are categorized as Near Threatened, Vulnerable and Endangered Species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
The combined pressures of coastal development, pollution, including land-based run-off, climate change, dredging and unregulated fishing and boating activities are key drivers of the degradation of seagrasses and their associated ecosystems.

Protection works
Despite a general global trend of seagrass loss, some areas have shown abating declines or substantial recovery of seagrasses. These recoveries can often be attributed to human interventions reducing the effect of human-caused stressors.
Seagrasses are critical for life underwater, but also provide wide-ranging benefits to people on land. Raising awareness about their importance for community well-being, whether through food security from fish production, improved quality of water filtered by seagrasses, protection of coasts from erosion, storms and floods, or carbon sequestration and storage will drive efforts around the world to conserve, better manage and restore these ecosystems.
Ultimately, the protection and restoration of seagrass meadows will help countries achieve multiple economic, societal and nutritional objectives, aligning with and supported by policies implemented at the national, regional or global levels. For example:

The benefits from conserving and restoring seagrass meadows can also help countries achieve 26 targets and indicators associated with ten Sustainable Development Goals.
Given the carbon storage and sequestration capacity of seagrass ecosystems, including them in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) can help nations achieve their targets under the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Inclusion of seagrass ecosystems in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is also critical for protecting the integrity of marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
Restoration of seagrasses also provides countries with opportunities to achieve commitments to be made to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Inclusion of seagrass management, conservation and restoration should be a critical component of sustainable blue economy strategies in the future. Projects are already underway in various countries, and a few have even been selected as World Restoration Flagships initiatives. Chosen as best examples of large-scale and long-term ecosystem restoration, these projects embody the 10 restoration principles of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Did you know?

Seagrass meadows exist in 159 countries on six continents, covering over 300,000 km2, making them one of the most widespread coastal habitats on Earth.
Almost 30% of global seagrass area has been lost since the late nineteenth century and at least 22 of the world’s 72 seagrass species are in decline.
Seagrasses, as a part of the marine ecosystem, store up to 18% of the world’s oceanic carbon.
Conserving and restoring seagrass meadows can also help countries achieve 26 targets and indicators associated with ten Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Zero Discrimination Day
2024-03-01 00:00 - 23:59
ABOUT ZERO DISCRIMINATION DAY
On Zero Discrimination Day, 1 March, we celebrate the right of everyone to live a full and productive life—and live it with dignity. Zero Discrimination Day highlights how people can become informed about and promote inclusion, compassion, peace and, above all, a movement for change. Zero Discrimination Day is helping to create a global movement of solidarity to end all forms of discrimination.
On Zero Discrimination Day this year, under the theme “Save lives: Decriminalise”, UNAIDS is highlighting how the decriminalisation of key populations and people living with HIV saves lives and helps advance the end of the AIDS pandemic.

Criminal laws targeting key populations and people living with HIV violate people’s human rights, exacerbate the stigma people face and put people in danger by creating barriers to the support and services they need to protect their health.
In 2021, the world set ambitious law reform targets to remove criminal laws that are undermining the HIV response and leaving key populations behind. Recognising decriminalization as a critical element in the response, countries made a commitment that by 2025 less than 10% of countries would have punitive legal and policy environments that affect the HIV response.
However, despite some encouraging reforms, the world is far from achieving the target. In fact, today there are 134 countries explicitly criminalising or otherwise prosecuting HIV exposure, non-disclosure or transmission; 20 countries criminalise and/or prosecute transgender persons; 153 countries criminalise at least one aspect of sex work; and 67 countries now criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, according to UNAIDS. In addition, 48 countries still place restrictions on entry into their territory for people living with HIV, while 53 countries report that they require mandatory HIV testing, for example for marriage certificates or for performing certain professions. 106 countries report requiring parental consent for adolescents to access HIV testing.
Criminalisation drives discrimination and structural inequalities. It robs people of the prospect of healthy and fulfilling lives. And it holds back the end of AIDS.
We must end criminalisation to save lives.

World Wildlife Day
2024-03-03 10:00 - 12:00
Online Event accessed through CITES YouTube Channel

The incalculable value of wildlife
Billions of people, in developed and developing nations, benefit daily from the use of wild species for food, energy, materials, medicine, recreation, inspiration and many other vital contributions to human well-being.
The accelerating global biodiversity crisis, with a million species of plants and animals facing extinction, threatens these contributions to people.
World Wildlife Day (WWD) is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that their conservation provides to people. At the same time, the Day reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime and human-induced reduction of species, which have wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts. Given these various negative effects, Sustainable Development Goal 15 focuses on halting biodiversity loss.

Fifty years promoting partnerships in favor of wildlife conservation
World Wildlife Day will be celebrated in 2023 under the theme “Partnerships for wildlife conservation“, honoring the people who are making a difference.
Partnerships operate on a large scale or involve a few children or a school. For some, it could be organizing a school sale to benefit a conservation group, for others it could be posting photographs online to raise awareness of endangered species. All of them are equally valid.
This upcoming year, the UN celebrates a special partnership: the 50th anniversary of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
This Convention is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species. Today, it grants varying degrees of protection to more than 37,000 species of animals and plants.
Through the past 50 years, partnerships have been at the heart of CITES, and WWD will celebrate the bridge that CITES has been for these partnerships to form, making a significant contribution to sustainability, wildlife and biodiversity conservation.
In accordance with this convention, UN agencies, private sector organizations, philanthropies and non-governmental organizations must keep working for conservation, the sustainable use of wildlife and in the fight against illegal trade and the depletion of wildlife.
Sustaining existing partnerships and building new ones is critical for the future of life on earth.
We need to change our relationship with nature and we need to work together.

Did you know?

50,000 Wild Species Meet Needs of Billions Worldwide.
1 in 5 people around the world rely on wild species for income and food, while 2.4 billion people depend on wood fuel for cooking.
It seems surprising, but cacti, seaweeds, giraffes, parrots, and oak trees are groups of species endangered. Currently there are one million species under threat.

World Wildlife Day
2024-03-03 10:00 - 17:00
The incalculable value of wildlife
Billions of people, in developed and developing nations, benefit daily from the use of wild species for food, energy, materials, medicine, recreation, inspiration and many other vital contributions to human well-being.
The accelerating global biodiversity crisis, with a million species of plants and animals facing extinction, threatens these contributions to people.
World Wildlife Day (WWD) is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that their conservation provides to people. At the same time, the Day reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime and human-induced reduction of species, which have wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts. Given these various negative effects, Sustainable Development Goal 15 focuses on halting biodiversity loss.

Fifty years promoting partnerships in favor of wildlife conservation
World Wildlife Day will be celebrated in 2023 under the theme “Partnerships for wildlife conservation“, honoring the people who are making a difference.
Partnerships operate on a large scale or involve a few children or a school. For some, it could be organizing a school sale to benefit a conservation group, for others it could be posting photographs online to raise awareness of endangered species. All of them are equally valid.
This upcoming year, the UN celebrates a special partnership: the 50th anniversary of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
This Convention is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species. Today, it grants varying degrees of protection to more than 37,000 species of animals and plants.
Through the past 50 years, partnerships have been at the heart of CITES, and WWD will celebrate the bridge that CITES has been for these partnerships to form, making a significant contribution to sustainability, wildlife and biodiversity conservation.
In accordance with this convention, UN agencies, private sector organizations, philanthropies and non-governmental organizations must keep working for conservation, the sustainable use of wildlife and in the fight against illegal trade and the depletion of wildlife.
Sustaining existing partnerships and building new ones is critical for the future of life on earth.
We need to change our relationship with nature and we need to work together.

Did you know?

50,000 Wild Species Meet Needs of Billions Worldwide.
1 in 5 people around the world rely on wild species for income and food, while 2.4 billion people depend on wood fuel for cooking.
It seems surprising, but cacti, seaweeds, giraffes, parrots, and oak trees are groups of species endangered. Currently there are one million species under threat.

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.

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.
