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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
After decades of investor demand, the United States is now more closely aligned with its global peers through the adoption of a mandatory climate disclosure framework for public companies. On...
How can collaboration and digitalization drive the infrastructure transition? Webinar | Thursday April 11 | 13:00 - 13:50 ET The adoption of sustainable practices and processes is increasingly viewed as a competitive advantage as well as an environmental and social responsibility. Leaders across industries are working to adapt their business models and accelerate the transition...
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...
14 April is World Chagas Disease Chagas disease, also known as "silent or silenced disease", affects mainly poor people without access to health care or people without a political voice. The disease progresses slowly and often shows an asymptomatic clinical course. Without treatment, Chagas disease can lead to severe cardiac and digestive alterations and become...
Celebrating United Nations Chinese Language Day There are six official languages of the United Nations, namely Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. In order to emphasize the importance of linguistic and cultural diversity and promote the equal use of the six official languages of the United Nations, in 2010, the United Nations Department of Public...
Creativity and innovation in problem-solving There may be no universal understanding of creativity. The concept is open to interpretation from artistic expression to problem-solving in the context of economic, social and sustainable development. Therefore, the United Nations designated 21 April as World Creativity and Innovation Day to raise the awareness of the role of creativity...
When Mother Earth sends us a message Mother Earth is clearly urging a call to action. Nature is suffering. Oceans filling with plastic and turning more acidic. Extreme heat, wildfires and floods, have affected millions of people. Even these days, we are still trying to get back on track from COVID-19, a worldwide health pandemic linked to...
Join us to honor and celebrate our remarkable planet on this extraordinary day. Earth Day is a reminder of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, encouraging us to come together and take action for a healthier planet and brighter future. Through various events, toolkits, and initiatives, we aim to raise awareness, inspire change, and...
EarthX is an international nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to educating and inspiring people and organizations to take action towards a more sustainable future worldwide. We assemble and connect people all over the globe to explore sustainable solutions. Mission EarthX is an international environmental nonprofit connecting a global community to create a sustainable world for all...
Celebrating the English language at the UN English Language Day at the UN is celebrated on 23 April, the date traditionally observed as both the birthday and date of death of William Shakespeare. As well as being the most famous playwright, who wrote in English, Shakespeare also had a huge impact on modern-day English. Today, every one in four people...
The UN also talks to Ñ On April 23, "Spanish Language Day at the United Nations" is celebrated to raise awareness among the Organization's staff, and the world in general, about the history, culture and use of Spanish as an official language. The choice of the day takes place on the anniversary of the death...
The UN also talks to Ñ On April 23, "Spanish Language Day at the United Nations" is celebrated to raise awareness among the Organization's staff, and the world in general, about the history, culture and use of Spanish as an official language. The choice of the day takes place on the anniversary of the death...
What is multilateralism? Multilateralism is often defined in opposition to bilateralism and unilateralism. Strictly speaking, it indicates a form of cooperation between at least three States. Nevertheless, this "quantitative" definition is not sufficient to capture the nature of multilateralism. Indeed, it is not simply a practice or a question of the number of actors involved. It...
24 to 30 April is World Immunization Week World Immunization Week, celebrated in the last week of April, aims to highlight the collective action needed and to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. Through its convening power, WHO works with countries across the globe to raise awareness of...
25 April is World Malaria Day World Malaria Day is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control. It was instituted by WHO Member States during the World Health Assembly of 2007.
Background International Delegate’s Day marks the anniversary of the first day of the San Francisco Conference, also known as the United Nations Conference on International Organization. On 25 April 1945, delegates from fifty countries came together for the first time in San Francisco. Coming together after the devastation of the second world war, their aim was...
In 2024, International Girls in ICT Day will be celebrated on 25 April. This year the main ITU celebration will be held in the Philippines and kindly hosted by the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT). This year’s theme for the Girls in ICT day celebrations is “Leadership“, to underscore the critical need for...
The Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summits bring together business leaders and investors globally to drive innovation and scale best practices in sustainable business and finance. As ESG reporting shifts from voluntary to mandatory, companies across Europe, the Middle East and Africa are grappling with political backlash, compliance fatigue and intense competition. How can sustainability leaders meet...
The persistent legacy of the Chernobyl disaster An explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 spread a radioactive cloud over large parts of the Soviet Union, now the territories of Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Nearly 8.4 million people in the three countries were exposed to the radiation. The Soviet Government acknowledged...
A safe and healthy working environment is a fundamental principle and right at work In June 2022, the International Labour Conference (ILC) decided to include “a safe and healthy working environment” in the ILO’s framework of fundamental principles and rights at work. On 28 April 2023, the ILO celebrates this decision, bringing together experts and...
Is your tuna sustainable? Canned tuna has been a great ally in our pantries during the pandemic. But, regardless of the market exceptionalities caused by the pandemic, we cannot ignore that, for a long time, this product has been a victim of its nutritional success. Tuna is rich in Omega-3 and it also contains minerals,...
Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights 2023 year marks the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day. Three decades have passed since it was proclaimed in 1993, in which we have seen substantial progress towards achieving a free press and freedom of expression around the world. The...
The date of 5 May was officially established in 2009 by the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP) - an intergovernmental organization that has been in official partnership with UNESCO since 2000, and which brings together peoples with the Portuguese language as one of the foundations of their specific identity - to celebrate the Portuguese language...
"Vesak", the Day of the Full Moon in the month of May, is the most sacred day to millions of Buddhists around the world. It was on the Day of Vesak two and a half millennia ago, in the year 623 B.C., that the Buddha was born. It was also on the Day of Vesak...
The toll of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing Fisheries provide a vital source of food, employment, recreation, trade and economic well-being for people throughout the world. In a world of growing population and persistent hunger, fish has emerged as an important commodity for the achievement of food security. However, efforts by the international community to...
Toronto’s first Climate Week is bringing together investors, business leaders, policymakers, and innovators to explore how climate action is reshaping markets and creating new opportunities. With dozens of sessions happening...
Regulatory Uncertainty Meets Investor Demands 2025 is proving to be a pivotal year for corporate sustainability disclosures. Thousands of companies have filed reports under the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting...
IBM is moving to address one of the persistent bottlenecks in corporate climate reporting: the accuracy and usability of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data. The company has introduced the Envizi...
Sarawak bets on hybrid clean power Malaysia’s Sarawak state has secured one of its largest private renewable energy investments with Founder Group Limited and Planet QEOS Sdn. Bhd. committing MYR1.16...
Record Commitments from Berlin Berlin has confirmed it provided €11.8 billion ($13.81 billion) in international climate finance during 2024, a record outlay designed to strengthen developing countries’ ability to respond...
L&T expands sustainable financing portfolio Indian multinational Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has secured a $700 million Sustainability-Linked Trade Facility (SLTF) with Standard Chartered, advancing its access to capital tied to...
Singapore signals next stage in sustainable finance strategy The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has appointed Abigail Ng as its new Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), effective 6 October 2025, marking...
In this week’s ESG News Week In Review: China announced its first absolute emissions cut target for 2035, while the EU delayed supply chain deforestation rules by a year. California...
Oxford spin-out attracts global capital OXCCU, a University of Oxford spin-out developing sustainable aviation fuel from waste carbon, has raised $28 million in an oversubscribed Series B round. The financing...
Amsterdam bets on flexible carbon capture Dutch climate tech company Brineworks has raised €6.8 million (US $7.3 million) in fresh funding to advance a new form of Direct Air Capture...
Toronto is set to host its first-ever Toronto Climate Week (TOCW) from October 1–3, 2025, a grassroots initiative designed to unite climate action with culture, innovation, and community. The event...
Shipping and logistics giants DHL Global Forwarding and Hapag-Lloyd have deepened their collaboration on decarbonization, signing a three-year framework agreement that expands the use of sustainable marine fuels across Hapag-Lloyd’s...
Brussels Pushes Back Deadline The European Commission will delay implementation of the EU’s landmark deforestation law by another year, citing fears that its digital infrastructure cannot handle the compliance load....
Sacramento sets scope for sweeping disclosure regime California regulators have published a list of more than 4,000 companies that must begin disclosing greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks under...
Levi Strauss pushes renewable energy deeper into its supply chain Levi Strauss & Co. has unveiled a new initiative with Schneider Electric to accelerate renewable energy adoption among its supply...
Brussels Pushes Forward on SME Reporting Infrastructure The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) has published two reports cataloguing more than 320 digital tools and platforms designed to help small...
Technology Enters Procurement’s Carbon Blind Spot Watershed has introduced a new AI-powered tool aimed at one of the most persistent challenges in corporate climate strategies: measuring and reducing Scope 3...
The PRI Awards 2025 celebrated innovation and impact across six main categories — nature, climate, human rights, responsible investment strategy, system stewardship, and communication — alongside three special awards. More...
Dallas Announcement Sets New Direction Frontier Infrastructure Holdings LLC has launched what it calls the first full-scale carbon management platform tailored for North America’s ethanol sector. In partnership with bioenergy...
London greenlights flagship CCS contracts Britain has signed contracts for two commercial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, a step aimed at curbing emissions from some of the country’s most...