"A senior United Nations official has called for sustained joint efforts to combat terrorism and welcomed a partnership initiative with tech giants Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube to counter terrorism and violent extremism online.
“I welcome this major initiative, which elevates our existing private-public partnership with these and other companies,” said Jean-Paul Laborde, UN Assistant Secretary-General and the Executive Director of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate.
“The UN remains committed to addressing the scourge of terrorism, and we look forward to remaining a key partner to the private sector,” he added.
The four tech giants have already developed and have put in place policies and removal practices to take a hard line against terrorist or violent extremist content on their hosted consumer services.
The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism partnership will help further strengthen these “counter-speech” protections through research- and evidence-based efforts and technical and policy decisions around the removal of terrorist content, noted a news release issued by the Executive Directorate.
By working together, and through the sharing of the best technological and operational elements of their individual efforts, they believe they can have a greater impact on the threat of terrorist content online, it added.
The new forum builds on initiatives, such as the European Union (EU) Internet Forum and the Shared Industry Hash Database as well as discussions with governments and the outcomes of recent G7 and European Council meetings.
It will also help strengthen existing and build future areas of collaboration between these companies, including with smaller tech enterprises, civil society groups and academics, as well as with governments, and intergovernmental bodies like the EU and the UN.
The companies will also be hosting a series of learning workshops in partnership with the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and the ICT4Peace Foundation in Silicon Valley (which is home to many of the world's largest high-tech corporations) and around the world to drive these areas of collaboration.
Within the UN system, the Security Council continues to closely follow efforts to combat terrorism as well as other issues that represent serious threats to international peace and security.
Last month, it unanimously adopted a resolution which, among others, provides a comprehensive international framework to counter terrorist narratives and amplifies positive and credible alternatives to audiences vulnerable to extremist messages, especially those on social media."
Peace Innovation: fCAT : Tech: UN welcomes major partnership initiative wit...: "A senior United Nations official has called for sustained joint efforts to combat terrorism and welcomed a partnership initiative wi...
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Monday, July 3, 2017
‘Inclusive, equitable and quality education’ at the heart of high-level UN event
Education leaders from around the world convened at the United Nations to discuss ways to advance action on Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to “ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.”
“Inclusive, equitable and quality education goes to the heart of the 2030 Agenda as a key enabler of sustainable development,” said Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly, in his opening remarks at the High-level SDG Action Event on Education.
Mr. Thomson pointed out that education taps the Earth’s greatest asset, namely the inherent potential of the world’s people.
“Access to quality education is not only a goal in itself, but a fundamental building block to creating a better world of sustainable peace, prosperity and development,” he underscored.
He went on to explain that education holds the key to fuelling sustainable growth, building social cohesion and stability, and promoting human rights and equality – calling it “the golden thread that runs through all 17 SDGs.”
VIDEO: At a General Assembly high-level event, top UN officials called for greater efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 and ensure inclusive, quality and equitable education for all children, youth and adults throughout their lives.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed dubbed education as “the cornerstone of sustainable development.”
Ms. Mohammed maintained that the world can only be shaped by quality and relevant education, stressing the importance of investments to ensure a strong framework.
“We know when we deliver education to a young person, we’re not only delivering the knowledge and skills they will need to chart their own future — we’re preparing them to lend their hands, their mind, and their heart to shaping a more peaceful, prosperous future for their society, and indeed, for the world,” she said.
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed addresses the General Assembly High-level Action Event. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
The UN deputy chief focussed specifically on the five interrelated areas of finance, innovation, girls’ education, lifelong learning, and education in humanitarian contexts.
Noting that the wealthiest children enjoy up to 18 times more public education financing than the poorest, she exhorted, “This injustice must be reversed.”
“There is no better investment in the future peace and resilience of a society than in the education of its citizens,” she stated.
For her part, Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), emphasized education as a basic human right and the foundation for inclusive sustainable development.
Irina Bokova, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), addresses the General Assembly High-level Action Event. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
“Education is a transformational force that cuts across all of the Sustainable Development Goals, making progress sustainable across the board,” said Ms. Bokova.
Citing UNESCO’s regular global monitoring reports, she noted that 264 million children, adolescents and youth were out of school – most of them girls.
“Girls and women face the steepest challenges. Two-thirds of the more than 750 million illiterate adults in the world are women,” stressed Ms. Bokova, adding that they are often discriminated against, prevented from enrolling or continuing their education, dropping out of secondary education and facing strong barriers.
“If we do not move these barriers away… we will not achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4,” she underscored.
“If all adults completed secondary education, 420 million people could be lifted from poverty, reducing the number of poor people by more than half globally, by almost two-thirds in Sub-Saharan Africa, in South Asia… and yet, aid to education has fallen for the sixth consecutive year,” Ms. Bokova indicated. “This can simply not go on.”
As experts discussed how to advance SDG 4, the event also highlighted innovations in education through a panel discussion and a “marketplace” that showcased solutions to delivering low-cost or free learning resources to students and educators.
Today’s event, which also featured musical performances, was the last in a series of SDG action events convened by the Office of the President of the General Assembly. Others focussed on sustainable peace, climate action, financing and innovation."
'via Blog this'United Nations News Centre - ‘Inclusive, equitable and quality education’ at the heart of high-level UN event: "
“Inclusive, equitable and quality education goes to the heart of the 2030 Agenda as a key enabler of sustainable development,” said Peter Thomson, President of the General Assembly, in his opening remarks at the High-level SDG Action Event on Education.
Mr. Thomson pointed out that education taps the Earth’s greatest asset, namely the inherent potential of the world’s people.
“Access to quality education is not only a goal in itself, but a fundamental building block to creating a better world of sustainable peace, prosperity and development,” he underscored.
He went on to explain that education holds the key to fuelling sustainable growth, building social cohesion and stability, and promoting human rights and equality – calling it “the golden thread that runs through all 17 SDGs.”
VIDEO: At a General Assembly high-level event, top UN officials called for greater efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 and ensure inclusive, quality and equitable education for all children, youth and adults throughout their lives.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed dubbed education as “the cornerstone of sustainable development.”
Ms. Mohammed maintained that the world can only be shaped by quality and relevant education, stressing the importance of investments to ensure a strong framework.
“We know when we deliver education to a young person, we’re not only delivering the knowledge and skills they will need to chart their own future — we’re preparing them to lend their hands, their mind, and their heart to shaping a more peaceful, prosperous future for their society, and indeed, for the world,” she said.
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed addresses the General Assembly High-level Action Event. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
The UN deputy chief focussed specifically on the five interrelated areas of finance, innovation, girls’ education, lifelong learning, and education in humanitarian contexts.
Noting that the wealthiest children enjoy up to 18 times more public education financing than the poorest, she exhorted, “This injustice must be reversed.”
“There is no better investment in the future peace and resilience of a society than in the education of its citizens,” she stated.
For her part, Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), emphasized education as a basic human right and the foundation for inclusive sustainable development.
Irina Bokova, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), addresses the General Assembly High-level Action Event. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
“Education is a transformational force that cuts across all of the Sustainable Development Goals, making progress sustainable across the board,” said Ms. Bokova.
Citing UNESCO’s regular global monitoring reports, she noted that 264 million children, adolescents and youth were out of school – most of them girls.
“Girls and women face the steepest challenges. Two-thirds of the more than 750 million illiterate adults in the world are women,” stressed Ms. Bokova, adding that they are often discriminated against, prevented from enrolling or continuing their education, dropping out of secondary education and facing strong barriers.
“If we do not move these barriers away… we will not achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4,” she underscored.
“If all adults completed secondary education, 420 million people could be lifted from poverty, reducing the number of poor people by more than half globally, by almost two-thirds in Sub-Saharan Africa, in South Asia… and yet, aid to education has fallen for the sixth consecutive year,” Ms. Bokova indicated. “This can simply not go on.”
As experts discussed how to advance SDG 4, the event also highlighted innovations in education through a panel discussion and a “marketplace” that showcased solutions to delivering low-cost or free learning resources to students and educators.
Today’s event, which also featured musical performances, was the last in a series of SDG action events convened by the Office of the President of the General Assembly. Others focussed on sustainable peace, climate action, financing and innovation."
'via Blog this'United Nations News Centre - ‘Inclusive, equitable and quality education’ at the heart of high-level UN event: "
"The majority of the world’s most vulnerable communities are in the Tropics, and will be most affected by environmental threats, according to the United Nations
“Loss of biodiversity is greater in the Tropics than in the rest of the world,” according to the Day’s official website, which noted that the region hosts some 80 per cent of the world’s biodiversity and much of its language and cultural diversity.
The UN has projected that by 2050, the region will host most of the world’s people and two-thirds of its children.
The Day “celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the tropics while highlighting unique challenges and opportunities nations of the Tropics face,” according to the website.
For example, nearly 95 per cent of the world’s mangrove forests by area are in the Tropics.
Mangroves – ecosystems located on the interface of land and sea in tropical regions – can play an important role in reducing vulnerability to natural hazards and increasing resilience to climate change impacts, by acting as a form of natural coastal defence.
However, mangroves are disappearing three to five times faster than overall global forest losses, with serious ecological and socio-economic impacts, according to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Today’s focus on the Tropics is meant to provide “an opportunity to take stock of progress across the Tropics, to share tropical stories and expertise and to acknowledge the diversity and potential of the region,” according to the Day’s website.
Thousands of people have tweeted photos and shared stories under the official hashtags of #WeAreTheTropics and #TropicsDay.
The Tropics stretch from the tropic of Cancer – which runs north of the Equator through Mexico, northern Africa and the Middle East, South and South-East Asia – to the circle of latitude known as the tropic of Capricorn, which runs through South America, the southern part of Africa and Australia.
One of the key characteristics of the region is the prevalence of rain – which is highly affected by climate change.
The Tropics have just over half of the world’s renewable water resources, roughly 54 per cent, the UN said, yet almost half their population is considered vulnerable to water stress.
"
'via Blog this'United Nations News Centre - UN marks Day of the Tropics with focus on region’s vulnerability:
The UN has projected that by 2050, the region will host most of the world’s people and two-thirds of its children.
The Day “celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the tropics while highlighting unique challenges and opportunities nations of the Tropics face,” according to the website.
For example, nearly 95 per cent of the world’s mangrove forests by area are in the Tropics.
Mangroves – ecosystems located on the interface of land and sea in tropical regions – can play an important role in reducing vulnerability to natural hazards and increasing resilience to climate change impacts, by acting as a form of natural coastal defence.
However, mangroves are disappearing three to five times faster than overall global forest losses, with serious ecological and socio-economic impacts, according to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Today’s focus on the Tropics is meant to provide “an opportunity to take stock of progress across the Tropics, to share tropical stories and expertise and to acknowledge the diversity and potential of the region,” according to the Day’s website.
Thousands of people have tweeted photos and shared stories under the official hashtags of #WeAreTheTropics and #TropicsDay.
The Tropics stretch from the tropic of Cancer – which runs north of the Equator through Mexico, northern Africa and the Middle East, South and South-East Asia – to the circle of latitude known as the tropic of Capricorn, which runs through South America, the southern part of Africa and Australia.
One of the key characteristics of the region is the prevalence of rain – which is highly affected by climate change.
The Tropics have just over half of the world’s renewable water resources, roughly 54 per cent, the UN said, yet almost half their population is considered vulnerable to water stress.
"
'via Blog this'United Nations News Centre - UN marks Day of the Tropics with focus on region’s vulnerability:
PEACE LEADERSHIP on Climate Change: Vienna Forum: Young people raise their voices for ...
"Around 100 young people from 54 countries are raising their voices and harnessing social media to help mobilize support for a world free of nuclear weapons, and advance the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Youth are among the 1,000 participants at the Science and Technology 2017 Conference, held in Vienna, Austria, which provides a forum for scientists around the world to exchange knowledge and share advances in monitoring and verification technologies of relevance to the CTBT, which prohibits nuclear explosions anywhere in the world. Convened by the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, known as the CTBTO, a UN partner organization.
"Although we are not government leaders or in a position to influence public policy, we have a voice and when we use our voice collectively, we can make a big impact," said Carlos Rodriguez, a student at the University of Dallas in the United States.
"We have to find ways to collaborate across borders to ensure that we live in a peaceful and safe world that future generations can enjoy," he added.
The youth listened to presentations from scientists around the world specializing in technologies for detecting nuclear events and committed to using social media and blogs to encourage others to push for the Treaty's entry into force.
For the CTBT, adopted by the General Assembly in September 1996, to enter into force, ratification is required from the so-called Annex II countries. Of these, China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, and the US have yet to ratify.
"There is a big nuclear threat at the moment. It is important that we know that there is a solution. The CTBT is the first step towards a world free of nuclear weapons, which guarantees peace for all," said Juan Bustamante, a young Ecuadorian who is studying in Vancouver, Canada.
He encouraged other young people to talk with their friends about the Treaty and its importance to raise awareness of the issue and push for the instrument’s entry into force.
"Nuclear weapons should be a thing of the past," said 21-year-old Kevin Bai, who was born in China, raised in the US and is currently studying and working in Dubai.
His message is addressed to young people in Asia: "The eyes of the world are set in Asia because it will be the centre of growth and progress. If you are an Asian resident, you should not be satisfied with being a leader in economic development or scientific research. You should demand that it also becomes a leader in peace and diplomacy because stability is the bedrock upon which human civilization is built,” he emphasized.
"If you think nuclear warfare and nuclear tests do not belong in our societies and we should get rid of them, then you can contribute to this movement," he went on to say, encouraging young people to familiarize themselves with the Treaty and spread the word.
Magdelene Wangui, a young woman from Nairobi, Kenya, called on African youth to support those living in the Annex II countries to demand that their governments take an affirmative decision.
Meanwhile, 26-year-old Alan Juarez of Mexico summed it up like this: "We have the power to change the future… We can raise our voices around the world, educate ourselves and change the situation. All these tensions of nuclear weapons and the human rights crises, we have the power to end these problems."
Rizwan Asghar comes from Pakistan, one of the eight countries whose ratification is still pending. "I come from a country where we still have to feed millions of people. At the same time, my country invests billions of dollars in the development of nuclear weapons. I do not understand that rationale. There is no logic in increasing the nuclear arsenal," he said.
"It is time for Pakistan to ratify the Treaty," he stressed, as he invited the youth of his country to use social media networks to generate pressure on politicians with influence in these decisions.
Prior to the adopting of the CTBT in 1996, some 2,000 nuclear tests were carried out worldwide. The US carried out 1,000 of them, followed by the former Soviet Union, which was responsible for 700.
Three countries have broken the de facto moratorium since 1996: India and Pakistan in 1998; and DPRK in 2006, 2009 and 2013, and then again twice in 2016.
Natalia Zhurina of Russia, a country that has already ratified the instrument, underscored the importance of taking that step.
"It is vital because we owe a peaceful future to our children and to the generations to come.""
PEACE LEADERSHIP on Climate Change: Vienna Forum: Young people raise their voices for ...: "Around 100 young people from 54 countries are raising their voices and harnessing social media to help mobilize support for a world ...
Youth are among the 1,000 participants at the Science and Technology 2017 Conference, held in Vienna, Austria, which provides a forum for scientists around the world to exchange knowledge and share advances in monitoring and verification technologies of relevance to the CTBT, which prohibits nuclear explosions anywhere in the world. Convened by the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, known as the CTBTO, a UN partner organization.
"Although we are not government leaders or in a position to influence public policy, we have a voice and when we use our voice collectively, we can make a big impact," said Carlos Rodriguez, a student at the University of Dallas in the United States.
"We have to find ways to collaborate across borders to ensure that we live in a peaceful and safe world that future generations can enjoy," he added.
The youth listened to presentations from scientists around the world specializing in technologies for detecting nuclear events and committed to using social media and blogs to encourage others to push for the Treaty's entry into force.
For the CTBT, adopted by the General Assembly in September 1996, to enter into force, ratification is required from the so-called Annex II countries. Of these, China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, and the US have yet to ratify.
"There is a big nuclear threat at the moment. It is important that we know that there is a solution. The CTBT is the first step towards a world free of nuclear weapons, which guarantees peace for all," said Juan Bustamante, a young Ecuadorian who is studying in Vancouver, Canada.
He encouraged other young people to talk with their friends about the Treaty and its importance to raise awareness of the issue and push for the instrument’s entry into force.
"Nuclear weapons should be a thing of the past," said 21-year-old Kevin Bai, who was born in China, raised in the US and is currently studying and working in Dubai.
His message is addressed to young people in Asia: "The eyes of the world are set in Asia because it will be the centre of growth and progress. If you are an Asian resident, you should not be satisfied with being a leader in economic development or scientific research. You should demand that it also becomes a leader in peace and diplomacy because stability is the bedrock upon which human civilization is built,” he emphasized.
"If you think nuclear warfare and nuclear tests do not belong in our societies and we should get rid of them, then you can contribute to this movement," he went on to say, encouraging young people to familiarize themselves with the Treaty and spread the word.
Magdelene Wangui, a young woman from Nairobi, Kenya, called on African youth to support those living in the Annex II countries to demand that their governments take an affirmative decision.
Meanwhile, 26-year-old Alan Juarez of Mexico summed it up like this: "We have the power to change the future… We can raise our voices around the world, educate ourselves and change the situation. All these tensions of nuclear weapons and the human rights crises, we have the power to end these problems."
Rizwan Asghar comes from Pakistan, one of the eight countries whose ratification is still pending. "I come from a country where we still have to feed millions of people. At the same time, my country invests billions of dollars in the development of nuclear weapons. I do not understand that rationale. There is no logic in increasing the nuclear arsenal," he said.
"It is time for Pakistan to ratify the Treaty," he stressed, as he invited the youth of his country to use social media networks to generate pressure on politicians with influence in these decisions.
Prior to the adopting of the CTBT in 1996, some 2,000 nuclear tests were carried out worldwide. The US carried out 1,000 of them, followed by the former Soviet Union, which was responsible for 700.
Three countries have broken the de facto moratorium since 1996: India and Pakistan in 1998; and DPRK in 2006, 2009 and 2013, and then again twice in 2016.
Natalia Zhurina of Russia, a country that has already ratified the instrument, underscored the importance of taking that step.
"It is vital because we owe a peaceful future to our children and to the generations to come.""
PEACE LEADERSHIP on Climate Change: Vienna Forum: Young people raise their voices for ...: "Around 100 young people from 54 countries are raising their voices and harnessing social media to help mobilize support for a world ...
Women scientists and youth take centre stage at UN-backed technology forum
"As an international conference on science and technology wrapped up in Vienna, the head of a United Nations partner organization that works to end nuclear testing stressed that women have a "powerful voice" in the global scientific community.
“We cannot build a world that is just, a world that is fair, a world that is peaceful, without the contribution of women,” stated Lassina Zerbo, the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO).
In an interview with UN News during the CTBT: Science and Technology 2017 Conference, Mr. Zerbo said: “If women are at the heart of solving problems domestically in their respective families, and socially, why don’t we use them on big issues that require heart, feeling and vision, which they have already?”
The Conference, the sixth of its kind, focused on nuclear test monitoring technologies and their various applications. In addition to the participation of women scientists, Mr. Zerbo also noted the “youth strand” that had been integrated throughout the programme.
The CTBTO Youth Group was launched last year with only nine members. Today there are around 200, about 70 of whom attended the conference, held at the Hofburg Palace.
“I've watched them take advantage of the opportunity we offer them to be acquainted on issues of non-proliferation and disarmament, as well as the threat of nuclear weapons. They have decided they do not want their generation and future ones to have to deal with this,” said the Executive Secretary.
The biggest contribution of young people, he added, was to spread the message about the importance of the CTBT on social media networks and their blogs.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, adopted by the General Assembly in September 1996, has not yet entered into force. For this to happen, ratification is required from the so-called Annex II countries. Of these, China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, and the US have yet to ratify.
Mr. Zerbo noted that using the right words to get to the heart of those who know that nuclear test monitoring is important to ban nuclear test explosions, once and for all.
“The ban on nuclear testing is a low-hanging fruit in our fight towards banning nuclear weapons.”
"
'via Blog this'United Nations News Centre - Women scientists and youth take centre stage at UN-backed technology forum:
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