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Costa Rica is taking the lead in promoting the socially-conscious production of pineapples whilst protecting the environment, thanks to a project supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
CLIMATE CHANGE FOCUS: The fruits of sustainability and decent work
UNDP Green Commodities Programme
Pineapple producer, Flor Agroindustria, in Costa Rica, has introduced a zero discrimination policy as well as equal pay for men and women.
7 December 2018
Climate Change
Costa Rica’s is taking the lead in promoting the socially-conscious production of pineapples whilst protecting the environment, thanks to a project supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
UNDP Green Commodities Programme
The Central American country is the world leader in growing the fruit, a business worth more than US$800 million a year.
In a new approach, some plantations have adopted socially responsible practices including equal pay for men and women, worker education programmes and agricultural techniques which aim to protect the environment.
Read more here about how pineapples are promoting decent work and environmental sustainability.
CLIMATE CHANGE|CENTRAL AMERICA
UN agriculture chief urges ‘transformative changes’ to how we eat
World Bank/Curt Carnemark
Buying food at the market.
3 December 2018
Health
Obesity affects millions of people, and several billion suffer from diseases caused by vitamin- or mineral-deficient diets, known as micronutrient deficiencies, according to the UN agriculture chief, who called on Monday for “transformative changes” to our food systems.
"The coexistence of undernutrition, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies - what we know as the triple burden of malnutrition - is spreading and affecting almost every country in the world”, José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in his opening address to the agency’s executive body, the FAO Council.
“The international community needs to urgently address this situation by promoting transformative change in our food systems," he continued. "Our Zero Hunger Goal is not just about feeding people”, but also “providing everyone with the necessary nutrients for a healthy life."
Citing the 2018 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, Mr. Graziano da Silva said that obesity affects around 672 million people, with Africa increasing faster than any other region. He pointed out that more than two billion people globally, suffer from micronutrient deficiencies.
The Council’s 160th session began on Monday in Rome and runs until the 7th. It includes various side events that highlight the UN agency’s work, including Wednesday’s World Soil Day 2018, to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources.
The Director-General outlined some of next year’s major events, such as February’s Food Safety Conference in Addis Ababa, co-organized with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Union; and the establishment of a dedicated office for South-South and Triangular Cooperation to support food security and rural development.
He also spoke of FAO's recent achievements, including the First International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers, which yielded recommendations to help guide its work on innovation – with a focus on creating more youth employment opportunities.
Did you know?
The First Session of the FAO Conference was held in the Château Frontenac in Quebec City in 1945.
FAO has 194 member countries, two associate members and one member organization, the European Union.
The UN agriculture specialized agency is present in over 130 countries.
Headquartered in Italy, it has regional offices in Ghana, Thailand, Hungary, Chile and Egypt.
Key strategic programmes include work on climate change, agriculture, agroecology and food security.
FAO is also making strides towards gender parity, with more than 43 per cent of all professional posts now being held by women, according to the FAO chief.
"This is FAO's highest representation of women among international professionals in the last years," said Mr. Graziano da Silva.
Moreover, on geographic representation, the Director-General announced that the number of non-represented countries has decreased from 17 to 14, with recent new appointees present in Rome, from Timor Leste, Belize, and Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean.
COP24 negotiations: Why reaching agreement on climate action is so complex -UN
UNFCCC Secretariat
An Earth Council Flash Mob at COP24 in Poland to remind all negotiators and leaders that everything is moving too slow and that we have to take action now.
11 December 2018
Climate Change
From Tuesday on, close to 100 Government ministers are due be involved in negotiating a final deal on moving forward with climate action here at the United Nations COP24 conference in Poland. So, what is the goal? To agree a concrete plan to implement the historic 2015 Paris climate deal by mid-century. The stakes are high with numerous different pressure points.
“We cannot fail in Katowice,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in the opening ceremony, on 3 December. A sentiment echoed by the President of COP24, Michał Kurtyka, who stated: “Without success in Katowice, there is no success in Paris.”
In the French capital, three years ago, countries agreed to do everything they could to keep global temperature rises to well under 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and as close as possible to 1.5°C.
Now, in Katowice, Poland – with 2018 chosen by the parties themselves as the deadline for the adoption of implementation guidelines or a “work programme” to move forward with – the 197 parties of the UN Climate Chance Convention (UNFCCC) are gathered to agree on how they will achieve the Paris commitments collectively, build trust among each nation, and bring the 2015 agreement to life.
“Some might say that it will be a difficult negotiation. I know it is not easy. It requires a firm political will for compromise,” said Mr. Guterres during the opening ceremony. “But, for me, what is really difficult is to be a fisherman in Kiribati seeing his country at risk of disappearing, or a farmer or herder in the Sahel losing livelihoods and losing peace. Or being a woman in Dominica or any other Caribbean nation, enduring hurricane after hurricane destroying everything in its path.”
Historically, multilateral climate negotiations have been difficult, as countries often attempt to protect their national interests, including economic ones.
That is why the commitments made in Paris were hailed as groundbreaking in many ways. In addition to the 2°C/1.5°C target, the deal included commitments to: ramp up financing for climate action, including financial support from industrialised nations to developing countries; develop national climate plans by 2020, with self-determined goals and targets; protect ecosystems, including forests; strengthen adaptation and reduce vulnerability to climate change.
Agreeing on how to make all of the above happen, is a politically and technically complex matter that sometimes conflicts with a variety of local realities, country categorisations, scientific questions, money issues, and ultimately, brings into question the ever-so complicated notion of trust among nations.
Here are five of the most major tension points:
1. A common goal, but different parties, different realities
The first point of tension here is that some countries feel the need for global action more acutely than others. Take the plight of small island nations, for example, and areas of extreme weather activity such as the Sahel or the Polar regions.
In addition, industrialized countries are considered to have benefitted for decades from an economy that had no limits on greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore, they should take the biggest responsibility when it comes to the global effort to reverse the trend. But then again, others contend that some currently developing nations, now have record emissions and that climate action responsibility should lie with them to a greater extent.
The Paris Agreement achieved a delicate balance to bring all countries together. All countries, to varying degrees, have recognized that climate change is a global problem that requires a global response, and they have all showed the will to contribute to collective climate action efforts, as evidenced by the fact that 181 national climate action plans with self-determined targets have been submitted to the UN to date.
However, as countries face different realities, with various levels of economic and social development, the actions and obligations of the 197 parties need to be differentiated accordingly, especially when it comes to the financing of climate action – these are known as “common but differentiated responsibilities”. At COP24, a lot of the discussion centres around how to accommodate and handle these different realities fairly for all parties, while ensuring that the greatest and most ambitious climate action possible, can be undertaken.
2. Country categories
The Climate Change Convention, adopted in 1992, divides its 197 parties into two main groups: the industrialized group of 43 nations, and the developing group of 154, including 49 “least developed countries”.
The climate action contributions and responsibilities of each group differ with regards to how transparently and regularly they communicate their actions and provision of support; especially in terms of finance or technology-transfer, now, and in the long term.
Because the two groups were established more than 25 years ago, and taking into account that national socio-economic situations have evolved over time, some parties feel that the composition of these groups should be reassessed as we look to implement the Paris commitments. However, there is no process to change this grouping – and none is planned or anticipated - another complex point for this COP.
3. 'Welcoming' or 'noting' the science?
To facilitate the political discussions and ground them in fact, various scientific reports are being considered at COP24. One of them is last October’s landmark Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5˚C, prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), drawn up by hundreds of scientists from around the world. The report, commissioned as part of the Paris Agreement, states that limiting the rise in temperatures to 1.5°C by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial era, remains possible, but will require an “unprecedented” shift in every aspect of our societies.
While all countries acknowledge the need to tackle climate change, one of the debates here at the COP is whether the IPCC report should be officially “welcomed” or merely “noted.” This seemingly small language technicality raises a critical question: to what degree should policy be based on science? It also signals a difference on how urgently and intensely various countries want to engage in climate action moving forward.
4. The ever-so thorny question of financing
Climate action – which requires new technology, infrastructure and skills – represents a cost that some nations, especially the least developed and most vulnerable, cannot carry alone. In Paris, donor nations committed to mobilising $100 billion every year to fund climate action in developing countries, starting in 2020. This figure would include public and private contributions, which renders the reporting quite complex… Countries are arguing on how close we are to meeting that target and whether it will be met by 2020.
Another burning issue is the lack of clarity over what constitutes “climate finance”, as many countries report some of their “development aid” as “climate action aid”. This lack of clarity complicates the discussions considerably, and questions regarding reporting, transparency and accountability are on the table.
5. Guidelines for true trust among nations
All the countries recognize the need for guidelines to be in place, so they can move on to implementing the Paris Agreement, and they are all mindful of the 2018 deadline. However, if we are to course-correct fast and well, efforts and investments are required – including in economic transition, ambitious reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, technology exchange and knowledge-sharing.
What it all comes down to, is the ephemeral trust among nations, an important element that can only be realized if tangible transparency measures are in place.
“We have no time for limitless negotiations,” said UN Secretary General António Guterres. “A completed work programme will unleash the potential of the Paris Agreement. It will build trust and make clear that countries are serious about addressing climate change,” he stressed.
The conversations on reporting and evaluation, with the potential set-up of peer review systems, are very challenging.
The negotiations on all of these issues are meant to last until the end of the week.
“Many political divisions remain. Many issues still must be overcome,” said the head of the UNFCCC secretariat, Patricia Espinosa, as she launched the high-level segment on Tuesday.
“But I believe it’s within our grasp to finish the job,” she stated confidently to the dozens of decision-makers gathered together in the conference hall.
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COP24|CLIMATE ACTION
An Earth Council Flash Mob at COP24 in Poland to remind all negotiators and leaders that everything is moving too slow and that we have to take action now.
11 December 2018
Climate Change
From Tuesday on, close to 100 Government ministers are due be involved in negotiating a final deal on moving forward with climate action here at the United Nations COP24 conference in Poland. So, what is the goal? To agree a concrete plan to implement the historic 2015 Paris climate deal by mid-century. The stakes are high with numerous different pressure points.
“We cannot fail in Katowice,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in the opening ceremony, on 3 December. A sentiment echoed by the President of COP24, Michał Kurtyka, who stated: “Without success in Katowice, there is no success in Paris.”
In the French capital, three years ago, countries agreed to do everything they could to keep global temperature rises to well under 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and as close as possible to 1.5°C.
Now, in Katowice, Poland – with 2018 chosen by the parties themselves as the deadline for the adoption of implementation guidelines or a “work programme” to move forward with – the 197 parties of the UN Climate Chance Convention (UNFCCC) are gathered to agree on how they will achieve the Paris commitments collectively, build trust among each nation, and bring the 2015 agreement to life.
“Some might say that it will be a difficult negotiation. I know it is not easy. It requires a firm political will for compromise,” said Mr. Guterres during the opening ceremony. “But, for me, what is really difficult is to be a fisherman in Kiribati seeing his country at risk of disappearing, or a farmer or herder in the Sahel losing livelihoods and losing peace. Or being a woman in Dominica or any other Caribbean nation, enduring hurricane after hurricane destroying everything in its path.”
Historically, multilateral climate negotiations have been difficult, as countries often attempt to protect their national interests, including economic ones.
That is why the commitments made in Paris were hailed as groundbreaking in many ways. In addition to the 2°C/1.5°C target, the deal included commitments to: ramp up financing for climate action, including financial support from industrialised nations to developing countries; develop national climate plans by 2020, with self-determined goals and targets; protect ecosystems, including forests; strengthen adaptation and reduce vulnerability to climate change.
Agreeing on how to make all of the above happen, is a politically and technically complex matter that sometimes conflicts with a variety of local realities, country categorisations, scientific questions, money issues, and ultimately, brings into question the ever-so complicated notion of trust among nations.
Here are five of the most major tension points:
1. A common goal, but different parties, different realities
The first point of tension here is that some countries feel the need for global action more acutely than others. Take the plight of small island nations, for example, and areas of extreme weather activity such as the Sahel or the Polar regions.
In addition, industrialized countries are considered to have benefitted for decades from an economy that had no limits on greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore, they should take the biggest responsibility when it comes to the global effort to reverse the trend. But then again, others contend that some currently developing nations, now have record emissions and that climate action responsibility should lie with them to a greater extent.
The Paris Agreement achieved a delicate balance to bring all countries together. All countries, to varying degrees, have recognized that climate change is a global problem that requires a global response, and they have all showed the will to contribute to collective climate action efforts, as evidenced by the fact that 181 national climate action plans with self-determined targets have been submitted to the UN to date.
However, as countries face different realities, with various levels of economic and social development, the actions and obligations of the 197 parties need to be differentiated accordingly, especially when it comes to the financing of climate action – these are known as “common but differentiated responsibilities”. At COP24, a lot of the discussion centres around how to accommodate and handle these different realities fairly for all parties, while ensuring that the greatest and most ambitious climate action possible, can be undertaken.
2. Country categories
The Climate Change Convention, adopted in 1992, divides its 197 parties into two main groups: the industrialized group of 43 nations, and the developing group of 154, including 49 “least developed countries”.
The climate action contributions and responsibilities of each group differ with regards to how transparently and regularly they communicate their actions and provision of support; especially in terms of finance or technology-transfer, now, and in the long term.
Because the two groups were established more than 25 years ago, and taking into account that national socio-economic situations have evolved over time, some parties feel that the composition of these groups should be reassessed as we look to implement the Paris commitments. However, there is no process to change this grouping – and none is planned or anticipated - another complex point for this COP.
3. 'Welcoming' or 'noting' the science?
To facilitate the political discussions and ground them in fact, various scientific reports are being considered at COP24. One of them is last October’s landmark Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5˚C, prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), drawn up by hundreds of scientists from around the world. The report, commissioned as part of the Paris Agreement, states that limiting the rise in temperatures to 1.5°C by the end of the century compared to pre-industrial era, remains possible, but will require an “unprecedented” shift in every aspect of our societies.
While all countries acknowledge the need to tackle climate change, one of the debates here at the COP is whether the IPCC report should be officially “welcomed” or merely “noted.” This seemingly small language technicality raises a critical question: to what degree should policy be based on science? It also signals a difference on how urgently and intensely various countries want to engage in climate action moving forward.
4. The ever-so thorny question of financing
Climate action – which requires new technology, infrastructure and skills – represents a cost that some nations, especially the least developed and most vulnerable, cannot carry alone. In Paris, donor nations committed to mobilising $100 billion every year to fund climate action in developing countries, starting in 2020. This figure would include public and private contributions, which renders the reporting quite complex… Countries are arguing on how close we are to meeting that target and whether it will be met by 2020.
Another burning issue is the lack of clarity over what constitutes “climate finance”, as many countries report some of their “development aid” as “climate action aid”. This lack of clarity complicates the discussions considerably, and questions regarding reporting, transparency and accountability are on the table.
5. Guidelines for true trust among nations
All the countries recognize the need for guidelines to be in place, so they can move on to implementing the Paris Agreement, and they are all mindful of the 2018 deadline. However, if we are to course-correct fast and well, efforts and investments are required – including in economic transition, ambitious reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, technology exchange and knowledge-sharing.
What it all comes down to, is the ephemeral trust among nations, an important element that can only be realized if tangible transparency measures are in place.
“We have no time for limitless negotiations,” said UN Secretary General António Guterres. “A completed work programme will unleash the potential of the Paris Agreement. It will build trust and make clear that countries are serious about addressing climate change,” he stressed.
The conversations on reporting and evaluation, with the potential set-up of peer review systems, are very challenging.
The negotiations on all of these issues are meant to last until the end of the week.
“Many political divisions remain. Many issues still must be overcome,” said the head of the UNFCCC secretariat, Patricia Espinosa, as she launched the high-level segment on Tuesday.
“But I believe it’s within our grasp to finish the job,” she stated confidently to the dozens of decision-makers gathered together in the conference hall.
Receive daily updates directly in your inbox - Subscribe here to “Climate Change” topic
COP24|CLIMATE ACTION
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Friday, November 23, 2018
Protecting the planet rests on this generation’s youth and their inclination “to hold leaders and decision-makers accountable,” especially in the combat against climate change, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told university students in China
Deputy UN Secretary-General Amina Mohammed lectures on climate change at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. (21 November 2018)
She highlighted that the last three years have been the warmest on record, spotlighting signs of climate change such as more frequent and exceedingly intense natural disasters, and declines in food security and prosperity.
The latest report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) makes clear that the pressure is on to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Neglecting to address these warnings signs means leaving the future vulnerable to competition over scarce resources, injuring economies, and creating “a fertile ground” for chaos.
She turned to the younger generation for hope to protect the planet.
“I am counting on young people like yourselves to hold leaders and decision-makers accountable to ensure a secure future for yourselves and future generations,” she told students.
Praising collective action, she said the Paris Agreement, a pact within the UN framework convention, known by the acronym UNFCCC, aimed to strengthen the global response to climate change, indicated a strong start for countries committing to lowering their emissions, and added that the Agreement’s potential has yet to be fully unleashed.
Countries must raise their ambitions, she counseled, and implement their own national contributions, highlighting that China has done its part in deploying more solar and wind capacity than any other country in the world in the last five years.
“We have all the tools we need to create a new reality and you are in a position to lead us with new innovations,” she said.
“Let us join hands and use this as an opportunity to strive for a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future for all.”
The latest report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) makes clear that the pressure is on to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Neglecting to address these warnings signs means leaving the future vulnerable to competition over scarce resources, injuring economies, and creating “a fertile ground” for chaos.
She turned to the younger generation for hope to protect the planet.
“I am counting on young people like yourselves to hold leaders and decision-makers accountable to ensure a secure future for yourselves and future generations,” she told students.
Praising collective action, she said the Paris Agreement, a pact within the UN framework convention, known by the acronym UNFCCC, aimed to strengthen the global response to climate change, indicated a strong start for countries committing to lowering their emissions, and added that the Agreement’s potential has yet to be fully unleashed.
Countries must raise their ambitions, she counseled, and implement their own national contributions, highlighting that China has done its part in deploying more solar and wind capacity than any other country in the world in the last five years.
“We have all the tools we need to create a new reality and you are in a position to lead us with new innovations,” she said.
“Let us join hands and use this as an opportunity to strive for a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future for all.”
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Sunday, November 4, 2018
SDG: More countries partner to target #ZeroHunger in global south - UN Sustainable Development Goals
FAO/Alessandro Stelzer
FAO’s South-South Cooperation promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing between Chinese experts and Ugandan farmers.
2 November 2018
Humanitarian Aid
More than 20 countries committed to a new declaration on agricultural and rural development on Friday, in a bid to stamp out poverty and hunger. The commitment came at the end of a forum on international development cooperation in Changsha, China.
The Changsha Declaration aims to ramp up the efforts towards South-South Cooperation - an initiative working to eliminate hunger and malnutrition through the mutual sharing and exchange of good practices, resources, and know-how between countries of the “global south”.
At the forum’s conclusion, 26 countries and 11 international organizations signed on to the Declaration, which includes more information-sharing towards constructing common policies and programmes.
The forum coincided with the launch of a new report, jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO), alerting of severe food shortages plaguing Asia and the Pacific.
The region faces risk of “a colossal human loss” if countries in the region do not recommit themselves to ending all forms of malnutrition, regional experts from the four specialized UN agencies warned in a joint press release on Friday.
One recent large-scale example of cooperation can be seen in Bangladesh, where hundreds-of-thousands of displaced mainly-Rohingya refugees fleeing violence, faced a major hunger crisis, effecting the whole region. China has been fielding experts and technicians to share knowledge in various technical areas, including aquaculture, crop production and livestock breeding to boost the country’s agriculture sector.
Around the world, climate-related disasters, limited access to safe water, and violence have contributed to a general rise in malnutrition.
Director-General for FAO Jose Graziano da Silva announced plans to establish an International Centre of Excellence for Agriculture Innovation and Rural Development in Beijing during the forum; a facility that will provide training in agriculture innovation and promote investment in rural areas in an effort to reach the first 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger.
#ZEROHUNGER|SDG 2
Sunday, October 14, 2018
PEACE LEADERSHIP on Climate Change: To Solve Bullying,Do not expose Children to Violen...
“Exposure to toxic stress, domestic violence and a violent family environment has an irreversible impact on the development of very young children”
Around 130 million, or one-in-three children worldwide experience some form of bullying, the United Nations stated in its latest report on how children can be better-protected. This form of violence has long-lasting and direct consequences for their health, school performance and overall well-being.
“Being protected from bullying is a fundamental human right,” said Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children.
At an event at UN headquarters in New York, co-organized with the Governments of Mexico and Lithuania, Ms. Santos Pais presented the key findings of the Secretary-General report and welcomed the “growing interest” from the world on the matter, applauding efforts made so far in terms of policy, law and advocacy to protect the safety of children.
Earlier this year, for example, Member States agreed on the adoption of a new indicator in the monitoring of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Indicator 4.a.2 now measures the percentage of students who have experienced bullying in the past year, by gender, and for each contributing country.
Despite such encouraging signs, the Special Representative identified several key areas where improvement was needed for Governments and institutions.
First, she emphasized the importance of early childhood prevention and noted that the “parent-child relationship is a critical factor in predicting the risk of bullying in adolescence”. According to the report, today, 176 million children under-five, witness domestic violence on a regular basis and children who bully others are twice as likely to have been exposed to domestic violence than other children.
“Exposure to toxic stress, domestic violence and a violent family environment has an irreversible impact on the development of very young children,” she said, adding that “it contributes to normalize the use of violence”.
Today, approximately 30 per cent of adolescents in 39 countries in Europe and North America, admit to bullying others at school.
"Cyber Cocoon Kids" exhibition at UN headquarters in New York, October 2018. UN Photo/Kim Haughton
In addition, Ms. Santos Pais noted that teachers also play a great role in promoting “a culture of respect and safety” in schools and that sports environments can often become contexts where competitiveness leads to “humiliation, shaming and exclusion of those who fail to win”.
“Analyses of data from Ethiopia, India, Peru and Viet Nam reveal that violence in schools, including physical and verbal abuse by teachers and by other students, is the most common reason given for disliking school, and, significantly, it is associated with lower scores in mathematics and lower self-esteem,” the report highlights.
To address these negative impacts, experts and decision-makers are lacking sufficient data to form evidence-based strategies and programmes. However, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has committed to tackling this gap and to producing an annual report to be released in January 2019 for the first time.
Some of the initial findings published already denote that physical appearance – such as being overweight or having non-conforming gender expressions – is the main driver for bullying. Race, nationality and skin color are also high on the list. In the report, religion was not highlighted as major contributing factor.
While the term “bullying” covers physical, psychological and sexual violence (understood in this context to mean sex-related mockery and gender-based discrimination), very little data is available on the psychological occurrence of it, and countries must do more to gain a better understanding of this issue. The UNESCO report shows that girls and boys are equally affected overall by bullying, but that boys are more likely to suffer from physical violence.
Cyberbullying on the rise
Cyberbullying, which can cause profound harm as it leaves a permanent footprint online and can quickly reach wide audiences, is on the rise, UNESCO’s report notes. In seven European countries overall, the proportion of children online aged 11-16 who’ve suffered cyberbullying, increased from 7 per cent in 2010, to 12 per cent in 2014.
Countries and institutions can adopt a wide variety of measures to help reverse these trends, including carrying out awareness-raising campaigns and teacher-trainin, adopting laws that clearly define bullying and pushing schools to implement concrete actions such as helplines for children.
The report of the Secretary-General will be presented on Tuesday to the Third Committee of the General Assembly so next steps can be determined.
“Children are eager to see action to bring this manifestation of violence to an end,” said Ms. Santos Pais. “And they deserve no less!”
Note: To draw attention to how deeply cyberbullying impacts the lives of millions of children every day, the UN has launched an innovative multimedia experience at its headquarters in New York, titled “Cyber Cocoon Kids”, highlighting the abuse that children undergo online.
PEACE LEADERSHIP on Climate Change: To Solve Bullying,Do not expose Children to Violen...: “Exposure to toxic stress, domestic violence and a violent family environment has an irreversible impact on the development of very young c...
Around 130 million, or one-in-three children worldwide experience some form of bullying, the United Nations stated in its latest report on how children can be better-protected. This form of violence has long-lasting and direct consequences for their health, school performance and overall well-being.
“Being protected from bullying is a fundamental human right,” said Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children.
At an event at UN headquarters in New York, co-organized with the Governments of Mexico and Lithuania, Ms. Santos Pais presented the key findings of the Secretary-General report and welcomed the “growing interest” from the world on the matter, applauding efforts made so far in terms of policy, law and advocacy to protect the safety of children.
Earlier this year, for example, Member States agreed on the adoption of a new indicator in the monitoring of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Indicator 4.a.2 now measures the percentage of students who have experienced bullying in the past year, by gender, and for each contributing country.
Despite such encouraging signs, the Special Representative identified several key areas where improvement was needed for Governments and institutions.
First, she emphasized the importance of early childhood prevention and noted that the “parent-child relationship is a critical factor in predicting the risk of bullying in adolescence”. According to the report, today, 176 million children under-five, witness domestic violence on a regular basis and children who bully others are twice as likely to have been exposed to domestic violence than other children.
“Exposure to toxic stress, domestic violence and a violent family environment has an irreversible impact on the development of very young children,” she said, adding that “it contributes to normalize the use of violence”.
Today, approximately 30 per cent of adolescents in 39 countries in Europe and North America, admit to bullying others at school.
"Cyber Cocoon Kids" exhibition at UN headquarters in New York, October 2018. UN Photo/Kim Haughton
In addition, Ms. Santos Pais noted that teachers also play a great role in promoting “a culture of respect and safety” in schools and that sports environments can often become contexts where competitiveness leads to “humiliation, shaming and exclusion of those who fail to win”.
“Analyses of data from Ethiopia, India, Peru and Viet Nam reveal that violence in schools, including physical and verbal abuse by teachers and by other students, is the most common reason given for disliking school, and, significantly, it is associated with lower scores in mathematics and lower self-esteem,” the report highlights.
To address these negative impacts, experts and decision-makers are lacking sufficient data to form evidence-based strategies and programmes. However, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has committed to tackling this gap and to producing an annual report to be released in January 2019 for the first time.
Some of the initial findings published already denote that physical appearance – such as being overweight or having non-conforming gender expressions – is the main driver for bullying. Race, nationality and skin color are also high on the list. In the report, religion was not highlighted as major contributing factor.
While the term “bullying” covers physical, psychological and sexual violence (understood in this context to mean sex-related mockery and gender-based discrimination), very little data is available on the psychological occurrence of it, and countries must do more to gain a better understanding of this issue. The UNESCO report shows that girls and boys are equally affected overall by bullying, but that boys are more likely to suffer from physical violence.
Cyberbullying on the rise
Cyberbullying, which can cause profound harm as it leaves a permanent footprint online and can quickly reach wide audiences, is on the rise, UNESCO’s report notes. In seven European countries overall, the proportion of children online aged 11-16 who’ve suffered cyberbullying, increased from 7 per cent in 2010, to 12 per cent in 2014.
Countries and institutions can adopt a wide variety of measures to help reverse these trends, including carrying out awareness-raising campaigns and teacher-trainin, adopting laws that clearly define bullying and pushing schools to implement concrete actions such as helplines for children.
The report of the Secretary-General will be presented on Tuesday to the Third Committee of the General Assembly so next steps can be determined.
“Children are eager to see action to bring this manifestation of violence to an end,” said Ms. Santos Pais. “And they deserve no less!”
Note: To draw attention to how deeply cyberbullying impacts the lives of millions of children every day, the UN has launched an innovative multimedia experience at its headquarters in New York, titled “Cyber Cocoon Kids”, highlighting the abuse that children undergo online.
PEACE LEADERSHIP on Climate Change: To Solve Bullying,Do not expose Children to Violen...: “Exposure to toxic stress, domestic violence and a violent family environment has an irreversible impact on the development of very young c...
Friday, October 5, 2018
UN stresses power of space to ‘unite the world’
Scott Kelly/NASA
The breaking of dawn over planet Earth, seen from the International Space Station.
4 October 2018
SDGs
Highlighting the importance of space and its applications for humankind, the United Nations is celebrating World Space Week 2018 with a focus on the role the cosmos plays in bringing people together, back on earth.
“Space Unites the World,” the theme for World Space Week (WSW) 2018 is inspired by UNISPACE+50 – a UN conference in June this year – that brought together leaders in exploration, and experts on space applications from all over the globe.
In addition to promoting cooperation between space-faring and emerging space nations, UNISPACE+50 saw Member Sates pledge their collective efforts to enhance the ways space science is used for sustainable development.
► READ ALSO: If we can build the International Space Station, ‘we can do anything’ – UN Champion for Space
Marked annually from 4-10 October, World Space Week commemorates the launch of Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite to be put into orbit, by the Soviet Union, on 4 October 1957, as well as the entry into force just over a decade later, of what’s formally-known as the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.
Since 2007, over 94 nations have participated in more than 2,250 Space Week events, drawing more than 1.3 million attendees.
Major events this year include:
A Transatlantic Space Week at sea, onboard the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship, as it voyages from New York to Southampton.
The European Space Agency (ESA) hosts an Open Day on 7 October 7 at its technical centre in Noordwijk, Netherlands.
The Leicester National Space Centre in the UK hosts a Space Week Family Sleepover, giving enthusiasts the chance to snuggle up next to giant rockets – spacesuits are also available.
In the United States, women in the space industry in various cities, will take part in the ‘Ladies Do Launch’, event, consisting of a series of live audience interviews.
In Bangladesh, the non-profit Youthpreneur Network , hosts the Astronomy for Girls event, in the capital Dhaka.
Space boost for women and girls, in STEM fields
The Bangladesh event shows the emphasis being placed during Space Week on encouraging young women and girls to take up space science and the so-called STEM fields overall - science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Speaking at UNISPACE+50, from the International Space Station – at a height of over 400 kilometres in low-Earth orbit – US astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, offered some excellent advice for girls and young women wishing to pursue careers in the STEM fields but feel ambivalent asking questions or learning more people those already established.
“I tell them…bother people” she said. “Bother them if you are interested in their work and research, get them to tell you about it, ask questions … explore, discover and that is the best way for young girls and women to get interested in STEM fields.”
► READ MORE: From low-earth orbit, ‘envoys’ of humanity join UN space forum
Photo Gallery: Space for a better future, the journey of UNISPACE+50
Left: Secretary-General U Thant (centre) with Soviet cosmonauts Yuri Gagarin (right) and Valentina Tereshkova (left), the first man and woman in space, respectively. Right: Scott Kelly, the UN Champion for Space, on board the International Space Station where he spent an entire year in space.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/10/1022292
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Prime Minister Modi awarded for his extensive efforts to control plastic pollution, including a pledge to eliminate all single-use plastic in India, by 2022. He has also been recognized for his joint initiative with French President Emmanuel Macron to champion the International Solar Alliance – a global partnership to scale up solar energy use and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
UN Photo/Deepak Malik
Secretary-General António Guterres (centre) honors Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India with the Champion of Earth award, the highest environmental honour of the United Nations, at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi. UN Environment Executive Director Erik Solheim (right) looks on.
3 October 2018
SDGs
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday conferred the Organization’s highest environmental honour on India’s Prime Minister, recognizing Narendra Modi’s efforts against climate change and pollution.
“Prime Minister Modi represents an extraordinary legacy,” said Mr. Guterres at the “Champions of the Earth” award ceremony, in the Indian capital New Delhi.
“Prime Minister Modi not only recognizes, knows and understands” the benefits of taking action to stop global warming, said the UN chief, but also “acts with enormous energy to make this change. And this leadership is today more necessary than ever.”
According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Prime Minister Modi has been recognized for his extensive efforts to control plastic pollution, including a pledge to eliminate all single-use plastic in India, by 2022. He has also been recognized for his joint initiative with French President Emmanuel Macron to champion the International Solar Alliance – a global partnership to scale up solar energy use and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
In his prize-giving speech, Mt. Guterres called on other world leaders to draw lessons from India and apply them in their own circumstances to “win the race against climate change.”
He also highlighted that climate action and development are not contradictory but are mutually supportive.
“The green economy is the good economy. Technology is on our side. Those that will bet on the grey economy will have a grey future, and those that, like in India, are betting on the green economy will have a dominant role in the global economy in the decades to come,” said the Secretary-General.
Prime Minister Modi, in accepting the award, said that he was doing so on behalf of millions of Indians “who protect the environment each day.”
“From fisherfolk who only take what they need or tribal communities who think of forests as their family. We will never be able to tackle climate change without bringing climate into our culture. And this is why India is taking so much action for our climate,” said the Indian leader.
Giles Clarke
Secretary-General António Guterres pays visits to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India, where he expressed his gratitude for a place that receives and shares with everybody.
Secretary-General shares a meal at a Langar
Also, on Wednesday, Secretary-General visited the Golden Temple in the city Amritsar, where he attended Langar – a community kitchen run by Sikh volunteers where people from all backgrounds and communities are provided nutritious food and clean water, at no cost.
During his visit, Mr. Guterres expressed his deep gratitude to the “wonderful practice that the Golden Temple represents, receiving everybody, sharing with everybody the food, but, more than the food, sharing this wonderful spirit of peace, of harmony, of understanding that we badly need in today’s world.”
The Langar at the Golden Temple is attended by thousands of people and pilgrims each day. It is the biggest community kitchen in the world, open 24 hours a day and uses no plastic or disposable utensils and cutlery.
Mr. Guterres is currently on his maiden visit to India as Secretary-General, during which he paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi on the 149th anniversary of his birth; inaugurated ONE UN House – the newly-refurbished building housing UN offices; held bilateral meetings with top Indian Government officials and spoke at the Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention, among other engagements.
Paying respects at Gandhi memorial
On 2 October, the birth-anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Secretary-General Guterres (right) paid his respects to the world leader of non-violence at Raj Ghat, a memorial dedicated to the Mahatma.
Giles Clarke
Click here to view the gallery in full screen mode
UN Champions of the Earth award
Established by UNEP in 2005, the Champions of the Earth award recognizes “outstanding leaders” from Government, civil society and the private sector whose actions have had a positive impact on the environment.
Other winners of the Champions of the Earth award for 2018 are: Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, an initiative creating high-quality vegetarian meat-alternatives; the Zhejiang River Chiefs programme, which works for protecting water from pollution as well as ecological restoration; Joan Carling, an indigenous and environmental rights activist; Cochin International Airport, the world’s first to be fully solar-powered; and French President Macron, for his international cooperation on environmental action.
Thursday, August 16, 2018
Beyond food and fuel: Healthy soils help grow our food, clean our water, store carbon, and reduce risks of droughts and floods
To beat hunger and combat climate change, world must ‘scale-up’ soil health – UN
FAO/Giuseppe Bizzarri
Healthy soils are essential to achieve ‘Zero Hunger’ – and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – peace and prosperity, the United Nations agriculture agency chief underscored in Brazil at the World Congress of Soil Science.
On Sunday, more than 2,000 scientists gathered in Rio de Janeiro under the theme “Soil Science: Beyond food and fuel,” for a week of exploring the increasingly complex, diverse role of soils; grappling with resilient agriculture practices to address environmental and climatic changes; and confronting threats to food security and sovereignty.
“Soil degradation affects food production, causing hunger and malnutrition, amplifying food-price volatility, forcing land abandonment and involuntary migration-leading millions into poverty,” saidJosé Graziano da Silva, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organizaation (FAO), in a video message noting that approximately one-third of the Earth’s soil is degraded
The FAO The Status of the World's Soil Resources report had identified 10 major threats to soil functions, including soil erosion, nutrient imbalance, acidification and contamination.
Mr. Graziano da Silva stressed the importance of sustainable soil management as an “essential part of the Zero Hunger equation” in a world where more than 815 million people are suffering from hunger and malnutrition.
Soils and climate change
“Although soils are hidden and frequently forgotten, we rely on them for our daily activities and for the future of the planet,” the FAO chief said, underscoring the important support role they play in mitigating or adapting to a changing climate.
Mr. Graziano da Silva specifically pointed to the potential of soils for carbon sequestration and storage – documented in FAO’s global soil organic carbon map.
“Maintaining and increasing soil carbon stock should become a priority,” asserted the UN agriculture chief.
He also noted how soils act as filters for contaminants, preventing their entry into the food chain and reaching water bodies such as rivers, lakes and oceans, flagging that this potential becomes limited when contamination exceeds the soils’ capacity to cope with pollution.
In his message, Mr. Graziano da Silva noted the Global Soil Partnership in which FAO works with governments and other partners to build technical capacity and exchange knowledge on sustainable soil management through the Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Soil Management.
“Let us make soils a vehicle of prosperity and peace, and show the contribution of soils to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” concluded the FAO Director-General said.
AGRICULTURE|CLIMATE CHANGE
UN agency is offering its expertise to farmers and Governments in the region to help them manage Fall Armyworm
An “invasive pest” that devours more than 80 different plant species, including many staple crops, could threaten the food security and livelihoods of millions of small-scale farmers in Asia, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Tuesday.
The UN agency is offering its expertise to farmers and Governments in the region to help them manage Fall Armyworm. The insect was recently detected in India, marking the first time it has been found in Asia, and FAO fears it is “highly likely” to spread, with southeast Asia and south China most at risk.
“Fall Armyworm could have a devastating impact on Asia's maize and rice producers - mostly small-scale farmers who depend on their crops for food and to make a living,” said Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific.
She described the arrival of the pest, which has been moving steadily east across the globe, as “a threat that we cannot ignore.”
Small-scale farmers cultivate roughly 80 per cent of farmland in Asia, where more than 200 million hectares of maize and rice are cultivated each year, according to FAO. Meanwhile, over 90 per cent of the world’s rice is produced and consumed there.
The fear is that Fall Armyworm, which can fly 100 kilometres at night, could chomp through crops year-round, given the region’s “favourable” climate.
Though native to the Americas, Fall Armyworm has been on the march across Africa over the past two years, affecting millions of hectares of maize and sorghum.
It was first detected in Nigeria in January 2016. Two years later, it had spread to practically all of sub-Saharan Africa, with the exception of 10 mostly northern countries and territories.
FAO took immediate steps to tackle Fall Armyworm in Africa and to support countries in mitigating the damage it caused. The agency has supported more than 30 projects on the continent to fight the pest, which can eat dozens of crop species, including maize, rice, vegetables, groundnuts and cotton.
Hans Dreyer, Director of FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division, believes action taken in Africa can also benefit Asia.
"Much of what FAO has already done in sub-Saharan Africa to help farmers and governments better monitor and mitigate Fall Armyworm damage, can also be applied in Asia,” he said.
“This includes recommendations on pesticide management, monitoring and early warning, and a practical guide for farmers and government extension workers on how to best manage the pest.”
Monday, August 13, 2018
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UN launches guide for countries to improve location-based data management to better inform decision-making
The UN Statistics Division and the World Bank launched a new guide to help nations worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries, better manage data that contains geographical information – known officially as geospatial data.
The guide includes advice on how to collect, access and use geospatial information to develop effective policies, and more accurately support decision-makers in directing aid and development resources; ensuring that the most vulnerable are not left behind.
“Geospatial information is a critical component of national infrastructure and a blueprint of what happens where, and with proven societal and economic value,” said Stefan Schweinfest, Director of the Statistics Division, which is part of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
High-quality, timely geospatial information is often overlooked in policymaking - Anna Wellenstein (World Bank)
“Better understanding and management of digital location-based data and services, and good geospatial information integrated with urban planning and census data, can enable more efficient resource allocation for better service delivery,” he explained.
The guide, titled ‘Integrated Geospatial Information Framework’, makes concrete recommendations on establishing national geospatial information management processes and putting that information to use.
According to the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), with more reliable geospatial data, policy-makers, international organisations, civil society and others, will have better insights into the distribution of needs and ways to optimize development planning and investments.
“High-quality, timely geospatial information is often overlooked in policymaking, yet is fundamental to achieving inclusive growth and sustainable development,” said Anna Wellenstein, who leads land and geospatial activities at the World Bank.
Currently, all governments hold a considerable amount of geospatial information, including databases on who has access to education; communities most affected by poverty; areas at risk of disasters; as well as mobile data that can keep more people informed about disease outbreaks and weather patterns.
But the information, although critical to improve lives and livelihoods, is often not current, shared, or integrated with other necessary data.
“The Framework will help countries in building capacity for using geospatial technology to enhance informed government decision-making, facilitate private sector development, take practical actions to achieve a digital transformation, and bridge the geospatial-digital divide.”
The UN-GGIM stressed that this guide is also meant to help low- and middle-income countries move toward developing their “e-economies” to provide better social and economic services to citizens. For example, integrated geospatial information management can enable Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to better monitor climate change impacts, plan mitigation, and manage disaster risks.
Representatives from governments and geospatial information experts are attending the Eighth Session of the UN-GGIM in New York from 1 to 3 August to discuss efforts to enhance collaboration, coordination, and coherence in global geospatial information management. In November, high-level stakeholders will meet in Deqing, Zhejiang Province, China, at the UN World Geospatial Information Congress to ensure the widest and fullest use of geospatial information to advance social, economic, and environmental development.
UNDESA|UN COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON GLOBAL GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/08/1016162
Farmers living on the Indian Ocean Comoros archipelago are being supported through a UN Development Programme (UNDP) initiative, to adapt to climate change in an effort to ensure they can continue to prosper in one of Africa’s poorest nations
Some 200,000 Comorians rely solely on agriculture to make a living from crops such as ylang-ylang, vanilla and clove; fragrant plants which have led many to name the small island nation, the perfume islands.
But, changes to the climate are upending traditional agricultural practices and threatening the islanders’ livelihoods.
UNDP has partnered with the Government of Comoros to mentor farmers in a new agricultural approach. https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/08/1016052
For more information on this story please click here.
The world’s young people need safe spaces – both physical and digital - where they can “freely express their views” and “pursue their dreams” was the core message of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to mark this year’s International Youth Day.
Students from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, about half of whom are orphans and former street children and about one-third girls, play their instruments.
World Bank/Roxana Bravo
10 August 2018
Human Rights
“The hopes of the world rest on young people,” said the UN chief on Friday, in advance of the official Day, which is celebrated annually on 12 August.
“Peace, economic dynamism, social justice, tolerance – all this and more, today and tomorrow, depends on tapping into the power of youth,” he added.
There are currently 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the world – the largest youth population ever.
Political instability, labour market challenges and limited space for political and civic participation have led youth to becoming increasingly more isolated, raising the need for more safe spaces where they can meet, engage and express themselves.
We must invest so that young people have access to education, training and decent jobs to achieve their full potential – Secretary-General Guterres
Mr. Guterres pointed out that more than 400 million young women and men live amidst armed conflict or are vulnerable to organized criminal violence.
Moreover, he elaborated that “millions face deprivation, harassment, bullying and other infringements of their rights.”
Safe spaces offer security and dignity while interacting. These include civic spaces to engage in governance issues; public spaces to take part in community activity such as sport digital spaces to interact virtually across borders; and well-planned physical spaces for diverse youth; especially those vulnerable to marginalization or violence.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, specifically Goal 11, emphasizes the need for the provision of space towards inclusive and sustainable urbanization.
“We must invest so that young people have access to education, training and decent jobs to achieve their full potential,” underscored the Secretary-General.
“The United Nations is strongly committed to listening to the voices of young people – and opening pathways for meaningful participation in decisions that affect them,” he continued, announcing a new strategy to be launched in September “to step up our work with and for young people.”
“In making the world safe for young people, we make the world better for all,” concluded Mr. Guterres, “I wish all a happy International Youth Day!”
For her message for the day, Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Youth Envoy, stressed: “Young women and girls are particularly vulnerable, as are young refugees and migrants, youth living in conflict-prone or humanitarian settings, and LGBTQI young people,” referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex.
Events to celebrate International Youth Day 2018 will take place all over the world to promote youth engagement and empowerment.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/08/1016832
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Wednesday, August 1, 2018
#CleanAir4Health and #BreatheLife Upcoming Events....
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Air pollution linked to higher breast cancer risk in women
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Asian residents exposed to much higher ultra-fine particles and soot than Europeans or North Americans
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