Tag: UN

Governments formally adopt High Seas Treaty, paving the way for greater ocean protection

Stuart Mitchell

UN members HAVE formally adopted a High Seas Treaty aimed at conserving marine life and restraining harmful activities across the two-thirds of the ocean that lie beyond national jurisdiction. The text was agreed last March following a marathon negotiating session, but additional time was needed for translation into UN languages. “The high seas are humanity’s greatest global commons, and they are a vital part of our planet’s life-support system. But only about 1% of the high seas is currently protected,” said Pepe Clarke, Oceans Practice Leader, WWF International. “Last year,…

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UN chief calls for new era of social media integrity in bid to stem misinformation

Stuart Mitchell

Countries must address the “grave global harm” caused by the proliferation of hate and lies online, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said recently, launching a key report designed to shore up information integrity on digital platforms.  Alarm over the potential threat posed by the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) must not obscure the damage already being done by digital technologies that enable the spread of online hate speech, as well as mis- and disinformation, he said.   The policy brief argues that they should be integral players in upholding the…

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The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and UN Women join forces for gender equality

Stuart Mitchell

  The agreement will provide a strong framework for UNODC and UN Women to work together to strengthen joint efforts in promoting gender equality and meeting the specific needs of women and girls when addressing the world drug problem; implementing the Women, Peace, and Security agenda; countering gender-based violence, organized crime, corruption, and terrorism; and strengthening crime prevention and building effective criminal justice systems. Recognizing the different ways in which women are affected by violence, corruption and other crimes is an essential step towards devising more effective strategies to achieve…

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UN calls for a war on garbage

Stuart Mitchell

The planet is literally drowning in garbage, and it is high time to clean up, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said last week, at an event in the General Assembly Hall marking the first-ever International Day of Zero Waste. The high-level meeting was held to raise awareness of the urgent need to transition to a “green” and circular economy that promotes sustainable production and consumption patterns. The move could save governments billions and create hundreds of thousands of jobs. Tweet URL Humanity currently generates more than two billion tonnes of municipal…

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UN launches $1 billion appeal to scale-up aid operations in Türkiye

Stuart Mitchell

The United Nations has launched a $1 billion appeal for Türkiye to assist more than five million people affected by the cataclysmic earthquakes recently, the largest to hit the country in a century. The funding, which covers a three-month-period, will allow aid organizations to swiftly ramp up their operations to support Government-led response efforts in areas that include food security, protection, education, water and shelter.    Tweet URL UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged the international community to step up and fully fund the response effort.  “Türkiye is home to the…

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