четверг, 12 сентября 2030 г.

SDG progress ‘in danger’ of going backwards without change in direction, new UN report reveals







11 September 2019
SDGs


The current worldwide sustainable development model is threatening to reverse years of progress, if strategies don’t drastically change, an independent group of scientists has concluded in a major new report launched on Wednesday.


The UN report will be at the centre of discussions during the UN summit on the SDGs later this month.

Worsening inequalities and potentially irreversible damage to the natural environment on which we all depend, demands concerted action, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), urged in a statement on the report findings, compiled by a team of 15 UN-appointed experts.

“Achieving human well-being and eradicating poverty for all of the Earth’s people—expected to number 8.5 billion by 2030—is still possible,” they highlighted, “but only if there is a fundamental—and urgent—change in the relationship between people and nature.”

The report, “The Future is Now: Science for Achieving Sustainable Development,” points to understanding the relationships between individual SDGs and the “concrete systems that define society today” to devise a plan to ameliorate global instability.

At the request of countries to evaluate progress of the 2030 SDG Agenda, adopted in 2015, the Global Report on Sustainable Development (GDSR) consists of surveys on scientific findings from ocean livelihoods, to sustainable consumption, production, and disaster risk management, among other issues.
Science-backed recommendations


The current roadmap for development has generated prosperity for “hundreds of millions,” the scientists said, but at the cost of other resources and a growing inequality that undermines global growth.

Boosting economies via increasing consumption for example, is exhausting the planet’s materials and creating toxic by-products which threaten to overwhelm the world. At the current rate of consumption, “use of material is set to almost double between 2017 and 2060, from 89 Gigatons to 167 Gigatons”, resulting in consequential “increased levels of greenhouse gas emissions, and other toxic effects” from resource extraction, they stressed.

The status quo must change, scientists said, in order to eschew further loss in “social cohesion and sustainable economic growth,” curb biodiversity losses, and save a “world close to tipping points with the global climate system.”

For this to happen, all sectors must come together in coordinated action, the report urges. Increasing investment in science for sustainability, is one key approach, and acknowledging that achievement of the SDGs requires economic growth be divorced from environmental degradation, while reducing inequalities.

The experts noted that “the extensive transformation that is needed will not be easy, and the report suggests that a deep scientific understanding is needed to anticipate and mitigate the tensions and trade-offs inherent in widespread structural change.”
Key points of intervention

According to the report, there are 20 points of intervention that can be used to accelerate progress toward multiple goals and targets in the next ten years.

Among these, basic services must be made universally available—healthcare, education, water and sanitation infrastructure, housing and social protection— as a prerequisite” toward eliminating poverty.

In addition, ending legal and social discrimination, scaling up trades unions, nongovernmental organizations, women’s groups and other communities will “be important partners in efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda”, the experts said.

Inefficient food and energy systems are depriving some 2 billion people of food security, while 820 million are undernourished, and 2 billion adults are overweight. Production processes are causing severe environmental impact.

Transitioning to renewable energy systems could help reduce the 3 billion who rely on pollutants for cooking, and avoid premature deaths, estimated at 3.8 million each year, they cited. Meanwhile, the energy access gap has left close to one billion without access to electricity at all. Increases in renewable energy supply in the past decade have corresponded with price drops in clean fuel technology—around 77 per cent for solar power and a 38 per cent drop for onshore wind.

With an estimated two-thirds of the global population projected to live in cities by 2050, the experts said achieving the 2030 Agenda will require “more compact and efficient” urban areas that will be nature-based in infrastructure—but the ecosystem’s services and resources “must be safeguarded.”

What the scientists call “the global environmental commons” - the rainforests, oceans, and atmosphere - need support from governments, international actors and the private sector to ensure good practices.

The full report and its recommendations will be presented during the High-Level Political Forum at the 2019 SDG Summit that will convene heads of State and Government in New York on 24 and 25 September.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/09/1046132
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode

понедельник, 29 сентября 2025 г.

Глава МИД Азербайджана призвал поддержать кандидатуру Баку для проведения «ЭКСПО – 2025»




Фото ООН


Министр иностранных дел Азербайджана Эльмар Мамедъяров выступил в Генассамблеи ООН


28 сентября 2018

ООН


Азербайджан поддерживает инициативы главы ООН по предупреждению войн и поддержанию мира, привержен выполнению Целей устойчивого развития и продвигает идеи мультикультурализма. Об этом заявил министр иностранных дел Азербайджана Эльмар Мамедъяров, выступая в ходе общих прений 73-й сессии Генассамблеи. При этом он напомнил об «оккупации Арменией» одной пятой территории Азербайджана и призвал международное сообщество «усилить давление на Ереван, чтобы добиться выполнения соответствующих резолюций Совета Безопасности».

Министр иностранных дел Азербайджана рассказал с трибуны Генассамблеи об успехах его страны в развитии экономики и ее участии в многочисленных региональных проектах – строительстве транспортных коридоров, объектов инфраструктуры и создании высокотехнологичных коммуникационных магистралей.

По его словам, устойчивый экономический рост позволяет Азербайджану оказывать помощь развивающимся странам, а также государствам, которые справляются с последствиями стихийных бедствий. Азербайджан, по его словам, борется с коррупцией и активно сотрудничает с правозащитными механизмами ООН.

Глава МИД Азербайджана сообщил, что Баку претендует на проведение международной выставки «ЭКСПО – 2025» и призвал страны, которым в ноябре предстоит определить победителя, поддержать кандидатуру Азербайджана. «Страны Восточной Европы, Кавказа и бассейна Каспия никогда не принимали у себя ЭКСПО», - сообщил Мамедъяров, подчеркнув, что избрание Баку позволит расширить географию проведения выставки.

По словам министра, Азербайджан как «один из признанных центров мультикультурализма» провел многочисленные международные мероприятия, направленные на укрепление межкультурного диалога. «Представители всех этнических и религиозных групп проживают в Азербайджане в мире и гармонии», - подчеркнул он.

Вместе с тем, глава МИД Азербайджана напомнил, что пятая часть территории его страны находится «под оккупацией со стороны Армении», а «один из девяти жителей страны является беженцем или внутренним переселенцем». Он призвал международное сообщество оказать давление на власти Армении, чтобы добиться немедленного выполнения соответствующих резолюций Совета Безопасности ООН.

«Новое руководство Армении должно понимать, что его обещания армянскому народу о превращении Армении в экономически развитое и процветающее государство невозможно выполнить, не установив мир и добрые взаимоотношения с соседями, не уважая их суверенитет и территориальную целостность», - подчеркнул Эльмар Мамедъяров.

Как заявил министр, в Азербайджане считают, что не существует «альтернативы миру, стабильности и взаимовыгодному региональному сотрудничеству».



https://news.un.org/ru/story/2018/09/1339582
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode

пятница, 28 марта 2025 г.

DR Congo: Record numbers face acute or emergency hunger


A woman collects her possessions before leaving a camp for displaced people near Goma in teastern DR Congo.
© UNICEF/Jospin Benekire
 
A woman collects her possessions before leaving a camp for displaced people near Goma in teastern DR Congo.


27 March 2025 
Humanitarian Aid

A record 27.7 million people are in the grip of acute hunger in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), amid ongoing conflict linked to massive displacement and rising food prices, global food security experts warned on Thursday.

The situation represents one of the world’s worst food crises, according to the UN-partnered Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) platform.

“The humanitarian situation in the DRC is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Families who were already struggling to feed themselves are now facing an even harsher reality,” said Eric Perdison, WFP’s Regional Director for Southern Africa and ad interim WFP DRC Country Director.

Tweet URL

On a scale of one to five – where five indicates famine – 3.9 million people in DRC are classified as IPC Phase 4, which indicates “emergency” levels of hunger - and a 23.8 million are enduring Phase 3 “crisis” levels.

Check out our explainer on how hunger and famine levels are classified, here.

Chaos in the east

The situation is worst in the conflict-affected eastern provinces of DRC – North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Tanganyika – where families have lost access to their livestock and livelihoods.

Rebels from the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group have wrested control of the main cities of Goma and Bukavu since the year began, amid continued fighting, economic collapse and continuing efforts by regional mediators to agree ceasefire terms. 

Mapping shows that the outbreak of violence in December in eastern DRC led by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels has pushed an additional 2.5 million people into acute food insecurity.

Situation worse for those uprooted

“Internally displaced people escaping violence remain among the most vulnerable, bearing the brunt of the worsening food crisis,” said the UN World Food Programme (WFP), in a joint statement with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

They are just two of the UN agencies committed to helping the most vulnerable communities in the war-torn east by providing life-saving food and nutrition assistance and strengthening resilience.

These include tens of thousands of people uprooted by M23 rebels from camps in North Kivu - and in particular six sites around Goma – and the territories of Kalehe and Uvira in South Kivu in February 2025, amid intensified conflict.

“All IDP sites in North Kivu, particularly in the Goma region, are now completely empty,” the IPC said, adding that of the 3.7 million internally displaced people formerly based in camps in eastern DRC, more than 2.2 million are in “crisis” and 738,000 face “emergency” levels of hunger.

In total, the DRC has more than 7.8 million displaced people, most live with host families in eastern regions.

“We have resumed operations in parts of North and South Kivu, and we are committed to do more to support those at risk, but we urgently need more resources,” WFP’s Mr. Perdison said.

Armed clashes continue to disrupt food production and trade routes, while humanitarian access remains limited, as security risks hinder the ability to deliver essential assistance,” WFP added.

Inflationary pressures

The sharp depreciation of the Congolese franc, shuttered banks and lost incomes have also made it increasingly difficult for families to afford even the basics.

At the same time, inflation and disrupted supply chains have contributed to a rise in food prices. The price of basic foods such as maize flour, palm oil and cassava flour have increased by up to 37 per cent compared to pre-crisis levels in December 2024.

Soundcloud

To date this year, 464,000 people have received WFP food, cash for food, and nutrition treatment in accessible areas of eastern DRC; WFP has managed to reach 237,000 people in Bunia alone.

Beyond emergency food assistance in eastern DRC, FAO and WFP have invested in skills-based training in North and South Kivu to help communities improve their long-term food security.

“The current situation is dire for the population, as harvests are lost, food prices soar, millions of people face acute food insecurity and are increasingly vulnerable,” said Athman Mravili, FAO Representative ad interim.

Urgent appeal

To help WFP reach 6.4 million people in DRC with food and nutrition assistance – and invest in long-term solutions – the UN agency needs $399 million to sustain operations amid growing humanitarian needs over the next six months.

“WFP and FAO call on the international community to step up funding and humanitarian access to prevent a full-scale catastrophe,” they said. 


https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161606


https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

вторник, 25 марта 2025 г.

UN peace missions strained, with trust ‘in short supply’ and widening divisions



UN peacekeepers patrol Mutwanga in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
UN Photo/Michael Ali
 
UN peacekeepers patrol Mutwanga in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.


By Vibhu Mishra
24 March 2025 
Peace and Security

United Nations peace operations are facing mounting challenges as conflicts become more protracted, geopolitical divisions widen and transnational threats multiply, Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Monday.

Addressing a high-level open debate in the Security Council, he called for urgent reforms to make peacekeeping more adaptable to today’s increasingly complex security landscape.

“Wars are becoming more complex and more deadly. They last longer and are more enmeshed in global and regional dynamics. Negotiated settlements have been harder to achieve,” Mr. Guterres said.

He noted that many conflicts transcend national borders, with terrorism, organized crime and the weaponisation of new technologies posing additional threats. At the same time, multifaceted impacts of climate change are further complicating efforts to secure peace.

Adding to the mix, divisions within the Security Council itself have made it harder to find common ground on approaching and addressing conflicts.

“Trust is in short supply among – and within – countries and regions…this is a grim diagnosis, but we must face facts.”

Gap between mandates and resources

Mr. Guterres highlighted that one of the biggest hurdles facing UN peace operations is the growing gap between what missions are expected to achieve and the resources available to them.

“We see a persistent mismatch between mandates and available resources,” he said, adding that the Council must recognise the limitations of peacekeeping in situations “where there is little or no peace to keep”.

Despite these challenges, the UN chief emphasised that the Organization has the tools to adapt peace operations to better meet modern realities. He highlighted several recent efforts to make missions more effective and responsive.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the Security Council.
UN Photo/Manuel Elías
 
UN Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the Security Council.

Adapting peace operations

This includes a proposal for Haiti, where criminal gangs have overrun large parts of the country. The UN has a clear role to play in supporting stability and security, he said, while addressing the root causes of the crisis.

Similarly, in Lebanon, the UN Interim Force (UNIFIL) has developed an adaptation plan to strengthen its mandate and support compliance with Security Council resolution 1701.

Another key example is the recent Security Council resolution 2719, which enhanced the UN’s partnership with the African Union (AU), paving the way for stronger collaboration in peace enforcement missions.

“This breakthrough has lifted our partnership with the AU to a new level,” Mr. Guterres said, urging Member States to fully support the initiative.

Appeal for unity

Mr. Guterres noted that work is underway for a comprehensive review of UN peace operations as called for by Member States in the Pact for the Future, adopted in September last year.

The review will examine existing peacekeeping models, explore new approaches and ensure missions have realistic mandates with viable exit strategies and transition plans.

In closing, he urged all nations to overcome divides and provide the unified support necessary for peacekeeping missions to succeed.

“I call on this Security Council to continue working to overcome divisions and disagreements around peace operations and build the unified and consistent political support our peace operations – and the women and men who conduct them – need and deserve.”

https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161441


https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

понедельник, 24 марта 2025 г.

Генассамблея приняла резолюцию о постоянном нейтралитете Туркменистана


Постоянный представитель Туркменистана при ООН Аксолтан Атаева на трибуне Генассамблеи.
Фото Постоянного представительства Туркменистана при ООН
 
Постоянный представитель Туркменистана при ООН Аксолтан Атаева на трибуне Генассамблеи.


21 марта 2025
 Мир и безопасность

21 марта Генеральная Ассамблея ООН консенсусом приняла резолюцию «Постоянный нейтралитет Туркменистана». Ее соавторами стали 67 государств. В резолюции, в частности, рекомендуется использовать территории нейтральных стран для проведения мирных переговоров. В документе также отмечено предложение Туркменистана о создании на его территории Палаты посредничества во имя мира под эгидой ООН.

Представляя резолюцию, Постоянный представитель Туркменистана при ООН Аксолтан Атаева подчеркнула, что статус постоянного нейтралитета является стержнем внешней политики Туркменистана, основой для реализации сбалансированной миротворческой доктрины страны на международной арене.

Постпред отметила, что Туркменистан, опираясь на всеобъемлющую поддержку своего нейтрального курса со стороны мирового сообщества с момента принятия первой резолюции Генеральной Ассамблеей ООН о постоянном нейтралитете Туркменистана 12 декабря 1995 года, неуклонно демонстрирует его эффективность как ключевого инструмента для осуществления превентивной дипломатии на региональном и глобальном уровнях.

Атаева особо подчеркнула, что нейтралитет глубоко укоренен как во внешней, так и во внутренней политике страны, закреплен Конституционным законом Туркменистана о постоянном нейтралитете и основан на историческом наследии и традициях туркменского народа, которые ставят мир, диалог и взаимное уважение в основу государственного строительства.

Руководство страны, по словам Постпреда, сохраняет преемственность нейтрального курса, продвигая миротворческие инициативы и укрепляя внеблоковый статус Туркменистана.

Особое внимание Атаева уделила активному и практическому характеру нейтральной политики Туркменистана, в рамках которой, в частности, были созданы такие ключевые институты и формы поддержания и укрепления мира и безопасности в регионе, как Региональный центр ООН по превентивной дипломатии для Центральной Азии в Ашхабаде и Зона мира и доверия в Центральной Азии.

По инициативе Туркменистана в 2017 году Генеральная Ассамблея ООН провозгласила 12 декабря Международным днем нейтралитета, на площадке ООН создана Группа друзей нейтралитета, а в нынешнем году проводится глобальная кампания в рамках Международного года мира и доверия.



https://news.un.org/ru/story/2025/03/1462566


https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

четверг, 13 марта 2025 г.

Guterres prioritises UN reform to ensure taxpayers’ money reaches those in need



Secretary-General António Guterres briefs the media about the UN80 Initiative.
UN Photo/Manuel Elías
 
Secretary-General António Guterres briefs the media about the UN80 Initiative.


By Vibhu Mishra
12 March 2025 
UN Affairs

The United Nations is prioritising reform to ensure it remains effective, cost-efficient and responsive to the people it serves, Secretary-General António Guterres announced Wednesday, as part of a continued push to modernize the Organization.

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters, in New York, Mr. Guterres emphasised that the reforms are not just about internal processes but aimed at delivering tangible improvements in peace, development and humanitarian aid – all while ensuring that public funds are used wisely and transparently.

“These efforts are not ends in themselves. They are about better serving people whose very lives depend on us. They are about hardworking taxpayers around the world who underwrite everything we do,” he said.

As the UN turns 80 this year, the UN80 Initiative builds on ongoing efforts, including the Pact for the Future and UN 2.0, which aim to update the UN’s structures, priorities, and operations for the 21st century.

Tweet URL

Urgency and ambition

Since taking office in 2017, Mr. Guterres has led a comprehensive reform agenda focused on simplifying procedures, decentralising decision-making, enhancing transparency and prioritising data and digital capacity to make the UN more efficient and cost-effective.

It is essential that an organizational system as complex and crucial as the United Nations – subjects itself to rigorous and regular scrutiny to assess its fitness for purpose in carrying out its goals efficiently,” he said.

“And this 80th anniversary year of the United Nations is a prime moment to expand all our efforts, recognising the need for even greater urgency and ambition.

Not just about numbers

Under the UN80 Initiative, a dedicated internal Task Force led by Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder will develop proposals in three key areas, the UN chief said.

These include identifying efficiencies and improvements, reviewing the implementation of mandates from Member States, and a strategic review of deeper, more structural changes and programme realignment.

These efforts go “far beyond the technical,” Mr. Guterres said.

Budgets at the United Nations are not just numbers on a balance sheet – they are a matter of life and death for millions around the world.

Liquidity crisis

Though the UN remains a “one-of-a-kind” forum for nations to advance peace and security collectively, promote sustainable development and human rights, it has been facing significant fiscal headwinds.

Resources are shrinking across the board – and they have been for a long time,” Mr. Guterres said.

“For at least the past seven years, the United Nations has faced a liquidity crisis because not all Member States pay in full, and many also do not pay on time,” he added.

As of 11 March, only 75 of the 193 Member States have paid their assessed contributions in full towards the $3.72 billion 2025 budget for the Organization – approved by the General Assembly in December last year.

Last year, 152 nations paid their share in full by December 31, while in 2023 the number was 142.

The regular budget funds UN programmes across key areas, including political affairs, international justice and law, regional cooperation for development, human rights and humanitarian affairs. UN peacekeeping operations are funded through a separate account.

Member States’ decisions

Mr. Guterres also pledged to consult closely and regularly with all Member States on the progress made – under the leadership of the President of the General Assembly – seeking guidance on the way forward and presenting concrete proposals.

“My objective is to move as soon as possible in areas where I have the authority – and to urge Member States to consider the many decisions that rest with them,” he said.

He concluded emphasising, “need is great, and the goal is clear:  an even stronger and more effective United Nations that delivers for people and is tuned to the 21st century.”

Secretary-General Guterres speaking to the media on the UN80 initiative.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161046
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode