The Fast Track to End AIDS
Each hour nearly 140 people die from AIDS-related causes.?There are nearly 37 million people living with the disease and there were 2 million new infections reported in 2014.?Much has been done to address the AIDS epidemic in the last 10 years, but there is still work to do to halt the spread of HIV, ensure that people have access to life saving medications and address HIV/AIDS within the larger framework of the Global Sustainable Development Goals.
December 1 is World AIDS Day and provides an opportunity to raise awareness about what has been accomplished and the challenges that remain.?The theme for World AIDS Day 2015 is 'On The Fast Track to End AIDS:Ending the AIDS epidemic as part of the Sustainable Development Goals'.
World Leaders Meet in Paris to Tackle Climate Change
Today 150 heads of state from around the world are meeting in Paris to take on one of the most pressing issues of our time: climate change.? The meeting marks the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP) to the 51³Ô¹Ï Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) , or COP21. This year presents an historic and unprecedented opportunity to bring the countries and citizens of the world together to decide and embark on new paths to improve the lives of people everywhere by reaching a new universal agreement to protect the planet and its people. .
The Preventable Pandemic: Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
25 November marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
Violence against women and girls has been described by the World Health Organization as a global public health pandemic, with 1 in 3 women around the world experiencing physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.?
Did you know:
World Toilet Day Raises Awareness About Sustainable Sanitation
An international day devoted to toilets?? Many people around the world think you're joking when you tell them that 19 November is World Toilet Day.?But access to clean water and sanitation is no laughing matter.
A few facts:
A Tree Grows in Bridgeport: A Celebration of UN70
Dr. Rima Salah?[Second Row Center], Member of the Secretary General's High Level Panel on Peace Operations with students, faculty and Administration from the University of Bridgeport ?[Photo by Triton Marks].
On 30 October 2015 the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, CT USA celebrated the 70th Anniversary of the 51³Ô¹Ï. The ceremony paid special tribute not only to the UN, but also to an event that took place at University some sixty years prior. October 24, 1955, the University's Student Council planted a sapling to mark the tenth anniversary of the 51³Ô¹Ï and to commemorate its achievements. The University took advantage of the UN's seventieth anniversary to rededicate the tree and to install a new plaque to replace the one that had weathered many a Connecticut winter.
Eduardo Ulibarri Bilbao discusses his new book: The UN that I lived
The UN that I lived
When, in August 1, 2010, I arrived to New York as the new Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the 51³Ô¹Ï, my to do list was full of unavoidable tasks, but it also included a loose aspiration: to write a book about my experiences in the Organization.
As weeks, months and years passed ¨C a total of four, my diplomatic commitments took over my literary drive. I deeply immersed myself in the structures, processes, negotiations, challenges, hopes and realizations of the UN, and put the idea of the book on hold. However, every time I wrote a report, recommended a stance, casted a vote, argued a position, talked to a colleague or worked towards consensus, my mind and my notes collected those experiences in a spontaneous way.
Most of the time I focused on documenting the issues, but it also was unavoidable to add my reflections, collect anecdotes and depict characters.
Launch of Annual World Risk Report Highlights Dangers of Food Insecurity
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Today the Alliance Development Works and the Institute for Environment and Human Security of 51³Ô¹Ï University launched the World Risk Report 2015.? The 74 page report, launched in Berlin in both English and German, details the intersectionality between disaster risk reduction and reducing food insecurity among vulnerable populations around the world.?
The World Risk Report 2015 ?looks at food security within the context of the World Risk Index which systematically considers a country's vulnerability, and its exposure to natural hazards (e.g. flood, storm, earthquake) to determine the disaster risk ranking of 171 countries around the world. Food insecurity can increase disaster risk, for example by forcing people to move to higher risk areas more vulnerable to natural hazards in search of food or arable land.
The Second Annual J. Michael Adams Lecture and Conversation Series
On 30 October 2015, 51³Ô¹Ï staff and delegates and university researchers and students gathered for the second annual J. Michael Adams Lecture and Conversation Series, featuring retired U.S. Ambassador Thomas Pickering and his reflections on the past and future of the 51³Ô¹Ï.
International Day for Tolerance: 16 November
In 1996, the UN General Assembly (by resolution 51/95) invited UN Member States to observe the on 16 November, with activities directed towards both educational establishments and the wider public. You can learn more from the International Day for?Tolerance website, and also read a message for the 2015 obervance of the day from the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon?below:
Message from the Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon
The call to practice tolerance was written into the identity of the 51³Ô¹Ï 70 years ago.? Today, in a world buffeted by turbulence and change, the Charter's summons remains a vital touchstone for our work.
People are more connected?- but this does not mean there is more understanding.
The 15th East Asian Seminar on the UN System - The UN at 70 for a better World: East Asian Partnership in Global and Regional Governance
In October, the Shanghai UN research Association (SUNRA) organised, with support of the China Academic Net for UN Studies (CANUNS), Japan Association for UN Studies (JAUNS) Korea Academic Council (KACUNS) on the UN in collaboration with Academic Council on the UN System (ACUNS), a workshop and seminar on The 15th East Asian Seminar in the UN System: East Asian Partnership in Global and Regional Governance. The workshop and seminar brought together teams of scholars from three countries - China, Japan and Korea (CJK), and two representatives of ACUNS.
The workshop and seminar facilitated a good opportunity to foster the networking among the seminar's participants and the sharing of academic knowledge and exchange expertise on how to improve governance, accountability, and effective development delivery and results.
On fifth anniversary of UN Academic Impact, Ban stresses empowering youth to lead global progress
Yesterday at 51³Ô¹Ï, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the 51³Ô¹Ï Academic Impact,?a series of conversations took place with the ECOSOC Chamber filled with students, academics, civil society, representatives of the diplomatic community and the UN family.
UN News Centre was there covering the event - you can read more in their article: .
The archived video of the event is also available .
The message from the Secretary-General for the Fifth Anniversary of the UN Academic Impact is below:
Call for entries ¨C Disarmament Poster Contest
In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the first UN General Assembly resolution, which established the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass destruction, the 51³Ô¹Ï Office for Disarmament Affairs is pleased to sponsor the .
Learn more from the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs:
Public Health in the post-2015 Development Agenda Series: Training the Next Generation of Public Health Professionals
This is the fifth article of the UNAI series Public Health in the post-2015 development agenda. Schools and departments of public health at UNAI member institutions were asked to submit articles highlighting research and work relating to the proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to showcase the importance of public health in the post-2015 development agenda. Please note that the articles are for discussion, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the 51³Ô¹Ï.
Call for science briefs for the 2016 Global Sustainable Development Report
The Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) is a 51³Ô¹Ï publication aiming to strengthen the science-policy interface at the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, and provide a strong evidence-based instrument to support policymakers in promoting poverty eradication and sustainable development.
With the establishment of the UN High-level Political Forum (HLPF) in 2012, Governments have created an entry point for scientists across the world to be heard at the highest levels of the 51³Ô¹Ï. The call for science briefs ¨C concise, factual, peer reviewed, open access ¨C contributions from scientists and researchers that highlight issues, research findings or solutions is a unique opportunity to bring scientific issues to the attention of policy makers.
Enlightened Universe, an interactive sculpture for UN70
In New York's Central Park earlier this month, Ban Ki-moon unveiled Enlightened Universe, an interactive sculpture by renowned Spanish artist Cristobal Gabarron created in honour of the UN's 70th anniversary. The commemorative art installation depicts 70 life-size figures joined in hand around a central globe, creating a human chain of global citizenship, solidarity, tolerance, respect for nature, and shared responsibility. You can see the video here:
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