51³Ô¹Ï

Celebrate #UNDay on Saturday 24 October by taking a special virtual guided tour LIVE with one of our tour guides. Learn about the UN's 75 year history, how the Headquarters were established in #NYC and find out more about the Organization's work addressing the main challenges of the day. #UN75

Celebrate #UNDay by taking a Virtual Tour with one of our multilingual guides and learn about the Organization¡¯s work in addressing global challenges! #UN75

¡°The world has been fundamentally transformed by digital technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated their adoption and a global reliance on their benefits. Yet we find ourselves at an inflection point: It is clear that we cannot reap the full benefits of the digital age without mobilizing the global cooperation needed to mitigate the potential harms they bring.¡± said Hochschild, the UN Under-Secretary

In the post-Covid-19 era, digital technology is one of the most disruptive factors to present unprecedented challenges to human beings. Various cases and studies in Harvard Business Review show the great power of the interaction and interdependence of technology and management.

As the Chief Editor of Harvard Business Review, Amy Bernstein mentioned, the inescapable conclusion is that the pandemic has hit hardest those who were already disadvantaged and has exacerbated all of society¡¯s most entrenched problems¡ª income inequality, job insecurity, racism, lack of healthcare, political polarization. ¡°but I believe that the answers must come at the policy level, which will require a level of political will and spirit of collaboration that is all too rare these days. For organizational leaders addressing these inequities will take honesty and determination.¡±

The dialogue consists of three events with related topics: Diversity and Equality in a Digital Era, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Management Technology and Future Organization. Leaders and scholars worldwide will join the discussion, including professors from Peking University and Middlebury Institute as well as AI scientist from GSK. The UN75 is a global listening initiative to listen to people from across the entire world on their hopes and fears for the future. In order to reach as many people as possible, we have built partnerships with youth, civil society, business and media organisations, and created a one-minute survey that captures these aspirations.

We hope to gather voices and perspectives from both the public and private sectors to enlighten more people and enhance global cooperation to accelerate the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The three rounds will be aired every Thursday at 19:30 Beijing Time starting from October 29th.

¡°The world has been fundamentally transformed by digital technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated their adoption and a global reliance on their benefits. Yet we find ourselves at an inflection point: It is clear that we cannot reap the full benefits of the digital age without mobilizing the global cooperation needed to mitigate the potential harms they bring.¡± said Hochschild, the UN Under-Secretary

In the post-Covid-19 era, digital technology is one of the most disruptive factors to present unprecedented challenges to human beings. Various cases and studies in Harvard Business Review show the great power of the interaction and interdependence of technology and management.

As the Chief Editor of Harvard Business Review, Amy Bernstein mentioned, the inescapable conclusion is that the pandemic has hit hardest those who were already disadvantaged and has exacerbated all of society¡¯s most entrenched problems¡ª income inequality, job insecurity, racism, lack of healthcare, political polarization. ¡°but I believe that the answers must come at the policy level, which will require a level of political will and spirit of collaboration that is all too rare these days. For organizational leaders addressing these inequities will take honesty and determination.¡±

The dialogue consists of three events with related topics: Diversity and Equality in a Digital Era, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Management Technology and Future Organization. Leaders and scholars worldwide will join the discussion, including professors from Peking University and Middlebury Institute as well as AI scientist from GSK. The UN75 is a global listening initiative to listen to people from across the entire world on their hopes and fears for the future. In order to reach as many people as possible, we have built partnerships with youth, civil society, business and media organisations, and created a one-minute survey that captures these aspirations.

We hope to gather voices and perspectives from both the public and private sectors to enlighten more people and enhance global cooperation to accelerate the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The three rounds will be aired every Thursday at 19:30 Beijing Time starting from October 29th.

¡°The world has been fundamentally transformed by digital technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated their adoption and a global reliance on their benefits. Yet we find ourselves at an inflection point: It is clear that we cannot reap the full benefits of the digital age without mobilizing the global cooperation needed to mitigate the potential harms they bring.¡± said Hochschild, the UN Under-Secretary

In the post-Covid-19 era, digital technology is one of the most disruptive factors to present unprecedented challenges to human beings. Various cases and studies in Harvard Business Review show the great power of the interaction and interdependence of technology and management.

As the Chief Editor of Harvard Business Review, Amy Bernstein mentioned, the inescapable conclusion is that the pandemic has hit hardest those who were already disadvantaged and has exacerbated all of society¡¯s most entrenched problems¡ª income inequality, job insecurity, racism, lack of healthcare, political polarization. ¡°but I believe that the answers must come at the policy level, which will require a level of political will and spirit of collaboration that is all too rare these days. For organizational leaders addressing these inequities will take honesty and determination.¡±

The dialogue consists of three events with related topics: Diversity and Equality in a Digital Era, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Management Technology and Future Organization. Leaders and scholars worldwide will join the discussion, including professors from Peking University and Middlebury Institute as well as AI scientist from GSK. The UN75 is a global listening initiative to listen to people from across the entire world on their hopes and fears for the future. In order to reach as many people as possible, we have built partnerships with youth, civil society, business and media organisations, and created a one-minute survey that captures these aspirations.

We hope to gather voices and perspectives from both the public and private sectors to enlighten more people and enhance global cooperation to accelerate the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The three rounds will be aired every Thursday at 19:30 Beijing Time starting from October 29th.

It will highlight the findings of the UN75 global consultation, provide an opportunity for further discussion of the UN75 Declaration, and give voice to stakeholders and solicit ideas on how to strengthen their involvement in the UN, including civil society and youth (as mandated by GA Res 73/299), as well as the private sector.

The President of the General Assembly will make an opening statement and invite the Secretary-General, the President of the Security Council, the President of the Economic and Social Council, the President of the International Court of Justice and youth representatives to make statements. The youth representatives will be selected during the youth plenary, which will be held on 9 September. Thereafter, the meeting will hear statements from the host country, Member States, observer States and the European Union. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council are invited to attend the meeting by viewing the webcast of proceedings.

The Declaration on the Commemoration of the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of the 51³Ô¹Ï will be adopted at the high-level meeting.

The UN Secretary-General will present results from the UN75 initiative and the ¡®global conversation¡¯ in his remarks, youth representatives will deliver a call to action and a film summarising the UN75 initiative will be screened.

The WGS initiative is being held in response to the call made by the Secretary-General of the UN to hold the world¡¯s biggest conversation on The Future We Want, The UN We Need. Join us in a 75-minute virtual celebratory event that will address the importance of international cooperation and multilateralism, and the need to strengthen it in order to achieve the goals of universal prosperity.

It will feature a special appearance of superstar Grammy award winner Rihanna, 15 other famous artists from Eastern Caribbean countries, and key messages delivered by the UN DSG and Prime Minister Mia Mottley in between performances. Each artist will promote a key message related to the values and work of the UN during their performances.

The concert is organized in partnership with the Government of Barbados and will be streamed on UN Barbados and OECS Facebook Live, uwitv.org and on global social media streams (including the SDG Joint fund among others UN HQ). The concert will not only celebrate the legacy of the 51³Ô¹Ï but give people a taste of the beautiful Caribbean culture.

Countries confirmed to participate are Belgium, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and more. Follow along using hashtags #EuropeTurnsUNBlue and #UN75.

The programme will be musically representative at the regional level, as repertoire from all five official regional groups of the 51³Ô¹Ï will be featured.  The songs chosen will be linked to the message of the UN¡¯s 75th anniversary.  The concert will feature World Classical Music and World Pop Music ¨C and will be launched on the various UN platforms.

Opening remarks will be delivered by Fabrizio Hochschild, Special Adviser on Preparations for Seventy-Fifth 51³Ô¹Ï Anniversary; Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees; and Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications.  The concert will be launched on the Official YouTube Channel for the UN75, as well as other UN and UNHCR platforms.

The ¡°75 YEARS OF LOVE¡± project will also celebrate the debut album launch of the UN Chamber Music Society¡¯s first world music album recording, in support of UNHCR, and in celebration of the UN¡¯s anniversary.  All donations received will be directed to support the humanitarian work of the UNHCR, which has provided for seventy-years life-saving assistance and protection to refugees globally.  The album is scheduled to be launched by UNHCR in December 2020.

Founded in 2016, the UN Chamber Music Society is dedicated to promoting the 51³Ô¹Ï¡¯ goals and values at large - through the universal language of music.

The photographs portray the faces of the many people served by the Organization in areas including peace and security, human rights, humanitarian aid, sustainable development and international law. In the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic, UN staff continue to strive to create a more equal, peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

Endorsed by the UN75 Office, the exhibition has been organized by the 51³Ô¹Ï Staff Recreation Council Photographic Society. Almost 600 photographs were submitted by nearly 250 photographers from 122 locations, representing 69 departments, offices, funds and programmes of the UN system, revealing the global commitment of the staff of the common system and the reach of the Organization¡¯s work. The exhibition consists of the most impactful 75 photos and inspiring stories selected by a diverse jury panel and presented in the order of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

We invite the international audience of this online exhibition to reflect on these images of our global community and to continue the dialogue about ¡°The Future We Want¡±

The oceans connect us all and provide livelihoods for one third of the world¡¯s population. The health of the ocean is threatened as are the lives of all who depend on them - and all of us depend on the oceans for our Earth¡¯s systems, including oxygen, food, transportation, and all our Earth¡¯s systems. 2019 was the year that the urgency of what is happening with our oceans took centre stage - from COP 25 in Madrid, referred to as the Blue COP due to the key focus on the oceans, to a pledge of $64 billion by 370 government agencies, investors, and companies to fund oceans solutions at a single event.

One of the ways people answer this question is by making art. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve partnered with Google Arts and Culture to bring online a collection of over 500 artworks created in response to this prompt. We¡¯re inviting everyone to learn more about how contemporary artists are answering today¡¯s challenges and helping us imagine a better future. Exhibits include The Future is Unwritten, with inspiring contributions from nine international artists, as well as the Agora photo exhibit, which features submissions from members of the public exploring #TheWorldWeWant.

You too can join this conversation by creating your own, a new online tool allowing you to ¡°project¡± selected artworks in the streets of cities around the world and share the images with your friends to spark a conversation.

Don¡¯t know where to start? Find inspiration in the Street Galleries created by former Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth Jayathma Wickramanayake. A Street Gallery curated by Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum of Dubai will be coming soon.

The performance will include a number of classical, modern and reimagined dances curated specifically for the UN Day Concert.

COVID-19 has either slowed or paused the life of every human being on earth and affected global development at large. Whereas most of the world is under lockdown the progress of development is halted. Because of this, the High-Level Youth Summit on Sustainable Development will take place during the week of the 75th UN General Assembly under the theme ¡®Youth Lead Build Back Sustainable¡¯. The Summit will shed light on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and youth relevant themes to #BuildBackSustainable. Youth, field experts and high-level speakers will come together to discuss youth issues and drive youth action to #BuildBackSustainable and towards the achievement of SDGs while the world is going through a historic pandemic

The UN75 consultation on ¡®the future we want, the UN we need¡¯, is the UN¡¯s ambitious exercise in crowdsourcing priorities and solutions, and harnessing big data analysis tools. The findings, which include priorities for ¡®recovering better¡¯ from COVID as well as current priorities for the SDGs, will inform Member States and senior UN officials. This session will see key constituencies ¨C youth, civil society, business, labour cooperatives, tech, indigenous peoples and local government that took part in the consultation ¨C discuss the findings and how best to take them forward at the local, national and global level ¨C working across borders, sectors and generations. Through the insights shared, the session is geared towards re-inspiring engagement and action on the Goals in this difficult Covid context, and help frame the Goals as the roadmap for the future. The concrete recommendations, scalable solutions and partnerships formed through this process will act as a rallying cry for greater ambition and accelerated action on the Goals.

As the world is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, we see heightened global insecurity and anxiety. International cooperation is under severe strain due to heightened geopolitical tensions and rivalry. The rules-based order upon which the UN Charter was conceived is being challenged. Our UN, and the multilateral system more broadly, needs to answer to the real anxieties of people with practical responses.

To solve the global challenges of our times ¨C from COVID-19 to climate change, raging conflicts and unchecked technological advances ¨C we need more inclusive international cooperation rather than a regression to narrow nationalism. The SDGs are our common road map for the future we want. To realize the 17 SDGs we need stronger partnerships and deeper involvement from civil society, the private sector, trade unions, local governments and other relevant stakeholders. This message emerged loud and clear from the UN75 global consultation.

Through a multi-stakeholder discussion with the private sector, academia, the UN, youth and civil society, speakers will explore ideas and thoughts on how these stakeholders can participate in and reshape the multilateral system to deliver better on the SDGs.

As the largest youth generation in history, it¡¯s time to step up. The 2030 Agenda clearly applies to all of the world¡¯s 1.2 billion young people, who currently make up 16 per cent of the global population¡ªand to the 1.3 billion young people who will call the world home by the year 2030. During the 75th anniversary of the 51³Ô¹Ï¡¯ General Assembly, we are calling on youth around the world to action to acknowledge the work being done already for the Global Goals, and the work that is still left to be done. We are hosting the Youth SDG Summit to empower young leaders to continue their work toward the Global Goals. The Youth SDG Summit is invitation only. UN75 will be hosting the ¡°UN75 Global Consultation: What young people want¡± session at 1:30PM EST on September 23.

Since 2008, the UN Secretary-General¡¯s annual Private Sector Forum has gathered global leaders during the UN General Assembly week to address major global issues such as climate change, sustainable development and human rights. This year, the Private Sector Forum will be accessible to all Uniting Business LIVE attendees to engage first-hand in debates and discussions covering multilateralism, human and labour rights, and peace.

As we observe the 75th anniversary of the 51³Ô¹Ï, we are reminded of the pillars upon which is was founded, namely: Peace, Human Rights and Development. As we reflect on the insights shared from various high-level sessions today, we invite you as our global leaders to consider what promises are you are making and how you intend to keep them.

This will include a live Interview with USG Fabrizio Hochschild, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Commemoration of the 51³Ô¹Ï 75th Anniversary. In this segment we will be cutting live to the peacekeepers around the world. (UN75 segment will start at 1:43PM EST)

The event on September 18th will be a curtain-raiser for the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the UN, the impending release of the UN75 Report, and the upcoming unprecedented UN General Assembly meeting. Featuring a diverse group of women leaders, speakers will engage in a dynamic conversation on priorities and solutions for ¡°recovering better¡± from the pandemic, and ways to build a safer, fairer, and more sustainable world, as they also discuss expectations for this year¡¯s General Debate and the 75th Session of the UNGA. The event will be part of UN75¡¯s Global Conversations, with key points and recommendations providing input into the UN75 consultation¡ªwhich included surveys, events, media analysis, and research involving over a million people in 193 countries¡ªand will culminate in the UN75 Report in January 2021.

Registration for the 'CovHack Virtual Innovation Challenge' has opened, the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, MOCCAE announced on 17 May 2020.

The CovHack Innovation Challenge is running under the theme ¡®Circular Economy for Food¡¯ that corresponds to the UN¡¯s Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. It aims to discover innovative ways of building resilience in local and global food supply chains through shifting towards a circular economy in the post-COVID-19 world, and as mankind plans for the future.

Innovate4Good, I4G - a sourcing, networking, and innovation platform for the impact startup ecosystem - is inviting innovative and ambitious change makers from the MENA region and beyond to join its CovHack Virtual Innovation Challenge.

The challenge is taking place in collaboration with UN75, MOCCAE, Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, Catalyst (a Masdar-BP Initiative), Youth 4 Sustainability, and STRATECIS.

Online registration is open until 18th June 18 to startups, entrepreneurs, SMEs, young professionals, tech talent, and individual innovators under two categories - Early-Stage Startups and Teams.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said, "The UAE leadership realises the severity of the challenges facing humanity at present, and the vital role innovation plays in addressing them."

"Targeting the crucial topic of food security," he explained, "the challenge builds on our country¡¯s solid track record in bringing people together to come up with ground-breaking solutions to urgent global issues, as well as in supporting those who need it the most."

This CovHack Challenge is particularly significant, as it is taking place in the context of the 75th anniversary of the 51³Ô¹Ï.

To mark the jubilee, 51³Ô¹Ï Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres has launched the ¡®world¡¯s biggest conversation¡¯ to listen to the views of the public, and notably young people, about the world¡¯s challenges and potential solutions.

Since the start of the initiative in January 2020, findings from 186 countries have indicated overwhelming support for global cooperation, and even more so since the COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, climate and the environment topped the list of issues that will most affect the future in the survey of over 40,000 respondents.

All participants in the UN75 dialogue will contribute to the world¡¯s biggest conversation towards the 51³Ô¹Ï¡¯ centennial in 2045.

Participants will submit their solutions related to the circular economy for food across three innovation types ¨C technologies, services, and products. The theme encompasses eight focus areas, including water efficiency, energy efficiency in agriculture, sustainable innovation in soilless growing media, sustainable greenhouse technologies and smart farming, food loss and waste management, distribution channels and delivery, sustainable packaging, and urban farming.

Speaking on the organisation¡¯s involvement in the challenge, Fabrizio Hochschild, UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Preparations for the Commemorations of the 75th Anniversary of the 51³Ô¹Ï, said, "We will miss an unprecedented opportunity if we don¡¯t use this crisis not only to recover but to recover better ¨C in a manner that sets our communities, our countries, and our world on a healthier path economically, environmentally, and socially."

"The circular economy is one very important field where new, inspiring, and ground-breaking solutions can be found and achieved," he added.

"The UN75 Global Dialogue is about allowing people everywhere to have their say on the world they want, where they see the threats, and what their expectations are of global cooperation to address them. So, do join the conversation and speak up! Your voice will be heard," Hochschild asserted In the first round, judges will shortlist 20 of the best ideas in each of the two categories. The 40 startups and teams will then undergo mentorship to help them further develop their ideas and prototypes into viable solutions before the final project submission.

Twenty solutions will then be chosen to proceed to the semi-finals. The event will culminate in the CovHack Virtual Demo Day on 20th and 21st July. The winner in each category will receive incubation, mentorship, and acceleration opportunities.

The Institute for Economics & Peace are pleased to invite you to the launch webinar of the Global Peace Index 2020 report. Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), it presents one of the most comprehensive data-driven analysis to-date on trends in peace, its economic value, and how to develop peaceful societies.

In addition to presenting the findings from the 2020 GPI, this year¡¯s report will include an analysis of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on peace. It examines how the impact of the pandemic, and in particular its economic consequences will increase the risk of severe deteriorations in Positive Peace over the next few years, and also examines which countries are best placed to recover from the shock.

The report will also outline IEP¡¯s newest research report¨C the Ecological Threat Register (ETR), which combines a confluence of ecological risks with Positive Peace and economic coping capacity to better understand what future potential risks and fragilities nations will face in the coming years.

Government administration affects citizens daily in all walks of life, from public utilities to food safety, from law and order to general health, from revenue to election, and so forth. Trust and fame are thus built up between public services provider and the general recipients in this interactive motion. We expect public services provider and the general recipients positively reinforce each other so that a harmonious and cooperative bond is formed. The greater the bond, the smoother the relationship is, and no one welcomes the opposite circumstances.

A strong governance paradigm is not built in a day, which is complicated and sophisticated to establish. Constructive interaction, such as dialogues, is one way among the many to achieve the purpose.

In this regard, please take part in the Hong Kong's UN75 Dialogue jointly hosted by UNESCO Hong Kong Association (UHKA) and Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (HiESD) on the theme of "Sustainable governance with trust and support" at 3:00 pm on the 31st of May, 2020. The keynote speaker and the moderator is Dr. Elsie LEUNG, the former Secretary for Justice, the Past chairman of the Hospital Authority Dr. Leong Che Hung will also share some remarkable ideas on the this topic.

COVID-19 has paused the life of every human being on earth and affected global development at large. Whereas the world is under lockdown the progress of development is halted. On account of this, the International Youth Conference 2020 (IYC 2020) will take place under the theme ¡®Regeneration: Moving forward with Development¡¯. The conference will shed light on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and youth relevant themes. Youth and field experts will come together to discuss youth issues and drive youth action towards the achievement of SDGs while the world is at pause.

The objectives of the conference are:

• To provide an international platform to youth to develop and engage in participatory development of the world 
• To support the UN achieve its Sustainable Development Goals through youth engagement  
• To empower gender and youth equality and inclusion in decision making, policy making, and development at all levels (communal, local, institutional, national, and international)
• To brainstorm implementation of the Youth Climate Compact
• To chalk out innovative ideas for development
• To foster youth advancement through digital innovation and tools
• To steer thinking and aspiration towards social developmental solutions provision

IYC 2020 will also formulate a policy and action recommendation/document/manual for youth on how to act under ¡®world at pause¡¯ conditions, how to find relevant opportunities, combat depression and come out of it a victor.

The conference is truly global with organisers and speakers from all continents and is open to anyone identifying as youth as per the UN definition.

Capacity building both cultivates a person and a society. Hong Kong has implemented the essence of it in various fields for years, leading to a well-educated population beyond secondary level. Education, aligned with technology in the Greater Bay Area will be an influential topic of sustainable development in that location in the coming decade.

The education has brought people progressively out from poverty, and on the way to a technology-based and academically advanced situations. People are benefited in areas of job prospects, personal skills, wider scope of vision, deeper intrinsic values and the like. What we strive for is integration and articulation of education to sustainability in discipline it works, no matter it is social, environmental or economical. By doing so, the synergy generated is far greater, having more profound effects, and lasting perpetually in a dynamic way.

Your attendance through the web in Hong Kong¡®s UN75 Dialogue jointly hosted by UNESCO Hong Kong Association (UHKA) and Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (HiESD) on the theme of ¡°Prospecting Education with Technology and Human Resources in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area¡± at 3:00 pm on the 30th of May, 2020 is much appreciated. One of the keynote speakers is Chair Professor of the UNESCO and the Vice president of The Education University of Hong Kong, Prof. John LEE, with theme moderators by both Prof. Karen Q. CHEUNG ¨C the Acting President & Secretary General of UNESCO Hong Kong Association and the Director of Hong Kong Institute of Education and Sustainable Development, as well as Prof. John LEE.

As COVID-19 has spread around the world, so has solidarity among people everywhere ¨C with acts of kindness helping those in need and celebrating the frontline heroes. We want to recognise and nurture the value of solidarity, hope and togetherness and show that we are #StrongerTogether. Join the UN and civil society coalitions around the world to start a butterfly effect for solidarity and hope.

Share your solidarity with #StrongerTogether by using butterfly wings on zoom backgrounds; paint, create and share art; write messages of solidarity on signs, host colourful meetings or share heartwarming and impactful solidarity stories from your community. These inspiring acts of humanity improve the lives of others, inspire resilience and lift hopes in the ongoing health crisis. Share your action with #StrongerTogether! For action ideas and further information: SolidarityinAction.org #StrongerTogether

Also, join the UN75 dialogue ON the Global Day! How can society unite in solidarity, how can we empower vulnerable peoples, and how we protect the dignity of every human being? On the Global Day of Solidarity, join the UN75 Dialogue by taking the survey at and joining at 9:00AM EST on 22 May to discuss how we can emerge from this global health crisis #StrongerTogether. Your views can make a difference! Register for the UN75 Dialogue: .

Join us in solidarity and send a message of hope! We have the opportunity to show the impact of individual actions to make the Sustainable Development Goals front and centre in the discussion on the recovery!

Hong Kong's UN 75th Dialogue jointly hosted by UNESCO Hong Kong Association (UHKA) and Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (HiESD) on the theme of "Climate & Environment Sustainability at a Financial Center, HK" at 4:00 p.m on the 18th of May, 2020. We invited the Chairman of Securities and Futures Commission - Mr. Tim LUI to make the keynote speeches, panel speakers of Prof. Bernard V. LIM, Prof. K C HO, Ir C S HO, with theme moderator by Prof Wilson CHAN from HiESD.

Our current generation is getting close to the tipping point of climate and environmental crisis, and it's accelerating at an unprecedented speed. However, it is by no means impossible to fight through this challenge, just as how the Secretary General of 51³Ô¹Ï have ambitiously stated in his opening remarks at 2019 Climate Action Summit: "The climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win." The devastating consequences of climate change is inevitably endured by everyone on our planet. Facing such challenge, Hong Kong is utilizing its advantages of being an international financial center to foster the sustainable development of climate and environment, and more importantly, to complement the mainland¡¯s green policies and objectives.

Mr. Lui pointed out the importance to support the development of Hong Kong into a green finance centre in the Greater Bay Area, and set up an internationally recognised green bond certification institution. The SFC were committed to lay link the necessary changes to help Hong Kong Financial Sector manage climate related issues while facilitating green and sustainable economic development. Professor LIM shared how Hong Kong had applied special architectural design, recycled constituents, low carbon building materials and environmentally friendly policy in construction industry. We were in line with international standards and in some fields, and we were proudly beyond the verge of them. Professor KC HO called attention to the prevention, control and management of climate changes from his experiences in the High Arctics. Rising Sea level, Increasing sea surface temperature, worsening climate conditions and the acceleration of shrinking arctic sea ice were all challenges that could be taken as opportunities. On the basis of scientific research, Hong Kong was well prepared to adapt, monitor, forecast and react to changes with positive and active mindsets. Ir HO said that over the years, the Hong Kong SAR Government and the financial community had done a lot of work in promoting green finance. The next step was to carry out regional and global cooperation, such as the Belt and Road cooperation with the Greater Bay Area; further cooperation between various industries, especially with the government; expanding the focus from the needs of large companies to the needs of SMEs. Responding to the UN 75th dialogue, Ir HO further envisioned for cooperation between the Secretary-General of the 51³Ô¹Ï and governments to promote and implement green finance policies, expressing his ambitions of utilizing Hong Kong¡¯s advantages to contribute to the development of both regional and global development in the field of green finance.

Professor CHAN summarized in the conclusion of the dialogue that the participants clearly saw the "milestone of sustainable financial development in Hong Kong" through the practice of local and international green cases, reflecting the innovation and leadership of Hong Kong professionals in green sustainability as well as the service capabilities of different countries and regions throughout the local area, the Greater Bay Area, the Belt and Road, and even the polar regions. We wished Hong Kong's sustainable finance to develop at a rapid pace. Let¡¯s work together to shoulder the mission and jointly build a sustainable future under the principle of not leaving anyone behind.

The viewers of the online dialogue were from the United States, Japan, Mainland China and Hong Kong.

Coordinated by the UN2020 and Together First networks, the UN75 People¡¯s Forum for the UN We Need will bring together civil society and other stakeholders online to adopt a declaration on the occasion of the UN¡¯s 75th anniversary. The declaration will reflect their commitment to the principles expressed in the Charter of the 51³Ô¹Ï and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and to the objectives set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which draws on several seminal declarations, treaties and programmes of work adopted in previous years. 

Covid-19 is a stark reminder of the need for stronger cooperation across borders, sectors and generations. Ahead of the Forum, stakeholders are engaged in an inclusive process to examine global risks and trends, develop a global plan of action to address them, and promote partnerships for climate action, peace and security, human rights, democracy, sustainable development and disarmament. The unifying theme will be advancing people-centered multilateralism, and the focus will be both on addressing global risks as well as revitalizing the 51³Ô¹Ï.

The People¡¯s Declaration and Plan for Global Action is scheduled to be presented online to the President of the 74th UN General Assembly, H.E. Mr Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, on May 14, 2020. 

Please to attend the UN75 People¡¯s Forum for the UN We Need. A Zoom link and finalized agenda for the meeting will be sent to you on May 12.

UN Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres has been invited to provide keynote remarks at the Forum and take questions related to the themes of the Declaration. Your questions for the Secretary-General can be submitted at , when you register for the Forum.