UN chief urges ‘clear and credible’ plans to achieve net zero
Mar 26, 2021, at 05:29 pm
New York: The United Nations Secretary-General on Tuesday urged all countries, companies and financial institutions to commit to net zero or carbon neutrality, with “clear and credible” plans to achieve the target, starting immediately.
Wasting food just feeds climate change, new UN environment report warns
Mar 05, 2021, at 05:41 pm
New York: More than 930 million tonnes of food sold in 2019 landed in waste bins, according to new UN research, released on Thursday, in support of global efforts to halve food waste by 2030.
Feb 27, 2021, at 08:46 pm
New York: The UN Security Council on Friday unanimously passed a resolution calling on all Member States to support a “sustained humanitarian pause” to local conflicts, in order to allow for COVID-19 vaccinations. Briefing journalists afterwards, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus argued that more could be done.
Step up action and adapt to 'new climate reality', UN environment report urges
Jan 15, 2021, at 04:23 pm
New York: Though countries have made progress in planning for climate change adaptation, there are significant financing shortfalls in getting them to the stage where they provide real protection against droughts, floods and rising sea levels, a new UN environment report has found.
UN chief calls for ‘urgent transition’ from fossil fuels to renewable energy
Jan 12, 2021, at 04:34 pm
New York: Building a global coalition for carbon neutrality by mid-century will be the UN’s “central objective”, the world body’s top official told a conference on climate action on Monday.
Planet-warming trend continues: 2020 closes hottest decade on record – UN weather agency
Dec 25, 2020, at 06:52 pm
New York: As 2020 draws to a close, it leaves in its wake the warmest decade on record and one of the three hottest years ever measured, according to the UN weather agency.
COVID-19 recovery, focus of UN General Assembly special session
Dec 04, 2020, at 10:34 pm
Nations united on Thursday for a special session of the UN General Assembly to survey the wreckage of the COVID-19 pandemic, reflect on the best response, and forge a path to better days ahead.
UN warns of catastrophe as second hurricane in two weeks hits Central America
Nov 18, 2020, at 02:55 pm
New York: The United Nations warned on Tuesday of catastrophic consequences from Hurricane Iota, the second major tropical cyclone to hit Central America this month.
Bad situations ‘only get worse’ without disaster risk governance, UN chief says on International Day
Oct 14, 2020, at 03:45 pm
New York: With nations facing multiple crises simultaneously and a dramatic rise in extreme weather events in recent decades, the UN Secretary-General has called for strengthening disaster risk governance, to build a safer, more resilient world.
UN chief urges ministers to provide ‘decisive leadership’ on climate action
Oct 13, 2020, at 02:48 pm
New York: With nations striving to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impacts, efforts must focus on decarbonizing the global economy and building a more inclusive and resilient future, the UN Secretary-General said on Monday.
UN chief urges greater investment in universal health coverage, starting now
Oct 09, 2020, at 02:56 pm
New York: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of strong public health systems and emergency preparedness for communities and economies globally, the UN Secretary-General said on Wednesday, calling for greater investments in universal health coverage.
Countries face ‘critical moment’ in COVID response: UN health agency chief
Oct 03, 2020, at 03:40 pm
New York: With strong leadership and comprehensive strategies it’s never too late for countries to change the trendlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite passing the tragic milestone of one million deaths this week amid regional surges in infections, said the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday.
Ahead of biodiversity summit, UN officials call for action to preserve the natural world
Sep 29, 2020, at 03:21 pm
New York: Top UN officials working to preserve the natural world are urging “action now” ahead of a crucial biodiversity summit this week, where world leaders will reaffirm their commitment to the cause.
UN chief and UK premier announce December climate summit
Sep 25, 2020, at 02:10 pm
New York: With the COVID-19 pandemic having disrupted plans to hold the annual international UN climate meeting - known as the COP - this year, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom have announced that they will instead co-host a “landmark global event” on 12 December, the fifth anniversary of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
Leaders pledge ‘quantum leap’ towards fully funding COVID-19 vaccines and treatments
Sep 11, 2020, at 11:01 pm
New York: Global leaders, including more than 30 Heads of State and Ministers, have underlined their commitment towards fast-tracking the development and production of COVID-19 tests, medicines and vaccines, that will be available for anyone, anywhere, who needs them.
COVID-19: Lift sanctions ‘bringing suffering and death’, urge UN rights experts
Aug 08, 2020, at 04:52 pm
New York: A group of UN independent human rights experts have called on countries to lift – or at the very least, ease – sanctions to allow affected nations and communities access to vital supplies to fight against the global coronavirus pandemic.
UN headquarters in New York starts phase one reopening
Jul 21, 2020, at 03:17 pm
United Nation/Xinhua: The United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday started its phase one reopening after it had remained physically close over the past four months to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Pandemic putting immunization gains at risk, UN agencies warn
Jul 16, 2020, at 11:34 pm
New York: Disruptions in the delivery of immunization services resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic threaten to unravel global gains in reaching more children and young people with a wider range of vaccines, two UN agencies warned on Wednesday.
UN tallies action so far to fight COVID-19, and roadmap out of the pandemic
Jun 26, 2020, at 09:57 am
New York: Amid the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN has mobilized to save lives, control transmission of the virus and ease the economic fallout, Secretary-General António Guterres told journalists on Thursday, speaking at the virtual launch of his report on the Organization’s response to the crisis
World Health Organization says global coronavirus tally topped 7.2 mln
Jun 12, 2020, at 08:13 am
Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated the overall number of coronavirus cases globally at 7,273,958, with over 413,000 having died from the disease.
May confirmed as warmest on record, CO2 levels hit new high despite COVID economic slowdown
Jun 06, 2020, at 09:36 am
New York: Last month was the warmest May on record and carbon dioxide levels also hit a new high despite the economic slowdown from COVID-19, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday, in an urgent appeal for Member States to renew their efforts to tackle climate threats.
Address 'appalling impact' of COVID-19 on minorities, UN rights chief urges
Jun 03, 2020, at 08:53 am
New York/IBNS: Urgent action is needed to address “the major disproportionate impact” of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minorities, including people of African descent, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday.
‘Dogged pragmatism’ needed to save Ocean: UN Special Envoy
Jun 03, 2020, at 08:33 am
New York:‘Dogged pragmatism’ is needed to save the Ocean as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, according to the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean.
UN sustainable energy project in Ukraine finds a new role: fighting COVID-19
May 13, 2020, at 01:06 pm
New York/IBNS: A United Nations project to promote energy efficiency among Ukrainian homeowners has found a second life – informing 1.8 million of the nation’s citizens on how to combat the COVID-19 virus.
UN issues ‘wake-up call’: Don’t sideline AIDS response during COVID-19 crisis
May 12, 2020, at 01:03 pm
New York/IBNS: As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus, decades of advances made in the battle against HIV are under threat, noted two UN agencies on Monday, point out that disruptions to treatment could cause hundreds of thousands of HIV-related deaths.
None of us is safe until we all are, says UN chief at EU push to end COVID-19 pandemic
May 05, 2020, at 11:25 am
New York/IBNS: The “most massive public health effort in history” is needed to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN chief said on Monday, addressing a European Union pledging conference in Brussels.
COVID-19 putting routine childhood immunization in danger: UN health agency
Apr 28, 2020, at 01:27 pm
New York/IBNS: As the new coronavirus continues its relentless march across the planet, with nearly 2.9 million cases reported as of Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) remains concerned about the pandemic’s impact on other health services, especially for children.
100 days on from advent of COVID-19, more action is needed: Tedros
Apr 10, 2020, at 11:34 am
New York/IBNS: With Thursday marking 100 days since the World Health Organization (WHO) was first notified about what is now officially known as COVID-19, the agency’s chief said the virus has already infected more than 1.3 million people worldwide, and without action now, poor countries could suffer massive devastation.
Mar 24, 2020, at 11:21 am
New York/IBNS: Floods, extreme rainfall, droughts and melting glaciers…many of the major signs of climate change involve water. On this year’s World Meteorological Day, the UN weather agency (WMO) is reinforcing the message of World Water Day, by focusing on the links between climate and water, and calling for better water-related data.
Turn around deforestation in 2020, the ‘Nature Super Year’, says Guterres
Mar 21, 2020, at 10:53 am
New York/IBNS: On the International Day of Forests, which falls on Saturday, UN chief António Guterres is calling for 2020, which has been referred to as a “nature super year”, to be the year that the world turns the tide on deforestation and forestry loss.