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The Sustainable Development Goals in India
India is critical in determining the success of the SDGs, globally. At the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted, “Sustainable development of one-sixth of humanity will be of great consequence to the world and our beautiful planet. It will be a world of fewer challenges and greater hope; and, more confident of its success”. NITI Aayog, the Government of India’s premier think tank, has been entrusted with the task of coordinating the SDGs, mapping schemes related to the SDGs and their targets, and identifying lead and supporting ministries for each target. In addition, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has been leading discussions for developing national indicators for the SDGs. State governments are key to India’s progress on the SDGs as they are best placed to ‘put people first’ and to ensuring that ‘no one is left behind’. The UN Country Team in India supports NITI Aayog, Union ministries and state governments in their efforts to address the interconnectedness of the goals, to ensure that no one is left behind and to advocate for adequate financing to achieve the SDGs.
Story
05 January 2024
Celebrating a milestone year in the UN-India Partnership!
Dear Friends,
This past year has been a truly momentous one for India – and for the UN in India.
From taking the mantle as the world’s most populous country, to the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, to hosting the Cricket World Cup, and perhaps most significantly, the G20 Presidency, all eyes were on India this year.
Yet the year began under no small amount of global headwinds. Multilateralism itself has been fraying at the seams, pulled apart by a number of challenges, including the war in Ukraine, and more recently renewed conflict in the Middle East.
And at the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the UN Sustainable Development Goals Summit held in New York in September confirmed what many development practitioners had long sounded a warning on – the SDGs are dramatically off course, with only fifteen percent on track, with nearly a third ground to a halt or even in reverse gear.
Against this backdrop, India demonstrated much-needed leadership at home and on the international stage, delivering development solutions at scale and helping build an inclusive consensus across divides. The UN in India was privileged to be a partner at many levels.
At this critical juncture, India’s G20 Presidency refocused the G20 on taking greater responsibility for putting the 2030 Agenda’s time-bound targets back on track and the voice of the Global South on centre stage. This included bringing greater alignment between climate action and the development agenda, and raising ambitions on reform of the multilateral system, including the international financial architecture, and accelerating digital transformations. In addition, the Presidency stressed the need for a more women-led development across multiple workstreams.
India’s G20 featured stronger coordination and alignment between the UN and the Presidency than perhaps any G20 to date. In response to government invitation, the UN in India was proud to play an important role in that partnership, complimenting the leadership of the DESA Under Secretary-General as overall Sherpa for the UN system and the UNDP Administrator as lead on the Finance Track.
A number of UN agencies and the RCO were privileged to support different Working Groups through partnerships with leading line ministries and the G20 Secretariat. This collaboration included contributing technical inputs to issue notes and other processes, as well as helping deliver side sessions and providing specialist human resources and other support at government request.
Despite extensive geopolitical challenges, India’s G20 Presidency managed to successfully advance a number of key priorities, including those highly valued by the UN system, through the consensus New Delhi Leader’s Declaration and other prior deliverables. This included the new G20 Action Plan to Accelerate Progress on the SDGs, commitments to triple global capacity in renewable energy, raising ambitions on MDB reform, very much in line with the UN Secretary General’s call for an SDG Stimulus, as well as the strongest-ever gender equality language of any G20 Leaders’ Declaration, including setting the stage for a new ministerial level G20 Working Group on Gender Equality to be taken forward by Brazil. Together with its solidarity with the Global South, exemplified by the inclusion of the African Union in the G20, the Indian G20 Presidency took critical steps towards a fairer and more effective multilateralism.
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The year also saw the launch of the first new-generation Government of India - UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-27 (SDCF), strategic articulation of the overall India-UN country partnership, and the guiding instrument for UN system support to India’s SDG achievement delivered jointly through individual UN Agency country programmes.
The SDCF was the product of an extensive and inclusive multi-agency and multi-ministry year-long collaborative effort. I would particularly like to thank and acknowledge NITI Aayog for their substantive leadership and coordination as overall nodal counterpart, as well as the Ministry of External Affairs, different nodal ministries, UN agencies, civil society, and other partners, for their support and collaboration. This was truly a whole-of government, whole-of-society, and whole-of-UN effort.
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And reflecting the increasingly two-way nature of our partnership, for the first time the SDCF has included South-South Cooperation as a key engagement priority. Our UN Country Team agencies will use their extensive knowledge of the Indian development landscape to help codify Indian best practices in key areas of South-South cooperation to partner in bringing those solutions to the global stage for the benefit of other countries.
As a vehicle for this support, we are launching our first-ever country-level SDG pooled fund, with South-South Cooperation as the first window. A Letter of Intent with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for initial funding was signed in New York in the presence of the External Affairs Minister on the margins on the UN General Assembly.
India’s Mission LiFE, which was launched by the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi together with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Gujarat last year, also received coordinated support from the UN India team. Not only was LiFE incorporated into our new SDCF, but UNEP, through the One Planet Network, supported efforts to develop the High-Level Principles of LiFE, which in turn anchored the initiative to all G20 working groups across climate and energy transition themes.
UN agencies, including UNEP and UNDP, helped mobilise partner networks for LiFE, and supported the shortlisting of candidates for the global call for LiFE ideas announced by PM Modi. UNDP also supported the Presidency on the priority area around Blue Economy, which led to the formulation and adoption of the Chennai High-Level Principles for a Sustainable and Resilient Blue/Ocean-based Economy.
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Throughout the year, UN support to Intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0 routine immunizations has helped ensure that life-saving vaccinations were delivered to the most vulnerable communities in hard-to-reach areas. Agencies including UNDP, WHO and UNICEF continued to provide comprehensive technical support for immunization supply chain strengthening. New WHO and UNICEF data shows that India has made remarkable progress in reviving routine immunization coverage in the last year, after a pandemic-induced regression.
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We continued to support the strengthening of Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCHA) services. Constant advocacy, implementation support, and regular mentoring from UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO has contributed to the improvement of India’s institutional delivery rate, which is now at over 90 percent.
UN agencies, led by UNICEF, also provided technical assistance, wide-ranging capacity building, and promotion of safe practices to improve Water and Sanitation (WASH) services, including support to the flagship Jal Jeevan and Swachh Bharat missions and improving facilities in refugee settlements.
UN advocacy, policy support and evidence generation continued to support the Government’s leadership push for better nutrition outcomes in 2023, including through support to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) for children with Severe Acute Malnutrition, Iron folic acid (IFA) supplementation, and the mainstreaming of fortified rice.
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Through the year, we supported government efforts to ensure that all children gain strong foundations in basic skills like reading and maths, as well as strong support to the Ayushman Bharat School Health and Wellness Programme by UNESCO, UNFPA, and UNICEF. Recognizing the critical link between education and fighting climate change, UNESCO’s flagship State of the Education Report 2023 focused on the role Indian teachers can play in fostering environmental education.
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This year we also celebrated the inscribing of two new Indian sites to the UNESCO World Heritage List, with the historic West Bengal town of Santiniketan and the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, a series of 12th- and 13th-century temples in Karnataka. This now brings the number of World Heritage Sites in India to 42, among the highest in the world. The Garba of Gujarat, a ritualistic and devotional dance performed on the occasion of the Hindu festival of Navaratri and dedicated to the worship of the feminine energy or ‘Shakti’, was also inscribed in 2023.
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UN agencies also continued to advocate for economic growth and decent work for all women and men. Led by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN’s specialized agency promoting decent work, together with UN Women, UNDP, UNIDO and UNHCR, the agencies worked with MSMEs to develop innovation and technology ecosystems, safe, orderly, and regular migration, social protection systems, and linkages to green jobs.
Our agencies also took steps towards improving institutional responses for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), including continued support to One Stop Centres which provide support to women affected by violence. India’s hosting of the first Regional Asia-Pacific Conference on Access to Legal Aid in November, part of the global push to implement the UN Principles and Guidelines on Access to Legal Aid, was an important step in guaranteeing legal aid for the most vulnerable.
And we continued supporting India’s just green transition and resilience to climate change, working to ensure the collection and processing of plastic waste, adoption of renewable energy solutions, green economic growth, the conservation and management of biodiversity and much more. The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), has brought together five agencies and eight line ministries is supporting India’s green economic transformations across diverse sectors from sustainable public procurement to green manufacturing and eco-labelling.
This year also saw many high-level visits with India at the centre. To start the year, the then President of the General Assembly Csaba Kőrösi made India his first bilateral visit since assuming office, with a focus on G20 priorities and sustainable water use.
The UNDP Administrator visited India twice as part of the G20. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell also met with senior government officials and frontline health workers, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen joined the G20 Environment and Climate Ministers’ Meeting, while Mr Jean Todt, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, visited India to advocate for road safety and the UN Road Safety Convention.
The UN Secretary-General took part in the G20 Leaders’ Summit, reaffirming his belief in the centrality of India to achieving the SDGs globally. From the UN House in New Delhi, the Secretary-General delivered an urgent message to G20 leaders to come together to keep the 1.5 degree goal alive and ensure the SDGs are achieved on schedule. He also called on G20 leaders to ensure solidarity with the Global South, from financial support for the green transition to reforming the dysfunctional global financial architecture. The Secretary-General welcomed the consensus, SDG-focused New Delhi Declaration.
Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) Amina Mohammed also paid an official visit to India for the first time in her second term. During her visit, the DSG met with the External Affairs Minister, Finance Minister, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, and many other leading officials. The DSG also visited Bengaluru where she interacted with experts in premiere technology research institutions to learn how digital technology can drive development in the Global South.
Among a number of celebrity advocates and Goodwill Ambassadors, football legend and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham thrilled fans with a trip to India, joining hands with cricketer Sachin Tendulkar to celebrate UNICEF’s partnership with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to empower girls and women through cricket.
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In the last year, we have also continued to implement the UN’s new systems-wide strategy to combat sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). We have adopted new measures and strengthened existing ones, including the appointment of PSEA focal points in all agencies, to better prevent, detect, report and take action against personnel who commit abuse.
We have also continued to walk the walk by making our own operations more sustainable – earlier in the year, the UN compound was awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum Certification, marking it as exemplary in energy efficiency, health, and sustainability. I would like to thank the longstanding commitment of our operations team to making the UN House greener and more accessible.
With this in mind, it was a great honour for the UN House to host the fifth Circular Design Challenge by R|Elan™ at Lakmé Fashion Week. The sustainable fashion show, a celebration of creativity and colour, as well as circular solutions, was an unforgettable night for all involved, and remains one of the highlights of our year.
I also had the opportunity to help strengthen the partnership with the Indian Army Peacekeeping leadership and the Centre for UN Peacekeeping on several important occasions. One of the highlights was accepting nearly 150 Made-in-India armoured vehicles, an excellent example of‘ Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, on behalf of the UN for the UN peacekeeping operation in South Sudan. I was also privileged to participate in the 75th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping celebration, recognizing India’s role having contributed more personnel to UN Peacekeeping since the beginning than any other country, and joining the Indian Army in paying homage to fallen heroes at the National War Memorial.
The UN in India was also honoured to partner with the International Indian Film Academy Awards held in Abu Dhabi. We are always looking for new platforms to get our message across, and the award show was an opportunity for the UN to amplify the message on climate action and sustainability to an entirely new audience, leveraging the power of India’s cultural ‘soft power’ for good.
Our own UN family was also strengthened by the opening of the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Regional Centre in Delhi in March 2023, with the goal of promoting advanced technologies within the region and beyond. We look forward to India’s hosting of the ITU World Assembly in 2024.
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Story
24 January 2024
'A gift to India and to the world’
The President of the General Assembly has witnessed first-hand the transformative power of technology during a visit to a prosthetic limb centre in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on the second day of his official visit to India.
Dennis Francis met some of the staff at the Jaipur Foot NGO as well as young recipients of prosthetic limbs from the centre, which for decades has been providing high-quality prosthetic limbs at low cost.
"It’s a gift to India and to the world," he later posted on social media, describing the limb technology as a testament to Indian ingenuity and an innovative pinnacle that restores hope and dignity to recipients.
Touring the city of Jaipur, a World Heritage Site, he also explored multiple historic landmarks, including Jantar Mantar, Amber Fort, and City Palace.
The President also met Princess Diya Kumari, the Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan state. He explored a traditional crafts store of the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation, which helps local women artisans gain financial independence by providing a platform to market and sell their work.
The day-long visit to Jaipur is part of a five-day trip he is undertaking in India. Today, he is in Delhi, where he will meet with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, before traveling to Mumbai for the final leg of his trip.
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Publication
29 September 2023
United Nations in India Annual Report 2022
The UN India Annual Report 2022 covers the final year of the UN - Government of India Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) 2018-2022, which continued to guide our support to India’s development priorities, even as we repurposed a significant part of our planned activities and budget towards the COVID-19 response.
The UN pulled together as a system with remarkable response support efforts during the darkest days of COVID-19, and we
continued to support the Government of India’s response to the health and socioeconomic impact of the fast-spreading
Omicron variant in the early months of the year.
Yet, just as a fragile recovery took root, new shocks emerged from a senseless conflict in Ukraine, driving increasing scarcity of life’s basic necessities such as food and fuel, and wiping out years of progress in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Read the full report.
continued to support the Government of India’s response to the health and socioeconomic impact of the fast-spreading
Omicron variant in the early months of the year.
Yet, just as a fragile recovery took root, new shocks emerged from a senseless conflict in Ukraine, driving increasing scarcity of life’s basic necessities such as food and fuel, and wiping out years of progress in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Read the full report.
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Story
03 August 2022
UN News Hindi
Visit the UN News Hindi site for news, stories, opinions, interviews, videos and audio stories from across the UN system in Hindi: https://news.un.org/hi/
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Story
19 March 2024
How a chip packet turned into a fashion trend
These sunglasses, made from recycled plastic extracted from chip packets, are creative and environmentally conscious.The winner of last year’s United Nations-backed Circular Design Challenge, Anish Malpani, showcased his eco-friendly sunglasses as part of his collection “Metamorphique” at the Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) 2024 in Mumbai. The event aimed to highlight the importance of sustainability in the fashion industry.Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India, who attended the event said, "Together, we can prove that fashion can be both an amazing industry and a life passion and a force for sustainability”.Sharp noted that the SU.RE. (Sustainable Resolution) project, launched in 2019 by the UN, Ministry of Textiles, and Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI), is working towards making India's apparel industry more eco-friendly. A documentary which took viewers behind the scenes of the Circular Design Challenge 2023 was also screened in Mumbai.The fifth annual Circular Design Challenge is an initiative of R|Elan (a textile brand under Reliance Industries Limited), in partnership with the United Nations in India, Lakmé Fashion Week, and the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI). ***
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Story
18 March 2024
Crafting Futures: Women Leading Heritage Preservation
Dipali sews the grass with its stems to make baskets – a traditional craft she learned from her grandparents. Sabai is a kind of grass that grows in abundance on fallow land in West Bengal. She has seen her grandparents and parents weave sabai into ropes and sell them in the local haat. Gouri, a madur artist, is known for weaving portraits and landscapes on mats. She now heads a mat weaving unit in West Bengal employing 40 women. Swarna inherited the patachitra scroll painting tradition from her father. Now, she not only creates beautifully painted scrolls, but also composes songs to narrate stories which go along with these scrolls. From stories and tales of mythology to modern issues, patachitra scroll painting incorporates visuals and sound to depict a wide array of themes. The crafts of Dipali, Gouri, and Swarna were among the demonstrations showcased at UNESCO House in New Delhi for the International Women’s Day celebration. The one-day event included craft demonstrations, panel discussions with women artisans, and cultural performances, serving as a platform for women to share their inspiring stories and insights on their journey towards economic empowerment, digital inclusion, and gender equality. Dipali, from Purulia, said: “Since we used to stay at home all day in the village, we used to make small items from Sabai ropes for our homes. Through the project, I got training to diversify and market the products and now I have travelled within India and internationally to showcase my craft. It is not just a livelihood for me, it has also given me my identity.” UNESCO's initiatives such as the Rural Craft and Cultural Hubs programme in West Bengal state and the project for Strengthening Intangible Cultural Heritage Based Tourism in western Rajasthan have empowered women while preserving cultural heritage. A musical performance by Rina Das Baul (West Bengal) and a kalbelia dance performance by Suwa Devi (Rajasthan) highlighted the vibrant living heritage of the two states. Tim Curtis, Director of UNESCO Office for South Asia, said: “Women play a pivotal role in the practice, transmission, and safeguarding of living heritage. Women are usually at the frontline of transmitting the know-how and content of their living heritage to the next generations and as such they are in a real sense the true custodians of the identity of communities. Moreover, the active participation of women in cultural activities helps bridge gender gaps and build inclusive, sustainable societies.” ***
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Story
13 March 2024
In the frame: 75 remarkable Indian women
Drishana uses string puppetry and folk tales to tackle gender violence in her remote village in Assam. Devika has won three gold medals at the National Para-Athletics Championships, despite being paralysed below her chest. For the past 15 years, Thinlas has been running her all-women trekking company in Ladakh, where she has successfully trained 80 women guides. Their inspiring stories, along with those of 72 other remarkable Indian women, are featured in a new book released today.Titled, “हम | When Women Lead,” the book was jointly unveiled at UN House, New Delhi, by UN Women India and Ford Foundation in commemoration of International Women's Day. At the book launch, Susan Ferguson, Country Representative of UN Women India, highlighted how the book was compiled by an all-women team of writers, photographers, visual artists, and editors.“We say there are lot of problems in a woman’s life. Just imagine- if there is any woman who is on a wheelchair like me- her problem increases four-fold.” says Meenu, a disability rights activist, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth -making her wheelchair-bound for life. “Our stories are multilayered, our identity is multilayered, and our solutions must be multilayered too." remarked Swati Singh, whose NGO is working towards eliminating income disparities in underprivileged groups in Varanasi.Shombi Sharp, the UN Resident Coordinator for India, emphasized, “Gender equality isn't just about women; it's a societal issue.” Some of the photos from the book were also featured in an exhibition at UN House. UN Women Press Release ***
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Story
07 March 2024
How home building is going back to mud
In India, two women architects are quietly revolutionizing the construction industry. Rosie and Sridevi aren't just building homes; they're crafting a sustainable future, one mud brick at a time. Their approach challenges traditional norms, offering a refreshing alternative to high-carbon materials like cement and steel. “Not many architects think that climate change is something that they need to think about, but we’re trying to change that,” says Rosie Paul, co-founder of Bangalore-based architecture firm Masons Ink. Rosie and her friend, Sridevi Changali, are advocating for the preservation of India’s ancient mud construction heritage, emphasizing its sustainable properties to address the modern challenge of high-carbon construction. Sridevi notes, “the manufacturing and the processing is done by local communities, so you’re giving back to local livelihoods rather than large manufacturing plants and large companies.”With a focus on empowering women in architecture and construction, their work transcends mere structures—it's a statement, a movement towards a greener, more inclusive world.They're also urging more women to enter the industry and receive on-site training, like in stone masonry.Rosie highlights gender issues in architecture and construction sector, urging for more women to be hired in firms and on construction sites. She aims to remove barriers and encourages others to join the cause. Architects like Rosie and Sridevi are turning to raw-earth construction to build resilient structures capable of withstanding extreme weather. Thomas Payyapilli had Masons Ink design his mud home with minimal waste, focusing on low cost and environmental impact. His farm is now certified organic, growing aromatic plants.Sindhoor Pangal, seeking solace from urban life after her husband's sudden death, turned to Masons Ink. They understood her journey, and crafted a home in honor of her late husband, with an all-female mason team. Mud's natural properties provide a refreshing solution for construction, improving indoor air quality and preventing dampness. Mud walls absorb solar heat during the day, reducing the need for air conditioning. Additionally, mud's local availability reduces transportation costs and environmental impact.The use of building materials such as cement and steel create a massive carbon footprint, and the industry overall is responsible for almost 40 per cent of global CO2 emissions, mainly in terms of production and transport. Buildings and Climate Global ForumRosie and Sridevi will be among over 800 attendees of the inaugural Buildings and Climate Global Forum, taking place on 7-8 March 2024 in Paris.The Forum is co-organized by France and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the support of the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, and gathers ministers and high-level representatives of key organizations, to generate a new impetus in international collaboration for decarbonizing and resilience in buildings after the COP28 UN Climate Conference.Governments will be invited to endorse a common declaration of common principles and a framework for global cooperation. All stakeholders of the buildings sector will be invited to disclose specific engagements to support the Forum’s ambition. Adapted from UN News ***
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Story
05 March 2024
UN initiative empowers young people on peace and justice
In a world fraught with conflicts, crises and inequalities, the impact on young people is profound. Mainstreaming education on SDG-16 -– peace, justice and strong institutions –- is crucial to tackling their vulnerabilities, including threats from drugs and crime, risky behaviours, violence and mental health, among others. At the same time, young people should be enabled and empowered to understand their rights, make ethical decisions, challenge injustice, and promote fairer communities. RiseUp4Peace, a new educational initiative in this direction, has been unveiled in India, driven by UNODC, the Kamla Nehru Public School Phagwara and educator partners. RiseUp4Peace aims to build a vibrant community of practice to strengthen education around peace, integrity, and the rule of law –- key aspects of SDG-16 –- by building educator capacities, engaging young people, promoting cross-learning and co-creating educational interventions. At the virtual launch, more than 200 educators, policymakers, and young people from India and beyond welcomed the initiative. UNODC’s South Asia Representative Marco Teixeira emphasized the alignment of RiseUp4Peace with India’s National Education Policy. “Empowering young learners with integrity, ethics, and lawfulness is crucial,” he said. “UNODC champions such efforts, engaging youth, training educators, and sharing global expertise.” The response so far highlights the importance of sharing impact stories and insights on teaching and learning SDG-16. More than 660 educator leaders and 11,500 students from 182 educational institutions across 35 countries have joined the RiseUp4Peace coalition of partners. RiseUp4Peace builds on UNODC’s expertise and initiatives in education and youth empowerment: the so-called Education for Justice and GRACE initiatives, through which peer-reviewed and pedagogical tools -- including handbooks of educators -- have been developed to prevent crime, violence, and corruption and promote a culture of lawfulness among young people. "Through education, we must help students better understand the consequences of crime and risky behaviours, and the importance of justice and the rule of law," said UNODC Communications Officer for South Asia Mr. Samarth Pathak. Adapted from UNODC ***
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Press Release
19 March 2024
Secretary-General: Disarmament Now Only Viable Path to Vanquish Senseless
I thank the Government of Japan for convening the Council around the vital issue of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Japan knows better than any country on earth the brutal cost of nuclear carnage. But almost eight decades after the incineration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons still represent a clear and present danger to global peace and security.When I launched the Disarmament Agenda in 2018, I warned that: “When each country pursues its own security without regard for others, we create global insecurity that threatens us all.”Today, we meet at a time when geopolitical tensions and mistrust have escalated the risk of nuclear warfare to its highest point in decades. The Doomsday Clock is ticking loudly enough for all to hear. From academics and civil society groups, calling for an end to the nuclear madness. To Pope Francis, who calls the possession of nuclear arms “immoral”.To young people across the globe worried for their future, demanding change. To the hibakusha, the brave survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- among our greatest living examples of speaking truth to power -- delivering their timeless message of peace. To Hollywood, where Oppenheimer brought the harsh reality of nuclear doomsday to vivid life for millions around the world.Humanity cannot survive a sequel to Oppenheimer. Voice after voice, alarm after alarm, survivor after survivor, are calling the world back from the brink.And what is the response? States possessing nuclear weapons are absent from the table of dialogue. Investments in the tools of war are outstripping investments in the tools of peace. Arms budgets are growing, while diplomacy and development budgets are shrinking.Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and domains in cyber and outer space have exposed new vulnerabilities and created new risks. Countries are pouring resources into deadly new nuclear technologies and spreading the threat to new domains. And some statements have raised the prospect of unleashing nuclear hell -- threats that we must all denounce with clarity and force.Nuclear weapons are the most destructive weapons ever invented, capable of eliminating all life on earth. Today, these weapons are growing in power, range and stealth. An accidental launch is one mistake, one miscalculation, one rash act away. And ultimately, all of humanity will pay the price. A nuclear war must never be waged -- because a nuclear war can never be won.There is one path -- and one path only -- that will vanquish this senseless and suicidal shadow, once and for all. We need disarmament now. In fact, eliminating nuclear weapons is the first action called for under the proposed New Agenda for Peace -- our effort to strengthen the tools of prevention and disarmament. We need nuclear-weapon States to lead the way across six areas.First -- we need dialogue. Nuclear weapon States must re-engage in working together to develop transparency and confidence-building measures to prevent any use of a nuclear weapon. This should include measures that address the nexus between nuclear weapons and new technologies and domains. Second -- nuclear sabre-rattling must stop. Threats to use nuclear weapons in any capacity are unacceptable.Third -- nuclear weapon States must re-affirm moratoria on nuclear testing. This means pledging to avoid taking any actions that would undermine the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, whose entry into force must be the priority. Fourth -- disarmament commitments must become action. Nuclear-weapon States under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons must reaffirm their commitment to that Treaty and to the commitments they have made as States parties. And they should pledge to hold each other accountable to these commitments.Fifth -- we need a joint first-use agreement. Nuclear weapon States must urgently agree that none of them will be the first to use nuclear weapons. As a matter of fact, none should use them in any circumstances. And sixth -- we need reductions in the number of nuclear weapons. This reduction must be led by the holders of the largest nuclear arsenals, the United States and the Russian Federation, who must find a way back to the negotiating table to fully implement the New START [Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms] Treaty and agree on its successor.The responsibility to act extends to non-nuclear weapon States. In addition to fulfilling their own non-proliferation obligations, I urge their support for efforts to ensure that nuclear disarmament is verifiable and irreversible. Help us hold nuclear-weapon States to account. Help us strengthen the global disarmament architecture -- including the Treaties on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.And support the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and our efforts to get the Conference on Disarmament back to work. The diplomatic deadlock and outdated working methods that have come to define the Conference on Disarmament in recent years are shameful.When I addressed the Conference last month, I called for a new intergovernmental process, under the General Assembly, to develop reforms to disarmament bodies, including the Conference. We hope this could lead to a long-overdue fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament.September’s Summit of the Future -- and the pact that will emerge -- will be an important moment for the world to gather around concrete reforms to the global disarmament architecture and the bodies and institutions that uphold it.Across all of these areas, this Council has an opportunity to lay down a marker. To look beyond today’s divisions and state clearly that living with the existential threat of nuclear weapons is unacceptable. To agree that only by working together can the prospect of a nuclear holocaust be eliminated. And to lead the way to a world free of these instruments of annihilation. It’s time.[END]
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Press Release
19 March 2024
International Day of Combat Islamophobia
The International Day to Combat Islamophobia occurs at a time when we see a rising tide of anti-Muslim hate and bigotry in many parts of the world.Institutional discrimination and other barriers are violating the human rights and dignity of Muslims. Divisive rhetoric and misrepresentation are stigmatizing communities. Online hate speech is fuelling real-life violence.Much of this disturbing trend is part of a wider pattern of attacks against religious groups and vulnerable populations, also including Jews, minority Christian communities and others.We must confront and root out bigotry in all its forms. Leaders must condemn inflammatory discourse and safeguard religious freedom. Digital platforms must moderate hateful content and protect users from harassment. And everyone must unite to combat intolerance, stereotypes and bias.Together, let us commit to promoting mutual respect and understanding, foster social cohesion, and build peaceful, just and inclusive societies for all.[END]
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Press Release
19 March 2024
High-Level Segment of the 67th Commission on Narcotic Drugs 14 March 2024
I am pleased to address this High-level Segment.The Commission on Narcotic Drugs is a vital platform for common solutions to advance international drug policy commitments.That is more crucial than ever as challenges grow more complex.Our world faces record numbers of people with drug use disorders. Record numbers of drug-related deaths. And record levels of illicit production of many drugs.At this session of the Commission, you have the opportunity to strengthen the shared commitment to addressing the world drug problem through balanced responses and collective action.By countering drug trafficking. Investing in drug use prevention. Ensuring equal access to health care and treatment services. And protecting the human rights and dignity of everyone. Through our Common Position on Drugs -- adopted by the UN Chief Executives Board in 2018 -- we are committed to providing comprehensive, coordinated, and evidence-based support as you work to tackle the challenges posed by the illicit drug market.We must always strive to put people first by ending stigma and discrimination and strengthening prevention; stressing rehabilitation; upholding the human rights of people who use drugs; and expanding prevention and treatment programmes and health services. Together, let us unite around promoting the health and wellbeing of all people, advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, and leaving no one behind.Thank you.
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Press Release
19 March 2024
Human Development Report 2023-2024: Reimaging Cooperation in a Polarized World
We are living in an age of polarization. Among communities and across regions, people are being driven apart by rising inequality, escalating conflicts, and record-breaking climate shocks. Misinformation and a breakdown of trust are tearing the social fabric and reducing space for meaningful public discourse. Divisions are deepening at a moment when cooperation is critical to our shared future:Cooperation to end conflicts.Cooperation to tackle the climate crisis and advance the Sustainable Development Goals. And cooperation to agree on guardrails for digital technologies, like Artificial Intelligence. This year’s Human Development Report explores the roots of polarization and its devastating impact on sustainable development. It builds on previous analysis of people’s feelings of insecurity and uncertainty, offering a path out of stalemate and division.It demonstrates that our best hope for the future is by combating divisive rhetoric and stressing the common ground that unites the vast majority of people everywhere. And it calls for the urgent expansion of our systems of international cooperation, so that they can deliver on people’s priorities: sustainable development; a clean environment; a livable planet; safety, security and dignity for all. September’s Summit of the Future will consider exactly these questions. As we prepare for the Summit, I recommend the Human Development Report as an important contribution.It shows that solutions to global problems are within our grasp – by reimagining cooperation and uniting for a better world.Thank you. [END]Video Messagehttps://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+07+MAR+24/MSG+SG+HUMAN+DEVELOPMENT+REPORT+07+MAR+24.mp4
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Press Release
04 March 2024
Launch the Report of the High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession South Africa, 26 February 2024
Our world has entered a period of dramatic challenge and change. The education system of yesterday won’t cut it. Now, more than ever, we need to move towards learning societies.People everywhere need high-quality skills, knowledge and education. Above all, they need the best teachers possible. But today, we face a dramatic shortage of teachers worldwide. And millions of teachers lack the support, skills and continuous training they need to excel in the classroom of the future. This simple truth drove the creation of the High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession — a key follow-up to the UN’s Transforming Education Summit in 2022. The Panel has developed key recommendations to ensure that every learner has access to a professionally trained, qualified, and well-supported teacher. Getting there means investing in teacher training, establishing professional teaching standards, reflecting teachers’ voices in policy decisions, and creating national commissions to tackle teacher shortages. I urge all countries, teachers unions and partners to consider these recommendations carefully, and find ways to bring them to life in their countries.Just as teachers support us all, it’s time to support teachers. Let’s make sure they have the support, recognition and resources they need to provide quality, relevant education and skills for all. [END]
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