Sustainable Development Goals

UN data reveals that reports of conflict-related sexual violence increased shockingly by 50 per cent last year compared to 2023, and women and girls accounted for 95 per cent of verified cases. These numbers, however, “represent a small fraction of the reality” as many cases go unreported, the agency warned. Justice out of reach “In many remote locations, humanitarian access is cut off or resources and assistance are scarce. Access to justice also remains limited, and survivors fear...

28 November 2024 Economic Development Pay packets around the world rose 1.8 per cent in 2023 and continued their positive trajectory in this first half of this year, rising by 2.7 per cent on the back of a strong post-COVID global recovery, the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Thursday. “If this trend is confirmed, it will be the largest gain in more than 15 years… however, this positive trend is not shared equally across regions,” said ILO Director-General Gilbert...

By Eileen Travers in Cascais, Portugal 27 November 2024 Culture and Education The message, from second graders and octogenarians to imams, rabbis, young changemakers and the King of Spain, was clear: “we need peace and mutual understanding now more than ever before”, according to more than 1,800 participants at the UN Alliance of Civilizations 10th Global Forum, which concluded on Wednesday. “There was a strong call for peace, putting an end to violence and conflict, and calls for...

27 November 2024 Culture and Education In an age when social media dominates global information sharing, an alarming two-thirds of digital content creators are publishing unverified information to millions of followers, a landmark survey by UN educational and cultural agency UNESCO revealed on Wednesday. The findings come at a critical moment when social media influencers have become primary sources of news and cultural information for global audiences, yet 62 percent lack basic...

Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and combatting hate speech and mis- and disinformation are part of the plan to bolster peace and mutual understanding as Heads of State and Government, including kings, presidents and prime ministers from Cabo Verde, Senegal and Spain, unanimously adopted the Cascais Declaration. Named for the city hosting the UN Alliance for Civilizations 10th Global Forum from 25 to 27 November, the declaration outlines a range of actions and focuses on...

Mafalda, the inquisitive and sharp-witted creation of the late humorist Quino, also fulfilled a long-held dream on her birthday: “to learn languages to be a UN interpreter” and “to help people understand each other”. A statuette of the eternal six-year-old, sculpted by the Argentine artist Pablo Irrgang, arrived at the UN and was placed in the interpreters’ booth in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber, thanks to the Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, her...

Kicking off day one was the Youth Forum, where more than 150 youth delegations gathered at the 16th century military Forte de São Julião da Barra, spreading messages of peace, unity and multicultural understanding. “As young people, you have to revolt and to spread your dreams,” said Miguel Ángel Moratinos, High Representative of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, at the opening session. “You’re now told that your future is gloomy, but you are a new generation. You are the bridge generation...

Here’s what you need to know: An alliance for humanity The UN Alliance of Civilizations has had a long-held motto: Many cultures, one humanity. Based on this, it was created by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2005 to embrace and promote cultural diversity, religious pluralism and mutual respect. Over nearly two decades, it has played an integral part in doing so. It has been supported by an ensemble of Israeli and Palestinian musicians, convened symposiums to address hatred...

Announced earlier this week, the agency’s Global Appeal comes amid escalating humanitarian crises, as conflict, persecution and the growing impacts of climate change continue to force millions from their homes. “We live in an era of relentless emergencies. Of crises without end,” High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said, emphasising the scale of the challenges in a foreword accompanying the appeal. He highlighted recent and ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine and Lebanon, which have driven...

In July 2022, a magnitude-7.0 earthquake shook the northwestern Philippines, killing 11 people and injuring nearly 600 others. The quake and its aftershocks caused an estimated 1.6 billion pesos ($27.3 million) in damage to infrastructure and agriculture. Among the hardest hit areas was the historic city of Vigan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved Spanish colonial towns in Asia. About 100 ancestral homes, as well as the city’s 19th century cathedral and bell tower...