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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. Read More 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.Read More 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. Read More 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.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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. Read more 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.Read more 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.Read more 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.Read more 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
02 May 2024
Investing for a resilient tomorrow for all
Asia was the world’s most disaster-hit region in 2023, with floods and storms claiming the highest number of casualties. Recent satellite reports from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) show that glacial lakes in the Himalayas are expanding at a rapid scale, threatening lives of downstream communities. And just last month, parts of India recorded heatwave conditions, with day temperatures exceeding 40 degrees in several places. Rising climate-related uncertainty has accelerated calls to invest in financial and human resources to boost disaster resilient infrastructure. “Communities that contributed the least to climate change are paying the highest price,” United Nations in India Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp told the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, which was hosted by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) in New Delhi.Weather extremes have greatly reduced the productivity of the vulnerable, journalist Jayashree Nandi said, as she moderated a high-level discussion on the theme ‘Investing today for a more resilient tomorrow’ at the conference, which brought together representatives from government bodies, the private sector and civil society. The most important infrastructure for climate change adaptation is infrastructure that has not been built yet, GeoHazards International Chief Operating Officer Dr. Janise Rodgers said during a panel discussion that also featured European Commission DG-INTPA Green Deal and the Digital Agenda Director Carla Montesi, Asian Development Bank Country Director for India Mio Oka and Miyamoto International CEO Dr. Kit Miyamoto. “When countries are forced to choose between the right to development and climate mitigation, they will choose development. We must together ensure the two go hand in hand, with resilience and climate justice for all through ample access to finance and technology,” Mr. Sharp said. CDRI Director General Amit Prothi lauded UN Women for highlighting the potential role that women play in their communities in responding to disaster, saying: “Adaptation is very local and often affects women a lot more. They may have a better understanding of how to come up with solutions on the ground and we need to look into building capacity”.Mr. Sharp stressed that the Summit of the Future, to be held at UN Headquarters in New York in September, will be an opportunity for Member States, communities and civil society to come together and contribute inputs about the reforms we need to strengthen multilateralism and partnerships.
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Story
29 April 2024
Lights out on fossil fuels, lights on for sustainable green energy
The rising frequency of climate-related disasters has intensified global calls for a rapid shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. The United Nations has established a new panel to ensure that the transition is equitable and transparent. India is among the 38 government, intergovernment and non-state members of the Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, which has been tasked with protecting the human, environmental, and financial rights of resource-rich developing countries.Critical energy transition minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements are key components of clean energy technologies spanning solar panels to electric vehicle batteries. For developing countries with large reserves, the critical minerals boom presents an opportunity to create jobs and boost revenues. However, soaring demand has heightened fears of potential fallouts, ranging from adverse impacts on human rights and the environment to geopolitical tensions and market volatility.“The race to net zero cannot trample over the poor. The renewables revolution is happening – but we must guide it towards justice,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the launch of the panel. Besides eyeing a 30% Electric Vehicles share of all car sales by 2030, India has been actively working to engage with resource-rich countries for access to critical minerals as pathway to achieving the target of global net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.
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Story
18 April 2024
New report flags terror, Internet links to drug trade in South Asia
The illegal drug trade is rising in India and across South Asia, according to a new report that also warns that the trade is being used to fund terrorism. The annual report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) 2023 shows that 39% of the world’s opiate users reside in South Asia. The report also highlights India's prominence as the primary market for opiates, noting an increased number of incidences of trafficking and the illicit opium cultivation in the country’s northeastern region. It also cautions about the influx of heroin from South-West Asia, particularly Afghanistan. Presenting key findings from the report at a special event this week at UN House in New Delhi, Jagjit Pavadia, INCB member and Chair of the Committee on Finance and Administration, stressed the importance of evidence-based treatments for drug users, especially those from vulnerable demographics. Ms. Pavadia also highlighted the environmental hazards linked to the drug trade, such as the detrimental impact of spraying illicit substances on crops and the carbon footprint associated with drug production. The report outlines a worrying trend: more drugs are being sold online, making them easier to get. Cyber-enabled drug trafficking is on the rise, which means illegal drugs are being sold on the dark web and crypto-markets. There are also more illegal online pharmacies selling drugs without needing a prescription. Senior Indian Government officials from the Department of Revenue, the Narcotics Control Bureau, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS) participated in the report launch. The discussions disclosed how profits from drug trafficking are increasingly being funneled into funding terrorism and supporting armed groups. On rising incidents of narco-terrorism, the Deputy Director General of India’s Narcotics Control Bureau, Ms. Monika Ashish Batra, said: “Investigations indicate that proceeds of drug trafficking are increasingly being used to fund terrorism, and to support armed groups.”The UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) Regional Representative for South Asia, Marco Teixeira, noted that the UN has been providing local officers with hands-on training sessions on interdictions, investigations, seizures and prosecutions. “The collaboration between the Government of India, INCB and UNODC South Asia has allowed us to stay ahead of the curve by enriching officers' expertise with capacity building and training,” said Mr. Sunil Kumar Sinha, Principal Additional Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. Professor Yatan Pal Singh Balhara of the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre at AIIMS New Delhi emphasized a balanced approach, identifying effective prevention, treatment, and harm reduction as key to addressing the drug problem. Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator for India, underlined how the efforts to combat drugs are inter-connected to broader initiatives aimed at enhancing public health, reinforcing the rule of law, and fostering peace and security. UNODC works to educate people throughout the world about the dangers of drug abuse and to strengthen international action against illicit drug production and trafficking and drug-related crime. ***
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Story
12 April 2024
Never Again: Reflecting on 30 Years Since Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda
“What happened in my country should never happen in any country in the world,” with these words Jacqueline Mukangira, High Commissioner of Rwanda in India, led the commemorations for the 30th anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The day-long event, co-organized by United Nations Information Centre and Rwanda High Commission at India International Centre, paid tribute to the tragic period in history that saw systematic killings of more than one million Tutsi people in Rwanda. The evening saw an official commemoration attended by Mr. Sevala Naik Mude, Additional Secretary from Ministry of External Affairs, UN officials, and foreign diplomats, who participated in a candlelight vigil. The psychological scars from witnessing the genocide in 1994 are still fresh in the minds of the survivors, the High Commissioner told the gathering, as she shared the painful memories of losing her father, four siblings, and other members of her family in the mass killings. “No one came from outside to carry out the genocide. Our people were killed by their neighbours. Husbands killed their wives, parents killed their children”. The Irish Ambassador Kevin Kelly said that the "world stood idly by" as the genocide unfolded, calling hate speech "the seedbed of genocide." UN Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp after reading UN Secretary-General’s message urged all to pledge to stand together in solidarity, not just in remembrance of the past, but in our joint determination to create a future free from hatred and violence. Earlier in the day, more than 200 students from 26 schools across the city gathered to interact with Ms. Mukangira to reflect upon the genocide. Easels were lined up to showcase artwork created by school students aimed at honouring the memory of the victims. Ms. Mukangira appreciated the students' creativity, moving from painting to painting to admire their artwork and discuss the ideas behind their pieces. DAV Public School, Gurugram students staged a play showcasing Rwanda's present and its genocide horrors. Ms. Mukangira praised their portrayal of Tutsis massacred in churches, highlighting the desecration of sacred spaces during the genocide. A student choir from Bal Bharti Public School, Noida performed a rendition of Mwakire Indabo, a Kinyarwanda song by Musinga Joe, to pay tribute to the lives lost. Delhi University's Associate Professor Subarno Chatterjee while speaking to students stressed on the importance of remembering the tragic events of 1994. He said, "We need precise memories to understand our past and present. Only by remembering can we hope to create better futures." "In the end, we're all the same. Once we die, you can't differentiate between any of us, no matter who we are. So why do we discriminate against each other when we're alive?" asked Dishita Gupta from Ridge Valley School. Calling the commemoration an “opportune moment to call friends of Rwanda to fight negative ideology,” the High Commissioner said, “Let us say no to hate speech, no to discrimination. Let us find the courage together to spread peace”. ***
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Story
10 April 2024
Student projects show how to use AI for good
A robot that combats littering. A programme that analyses the posture of office workers. A device that allows people with speech disabilities to communicate by moving their eyes. An app that offers personalized virtual training plans to budding sports stars. These were just some of the extraordinary projects on display at the AI Future Leaders Summit in Bengaluru last week, where hundreds of school students and educators from across India gathered for the first edition of the India AI Youth Awards. The Summit, held at DPS Bangalore North on 5 April, was organized by the non-governmental organization 1M1B (1 Million for 1 Billion), in collaboration with IBM. Participants at the Summit discussed how artificial intelligence can be deployed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and awards were given out to the best projects conceived by students. Darrin Farrant, Director of the United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan, congratulated the students at the Summit for their innovative projects. He stressed how important it was for AI to have safeguards and for humanity to use it for good. The Summit also served as a special briefing in support of the UN’s Summit of the Future, which will be held at UN Headquarters in New York this September. The Summit of the Future will help chart a road map for the international community to deal with its biggest challenges, including the use of artificial intelligence, in the decades ahead. ***
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Press Release
24 April 2024
International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace
The International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace highlights a fundamental truth: no country can solve today’s challenges alone.Dialogue, diplomacy and multilateral solutions provide the surest path to a peaceful and just world. These eternal ideals form the foundation of the United Nations Charter and drive global efforts to safeguard human rights and forge hope, prosperity and peace for all people.But around the world, conflicts, climate catastrophe, poverty and inequalities create enormous obstacles to diplomacy and multilateral solutions. Collaboration is consumed by competition; dialogue is overtaken by relentless division.Diplomacy and the multilateral system itself were created precisely for moments like this. We need to resurrect a new spirit of global cooperation to rebuild trust, heal divisions, and place humanity on the path to peace.The Summit of the Future this September will be a critical opportunity for countries to share solutions. A New Agenda for Peace that takes a holistic approach to the drivers of conflict can help to restore faith in the multilateral system and what we can accomplish by working as one.On this important day, I call on all Governments and leaders to spare no effort to bridge divides, renew dialogue and trust, and deliver a peaceful future.[END]For more information and resources at the following link:https://www.un.org/en/observances/multilateralism-for-peace-day
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Press Release
24 April 2024
Secretary-General: 1.5°C Global Temperature Rise Still Possible, But Not for Long
It’s a pleasure to join you for the launch of The Climate Promise 2025.This initiative recognizes an important truth in the climate battle: It is not all doom and gloom. Many countries have the will to take more ambitious steps on climate action. But the world needs to mobilize to ensure that there is a way.The Climate Promise is our contribution to that essential effort. It is the entire UN system coming together: helping Governments [rise] to the moment, seize the opportunity, and create new national climate plans aligned with the 1.5°C limit. The initiative has a proud record: UNDP’s Climate Promise worked with 128 countries on the last round of national climate plans to increase quality and ambition.Today we are launching The Climate Promise 2025 -- an initiative that is even bigger and bolder -- with more partners, more tailored support, and greater focus on linking sustainable development and climate action.Done right, national climate plans double as national investment plans, and reinforce National Development Plans. They can catapult sustainable development -- connecting billions to clean power, boosting health, creating clean jobs, and advancing equality.National climate plans -- or NDCs -- are the critical vehicle to get countries on that path. But they are complex, technical documents. And developing countries have consistently asked for support in making them as ambitious, inclusive, and comprehensive as possible.The Climate Promise is the United Nations’ answer to that call coming from developing countries. I encourage those countries to make the most of all this initiative has to offer. And I ask donors to provide the initiative with the finance it needs for maximum impact.The need is urgent. This March was the hottest on record, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service -- the tenth month of record heat in a row. And the devastating impacts of climate chaos keep piling up.This month alone, the United Arab Emirates reeled after record-breaking rainstorms hit it; Scientists sounded the alarm on a great global coral bleaching -- a result of soaring ocean temperatures; and Zimbabwe followed Zambia and Malawi in declaring a state of disaster, as drought decimates crops and dries-up water supplies across Southern Africa.But what we are seeing is just a preview of the disaster that awaits us unless we limit the long-term rise in global temperature to 1.5°C.It’s make or break for the 1.5°C limit. Today, humanity spews out over 40 gigatons of carbon dioxide every year. At this rate, the planet will soon be pushed past the 1.5°C limit. Countries’ ambitious new national climate plans -- which are due next year -- are essential to avert this calamity. Together, these plans must achieve what the science tells us is necessary: And reduce global greenhouse emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 compared to 2019. These requests, tackling the two key causes [that have been] creating climate chaos: fossil fuels and deforestation. By the end of this decade, globally, we must have slammed the brakes on deforestation, and tripled renewables capacity. And we must have drastically accelerated a just and equitable phase out of fossil fuels.The International Energy Agency projects that the proportion of electricity generated by fossil fuels globally must fall to 30 per cent by 2030 -- from 60 per cent today. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries must phase-out coal by 2030, and the rest of the world by 2040.The United Arab Emirates Consensus agreed at COP28 [Twenty-eighth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] made clear that new national climate plans must align with the 1.5°C limit, as informed by the science, and in the light of the different national circumstances. And they must cover all greenhouse gases, all sectors, and the whole economy.There is no place for loopholes or for green washing or for any half-measures that will not allow us to reach our targets. That means clear, ambitious absolute emissions reduction targets for 2030 and 2035 -- covering all major emitting sectors: energy, agriculture, land-use, industry and waste.These targets must be supported by credible plans, concrete policies, and details in financing needs, to clean-up major emitting sectors – particularly energy.And we need details of adaptation priorities and investment needs – to show how communities, livelihoods, critical sectors, and infrastructures will be protected from extreme weather, rising sea levels and other climate impacts. All countries must play their part.But the Group of 20 -- which accounts for around 80 per cent of emissions -- must lead: Submitting robust, ambitious and comprehensive new national climate plans well ahead of COP30; committing to dramatically accelerate fossil fuel phase-out and I repeat phase-out; Detailing policies and regulations to provide continuity and predictability to markets -- from carbon pricing to ending fossil fuel subsidies; and increasing financial and technology support for developing countries.Many developing countries are suffocating in debt, gripped by a cost-of living-crisis, and paying outlandish rates for capital. That makes it virtually impossible for them to take sufficient climate action. We need concrete steps this year to get financial flows and enable a surge in climate ambition. Developed countries must deliver on their finance commitments -- including on adaptation.We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund, action on debt, and a strong finance outcome from COP29. We need to explore new sources of finance -- such as a windfall tax on the profits of fossil fuel companies. And we need innovative financial instruments, as well as adequate capitalization and reform of the business model of multilateral development banks -- to increase their lending potential and to mobilize far more private finance.The 1.5°C limit is still possible. But not for long. The United Nations is rallying to support you. Please, seize this opportunity. And together, let’s make the next round of climate action plans count.Thank you very much.[END]
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Press Release
24 April 2024
UN 2.0 Week
Our world today is confronted by crisis after crisis. Conflicts, climate catastrophe, poverty, inequality and stalled progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. The world looks to the United Nations to help build the better, safer, greener world we need. But we cannot solve 21st century problems with 20th century tools. We need a UN 2.0: A strengthened and updated United Nations built around a “quintet of change” — data, innovation, digital solutions, foresight and behavioural science to better reach and support the people of the world. And a new, forward-thinking culture at the UN, powered by the rapid technological advances all around us — especially as we move forward on the fundamental changes proposed in Our Common Agenda and the Summit of the Future. We’re already seeing what is possible. From online resources for remote schools; To humanitarian aid based on real-time data; And technology that helps countries forecast and build resilience to disasters. Ultimately, UN 2.0 will make us better partners for countries as they achieve results for their people.Change is never easy. But change is essential. Together, let’s embrace UN 2.0, and deliver the dynamic and innovative solutions our world needs. ***[END] VIDEO MESSAGEhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+4+Apr+24/MSG+SG+UN+2.0+WEEK+4+APR+24.mp4
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Press Release
24 April 2024
2024 ASEAN Future Forum
For nearly six decades, the countries of South-East Asia have built a dynamic, resilient and diverse regional economy. And you’re a strong voice for peace, dialogue, disarmament and non-proliferation on the global stage. But this Forum’s call for “fast and sustainable growth” reminds us of the work ahead. The impacts of global conflicts, climate catastrophe, and lingering poverty and inequality are keenly felt in South-East Asia. The Sustainable Development Goals -- and the hopes and dreams of people around the world -- hang in the balance. Now is the time to accelerate and scale-up investments in the SDGs. Now is the time to tackle the climate crisis, and anchor economies in renewable energy and green solutions. And now is the time to reform and rebalance critical global systems and institutions -- from the United Nations Security Council, to the global financial architecture. This September’s Summit of the Future will be a moment for the world to come together and share solutions to shape a better, more peaceful and prosperous future. The ASEAN family of nations is critical to this future, and I look forward to carrying our partnership to new heights in the years ahead. Thank you.[END]***VIDEO MESSAGEhttps://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+19+Apr+24+Friday/3199224_MSG+SG+2024+ASEAN+FUTURE+FORUM+19+APR+24.mp4
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Press Release
24 April 2024
Secretary-General: Money Flowing in Wrong Direction, Urging Better Funding Models for Debt-Ridden Developing Countries
I thank the Economic and Social Council for convening this forum on a topic that is essential to development and the better world we all seek -- financing.Financing is the fuel of development. Yet many developing countries are running on empty. This is creating a sustainable development crisis. A crisis of lingering poverty and rising inequality. A crisis of hunger, lack of education and shattered infrastructure. A crisis of climate catastrophe and shocks that are becoming more frequent and acute. And a crisis that, if left unchecked, will undermine stability, prosperity and peace for decades to come.Crisis after crisis, challenge after challenge, all tied together by a common thread. Lack of financing. Many developing countries are simply unable to make the investments they need in sustainable development and the systems and services their people require.And when they turn to the global financial system for help, they find that it is unable to provide a global safety net to shield them from shocks. They find a system incapable of helping them forge stability or sustainability. They find a system that they had no hand in creating, no voice in shaping -- and that remains unresponsive to their needs. My friends, they find a system that is broken. The result is plain to see.The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are hanging by a thread -- and with them, the hopes and dreams of billions of people around the world.The world faces an annual financing gap of around $4 trillion to reach the SDGs -- a sharp rise from the $2.5-trillion gap one year before the COVID-19 pandemic. This growing financing gap is matched by a growing financing divide -- between those countries that can access financing at affordable rates, and those that cannot.This is no longer a question of “haves” and “have nots”. This is a question of who has access to finance when they need it -- and who does not. This is a question of justice.Look at the global financial system’s handling of debt. Many developing countries are being crushed under a steamroller of debt. Four out of every 10 people worldwide live in countries where Governments spend more on interest payments than on education or health.Annual debt service payments in the world’s poorest countries are 50 per cent higher than they were just three years ago. In sub-Saharan Africa, debt-servicing consumed nearly half of all Government revenue in 2023.In country after country, development gains are quickly erased by relentless crises, with debt service payments impeding critical social spending and investments in the SDGs.Money is flowing in the wrong direction -- from the countries who need it to the countries who don’t. When it comes to debt, developing countries are climbing a ladder planted in quicksand.A growing economy is the best way to reduce debt burdens and raise domestic revenue for key investments. We need a surge of investment to bridge the financing gap and give developing countries a fighting chance to build better lives for their people.We must continue pushing for an SDG Stimulus of $500 billion annually in affordable long-term finance for developing countries. The Stimulus was welcomed by world leaders at the SDG Summit and in the Group of 20 (G20) New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration. Now it’s time to move from words to action and deliver affordable, long-term financing at scale.First -- developed countries need to step-up, led by the G20. Discussions on general capital increases for Multilateral Development Banks should start now. Meanwhile, donors must meet their official development assistance commitments.In 2022, only four countries met or exceeded the agreed target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income. Official development assistance has risen on paper, but it is increasingly spent within donor countries, leaving developing countries without the resources they need. I call on all donor countries to meet their targets and get this financing flowing.Second -- we need multilateral development banks to make better use of the resources they can already access, at no additional cost to shareholders. This includes finding ways for multilateral development banks, central banks and credit rating agencies to greenlight ways to stretch Banks’ balance sheets, leveraging the vast sums of callable capital that the shareholder countries of multilateral development banks have at the ready, sitting in central banks.It means deploying innovative financing systems -- for example, hybrid capital bonds that increase lending capacity and attract private capital. And multilateral development banks must readjust their business models to better leverage private finance at a reasonable cost for developing countries.Third -- we need bold action to ease the debt distress. Any new financing should be used for productive investments and sustainable development -- not to service unsustainable and unaffordable debt. And the debt-restructuring systems and mechanisms in place need to be strengthened.The Debt Service Suspension Initiative and the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatments have not delivered on their promise. The Debt Service Suspension Initiative was too limited in scope and duration, expiring just as interest rates skyrocketed. Debt repayment pauses must be considered for countries facing liquidity crises.And for those countries bearing the weight of unsustainable debt, it’s time to revamp the debt resolution architecture to provide deep relief that avoids repeat crises. Regardless of intent and efforts, the Common Framework has failed to provide this. Nor has it served many of the countries that face the greatest unresolved debt problems. It’s time for change.And fourth -- we need to increase developing countries’ representation across the system and every decision that is made. This July is the eightieth anniversary of the Bretton Woods Conference, which ushered in today’s international financial architecture. But the countries who need these systems and institutions most were not present at their creation -- a lack of representation that continues to this day. In the name of justice, they need and deserve a seat at the table.The Summit of the Future in September and next year’s Financing for Development Conference will be key opportunities to gather the world together to reform the global financial architecture so it serves all countries who need it.Let’s make the most of these opportunities. Now is the time for ambition. Now is the time for reform. Now is the time to shape a global economic and financial system that delivers for people and planet.I look forward to standing with you in this great effort, as we shape a more inclusive, just, peaceful, resilient, and sustainable world for present and future generations.[END]***
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