News

Our news page provides you with a round up of UN news related to economic development, humanitarian aid, climate change, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). You will find the summary of news articles together with a link to the news source.

UN health agency aims to save millions of lives by ‘elimination’ of trans-fatty acids from global food chain

14 May 2018

Industrially-produced trans-fats may give food a longer shelf life, but each year they also lead to the death of more than 500,000 people from cardiovascular and heart disease, according to the United Nations health agency.

Key UN forum in Asia-Pacific sets its sights on combatting inequality

14 May 2018

With concern growing that the divide between rich and poor is continuing to widen – especially in the Asia-Pacific region – top United Nations officials are calling for greater emphasis on growth that leads to fairer societies and a healthier planet.

Save our planet by protecting migratory birds and their ‘epic journeys,’ urges UN chief

11 May 2018

As they make their global journeys, migratory birds not only set birdwatchers’ binoculars agog, they also help the planet maintain its essential ecological balance.

New UN agency guidelines aim to sustain forest benefits for future generations

10 May 2018

New guidelines designed to give poor and isolated communities more of a say in how tropical forests are used and preserved around the world were published on Thursday, by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Amid a ‘crisis of solidarity,’ seek inspiration from the Buddha’s message of empathy, urges UN chief

02 May 2018

At an event commemorating the Day of Vesak, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged the global community to draw inspiration from the Buddha’s teachings and message of tolerance, empathy and humanism.

Nations begin drafting ‘operating manual’ for climate action at UN conference in Bonn

30 Apr 2018

The latest round of United Nations climate change negotiations began on Monday in Bonn, Germany, to further develop the “operating manual” for implementing the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to keep temperature rises this century, well below 2 degrees Celsius.

Disasters could cost Asia-Pacific region $160 billion per year by 2030, UN warns

24 Apr 2018

Economic losses to disasters in Asia and the Pacific could exceed $160 billion annually by 2030, the United Nations development arm in the region warned on Tuesday, urging greater innovation in disaster risk financing.

At development financing forum, top UN officials urge breakaway from ‘short-termism’

23 Apr 2018

The United Nations will support countries’ path to sustainable development by brokering partnerships, pursuing innovative finance, leveraging resources and building the necessary capacities, senior officials said Monday, highlighting the need for a change of mind-set from “short-termism” to long-term investments. 

A new bond with nature is goal of UN’s Mother Earth Day celebration

23 Apr 2018

 Harmony with Nature – living a better quality of life while minimizing the use of toxic materials and preserving natural resources – was the focus of the International Mother Earth Day celebration Monday at the United Nations.

UN launches initiative to improve road safety worldwide

12 Apr 2018

With some 1.3 million drivers, passengers and pedestrians dying each year on the world’s roads, the United Nations took a major step to address this tragedy by launching on Thursday a trust fund to spur action that could save lives and prevent the loss of opportunity associated with road accidents.

With fair play, tolerance and team spirit, sport can score for peace and development, say UN officials

09 Apr 2018

The United Nations can make its voice heard on the power of sport in promoting both peace and development, a senior UN official said Monday, urging participants at a special Headquarters event to “bring out our inner sports fans,” and harness sport as a force for positive change.

Universal health coverage key to safer, fairer world, says WHO chief on eve of World Health Day

06 Apr 2018

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday marked World Health Day, and the agency’s 70th anniversary, with a strong call for universal health coverage, to ensure that all people can get quality health services, where and when they need them, without suffering financial hardship.

The world banks on sunshine, UN says in renewable energy report

05 Apr 2018

In 2017, solar energy dominated global investment in new power generation like never before, according to a new United Nations-backed report, which shows a steady move away from fossil fuel-based power production to ‘green’ power sources.

Marking Sport for Development Day, Japanese athletes take UN Global Goals forward

05 Apr 2018

Ahead of the International Day of Sport, world renowned Japanese athletes are joining a United Nations-backed campaign to promote global development goals through the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games their country will host in 2020.

Business leaders at UN forum challenged to invest in a more sustainable future for all

04 Apr 2018

Three years into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations continues brokering new partnerships between governments, the private sector and civil society to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), participants told a forum at UN Headquarters on Wednesday.

Climate chaos to continue in 2018, UN chief warns; Will the world rise to challenge?

29 Mar 2018

Climate change “is still moving much faster than we are,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Thursday, calling for the political will, innovation and financing to cut global emissions by at least 25 per cent over the next two years.

UN forum examines role partnerships play in tackling global migration challenge

26 Mar 2018

Partnerships at local, national, regional and international levels are crucial to ensuring global migration is better managed, the United Nations migration agency chief said Monday in New York.

Earth Hour: UN joins iconic landmarks ‘going dark’ globally with a call to protect environment

24 Mar 2018

The United Nations this evening turned off the lights at its iconic Headquarters in New York as well as at other facilities around the world in observance of “Earth Hour” – a global event highlighting the need for climate action and sustainable energy consumption.

Heatwaves, hurricanes, floods: 2017 costliest year ever for extreme weather and climate events, says UN

22 Mar 2018

Hurricanes, monsoon floods and continuing severe drought made 2017 the costliest year ever for severe weather and climate events, according to a new report by the United Nations weather agency launched on the eve of World Meteorological Day.

World cannot take water for granted, say UN officials at launch of global decade for action

22 Mar 2018

The United Nations on Thursday launched a 10-year water action plan that seeks to forge new partnerships, improve cooperation and strengthen capacity to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As cities boom, forests key to meeting demands for water, food and energy – UN

21 Mar 2018

With two-thirds of the world’s population expected to live in urban areas by 2050, forests are critical part of the solution to the unprecedented demand for water, food and energy that these cities will face, senior United Nations officials said Wednesday, on the International Day of Forests.

Studying water scarcity trends, helping communities adapt can ease migration pressures, says UN agency

20 Mar 2018

Water scarcity and poor access to safe water sources pose major challenges for two-thirds of the world’s population, the United Nations food security agency said Tuesday, warning that worsening shortages could soon force people to leave their communities.

UN forum to spotlight ways ICT can help beat poverty and boost development

19 Mar 2018

Making information and communication technology (ICT) readily available for vulnerable countries and harnessing it’s potential to help tackle a raft of ills – from disaster risk reduction to reaching ‘zero hunger’ – will be among the issues on the agenda at an annual United Nations information forum that kicked off Monday in Geneva.

UN spotlights rainwater recycling, artificial wetlands among ‘green’ solutions to global water crisis

19 Mar 2018

With five billion people at risk of having difficulty accessing adequate water by 2050, finding nature-based solutions, such as China’s rainwater recycling, India’s forest regeneration and Ukraine’s artificial wetlands, is becoming increasingly important, according to a United Nations report released Monday at the world’s largest water-related event in Brazil.

Major reports on biodiversity, ecosystem services to be launched at UN-backed meeting in Medellin

15 Mar 2018

With our planet’s flora and fauna facing unprecedented threats, science and policy experts are set to gather next week in Medellin, Colombia, for a United Nations-backed meeting to consider five landmark reports aiming to inform better decisions by Governments, businesses and even individuals on biodiversity, and issues of land degradation and restoration.

Disasters cost billions in agricultural losses, poor farmers bear brunt – UN report

15 Mar 2018

A crowded field of threats that includes drought, floods, animal disease outbreaks and chemical spills are among the disasters costing farmers in the developing world billions of dollars each year, according to a new report from the United Nations agriculture agency.

UN-World Bank panel calls for ‘fundamental shift’ in water management

14 Mar 2018

With 700 million people worldwide at risk of being displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030, water infrastructure investment must be at least doubled over the next five years, a panel set up by the United Nations and the World Bank recommended on Wednesday.   

UN women’s commission opens annual session at ‘pivotal moment’ for gender equality movement

12 Mar 2018

Taking place at “a pivotal moment for the rights of women and girls,” the United Nations body dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment opened its annual session on Monday hearing calls to help women, especially those in rural communities, secure an end to the male-dominated power dynamic that has long marginalized their participation and muted their voices.

UN launches Environmental Rights Initiative

06 Mar 2018

Taking a stand against ongoing threats, harassment and murder of environmental defenders, the United Nations on Tuesday launched an initiative enlisting business communities to champion a clean and healthy environment.

Hunger rates remain high amid conflict, climate shocks, warns UN food security report

05 Mar 2018

Increased hunger and food insecurity, fuelled by conflict and climatic challenges, continues to inflict suffering on populations in different parts of the world, forcing them to remain dependent on humanitarian assistance, a new United Nations report has warned.