Summit for Refugees and Migrants on 19 September The United Nations General Assembly will convene the Summit for Refugees and Migrants on 19 September 2016 to guide the development of a global approach to addressing large movements of persons across international borders. The political declaration adopted at the Summit will strengthen the commitment to ensuring the human rights, safety and dignity of all refugees and migrants, and will set in motion a process to create a more predictable, … [Read more...]
Indigenous Film Night, Sept 13 in NYC
September 2, 2016 by
Film night to celebrate indigenous peoples’ cultures and identities in cities On 13 September, the United Nations will open the doors to an indigenous film night, paying tribute to the many indigenous peoples, living and sustaining their cultures in the world’s biggest cities far from their ancestral homes. Through Reaghan Tarbell’s documentary “To Brooklyn and Back: A Mohawk Journey” (2009), we will meet the courageous Mohawk women who sustained a vibrant community in Brooklyn, while Mohawk … [Read more...]
A world on the move: Refugees and Migrants
September 2, 2016 by
For a world on the move: The UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants The world is on the move, and the number of international migrants today is higher than ever before. In 2015, 244 million people lived in a country other than where they were born, including more than 20 million refugees and asylum-seekers escaping violence or persecution in their home countries. People have always moved in search of sustenance, safety and opportunity. By crossing borders and residing in other lands, … [Read more...]
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
July 1, 2016 by
The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development last year marked a watershed year for sustainable development. Its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets are expected to stimulate action over the upcoming years in areas of critical importance for people and the planet. The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), meeting under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly, is the UN’s central platform for the follow-up … [Read more...]
World Refugee Day 2016, June 20
June 19, 2016 by
"Our responses to refugees must be grounded in our shared values of responsibility sharing, non-discrimination, and human rights and in international refugee law, including the principle of non-refoulement." — UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon Each day war forces thousands of families to flee their homes. People like you, people like me. To escape the violence, they leave everything behind – everything except their hopes and dreams for a safer future. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency … [Read more...]
The First-Ever World Humanitarian Summit, Take Aways!
June 2, 2016 by
“We are one humanity, with a shared responsibility. Let us resolve here and now not only to keep people alive, but to give people a chance at life in dignity.” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke those words to open the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit, which took place May 23-24 and included 9,000 participants from across the world and across sectors. They represented over 170 countries and came from UN agencies, aid organizations, governments, businesses, faith groups, … [Read more...]
Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
May 31, 2016 by
Sunday, 19 June 2016: International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict In 2015 the United Nations adopted 19 June as the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. Observed annually, the Day aims to raise awareness of the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence, to honour the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world and to pay tribute to all those who have courageously devoted their lives to and lost their lives in … [Read more...]
World Humanitarian Summit, July 28-31 *Regional Livestream
July 27, 2015 by
The World Humanitarian Summit was initiated by the UN Secretary General to improve global humanitarian action, and will culminate in Istanbul in 2016. There will be 10 consultation meetings around the world as well as an online platform to solicit input beginning in May 2014, and will culminate in May 2016 in Istanbul at the first-ever humanitarian summit of this scale and scope. The WHS is being managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Participants of … [Read more...]
The Millennium Development Goals Report 2015, July 6
July 2, 2015 by
Final MDG report evaluates most successful anti-poverty movement in history The UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have been hailed as the most successful anti-poverty movement in history. On 6 July, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will officially launch the final report of the MDGs, summarizing the progress and highlighting the achievements of this monumental effort over the last 15 years. The report will also pinpoint areas that require further attention through the post-2015 … [Read more...]
Water, Women required to Manage
July 1, 2015 by
The 'Water Crisis' is the #1 global risk based on impact to society (as a measure of devastation), and the #8 global risk based on likelihood (likelihood of occurring within 10 years) as announced by the World Economic Forum, January 2015. 750 million people around the world lack access to safe water; approximately one in nine people. More than twice the population of the United States lives without access to safe water. Diarrhea caused by inadequate drinking water, sanitation, and hand … [Read more...]
International Day of Yoga, celebrated JUNE 21
June 16, 2015 by
June 21 was declared as the International Day of Yoga by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 2014. Yoga, a 6,000+-year-old physical, mental and spiritual practice having its origin in India, aims to transform the body and the mind. Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi declared that there will be an official website mea.gov.in/idy.htm for this, and it will be maintained by the Ministry of External Affairs of Govt. of India. The declaration of this day came after the … [Read more...]
UN Foundation celebrates 70 years!
June 10, 2015 by
Exactly 70 years ago today — June 26, 1945 — the United Nations Charter, the treaty that established the UN, was signed in San Francisco, and delegations from countries around the world celebrated the beginning of a new era of global cooperation. Today, San Francisco and the United Nations Foundation mark that momentous occasion, hosting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a series of events celebrating the city’s role in the formation of the UN, and looking ahead at how San Franciscans can be … [Read more...]
International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, MAY 23
May 19, 2015 by
International Day to End Obstetric Fistula 2015 On 23 May 2015, the United Nations, Member States, partners of the Campaign to End Fistula and others around the globe will mark the annual International Day to End Obstetric Fistula. The Latin word fistula (UK /ˈfɪstjʊlə/ or US /ˈfɪstʃələ/ or /ˈfɪʃtʃələ/, plural fistulas /-ləz/ or fistulae /-li/ or /-laɪ/) literally means tube or pipe. In medicine, a fistula is an abnormal connection between two hollow spaces (technically, two … [Read more...]
