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International Women’s Day

7 March 2017

Women’s rights are human rights. But in these troubled times, as our world becomes more unpredictable and chaotic, the rights of women and girls are being reduced, restricted and reversed. Empowering women and girls is the only way to protect their rights and make sure they can realize their full potential. Historic imbalances in power relations between men and women, exacerbated by growing inequalities within and between societies and countries, are leading to greater discrimination against women and girls. Around the world, tradition, cultural values and religion are being misused to curta…

International Migrants Day

18 December 2016

This has been another turbulent year for refugees and migrants. We have seen the continued devastating effect of armed conflict on civilian populations, leading to death, destruction and displacement. We have witnessed the unacceptable loss of thousands of lives of people in transit in the Mediterranean and elsewhere. And, to add insult to injury, we have witnessed the rise of populist movements that seek to alienate and expel migrants and refugees, and to blame them for various ills of society. Yet, within this turbulence we also find rays of hope, with concerned citizens an…

Human Rights Day

10 December 2016

As United Nations Secretary-General over the last decade, I have repeatedly stressed the interdependence of the three pillars of the United Nations -- peace, sustainable development and human rights. Together, they form the basis of resilient and cohesive societies rooted in inclusion, justice and the rule of law. I have also underscored that human rights are at the heart of the work and identity of the United Nations. This understanding is at the core of our Human Rights up Front initiative. At a time of multiplying conflicts, intensifying humanitarian needs and rising hate speech…

Tax Havens and Funding the 2030 Agenda

29 November 2016

Putting an end to tax evasion, tax avoidance and illicit flows of capital is a key element in mobilizing the financial resources needed to progress toward the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In that context, the international challenge of dealing with tax havens is a matter of increasing urgency, as was noted in the Action Plan of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Addis Ababa in 2015. The importance of tax havens has grown in recent decades as a result of economic and financial globalization, which has generated vast crossborder flow…

International Day to End Violence Against Women and Girls

24 November 2016

At long last, there is growing global recognition that violence against women and girls is a human rights violation, public health pandemic and serious obstacle to sustainable development. Yet there is still much more we can and must do to turn this awareness into meaningful prevention and response. Violence against women and girls imposes large-scale costs on families, communities and economies. When women cannot work as a result of violence, their employment may be put at risk, jeopardizing much-needed income, autonomy and their ability to leave abusive relationships. Viole…

United Nations Day

24 October 2016

This year’s observance of United Nations Day occurs at a time of transition for the world and for the United Nations. Humanity has entered the era of sustainability – with a global commitment to fulfil the great promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this, the Organization’s 71st year, we have 17 goals to propel us towards a better future for all on a healthy planet. The world is also moving at long last beyond the mindset which viewed the burning of fossil fuels as the path to prosperity. At a time of record heat, Member States have embraced the Paris Agreement on climate …

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

17 October 2016

We are approaching the end of the first year of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. With its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the 2030 Agenda is a universal vision for peace, prosperity and dignity for all people on a healthy planet. Achieving this objective is inconceivable without fulfilling the mandate of SDG 1 to end poverty in all its forms. Today, some 1 billion people live in extreme poverty and more than 800 million endure hunger and malnutrition. But poverty is not simply measured by inadequate income. It is manifested in restricted acces…

International Day of the Girl Child

11 October 2016

The theme of this year’s International Day of the Girl is based on the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. The slogan is: Girls’ Progress equals Goals’ Progress: What Counts for Girls. The wellbeing, human rights and empowerment of the world’s 1.1 billion girls are central to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. When we agreed on that agenda, we promised girls quality education and health services. We committed to ending discrimination and violence against girls, and harmful practices like child marriage. We pledged to leave no one behind. Too often, in villages, shanty town…

World Habitat Day

3 October 2016

Later this month, Governments and their partners will meet in Quito, Ecuador, for the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III). Held every 20 years, the Habitat conference is designed to reflect on the state of human settlements and on what we want the towns and cities of the future to look like. With the world embarking this year on implementing the historic 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Habitat III has particular resonance. The 2030 Agenda is a comprehensive, integrated and inclusive blueprint for peace, prosperity, dig…

Colombia: Peace as a Force for Transformation

2 October 2016

The latest good tidings confirm that we are living through a change of era in Latin America. The building of peace will be the great force behind and the opportunity for progressive structural change, with equality, which will embrace as its own the goals of sustainable development. With the signing of the agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) this September 26 in Cartagena de Indias, a historic act that I had the opportunity to witness, the region consolidates itself as an area of peace and the Colombian people advance with firm and d…

International Day of Older Persons

1 October 2016

The International Day of Older Persons is our chance to take a stand against the destructive problem of ageism. While older persons are often said to enjoy particular respect, the reality is that too many societies limit them, denying access to jobs, loans and basic services. The marginalization and devaluing of older persons takes a heavy toll. It undermines their productivity and experience in the workforce, in volunteerism and through civil engagement while constraining their capacity for caregiving as well as financial and other support to families and communities. Ageism frequently inters…

UN Secretary-General's message to High-level panel discussion on Regional Dimensions of Promoting Sustainable Development

24 September 2016 | Statement

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL Message to High-level panel discussion on "Regional Dimensions of Promoting Sustainable Development: Developing Complementarities between the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Community Vision 2025” New York, 24 September 2016 [Delivered by Dr. David Nabarro, Special Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development] I thank the Thai Government for its initiative in convening today’s meeting. The partnership between ASEAN and the United Nations continues to grow more solid and substantive, most recently thr…

Inclusive Social Development is Key to Overcoming Poverty and Reducing Inequalities

1 September 2016

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for putting an end to all forms of poverty and expresses a consensus on the need to move towards more egalitarian, supportive and united societies. In particular, the document urges “leaving no one behind,” which means promoting a sustainable development model that includes everyone, without discrimination of any kind, especially as relates to gender, ethnicity, race, age or area of residence. According to data published in ECLAC’s Social Panorama of Latin America, our region made important progress in the last decade, reducing the incidence of…

World Humanitarian Day

19 August 2016

A record 130 million people are dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive. Grouped together, these people in need would comprise the tenth most populous nation on Earth. These figures are truly staggering, yet they tell only a fraction of the story. Hidden behind the statistics are individuals, families and communities whose lives have been devastated. People no different to you and me: children, women and men who face impossible choices every day. They are parents who must choose between buying food or medicine for their children; children who must choose between schoo…

Migration in Latin America and the Caribbean at the service of development and human rights

16 August 2016

International migration has been a constant in Latin America and the Caribbean. Over its history, the region has witnessed major migratory movements that have played a key part in shaping its societies. Emigrants in the region number almost 30 million, representing just over 4% of the total population regionwide, but an even higher proportion in several countries. As a social phenomenon, migration has had a huge influence in the region’s ethnic and cultural make-up and well as in social and economic modernization, the demographic transition, internal displacements of the population and their g…

International Youth Day

12 August 2016

The world’s young people –who make up the largest generation of youth in history– can lead a global drive to break the patterns of the past and set the world on course to a more sustainable future. Young people are directly affected by the tragic contradictions that prevail today: between abject poverty and ostentatious wealth, gnawing hunger and shameful food waste, rich natural resources and polluting industries. Youth can deliver solutions on these issues, which lie at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this first year of that15-year plan for a healthier, safer and…

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

9 August 2016

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by world leaders last year, is predicated on the principle of leaving no one behind in the journey to a world of peace and dignity, opportunity and prosperity. Among those most vulnerable to being left behind are indigenous peoples. Indigenous peoples face a wide range of challenges including systematic discrimination, denial of their land and territorial rights and inadequate access to essential services. Indigenous peoples regularly face stigmatization of their cultural identity and lack of respect and recognition for their heritage …

World Population Day

11 July 2016

The international community has committed to a new sustainable development agenda built on the principles of equity and human rights. A central objective of the Sustainable Development Goals is to leave no one behind. Despite significant gains made in reducing poverty and improving opportunity and well-being for many people around the world, hundreds of millions remain desperate for a chance of a better future, Among those least served by previous development initiatives are girls, particularly those in their formative teenage years. Just when girls should be in school and imaginin…

More Citizenship for Sustainable Development

21 June 2016

In a global context of a less dynamic and more unstable economic system, growing inequality, risks to peace and security, and a serious environmental crisis, it has become clear that the dominant development pattern in Latin America and the Caribbean is unsustainable. In addition to the degradation of the environment and ecosystems and the plundering of natural resources, associated with the unsustainable dynamics of production and consumption and urban concentration, there are global challenges such as climate change that greatly impact our region. The wide range of challenges faced by the re…

Rethinking public-private partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

16 June 2016

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change, two landmark agreements adopted by the international community in 2015, send a clear message that the prevailing development pattern is unviable from the perspective of the three dimensions of sustainable development —economic, social and environmental— thus calling into question the future of humanity. Three major trends can be identified. The global economy is mired in a recessionary bias associated with falling growth in output and trade flows, as well as a financial system th…

256 search results. Displaying 20 per page.