November 12, 2024
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J. Tuyet Nguyen, a journalist with years of experience, has covered major stories in New York City and the United Nations for United Press International, the German Press Agency dpa and various newspapers. His reports focused mostly on topics with international interests for readers worldwide. He was president of the United Nations Correspondents Association (2007 and 2008), which is composed of more than 250 journalists representing world media with influence over policy decision makers. He has chaired the organization of the annual UNCA Awards, which seeks to reward journalists around the world who have done the best broadcasts and written reports on the UN and its specialized agencies. He has traveled the world to cover events and write stories, from politics to the environment as well cultures of different regions. But his most important reporting work has been with the United Nations since the early 1980s. He was bureau chief of United Press International office at the UN headquarters before joining dpa in 1997. Prior to working at the UN, he was an editor on the International Desk of UPI World Headquarters in New York. He worked in Los Angeles and covered the final months of war in Vietnam for UPI.

UN determined to assist Afghan people despite attacks, mounting threats of humanitarian catastrophe

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New York, August 26 – The United Nations has condemned the bomb attacks in Kabul and outside its airport thronged with fleeing Afghans and foreigners, saying that the situation has strengthened its resolve to continue to help the country after the Taliban’s swift military takeover.

The fall of Afghanistan has exposed a dire humanitarian situation as nearly half of the country’s 40 million people need daily food rations and other assistance when there is no existing emergency supplies and available relief supplies will run out by October, UN agencies said.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following with great concern the situation in Kabul, especially at the airport, which caused some casualties. He said Guterres “condemns this terrorist attack which killed and injured a number of civilians and extends his deep condolences to the families of those killed. He stands in solidarity and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured.”

“This incident underscores the volatility of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan but also strengthens our resolve as we continue to deliver urgent assistance across the country in support of the Afghan people.”

The World Food Program, the lead UN agency in the global frontline against hunger, said 14 million Afghans are hungry daily and some 2 million malnourished children need also urgent health care.

The World Health Organization and the UN Children’s Fund are rushing medical supplies to treat increased number of Covid-19 cases and children in need of health care. UNICEF has 13 offices in Afghanistan and is supporting about 10 million children and their families affected by the humanitarian crisis.

The International Organization of Migration said more than 550,000 Afghans fled their homes since July to escape Taliban forces, swelling the number of internally displaced Afghans to 5.5 million.

The UN office for humanitarian assistance said 18.4 million Afghans need relief assistance but there is a shortfall of $200 million out of the total budget of $550 million for 2021.

UN News reports quoted WFP as saying that a humanitarian crisis of incredible proportion is unfolding in Afghanistan as conflict, combined with drought and COVID-19, is pushing Afghans into a humanitarian catastrophe. WFP said it urgently needs $200 million in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan and $22 million for refugees in Iran, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

WFP said it needs to assist 9 million people per month by November and meeting this goal requires the prepositioning of food stocks in Afghanistan and at strategic border points before winter.

“The price of wheat has gone up by 25 per cent in the last months and, therefore, with the economic situation and with the turmoil in which the country has been thrown, it is very difficult now to see the future for this population a future which is food secure without malnourished children,” WFP Regional Director John Aylieff said, adding that WFP had planned to reach almost 500,000 people in and around Mazar, the fourth-largest city of Afghanistan, with wheat flour, oil, lentils and salt.

Transfers of food and health supplies became more difficult at the Kabul airport since Taliban forces took over the government in Kabul in mid-August and the tense military situation there.

 “As humanitarian needs in Afghanistan increase, the abilities to respond to those needs are rapidly declining,” WHO and UNICEF said in a statement on August 22. The agencies called for “immediate and unimpeded access to deliver medicines and other lifesaving supplies to millions of people in need of aid, including 300 000 people displaced in the last two months alone.”

“WHO and UNICEF are committed to stay and deliver for the people of Afghanistan,” the statement said.

“However, with no commercial aircraft currently permitted to land in Kabul, we have no way to get supplies into the country and to those in need.  Other humanitarian agencies are similarly constrained.

“WHO and UNICEF call for the immediate establishment of a humanitarian airbridge for the sustained and unimpeded delivery of aid into Afghanistan.  We are also closely following up with all UN and international partners to explore options for expediting aid shipments.” 

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UPDATE: Rise of Covid-19 cases keep annual United Nations meetings virtual and diplomats away

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New York, August 20 – The United Nations headquarters has informed international media as well as the 193 governments that will send representatives to attend the annual General Assembly session that pandemic’s restrictions will be strictly observed.

The UN will officially open its 76th General Assembly on September 14 but the political debate involving all 193 countries begins on September 21 and runs through to the end of the month.

 The assembly will host a UN Food Systems Summit on September 23, a major event aimed at reshaping the global food systems that failed under the pandemic severely affecting more than 800 million people worldwide with severe hunger and malnutrition. The summit will be virtual while the assembly meeting might allow a minimum of in person attendance.

The United States, which hosts the UN headquarters in New York, has urged heads of state and government to refrain from traveling to the US and instead contribute virtually to UN meetings.

The US sent a diplomatic note to the UN on August 17 suggesting that meetings be mostly virtual to prevent a “super-spreader event.” The note said Covid-19 cases were increasing and any large gatherings of people in New York would “needlessly increase risk to our community, New Yorkers and the other travelers.”

It urged government leaders who plan to address the assembly session to send pre-recorded speeches. Such a practice was imposed during the assembly session in September 2020 for the first time in UN history.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the national seven-day average for new Covid-19 cases is currently over 130,000. Around 86 percent of counties in the US are rated as having a “high” rate of transmission by the CDC.

The UN has decided that the 193-nation General Assembly could be held in person with each country’s delegation to be headed by the president or prime minister, or their representative, accompanied by one to three delegates.

The General Assembly issued regulations in early August for high-level meetings and the general debate, reminding attendees that entry to the headquarters will continue to be restricted, including wearing of facial masks and keeping a physical distance.

“International travelers are required to have met local incoming travel requirements as they relate to Covid-19,” the regulations said.

The UN said Covid-19 restrictions apply to international media covering the assembly session and media access to headquarters will be limited to resident correspondents and a very limited number of official media of visiting delegations.

UN Biodiversity Conference in Kunming, China

The pandemic has also prompted changes in the UN Biodiversity Conference that had been scheduled to take place in Kunming, China in October. Organizers now said the conference will take place in two phases with the first one virtual October 11-15 and the second one, in person, April 25-May 8, 2022, at high-level participation to conclude negotiations and decide on a new Global Biodiversity Framework.

CBD Executive Secretary, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, said the two-phase summit is essential given ongoing uncertainties created by Covid-19 and the necessity for face-to-face meetings to conclude the complex global framework negotiations.

“Addressing the challenge of halting ongoing losses of species and genetic diversity and the damage to our ecosystems will determine the well-being of humanity for generations to come,” she said. “Protecting nature’s invaluable contributions to people requires that we harmonize our policies and actions at every level. The global biodiversity framework, based on the best available science and evidence, is fundamental to meeting these needs.”

 “Convening virtually throughout the pandemic has limited the times for essential global meetings of CBD Parties, Bureau and subsidiary bodies to narrow windows. The Secretariat extends deep gratitude to all participants worldwide for their extraordinary consideration, dedication and cooperation to advance negotiations as far as they have in these extraordinary circumstances.”

“Convening COP-15 in two parts will enable maximum progress on the several remaining difficult issues prior to our conclusive face-to-face sessions in Kunming.”

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UN pledges not to abandon Afghan people, demands Taliban respect human rights

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New York, August 16 – The United Nations decided to stay put in Afghanistan after Taliban armed forces took over the Kabul government, spreading fear that humanitarian work by international organizations in the last two decades would be lost and the country would harbor terrorism.

The UN Security Council held a public meeting on the dramatic development taking place in Afghanistan with diplomats calling the events in the country a tragedy and issuing warnings that the Taliban government would not be recognized by the international community if it fails to abide by international agreements.

The UN said the humanitarian crisis existing in Afghanistan under conflict has already affected 18 million people, or half of the country’s population. The Taliban’s military victory over the US-supported government in Kabul caused a large influx of Afghans trying to escape the country, causing chaos, fear and insecurity.

UN Secretary-General Antonio told the council that the world is following the events with “a heavy heart and deep disquiet about what lies ahead.” 

“We cannot and must not abandon the people of Afghanistan,” Guterres said, adding that the UN staff and offices in areas under Taliban control will remain and he urged the Taliban to honor the integrity of the UN facilities and inviolability of diplomatic envoys and premises.

Guterres said the international community must use “all available instruments” to ensure that the Taliban respect human rights, respect and protect international humanitarian law and the rights and freedoms of all persons.  

He said there have been chilling reports of severe restrictions on human rights throughout the country after Taliban forces swept over the country without must resistance and reports of mounting human rights violations against the women and girls who fear a return to the darkest days when the Taliban was in power.

“I appeal to the Security Council — and the international community as a whole — to stand together, work together and act together — and use all tools at its disposal to suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan and guarantee that basic human rights will be respected,” Guterres said.

He said Afghanistan should never become a safe haven for terrorist organizations and the international community must use “all tools” at its disposal to suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan and guarantee that basic human rights will be respected.

Guterres said the Taliban has promised to work with existing institutions, which means that civil servant salaries continue to be paid, infrastructure is maintained, airports are reopened, and health and education services continue.

He said the UN presence in the country will adapt to the security situation and will continue to assist the Afghan people under the present circumstances.

The UN Security Council established a UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in 2002 to assist the civilian government in Kabul after the United States deployed troops in the country in response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the US. The UN employs about 3,000 Afghan personnel and more than 700 international staff.

During the debate in the Security Council, British Ambassador James Kariuki said his government has been working hard with the US to bring peace to Afghanistan. He urged the Taliban to cease all hostilities and military action and to ensure protection of civilians and allow the safe departure of foreign nationals and others who want to leave.

Kiriuki said the Taliban must “commit unequivocally not to harbor or give safe haven to terrorist groups which endanger other countries” and uphold human rights.

“If the Taliban continue to abuse basic human rights, they cannot expect to enjoy any legitimacy in the eyes of the Afghan people, or the international community.” Kariuki said.

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Governments urged to depoliticize Covid-19 issues and let scientists study Covid-19 virus’ origins

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Geneva/New York, August 12 – The World Health Organization is calling on governments to stop politicizing the issue regarding Covid-19 virus’ origins and provide “all data” to a scientific panel to study the virus and address the controversial “lab hypothesis.”

WHO said it is imperative to continue the study of the origins of Covid-19 virus following the first mission in China, which was carried out by a joint team of WHO and Chinese scientists in early 2021 and ended in March with a publication on the team’s work. But the publication provided no conclusive finding on the SARS-Cov-2 virus’ origins and some scientists had suggested that the virus may have originated from animals and transmitted to humans.

WHO has since then established an International Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens, or SAGO, which is tasked with advising the health organization on the development of a global framework to study the emergence of future emerging pathogens with pandemic potential.

“To move forward, WHO calls for all governments to depoliticize the situation and cooperate to accelerate the origins studies, and importantly to work together to develop a common framework for future emerging pathogens of pandemic potential,” WHO said in a statement.

“WHO reiterates that the search for the origins of SARS-CoV-2 is not and should not be an exercise in attributing blame, finger-pointing or political point-scoring. It is vitally important to know how the COVID-19 pandemic began, to set an example for establishing the origins of all future animal-human spillover events. “

The statement said SAGO is “transparent foundation” and it expects governments will engage with SAGO. WHO said it hoped for continuity from previous missions to China for SARS-Cov-2 the same way it carried out missions to study the origins of avian influenza and Ebola in other countries.

“China and a number of other Member States have written to WHO regarding the basis for further studies of the SARS-CoV-2 “lab hypothesis,” the statement said. ”They have also suggested the origins study has been politicized, or that WHO has acted due to political pressure.”

“On review of the phase one study report, WHO determined that there was insufficient scientific evidence to rule any of the hypotheses out. Specifically, in order to address the “lab hypothesis,” it is important to have access to all data and consider scientific best practice and look at the mechanisms WHO already has in place. WHO is only focused on science, providing solutions and building solidarity.”

Zeng Yixin, vice premier of China’s National Health Commission, said on July 22 this year that his government rejected WHO’s proposal for a second phase of the studies into the virus’ origins after WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus presented to the governments a plan for further study that includes searches of laboratories and markets in the Chinese city of Wuhan where the first Covid cases were found.

Beijing has rejected claims that the virus originated from a laboratory in Wuhan.

WHO said it has been working with governments that are WHO members since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic to understand how the pandemic began so it can better prepare for the next one.

The statement said governments have a “collective responsibility to work together in the true spirit of partnership and to ensure scientists and experts have the space they need to find the origins of the worst pandemic in a century.” It said access to raw data is critical for scientists and it should “not be politicized in any way.”

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Planet earth faces certain hotter climate, UN climate panel warns

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Geneva/New York, August 9 – Planet earth is certain to get increasing life-threatening heat waves and water shortage that will affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations panel that studies the science of climate change, said in a report.

The report was published following negotiations between the panel’s scientists and 195 governments. It deals also with oceans and coral reefs that sustain fisheries that are threatened by the 1.5-degrees Celsius (or 2 degrees Fahrenheit) warming of the earth atmosphere. The report said warmer temperatures would also kill animal and plant species.

IPCC has been providing scientific information to governments so they can develop policies to fight global warming.

IPCC said its Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis “addresses the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and climate change, bringing together the latest advances in climate science, and combining multiple lines of evidence from paleoclimate, observations, process understanding, and global and regional climate simulations.”

Read the report here

IPCC said in a press release that the report “projects that in the coming decades climate changes will increase in all regions. For 1.5°C of global warming, there will be increasing heat waves, longer warm seasons and shorter cold seasons. At 2°C of global warming, heat extremes would more often reach critical tolerance thresholds for agriculture and health.”

“But it is not just about temperature. Climate change is bringing multiple different changes in different regions – which will all increase with further warming. These include changes to wetness and dryness, to winds, snow and ice, coastal areas and oceans.”

The report was issued to coincide with Indigenous People’s Day (August 9) to support evidence that indigenous people hold the secret weapon for protecting forests and mitigating climate change. It was issued while the world is witnessing severe flooding in China, Germany and some Southeast Asian nations, intense heat waves and wildfires in California, Siberia and parts of Canada, Turkey and Greece.

IPCC issued its last climate report in 2013, which said human activities were the “dominant cause” for global warming since the 1950s.  IPCC said only a handful of governments have adopted concrete measures to end burning of fossil fuels, oil and gas as source of energy, which is considered the main culprit for global warming. Failure to curb fossil-fuel emissions since the 1950s has increased earth warming that is now unstoppable in the next 30 years, IPCC said.

“The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable: greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the new IPPC report. “Global heating is affecting every region on Earth, with many of the changes becoming irreversible.”

“The viability of our societies depends on leaders from government, business and civil society uniting behind policies, actions and investments that will limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We owe this to the entire human family, especially the poorest and most vulnerable communities and nations that are the hardest hit despite being least responsible for today’s climate emergency.”

Guterres called on governments to take “immediate action on energy,” including no new coal plants built after 2021 and for OECD countries to phase out existing coal by 2030, with all other countries following suit by 2040.

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Majority of people think global economy will recover in two years, market survey says

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Geneva/New York, August 5 – Three in four people think it will take at least two years for economies around the world to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and they pointed out infrastructure, new jobs and increased tourism as lead indicators for the recovery, a market survey jointly made by the World Economic Forum and Ipsos said.

The survey of nearly 22,000 people across 29 countries showed people think that governments and businesses are mainly responsible for enacting measures for an inclusive and sustainable economic recovery based on current trends towards green finance and economic measures assessing risks and performance in the environment, social and corporate governance. Respondents said while governments and businesses should lead the recovery, civil social society can also play a role and should not be left behind.

“The world is at a global turning point where leaders must cooperate, innovate and secure a robust recovery,’ Sarita Nayyar, Managing Director of WEF, said. “COVID-19 has been a litmus test for stakeholder capitalism. Those that focused on the short-term have been the first to suffer. Corporations have a responsibility to work with governments and civil society to address the big global challenges while protecting public health and growth. ESG reporting metrics, investments in green finance and building more inclusive workplaces are promising first steps forward.”

The global survey said only seven percent of people surveyed believed that their country’s economy has already recovered. It said this view is most widely held in China (56 per cent) and in Saudi Arabia (25 percent). It said 19 per cent believed their economy will have recovered in a year, a view held in Saudi Arabia (38 percent), the United States (32 percent) and South Korea (31 per cent).

The survey said 35 percent of responders said it will take their country’s economy two or three years to recover. This view is held in Japan (52 per cent), Chile (46 percent), Italy and Malaysia (both 44 per cent) and the Netherlands (42 per cent).

It said 39 percent believed it will take their economy more than three years to recover from the pandemic. This view is held in Russia (66 percent), South Africa (62 percent), Argentina (59 cent) and Romania (58 percent).

“In addition to fostering social cohesion, advocating for human rights and providing community assistance, civil society plays a crucial role in promoting a sustainable and equitable recovery and creating an enabling environment in collaboration with business and government,”

David Sangokoya, Head of Civil Society and Social Justice at WEF, said.

 “As the world faces three critical crises in the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and systemic inequalities, the inclusion of civil society in the world’s efforts is necessary to ensure transparency, accountability and impact for communities bearing the brunt of these crises.”

Read the full report and learn more about Sustainable Development Impact Summit

WEF said it will hold a virtual Sustainable Development Impact Summit, September 20-23, at which lead indicators for economic recovery such as jobs, new business opening and infrastructure and social changes will be on the agenda for discussion. The event will be held alongside the United Nations General Assembly session in New York in September with the expected participation of leaders of governments, businesses and civil society. It will focus on new technologies, policies and partnerships to advance cooperation, accelerate progress, and highlight tangible solutions to our global challenges.

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Fifty small businesses hailed as “hidden heroes” in food systems while hunger spiked under the pandemic

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Rome/New York, July 27 – Fifty small- and medium-sized enterprises spanning all continents are declared “hidden heroes” in the fight against hunger at a pre-summit conference in Rome at which government leaders are urged to transform the current food systems that failed under the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 50 winning enterprises, selected from nearly 2,000 applicants in 135 countries, are declared Best Small Businesses of the “Good Food for All” competition. The event was organized to highlight the UN Food Systems Summit taking place during the annual UN General Assembly session in September in New York.

Those enterprises are run half by youth and half women from a total of 42 countries. Ten of the enterprises are from Europe and Central Asia; 13 from Africa and Middle East; 10 from East Asia and the Pacific; eight from South Asia and nine North and Latin America. Winners were selected for meeting criteria that include best contribution to “healthier, more sustainable and equitable food for the communities they serve; the strength of their vision for the future; and how well they communicate the current and future impact of their business,” organizers of the prize said.

The winners are recognized for innovation in food nutrition and sustainability and include an Israeli company that produces chickpea protein powder, an Italian start-up that replaces plastic packaging with edible, bio-based natural polymers and a Chinese enterprise that promotes healthier diets by offering monk fruit alternatives to sugar.

“Small businesses are the hidden heroes of our food systems, managing at least half of our food economies and keeping food on our plates throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr Agnes Kalibata, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the 2021 Food Systems Summit. “We must understand the challenges they face and work together to ensure they remain at the heart of efforts to improve the future of food.”

“These food entrepreneurs are quiet revolutionaries. They operate in the toughest markets, having a real impact on rural poverty and hunger,” said Cherrie Atilano, Food Systems Champion and founder of Philippine agri-business AGREA. “Despite this, they are too rarely given a voice on the international stage. With a conducive business environment, positive incentives, and greater influence, they can deliver even more in the future.”

For more information about the 50 winners and their businesses: Food Systems Summit Community Page and a new report on a global survey of these businesses’ ambition and needs.

At the July 26-28 pre-summit meeting in Rome

A press release from the pre-summit said Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame led calls for governments worldwide to overhaul the food systems as evidence showed that the coronavirus pandemic has exposed weaknesses in the food systems and a host of problems, including hunger which in 2020 severely affected 811 million people in 100 countries.

“The pandemic, which still assails us, has highlighted the links between inequality, poverty, food, disease and our planet,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a message to the pre-summit.

Kagame said Africa has adopted a common position aligned with the continent’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals. He said the position is based on adopting nutrition-centered food policies such as school feeding programs; supporting local markets and food supply chains; increasing agricultural financing to 20 per cent of expenditures; encouraging farmer cooperatives and ensuring women’s access to productive inputs; and an expanding social safety net programs and investing in climate advance warning systems.

 Pope Francis said in a message that the world should commit to “designing food systems that protect the earth and keep the dignity of the human person at the center,” in addition to efforts aimed at eliminating hunger. He called for the food systems to “guarantee sufficient food at the global level and promote decent work at the local level; and that nourish the world today, without compromising the future.”

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued a joint declaration that globally 1 in 3 children is not growing well due to malnutrition, which is a leading cause of child mortality worldwide and 2 in 3 don’t have access to the minimum diverse diets they need to grow, develop and learn.

“A transformation of the food system that listens to the voices of children and young people, and unlocks nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable diets for every child, everywhere, must be at the heart of strategies, policies and investments,” the declaration said.

Other participants in the mostly virtual pre-summit included Gerd Müller, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development who said, “A world without hunger is possible. We have the knowledge, we have the technology. But we need more money and more investment to eradicate hunger.”

Elizabeth Nsimadala, President of the Pan-African Farmers Organization (PAFO), said: “It’s the first time that I’m seeing a UN process that is inclusive, diverse and open to all stakeholders.”

Joachim von Braun, who chairs the Summit’s Scientific Group, stressed the urgency both of scaling social safety nets as well as further investment for productivity across value chains.  He said, “There is no time to be lost.”

Peter Bakker, President and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) announced a Business Declaration that sets out the private sector’s ambition towards equitable, net-zero and nature-positive food systems that can nourish all people. “Transformational change is what we need and it’s urgent,” he said.

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Over 130 governments discuss ways to improve global food systems after pandemic caused food shortage and starvation

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Rome/New York, July 15 – The number of people suffering hunger and malnutrition surged up to 811 million, or about one-tenth of the world population, under the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The health crisis has exposed weaknesses in the global food systems, which the United Nations and scores of governments are currently campaigning to improve with the aim of hopefully ending hunger by 2030.

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The UN will hold a Food Systems Summit during the UN General Assembly in New York in September with a pre-summit taking place July 26-28 in Rome. Already more than 130 governments (see list below) have become involved in the organization of the summit by holding national dialogues that have drawn tens of thousands of people to debate the food systems. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last year called for a UN Food Systems Summit as part of efforts to bring progress on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

In addition to the 811 million people who were malnourished last year, the State of Food Insecurity (SOFI) report showed that an additional 118 million people are facing hunger because of the pandemic in 2021. 

“It is an indictment on our entire food systems – from production to distribution and disposal – that in 2020, as many as 811 million men, women and children went without enough to eat,” said Dr. Agnes Kalibata, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems Summit.

“Hunger on this scale is a symptom of a dysfunctional food system that buckles under pressure and abandons the most vulnerable first. We need systemic transformation, and this is the aim of the UN Food Systems Summit, but it will be up to Member States to pave the way for the changes we urgently need.” 

UN agencies had reported that hunger started to spike by mid-2010s, which erased efforts to reverse the condition for population living in areas under conflicts, natural disasters or humanitarian crises. They said hunger shot up under the pandemic last year in both absolute and proportional terms, outpacing population growth: some 9.9 percent of all people were estimated to have been undernourished last year, up from 8.4 percent in 2019.

Of the total undernourished people under the pandemic, more than half, or 418 million, live in Asia; more than a third, or 288 million, in Africa; and a smaller proportion, 60 million in Latin America and the Caribbean. But the sharpest rise in hunger was in Africa, where the estimated prevalence of undernourishment – at 21 per cent of the population – is more than double that of any other region

The dialogue campaign around the world is hosted by National Dialogues Convenors, allowing governments to involve people across all sectors of society to find ways to build food systems that are sustainable, resilient and equitable. The organizers said governments reported that thousands of people attended discussion on the food systems, seeking remedies on failures that happened under conditions that existed in 2020.

Dr. David Nabarro, Senior Advisor to the Special Envoy for the Summit Dialogues, said, “I commend National Convenors for embracing this unique opportunity to engage with the Summit and identify what needs to be done and who needs to be involved in shaping how their citizens can eat food that is nutritious and produced in ways that are good for the planet, despite threats of climate change, infectious disease and violent conflict.”

“Convenors are sparking shifts in thought, knowledge and action at scale, and this is just the beginning of a journey that will most definitely continue beyond this monumental year. This is our moment, as a human race, to reveal and respond to the most difficult and often hidden challenges so that we are united in a collective race to build a resilient, sustainable and equitable food systems for all people, and the planet.” 

The UN agencies began reporting on July 12 about the spike in hunger in 2020, blaming the pandemic for having further weakened the food systems around the world. The pandemic’s negative impacts have yet to be fully mapped. See report .

The agencies also issued The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021, which is the first global assessment in the pandemic era. The report is jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Program (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Leaders of the five UN agencies said in the report’s Foreword that the world had been put on notice that the food systems had weaknesses before the pandemic struck in early 2020 and children were among those threatened by food shortage.

 “Unfortunately, the pandemic continues to expose weaknesses in our food systems, which threaten the lives and livelihoods of people around the world,” they said. “This year offers a unique opportunity for advancing food security and nutrition through transforming food systems with the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit, the Nutrition for Growth Summit and the COP26 on climate change.”

Member State Dialogues have been convened by:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Czech Republic (Czechia), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea, Kuwait , Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lao PDR, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger , Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russian Federation, Rwanda , Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

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EU faces opposition as it unveils ambitious climate blueprint to reduce emissions 55 per cent by 2030

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Brussels/New York, July 14 – The European Union has unveiled its most ambitious blueprint to fight global climate change by proposing to eliminate sales of new gas- and diesel-powered cars and raising costs of using fossil fuels by 2030. The bold move aimed at achieving a carbon neutral economy by 2050.

The EU blueprint is composed of a dozen draft proposals that still have to be negotiated and approved by the bloc’s 27 members and by the European Commission, which is the administrative body. The proposals are seen as a challenge to the rest of the world to follow the EU’s actions, which include taxing jet fuel and imports of manufacturing products that fail to meet the EU climate standards.

Before announcing its new measures to fight climate change by reducing carbon emissions 55 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030, the EU in 2019 had cut emissions by 24 per cent from 1990 levels.

The key proposals just announced called for tighter emission limits for cars,  tax on aviation fuel and a tax on carbon border tariff requiring manufacturers from outside the EU to pay more for importing materials like steel and concrete.

“By acting now we can do things another way and choose a better, healthier and more prosperous way for the future,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, at a news conference in Brussels when she unveiled the blueprint.

 “Europe is ready to lead the way,” she said.

Negative reaction to the blueprint was immediate, particularly from countries under trade agreements with the EU and leaders in industries such as airlines and car manufacturers.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development agency (UNCTAD) countered the EU on the same day its blueprint was published (July 14) by saying that the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) “could change trade patterns in favor of countries where production is relatively carbon efficient but do little to mitigate climate change.”

“Climate and environmental considerations are at the forefront of policy concerns, and trade cannot be the exception. CBAM is one of these options, but its impact on developing countries also needs to be considered,” said Isabelle Durant, the UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General.

A published UNCTAD report said CBAM has “potential implications on international trade, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, income and employment for countries inside and outside the EU, with a special focus on developing and vulnerable countries.”

The report said CBAM would reduce part of the carbon leakage produced by the different climate change ambitions between the EU and other countries. It said carbon leakage refers to “the relocation of production to other countries with laxer emissions constraints for costs reasons related to climate policies, which could lead to an increase in their total emissions.”

The report said several EU’s trading partners that exported goods in carbon-intensive sectors – including cement, steel, aluminum, oil refinery, paper, glass, chemical and fertilizers – have raised concerns that the CBAM would substantially curtail their exports, but these changes may not be as drastic as some fear.

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Financial institutions urged to engage in reversing biodiversity loss, which impacts on people and eco-systems

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New York, July 12 – Backed by strong evidence gathered over past decades that human activities caused the loss of the planet’s biological diversity, the United Nations and international organizations have been urging financial institutions to join the global fight to reverse the loss, which is putting economies at risk and negatively affecting humanity and the environment it is living in.

The call is coming before an international conference will meet October 11-24 in Kunming, China, to adopt a convention on protecting biodiversity for the future and an action plan on reversing biodiversity loss. Preparations for the conference, which started before the pandemic struck the world early in 2020, have intensified with a focus on including financial institutions that are holding some of the answers to biodiversity loss.


“The financial community has a critical leveraging role to pivot economic sectors towards more positive impacts on nature,” said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). “The call for the financial community to act will become ever louder—as the world strengthens its nature goals and builds new techniques to measure nature loss.”

A document published by the CBD Secretariat, Financial Sector Guide for the Convention on Biological Diversity,  seeks to mobilize financial institutions because businesses they are financing and investing in depend on nature and a safe climate.

CBD said the financial sector has a great influence in curbing nature’s biodiversity loss by making responsible investment and aligning funds to businesses and projects that could result in positive nature outcomes. The guide advocates and calls for ambitious and transformative post-2020 global biodiversity framework, which includes taking steps that support the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), the UN Environment Program’s Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and  Business for Nature and Finance for Biodiversity Pledge.

The guide calls for reporting publicly on positive and negative contributions to biodiversity by using the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures or similar approaches.

“Raising awareness on nature’s importance for the financial sector is becoming increasingly crucial “ CBD said. “Continued biodiversity loss puts global economies at risk, and the financial sector, significantly exposed to nature, has a critical role to play to transform the current financial system, with a view to aligning financial flows for a nature positive world.” 

“We are losing nature”

A global assessment made by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in 2019 warned that human activities have resulted in putting nearly 1 million species at risk of extinction and have significantly altered 75 per cent of the land surface, which could have severe impacts on people’s livelihoods, the economy, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.

 The guide also cited a study by the World Economic Forum, whish said over half the world’s total GDP – US$44 trillion – is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its benefits or services and, as a result, exposed to risks from nature loss (World Economic Forum, 2020). At the same time, a nature-based transition could generate US$10 trillion in business opportunity and create 395 million jobs by 2030 (Future of Nature and Business Report, 2020).

The guide defines biological diversity as follows:

“Biodiversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. Biodiversity underpins ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services that are essential for human well-being. From an economic perspective, biodiversity and ecosystems constitute valuable assets and are therefore frequently characterized as natural capital. Conserving biodiversity and using its components in a sustainable manner will ensure that natural capital assets remain resilient and secure for the future. However, biodiversity loss impacts the security of investments in many sectors and affect their value (Dasgupta, 2021).”

The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to be held in Kunming, Yunnan province, China, will be the 15th meeting and will be attended by 196 parties. Since its first meeting at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the CBD has been expanding and refining the issues of preserving nature and advocating the theme of human beings living in harmony with nature.

The convention expected to be adopted in Kunming, now in the form of a draft framework, would set goals on reversing biodiversity loss and meeting people’s needs to be achieved in 2030 and 2050 as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Beauty and biodiversity

Fashion and beauty industries have a close relationship with biodiversity as they depend on nature’s resources such as plants, species and animals for their products. But those industries are also drivers for biodiversity loss, according to the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) which has set standards for sourcing with respect.

Forbes and Business Insider estimated that the global beauty business was worth over US$ 500 billion and its annual growth rate is increasing every year. The United States, China and Japan are among top countries with the largest beauty markets.

UEBT said over 50 companies, including all biggest names in fashion, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals in the world such as Guerlain, Cosmo, Christian Dior, LVMH and Kenzo have joined the campaign against biodiversity loss and have committed “to cultivate, collect or procure ingredients sustainably and to address biodiversity loss as their contribution to the Sharm El-Sheikh to Kunming Action Agenda for Nature and People.”

“Consumers are increasingly demanding that businesses demonstrate a genuine commitment to ethical sourcing,” said Rik Kutsch Lojenga, Executive Director at UEBT.  “We at UEBT are so pleased to see more than 50 companies stand up for nature with this shared commitment. In the coming years we will be supporting these businesses in reaching their time-bound targets on the ground in farms and wild plant collection sites all over the world.”

UEBT said The commitment sets “time-bound targets for companies to improve their policies and practices – from on-the-ground action in farms and wild plant collection sites, to processing, research and development, manufacturing and procurement practices.  They have come together to stand for transformative change in business practices and inspire others to show their leadership and help resolve the biodiversity crisis. “ 

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