February 23, 2025
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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.

International investigation says Covid-19 virus likely transmitted from animals to humans

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Geneva/New York, February 9 – A team of experts from 10 countries sent by the World Health Organization to investigate the origins of the Covid-19 virus in Wuhan, China, said the virus may have originated from animals and transmitted to humans.

The team said at the close of a four-week probe in Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak started in early 2020, said it was unlikely that the virus had leaked from a Chinese laboratory.

“Our initial findings suggest that the introduction through an intermediary host species is the most likely pathway and one that will require more studies and more specific targeted research,” Peter Ben Embarek, an expert at WHO food safety and animal diseases, said at a conference in Wuhan attended by WHO and Chinese experts.

“However, the findings suggest that the laboratory incidents hypothesis is extremely unlikely to explain the introduction of the virus to the human population” and will not be suggested as an avenue of future study, Embarek said.  

The WHO said its team conducting the Global Study of the Origins of SARS-CoV-2 in China worked with Chinese scientist and health colleagues and they had finished their work. The team’s report would be published once it is completed.

The press conference was led Dr Liang Wannian, Chinese team lead and Executive Vice Dean of school of public health at Tsinghua, Dr Peter Ben Embarek, WHO International Team Lead, Professor Marion Koopmans, member of the WHO international team and Head, Department of Viroscience, University of Rotterdam and Mi Feng, National Health Commission of China, spokesperson. 

In Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhamon Ghebreyesus told a meeting of WHO anti-Covid-19 programs known as ACT Accelerator and COVAX Facility that the world is at a “critical juncture” as it continues to fight the coronavirus with vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics to bring the virus under control.

“International collaboration is increasingly fragmented and inequities are increasing,” he said.

“More than 90 per cent of countries now rolling out vaccines are wealthy. Seventy-five percent of the 130 million deployed doses have been in only ten countries. Meanwhile, almost 130 countries, with 2.5 billion people, have yet to administer a single dose.”

“Many of these countries are also struggling to secure the resources for testing, personal protective equipment, oxygen, and medicines,” he said. “The ACT Accelerator and COVAX Facility were created to increase equity. But with every passing day, that goal is at risk.”

He called on governments and donors to fully finance the programs as there is still a financing gap of $27 billion for 2021 and warned that the longer the gap the harder it will become to meet targets to provide vaccines to low-income countries. He said the financing request by WHO is “tiny” compared with the trillions of dollars mobilized for stimulus packages in G20 countries.

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Michael Bloomberg, a major contributor to UN programs, is honored with new, separate terms as UN climate and WHO ambassador

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New York, February 5 – Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, Founder, Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, was re-appointed the UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to “mobilize stronger and more ambitious climate action in the lead-up to the critical Glasgow Climate Conference – COP 26 – in November 2021.”

Bloomberg, former New York City Mayor and a US presidential candidate, was also confirmed (February 3) for a third term as the World Health Organization Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General in Geneva.

Following is the statement issued by the UN on Bloomberg’s reappointment as climate envoy:

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres (February 5) announced the reappointment of Michael R. Bloomberg of the United States as his Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions to mobilize stronger and more ambitious climate action in the lead-up to the critical Glasgow Climate Conference – COP 26 – in November 2021.  

Mr. Bloomberg will support the work of the Secretary-General in growing and strengthening the coalition of governments, companies, cities and financial institutions committing to net-zero before 2050 in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.  The Special Envoy will engage government officials and members of the private sector and civil society to finalize and implement plans, particularly in high-emitting countries, industries and sectors, to vastly accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. Mr. Bloomberg will leverage his deep experience and track record in accelerating the transition from coal to help deliver on the Secretary-General’s global call for the phase-out of coal in industrialized countries by 2030, and all other countries by 2040, underpinned by a just transition for affected communities and workers. 

As Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions, Mr. Bloomberg’s work will build on the outcomes of the 2019 Climate Action Summit and 2020 Climate Ambition Summit and will stress the Secretary-General’s call to ensure that all measures to respond to the CoViD-19 pandemic are aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement.   

As founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and the 108th Mayor of New York City, Mr. Bloomberg is globally recognized for his work to accelerate climate action, including support for the Beyond Coal movement, which helped to catalyze momentum towards the clean energy transition in the United States and other countries, and America’s Pledge, an initiative to quantify and report the actions of U.S. states, cities, businesses and organizations, to drive down their greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.  

In addition, Mr. Bloomberg also supports efforts of cities and mayors taking climate action at the local level.  He is the board president of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a global network of 97 major cities, and co-chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, a network of more than 10,000 cities and local governments.  He also currently serves as chair of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, and at the Secretary-General’s request, formed the Climate Finance Leaders Initiative in 2019. 

Mr. Bloomberg is a graduate of John Hopkins University and Harvard Business School and is co-author of Climate of Hope:  How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet. 

—-WHO in Geneva said Bloomberg has contributed to efforts to tackle noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer and respiratory diseases, which account for over 74% of deaths globally and worsen outcomes of patients with COVID-19.

Following is the statement issued (February 3) by WHO in Geneva:

His WHO Ambassador role follows decades of involvement in health policy, including his three terms as mayor of New York City, and a long-standing collaboration with WHO to take on some of the biggest global health challenges.

In his role, Bloomberg will continue to raise awareness about the link between COVID-19 and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), advocate for investment in measures to tackle NCDs and injuries, mobilize cities for better health, and support the use of health data to drive programs and policies.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the full danger of noncommunicable diseases – and signaled the urgent need for stronger public health policies and investment to prevent them,” said Dr Tedros. “We urge world leaders in business and government to take aggressive steps to prevent noncommunicable diseases. Fewer NCDs would have meant fewer deaths during the pandemic.”

“The majority of those who have died from COVID-19 had an underlying noncommunicable disease, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease or cancer. NCDs account for nearly three-quarters of all deaths around the world, and the scale and urgency of the problem was thrown into sharp relief by COVID-19. NCDs can be prevented, and we know what works,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries.

 “Bloomberg Philanthropies has been working with WHO to reduce tobacco use, support healthier diets, fight cardiovascular disease, and strengthen health data to guide our work. We look forward to expanding our efforts to help more cities and countries take action on NCDs and to save lives.”

NCDs currently kill over 40 million people every year. These chronic conditions have also increased the death toll from COVID-19, which has already taken over two million lives. People who are obese, who use tobacco, and who have hypertension are at increased risk of being hospitalized and dying from COVID-19.

In addition to COVID-19, Bloomberg’s work with WHO and investments more broadly in public health focus on major, life-saving initiatives to reduce tobacco and youth e-cigarette use, support healthy food policy, reduce drowning, and improve road safety and maternal health, among others.

In 2017, Bloomberg Philanthropies partnered with WHO and Vital Strategies to launch the Partnership for Healthy Cities, a network of 70 global cities, covering nearly 300 million people, committed to preventing NCDs and injuries since 2017. Over the past year, it has expanded its support to urban leaders around the world to include the resources and tools to overcome the challenges of the pandemic.

After more than 15 years of collaboration, WHO and Bloomberg Philanthropies have shared major achievements across public health:

5 billion people covered by at least one strong tobacco control measure

3.3 billion people have benefitted from stronger road safety laws

70 cities covering almost 300 million people, committed to preventing NCDs and injuries

Countries around the world have been supported to strengthen their health data systems through the Data for Health Program. The newly released SCORE Report is the first to gauge countries’ progress in producing sustainable health data.

WHO and Bloomberg Philanthropies will continue to drive change in tobacco control, prevention of noncommunicable diseases, road safety, injuries and improving health data. Later this year, in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, WHO will launch a new “NCD investment case” outlining the value of investing in policies and interventions to prevent NCDs.

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World’s biggest survey shows majority of people believe climate change is a global emergency. US to host climate meeting

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New York, January 27 – It is called “People’s Climate Vote” because two-thirds of over 1.2 million people surveyed showed that they view climate change as a global emergency that demands urgent action, the UN Development Program (UNDP) said of the biggest public opinion yet conducted that covered 50 countries with over half of the world population.

In Washington, US President Joe Biden decided that the US will host a climate meeting on April 22 when he signed executive orders putting measures to fight climate change as an essential element in the US foreign policy. The move also reaffirmed and implemented Biden’s decision to provide US leadership on climate issues.

Biden’s measures to fight climate change included freezing new oil and gas leases on federal lands and doubling offshore wind-produced energy by 2030.

“Today is climate day at the White House,” Biden said on January 27. “We have already waited too long. And we can’t wait any longer.” He insisted that the US “must lead” in the global efforts to fight climate change.

Achim Steiner, the UNDP administrator said in a news release announcing the poll results: “The results of the survey clearly illustrate that urgent climate action has broad support amongst people around the globe, across nationalities, age, gender and education level.”

“From climate-friendly farming to protecting nature and investing in a green recovery from Covid-19, the survey brings the voice of the people to the forefront of the climate debate. It signals ways in which countries can move forward with public support as we work together to tackle this enormous challenge,” Steiner said. 

UNDP said its public opinion poll carried out jointly with the University of Oxford was the “biggest survey ever” on climate change as a preparation for negotiations at the 26th session of Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 

The survey aimed at finding out whether climate change has become a global emergency and whether respondents support 18 key climate policies across six action areas: economy, energy, transport, food and farms, nature, and protecting people.

People want broad climate policies, the news release said (the following is part of the news release):

The results showed that people supported “broad climate policies”, beyond the current situation, UNDP said. 

For instance, in eight of the ten survey countries with the highest emissions from the power sector, majority backed more renewable energy. In four out of five countries with the highest emissions from land-use change and enough data on policy preferences, the majority supported conserving forests and land. Nine out of ten of the countries with the most urbanized populations backed more use of clean electric cars and buses, or bicycles.   

The survey also found a direct link between a person’s level of education and their desire for climate action, according to UNDP. 

There was very high recognition of the climate emergency among those who had attended university or college in all countries, from lower-income countries such as Bhutan (82 per cent) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (82 per cent), to wealthy countries like France (87 per cent) and Japan (82 per cent).  

Findings also revealed that while younger people (under 18) were more likely to say climate change is an emergency, other age groups were not far behind, with 65 per cent aged 18-35; 66 per cent aged 36-59; and 58 per cent over 60, expressing affirmation. 

“[This] illustrated how widely held this view has become,” said UNDP. 

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World leaders uphold multilateralism to tackle global problems in speeches to Davos Agenda 2021

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Geneva/New York, January 26 – Learning from the harsh realities inflicted by the pandemic, some world leaders gave strong support to multilateralism as a way to deal with global crises as they contributed ideas and visions for the future to the virtual meeting of the Davos Agenda 2021.

“This is the hour of multilateralism,” said Angela Merkel, the Federal Chancellor of Germany, urging support for the global campaign of vaccination against Covid-19, for transparency, international organizations and for building resilience among nations.

Speaking on the second day of the Davos Agenda 2021, Merkel welcomed US President Joe Biden’s decision to retain the US membership in the World Health Organization. Several other top leaders of governments and international organizations also lauded Biden for promptly claiming back the WHO seat and reversing former President Donald Trump’s decision to exit WHO.

 “If we want to have multilateral agreements, common standards have to be put down as regards conditions of work and the environment. We have to be very fast at finding new answers to digitalization,” she said. “We need to address global monopolies, but going it alone won’t suffice to address them.”

“The vaccine shows we can find a way out of this pandemic, but it will be much harder than we think,” she said.

Merkel pushed back calls for Europe to take sides between the United States and China in a move that she appeared to agree with Chinese President Xi Jinping who addressed the Davos Agenda 2021 the day earlier.

“I would very much wish to avoid the building of blocs,” Merkel said. “I don’t think it would do justice to many societies if we were to say this is the United States and over there is China and we are grouping around either the one or the other. This is not my understanding of how things ought to be.”

“The Chinese president spoke yesterday, and he and I agree on that. We see a need for multilateralism.”

“But there is one question where we are not in immediate agreement. Probably the question of what it means when you have different social models. When does interference begin and where does it end? When do you stand up for elementary values that are indivisible?” she said.

The Chinese leader warned the US president not to nudge Europe into an alliance against Beijing, saying that any attempt to freeze China out of global trade and technology networks risked reigniting the Cold War.

“Forming small groups or launching new cold wars on the world stage; excluding, threatening and intimidating others; resorting to decoupling, supply disruption or sanctions would only push the world towards division, if not confrontation,” Xi said.

“Repeatedly, history and the reality reminded us that, if we walk down the path of confrontation — be it a cold war, a hot war, a trade war or a tech war — all countries are going to suffer in terms of their interests and their people’s well-being.”

SG speaks at SC stakeout on the situation in Syria

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who addressed the forum at its opening, said 2021 offered the world the opportunity for an inclusive recovery from the pandemic while also tackling climate change and biodiversity loss.

“We have reached a moment of truth.  In 2021 we must address these fragilities and put the world on track”, he said.

“It is time to change course and take the sustainable path. And, this year, we have a unique opportunity to do so. We can use our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to move from fragilities to resilience.” 

“Inclusive and sustainable recovery around the globe will depend on the availability and effectiveness of vaccines for all, immediate fiscal and monetary support in both developed and developing countries, and transformative longer-term stimulus measures”, he said.

Top leaders from scores of governments, international organizations and corporations were invited to hold the virtual January 25-29 debate known as the Davos Agenda 2021 to try to rebuild trust while the world is struggling to stamp out Covid-19 that has killed over 2 million people in the past 12 months.

Organized by the World Economic Forum, the Davos Agenda 2021 under the theme “A crucial Year to Rebuild Trust,” is expected to gather the world’s foremost leaders to address the economic, environmental, social and technological challenges following the Covid-19 pandemic.

“In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to reset priorities and the urgency to reform systems have been growing stronger around the world,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

 “Rebuilding trust and increasing global cooperation are crucial to fostering innovative and bold solutions to stem the pandemic and drive a robust recovery. This unique meeting will be an opportunity for leaders to outline their vision and address the most important issues of our time, such as the need to accelerate job creation and to protect the environment.”

The five-day program themes are:

–Designing cohesive, sustainable, resilient economic systems (25 January)

–Driving responsible industry transformation and growth (26 January)

–Enhancing stewardship of the global commons (27 January)

–Harnessing the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (28 January)

–Advancing global and regional cooperation (29 January)

Organizers said more than 1,500 business, government and civil society leaders from over 70 countries “will set the agenda for a critical year ahead and discuss how to catalyse impact in the rapidly advancing Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

The conclusions from the Davos Agenda week will feed into task forces working on global issues for the upcoming Special Annual Meeting in Singapore.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres; Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO) and Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF) are among the heads of international organizations who will address the forum

WEF said the Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a fundamental change in the way we live, work and relate to one another. It is a new chapter in human development, enabled by extraordinary technology advances commensurate with those of the first, second and third industrial revolutions. These advances are merging the physical, digital and biological worlds in ways that create both huge promise and potential peril. 

It said the pandemic has “demonstrated that no institution or individual alone can address the economic, environmental, social and technological challenges of our complex, interdependent world. The pandemic has accelerated systemic changes that were apparent before its inception. The fault lines that emerged in 2020 now appear as critical crossroads in 2021. The Davos Agenda will help leaders choose innovative and bold solutions to stem the pandemic and drive a robust recovery over the next year.”

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WHO: High-income countries making separate vaccine deals with drugmakers at the expense of the poor is morally wrong

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Geneva/New York, January 18 – High-income countries appeared to have reneged on their promises for fair and equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines when they signed bilateral deals with profit-seeking drugmakers, the World Health Organization said, warning that such practices would amount to a moral failure under the pandemic that has killed over 2 million people worldwide.

“I need to be blunt: the world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure – and the price of this failure will be paid with lives and livelihoods in the world’s poorest countries.,” WHO General Director Tedros Adhamon Ghebreyesus said in a forceful speech to a WHO Executive Board meeting in Geneva.

He said more than 39 million doses of vaccine have been administered so far in at least 49 higher-income countries, but just 25 doses have been given in one lowest-income country.

“Not 25 million (doses); not 25 thousand; just 25,” he said.

“But we now face the real danger that even as vaccines bring hope to some, they become another brick in the wall of inequality between the world’s haves and have-nots,” he said. “It’s right that all governments want to prioritize vaccinating their own health workers and older people first.

But it’s not right that younger, healthier adults in rich countries are vaccinated before health workers and older people in poorer countries.”

He urged governments to work as a global family to prioritize those most at risks of severe diseases and deaths from Covid-19 in all countries and cooperate with WHO’s nine-month-old programs known as ACT Accelerator and COVAX for a fair and equitable distribution of the vaccines.

“We’ve overcome scientific barriers, legal barriers, logistical barriers and regulatory barriers.

We have secured 2 billion doses from five producers, with options on more than 1 billion more doses, and we aim to start deliveries in February,” he said.

“Even as they speak the language of equitable access, some countries and companies continue to prioritize bilateral deals, going around COVAX, driving up prices and attempting to jump to the front of the queue. This is wrong.”

WHO said 44 bilateral deals were signed last year, and at least 12 have already been signed so far in 2021.

“The situation is compounded by the fact that most manufacturers have prioritized regulatory approval in rich countries where the profits are highest, rather than submitting full dossiers to WHO,” the WHO chief said. “This could delay COVAX deliveries and create exactly the scenario COVAX was designed to avoid, with hoarding, a chaotic market, an uncoordinated response, and continued social and economic disruption. Not only does this me-first approach leave the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people at risk, it’s also self-defeating.”

“Ultimately, these actions will only prolong the pandemic, the restrictions needed to contain it, and human and economic suffering.”

The WHO chief called (1) on countries that have signed bilateral contracts – and control of supply – with drugmakers to be transparent on these contracts with COVAX, including on volumes, pricing and delivery dates; (2) on vaccine producers to provide WHO with full data for regulatory review in real time, to accelerate approvals, and (3) on all countries introducing vaccines to only use vaccines that meet rigorous international standards for safety, efficacy and quality, and to accelerate readiness for deployment.

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Covid-19 pandemic, climate, health and job fears prompt a majority of people to support more international cooperation to solve global problems. UN survey says

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New York, January 8 – A year-long United Nations-led campaign of survey and dialogues involving more than 1.5 million respondents in 193 countries showed that a majority of them are supporting international cooperation to resolve global problems from heath to climate issues.

The UN said its consultations around the world resulted in a good response as people shared their short- and long-term priorities, their ideas for action and calls for a more inclusive, transparent UN to deal with pressing global challenges. They also showed optimism for a better future in the midst of the pandemic.

The survey was made public under the title, “Shaping our future together: key findings of UN75 survey and dialogues.” It was launched by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in January 2020 as he sought to provide an opportunity to listen to people and to allow them to share their hopes and fears for the future and to discuss who they expected to work together to address the challenges.

“The UN75 global consultation showed that 97 percent of respondents support international cooperation to tackle global challenges,“ Guterres said. “That represents a very strong commitment to multilateralism, and to the mission of the United Nations. Now it is up to us – Member States and the UN Secretariat – to meet the expectations of the people we serve.”

The survey said a majority of respondents (52 per cent) believe that international cooperation is essential for addressing global challenges, while 34 per cent believe it is very important, and 11 per cent believe it is fairly important. Only 3 per cent believe international cooperation is not important or not important at all.

The highest percentage of respondents supporting international cooperation are from North America and from higher human development countries who believe more in international cooperation than those in lower human development countries.

The report said respondents look to the UN to “lead in international cooperation to address immediate and longer-term global challenges, and many also want the organization to innovate – to be more inclusive, engaged, accountable and effective. “

The respondents strongly favor the UN to provide:

· Moral leadership.

· A reformed, more representative and more agile UN Security Council.

· A revised Charter that includes today’s most pressing global challenges, like climate change.

· Continued management and leadership reforms, including more inclusive hiring practices,

more accountability and more transparency.

· An inclusive and participatory UN system, with improved understanding of the work of the

UN among citizens around the world, and which shows more care for the needs of ordinary

people.

· Improved implementation, monitoring and evaluation of UN programmes globally, to more

effectively solve international problems.

Key findings from the UN75 survey and dialogues include (as provided by the UN):

As COVID-19 reversed progress in human development and widened inequalities, many

prioritized access to basic services and support to the hardest hit places and communities in

the short-term

· Amid a striking shortfall in healthcare to meet the needs generated by the pandemic,

respondents’ top immediate, short-term priority globally was ‘Universal access to healthcare’.

· As COVID-19 forced children out of schools around the world, ‘More investment in education

and youth programmes’ ranked high among respondents, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa

and Central and Southern Asia.

· Reflecting the stark reality that three billion people lack a basic hand-washing facility with soap

and water at home, ‘Access to safe water and sanitation’ was another critical immediate

priority for respondents during the pandemic, across all human development levels.

· Many respondents, especially in low and middle income countries, prioritized ‘Global

solidarity’ and the need to provide ‘Support to the hardest hit people and communities’, and

to ‘Address inequalities that have deepened as a result of COVID-19.’

· Less respondents in Very High Human Development countries viewed ‘Support to the hardest

hit places’ as a high priority.

Respondents living in lower human development countries and those living in conflict

situations tended to express greater optimism about the future

· Globally, many more respondents believed people will be better off (49%) in 2045 than today,

compared with those who believe people will be worse off (32%).

· Respondents in Sub-Saharan Africa were the most optimistic about the future (59%), followed

by Central and Southern Asia (52%), and Eastern and South-eastern Asia (51%). Respondents

in Northern America (49%), Europe (48%), Latin America and the Caribbean (48%) and Oceania

and Antarctica (47%) were most pessimistic about the future.

· Respondents in regions with lower human development countries were far more optimistic

about the future than respondents in regions with higher human development countries.

Respondents living in conflict situations were more optimistic about the future.

While they expect access to health services to improve over the next 25 years, respondents in

all regions identified climate change and environmental issues as the number one long-term

global challenge

· ‘More environmental protection’ is the number one long-term priority for respondents,

globally, ranking in the top three priorities across all regions.

· The highest percentages of respondents who chose ‘Climate change and the environment’ as

a top threat were in Latin America and the Caribbean (73%), while the lowest was is Sub- Saharan Africa (37%).

Other longer-term priorities vary according to income levels, but include rising concern with

employment opportunities, respect for human rights and reducing conflict

· While respondents in UNDP’s category of higher human development countries tended to give

the highest priority to the environment and human rights, those in lower human development

countries tended to accord the highest priority to less conflict and meeting basic needs, such

as employment, healthcare and education.

· ‘More respect for human rights’ ranked number three globally as a long-term priority. It

ranked number one in Northern Africa and Western Asia and number two in Northern

America and Europe.

· ‘More employment opportunities’ rose from the tenth long-term priority identified by

respondents in April 2020 to the sixth priority in December 2020. This may reflect the

dramatic COVID-19 related workplace closures, working-hour and labour income losses.

· Reducing conflict is a high priority among respondents in Eastern and South-eastern Asia,

Northern Africa and Western Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

· While respondents in countries that are not in conflict are more concerned about tensions

between countries, those in conflict situations are more concerned about violence within their

borders.

97% of respondents believe that international cooperation is important for addressing global

challenges, with variation in the degree of importance across regions

· The majority of respondents believe that international cooperation is essential (52%) for

addressing global challenges, while 34% believe it is very important, and 11% believe it is

fairly important. Only 3% of respondents believe international cooperation is not important

or not important at all.

· The degree of importance of international cooperation varies across regions, with the highest

percentage of respondents who viewed it favorably from Northern America.

· Respondents in higher human development countries tend to perceive the need for

international cooperation as greater than those in lower human development countries.

· A majority of respondents globally say that COVID-19 has increased their view of the

importance for greater cooperation between countries.

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China’s centuries-old martial art tai chi (taijiquan) inscribed in UNESCO’s cultural heritage list; tai chi joins yoga as world’s best body-mind health exercises

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Paris/New York – China waited for 12 years after applying for UNESCO’s World Heritage list for its centuries-old martial art familiarly known as tai chi worldwide and finally was accepted without much fanfare except for the connoisseurs of the physical exercise recognized by health authorities.

The decision on December 18 by the Paris-based UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization put tai chi on the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. China, with at least 50 UNESCO World Heritage sites, belongs to a handful of countries that have the highest number of such sites. Other countries are France, Germany, Italy, India, Mexico and Spain.

Here is what UNESCO said about tai chi:

“Taijiquan is a traditional physical practice characterized by relaxed, circular movements that works in concert with breath regulation and the cultivation of a righteous and neutral mind. Originating during the mid-seventeenth century in Wenxian County in the Henan Province of central China, the element is now practiced throughout the country by people of all ages and by different ethnic groups.

Taijiquan’s basic movements center upon wubu (five steps) and bafa (eight techniques) with a series of routines, exercises and tuishou (hand-pushing skills performed with a counterpart). Influenced by Daoist and Confucian thought and theories of traditional Chinese medicine, the element has developed into several schools (or styles) named after a clan or a master’s personal name. The element is passed down through clan-based transmission or the master-apprentice model. The latter relationship is established through the traditional ceremony of baishi. Taijiquan has also been incorporated into the formal education system. The element builds upon the yin and yang cycle and the cultural understanding of the unity of heaven and humanity. It has been disseminated through legends, proverbs and rituals, among other vehicles of expression. Safeguarding the element would increase its visibility and dialogue about the diverse ways Taijiquan is practiced by different communities.”

There are an estimated 300 million tai chi practitioners globally. Organizers of tai chi events always delighted at bringing thousands of people together to demonstrate their skills.

Tai chi has a lengthy list of followers, from world models to athletes. But Chinese martial art experts and movie actors like Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan are the biggest promoters of the martial art in movies and educational programs.

Xinhua News Agency said China originally applied in 2008 and was rejected because it was seeking to list Shaolin kung fu, Peking opera and acupuncture in addition to tai chi. UNESCO then limited two requests per year for each country for cultural heritage sites and China revised its applications accordingly. It was reported that China successfully applied in 2011 for Chinese shadow puppetry and in 2013 for Chinese zhusuan, or abacus-based mental calculation.

“Taijiquan is not just a sport to make people fit, but also contains Chinese culture and philosophy,” researcher Yan Shuangjun told Xinhua News Agency. “The application started in 2008, and now we made a victory, which will help this sport to reach more places.”

Xinhua said tai chi has a massive, devoted global following. Millions of elderly Chinese people practice it every day in city parks, and celebrities and other public figures regularly make public references to their practice of it for the health benefits it is said to provide.

According to the Mayo Clinic in the United States, doing tai chi can reduce stress, anxiety and depression, improve aerobic capacity, energy and stamina, enhance the immune system and relieve joint pain.

Xinhua said tai chi originated in the village of Chenjiagou, in central China’s Henan province, in the mid-17th century.

Yoga was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.

In 2014 the United Nations proclaimed 21 June as International Yoga Day as the discipline is being followed by hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

UNESCO said describes yoga as “The philosophy behind the ancient Indian practice of yoga has influenced various aspects of how society in India functions, whether it be in relation to areas such as health and medicine or education and the arts. Based on unifying the mind with the body and soul to allow for greater mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing, the values of yoga form a major part of the community’s ethos. Yoga consists of a series of poses, meditation, controlled breathing, word chanting and other techniques designed to help individuals build self-realization, ease any suffering they may be experiencing and allow for a state of liberation. It is practiced by the young and old without discriminating against gender, class or religion and has also become popular in other parts of the world. Traditionally, yoga was transmitted using the Guru-Shishya model (master-pupil) with yoga gurus as the main custodians of associated knowledge and skills. Nowadays, yoga ashrams or hermitages provide enthusiasts with additional opportunities to learn about the traditional practice, as well as schools, universities, community centers and social media. Ancient manuscripts and scriptures are also used in the teaching and practice of yoga, and a vast range of modern literature on the subject available.”

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WHO’s global vaccine initiative secures 2 billion doses to be distributed to 190 participating countries in early 2021

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Geneva/Oslo/New York, December 18 – The World Health Organization said its global initiative known as COVAX to ensure rapid and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines for all countries has obtained access to 2 billion doses from drug makers and is planning to distribute the shots in the first quarter of next year.

A total of 92 low- and middle-income countries will receive 1.3 billion of the total 2 billon doses. The distribution will be contingent upon regulatory approvals and readiness to distribute in the 190 countries. WHO said the 2 billion doses are still under development and the agreement it obtained from the drug makers is the “clearest pathway yet to end the acute phase of the pandemic by protecting the most vulnerable populations around the world.”

“This commitment is evidence that the world learned an important lesson from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. Our research and development efforts have begun to pay off. We now have safe and effective vaccines that can protect against Covid-19 and a clear pathway to securing 2 billion doses for the populations at greatest risk all around the world,” said Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). 

 “Securing the right of first refusal of successful vaccine production as part of R&D arrangements has helped guarantee equitable access to vaccines, a founding principle of CEPI.   The challenge of delivering the vaccines that have demonstrated success, of completing the development of other promising vaccine candidates to further increase supply, and of ending the acute phase of the pandemic, lies ahead of us.”

“The arrival of vaccines is giving all of us a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO. “But we will only truly end the pandemic if we end it everywhere at the same time, which means it’s essential to vaccinate some people in all countries, rather than all people in some countries. And we must remember that vaccines will complement, but not replace, the many other tools we have in our toolbox to stop transmission and save lives. We must continue to use all of them.”

WHO said the new deals just announced included the signing of advance purchase agreements with AstraZeneca for 170 million doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford candidate, and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Johnson & Johnson for 500 million doses of the Janssen candidate, which is currently being investigated as a single dose vaccine.

These deals are in addition to existing agreements COVAX has with the Serum Institute of India (SII) for 200 million doses – with options for up to 900 million doses more – of either the AstraZeneca/Oxford or Novavax candidates, as well as a statement of intent for 200 million doses of the Sanofi/GSK vaccine candidate.

In addition to this, COVAX also has – through R&D partnership agreements – first right of refusal in 2021 to access potentially more than one billion doses (based on current estimates from the manufacturing processes under development) that will be produced, subject to technical success and regulatory approval, by candidates in the COVAX R&D Portfolio

WHO said the COVAX Facility currently has 190 participating economies – 98 higher-income economies and 92 low- and middle-income economies eligible to have their participation in the Facility supported via the financing mechanism known as the Gavi COVAX AMC.

Of the 92 economies eligible to be supported by the COVAX AMC, 86 have now submitted detailed vaccine requests, offering the clearest picture yet on actual global demand for COVID-19 vaccines.

The health organization said for COVAX to meet its ambitious goals it needs to raise an additional  $6.8 billion in 2021 – $800 million for research and development, at least $4.6 billion for the COVAX AMC and $1.4 billion for delivery support.

Support for the COVAX AMC will be critical to ensuring ability to pay is not a barrier to access. Thanks to the generous support of sovereign, private sector, and philanthropic donors, the AMC has met its urgent 2020 fundraising target of $2 billion, but at least $4.6 billion more is needed in 2021 to procure doses of successful candidates as they come through the portfolio. 

Note from WHO about COVAX:

COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is co-led by CEPI, Gavi and WHO – working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, UNICEF, the World Bank, and others. It is the only global initiative that is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both higher-income and lower-income countries.

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World’s largest youth organizations, representing 250 million members, and WHO launch global mobilization to respond to disruptive impacts of COVID-19 on young people

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Funding for community programmes, engaging youth in solutions to address COVID-19, and convening Global Youth Summit are key features of this new mobilization

Following is a press release from WHO

Geneva, 14 December – A new ground-breaking global youth mobilization was launched today to invest in and scale up youth-led solutions and engagements in response to COVID-19. The initiative was launched by an alliance of the world’s largest youth movements and organizations, together with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Foundation.

The “Global Youth Mobilization for Generation Disrupted” is being led by the Big 6 Youth Organizations (Young Men’s Christian Association, YMCA; World Young Women’s Christian Association, YWCA; World Organization of the Scout Movement; World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC; and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award), which together actively involve more than 250 million young people, and aims to support young people to engage in and design efforts to turn around the impact of the pandemic.

The Global Youth Mobilization will feature the convening of a Global Youth Summit in April 2021, and a fund of US $5 million to support local and national youth organizations, including grants for youth-led solutions and an accelerator programme to scale up existing response efforts.


The leadership of the WHO, Big 6 and youth organizations around the world are calling on governments, businesses and policy makers to back the Global Youth Mobilization effort and commit to investing in the future of young people. These measures will directly support young people engaged at the grassroots level to tackle some of the most pressing health and societal challenges resulting from the pandemic. 

“WHO is honoured to join this truly exciting andpowerful global movement to mobilize and empower youth worldwide to be the driving force of the recovery to COVID-19,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Joining forces with the Big 6 and the United Nations Foundation provides WHO and the world a unique opportunity to learn from hundreds of millions of young people and be guided by their sustainable solutions to help communities build back better from the pandemic.”

While the direct health impacts of the pandemic on young people have been generally less severe, they are disproportionately affected by the long-lasting consequences of the pandemic. Such effects include disruptions to education, economic uncertainty, loss or lack of employment opportunities, impacts on physical and mental health, and trauma from domestic violence. For example, mental anxiety brought on by COVID-19 has been identified in nearly 90 per cent of young people; more than 1 billion students in almost every country have been impacted by school closures; and 1 in 6 young people worldwide have lost their jobs during the pandemic.

At the same time, young people are also driving change and implementing solutions in response to COVID-19 by taking action through community-based interventions and voluntary service, such as acting as first responders and delivering food and supplies to those in need. The Global Youth Mobilization will draw attention to the urgent need for solutions to support young people, and to highlight the critical leadership role young people are playing in their communities to counter the effects of the pandemic.

“We are proud to team up with the WHO to provide opportunities and funding to help millions of young people across the globe to respond to local challenges related to COVID-19 in their communities,” said the leadership of the Big 6 in a joint statement. “The mobilization will provide direct financial and programmatic support to youth organizations at the national and international level. We believe that young people have the solutions to solve their own problems, and by providing a global youth platform, combined with national activation for youth projects, we can unleash the skills, enthusiasm and desire for young people to be a force for good in their communities.”

Supported by the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO and powered by the United Nations Foundation, the Global Youth Mobilization features a strategic partnership with the WHO and its newly launched Youth Council. It will involve other United Nations agencies, as well as a number of high-profile global partners, brands, and advocates, from FIFA to YOUNGA by BridgingTheGap Ventures, and the creation of a youth council of social media influencers, including the Influential platform. The initiative, developed in consultation with young people from across the globe, will be youth-led, community-driven, evidence-based, and inclusive of diverse communities rooted in meaningful youth participation and engagement. 

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About the Big 6 Youth Organizations
Formed in 1996, the Big 6 Youth Organizations are an alliance of leading international youth-serving organizations. The ‘Big 6’ comprises the five largest youth movements in the world: Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), World Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and a leading programme for youth development, The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (The Award). Together, the Big 6 actively involve in excess of 250 million young people, contributing to the empowerment of more than 1 billion young people during the last century. For more information visit www.bigsix.org 

In response to the unique challenges facing young people today, and to coincide with the launch of the Global Youth Mobilization, the Big 6 have also published a new policy paper: ‘Young People Championing Post-Pandemic Futures’. The paper is a joint call to action on behalf of 250 million children and young people that make up the Big 6 Youth Organizations and includes recommendations concerning education, employment, mental health and digital inclusion. Read the full report and calls to action at bigsix.org. 

About the World Health Organization
The World Health Organization provides global leadership in public health within the United Nations system. Founded in 1948, WHO works with 194 Member States, across six regions and from more than 149 offices, to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable. Our goal for 2019-2023 is to ensure that a billion more people have universal health coverage, to protect a billion more people from health emergencies, and provide a further billion people with better health and wellbeing. For updates on COVID-19 and public health advice to protect yourself from coronavirus, visit www.who.int and follow WHO on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, and Twitch.

About the United Nations Foundation
The United Nations Foundation brings together ideas, people, and resources to help the United Nations drive global progress and tackle urgent problems. Our hallmark is to collaborate for lasting change and innovate to address humanity’s greatest challenges. Learn more at www.unfoundation.org

About the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund
To support the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners in their global response to COVID-19, the United Nations Foundation helped launch the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, which has raised more than $238 million for lifesaving work around the world to prevent, detect, and respond to COVID-19.  Learn more about the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO, powered by the United Nations Foundation at www.covid19responsefund.org.

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UN calls for global State of Climate Emergency after a decade of hottest temperatures; rich countries must lead the way to help poorer ones

Leave a Comment / Climate /

New York, December 12 – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sounded the alarm as carbon dioxide, the harmful gas heating up the planet, has reached its highest levels in a decade and he urged world leaders to declare a climate emergency until carbon neutrality is reached.

Guterres said 38 countries have already declared a climate emergency and it will be time for the rest of the world to follow the example as carbon dioxide in the  atmosphere is rising, provoking storms, fires, floods and drought of uncommon force.

“I appealed to leaders worldwide to declare a State of Climate Emergency in their countries until carbon neutrality is reached,” Guterres told a virtual Climate Ambition Summit organized by the United Kingdom. Guterres said climate change will be the main focus of the United Nations in 2021 as it seeks to build a truly Global Coalition for Carbon Neutrality and for global net zero emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050.

“There is solid momentum behind the net zero goal,” Guterres said. “By early next year, countries representing two thirds of global carbon dioxide emissions and 70 per cent of the world economy will have made strong commitments to carbon neutrality.”

“As we prepare for next year’s United Nations climate conference – COP26 — we need concrete action right away to get on the right path. The scientific community tells us that to reach net zero by 2050, we need to cut emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 compared with 2010 levels.”

The UN chief said developed countries must meet their commitment to provide $100 billion a year to developing countries by 2020 so they can install measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The 2020 target, however, has lagged behind even before the pandemic hit in early 2020.

A report by independent experts issued prior to the virtual meeting on climate change backed Guterres’s renewed call for rich countries to mobilize urgently the $100 billion a year. The report pointed out that the climate crisis is only worsening and the funds needed by poor countries in 2021 and beyond have exceeded the original target of $100 billion.


The new report, “Delivering on the $100 billion climate finance commitment and transforming climate finance,” recommended that grants, which is a lifeline for vulnerable and poorer countries, should be doubled because such grants have declined to around $12 billion in the 2016-2018 period. Another recommendation is to increase the adaptation finance, which the report said is a small share of overall climate finance but it allows poor countries to adapt and build resilience to the ever challenging climate.

“The UN Secretary-General recently called on all donors and multilateral development banks to increase the share of adaptation and resilience finance to at least 50 per cent of climate finance support,” the report said. 
The report was drawn from data and analyses generated by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as from civil society organizations such as Oxfam, among other sources. 
 
It found that the pandemic, which remains an enormous threat, also offers a “one-off, last chance opportunity to restructure economies at the pace and scale that the climate crisis requires by integrating climate action into the economic recovery from Covid-19.”

The virtual Climate Ambition Summit heard dozens of government leaders, including the two co-hosts, the UK prime minister and the president of France, and the two partners, the president of Chile and the prime minister of Italy.

Countries that are most vulnerable to climate change are leading the way in the debate. The UN said Barbados and Maldives want to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030; Fiji, Malawi, Nauru and Nepal remain firm to achieve the goal by 2050.

The UN said the United Kingdom has pledged to cut emissions by 68 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 and to end external financing of fossil fuel projects.

The European Union has decided to cut its emissions by at least 55 per cent by the end of this decade.

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The San Francisco Conference in the spring of 1945, taking place while World War II was ending, resulted in the creation of the United Nations. The journalists excelled in their coverage of the historic event. They were the first United Nations correspondents. They continue today the task of reporting on UN activities around the world.

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