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.
The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) has announced its annual awards for best journalistic coverage of UN activities around the world in 2024. Following is the announcement.
2024 UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENTS ASSOCIATION AWARDS FOR BEST JOURNALISTIC COVERAGE OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND UN AGENCIES
WINNERS WILL BE HONORED BY THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL H.E. ANTÓNIO GUTERRES FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13th 2024, IN NEW YORK
The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) invites media worldwide to submit entries for its 28th annual UNCA Awards for best print, broadcast (TV & Radio) and online, web-based media coverage of the United Nations, UN agencies, and field operations.
Deadline for Submission is September 30th, 2024
The UNCA awards are open to all journalists anywhere in the world
The Awards are:
1. The Elizabeth Neuffer Memorial Prize, sponsored by the Alexander Bodini Foundation. The award is for print (including online media) coverage of the UN and UN agencies, named in honor of Elizabeth Neuffer, the Boston Globe bureau chief at the UN, who died while on an assignment in Baghdad in 2003.
2. The Ricardo Ortega Memorial Prize, sponsored by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). The award is for broadcast (TV & Radio) media coverage of the UN and UN agencies, named in honor of Ricardo Ortega, formerly the New York correspondent for Antena 3 TV of Spain, who died while on an assignment in Haiti in 2004.
3. The Prince Albert II of Monaco and UNCA Global Prize for Climate Change. The award is for print (including online media) and broadcast media (TV and Radio), that cover climate change with a particular focus on its impacts on oceans and its biodiversity, and the effects of sea level rise for Small Islands Developing States.
Important Information For Applicants:
Work in print, broadcast (TV & Radio) and online coverage must be published between September 2023 and September 2024.
The judges will seek entries that demonstrate impact, insight, and originality, evaluating the journalists’ courage, investigative prowess, and reporting skills. Entries from the media in the developing world are especially encouraged.
Entries can be submitted in any of the official UN languages (English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian), however a written transcript in English or French is necessary to facilitate the judging process.
Each candidate may submit entries to a maximum of two (2) prize categories, with up to two (2) stories per category. Joint entries are also permitted.
Please ensure that digital files and valid web links are uploaded to the online Entry Form.
How To Submit Your Entry:
Entries are submitted online by completing the UNCA Awards Entry Form.
Please complete the form, upload your photo, and submit your work electronically by uploading web links and/or files directly to the Entry Form.
Electronic entries are mandatory
All entries must be received by September 30th, 2024
For questions regarding UNCA Awards & entries please send email to: contactus@unca.com
The UN published the World Population Prospects 2024 to mark the World Population Day (July 11). It said remarkable progress in improving population data gathering and analysis has been made in the past three decades to reflect the diversity of societies in the world more accurately. Following is a press release from the UN Department of Global Communications
New York, 11 July, 2024 – According to the World Population Prospects 2024: Summary of Results published today, it is expected that the world’s population will peak in the mid-2080s, growing over the next sixty years from 8.2 billion people in 2024 to around 10.3 billion in the mid-2080s, and then will return to around 10.2 billion by the end of the century. The size of the world’s population in 2100 is now expected to be six per cent lower—or 700 million fewer—than anticipated a decade ago.
“The demographic landscape has evolved greatly in recent years,” said Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. “In some countries, the birth rate is now even lower than previously anticipated and we are also seeing slightly faster declines in some high-fertility regions. The earlier and lower peak is a hopeful sign. This could mean reduced environmental pressures from human impacts due to lower aggregate consumption. However, slower population growth will not eliminate the need to reduce the average impact attributable to the activities of each individual person.”
(All materials related to the World Population Prospects 2024, including the summary report and the complete dataset, are available at population.un.org. Hashtag: #UNPopulation, #PeopleOfTomorrow and #GlobalGoals)
The earlier population peak is due to several factors, including lower levels of fertility in some of the world’s largest countries, especially China. Globally, women are having one child fewer, on average, than they did around 1990. In more than half of all countries and areas, the average number of live births per woman is below 2.1—the level required for a population to maintain a constant size over the long term without migration—and nearly a fifth of all countries and areas, including China, Italy, the Republic of Korea and Spain, now have “ultra-low” fertility, with fewer than 1.4 live births per woman over a lifetime.
As of 2024, population size has peaked in 63 countries and areas, including China, Germany, Japan and the Russian Federation, and the total population of this group is projected to decline by 14 per cent over the next thirty years. For another 48 countries and areas, including Brazil, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Türkiye and Viet Nam, the population is projected to peak between 2025 and 2054. In the remaining 126 countries, including India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and the United States of America, the population is expected to increase through 2054 and, potentially, to peak in the second half of the century or later. In nine countries of this last group, including Angola, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger and Somalia, very rapid growth is projected, with their total population doubling between 2024 and 2054.
Early pregnancies remain a challenge, particularly in low-income countries. In 2024, 4.7 million babies, or about 3.5 per cent of the total worldwide, were born to mothers under age 18. Of these, some 340,000 were born to children under age 15, with serious consequences for the health and well-being of both the young mothers and their children.
The report finds that investing in the education of young people, especially girls, and increasing the ages of marriage and first childbearing in countries where these have an early onset will have positive outcomes for women’s health, educational attainment and labour force participation. These efforts will also contribute to slowing population growth and reducing the scale of the investments required to achieve sustainable development while ensuring that no one is left behind.
Over the past three decades, mortality rates have decreased and life expectancy has increased significantly. After a brief decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, global life expectancy at birth is rising again, reaching 73.3 years in 2024, up from 70.9 years during the pandemic. By the late 2050s, more than half of all global deaths will occur at age 80 or higher, a substantial increase from 17 per cent in 1995.
By the late 2070s, the number of persons aged 65 years or older is projected to surpass the number of children (under age 18), while the number of persons at ages 80 and higher is projected to be larger than the number of infants (under age 1) already by the mid-2030s. Even in countries that are still growing rapidly and have relatively youthful populations, the number of persons aged 65 or older is expected to rise over the next 30 years.
(All materials related to the World Population Prospects 2024, including the summary report and the complete dataset, are available at population.un.org. Hashtag: #UNPopulation, #PeopleOfTomorrow and #GlobalGoals)
Media Contacts:
Sharon Birch |UN Department of Global Communications | E: birchs@un.org
Helen Daun Rosengren |UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs | E: rosengrenh@un.org
Karoline Schmid | UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs | E: schmidk@un.org
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As G20 finance ministers prepare to consider a wealth tax next month, a large majority of people in G20 countries (68%*) support the idea. Higher carbon taxes, higher progressive taxation on income, and higher corporation taxes also receive very strong support across G20 countries to fund lifestyle and economic transformation.
People want political and economic reform. Roughly two in a new survey of 22,000 citizens in the world’s largest economies reveals overwhelming support for tax reforms and broader political and economic reform.
Over two-thirds (68%*) of respondents back a wealth tax, with only 11% opposed, while 70% support higher income taxes for high earners, and 69% favour increased corporation tax, according to the survey conducted by Ipsos. Support for a wealth tax is highest in Indonesia (86%), Turkey (78%), the UK (77%), and India (74%).
Support is lowest in Saudi Arabia (54%), Argentina (54%), and Denmark (55%), but still over half the populations surveyed. In the United States, France, and Germany, around two in three people support a wealth tax (67%, 67%, and 68%, respectively).
The survey, commissioned by Earth4All and the Global Commons Alliance, explored support for economic and political transformation across G20 nations. Results also show that 71% of G20 citizens believe the world has a decade to act to protect the planet. This belief rises to 91% of Mexicans, 86% of Kenyans, 83% of South Africans, and 81% of Brazilians. This belief is lowest—but still over half the population – in Saudi Arabia (52%), Japan (53%), the United States (62%), and Italy (62%).
(The members of the G-20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the U.K. and the U.S., as well as the European Union, represented by the rotating council presidency and the European Central Bank.)
Broad support for green energy, nature, health initiatives – The findings come as finance ministers from G20 countries, including the United States, China, and India, prepare to meet in Brazil this July. For the first time, a wealth tax is on the agenda as these nations deliberate on strategies to address economic and environmental challenges.The survey highlighted broad support for using additional tax revenues to fund policies that protect nature, reduce inequality, and promote healthy living. Key areas with strong backing include green energy initiatives, universal healthcare, and strengthening workers’ rights. Even less popular policies, such as universal basic income and investment in citizens’ assemblies to strengthen democracy, attract support from about half of respondents.
Move beyond growth to measure economic success – Across the G20, most people believe economies must move beyond a singular focus on economic growth. 68% of those surveyed agree that the economy should prioritise the health and wellbeing of people and nature rather than focusing solely on profit and increasing wealth.Furthermore, 62% believe that a country’s economic success should be measured by the health and wellbeing of its citizens, not just economic growth.
Trust in government low; demand for political, economic reform high – Trust in government remains low, with only 39% of G20 citizens believing their government can be trusted to make decisions for the benefit of the majority in the short term and just 37% trusting their government to make long-term decisions for future generations. This lack of trust is particularly pronounced in Europe. There is a notable demand for reform of national and global political and economic systems.In the G20, 65% of respondents believe their national political system needs major changes. A similar number (68%) feel the same about their economic system.
Optimism– The survey also asked whether people are optimistic about their future.On average, 62% of G20 citizens are optimistic about their own future. However, only 44% feel positive about their country’s future, while 38% are optimistic about the future of the world.People in emerging economies like India and Mexico are the most optimistic, while European citizens, for example, in France, Sweden, and the UK, are significantly less hopeful.
** Notes: Global percentages are an arithmetic average of national results of G20 countries surveyed. The average is not weighted by population size. Russia was not included in the survey.
In China, a smaller survey with fewer economic and political questions was distributed. Non-G20 countries included, Austria, Denmark, Kenya, and Sweden, are not included in the G20 total figures presented
Comments – Owen Gaffney, co-lead of the Earth4All initiative:“People want political and economic reform. They feel their economy is not working for them, which is why some are turning to populist political parties. Despite this, the vast majority of people still believe urgent action is needed this decade to tackle the planetary emergency. Our survey results provide a clear mandate from G20 citizens: redistribute wealth. Greater equality will build stronger democracies to drive a fair transformation for a stable planet.”
Jane Madgwick, Executive Director at the Global Commons Alliance: “Science demands a giant leap to address the planetary crisis, and the public agrees. 71% of G20 citizens support immediate, comprehensive measures this decade.”
Sandrine Dixson Declève, executive chair of Earth4All and co-president of the Club of Rome: “This survey proves once again that citizens across G20 countries believe it is time for an economy that delivers greater wellbeing, more climate solutions, and less inequality. But the results also show a growing lack of trust in government, especially in Europe. With the recent European elections moving towards the radical right due to growing social tension, we need to hold governments accountable to introduce an economy that services people and the planet at the same time.”
For more information and to arrange interviews: Terry Collins: tc@tca.tc / +1-416-878-8712
Notes to Editors – The full Ipsos research is available at the following link as of 25 June 2024: https://earth4all.life/global-survey. In addition to a global report, regional reports for all surveyed countries are available. Ipsos surveyed 22,000 people across the G20 countries. Russia was not included in the survey. In China, a smaller survey with fewer economic and political questions was distributed. Non G20 countries included were Austria, Denmark, Kenya and Sweden. They are not included in the G20 total figures presented. Global percentages are an arithmetic average of national results of G20 countries surveyed. The average is not weighted by population size. Supporting partners include the Policy Institute Kings College, ISWE, and the Wellbeing Economy Alliance.
Earth4All builds on the legacies of The Limits to Growth and thePlanetary Boundariesframeworks.Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity,published in September 2022 and presents the results of a major two-year research collaboration. Earth4All advocates for five key turnarounds to achieve wellbeing for all within planetary boundaries:
Eliminate poverty by growing the economies of the poorest countries through green investment and cancelling their debts to high-income countries .
Reduce inequality by increasing taxes on the top 10%, strengthening workers’ rights and introducing citizens’ funds to give everyone access to a nation’s wealth.
Empower women by increasing access to education, putting them in leadership positions and equalising pensions.
Transform food systems by cutting waste and stopping the conversion of wild landscapes to farmland.
Transform energy use by immediately phasing out fossil fuels, electrifying everything and seriously investing in renewables and energy efficiency.
About The Global Commons Alliance – The Global Commons Alliance is a growing coalition of scientists, philanthropists, civil society groups, businesses and innovators, enabling collective action to safeguard the global commons.
The Global Commons Alliance’s mission is to mobilize citizens, companies, cities and countries to accelerate systems change, and become better guardians of the global commons.
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New York, June 21, 2024 – Some 23.7 million Afghans, or half the country’s population, require humanitarian assistance this year and among them are nearly three million children who are experiencing acute levels of hunger, UN officials said in statements to the UN Security Council convened to review the humanitarian situation in the country.
Lisa Doughten, Director of Financing and Partnerships at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said the humanitarian needs in Afghanistan is “alarmingly high” and the recent return of more than 618,000 Afghans, 80 per cent of then women and children, from Pakistan has added to the humanitarian need in the country.
“The particularly acute effects of climate change in Afghanistan are deepening the humanitarian crisis,” she said.
Extreme weather events are more frequent and more intense – Both Doughten and Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Special Representative in Afghanistan, said some regions in the country have warmed at twice the global average since 1950 and decreasing rainfall and recurring drought have contributed to a large-scale water crisis.
“Annual droughts are now predicted to be the norm by 2030, and the likelihood of flash flooding has also increased, even when rainfall is not especially heavy,” said Doughten, adding that large number of the population were affected by flooding and mudslides in the northern and western parts of the country, where hundreds of people died and livestock and tens of thousands of acres of agriculture were destroyed.
Otunbayeva said while the country is beset by “massive poverty,” the situation has left Afghans even more vulnerable to many natural disasters as a result of climate change.
“Afghanistan has a near zero carbon footprint but is the sixth most vulnerable country to climate change and the least prepared to address climate shock,” Otunbayeva said.
“Afghanistan remains wholly unprepared to deal with these increasingly persistent threats and will require significant investments in early warning and early response systems,” Doughten said. “Efforts are already underway to establish anticipatory action programmes to trigger support ahead of predicted climate events, but these will need to be sufficiently staffed and funded to bear fruit.”
Afghanistan under the Taliban de-facto authority – Taliban authorities took over the country in August 2021 after the United States pulled out its armed forces. The briefers said no one has felt the takeover’s impact more than Afghan women and girls whose lives have been deeply affected by the Taliban’s decrees that limit their movement and participation in public life. The Taliban has banned girls over the age of 11 from attending schools and universities. It has also applied corporal punishment and public executions of individuals sentenced to the death penalty. The UN has denounced those measures as violations of international human rights standards.
“The ban on girls’ education is fueling an increase in child marriage and early childbearing, with dire physical, emotional, and economic consequences,” Doughten said. “Reports of attempted suicides among women and girls are also increasing. Despite restrictions on their ability to work, as well as the risk to their personal safety, Afghan women continue to participate in the humanitarian response.”
Otunbayeva said the “de facto authorities” in the country have continued to maintain stability, but she has perceived “growing signs of popular discontent, (which) should not hide the fact that as an international community we are still in a crisis management mode.” She said in order to solve the structural problems between the international community and Afghanistan, as identified in the Independent Assessment issued at the end 2023, “all stakeholders need to recommit to the objectives identified in that assessment.”
Shortage of funds affect humanitarian assistance – Otunbayeva said despite the many challenges, 9.9 million people in Afghanistan received at least one form of assistance from January to March 2024. But she said the UN in Afghanistan has received just US 649 million – or 21 per cent of the $3 billion required to meet the huge levels of humanitarian need in the first six months of 2024.
She said the UN has had to close life-saving programs due to the lack of funds, including 150 mobile health and nutrition teams. She said a further 40 teams are at imminent risk, potentially depriving 700,000 children under five of vital nutrition treatment services for severe acute malnutrition. The lack of funds is also imperiling the last two mine clearance and a mine victims’ assistance program in Afghanistan. These programs will cease in the coming month if additional funds are not received. This is at a time when 3.4 million people live within 1 km of explosive ordinance contamination, including 475 schools and 230 healthcare facilities.
“Afghans continue to feel the compounding impacts of climate change, poverty and oppression,” said Doughten. “Millions of people depend on humanitarian assistance for their everyday survival. We urge donors to fully fund the appeal for Afghanistan so we can continue to provide this life-saving support. But there is a risk of a slide into even greater hardship. We must also find ways to support the Afghan people with longer-term solutions to help lift them out of poverty and withstand a deepening set of climate-related shocks. Nothing is easy in Afghanistan, but with sustained assistance, we can support people in the realization of a life with peace, stability and hope.” (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)
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Landmark public opinion research reveals overwhelming majority around the world support more ambitious efforts and want to overcome geopolitical differences to fight climate crisis. 80 percent of people globally want stronger climate action by governments according to UN Development Programme survey – Following is a Press Release from UNDP.
New York, 20 June, 2024– The biggest ever standalone public opinion survey on climate change, the Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024, shows 80 percent – or four out of five – people globally want their governments to take stronger action to tackle the climate crisis.
Even more – 86 percent – want to see their countries set aside geopolitical differences and work together on climate change. The scale of consensus is especially striking in the current global context of increased conflict and the rise of nationalism.
More than 75,000 people speaking 87 different languages across 77 countries were asked 15 questions on climate change for the survey, which was conducted for the UN Development Programme (UNDP) with the University of Oxford, UK and GeoPoll. The questions were designed to help understand how people are experiencing the impacts of climate change and how they want world leaders to respond. The 77 countries polled represent 87 percent of the global population.
“The Peoples’ Climate Vote is loud and clear. Global citizens want their leaders to transcend their differences, to act now and to act boldly to fight the climate crisis,” said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. “The survey results – unprecedented in their coverage – reveal a level of consensus that is truly astonishing. We urge leaders and policymakers to take note, especially as countries develop their next round of climate action pledges – or ‘nationally determined contributions’ under the Paris Agreement. This is an issue that almost everyone, everywhere, can agree on.”
Biggest emitters support stronger climate action – The survey revealed support for stronger climate action in 20 of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters, with majorities ranging from 66 percent of people in the United States and Russia, to 67 percent in Germany, 73 percent in China, 77 percent in South Africa and India, 85 percent in Brazil, 88 percent in Iran and up to 93 percent in Italy.
In five big emitters (Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the United States), women were more in favour of strengthening their country’s commitments by 10 to 17 percentage points. This gap was biggest in Germany, where women were 17 percentage points more likely than men to want more climate action (75 percent vs. 58 percent.)
Fossil fuel phaseout – Aside from a broad call for bolder climate action, the survey shows support by a global majority of 72 percent in favour of a quick transition away from fossil fuels. This is true for countries among the top 10 biggest producers of oil, coal, or gas, including majorities of 89 percent in Nigeria and Türkiye, 80 percent in China, 76 percent in Germany, 75 percent of people in Saudi Arabia, 69 percent in Australia, and 54 percent of people in the United States. Only 7 percent of people globally said their country should not transition at all.
Climate anxiety – People across the world reported that climate change was on their minds. Globally, 56 percent said they were thinking about it regularly, i.e. daily or weekly, including some 63 percent of those in Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
More than half of people globally said they were more worried than last year about climate change (53 percent). The corresponding figure was higher for those in LDCs (59 percent). On average across the nine Small Island Developing States (SIDS) surveyed, as much as 71 percent said they were more worried than last year about climate change.
69 percent of people globally said their big decisions like where to live or work were being impacted by climate change. The proportion so affected was higher in LDCs (74 percent), but notably lower in Western and Northern Europe (52 percent) and Northern America (42 percent).
Prof. Stephen Fisher, Department of Sociology, University of Oxford, said:“A survey of this size was a huge scientific endeavour. While maintaining rigorous methodology, special efforts were also made to include people from marginalised groups in the poorest parts of the world. This is some of the very highest quality global data on public opinions on climate change available.”
Cassie Flynn, Global Director of Climate Change, UNDP, said: “As world leaders decide on the next round of pledges under the Paris Agreement by 2025, these results are undeniable evidence that people everywhere support bold climate action. The Peoples’ Climate Vote has enlisted the voices of people everywhere – including amongst groups traditionally the most difficult to poll. For example, people in nine of the 77 countries surveyed had never before been polled on climate change. The next two years stand as one of the best chances we have as the international community to ensure that warming stays under 1.5°. We stand ready to support policymakers in stepping up their efforts as they develop their climate action plans through our Climate Promise initiative.”
UNDP’s Climate Promise initiative has seen over 100 developing countries submit enhanced NDCs during the second revision cycle – of which 91 percent raised their targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and 93 percent also strengthened adaptation goals.
UNDP: Dylan Lowthian, New York, dylan.lowthian@undp.org I +1 646 673 6350
UNDP: Sarah Bel, Geneva, sarah.bel@undp.org I +41799341117
Notes to Editors: The Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024isthe second edition of the global survey carried out by UNDP and the University of Oxford. The first Peoples’ Climate Vote took place in 2021 and surveyed people across 50 countries through adverts in popular mobile gaming apps. The polling method for this edition differs from The Peoples’ Climate Vote 2021. Therefore, questions and responses are not comparable across the two reports.
The 2024 edition included 15 questions that asked how people’s day-to-day lives are impacted by climate change, how they feel it is being addressed in their countries and what they would like the world to do about it. The results give the most comprehensive public account yet of how people feel and respond to climate change.
The University of Oxford team was primarily involved in processing data and producing the statistical output. Polling was conducted by international polling firm, GeoPoll, via randomised mobile telephone calling. Randomisation meant almost everyone with a phone in any country had a chance of participating, whereas, in the previous poll, people needed a broadband connection. No one could opt in without being randomly selected, and no one could participate more than once.
The polling results were collated and processed by survey research experts at the University of Oxford, who weighted the sample to make it representative of the age, gender, and education population profiles of the countries in the survey.
Over 10 percent (9321 respondents) of the total sample comprised people who never went to school. Of those, 1241 were women over 60 who never went to school. These are some of the very hardest-to-reach groups to poll. People in nine of the 77 countries surveyed had never before been polled on climate change. Under-18s were polled in countries where it was legal and viable to do so.
The country-level estimates quoted above have margins of error no larger than + or –3 percentage points. The margin of error for SIDS and some regions is + or -1, and even lower for big regions and global estimates. Global, regional and LDC figures are overall estimates, which is possible given the high levels of population coverage of those groupings. Figures for SIDS are a population-weighted average over the nine SIDS surveyed.
Find out more about the Peoples’ Climate Vote, including the global results, at http://peoplesclimate.vote/ .
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.
University of Oxford Department of Sociology – Oxford Sociology is at the forefront of ground-breaking empirical research which spans the full spectrum of the social world. We apply a diverse range of rigorous methods to real-world issues in order to address the most pressing societal challenges of our times. Our commitment to collaborative research ensures that our researchers have the freedom to transcend disciplinary boundaries, foster international partnerships, and
explore innovative research. Some of the themes that our researchers are currently working on include social inequality, demography, political sociology, gender and the family, cybercrime and justice, computational social science, and the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Global Factsheet – Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024 Data
The Peoples’ Climate Vote polled people in 77 countries on 15 questions about their lived experience of the climate crisis and their responses to it.
Over half (56%) of people globally said they think about climate change frequently (daily or weekly), while 32% think about it a few times a year, and 11% never think about climate change.
Over half (53%) of people globally said that compared with last year, they are more worried about climate change, while 31% said about the same, and 15% reported they are less worried.
Globally nearly half (43%) of people thought extreme weather events were worse this year than last. Four in ten (41%) people said about the same as the year prior, and just 15% said better than usual.
More than two-thirds of people (69%) said climate change is already impacting their big decisions, such as where to live, work, or what to buy. A third of people (33%) globally said climate change is affecting big decisions a lot, somewhat less than those who said a little (37%). Less than a third (30%) said climate change is not affecting their big decisions.
People globally were mixed on how they think their country is doing on climate. Nearly half (49%) of people globally said their country is doing somewhat well or very well on climate change. A quarter of people (25%) said their country is doing somewhat or very badly, and a quarter (23%) said their country was doing neither well nor badly.
Just over one in three people (39%) think big businesses are doing well in addressing climate change.
When people were asked who has the most impact on climate change in their country, globally, most people (43%) pointed to their government. 14% said big businesses, 13% the United Nations, 12% said campaigners and activists, and 6% of people said faith and community leaders have had the greatest impact addressing climate change. One in ten (11%) said they didn’t know who had the biggest impact.
A huge majority (80%) of people globally want their countries to strengthen their commitments to address climate change. Just one in eight (13%) recommended keeping them the same, and just one in twenty (5%) said their country should weaken its commitments.
Nearly three quarters (72%) of people globally wanted to move away from fossil fuels quickly. 41% wanted a very quick transition in their country and a further 30% wanted their country to transition somewhat quickly. Globally, just 18% of people said the transition should happen slowly and only approximately one in twenty (7%) people said there should be no transition at all.
Nearly eight in ten people (78%) globally wanted more protection for people at risk from extreme weather. 16% said the current level of protection should remain the same. Only 4% of people globally said their country should provide less protection for the most vulnerable.
Globally, four in five (81%) people said their country should do a lot to protect and restore nature. This compares with just one in ten (13%) who wanted their country to do a little. Only one in twenty (5%) of people said their country should not protect and restore nature at all.
Four in five people (80%) globally called for schools in their country to teach more about climate change.
The vast majority (86%) of people globally were in favor of countries putting aside their differences and cooperating on climate change. Only 7% of people globally said that countries should work separately on climate change, while fewer (5%) said that no country should work on climate change.
Around eight in ten people (79%) said they want rich countries to give more support to poorer countries. This is compared with one in ten (13%) people who said they were content with rich countries giving the same amount of support as they are currently, and just 6% of people globally who think rich countries should provide less help.
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Geneva/New York, June 19, 2024 – The number of people fleeing war, violence and climate extreme has reached its highest last year and this year as the international community celebrates World Refugee Day (June 20) to recognize their “remarkable fortitude and capacity for renewal, despite the daunting challenges they face,” the chief of the UN refugee agency said.
“The picture is rarely as desperate as where I am now, in Jamjang, South Sudan,” said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on his second visit to Sudan since the outbreak of the war in April 2023.
“The level of suffering is truly unconscionable,’’ said Grandi. “Sudan is the definition of a perfect storm: shocking human rights atrocities, with millions uprooted by this insane war and other wars that came before it. A terrible famine is looming, and severe floods will soon hamper aid deliveries even more. We are losing a generation to this war, yet peace efforts are not working.”
“We live in a world where conflicts are left to fester. The political will to resolve them seems utterly absent. And even as these crises multiply, the right to seek asylum is under threat. To make matters worse, the global effects of climate change take an ever more devastating toll – including here, where severe flooding is expected to submerge villages and farmlands, adding to South Sudan’s woes.”
The UN and humanitarian organizations said fierce fighting between rival armies in Sudan has displaced the world’s largest number: 9.5 million with 1.9 million of them spilled into neighboring countries while the rest are internally displaced.
UNHCR and the Norwegian Refugee Council said the total number of internally displaced people swelled to nearly 120 million this year at a time support both financial and humanitarian for the refugees has dropped leaving the refugees in desperate situations. Those humanitarian organizations decried the failure by the international community to resolve long-standing crises and ongoing wars that currently resulted in record number of displaced people.
The Geneva-based UNHCR said in its 2024 Global Trends Report that the increase in displaced people to 120 million by May 2024 was the 12th consecutive annual increase and reflects both new and mutating conflicts and a failure to resolve long-standing crises.
The report said key factors responsible for the millions of refugees included fighting in Sudan with 10.8 million Sudanese uprooted and millions others were uprooted by fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Myanmar. UNRWA, the agency providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians estimated up to 1.7 million people (75 per cent of the population) had been displaced in the Gaza Strip by violence in 2023. The report said Syria remains the world’s largest displacement crisis, with 13.8 million forcibly displaced in and outside the country.
The refugee agency said the largest increase in displaced people came from people fleeing conflict who remain in their own country, rising to 68.3 million people according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre – up almost 50 per cent over five years.
Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said on the new global displacement figures: “Never before in recorded history have so many people in so many countries been fleeing conflict, violence, and persecution. Every year for more than a decade, we have documented new record numbers of both refugees and those internally displaced due to the brutality of armed men, faltering conflict resolution diplomacy, and global failure to protect civilians. New wars and emergencies are added to all the unresolved crises, resulting in more than 117 million people facing desperate situations.“
“This year’s figures represent yet another failure of international solidarity and coordination. As the number of those requiring help increases, we see both humanitarian and developmental funding dropping. Vast crises – such as in DR Congo, Sudan, or the Central Sahel region – continue to go unnoticed by both media and donors. “
UNHCR said the global refugee population increased by 7 per cent to reach 43.4 million in 2024. The number includes 31.6 million refugees and people in a refugee-like situation and 5.8 million other people in need of international protection under UNHCR’s mandate, as well as 6 million Palestinian refugees under UNRWA’s mandate. Compared to a decade ago, the total number of refugees globally has more than tripled.
The largest proportion of refugees globally were from Afghanistan and Syria, both with 6.4 million each, and together equivalent to one-third of all refugees under UNHCR’s mandate. These were followed by Venezuela (6.1 million refugees and other people in need of international protection) and Ukraine (6.0 million refugees).
Most refugees remain near their country of origin, with 69 per cent hosted in neighboring countries at the end of 2023. Low- and middle-income countries continue to host the majority of the world’s refugees, with 75 per cent of refugees living in low- and middle-income countries.
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New York, June 12, 2024 – As leaders of the world’s seven advanced democracies prepared to hold their annual summit in Italy, the UN said the group has a particular responsibility and it can and must wield its power to end famine threatening millions of people from Gaza to Sudan and Myanmar.
The G7 countries are the US, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the UK. They will be joined by leaders of the European Councils and European Commission, the World Bank and IMF, the UN secretary-General, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and leaders of some invited countries at the summit starting on June 13 at Puglia, Italy, which is this year the leader of the group.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the G7 has a prominent position in the global economy and institutions, which gives them a “unique responsibility and opportunity to push for change” and they have a “critical role to play in peace.”
“Peace in the Middle East – and I welcome President Biden’s recent peace initiative and urge all parties to seize the opportunity for a ceasefire and release of the hostages, and prepare the ground for a two-state solution,” Guterres said. “We must also keep working for peace in Ukraine – a just peace, based on the United Nations Charter and international law. Around the world, we must never let up in pursuit of solutions that affirm – and do not undermine – international law, including international humanitarian law.”
Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator said the powerful G7 meets at a time major conflicts in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine and Gaza are raging out of control and pushing millions of people to the “brink of starvation.”
“Only technicalities prevent famines from being declared, as people are already dying of hunger,” Griffiths said. “Famine in the 21st century is a preventable scourge. G7 leaders can and must wield their influence to help stop it. Waiting for an official declaration of famine before acting would be a death sentence for hundreds of thousands of people and a moral outrage.”
He said conflict fuels hunger and in Gaza, over one million or half of the population, are expected to face death and starvation by the middle of July. In Sudan, at least 5 million people are also teetering on the brink of starvation. Communities in more than 40 hunger hotspots are at high risk of slipping into famine in the coming month, including in war-torn parts of Aj Jazirah, Darfur, Khartoum and Kordofan.
“In both Gaza and Sudan, intense fighting, unacceptable restrictions and meagre funding are preventing aid workers from delivering food, water, seeds, health care and other lifesaving assistance at anywhere near the scale necessary to prevent mass starvation. This must change – we cannot afford to lose even a minute,” he said.
Griffiths said the G7 must immediately bring their substantial political leverage and financial resources to bear so that aid organizations can reach all people in need.
We must move large amounts of humanitarian assistance across borders and battle lines today – and mobilize considerable funding to keep the response going tomorrow.
But more than anything, the world must stop feeding the war machines that are starving the civilians of Gaza and Sudan.
“It is time instead to prioritize the diplomacy that will give people back their futures – and tomorrow, the G7 is at the helm,” he said.
UN adopts resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza – After several attempts to push through a resolution to end the Gaza war, the divided UN Security Council finally adopted on June 10 a US-sponsored resolution that calls for an “immediate, full and complete ceasefire.” The vote was 14-0 with Russia abstaining while the four other permanent council – US, China United Kingdom and France, voted in favor. Terms to implement the resolution remain to be negotiated between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in order to end the eight-month war that exploded on October 7 last year.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who introduced the draft text to the council’s 15 countries said the resolution will work in three phases to ensure a lasting and comprehensive end to the war.
—Phase one includes an “immediate, full, and complete ceasefire with the release of hostages including women, the elderly and the wounded, the return of the remains of some hostages who have been killed, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners”. It calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from “populated areas” of Gaza, the return of Palestinians to their homes and places throughout the enclave, including in the north, as well as the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale.
—Phase two would see a permanent end to hostilities “in exchange for the release of all other hostages still in Gaza, and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza”.
—Phase three, “a major multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza” would begin and the remains of any deceased hostages still in the Strip would be returned to Israel. (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)
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Geneva/New York, June 5, 2024 – The annual average global temperature is expected to rise from 1.5 degrees C to close to 2 degrees C in the next five years, a spike that could destroy some small islands and coastal communities as well as causing more extreme and dangerous weather worldwide, the UN warned.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said a new study has predicted that there is a 80 % likelihood that the average global temperature will exceed 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels for at least one of the next five years.
“The global mean near-surface temperature for each year between 2024 and 2028 is predicted to be between 1.1°C and 1.9°C, higher than the 1850-1900 baseline,” WMO said. The Geneva-based UN organization said it is likely (86 %) that at least one of the years between now and 2028 will set a new temperature record, beating 2023 which is currently the warmest year.
WMO said also that there a 47 % likelihood that the average global temperature over the entire 2024-2028 period will exceed 1.5 degrees C above the pre-industrial era. The goal of maintaining annual global temperature at 1.5 degrees was set in the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015, which referred to long-term temperature increases over decades, not over one to five years.
WMO published its Global Annual to Decadal Update to coincide with an address on climate action delivered by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the American Museum of Natural History titled a Moment of Truth.
“The difference between 1.5 and 2 degrees could be the difference between extinction and survival for some small island states and coastal communities. The difference between minimizing climate chaos or crossing dangerous tipping points,” Guterres said.
He pointed out that scientists had alerted of consequences following higher temperatures: the collapse of the Greenland Ice Sheet and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet with catastrophic sea level rise; destruction of tropical coral reef systems and the livelihoods of 300 million people; collapse of the Labrador Sea Current that would further disrupt weather patterns in Europe; and widespread permafrost melt that would release devastating levels of methane, one of the most potent heat-trapping gasses.
Government leaders must work in solidarity to fight climate change – Guterres urges leaders of the world’s 20 richest countries, G20, to work in solidarity to accelerate a” just global energy transition” aligned with the 1.5 degrees limit, which call for them to align their national climate action plans, their energystrategies, and their plans for fossil fuel production and consumption, with a 1.5degrees future.
“It means the G20 pledging to reallocate subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables, storage, and grid modernization, and support for vulnerable communities,” he said. It means the G7 and other OECD countries committing: to end coal by 2030; and to create fossil-fuel free power systems, and reduce oil and gas supply and demand by sixty percent – by 2035. It means all countries ending new coal projects – now. Particularly in Asia, home to ninety-five percent of planned new coal power capacity. It means non-OECD countries creating climate action plans that put them on a path to ending coal power by 2040.”
“The United Nations is mobilizing our entire system to help developing countries to achieve this through our Climate Promise initiative,” Guterres said.
WMO: World must urgently cut emissions or pay heavy price – Ko Barrett, the WMO Deputy Secretary-General, said, “Behind these statistics lies the bleak reality that we are way off track to meet the goals set in the Paris Agreement. We must urgently do more to cut greenhouse gas emissions, or we will pay an increasingly heavy price in terms of trillions of dollars in economic costs, millions of lives affected by more extreme weather and extensive damage to the environment and biodiversity.”
“WMO is sounding the alarm that we will be exceeding the 1.5°C level on a temporary basis with increasing frequency. We have already temporarily surpassed this level for individual months – and indeed as averaged over the most recent 12-month period. However, it is important to stress that temporary breaches do not mean that the 1.5 °C goal is permanently lost because this refers to long-term warming over decades.” (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)
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Geneva/New York, May 23, 2024 – Roughly 281 million people are fleeing war, climate disasters, economic hardship and food shortage in their own countries, a global trend that is upsetting countries receiving them, the IOM said. But the organization pointed out that those migrants can contribute to the economy of their original and the host countries.
The Geneva-based IOM said it has obtained international support following a two-day 2024 International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) at the UN headquarters in New York. The meeting focused on finding ways to create “more and better opportunities for people to move in a regular and beneficial way as part of a comprehensive approach to human mobility.”
The dialogue, which involved UN agencies and member states, migrants, international organizations, civil society, youth leaders, the private sector and academia, centered on finding ways to leverage migration as “a force for prosperity and progress for all,” the IOM said.
Amy Pope, the IOM Director General, told the meeting: “Migration has shaped our past and holds the key to our future. The evidence is overwhelming that when migration is managed well, it can drive true sustainable development around the world. By facilitating safe and regular pathways for migration, we can enable opportunities for migrants, better protect their rights, and contribute to greater prosperity in the countries migrants come from and those that host them.”
“Obviously, it brings benefits in terms of economic prosperity,” she said. “But it also leads to the exchange of skills, to the strengthening of the labour force, to investment and cultural diversity. It also brings some really good food, if we’re honest.” See remittances below.
“Global trends point to more migration in the future,” IOM said. The IOM said in its 2024 migration report that roughly 281 million people worldwide are on the move, representing around 3.6 per cent of the global population. This is up from 153 million in 1990, and more than triple the 84 million in 1970.
The dialogue resulted in four avenues of action identified as key to success, IOM said in its website:
Multilateral action and effective partnerships at all levels are paramount to mobilizing joint action to facilitate regular pathways. The private sector has a key role to play and should be systematically and meaningfully involved in these partnerships.
Effective engagement at the local level, with communities and local level authorities, is essential to strengthen these pathways and enhance social cohesion and resilience, ensuring positive longer-term impacts of regular migration.
Migrant and diasporas’ voices must be heard, as they have transformative potential in advocacy and development.
The role of innovation and technology was underscored in providing migrants with better access to information, resources, training, and skills recognition.
“Overall, there was consensus on safe and adaptable models for regular pathways, recognition of the need for multi-layered cooperation, acknowledgment of the importance of opening up more opportunities for regular migration to reduce migration risks and vulnerabilities, and strengthen its development impacts,” said IOM. It said it will continue working with partners to advance the 2030 Agenda and the Global Compact for Migration and will bring migration issues to fora such the G7 meeting, the New Agenda for Peace, the Summit for the Future, and the second IDM occurring in Geneva later in 2024.
Remittances increase from $128 billion in 2000 to $831 billion in 2022. The IOM said international remittances are financial or in-kind transfers made by migrants directly to families or communities in their countries of origin.
It said available data showed that in 2022, India, Mexico, China, the Philippines and Egypt, in descending order, were the top five remittance recipient countries. India’s total inward remittances exceeded $111 billion and was the first country to reach and even exceed $100 billion.
(IOM notes that global data on international remittances were compiled by the World Bank “notwithstanding the myriad data gaps, definitional differences, and methodological challenges in compiling accurate statistics. Its data, however, do not capture unrecorded flows through formal or informal channels, and the actual magnitude of global remittances is, therefore, likely to be larger than available estimates.”)
(It notes also that high-income countries are almost always the main source of remittances. “For decades, the United States has consistently been the top remittance-sending country, with a total outflow of $79 billion in 2022, followed by Saudi Arabia ($39 billion), Switzerland ($31.9 billion), and Germany ($25.6 billion).” By J. Tuyet Nguyen
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Persistently high interest rates, debt sustainability challenges, continuing geopolitical tensions, and increasing extreme weather events pose significant downside risks. Following is a press release from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
New York, 16 May, 2024 – Global economic prospects have improved since January, with major economies avoiding a severe downturn, bringing down inflation without increasing unemployment, according to the World Economic Situation and Prospects as of mid-2024 released today. However, the outlook is only cautiously optimistic. Higher-for-longer interest rates, debt sustainability challenges, continuing geopolitical tensions and ever-worsening climate risks continue to pose challenges to growth, threatening decades of development gains, especially for least developed countries and small island developing States.
According to the report, the world economy is now projected to grow by 2.7 per cent in 2024 (+0.3 percentage points from the January forecast) and 2.8 per cent in 2025 (+0.1 percentage points from the January forecast)the January forecast). The upward revisions mainly reflect a better outlook in the United States, where the latest forecast points to 2.3 per cent growth in 2024, and several large emerging economies, notably Brazil, India and the Russian Federation. The outlook for China registers a small uptick with growth now expected to be 4.8 per cent in 2024. On the other hand, the economic outlook for Africa has deteriorated since the last release, with expected growth lowered by 0.2 percentage points for 2024, threatening adverse impacts for many of the world’s poor. On average, global growth in the coming years is expected to remain below the average of 3.2 per cent during 2010–2019.
Economic environment remains fragile for small island developing States. Economic prospects for small island developing States (SIDS) are projected to improve, with GDP growth increasing from 2.4 per cent in 2023 to 3.3 per cent in 2024, primarily driven by a sustained rebound in tourism. However, SIDS remain vulnerable to spikes in international commodity prices due to their high import dependency on essential goods. Frequent extreme weather events and high public debt also pose significant challenges.
“The SIDS outlook for 2024 is promising, but we mustn’t get complacent,” said Li Junhua, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States, to be held in Antigua and Barbuda on 27–30 May 2024. “We need to think differently about our support to SIDS, mindful of their unique vulnerabilities. Through more effective partnerships and a more favourable international environment we can create the space that SIDS need to shore up their domestic capacities and build resilience for the future.”
Developing economies face persistent challenges despite global disinflationary trend. Although softening international commodity prices and tight monetary stances adopted by most central banks have set the global economy on a disinflationary path, several developing economies continue to grapple with stubbornly high inflation. Many developing economies also face challenges such as elevated borrowing costs, persistent exchange rate pressures, and lingering political instability.
The stagnant employment situation in developing economies contrasts with that of developed economies, particularly in North America, Europe and Japan, where unemployment rates remain near record lows. Furthermore, the near-term outlook for certain economies is clouded by potential intensification of geopolitical tensions and multiple conflicts across the world.
Harnessing potential of critical minerals for sustainable development. The report discusses how the growing use of critical minerals for accelerating the energy transition can also be an opportunity for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in many developing countries. Countries endowed with critical mineral resources will, however, need smart policies, as well as effective implementation capacities to reap the benefits and avoid a renewed ‘resource curse’, the report underscored.
Moreover, international cooperation will remain crucial to facilitate technology transfers and financing to developing countries, combat illicit financial flows and ensure the supply of the critical minerals needed for the green transition. Many of these issues will be covered by the recently announced Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals, which will develop a set of common and voluntary principles to build trust and transparency, while accelerating the race to renewables. Read the full report:https://desapublications.un.org/ Hashtag: #WorldEconomyReport
Media contacts:
Francyne Harrigan, UN Department of Global Communications, harriganf@un.org
Bingjie Wang, UN Department of Global Communications, bingjie.wang@un.org
Helen Rosengren, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, rosengrenh@un.org
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