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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Member State Dialogues have been convened by:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UN chief praises European Union as top contributor to UN system and global humanitarian assistance

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Brussels/New York, June 24 – The European Union is the world’s top supporter of the United Nations and largest humanitarian donor at a time more than 40 million people are facing famine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in remarks to the plenary session of the European Parliament.

“We live at a time when the strategic partnership between the European Union and the United Nations is more indispensable than ever,” said Guterres, who has been re-appointed to a second, five-year term starting in January 2022. “On behalf of the United Nations, let me begin with two words: Thank you.”

Guterres said the EU and its members contributed to the UN regular and peacekeeping budgets and provided UN agencies with life-saving voluntary contributions to support development activities and other crucial work, including human rights.

“I thank you for working with the United Nations to help the most vulnerable populations in more than 170 countries,” he said. In addition, he said the EU helped to implement institutional reforms of the UN in past decades to make the organization “more agile and fit for purpose in an ever changing global environment.”

The World Food Program reported in June 2021 that 41 million people in 43 countries, up from 27 million in 2019, are “teetering on the very edge of famine.”

“I am heartbroken at what we’re facing in 2021. We now have four countries where famine-like conditions are present”, WFP chief David Beasley told the agency’s Executive Board on June 21, 2021.

WFP said hundreds of thousands of people are already experiencing famine-like conditions in Ethiopia, Madagascar, Somaiia, South Sudan and Yemen. It said people in Nigeria and Burkina Faso are also of particular concern as they have pockets where famine-like conditions are present.

The agency said southern Madagascar is experiencing its worst drought in four decades with more than 1.14 million people threatened with food insecurity.

WFP said conflict, climate change and economic woes like soaring food prices in low-income countries can lead to widespread hunger.

“I want to emphasize just how bad it is out there. Today, 41 million people are literally knocking on famine’s door. The price tag to reach them is about US$ 6 billion. We need funding and we need it now,” Beasly said.

The EU has been in the forefront of the global efforts against the coronavirus pandemic, providing financial support to the World Health Organization’s COVAX facility on which developing and low-income countries rely on to receive vaccines against the COVID-19 virus.

Guterres said the pandemic has revealed “utterly inadequate health systems” around the world and “huge gap” in social protection and major structural inequalities “within and between countries” showing that some countries are on the way of recovery while others are still deep in infection cases and deaths.

He said unless African countries receive an additional 225 million vaccine doses now, 90 per cent of those countries will miss the target of vaccinating 10 per cent of their population by September.

On the other hand, 11 billion vaccine doses are needed in order to vaccinate 75 per cent of the world population in 2021-2022.

WHO reported that Africa is currently facing a fast-surging third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, with 474,000 new cases as of June 20, which represented a 21-per-cent increase over the previous 48-day period in 12 countries. It said the new surge is a combination of weak observance of public health measures, increased social interaction and movement as well as the spread of variants.

Such high demands of vaccines would require “voluntary licenses, technology transfers to patent pooling and flexibility on intellectual property rights” and

the mobilization of pharmaceutical companies and key industry actors, he said.

“The European Union must use its leverage as a global actor to help in this effort and ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for all,” Guterres said.

The UN chief addressed other issues in which the EU has actively contributed, including climate change, cyber security and digital transformation. He said the EU has is the world’s prime proponent of a “more open, inclusive and secure digital future for all, and of safeguarding human rights online.”

“From cyber security governance and open data to net neutrality and the digitalization of public services, the European Union has demonstrated global leadership and set global standards,” he said, adding that the international community can emulate the human-centric European approach to digital transformation, digital rights, consumer protection, privacy, and the ethical development of artificial intelligence.

“The United Nations and the European Union have much in common,” he said.

“Both organizations were built on shared principles and a strong commitment to the international rule of law, with the aim to prevent past tragedies and build a more peaceful and prosperous world. We both aspire to put human rights at the forefront of our efforts.”

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Antonio Guterres pledges to make breakthroughs in second mandate as UN Secretary-General

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New York, June 18 – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was re-appointed to a second five-year term, pledged to use everything in his power to push for breakthroughs, starting with ending the pandemic and global recovery afterwards as the top priority.

Guterres took the oath of office immediately after the 193-nation UN General Assembly gave him the second term, which begins in January 2022. The assembly did so upon the recommendation by the UN Security Council, the highest political body in the UN system.

“I am humbled and energized by today’s decision of the General Assembly,“ he said. “We are at a crossroads, with consequential choices before us. It can go either way: breakdown or breakthrough. Breakdown and perpetual crisis — or breakthrough leading to a greener, safer and better future for all.”

“I will do everything in my power to push for breakthroughs,” he said. “There are reasons to be hopeful.”

Mr. António Guterres is appointed by acclamation Secretary-General of the United Nations by the UN General Assembly for a second term of office starting 1 January 2022 and ending 31 December 2026. Mr. Guterres (right) takes the oath of office for his second five-year term. The oath is administered by Volkan Bozkir, President of the seventy-fifth session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Guterres said his vision for the second mandate calls for a “ten inter-related imperatives for action,” starting with “mounting a massive and enduring response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences.” He said the virus is spreading faster than vaccines while distribution of the latter has been vastly unequal, with rich countries hoarding the vaccines at the expenses of poor countries.

Other actions include the search for peace and security, making peace with nature, implementing climate action and achieving the set of Sustainable Development Goals. The visions calls for making human rights central, improving gender equality, meeting the challenge of digital transformation, advancing multilateralism and UN reform.

Guterres said the final imperative is “underpinning all our efforts. It is a focus on people — bettering the lives of individuals, families and communities. Reaffirming the dignity and worth of the human person.”

He said the driving theme of his vision is prevention in all its aspects — from conflict, climate change, pandemics to poverty and inequality.

“Indeed, our success in finding solutions to interlinked problems depends on our ability to anticipate, prevent and prepare for major risks to come,” he said. “That means more innovation, more inclusion and more foresight. It means more investment in the global public goods that sustain us all. All of this requires a reinvigorated multilateralism for the new era, based on principles of equity and solidarity.”

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WHO welcomes G7 leaders’ commitment to donate 870 million vaccine doses as part of efforts to end the pandemic

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Carbis Bay, England/Geneva/New York, June 13 – The World Health Organization welcomed the commitment by leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies to donate 870 million vaccine doses to low and low-middle income countries over the next year as part of efforts to end the pandemic.

The G7 under the United Kingdom leadership ended its three-day summit with a statement with calls for more investment in all tools to end the pandemic. The G7 said most of the 870 million new vaccine doses will be delivered through the ACT Accelerator partnership, WHO’s vaccine provider, which said the total funding committed to it remains US$ 15.1 billion with a gap of over US$ 16 billion.

The G7 countries are the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. The European Union, Australia, India, South Africa and Republic of Korea were invited as guests.

A statement by WHO said the G7 leaders confirmed their support for “all pillars of the ACT-Accelerator across treatments, tests and strengthening public health systems as well as vaccines.”

“Additionally, they indicated their intention to work together with the private sector, the G20 and other countries to increase their vaccine contribution over the months to come. Since their G7 Early Leaders’ Summit in February 2021, the G7 has committed one billion doses in total.”

The statement said WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed the G7 summit and urged “many other countries are now facing a surge in cases – and they are facing it without vaccines. We are in the race of our lives, but it’s not a fair race, and most countries have barely left the starting line. We welcome the generous announcements about donations of vaccines and thank leaders. But we need more, and we need them faster.”

WHO said over US$ 16 billion are still needed in 2021 to fully fund the work of ACT-Accelerator In order to deliver products where they are most needed, help establish testing for 500 million people in low- and middle-income countries by mid-2021 and help secure the necessary supply of oxygen as well as distribute 165 million doses of treatments including dexamethasone which can save lives of people critically ill with COVID.

Carl Bildt, WHO Special Envoy for the ACT Accelerator, said: “We welcome these commitments but there is still a significant funding gap that must be closed if we are to get the urgently needed treatments, including oxygen, and tests, to low and lower-middle income countries so we aren’t flying blind to where the virus is and how it’s changing. The time to act is now. We look to the G7 and G20 to fund the work of the ACT Accelerator, the global multilateral solution that can speed up an end to the pandemic. The world needs their political leadership because left to rage anywhere, the virus will remain a threat everywhere.”

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nominated for second five-year term

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New York, June 8 – The United Nations Security Council formally nominated Antonio Guterres, the current UN chief, to serve another five-year term beginning in January 2022.

The 15-nation council, the highest political body in the UN system, took the decision in a closed-door session by adopting a resolution to nominate Guterres, a politician and former prime minister of Portugal. It plans to recommend that the 193-nation UN General Assembly formally approve the decision.

Under the UN process of electing its top leader, the council has the privilege to select a candidate and then recommend him/her to the assembly for a final approval.

The UN News reported that Guterres expressed in a statement his “great honor” to be selected, and thanked council members for placing their trust in him.

“My gratitude also extends to Portugal, for having nominated me again”, he added.

“It has been an immense privilege to be at the service of ‘we, the peoples’ and at the helm of the amazing women and men of this Organization for the past four and a half years, when we have been facing so many complex challenges.” said the UN chief.

“I would be deeply humbled if the General Assembly were to entrust me with the responsibilities of a second mandate.”

Before his nomination by the council, Guterres took part in an informal conversation with countries that members of the assembly in May as part of the selection process in the UN. He also made public his vision statement for a second five-year term in March, UN News said.

UN marks International Tea Day, projects steady tea production growth in coming years

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Rome/New York, May 20 – United Nations organizations marked the annual International Tea Day for the second year under the coronavirus pandemic.

There are meaningful reasons, however, to celebrate tea as it is the world’s oldest beverage and most consumed drink, after water. Tea is proven for its health benefits on humans, from anti-inflammatory to antioxidant and weight loss effects.

The first International Tea Day happened on May 21, 2020, when the pandemic triggered deep fear and lockdown and the event was held in virtual conditions. The severe health crisis has somehow abated in 2021 in some countries but the overall situation has not changed much and any large gatherings to mark the day have been mostly curtailed.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which is tasked each year to celebrate the occasion, says the International Tea Day is an opportunity to celebrate tea’s cultural heritage. It says tea also bestows economic income and tea growers have continued to make tea production sustainable “from field to cup.”

The origins of tea drinking is said to have started some 5,000 years ago and the drink has solidly implanted itself in many cultures worldwide.

Tea cultivation and processing are a main source of livelihoods for millions of people and their families from small farms to large producers and stores. Tea is now grown in more than 35 countries. Those countries included China, India, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kenya, Turkey and Vietnam.

Close-up of a traditional ceramic teapot with hot aromatic tea filling cups on a wooden tray. Blurry background

The FAO cites important facts about tea. It says tea cultivation demands specific agro-ecological conditions but unfortunately it exists in areas that are highly vulnerable to climate change. The FAO says the tea value chain must be sustainable at all stages of production and processing in order to ensure benefits for both people and the environment.

The FAO said small tea farms are responsible for 60 per cent of the world’s annual tea production worth over US$16 billion.

The FAO has most recently designated four tea cultivation sites as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems. Those sites represent “evolving systems of human communities in an intricate relationship with their territory, cultural and agricultural landscape.”

The four sites are situated in Yunnan and Fujian provinces in China, in Hadong region in South Korea and in Shizuoka prefecture in Japan.

Luo Daoyu, dean of China Tea Culture Study Institute, said China’s tea culture originated in the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces more than 5,000 years ago and bloomed during the Tang and Song dynasties.

The International Tea Day is a “beneficial resolution for the welfare of all mankind. We look forward to see the improvement of global health by improving the awareness of drinking tea appropriately through the international commemoration,” he said.

“Our world today is facing rising pollution of air quality, food and the environment,” he said. “Drinking tea correctly improves people’s health. There is a Chinese saying that ‘tea cures all toxins.’ We are profoundly glad that the tea culture can be spread and promoted in a largescale worldwide

Vview of two women in traditional kimono, kneeling on tatami having cup of tea which is in front of them on tatami. They are in traditional Japanese old house. This is in Toei studios in Kyoto with old buildings from Samurai times.

In Japan, the habit of tea drinking originated from China and has developed into a culture called Sado, also known as the Japanese tea ceremony. Sado emphasizes not only brewing a delicious cup of tea, but the spiritual exchange between the host and the guests.

The host of the tea ceremony begins by setting up the garden, hanging art scrolls, preparing mizusashi, or water jar and tea bowls, in preparation for hospitality. Then, in the small minimalist aesthetic tea room, the host and guests can create bonds with each other with respect, regardless of their social status or title.

The tea ceremony was developed during the Warring States Period more than 400 years ago when many samurais fought against each other in Japan. In contrast to the times of conflict, the tea ceremony, which respects peaceful communication of the hearts, became popular.

Projected growth of tea production, exports by 2027

The FAO’s International Group on Tea, composed of 19 countries, projected a significant increase in production of world black tea such as pu’er by an annual growth rate of 2.2 per cent to reach 4.42 million tons by 2027. China, Kenya and Sri Lanka are major black tea producers.

Major black tea exporting countries are expected to remain the same, with Kenya being the largest exporter followed by India, Sri Lanka, Argentina, Vietnam, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, and China.

For green tea, the group projected production output at an even faster rate of 7.5 per cent annually to reach 3.65 million tons. World green tea exports are projected to grow by 5.0 per cent annually to reach 605 455 tons by 2027. China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Japan are leading green tea exporters.

“The expansion is expected to result from increased productivity rather than an expansion in area, through replanting of higher yielding varieties and better agricultural practices,” the group said in a report following its meeting in Hangzhou, China in 2018. “Vietnam is also expected to substantially increase its production of green tea with an average annual growth rate of 6.8 percent despite ongoing quality issues which affect the price and exports earning of the country.”

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World Press Freedom Day (May 3rd) under the pandemic; news organizations face the threat of extinction

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(Editor’s note: news sources from UN News, UNESCO; survey. Photo: UNAMA/Fardin Waezi)

New York, April 29 – News organizations, particularly those serving public interest, are threatened with extinction when hit by waves of misinformation and financial support and readership decline during this past year.

UN and philantropic organizations have also noted the causes threatening news outfits: “infodemic”, hate speech and loss of independence in the pursuit of truth among others.

The UN will mark the annual World Press Freedom Day on May 3^rd with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) holding the event in Windhoek, Namibia under the theme “Information as a Public Good.”

“The conference will call for urgent attention to the threat of extinction faced by local news media around the world, a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic,” UNESCO said, as reported by UN News.

“It will put forward ideas to tackle the challenges of our online media environment, push for more transparency of internet companies, strengthen safety of journalists, and improve their working conditions. The conference will also call to support independent media and empower citizens to face these challenges.”

“May 3 acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.”

The UN General Assembly proclaimed World Press Freedom Day to be held on May 3^rd each year at the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference.

UN calls for preserving integrity of public-interest media organizations

The coronavirus pandemic has spawned numerous examples of dangerous campaigns of

misinformation and hate speech. It has been difficult for people to access reliable information while they are struggling to stay healthy and safe.

The UN is calling for preserving the independence of public-interest media organizations that have lost readership and financial support.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “The events of the past year have reminded us that access to reliable information is more than just a basic human right – it can also be a matter of life and death. The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by an enormous concurrent “infodemic.”

“Misinformation and hate speech have proliferated, jeopardizing the health of millions of people worldwide, undermining confidence in vaccines and science, and dividing communities and countries,” he said.

Public-interest media organizations have also suffered a decline in financial support during the pandemic. Such a situation threatened their survival and it came at a time when data-based information is critical to all. It is estimated that newspapers alone have lost some 30 billion US dollars over the last year.

“In that regard, I welcome efforts by donors, the private sector and civil society to create the International Fund for Public Interest Media. Ensuring sufficient funding and support is crucial to securing the long- term future of independent media organizations, especially in low- and middle-income countries,” Guterres said.

The Journalism and the Pandemic Project from the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University.

The project involved a year-long global survey of the impacts of the pandemic on journalism and the responses from over 1,400 English-speaking journalists, editors and CEOs from 125 countries were “startling and disturbing.”

“At a time when the public needs to rely on credible independent journalism to stay safe and informed, journalists and news organizations are grappling with a mental health crisis, financial peril, physical safety threats, and press freedom attacks, while simultaneously battling pandemic levels of disinformation,” the survey said.

Top findings by the survey:

–46 per cent of respondents identified politicians and elected officials as top sources of disinformation

–Facebook was identified as the most prolific spreader of disinformation

–nearly half of respondents said their sources feared retaliation if they were found speaking to journalists during the pandemic

–30 per cent of respondents said news organizations failed to provide protective equipment to field reporters and 70 per cent said mental health impacts covering the pandemic constituted the “most difficult challenge”

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UN adopts first resolution to prevent drowning; over 2.5 million lives lost in past 10 years

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New York, April 28 – For the first time in its 75-year history, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on governments worldwide to adopt measures to prevent drowning.

The UN said drowning claims 235,000 lives every year, with 90 per cent of them in low- and middle-income countries, with Asia carrying the highest burden. Bangladesh is among countries with the highest drowning incidents.

The World Drowning Prevention resolution said the vast majority of drowning could and should have been prevented. Bangladesh and Ireland initiated the new resolution which was co-sponsored by 79 countries.

“Drowning is a major cause of global mortality, accounting for a greater loss of life annually, than to maternal mortality or malnutrition,” Bangladesh UN Ambassador Rabab Fatima said. “The imperative to act on drowning is not simply moral or political. The economic cost is equally untenable.”

Fatima said drowning is a leading cause of child mortality in Bangladesh and the resolution provides a framework for global and national cooperation to prevent drowning.

Ireland’s UN Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason said, “As an island nation, Ireland knows well both the promise and risk that water presents. It is our immense pleasure to partner with the Government of Bangladesh – on the frontline of the fight against drowning – in sponsoring this initiative. This resolution, and the first ever World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25, are a moment to highlight the immediate need for strategic and significant international action to save lives and prevent hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths.”

The World Health Organization said its latest estimates showed 235,000 deaths by drowning every year. It said drowning and some preventable diseases disproportionately affect children and adolescents in rural areas.

“Through this new UN General Assembly Resolution, member states are giving drowning its due recognition, commensurate with the impact it has on families and communities around the world,” said Dr Etienne Krug, Director of the Department of Social Determinants of Health at WHO.

The resolution said that drowning is preventable and that scalable, low-cost interventions exist. Governments are encouraged, on a voluntary basis, to undertake a range of coordinated recognized interventions, relevant to national circumstances.

Michael Bloomberg, the WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, said the resolution is encouraging governments to adopt effective measures to prevent drowning will save thousands of lives and call attention to this urgent public health issue.

“For nearly a decade, Bloomberg Philanthropies has been working in Bangladesh and other countries where drowning rates are especially high. Our work has helped save lives and demonstrated the effectiveness of low-cost interventions like those outlined in today’s resolution. We have the tools to prevent these deaths – and need to act on them now,” Bloomberg said.

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First technology summit calls for more technology governance to improve lives, respond to global challenges

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Tokyo/New York, April 8 – The first global summit on the Fourth Industrial Revolution dedicated to shaping the future of technology backed the need for more technology governance because it would help a beleaguered world to tackle pressing problems particularly the ongoing pandemic.

Organized by the government of Japan and the World Economic Forum (WEF), over 2,000 government, business and civil society representatives took part in a virtual meeting April 6-7 in Tokyo to discuss key issues, including ethical artificial intelligence, blockchain and data privacy.

WEF said the summit built on the work of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Japan and the Forum’s global Network of centers in 13 countries.

The summit was opened by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who emphasized the timeliness of discussions among leaders on the implementation of digital technologies in the post-COVD era, WEF said. Suga also reaffirmed his commitment to accelerating reforms to create the world’s most advanced digital society.

The World Economic Forum Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Network will develop this work throughout 2021 and beyond, WEF said.

Following is a press release from WEF:

COVID-19 has radically transformed the role of IoT in just a few months. Connected devices have been useful tools for monitoring and containing the disease around the world and are expected to play a critical role in safely distributing future vaccines.

But the situation has also highlighted the need to strike a proper balance between the public interest in protecting health in the face of future pandemics and the need to ensure the full range of human rights, such as protecting freedom of expression, association and movement.

As societies emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, a unique window of opportunity has opened to reimagine our relationship with IoT, realize new opportunities for growth and unlock a safer and more inclusive use of the technology.

The economic impacts of COVID-19 are also shaking up the IoT ecosystem.

Business that prioritized IoT investment to monitor machine health are now using connected devices monitor and protect human health, while also investing in remote working capabilities and automation.

The IoT market is expected to grow even faster once the world enters a new post-COVID-19 business environment, thanks to the release of pent-up demand and new investment in technology to minimize impacts from future disruptions.

Conclusion: Charting a path to a brighter connected future
In response to the findings of this report, the World Economic Forum in partnership with the Global IoT Council has developed a Global Action Plan that aims to encourage collective action on the most pressing challenges the connected world currently faces.

IoT is already an indispensable part of our daily lives and fundamental infrastructure. As it grows in extent and capabilities, we must act if we want to realize the full potential of IoT.

The Global Action Plan is structured around a set of high-level actions, which are tied to related initiatives and commitments, learn more about those initiatives here.

The World Economic Forum in partnership with the Council on the Connected World intends to provide regular updates on the progress of the Global Action Plan. An updated and expanded version of this report will be published in two years in order to track progress of the Global Action Plan and stay abreast of emerging governance gaps.

“As the internet of things becomes a part of our daily lives, it is essential that we build upon the last three decades of learning from the World Wide Web, ensuring that these technologies create a digital future that is safe and empowering for everyone.”

—Adrian Lovett, President & CEO, World Wide Web Foundation

“As we become increasingly reliant on connected devices throughout our daily lives, privacy and security are of paramount importance. They will be crucial to the safe and secure digital transformation of industries throughout the next decade”

—Cristiano Amon, President, Qualcomm Incorporated

For more information:

The Internet of things describes the network of physical objects—“things” or objects—that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the Internet. Wikipedia

Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Japan

Global Technology Governance Summit

Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network.

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