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New York, September 19 – U.S. President Joe Biden called on government leaders attending the U.N. General Assembly annual session to defend the United Nations Charter, which stands against war and any breaches of the peace, and he asked them to remain united in their support of Ukraine’s military efforts against Russia’s aggression.

With Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appearing at the U.N. annual meeting for the first time, Biden said: “Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence.  But I ask you this: If we abandon the core principles of the U.N. Charter to appease an aggressor, can any member state feel confident that they are protected? If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?”
 
“The answer is no. We must stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow. That is why the United States together with our Allies and partners around the world will continue to stand with the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their sovereignty and territorial integrity – and their freedom.”

Biden emphasized the importance of institutions such as the United Nations and international organizations devoted to providing humanitarian and health assistance to developing countries.

“We will not retreat from the values that make us strong,” Biden said. “We will defend democracy — our best tool to meet the challenges that we face around the world. And we’re working to show how democracy can deliver in ways that matter to people’s lives.”

“The United States seeks a more secure, more prosperous, more equitable world for all people, because we know our future is bound up with yours. And no nation can meet the challenges of today alone,” he said.
 Turning to climate disasters, Biden pointed to record breaking heatwaves in the United States and China, wildfires ravaging North America and Southern Europe, drought in the Horn of Africa and the tragic flooding in Libya that has killed thousands of people.

“Taken together these snapshots tell an urgent story of what awaits us if we fail to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and begin to climate-proof our world. From day one of my Administration the United States has treated this crisis as the existential threat that it is, not only to us, but to all of humanity,” he said.

Biden was one of dozens of heads of state addressing the 193-nation assembly’s political debate opening on September 19.  Biden was also the only government leader among the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to address the assembly while the other four leaders from the United Kingdom, France, China and Russia failed to show up.

Zelenskyy told the assembly session that Russia, in addition to threatening Ukraine with nuclear weapons, has been weaponizing global food and energy markets, and using them “not only against our country, but all of yours as well.” He said Russia has blocked Ukrainian ports in the Black and Azov seas since beginning of the war 19 months ago and also ports on the Danube River.

“It is a clear Russian attempt to weaponize the food shortage on the global market, in exchange for recognition of some, if not all, of the captured territories.”

“Nukes are not the scariest thing now. Mass destruction is gaining momentum. The aggressor is weaponizing many other things … things that are being used not only against our country but also yours as well,” he said. “There are many conventions against weapons but none against weaponization … of global food supplies and energy.”

The U.N. said 145 presidents and prime ministers are among the list of 196 speakers in the assembly session from September 19 to 26.

In his address opening the session, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

renewed a call for abiding by the U.N. Charter. “When countries break those pledges, they create a world of insecurity for everyone,” he said, stressing that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has serious implications for everyone worldwide.

“We must not relent in working for peace – a just peace in line with the UN Charter and international law. And even while fighting rages, we must pursue every avenue to ease the suffering of civilians in Ukraine and beyond,” he said.

Human suffering is at the highest point now with ongoing conflicts and natural disasters and while the needs are rising, funding is drying up, forcing the U.N. to make massive cuts in its humanitarian operations, Guterres said. (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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Responding to cascading global crises, the Sustainable Development Goals Summit launches a new phase of accelerated action on the Goals. Following is a press release from the U.N. Department of Global Communications on SDG Summit and Political Declaration

New York, 18 September – Gathering at the SDG Summit on 18 to 19 September, world leaders agreed today to urgently step up their efforts to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), our global roadmap out of crises, by 2030.

World leaders made an historic global promise to secure the rights and well-being of everyone on a healthy, thriving planet when they agreed to the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs in 2015. However, at midpoint of SDG implementation, the SDGs are in peril. Tens of millions have fallen into poverty since 2020. Over 110 million people are forcibly displaced. Inequalities have worsened, strikingly so for women and girls. Many governments are forced to choose between debt payments and investing in healthcare and education. The climate emergency is wreaking havoc on lives and livelihoods. Developing countries and the world’s most vulnerable people continue to bear the brunt of these crises.

“The SDGs aren’t just a list of goals. They carry the hopes, dreams, rights and expectations of people everywhere,” said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. “Yet today, only 15 per cent of the targets are on track. Many are going in reverse. Instead of leaving no one behind, we risk leaving the SDGs behind.”

The Political Declaration. Leaders adopted a decisive, action-oriented  political declaration at the Summit, highlighting their collective commitment to build a sustainable, inclusive and prosperous world by 2030.

With a strong focus on the means of implementation, and in particular, on financing for development, the declaration acknowledges that without a quantum leap in investments to enable just and equitable energy, food, digital transitions, and a transformation in education and robust social protection in developing countries, the goals simply will not be met.

Additionally, the Declaration urges immediate action to deliver an  an SDG Stimulus proposed by the UN Secretary-General, which calls for a massive increase in financing for the achievement of the SDGs to the tune of $500 billion each year. It also conveys strong support from all countries for a much-needed reform of the international financial architecture to better reflect today’s global economy.

“I am deeply encouraged by the detailed and wide-ranging draft political declaration under consideration here today — especially its commitment to improving developing countries’ access to the fuel required for SDG progress: finance. This can be a game-changer in accelerating SDG progress,” stated the Secretary-General.

Global and National Commitments. Over 100 Countries will present national commitments to SDG Transformation that include priority transitions and areas for investment, setting national benchmarks for reducing poverty and inequalities by 2027 and strengthening institutional frameworks to support SDG progress. In addition to these national commitments, developed countries and other countries who have the capacity, are expected to make individual global commitments drawing on the Secretary-General’s proposal for an SDG Stimulus and broader means of implementation, such as fulfilling ODA commitments, suspending debt payments and agreeing on innovative finance mechanisms.

SDG Action Weekend. The SDGs cannot be delivered by governments alone. The SDG Action Weekend on 16 to 17 September gave an opportunity for over 3000 people from all sectors of society to outline their commitments to accelerate progress on the SDGs. The SDG Mobilization Day on Saturday 16 September saw business, civil society, science, local authorities and young people making meaningful contributions to SDG implementation.

The SDG Acceleration Day on 17 September highlighted UN High-Impact Initiatives that show that transformation is possible and will help to drive momentum for action on the ground in the coming years. The initiatives focus on six major transitions that will drive progress across the SDGs: i) Social Protection; ii) Energy; iii.) Education; iv) Food Systems; v) Digital Transformation; vi) Biodiversity and Nature, underpinned by greater financing and other supports, as well as action to advance gender equality.

About the Summit. The opening of the Summit featured statements by the President of the General Assembly Dennis Francis, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President of the Economic and Social Council Paula Narvaéz.The 2-day Summit will feature a short plenary segment to hear the actions and commitments delivered on behalf of groups of States. Six Leaders’ Dialogues will allow Heads of State and Government to report on progress and set out concrete national commitments to SDG transformation.

SDG Media Zone, 18-22 September, 10:30 am – 4:30 pm. The SDG Media Zone is a key feature of the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week, bringing together world leaders, influencers, activists, experts, content creators and media partners to highlight actions and solutions in support of the SDGs. Organized by the UN Department of Global Communications, in collaboration with the PVBLIC Foundation, the Zone takes the conversation on advancing the 2030 Agenda into the public discourse through impactful in-depth interviews and conversations on global issues that matter to people everywhere. All sessions will livestream on UN WebTV.

SDG Pavilion, 15-22 September. The SDG Pavilion is a beacon for the Sustainable Development Goals. It was created to mark the halfway point of the Goals. To use a sporting analogy, we are down at halftime.

However, the good news is that any given match is won in the second half. Organized by the UN Office for Partnerships, in collaboration with Project Everyone, the SDG Pavilion will host a series of Halftime Talks and a high level gathering of women leaders to mobilize the world to keep the promise of the SDGs. Sessions will be livestreamed on UN WebTV.

Please follow us on the SDG Summit, using the main hashtags: #GlobalGoals and #SDGs.

The SDG Summit 2023 website and SDG Summit Programme. The SDG Summit Media Corner. The SDG Action Weekend. High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly Snapshot. The Sustainable Development Goals Website

Media contacts (interviews available upon request):  Francyne Harrigan, UN Department of Global Communications, harriganf@un.org , Sharon Birch, UN Department of Global Communications, birchs@un.org

Copyright © 2023 UN Department of Global Communications, All rights reserved.

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New York, September 13 – Government leaders attending the U.N. General Assembly’s annual session next week are urged to act and get the world “out of this mess” caused by climate disasters, conflicts and rising poverty that are killing people while powerful countries are dividing the world.

Heads of states and governments will attend a series of high-level annual meetings of the 78^th UN General Assembly session starting on September 16. The tasks facing them are enormous: massive floodings, wildfires, record high temperatures, the on-going wars in Ukraine and Sudan, inflation, widespread poverty and the 360 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

“People are looking to their leaders for a way out of this mess,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said days before the annual meetings. “Yet in the face of all this and more, geopolitical divisions are undermining our capacity to respond.”

“A multipolar world is emerging. Multipolarity can be a factor of equilibrium, but it can also lead to escalating tensions, fragmentation and worse.”

“To cement this new and complex world order, there need to be strong and reformed institutions based around the U.N. Charter and international law.”

“I know reform is fundamentally about power – and there are many competing interests and agendas in our increasingly multipolar world.”

“This is not a time for posturing or positioning,” he said. “Action is what the world needs.” he said. “This is not a time for indifference or indecision”, António Guterres told reporters at UN Headquarters. “This is a time to come together for real, practical solutions.”

Compromise for a better tomorrow, Guterres said. “It is time for compromise for a better tomorrow. Politics is compromise. Diplomacy is compromise. Effective leadership is compromise,” he said after attending political meetings of the ASEAN in Jakarta, climate in Nairobi and the G20 summit in New Delhi as well as the G77 group plus China in Havana.

“The U.N. is mobilizing to support relief efforts” as thousands of people have been killed in Morocco a deadly earthquake and massive floodings in Libya. He cited the intensifying climate emergency, new conflicts, the cost of living, and soaring inequality.

“If we want a future of peace and prosperity based on equity and solidarity, leaders have a special responsibility to achieve compromise in designing our common future for our common good,” he said. “Next week here in New York is the place to start.”

The U.N. General Assembly session September 16 – 26 is under the theme “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.” A general debate will allow all leaders and representatives of the 193 U.N. member states to speak.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit September 18 -19. The summit is convened every four years to review progress on implementing the 17 goals, a major enterprise adopted by the U.N. in 2015 and branded as a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.”  The U.N. said the summit is expected to work out a negotiated political declaration that will provide political guidance to speed up actions to meet the 2030 deadline.

During review meetings held in July this year, the U.N. said the SDGs are “in peril” because progress and efforts to achieve them have been eroded by climate disasters, the COVID pandemic, the Russian war in Ukraine and rising food prices.

It called on governments to redouble efforts to achieve the goals or else they should expect greater political instability, upended economics leading to irreversible damage and hundreds of millions of people hungry and poor.

The U.N. said if the current trends persist, by 2030, a staggering 575 million people will remain trapped in extreme poverty and an estimated 84 million children and young people will still be out of school.

Climate Ambition Summit September 20. The summit allows the opportunity to urge leaders of governments, business, local authorities, civil society and financial institutions to step up efforts for credible, new climate action and nature-based solutions to counter climate change, the U.N. said.

Preparatory Ministerial Meeting for the Summit of the Future September 21. The U.N. said government ministers will meet to prepare for the Summit of the Future to be held in September 2024, which will be “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance global cooperation to tackle critical challenges, address gaps in global governance, reaffirm existing commitments, including to the SDGs and the United Nations Charter, and make a multilateral system better positioned to positively impact people’s lives.”

High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development September 20. The High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development, taking place on the heels of the SDG Summit, will provide political leadership and guidance on the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda – a UN framework for mobilizing resources to achieve the SDGs – as well as identify progress and emerging challenges and mobilize further action.

Three high-level meetings will focus on health issues: Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response September 20 – The U.N. said the President of the General Assembly, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, will convene Heads of State and Government for a one-day meeting to adopt a political declaration aimed at mobilizing political will at the national, regional and international levels for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

Universal Health Coverage September 21 – The meeting presents an opportunity for countries and stakeholders to renew efforts and accelerate progress toward achieving health for all. This will serve as the foundation for executing policies and ensuring responsibility for strengthening health systems for the future, building on the 2019 Political Declaration, the U.N. said.

Fight against Tuberculosis September 22 – The high-level meeting on the Fight against Tuberculosis will be under the theme, “Advancing science, finance and innovation, and their benefits, to urgently end the global tuberculosis epidemic, in particular, by ensuring equitable access to prevention, testing, treatment and care.” (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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New figures point to the need of an additional USD 360 billion in investment per year to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment by 2030. Following is a press release.  

New York, 7 September 2023—Despite global efforts, the world is falling short of achieving gender equality. This year’s edition of the U.N. Women and U.N. DESA “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2023”, launched today, paints a worrisome picture halfway through the  2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Gender Snapshot 2023 warns that, if current trends continue, more than 340 million women and girls—an estimated 8 per cent of the world’s female population—will live in extreme poverty by 2030, and close to one in four will experience moderate or severe food insecurity. The gender gap in power and leadership positions remains entrenched, and, at the current rate of progress, the next generation of women will still spend on average 2.3 more hours per day on unpaid care and domestic work than men. 

The annual publication provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of gender equality across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and highlights prevailing trends, gaps, and recent setbacks on the journey towards achieving gender equality by 2030. 

This year’s report includes sex-disaggregated data on the intersections of gender and climate change for the first time, and projects that by mid-century, under a worst-case climate scenario, climate change may push up to 158.3 million more women and girls into poverty (16 million more than the total number of men and boys). 

Ms. Sarah Hendriks, UN Women Deputy Executive Director, ad interim, said: “In this critical midpoint moment for the SDGs, this year’s report is a resounding call to action. We must collectively and intentionally act now to course-correct for a world where every woman and girl has equal rights, opportunities, and representation. To achieve this, we need unwavering commitment, innovative solutions, and collaboration across all sectors and stakeholders.” 

With a special focus this year on older women, the report finds that older women face higher rates of poverty and violence than older men. In 28 of the 116 countries with data, fewer than half of older women have a pension; in 12 countries fewer than 10 per cent had access to a pension. Halfway to 2030, progress on SDG 5—gender equality—is clearly way off track. The report shows that the world is failing women and girls with a mere two Goal 5 indicators being “close to target” and no SDG 5 indicator at the “target met or almost met” level. 

The Gender Snapshot 2023 underscores the urgent need for concrete efforts to accelerate progress towards gender equality by 2030, revealing that an additional USD 360 billion per year is needed to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment across key global goals. The report also includes calls for an integrated and holistic approach, greater collaboration among stakeholders, sustained funding, and policy actions to address gender disparities and empower women and girls worldwide, concluding that failure to prioritize gender equality now could jeopardize the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

“Gender equality is not just a goal within the 2030 Agenda,” said Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs of UN DESA. “It is the very foundation of a fair society, and a goal upon which all other goals must stand. By breaking down the barriers that have hindered the full participation of women and girls in every aspect of society, we unleash the untapped potential that can drive progress and prosperity for all.” 

Further facts and figures highlighted in the report include:  Under a worst-case climate scenario, food insecurity is projected to affect as many as 236 million more women and girls, compared to 131 million more men and boys, due to climate change.No country is within reach of eradicating intimate partner violence, and only 27 countries have comprehensive systems to track and make budgetary allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment. The number of women and girls in conflict-affected contexts has risen significantly, with catastrophic consequences. In 2022, the number of women and girls living in such contexts reached 614 million, 50 per cent higher than the number in 2017. Globally, at current rates of progress, an estimated 110 million girls and young women will be out of school in 2030. The labour and earnings gap remains persistently high. For each dollar men earn in labour income globally, women earn only 51 cents. Only 61.4 per cent of prime working age women are in the labour force, compared to 90 per cent of prime working age men.

Access the report here.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

· Janine Kandel, UN Women, janine.kandel@unwomen.org, media.team@unwomen.org 

· Inés Esteban González, UN Women, ines.esteban.gonzalez@unwomen.org 

· Kiri Jo Ginnerup, UN Women, kiri.ginnerup@unwomen.org 

· Francyne Harrigan, UN Department of Global Communications, harriganf@un.org 

· Predrag Vasic, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, vasicp@un.org 

Media inquiries:

media.team@unwomen.org

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Key Role in 60 % of Global Plant & Animal Extinctions. Annual Costs Now >$423 Billion – Have Quadrupled Every Decade Since 1970. Report Provides Evidence, Tools & Options to Help Governments Achieve Ambitious New Global Goal on Invasive Alien Species. (Following is the news release)

Bonn, Germany, September 4 – The severe global threat posed by invasive alien species is underappreciated, underestimated, and often unacknowledged. According to a major new report by  the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), more than 37,000 alien species have been introduced by many human activities to regions and biomes around the world. This conservative estimate is now rising at unprecedented rates. More than 3,500 of these are harmful invasive alien species – seriously threatening nature, nature’s contributions to people and good quality of life. Too often ignored until it is too late, invasive alien species are a significant challenge to people in all regions and in every country.

Approved on September 2, 2023 in Bonn by representatives of the 143 member States of IPBES, the Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control finds that alongside dramatic changes to biodiversity and ecosystems, the global economic cost of invasive alien species exceeded $423 billion annually in 2019, with costs having at least quadrupled every decade since 1970.

For more information: IPBES.

In 2019, the IPBES Global Assessment Report found that invasive alien species are one of the five most important direct drivers of biodiversity loss – alongside changes in land- and sea-use, direct exploitation of species, climate change and pollution. On the basis of this finding, Governments tasked IPBES to provide the best available evidence and policy options to deal with the challenges of biological invasions. The resulting report was produced by 86 experts from 49 countries, working for more than four and a half years. It draws on more than 13,000 references, including very significant contributions from Indigenous Peoples and local communities, making it the most comprehensive assessment ever carried out of invasive alien species around the world.

“Invasive alien species are a major threat to biodiversity and can cause irreversible damage to nature, including local and global species extinctions, and also threaten human wellbeing,” said Professor Helen Roy (United Kingdom), co-chair of the Assessment with Prof. Anibal Pauchard (Chile) and Prof. Peter Stoett (Canada).

The authors of the report emphasize that not all alien species become invasive – invasive alien species are the subset of alien species that are known to have become established and spread, which cause negative impacts on nature and often also on people. About 6% of alien plants; 22% of alien invertebrates; 14% of alien vertebrates; and 11% of alien microbes are known to be invasive, posing major risks to nature and to people. People with the greatest direct dependence on nature, such as Indigenous Peoples and local communities, are found to be at even greater risk. More than 2,300 invasive alien species are found on lands under the stewardship of Indigenous Peoples – threatening their quality of life and even cultural identities.   

While many alien species were historically introduced on purpose for their perceived benefits to people, the IPBES report finds that the negative impacts of those that do become invasive are enormous for nature and people. “Invasive alien species have been a major factor in 60% and the only driver in 16% of global animal and plant extinctions that we have recorded, and at least 218 invasive alien species have been responsible for more than 1,200 local extinctions . In fact, 85% of the impacts of biological invasions on native species are negative,” said Prof. Pauchard. Examples of such impacts include the ways that North American beavers (Castor canadensis) and Pacific Oysters (Magallana gigas) change ecosystems by transforming habitats – often with severe consequences for native species. 

Nearly 80% of the documented impacts of invasive alien species on nature’s contributions to people are also negative – especially through damage to food supplies – such as the impact of the European shore crab (Carcinus maenas) on commercial shellfish beds in New England and the damage caused by the Caribbean false mussel (Mytilopsis sallei) to locally important fishery resources in India.

Similarly, 85% of documented impacts negatively affect people’s quality of life – for instance through health impacts, including diseases such as malaria, Zika and West Nile Fever, spread by invasive alien mosquito species like Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegyptii. Invasive alien species also damage livelihoods, for example in Lake Victoria where fisheries have declined due to the depletion of tilapia, as a result of the spread of water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes), which is the world’s most widespread terrestrial invasive alien species. Lantana (Lantana camara), a flowering shrub, and the black rat (Rattus rattus) are the second and third most widespread globally, with far-reaching impacts on people and nature.

“It would be an extremely costly mistake to regard biological invasions only as someone else’s problem,” said Pauchard. “Although the specific species that inflict damages vary from place to place, these are risks and challenges with global roots but very local impacts, facing people in every country, from all backgrounds and in every community – even Antarctica is being affected.”

The report shows that 34% of the impacts of biological invasions were reported from the Americas, 31% from Europe and Central Asia, 25% from Asia and the Pacific and about 7% from Africa. Most negative impacts are reported on land (about 75%) – especially in forests, woodlands and cultivated areas – with considerably fewer reported in freshwater (14%) and marine (10%) habitats . Invasive alien species are most damaging on islands, with numbers of alien plants now exceeding the number of native plants on more than 25% of all islands.

“The future threat from invasive alien species is a major concern,” said Prof. Roy. “37% of the 37,000 alien species known today have been reported since 1970 – largely caused by rising levels of global trade and human travel. Under ‘business-as-usual’ conditions, we project that total numbers of alien species will continue to increase in this way.”

“But business-as-usual is actually unlikely,” continues Roy. “With so many major drivers of change predicted to worsen, it is expected that the increase of invasive alien species and their negative impacts, are likely to be significantly greater. The accelerating global economy, intensified and expanded land- and sea-use change, as well as demographic changes are likely to lead to increases in invasive alien species worldwide. Even without the introduction of new alien species, already established alien species will continue to expand their ranges and spread to new countries and regions. Climate change will make the situation even worse.”

The report underscores that interactions between invasive alien species and other drivers of change will be likely to amplify their impacts – for example invasive alien plants can interact with climate change, often resulting in more intense and frequent fires, such as some of the devastating wildfires experienced recently around the world, releasing even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The IPBES experts point to the generally insufficient measures in place to tackle these challenges. While 80% of countries have targets related to managing invasive alien species in their national biodiversity plans, only 17% have national laws or regulations specifically addressing these issues. This also increases the risk of invasive alien species for neighbouring States. The report finds that 45% of all countries do not invest in the management of biological invasions.  

On a more positive note, the report highlights that future biological invasions, invasive alien species, and their impacts, can be prevented through effective management and more integrated approaches. “The good news is that, for almost every context and situation, there are management tools, governance options and targeted actions that really work,” said Prof. Pauchard.

“Prevention is absolutely the best, most cost-effective option – but eradication, containment and control are also effective in specific contexts. Ecosystem restoration can also improve the results of management actions and increase the resistance of ecosystems to future invasive alien species . Indeed, managing invasive alien species can help to mitigate the negative effects of other drivers of change.”

Prevention measures – such as border biosecurity and strictly enforced import controls – are identified by the report as having worked in many instances, such as the successes achieved in Australasia in reducing the spread of the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys).

Preparedness, early detection and rapid response are shown to be effective at reducing rates of alien species establishment, and to be especially critical for marine and connected water systems . The PlantwisePlus programme, assisting smallholder farmers in Africa, Asia and Latin America is spotlighted by the report as a good example of the importance of general surveillance strategies to detect new alien species.

Eradication has been successful and cost-effective for some invasive alien species, especially when their populations are small and slow-spreading, in isolated ecosystems such as islands. Some examples of this are in French Polynesia where the black rat (Rattus rattus) and rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have been successfully eradicated. The report indicates that eradication of alien plants is more challenging due to the length of time that seeds may lie dormant in soil. The authors add that successful eradication programmes depend on, amongst other elements, the support and engagement of stakeholders and Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

When eradication is not possible for different reasons, invasive alien species can often be contained and controlled – especially in land-based and closed water systems, as well as in aquaculture – an example being the containment of the invasive alien Asian tunicate (Styela clava) in aqua-cultured blue mussels in Canada. Successful containment can be physical, chemical or biological – although the appropriateness and effectiveness of each option is dependent on local context.

The use of biological control for invasive alien plants and invertebrates, such as introducing a rust fungus (Puccinia spegazzinii) to control bitter vine (Mikania micrantha) in the Asia-Pacific region, has been effective – with success in more than 60% of known cases.

“One of the most important messages from the report is that ambitious progress in tackling invasive alien species is achievable,” said Prof. Stoett. “What is needed is a context-specific integrated approach, across and within countries and the various sectors involved in providing biosecurity, including trade and transportation; human and plant health; economic development and more. This will have far-reaching benefits for nature and people.”

Options explored in the report include considering coherent policies and codes of conduct across sectors and scales; commitment and resourcing; public awareness and engagement, such as citizen science campaigns like those promoting ‘check, clean and dry’; open and interoperable information systems; filling knowledge gaps (the authors identify more than 40 areas where research is needed); as well as inclusive and fair governance.

“The immediate urgency of invasive alien species, with extensive and growing harm to nature and people, makes this report so valuable and timely,” said Dr. Anne Larigauderie, the Executive Secretary of IPBES. “The Governments of the world agreed, in December last year, as part of the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, to reduce the introduction and establishment of priority invasive alien species by at least 50% by 2030. This is a vital, but also very ambitious commitment. The IPBES Invasive Alien Species Report provides the evidence, tools and options to help make this commitment more achievable.”

By the Numbers – Key Statistics and Facts from the Report Species

>37,000: alien species established worldwide 200: new alien species recorded every year.

>3,500: invasive alien species recorded globally, including 1,061 plants (6% of all alien plant species), 1,852 invertebrates (22%), 461 vertebrates (14%) and 141 microbes (11%)

37%: proportion of known alien species reported since 1970,

36%: anticipated increase in alien species by 2050 compared to 2005, under a “business-as-usual” scenario (assumes past trends in drivers of change continue)

>35%: proportion of alien freshwater fish in the Mediterranean basin that have arisen from aquaculture.

Impacts

34%: proportion of impacts reported in the Americas (31% Europe and Central Asia; 25% Asia Pacific; 7% Africa 75%: impacts reported in the terrestrial realm (mostly in temperate and boreal forests and woodlands and cultivated areas).

14%: proportion of impacts reported in freshwater ecosystems.

10%: proportion of impacts reported in the marine realm.

60%: proportion of recorded global extinctions to which invasive alien species have contributed.

16%: proportion of recorded global extinctions in which invasive alien species have been the sole driver.

1,215: local extinctions of native species caused by 218 invasive alien species (32.4% were invertebrates, 50.9% vertebrates, 15.4% plants, 1.2% microbes)

27%: invasive alien species impacts on native species through ecosystem properties changes (24% through interspecific competition; 18% through predation; 12% through herbivory).

90%: global extinctions on islands attributed mainly to invasive alien species.

>$423 billion: estimated annual economic cost of biological invasions, 2019.

92%: proportion of economic costs of biological invasions attributed to invasive alien species damaging nature’s contributions to people and good quality of life (with the remaining 8% of costs related to biological invasion management).

>2,300: invasive alien species documented on lands managed, used and/or owned by Indigenous Peoples.

400%: rise in the economic cost of biological invasions in every decade since 1970

Policy and management

80% (156 out of 196): countries with targets in national biodiversity strategies and action plans for managing biological invasions.

>200%: increase in the last decade in the number of countries with national invasive alien species checklists, including databases (196 countries in 2022)

83%: countries without specific national legislation or regulations on invasive alien species.

88%: success rate of eradication programmes (1,550) conducted on 998 islands

>60%: success rates of biological control programs for invasive alien plants and invertebrates.

Note to Editors: For enquiries and interviews please contact: The IPBES Media Team. media@ipbes.net – www.ipbes.net. +1-416-878-8712

Terry Collins & Assoc. | www.tca.tc | @TerryCollinsTC | LinkedIn.com/in/terrycollins, Toronto, M6R1L8 Canada.

About IPBES: Often described as the “IPCC for biodiversity”, IPBES is an independent intergovernmental body comprising more than 140 member Governments. Established by Governments in 2012, it provides policymakers with objective scientific assessments about the state of knowledge regarding the planet’s biodiversity, ecosystems and the contributions they make to people, as well as the tools and methods to protect and sustainably use these vital natural assets. For more information about IPBES and its assessments visit  www.ipbes.net

Video introduction to IPBES: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOiGio7YU-M

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New York, September 3 – A treaty banning any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion has remained inactive since it was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 1996 due to failure by eight countries to ratify it. The assembly will discuss the issue during its annual session starting on September 16.

The eight countries are: China, Egypt, Iran, Israel and the United States, which have signed the treaty, and India, North Korea and Pakistan, which have not signed. They eight belong to a group of 44 countries that took part in negotiations of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). They either possessed nuclear weapons, nuclear reactors or research reactors.

The treaty mandated that all 44 countries with nuclear capabilities must sign and ratify it, in addition to over 100 countries that have ratified, before the treaty can enter into force. The treaty bans all nuclear explosions, whether for military or peaceful purposes.

Efforts aimed at enforcing the CTBT have gained strength over the years and lately to counter Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine and North Korea’s attempts to build its nuclear arsenal. The treaty received even more support recently when the U.N. marked the International Day against Nuclear Tests with calls for the eight countries to sign, if they haven’t done so, and ratify the CTBT.

The U.N. General Assembly adopted the treaty on September 19,1996 in a resolution and opened it for signatures. The United Nations Treaty Collection said 186 countries signed and 178 ratified. Despite the high number of ratifications, the treaty will enter into force only after all 44 countries have ratified it.

Security Council permanent members – Of the five recognized nuclear powers, France, the United Kingdom and Russia signed and ratified while China and the United States signed but their legislatures have not yet ratified it. The five countries also hold a prominent political position in the U.N. system as permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

On the International Day Against Nuclear Tests on August 29, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for global action to end nuclear testing and for the eight countries that have yet to ratify the treaty to do so.

“This year, we face an alarming rise in global mistrust and division. At a time in which nearly 13,000 nuclear weapons are stockpiled around the world — and countries are working to improve their accuracy, reach and destructive power — this is a recipe for annihilation.” Guterres said.

“A legally binding prohibition on nuclear tests is a fundamental step in our quest for a world free of nuclear weapons. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, though not yet in force, remains a powerful testament to humanity’s will to lift the shadow of nuclear annihilation from our world, once and for all.”

“In the name of all victims of nuclear testing, I call on all countries that have not yet ratified the Treaty to do so immediately, without conditions.”

Csaba Kőrösi, president of the current 77th session of the General Assembly, said on the International Day against Nuclear that there is little reason to celebrate while the CTBT remains in limbo.

“Heightened distrust, geopolitical competition and a growing number of armed conflicts have only increased the dangers in our world. Particularly if we consider the regular threats of resorting to a nuclear strike in the on-going war against Ukraine,” he said. He pointed out that global military spending reached a record US$2.2 trillion in 2022 and there are signs that nuclear stockpiles and capabilities are growing, contravening the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

“We are closer than any other time in this century to global catastrophe,” he said, adding that it is a “serious loophole” that the CTBT has remained inactive 27 years after its adoption. He called on Annex 2 countries that have not signed and ratified the CTBT to do so.

Daryl G. Kimball, head of Arms Control Today, a Washington-based organization, said in a press release on the occasion of the International Day Against Nuclear Testing that the CTBT “is under threat due to inattention, diplomatic sclerosis, and worsening relations between nuclear-armed adversaries.”

“Although it has not entered into force, the CTBT is one of the most successful agreements in the long history of nuclear arms control and nonproliferation,” Kimball said. “Most of the nuclear-armed states that have not signed or not ratified the CTBT, including China, India, Israel, and Pakistan, are observing nuclear testing moratoria.”

But the CTBT and the de facto global nuclear testing moratorium cannot be taken for granted. “China, Russia, and the United States continue to engage in weapons-related activities at their former nuclear testing sites,” Kimball said. Meanwhile, “Russian officials acknowledge reports that they are considering the self-defeating option of ‘unratifying’ the CTBT,” he added.

“As diplomats from CTBT signatory states gather on Sept. 22 for the 13th conference on facilitating the CTBT’s entry into force, more energetic strategies must be considered not only to advance the treaty, but to strengthen the de facto norm against testing.”

Read the full text of the commentary Defending the De Facto Nuclear Test Ban. Further information: List of parties to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

(By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) invites media worldwide to submit entries for its 27th annual UNCA Awards for best print, broadcast (TV & Radio) and online, web-based media coverage of the United Nations, UN agencies and field operations. 

The deadline for submissions is September 30th, 2023.

The awards are open to all journalists anywhere in the world. 

The deadline for submissions is September 30th, 2023.

The awards are open to all journalists anywhere in the world. 

The Awards are:

The Elizabeth Neuffer Memorial Prize

Sponsored by the Alexander Bodini Foundation, for written media (including online media). The prize is for print and online 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.

The Ricardo Ortega Memorial Prize

Sponsored by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, for broadcast (TV & Radio) media. The prize is for broadcast 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. 

The Prince Albert II of Monaco and UNCA Global Prize for Climate Change.

The prize is for print (including online media) and broadcast media (TV & Radio) for coverage of climate change, biodiversity, and water.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS:

• • Work in print, broadcast (TV & Radio) and online coverage must be published between September 2022 and September 2023. 

• • The judges will look for entries with impact, insight, and originality, and will consider the courage and investigative and reporting skills of the journalists. Entries from the developing world media are particularly welcome. 

• • 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 can submit to no more than two (2) prize categories, with a maximum of two (2) stories in each. Joint entries are accepted.

• • Electronic files and web links uploaded to the online Entry Form are required.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY:

Entries are submitted online by completing the UNCA Awards Entry Form.

Please complete your personal information, upload a 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, 2023

For Questions regarding UNCA Awards & entries please contact:

UNCA Office, 1-212-963-7137. Or send an email to uncaawards@unca.com

CLICK ON THE ENTRY FORM BELOW TO GET STARTED

Apply Now

UNCA Awards Committe

Valeria Robecco (UNCA President), Giampaolo Pioli (Awards Chairman), Tuyet Nguyen (Awards Selections Coordinator), Sherwin Bryce-Pease (UNCA Executive Member and Master of Ceremonies), Edith Lederer (UNCA Executive Member), Betul Yuruk (UNCA Executive Member).

New York, August 30 – Heads of states and governments will attend a series of high-level annual meetings of the 78^th U.N. General Assembly session in September. The tasks facing them are enormous: massive floodings, wildfires, record high temperatures, the on-going wars in Ukraine and Sudan, inflation, widespread poverty and the 360 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

The U.N. General Assembly session September 16 – 26 is under the theme “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.” A general debate will allow all leaders and representatives of the 193 U.N. member states to speak.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit September 18 -19. The summit is convened every four years to review progress on implementing the 17 goals, a major enterprise adopted by the U.N. in 2015 and branded as a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.”  The U.N. said the summit is expected to work out a negotiated political declaration that will provide political guidance to speed up actions to meet the 2030 deadline.

Anticipation is high that those leaders would adopt strategies to scale up efforts to complete the goals by the deadline. The goals include calls for the elimination of poverty, hunger, good health and education for all. Observers said the current wars, high demands for humanitarian assistance as well as human rights violations are the hardest problems to solve in years, coming on the heels of the deadly, three-year Covid-19 pandemic.

During review meetings held in July this year, the U.N. said the SDGs are “in peril” because progress and efforts to achieve them have been eroded by climate disasters, the COVID pandemic, the Russian war in Ukraine and rising food prices.

It called on governments to redouble efforts to achieve the goals or else they should expect greater political instability, upended economics leading to irreversible damage and hundreds of millions of people hungry and poor.

The U.N. said if the current trends persist, by 2030, a staggering 575 million people will remain trapped in extreme poverty and an estimated 84 million children and young people will still be out of school.

Climate Ambition Summit September 20. The summit allows the opportunity to urge leaders of governments, business, local authorities, civil society and financial institutions to step up efforts for credible, new climate action and nature-based solutions to counter climate change, the U.N. said.

Preparatory Ministerial Meeting for the Summit of the Future September 21. The U.N. said government ministers will meet to prepare for the Summit of the Future to be held in September 2024, which will be “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance global cooperation to tackle critical challenges, address gaps in global governance, reaffirm existing commitments, including to the SDGs and the United Nations Charter, and make a multilateral system better positioned to positively impact people’s lives.”

High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development September 20. The High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development, taking place on the heels of the SDG Summit, will provide political leadership and guidance on the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda – a UN framework for mobilizing resources to achieve the SDGs – as well as identify progress and emerging challenges and mobilize further action.

Three high-level meetings will focus on health issues:

Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response September 20 – The U.N. said the President of the General Assembly, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, will convene Heads of State and Government for a one-day meeting to adopt a political declaration aimed at mobilizing political will at the national, regional and international levels for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

Universal Health Coverage September 21 – The meeting presents an opportunity for countries and stakeholders to renew efforts and accelerate progress toward achieving health for all. This will serve as the foundation for executing policies and ensuring responsibility for strengthening health systems for the future, building on the 2019 Political Declaration, the U.N. said.

Fight against Tuberculosis September 22 – The high-level meeting on the Fight against Tuberculosis will be under the theme, “Advancing science, finance and innovation, and their benefits, to urgently end the global tuberculosis epidemic, in particular, by ensuring equitable access to prevention, testing, treatment and care.”

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New York, August 17 – Scores of governments signed a statement criticizing North Korea for building weapons of mass destruction with revenues obtained through forced labor and labor exploitation at the expense of its people’s human rights.

 The statement was issued after a U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss human rights issues in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), the country’s official name. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield,who presided the meeting as her country holds the rotating presidency of the 15-nation council in August, delivered the statement, which she said was signed by 52 countries and the delegation of the European Union.

“Today, the Security Council lived up to that expectation.” she said. “The DPRK government’s violations and abuses have been well-documented by credible accounts, including numerous UN experts – and have been condemned through many General Assembly resolutions adopted by consensus over the past years.”

“They include: arbitrary killings, harsh and life-threatening prison conditions, the punishment of family members for offenses allegedly committed by an individual, and near-total state control of expression through censorship and repression. “

“The DPRK government commits acts of cruelty and repression in its own territory – while also perpetrating similar acts in other countries, targeting both citizens of the DPRK and others. These include executions, assassinations, abductions – including from Japan and the Republic of Korea – intimidations and forced repatriation. Alone, these human rights violations and abuses demand the Council’s attention.”

“But they are also inextricably linked with the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile advancements in violation of Security Council resolutions. The DPRK government engages in domestic and overseas forced labor and labor exploitation to generate revenue for its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. And the DPRK’s repressive political climate allows the government to divert resources to weapons development – at the expense of the welfare of the people in the DPRK who suffer from severe economic hardship and malnutrition.”

“None of this is acceptable. And there continues to be a lack of accountability. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – the 30^th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action, and the 10^th anniversary of the creation of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK. And while we have made great strides forward, we still have a long way to go when it comes to the situation in the DPRK. “

Thomas-Greenfield said she delivered the statement on behalf of the United States, Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.

The U.N. human rights chief, Volker Türk, and Elizabeth Salmon, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation on human rights in the DPRK. briefed the council.

 Turk said information collected by his office, including through interviews, and from public information issued by the government itself, “indicates increasing repression of the rights to freedoms of expression, privacy and movement; the persistence of widespread forced labor practices; and a worsening situation for economic and social rights, due to the closure of markets and other forms of income generation.”

“Within the country, markets, and other private means of generating income, have been largely shut down, and such activity is increasingly criminalized. This sharply constrains people’s ability to provide for themselves and their families. Given the limits of State-run economic institutions, many people appear to be facing extreme hunger, as well as acute shortages of medication.”

Salmón said North Korea’s leadership continued to demand its citizens to “tighten their belts so that the available resources could be used to fund the nuclear and missiles program. It strengthens gender stereotypes regarding the roles and responsibilities of women within the family and weakens their political participation. It creates the ongoing demand for forced labor across the country and for workers sent abroad.”

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New York, August 17 – While they were bringing life-saving assistance from food supplies to healthcare to civilians caught in the wars in Ukraine, Sudan and other conflicts, a total of 62 aid workers have been killed so far this year, 34 kidnapped and scores were wounded, the U.N. said on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day 2023.

This year also marked the 20^th anniversary the suicide bomb attack on the U.N. headquarters located at the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, which killed 22 U.N. staff and injured some 150 local and international aid workers. The World Humanitarian Day is commemorated August 19 each year since that attack in 2003.

The U.N. warned that 2023 is set to become another year of high numbers of aid worker casualties. There were 116 aid workers killed in 2022.

“World Humanitarian Day and the Canal Hotel bombing will always be an occasion of mixed and still raw emotions for me and many others,” said the U.N. chief coordinator on humanitarian affairs, Martin Griffiths.

“Every year, nearly six times more aid workers are killed in the line of duty than were killed on that dark day in Baghdad, and they are overwhelmingly local aid workers. Impunity for these crimes is a scar on our collective conscience. It is time we walk the talk on upholding international humanitarian law and tackle impunity for violations.”

The humanitarian affairs office said despite the dangers and death facing aid workers in war conditions, “humanitarians of all stripes are campaigning this year to highlight their continuing commitment to deliver for the communities they serve, no matter who, no matter where and #NoMatterWhat.”

“In the face of skyrocketing humanitarian needs, the U.N. and its partners aim to help almost 250 million people in crises around the world – 10 times more people than in 2003.”

The U.N. said South Sudan has ranked highest in insecurity for several consecutive years. There have been 40 attacks on aid workers and 22 fatalities have been reported as of August 16, 2023.

Sudan is a close second, with 17 attacks on humanitarians and 19 fatalities reported so far this year. This toll surpasses numbers not seen since the height of the Darfur conflict between 2006 and 2009.

Other aid worker casualties have been recorded in the Central African Republic, Mali, Somalia and Ukraine. Last year, 444 aid workers were attacked. In 2022, 460 humanitarians were attacked, resulting in 141 deaths.

{Note: The numbers of casualties so far in 2023 are according to provisional data from the Aid Worker Security Database research team at Humanitarian Outcomes and are subject to change following a verification process}

Lack of access and funding hampering aid to 18 million people in Myanmar (Following is a press release from theU.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) 

Myanmar, August 17 – Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths called for expanded humanitarian access and increased funding to assist the 18 million people in need of aid across Myanmar.

“Successive crises in Myanmar have left one third of the population in need of humanitarian aid,” Griffiths said at the end of a three-day visit to the country. “They expect more and better from their leaders and from the international community.”

Humanitarian needs in Myanmar have surged in recent years, with the number of displaced persons increasing fivefold in less than three years, from 380,000 at the start of 2021 to 1.9 million at present.

During the visit, Griffiths met with families affected by conflict and natural disasters, including with Rakhine and Rohingya communities and with Myanmar authorities.

Griffiths visited Rakhine state, still reeling from the impact of cyclone Mocha three months ago. The cyclone flattened homes, damaged displacement camps, destroyed farmland, and killed livestock, leaving thousands of people vulnerable.

“Families are struggling to cope after the successive blows of the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict and cyclone Mocha. We stand ready to do more both in Rakhine and nationwide, but we urgently need greater access and more funding to do so.”

In the capital Nay Pyi Taw, Griffiths met with the State Administration Council Chairman, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, with whom he discussed what humanitarians need to scale-up direct aid to affected populations in areas affected by conflict and natural disasters.

“My meetings were an opportunity to raise the need for expanded access,” Griffiths said. “I also expressed my concerns about the protection risks facing civilians in conflict areas and the bureaucratic constraints we humanitarians are facing in reaching them. It is critical for us to have the humanitarian space we need for safe, sustained aid deliveries around the country,” Griffiths said.

Despite rising needs, the humanitarian operation in Myanmar is facing a huge resource gap with just 22 per cent of required funds received more than half-way through the year.

“Over the past three days, I spoke with brave aid workers about their efforts to help those in need. However, a severe lack of funding means aid agencies are forced to make tough decisions about cutting assistance at a time when they should be scaling up even further. This needs to change,” Griffiths said.

For further information, please contact:

Geneva: Jens Laerke +41 79 4729750, laerke@un.org

OCHA press releases are available at www.unocha.org or www.reliefweb.int

Vanessa Huguenin

Media Relations Section

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) 

Mobile: +41 79 202 68 44  | Email: huguenin@un.org 

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