General News

The UN must be ready for change and address the global community’s inability to prevent crises, the incoming Secretary-General told delegates and diplomats after taking the oath of office on Monday.

Antonio Guterres was sworn-in as the ninth Secretary-General succeeding Ban Ki-moon who steps down after ten years on the job.

The former Prime Minister of Portugal and UN refugee chief will serve an initial five-year term starting 1 January 2017.

Jocelyne Sambira has the story.

Duration: 4'36"

Human existence is “absolutely dependent” on healthy biodiversity, from the food we eat, to the viability of the global economy.

That’s the passionate view of Erik Solheim, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, UNEP.

He was speaking at a major UN conference on biodiversity which took place in the Mexican coastal city of Cancun this month.

Nearly four billion people are still not connected to the Internet, according to the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

People in least-developed countries are the most affected, because very few technology companies are willing to invest in broadband access for rural areas, said Malcolm Johnson, the ITU’s Deputy Secretary-General.

Jorge Miyares spoke to him in Mexico, where thousands of delegates convened at the 11^th annual Internet Governance Forum, to discuss a more accessible and inclusive Internet.

African societies have yet to understand what “autism” means according to Uganda’s Ambassador to the UN.

Richard Nduhuura said that generating awareness about autism across the continent, was an important step towards removing stigma surrounding it.

The disorder affects the nervous system, making social interactions and verbal and non-verbal communications difficult.

Priyanka Shankar spoke to Dr Nduhuura  who was one of the organisers of an event discussing Autism in Africa, recently held at UN Headquarters.

Duration:4’56”

The rapid loss of biodiversity across the world is putting sustainable development at risk according to a senior UN official working on the issue.

Braulio Ferreira, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity says that the variety of life on Earth is essential to ensure food security as well as access to clean water and pollution-free air.

Experts recently gathered in Cancun in Mexico to discuss the interlinkages between biodiversity, climate change and development.

Asteroids have been recognized by the UN as a “global concern” because of the potential destruction they could cause on Earth.

That’s according to Simonetta di Pippo, head of UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

The UN agency has proclaimed 30 June as the new International Asteroid Day, which will be observed for the first time in 2017.

Andita Listyarini asked Ms di Pippo about the significance of the day.

Duration: 3’24”

Climate change and global warming are the main challenges faced by communities living in the mountains of Nepal, according to a representative from the country’s Mountaineering Association.

Ang Tshering Sherpa said that temperature rises combined with the huge earthquake of April 2015, changed the course of rivers, adversely affecting the lives of many inhabitants in the region.

Anyone and everyone can make a difference when it comes to human rights.

That’s the message behind a new UN campaign launched on Human Rights Day, celebrated every year on 10 September.

It commemorates the day in 1948 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Women are more reluctant to engage in the digital economy because of cultural and safety barriers, coupled with a lack of technical skills.

That’s according to Barbara Wanner, Vice President for information, communications and technology (ICT) at the United States Council for International Business.

She’s been attending the Internet Governance Forum in Mexico, organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

“Concern has only deepened” over “appalling” human rights violations carried out by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK, against its own people, the UN Security Council heard on Friday.

That was the message from Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Andrew Gilmour, briefing the Council, which was divided over whether the issue should even be debated.

Matthew Wells has more.

Duration: 2'48"