The Lid is On

Nearly four decades on from the adoption of the UN Convention against Torture, there is evidence that it is still taking place in all regions of the world, even though it’s a recognized international crime.

On this week’s episode of The lid Is On, Conor Lennon met Claude Heller and Suzanne Jabour – the chairpersons of the UN Committee against Torture, and the Sub-committee on the Prevention of Torture – two independent human rights experts who attempt to convince countries to end the practice.

Most people are familiar with the phenomenon of refugees, those forced to flee their country of origin, because of a well-founded fear of persecution or, in some places, because of armed conflict or natural disaster.

But there is another, equally vulnerable category of people, who don’t cross international boundaries, but find it necessary to relocate to a different region of their country.

It’s been thirty years since the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to create the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, on 17 October 1992.

Great advances have been made in reducing global poverty since then, particularly in China and India, but the period has also seen significant increases in inequality, between and within countries.

It’s World Space Week, a UN event celebrating the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition.

This year’s theme is space and sustainability, with a focus on how the technology can help us to better understand climate change.

Counter-terrorism is one of the lesser-known subjects covered by the UN, but attempts to improve international cooperation to combat terrorism have grown in recent years, particularly since the 2001 plane attacks against the US.

On today’s episode of The Lid Is On, Jennifer Bramlette from the UN Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), and Adam Hadley from Tech Against Terrorism, a public-private partnership, join Conor Lennon to talk about the pervasive threat posed by the use of online technology by terror groups, and how Governments can fight back.

On this week’s episode of The Lid Is On, we look at how the issue of the climate emergency has been raised during the opening session of the latest General Assembly session (UNGA77).

This week, we've heard powerful speeches by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, star-studded events and gatherings at UN Headquarters, and hundreds of events taking place in New York, capitalizing on the global attention the city receives, when so many world leaders are in town.

This week we bring you a bonus episode of The Lid Is On: an exclusive interview with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

On the eve of High-Level Week, when leaders from around the world gather at UN Headquarters in New York, Nargiz Shekinskaya from UN News sat down with Mr. Guterres to discuss some of the key international issues on his agenda, including the climate crisis, the need to urgently transform education, and how to tackle the worrying rise in xenophobia and hate speech.

World leaders will soon be flying into New York, for High-Level Week at the UN General Assembly.

On Friday, the Peace Bell at UN Headquarters was rung by the UN Secretary-General and President of the General Assembly, and hundreds of young students filled the Economic and Social Council chamber, to reflect on this year’s theme for International Day of Peace, End Racism, Build Peace.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on education are severe and will only be fully understood in the years to come, says Costa Rica’s former education minister, Leonardo Garnier.

Next Wednesday the UN marks the third International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies. However, the skies are far from clear of air pollution. Only a month ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that practically all the air we breathe is polluted, and that it’s killing around seven million people every year.