Climate Action Summit warns of ‘glaring’ gap in emissions commitments
At the UN’s key Climate Action Summit in New York on Monday, UN weather experts warned of a “glaring - and growing – gap” between agreed targets to tackle global warming and the reality today.
According to a new report from the world’s leading climate science organizations, the planet is on track to post the warmest five-year average temperatures on record.
In addition, sea ice melt is increasing, along with the number of deadly heatwaves, as well as rising greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the United in Science report coordinated by WMO, the Japanese heatwave in July 2018, when more than 100 people died, would have been almost “impossible…without human influence”.
Syria: UN chief announces progress on Constitutional Committee
To the Syria conflict now, and UN chief António Guterres has announced that the country’s Government and opposition representatives have made progress on the formation of a Constitutional Committee to help bring an end to more than eight years of fighting.
Speaking to journalists in New York on Monday, Mr. Guterres said that the Committee – which is to represent all sides in the conflict – would meet in the coming weeks, in line with Security Council resolutions.
“I strongly believe that the launch of the Syrian-owned and Syrian-led Constitutional Committee can and must be the beginning of the political path out of the tragedy towards a solution in line with resolution 2254, that meets the legitimate aspirations of all Syrians and is based on a strong commitment to the country’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.”
Consultations will be facilitated by United Nations Geneva and led by the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, Mr. Guterres said, before urging all parties to the conflict to support the
Constitutional Committee “by concrete actions to build trust and confidence”.
Sign language protects ‘linguistic identity and cultural diversity’ of all users, says UN chief
And finally to International Sign Language Day, which is celebrated on 23 September.
In his message to mark the day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that signing was “critical” in many ways for the more than 70 million deaf people around the world.
It provides access to information and services and helped realize people’s human rights, he insisted.
Echoing that message at an event to mark the day at United Nations Geneva, Dmitry Rebrov from the Committee on the Rights of People with Disabilities, explained how important being able to communicate through signing is for him.
Mr. Rebrov’s comments are voiced by interpreter, Beatrice François:
“My first language is really sign language; without sign language I couldn’t communicate. In the family there was some gesturing and all that but I grew up in sign language, and now as an adult I’m involved in a lot of deaf organizations within Russia and worldwide with the World Federation of the Deaf. When we think about communication we have to remember it’s a human right, because it’s a way to access everything.”
According to the World Federation of the Deaf, more than 80 per cent of deaf people live in developing countries. Collectively, they use more than 300 different sign languages.
Dianne Penn, UN News.
