Culture and Education

Wars grind on in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond amid starvation and famine alerts and a sinister spike in online and offline hate, antisemitism and Islamophobia. Enter the UN Alliance of Civilizations, which will convene its 10th Global Forum from 25 to 27 November in a bid to bridge gaps between divided communities around the world. But, what is it and why does its Global Forum matter now? 

As the dangers posed by climate change become increasingly evident worldwide, the need for reliable and accurate information on the impact of the environmental crisis is more crucial than ever. 

A new $1.5 billion investment, announced on Thursday, will boost education and skills development for millions of the world’s children and youth most in need. 

The UN has long recognised the power and universality of sport, from forging alliances with athletic organizations small and large around the world to lending support for the ongoing Paris Olympics and messages of peace.

The global crisis in education needs a “dramatic shift” to shape a more peaceful, sustainable and just world, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday.

Six in ten children under five years old worldwide regularly endure psychological aggression or physical punishment at home, according to new UNICEF estimates. Of these nearly 400 million under-fives, 330 million are punished by physical means. 

With robots greeting delegates at the entrance to the venue, the AI for Good Global Summit opened on Thursday in Geneva, bringing together thousands of participants from all sectors around the world to discuss the hopes and fears about artificial intelligence (AI) development.

Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) – a specialized UN agency – on Friday agreed to a groundbreaking new treaty addressing intellectual property (IP) in relation to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge.

Friday marks World Press Freedom Day and UN Secretary-General António Guterres is highlighting an uptick in violence faced by journalists covering environmental issues, which has made the profession increasingly dangerous. 

On 25 April 1974, military officers overthrew the nearly 50-year dictatorship in Portugal in a largely peaceful coup known as the Carnation Revolution.