The ocean holds the keys to an equitable and sustainable development path for all. This is the premise behind the UN Ocean Decade and it will be in the spotlight during several major international summits this year to promote ocean health, including the UN Ocean Conference, which is set to open soon in Lisbon, Portugal.
Safe food is one of the most critical guarantors for good health, the UN said on Tuesday – the fourth global World Food Safety Day – aiming to mobilize action for preventing, detecting and managing foodborne risks and improving human health.
“This planet is our only home”, Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message for World Environment Day, to be marked this Sunday, warning that the Earth’s natural systems “cannot keep up with our demands”.
The Ocean is the planet’s largest ecosystem, regulating the climate, and providing livelihoods for billions. But its health is in danger. The second UN Ocean Conference, due to take place in June, will be an important opportunity to redress the damage that mankind continues to inflict on marine life and livelihoods.
As part of the “long journey” to recover from the ravages of COVID-19, UN General Assembly President Abdulla Shahid highlighted on Wednesday the need to build a more sustainable, resilient, and responsible global tourism sector.
Despite war, COVID-19 and the climate crisis, all of which compound the other challenges facing young people today, the UN chief lauded youth for raising their voices and mobilizing for a better future.
The solutions to restore the health of the ocean – which provides us with oxygen, food and livelihoods – are out there, and in 100 days they will be in the spotlight in Lisbon, Portugal, at the second UN Ocean Conference.
UN scientists on Monday delivered a stark warning about the impact of climate change on people and the planet, saying that ecosystem collapse, species extinction, deadly heatwaves and floods are among the "dangerous and widespread disruptions” the world will face over the next two decades due to global warming.
The President of the UN General Assembly convened the first system-wide meeting on Thursday, dedicated to galvanizing action towards implementing the ground-breaking blueprint, known as Our Common Agenda, launched last year by the Secretary-General.