UN Volunteers are engaging governments, business leaders and community-based organizations to expand partnerships with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for climate action. They take part in the COVID-19 pandemic recovery by encouraging partners' support for conservation and circularity – the movement addressing climate change and safeguarding economic growth. On this World Humanitarian Day, every action counts to get the world racing against the climate crisis. Paolo Marengo (38, Italy) is a UN Volunteer Project Associate supporting the UNEP Regional Office for West Asia, in Manama, Bahrain. Paolo began serving with UNEP in February of this year and is already contributing to the implementation of the Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) initiative. Paolo's support to GO4SDGs involves ensuring that stakeholders come together to share expertise, resources and strategies towards reducing carbon emissions, promoting alternative energy and expanding the circular economy. This is especially important for countries undergoing political transition or COVID-19 recovery because of the potential for greater stability and economic growth. Moreover, outreach is underway to government agencies, non-profit organizations and private sector partners in the plastics and construction sectors to increase repurposing and encourage sustainable fashion. It is vital to develop more sustainable consumption and production practices - for instance, decreasing the demand for raw materials and increasing the demand for used materials that can be repurposed, recycled or upcycled. We aim to build a diverse community focused on sustainable lifestyles, and to replicate successful initiatives." -- Paolo Marengo, UN Volunteer Project Associate, UNEP Regional Office for West Asia In addition, Paolo contributed to a special project aiming to reduce the disposal of unwanted food during the month of Ramadan, and supported the development of UNEP's report on the State of Food Waste in West Asia. Follow-on activities are in the planning stages to build upon the success of national awareness campaigns and embed food waste in the public dialogue on food security year-round. Climate change is endangering some of the region's ecosystems. Dead tree at Azraq Wetland Reserve in Jordan. © Hasan Ibhais/UNV, 2020 Serving with UNEP in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UN Volunteers Ahmed Mudawi (30, Sudan) and Lama* (25, Egypt) are helping localize activities and ensure projects meet the needs on the ground. As a Program Support Officer, Ahmed is UNEP's focal point to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders. Ahmed is keen to conduct outreach for UNEP's newly established office in Riyadh, determine training needs and capacities, and plan consultations and events with new partners. In particular, he is an advocate for green spaces and urban parks. He is committed to increasing support for environmental protection as he understands how it can impact health and be a resource for children and families looking for safe spaces to play. The environment is connected to everything in life – recreation, health and mental health. And as we care for it, we care for each other." -- Ahmed Mudawi, UN Volunteer Program Support Officer, UNEP, Saudi Arabia A youth coalition to protect wildlife, increase air quality and foster responsible waste management is also forming. In support of these activities, UN Volunteer Lama is mapping local organizations and leading UNEP's coordination with the UN Country Team in Saudi Arabia. As a Programme Support Associate, Lama also supported the production of a film for World Environment Day. The film was derived from a collection of videos submitted by local youth - many of whom were learning about the ecosystem and the human cost of climate change for the first time. This is meaningful to me because I am an early career professional. Work at UNEP has increased my knowledge and skills and it has been a nurturing place for people like me, who are new to the workforce and learning about environmental matters for the first time." -- Lama, UN Volunteer Programme Support Associate, UNEP, Saudi Arabia In the context of the pandemic, these UN Volunteers are embedding green growth into national and regional dialogues and promoting broad-based support for climate action. --- * For privacy reasons and upon the request of the UN Volunteer, she is not referred to by her real name.

WHAT: UN Women in cooperation and partnership with the Supreme Council for Women in the Kingdom of Bahrain, is hosting a virtual event to launch the second edition of the Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa Global Award for Women’s Empowerment on the sidelines of the Generation Equality Forum, co-hosted by the Governments of France and Mexico. First launched in 2018, and bestowed every three years, the Award aims to highlight the contribution of different entities and individuals around the world towards the empowerment of women and girls. The Award recognizes achievements for women’s empowerment across four categories: Public Sector, Private Sector, Civil Society Organizations, and Individual Champions. The winner in each category will be awarded USD 100,000 to further sustain initiatives that support women. WHEN: 1st July 2021, 11am Paris / Cairo time (12 noon Bahrain time) WHERE: Virtually via Zoom WHO: HRH Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King of Bahrain, President of the Supreme Council for Women, Kingdom of Bahrain HE Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Women HE Mrs. Hala Mohammed Jaber Al Ansari, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Women, Kingdom of Bahrain Susanne Mikhail Eldhagen, Regional Director, UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States Cindy Sirinya Bishop, Regional UN Women Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific Memory Kachambwa, Executive Director, The African Women’s Development and Communications Network (FEMNET) Abdulrahman Jawahery, CEO, Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company Other speakers to be added, once confirmed. REGISTRATION: https://unwomen.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fZNS4UlySzmB3QfVaRM6QA Media and individuals wishing to attend the event should register by 29 June. Join the conversation: Follow @unwomenarabic and @scwbahrain on Twitter and Instagram and share your messages using the hashtags #GlobalAward4Women and #SCW20. Read in Spanish.

On March 28, 2021, United Nations Special Envoy for Road Safety His Excellency Jean Todt was welcome by the United Nations Country Team at the UN House in Bahrain to raise awareness around the second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030) as part of the commitment by Member States to halve the number of road deaths and injuries, as well as to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all throughout the Decade of Action. His arrival came in conjunction with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Traffic Week, a weeklong traffic safety awareness campaign held annually throughout the GCC in a bid to raise road safety awareness and decrease the number of traffic fatalities.  During his visit, HE Jean Todt was briefed by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Road Safety in Bahrain. The main causes of injury crashes in Bahrain were noted to be caused by pedestrians and behavioral driving issues. Pedestrians accounted for a significant amount of fatalities in 2019 at 43%. Additionally, road crashes are a serious threat to youth, and in Bahrain number of deaths coincided with said fact as it was highest for the 15 - 29 year age group.  Road traffic injuries threaten public health, social equity, and sustainable development. To alleviate and lessen the burdens to society caused by traffic accidents, Youth For Road Safety (YOURS), a global organization aimed at actively engaging youth as major contributors to road safety solutions, notes five main risk factors that are leading causes of youth traffic injuries: Not Wearing Helmets: Helmets greatly decrease the likelihood of death and serious injury, as head injuries are the most common form of injury in motorcycle crashes. 
  Speeding: Speeding increases the likelihood of severe injuries resultant from road crashes when compared to driving at lower speeds. 
  Not Wearing Seatbelts: The simple act of putting on a seatbelt has saved more lives than any other form of intervention in preventing road traffic injuries. 
  Distracted-Driving: Distractions can be visual (taking eyes off the road to look at a sign), physical (taking hands off the wheel to answer the phone), or mental (talking on the phone). Drivers who use their phones are statistically four times more likely to crash when compared to a person who is not distracted. 
  Drunk-Driving: Driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics decreases decision-making capacities and leads to higher rates of road crashes. Even a small amount of alcohol results in longer times to react, less coordination and increases risky driving behaviors.  As a result, it is imperative for the safety of all road users to ensure that drivers and passengers use road helmets, drive within the speed limit, wear seatbelts, drive without distractions and refrain from driving if under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.  For more information on the Decade of Action, please click here. For more information on Youth for Road Safety, please click here. 

In Bahrain, UNICEF celebrated the World Children’s Day under the theme “Reimagining a Better Future for Every Child”. To highlight this initiative locally, the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO) in Bahrain, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) West Asia and UNICEF collaborated to launch an art competition, where children were encouraged to reimagine a better future for the world they live in, with a focus on sustainability, the environment, and climate change. Overall, more than 40 submissions were received from children across the Kingdom, ranging from 10 to 18 years old. The winners were Shreyas Krishna, who won first place, Basmala Naser, who came second, and Ghazlan Mattar, third. The three winners were awarded with a prize from UNEP and UNICEF which further encouraged the adoption of sustainability. Other participants were also provided with a token of appreciation for submitting their entries and taking part in the event. “UNICEF encourages the world to ‘reimagine’ what a post COVID world can look like – a healthier and more sustainable world for every child. These submissions from children are inspiring, and once again, demonstrate that children will be at the forefront of creating a greener Bahrain and a safer world.” Eltayeb Adam, UNICEF Gulf Area Representative. Second Place Winner: Basmala Naser Third Place Winner: Ghazlan Mattar