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Press Release
04 December 2023
Op-ed: Disability Inclusion is a key area of cooperation between the UN and Bahrain
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Press Release
04 December 2023
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL - MESSAGE ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY - 10 December 2023
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04 December 2023
The UN in Bahrain marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
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The Sustainable Development Goals in Bahrain
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. With 21 United Nations Entities represented in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the work of the United Nations encompasses all 17 SDGs.
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04 July 2023
2022 Country Results Report highlights the UNCT’s steadfast commitment to Bahrain’s progress in achieving SDGs
The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in the Kingdom of Bahrain released on 25 June the 2022 Country Results Report, highlighting the advancements made in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in collaboration with the Government of Bahrain, within the Strategic and Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (SCF) 2021-2024.
“In 2022, the UNCT continued to support the country as it made further positive strides despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain, Khaled El Mekwad, when presenting the report to Foreign Ministry Undersecretary for Political Affairs, His Excellency Dr Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.
"The Country Results Report is an accountability tool for the UNCT towards the Government of Bahrain as it prepares the second Voluntary National Report for Bahrain, which will showcase the country’s progress towards achieving the SDGs at the High-Level Political Forum in July 2023. The report also presents further avenues of engagement and exploring further opportunities in 2023 and beyond", said Mr El-Mekwad.
"We are delighted to have received the United Nations Country Results Report for the year 2022 and anticipate the opportunities and prospects that may arise in 2023”, said His Excellency Dr Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.
"As advocates of progress, we in the Kingdom of Bahrain firmly support the UN development system reforms led by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. These reforms pave the way for a more effective and transparent collaboration. Our collaboration with the UN Country Team is driven by our mutual goal of achieving the Economic Vision 2030, the Government of Bahrain's 2019-2022 Action Plan, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as our national objectives", His Excellency said.
The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in the Kingdom of Bahrain is composed of representatives of 21 United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies working jointly under the leadership of the United Nations Resident Coordinator to support the country in achieving its development priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The United Nations Information Centre in Manama (UNIC Manama) also works in close coordination with UNCT and is the principal source of information about the United Nations system in the country.
As the cornerstone of planning and implementation, the SCF describes four priorities and expected outcomes, along with related strategies and indicators for success and how these will contribute to country strategic priorities in the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030, the Government Programme (GP) for the period 2019-2022, and related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets.
The implementation of the SCF is monitored by a steering committee composed of both government and United Nations representatives and is supported by results groups and thematic task forces, and a United Nations Communications Group.
In 2023, UNCT will maintain its focus on effectively implementing the SCF, aiming to support the country in achieving the SDGs and national priorities. The UNCT will also begin formulating a new Cooperation Framework for 2025, utilizing an inclusive and consultative process to align with emerging trends and local needs.
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24 September 2023
Artistic celebration of International Peace Day
The art gallery "Abbas Gallery'' in Bahrain hosted a cultural event on 21 September on the occasion of International Peace Day, with the participation of several artists, creative entrepreneurs, school students, and UN officials to convey a message of peace from Bahrain to the world.
Abbas Almosawi, the curator of the "Abbas Almosawi Gallery" spoke to UNIC Manama about the initiative's purpose: "This initiative aims to highlight the role of art and creativity in advocating for peace at a time when the world is floundering in multiple crises, and the culture of peace is shrinking worldwide".
“Our world needs peace more than ever before. This year’s theme for the International Day of Peace, “Our ambition to achieve global goals,” serves as a call for both individual and collective action in the pursuit of peace, which contributes to achieving the SDGs, which in turn consolidate the culture of peace," Ahmed Ben Lassoued, Director of the United Nations Information Center for the Gulf Countries in Manama (UNIC Manama), said.
Creative entrepreneurs supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) took part in the exhibition. They showcased their creativity through paintings that beautifully expressed peace, love, and coexistence themes.
Dr Hashim Hussain, Head of the UNIDO Office in the Kingdom of Bahrain, said, “The creative economy (or orange economy) is playing an increasing role in the global economy and also contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 16 related to peace. We at the UNIDO Office in Bahrain work to support creative entrepreneurs.”
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13 September 2023
UNIC Manama participates in the first Arab Forum for Parliamentary Media
The United Nations Information Center (UNIC) in Manama participated in the first Arab Forum for Parliamentary Media organized by the Arab Organization for Administrative Development, affiliated with the Arab League, on 12-14 September in Manama.
The forum aims to discuss the role and impact of technology and digitization in the development of parliamentary media and how to enhance interaction between the parliament, citizens and decision-makers by providing a clearer vision of the role played by this institutional media.
Speaking to local media on the sidelines of his participation in the forum, Ahmed Ben Lassoued, UNIC Manama Director, stressed the importance of the forum’s topic.
“I look forward to seeing how the outcomes of the forum will contribute to the discussion on the role of parliamentary media in confronting the dangers that threaten information integrity in digital platforms”, he said.
Ben Lassoued mentioned the ongoing development by the United Nations of a Code of conduct for information integrity in digital platforms as part of the preparations for the Summit of the Future to be held in 2024.
He mentioned that the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres outlined, in a policy brief issued this year, potential principles for the code of conduct that will help to guide Member States, stakeholders and digital platforms in their efforts to make the digital space more inclusive and safer for all, while vigorously defending the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the right to access information.
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05 October 2023
UN chief reinforces call for multilateral reform, outlines next steps
Other key priorities to emerge were the state of the environment and ensuring responsible use of new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Secretary-General António Guterres added.
Against this backdrop, the UN’s visionary Our Common Agenda presents proposals and ideas that can bridge the gap, “between the world as it is and the world as we know it can be,” Mr. Guterres said.
The coming year of preparations for the Summit of the Future will be critical he told Member States, highlighting four main areas of work ahead.
The proposals and ideas in Our Common Agenda are bridges across the aspiration gap – between the world as it is, and the world as we know it can be
— Secretary-General Guterres Renewing the social contract Our Common Agenda emphasizes renewing the social contract based on human rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – the SDGs – the UN chief said. This includes strengthening the public sector, creating green and digital jobs, ending violence against women, and promoting human rights. “The high-impact initiatives set out at the SDG Summit will enable us to step up our activities,” the UN chief said. Youth and the future The report recognizes the key role of young people and future generations, harnessing their energy and creativity through a new UN Youth Office. The goal is to make global governance more responsive and accountable to their needs, with a focus on climate and education, he said. Transforming global governance The report also places an emphasis on adapting intergovernmental decision-making to modern realities, including discussions on strengthening global governance in areas like health, environment, and digital cooperation. Proposals for deep reforms to international financial architecture are gaining traction globally and will be pursued at key meetings, including the COP28 climate conference in Dubai this year, and next year’s Summit of the Future. UN 2.0 The Secretary-General also highlighted that steps are being taken to transform the UN system by updating its culture and skills across key areas. Initiatives include launching a Scientific Advisory Board, establishing a UN Futures Lab, and increasing engagement with stakeholders like civil society, parliamentarians, and the private sector. Advisory bodies on regional government and artificial intelligence will also be set up, he said. Next steps Mr. Guterres highlighted his policy briefs on the proposals of Our Common Agenda, the report of the High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, and the SDG Summit in High Level Week that provide a successful model for next year’s marquee summit. “Together, we have already taken significant steps towards the inclusive, effective, networked multilateralism that our circumstances demand,” he said, urging governments for their strong engagement in the coming days.
— Secretary-General Guterres Renewing the social contract Our Common Agenda emphasizes renewing the social contract based on human rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – the SDGs – the UN chief said. This includes strengthening the public sector, creating green and digital jobs, ending violence against women, and promoting human rights. “The high-impact initiatives set out at the SDG Summit will enable us to step up our activities,” the UN chief said. Youth and the future The report recognizes the key role of young people and future generations, harnessing their energy and creativity through a new UN Youth Office. The goal is to make global governance more responsive and accountable to their needs, with a focus on climate and education, he said. Transforming global governance The report also places an emphasis on adapting intergovernmental decision-making to modern realities, including discussions on strengthening global governance in areas like health, environment, and digital cooperation. Proposals for deep reforms to international financial architecture are gaining traction globally and will be pursued at key meetings, including the COP28 climate conference in Dubai this year, and next year’s Summit of the Future. UN 2.0 The Secretary-General also highlighted that steps are being taken to transform the UN system by updating its culture and skills across key areas. Initiatives include launching a Scientific Advisory Board, establishing a UN Futures Lab, and increasing engagement with stakeholders like civil society, parliamentarians, and the private sector. Advisory bodies on regional government and artificial intelligence will also be set up, he said. Next steps Mr. Guterres highlighted his policy briefs on the proposals of Our Common Agenda, the report of the High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, and the SDG Summit in High Level Week that provide a successful model for next year’s marquee summit. “Together, we have already taken significant steps towards the inclusive, effective, networked multilateralism that our circumstances demand,” he said, urging governments for their strong engagement in the coming days.
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02 October 2023
حوار مع المبعوث الخاص للأمين العام للأمم المتحدة المعني بتمويل خطة عام 2030 للتنمية المستدامة
كل هذه الأسئلة وأكثر طرحناها على الدكتور محمود محيي الدين المبعوث الخاص للأمين العام للأمم المتحدة المعني بتمويل خطة عام 2030 للتنمية المستدامة.
شارك الدكتور محيي الدين في الحوار رفيع المستوى بشأن تمويل التنمية، الذي عقد على هامش الأسبوع رفيع المستوى للجمعية العامة.
هدف الاجتماع إلى بحث توفير القيادة السياسية والتوجيه بشأن تنفيذ خطة عمل أديس أبابا لعام 2015، وهي إطار الأمم المتحدة لحشد الموارد لتحقيق أهـداف التنمية المستدامة.
كما شارك أيضا في قمة أهـداف التنمية المستدامة التي شهدت اعتماد إعلان سياسي أكد أن القضاء على الفقر بكل أشكاله- بما فيه الفقر المدقع- هو أكبر تحد دولي ومطلب لا غنى عنه لتحقيق التنمية المستدامة.
في بداية الحوار سألنا الدكتور محيي الدين عن أهمية هذا الإعلان السياسي وإمكانية أن يساعد الدول الأعضاء في المضي قدما نحو تحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة، بعد مضي نصف المدة المقررة لتحقيق هذه الأهداف بحلول 2030. فقال:
النصف الأول من المدة المقررة لتحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة كان، ببساطة، تعيسا على العالم، نظرا إلى الأرقام الصادرة عن الأمم المتحدة، وما أعلنه الأمين العام نفسه خلال تقديمه لتقريره الخاص المعني بتقييم أداء العالم في التعامل مع أهداف التنمية المستدامة السبعة عشر.
12 في المائة فقط من الدول هي على المسار الصحيح لتحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة بحلول 2030. وأكثر من 50 في المائة من الدول منحرفة عن المسار السليم، والوضع في 35 في المائة من البلدان أسوأ مما كان عليه عام 2015.
هناك ارتباط جذري بين التمويل وأهداف التنمية المستدامة. نحتاج تمويلا ضخما كي نتمكن من تحقيق هذه الأهداف. وقد تم تقدير هذا الرقم بحوالي 5.3 تريليون دولار- أي ضعف الرقم المخصص حاليا للأهداف التنموية. وهذا لا يتم إلا بالتعاون بين الجهات المحلية لتعبئة الموارد والاستثمارات من القطاع الخاص وأيضا مؤسسات التمويل الدولية.
أخبار الأمم المتحدة: ما وضع الدول العربية فيما يتعلق بتحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة؟ هل ترى أنها قادرة على تحقيق هذه الأهداف بحلول الموعد المحدد؟
محمود محيي الدين: يشير التقريران الصادران عن الإسكوا (لجنة الأمم المتحدة الاقتصادية والاجتماعية لغرب آسيا) وبرنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي أن عددا من الدول تمكنت من تحقيق نقلات في الخدمات الأساسية ومداخيل الأفراد، وبالتالي فهي قد خطت خطوات بعيدا عن تحديات الفقر المدقع، وإن كان بعضها يحتاج إلى العمل بشكل أكبر فيما يتعلق بأبعاد العدالة بين الجنسين المتمثلة في الهدف الخامس من أهداف التنمية المستدامة.
وكذلك الاستثمار أكثر وبشكل أفضل فيما يتعلق بالأهداف 13 و14 و15 المعنية بالتغير المناخي والتنوع البيولوجي والتعامل مع تهديدات الصحراء وتآكل الشواطئ.
لكن تبقى الدول العربية غير النفطية تعاني من مشاكل عديدة على صعيد الاستقرار السياسي والاجتماعي الذي يسمح لها بجذب الاستثمارات من الخارج أو أن تولي اهتماما أفضل للاستثمار في البشر أو البنية الأساسية أو في الاستدامة عموما. هناك تفاوت بين الأقطار العربية فيما يتعلق بأهداف التنمية المستدامة، حيث حقق بعضها بعض النجاحات بينما هناك عدم توافق لدى البعض الآخر بشأن مسار تحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة.
غالبية الدول العربية ليس لديها ما يعرف بـ الاستعراضات الوطنية الطوعية وهي التقارير التي تقدمها بعض الدول الأعضاء سنويا في الأمم المتحدة بشأن التقدم الذي حققته فيما يتعلق بأجندة التنمية المستدامة.
الكثير منها لديها رؤى ولكن هناك مشكلة في التنفيذ بسبب النقص في التمويل أو في البيانات أو التكنولوجيا المساندة.
© UNDP
أخبار الأمم المتحدة: العديد من الدول العربية تعاني إما من صراعات مطولة أو كوارث طبيعية. كيف تفاقم هذه الكوارث أوضاع الدول العربية فيما يتعلق بتحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة؟
محمود محيي الدين: هناك ما يسمي بالمربكات وهي إما صدمات مؤقتة يمكن التعامل معها أو احتواؤها مثل الجائحة التي استمرت عامين ثم تم احتواؤها بالأمصال والوقاية وغير ذلك من التدابير. ولكن عندما تكون هناك مآس إنسانية قابلة للتكرار فهذا أمر يحتاج إلى وقفة. التعرض للكوارث الطبيعية أمر وارد والتصدي لها أمر حتمي ويفترض أن يتم تحجيم المعاناة الناجمة.
تتعرض مناطق عديدة في العالم لكوارث طبيعية كبرى وخاصة الأعاصير وموجات التسونامي، في جنوب شرق آسيا على سبيل المثال، وما حدث في الفلبين قبل عدة سنوات كان مأساة مروعة، ولكن عندما تكررت عليهم هذه الكوارث أصبحوا أكثر استعدادا.
نظام الإنذار المبكر لن يكون جيدا إلا إذا كان شاملا لأنه مصمم لأن يكون نظام إنذار للعالم ولسكانه وليس لمجموعة على حساب أخرى
هناك دروس مستفادة بشأن أهمية تمتين الاقتصاد والمجتمع بالإنفاق الجيد على كل ما يساعد على التوخي من مثل هذه المخاطر. هناك علم وراء هذا العمل، وهناك نظم الإنذار المبكر. الأهم هو عدم الاكتفاء ببعض الإجراءات الشكلية ونظم الإنذار ولكن يجب التركيز على الناس المُنْذَرين. بمعنى أن تجعل المجتمع أكثر استعدادا للتعامل مع هذه المشكلات، وهناك خبرة موجودة في منظومة الأمم المتحدة، وهناك أقسام مدربة ومعنية بتخفيف الأعباء وتوابع الكوارث الطبيعية، ولكنها تحتاج إلى تمويل ضخم. هناك أيضا مسألة تدريب المجتمعات وتثقيفها للتعامل مع هذا الأمر وتدريبها على الإجراءات الاحترازية والأساليب الوقائية.
لدى الأمين العام مبادرة مهمة للتعامل مع الكوارث الطبيعية وتداعيات تغير المناخ وهو نظام الإنذار المبكر الشامل عالميا.
© UNICEF/Abdulsalam Alturki
أخبار الأمم المتحدة: دعا الأمين العام إلى توفير نظم الإنذار المبكر للناس في كل مكان. هل تعتقد أن هذا الأمر سيجد طريقه إلى النور؟
محمود محيي الدين: نعم أعلن الأمين العام هذا الأمر قبل 18 شهرا، ثم جدد الدعوة خلال قمة شرم الشيخ للمناخ، وكلف عدة جهات للقيام بهذا الأمر الذي هو مكلف ماليا وهناك دول تستطيع القيام به مثل الدول المتقدمة- الدول الأعضاء في منظمة التعاون الاقتصادي والتنمية، وبعض الدول ذات الاقتصادات الناشئة. ولكن هناك تحديات تواجه الدول الأفريقية ودول جنوب شرق آسيا على سبيل المثال. هذا النظام لن يكون جيدا إلا إذا كان شاملا لأنه مصمم لأن يكون نظام إنذار للعالم ولسكانه وليس لمجموعة معينة على حساب مجموعة أخرى.
المهم ليس أن يكون الإنذار من خلال الطنين أو التحذير، ولكن أن تمنع حاجة اللجوء إليه من خلال الاستثمارات، وهذا يرجعنا مرة أخرى إلى أهمية التمويل.
أخبار الأمم المتحدة: إذا افترضنا أن مواطنا عربيا في منطقة ما في الوطن العربي يتابع هذه القمم المعنية بأهداف التنمية المستدامة ويسمع أن هذه الأهداف ستغير مستقبل البشرية في التعليم والصحة والمناخ، ماذا تقول له؟
محمود محيي الدين: نُشرت لي مقالة في عدة صحف تحت عنوان سؤالك هذا. وكانت المقالة بعنوان: "قمم الأمم وأحوال عموم الناس". يتابع الناس قادة الدول والناشطين وقادة الأعمال ممن يأتون إلى مقر الأمم المتحدة من كل حدب وصوب لحضور قمم واجتماعات سنويا خلال شهر أيلول/سبتمبر. فما الذي تنتهي إليه هذه القمم؟ يخرج عن بعضها نتائج مهمة لتوجيه العمل داخل المؤسسات الدولية والمنظمات الأممية.
ولكن التقارير الأخيرة تشير إلى أن أحوال عموم الناس تفاقمت بسبب الجائحة والحرب في أوكرانيا. هناك معاناة بسبب تراجع مستويات المعيشة. يشير تقرير التنمية البشرية الصادر عن برنامج الأمم المتحدة الإنمائي إلى أن أحوال الناس في البلدان الأقل دخلا- فيما يتعلق بمستويات المعيشة والخدمات المقدمة لهم وفرصهم في الالتحاق بسوق العمل- باتت أسوأ مما كانت عليه منذ بداية القرن وليس منذ بداية 2015 عندما تم إطلاق خطة التنمية المستدامة. لا يمكن الاستمرار على هذا النحو ولا يمكن أن نبرره أو نعلق خيباتنا على عوامل خارجية.
المديونيات الخارجية تلتهم أكثر مما هو مخصص للتعليم والرعاية الصحية
قبل الجائحة بنحو ستة أشهر، أصدر الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة تقريرا أعلن فيه أننا لسنا على الطريق الصحيح فيما يتعلق بتحقيق أهداف التنمية المستدامة- بما في ذلك مؤشرات الفقر والعدالة والتعليم والرعاية الصحية. ثم بعد ذلك بشهور عانينا من جائحة كـوفيد-19.
هناك مشكلة المديونيات الخارجية التي تواجهها البلدان الأقل دخلا والتي يعاني نصفها من مشكلات سيئة مع المديونيات الخارجية. يشير تقرير صادر عن الأونكتاد إلى أن خدمة المديونيات الخارجية تلتهم أكثر مما هو مخصص للتعليم والرعاية الصحية وبعض الخدمات الأساسية.
إذن، نحن نطالب المجتمعات بما في ذلك البلدان النامية أن تقوم بعمل أكبر لإعادة وضع نفسها على المسار الصحيح مرة أخرى، ونطالب الناس بأن يعلموا أبناءهم وأن يوفروا لأهاليهم رعاية صحية أفضل، ولكن عندما تلتهم هذه الديون المخصصَ من ميزانيات الدولة للمساعدة في هذه المجالات فنحن نعقد الأمر.
هناك ورقة مهمة صدرت عن الأمم المتحدة هذا العام أفادت بأنه للتعامل مع مشكلة التمويل أولا، يجب منع الضرر وهو الدين وخدمته وثانيا، يجب أن نوفر تمويلا ميسرا، وثالثا يجب أن نبتكر في الأساليب التي تجمع آليات التمويل المختلفة. نحتاج أيضا إلى التكنولوجيا والبحث والتطوير لأن التكنولوجيا تيسر من حياة الناس وتخفض من التكلفة، وأخيرا نحتاج إلى نظام محفز للتعاون الدولي وخاصة في ظل التوترات الجيوسياسية والحرب في أوكرانيا والصراعات المختلفة.
أخبار الأمم المتحدة: إذا وصلنا إلى الموعد المحدد لتحقيق هذه الأهداف في عام 2030 ولم تتحقق هذه الأهداف فما الذي سيحدث؟
محمود محيي الدين: لا أريد أن استبق الأحداث، ولكن دعنا في هذا الطموح الذي استجد بأننا من الممكن أن نؤدي بشكل أفضل في الشوط الثاني من المباراة بعد الخيبة التي أصابتنا في الشوط الأول. ولكن إذا لم يحدث ما نصبو إليه ونطمح له سيكون هناك ما يعرف بـ ما بعد أهداف 2030 على غرار ما حدث مع الأهداف الإنمائية. إذا تحدثنا عن الأهداف الإنمائية فإن الذي أنقذ العالم هو أن تلك الأهداف كانت أقل طموحا وكان عددها 8 فقط وليس 17 هدفا وكانت طموحاتها مبنية على الكم وليس النوع، مثلا في التعليم كانت تتحدث عن الكم وليس النوع، وفي الصحة كان الحديث عن عدد الأسرة وليس نوعية الخدمة الصحية.
دول الشمال (الدول الغنية) لم تكن مستهدفة من خلال أهداف الألفية ولكن أهداف التنمية المستدامة تستهدف كل دول العالم، وبالتالي فالتحديات أكبر في الوصول إليها.
خطورة الأمر تكمن في أن التراجع في أهداف التنمية المستدامة تنطوي عليه مشاكل كبيرة متعلقة بالاستقرار السياسي والاقتصادي. كذلك هناك مشاكل تتعلق بالهجرة الاضطرارية. علينا التعلم من دروس السنوات السبع الماضية حتى نستطيع أن نستبشر خيرا بالأعوام القادمة.
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04 December 2023
The UN in Bahrain marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
The United Nations Country Team in Bahrain co-organized an event with the Palestinian Embassy at the Kingdom of Bahrain on 29 November to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
In his speech, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain Khaled El Mekwad remarked that this year, the anniversary comes during one of the darkest chapters in the history of the Palestinian people. He drew attention to the appalling toll on civilians brought by the seven weeks of hostilities in Israel and Gaza.
El Mekwad reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s call for a humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, adding that the truce observed for the past days has allowed the UN to scale up the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza to meet the enormous needs of the population.
A photo exhibit entitled “Palestine – a Land with a People,” concurrently launched at UN Headquarters in New York, was held at the sidelines of the event. The exhibit commemorates the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) and showcases photographs and art depicting different episodes in the Palestinian journey before, during, and after the Nakba. It serves as a reminder that close to 6 million Palestinians remain refugees to this day.
The event was attended by several ambassadors, diplomats, officials, and Palestinians residing in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The General Assembly called for the annual observance of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People since 1977 through resolution 32/40 B.
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03 December 2023
COP28: As ‘humanity’s fate hangs in the balance’, UN chief calls for urgent action to prevent planetary crash
Earth’s vital signs are failing and to prevent planetary crash and burn, “we need…cooperation and political will”, UN Secretary General António Guterres said on Friday, challenging world leaders gathered in Dubai for COP28 to show real global climate leadership.
The UN chief delivered his impassioned appeal at the high-level opening of the Global Climate Action Summit, which will see world leaders and Heads of State and Government taking centre stage for the next two days in the Al Waha Theatre in Dubai’s iconic Expo City.
Warning that “humanity’s fate is hanging in the balance”, the Secretary-General said world leaders must act now to end the climate catastrophe.
“This is a sickness only you, global leaders, can cure,” he said, calling on the leaders to end the world’s dependence on fossil fuels and to fulfill the long overdue promise for climate justice.
Mr. Guterres also welcomed the breakthrough achieved Thursday on the opening day of COP28 after delegates reached a deal on the operationalization a fund for loss and damage to help the world’s most vulnerable countries pay for the devastating impacts of climate disaster.
COP28/Anthony Fleyhan
Buzz around the venue
Expo City, the venue for the climate talks, is buzzing with activity amid the tight security on the second day of COP28, as world’s leaders started arriving for the Action Summit.
Over the next two days, leaders from over 160 countries are expected to outline their vision for tackling the climate crisis, including from Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Turkiye and India.
Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, is well-known for its extremely hot weather. While December is normally a relatively pleasant month, hundreds of reporters, photographers and civil society delegates have been jostling for space in Expo City’s shady spots to catch a break from the scorching sun.
Indigenous peoples are on the frontline of climate change impacts and their representatives are very active – and vocal – at COP28. Earlier on Friday UN News ran into Jacob Johns, who says he’s working to inform climate policy with indigenous knowledge.
“We are here to shift the hearts and minds of conference goers and the negotiating teams so that we live in solidarity with a healthy, livable future,” said Mr. Johns, who is Hopi and Akimel O’odham, and a member of the US-based Indigenous Wisdom Keepers delegation.
“We want to see real climate action... We want to see funding going into climate justice and the loss and damage fund. We want all these funds to be available to indigenous people who are suffering at the impending climate collapse, with land loss and extreme weather events,” he told us.
United in crisis
In his remarks to the Action Summit, the Secretary-General recalled to his recent trips to Antarctica and Nepal, pointing out how he witnessed first-hand the scale and extent of melting ice and glaciers.
“These two spots are far in distance, but united in crisis,” said Mr. Guterres.
He cautioned though that this is just one symptom of the sickness bringing our climate to its knees.
Painting a worrisome picture of ongoing climate chaos, the UN chief said global heating is busting budgets, ballooning food prices, upending energy markets, and feeding a cost-of-living crisis.
“We are miles from the goals of the Paris Agreement – and minutes to midnight for the 1.5-degree limit.”
No more time to lose
Mr. Guterres emphasized that the success of the Dubai conference will depends on the outcome of the so-named ‘Global Stocktake’ – where countries will for the first time assess progress on curbing global warming – which can get the world on track to achieve the temperature, finance, and adaptation goals.
He underscored that the stocktake must prescribe a credible cure for our ailing planet in three key areas.
First, a drastic cut in emissions since current policies are leading us to an earth-scorching three-degree temperature rise.
“I urge countries to speed up their net zero timelines, to get there as close as possible to 2040 in developed countries and 2050 in emerging economies.”
Second, acceleration towards a just, equitable transition to renewables, since a burning planet cannot be saved with a firehose of fossil fuels.
“The 1.5-degree limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels. Not reduce. Not abate. Phase out – with a clear timeframe aligned with 1.5 degrees.”
Third, fulfillment of the long overdue promise of climate justice in an unequal and divided world – a surge in finance, including for adaptation and loss and damage.
He urged developed countries to double adaptation finance to $40 billion a year by 2025 and provide details on how they plan to deliver on the $100 billion promise for financial support for developing countries.
‘People-first strategy’
“As a citizen of a small Island developing State myself, I am acutely aware that on our current trajectory those islands and the wealth of culture and history they represent are at peril of imminent disappearance,” said Dennis Francis, President of the UN General Assembly, who is from Trinidad and Tobago, threatened by fast-advancing sea level rise.
“A three-degree world is not science fiction but the path we are on,” he said, referring to the fact that if current trends continue the world may be facing a temperature increase of three degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial era, instead of the 1.5-degree target set in Paris.
He focused on the need for “a just transition to sustainable energy systems” and for “more accessible, more available” financing for climate adaptation.
Recalling that all countries are dealing with unique crises in their national contexts, Assembly President Francis urged delegations to draw on those experiences in your discussions at COP28.
“I urge you to propose integrated and action-oriented solutions, that will guide other participants – to help them to re-imagine local, national, and regional policies and policy frameworks that anticipate risks, prioritize investments, and enable adaptive climate mobility; while embracing a people-first strategy.”
COP28/Christophe Viseux
The opening ceremony of the World Climate Action Summit also saw the representation of the indigenous communities whose survival is threatened by climate change.
Isabel Prestes da Fonseca is the co-founder and environmental director of Instituto Zág, an indigenous youth-led organisation whose key activity is the reforestation and preservation of traditional knowledge around the Araucaria tree, known as Zág.
“I stand here today, representing indigenous voices and the urgent need to address environmental crises. Join us in this fight for nature and biodiversity. Together, we can be the change,” she said. Another ‘turning point’ King Charles III recalled the time that he was invited to speak at the opening of the landmark COP21 in Paris eight years ago, “where nations put differences aside for common good”. “I pray with all my heart that COP28 will be another turning point,” he said. He deplored the fact that progress towards climate goals has fallen off track, as the global stocktake shows, and asked, “How dangerous are we actually prepared to make our world?” COP28/Christophe Viseux “Dealing with this is a job for us all,” he insisted in his address to the Summit on behalf of the United Kingdom. King Charles went on to cite the impact of climate change globally, including devastating floods in India and Pakistan and severe wildfires in the United States, Canada and Greece. “Unless we rapidly repair and restore nature's unique economy, based on harmony and balance, which is our ultimate sustainer, our own economy and survivability will be imperiled,” he said.
Isabel Prestes da Fonseca is the co-founder and environmental director of Instituto Zág, an indigenous youth-led organisation whose key activity is the reforestation and preservation of traditional knowledge around the Araucaria tree, known as Zág.
“I stand here today, representing indigenous voices and the urgent need to address environmental crises. Join us in this fight for nature and biodiversity. Together, we can be the change,” she said. Another ‘turning point’ King Charles III recalled the time that he was invited to speak at the opening of the landmark COP21 in Paris eight years ago, “where nations put differences aside for common good”. “I pray with all my heart that COP28 will be another turning point,” he said. He deplored the fact that progress towards climate goals has fallen off track, as the global stocktake shows, and asked, “How dangerous are we actually prepared to make our world?” COP28/Christophe Viseux “Dealing with this is a job for us all,” he insisted in his address to the Summit on behalf of the United Kingdom. King Charles went on to cite the impact of climate change globally, including devastating floods in India and Pakistan and severe wildfires in the United States, Canada and Greece. “Unless we rapidly repair and restore nature's unique economy, based on harmony and balance, which is our ultimate sustainer, our own economy and survivability will be imperiled,” he said.
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03 December 2023
COP28 talks open in Dubai with breakthrough deal on loss and damage fund
Delegates meeting in Dubai agreed Thursday on the operationalization of a fund that would help compensate vulnerable countries coping with loss and damage caused by climate change, a major breakthrough on the first day of this year’s UN climate conference.
“Today’s news on loss and damage gives this UN climate conference a running start. All governments and negotiators must use this momentum to deliver ambitious outcomes here in Dubai,” said UN climate chief Simon Stiell during a press conference at which the announcement was made.
On X (formerly Twitter), UN Secretary-General António Guterres also welcomed the agreement to operationalize the fund calling it an essential tool to deliver climate justice. He urged leaders to support the fund and get COP28 off to a strong start.
The fund has been a long-standing demand of developing nations on the frontlines of climate change coping with the cost of the devastation caused by ever-increasing extreme weather events such as drought, floods, and rising seas.
Following several years of intense negotiations at annual UN climate meetings, developed nations extended their support for the need to set up the fund last year during COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Reportedly, Sultan al-Jaber, the President of the COP28 climate conference, has said that his country, the United Arab Emirates, would commit $100 million to the fund.
Germany has also reportedly pledged a contribution of $100 million to the fund. The United States, the United Kingdom and Japan have also announced contributions to the fund.
The 28th annual meeting known as ‘COP’ after the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), opened today and is scheduled to run through to 12 December.
The action is taking place at the sprawling campus of Expo City, which has been decorated with trees and foliage. It is located on the outskirts of Dubai and is expected to host over 70,000 delegates, climate negotiators and other participants coming together to shape a better future for the planet.
Loss and damage?
For a reminder of how central the loss and damage issue is to past COPs and efforts to stay on track with the Paris Agreement, here's our story from last year in Egypt when the dramatic agreement was announced in the final hours of COP27, and you can check out this explainer from our colleagues at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
In short, nations contributing least to greenhouse gas emissions are least equipped to deal with droughts, sea-level rise and other climate-related destruction. Lives, livelihoods and cultures could be massively altered by extreme weather events. As the climate crisis unfolds, these events will occur more frequently, and the consequences will become more severe.
The draft agreement to operationalize the long-awaited ‘loss and damage’ fund aims to help compensate vulnerable nations for the impact of climate change, by, citing just one possible example, ensuring that vital infrastructure can be rebuilt or replaced with more sustainable versions.
‘Bold action, now’ Speaking earlier on Thursday at the opening of the conference, Mr. Stiell, who is the UNFCCC Executive Secretary, issued a warning that the world is taking “baby steps” in the face of a terrifying planetary climate crisis that requires bold action now. “We are taking baby steps and stepping far too slowly to work out the best responses to the complex climate impacts we are faced with,” he told delegates gathered for COP28. The UN climate chief’s warning came just hours after the UN weather agency, known as WMO, issued a provisional report saying that this has “shattered” climate records accompanied by extreme weather which has left a trail of devastation and despair. What’s at stake Mr Stiell then outlined what’s at stake. “This has been the hottest year ever for humanity. So many terrifying records were broken,” he said, adding: We are paying with people’s lives and livelihoods.”
“Science tells us we have around six years before we exhaust the planet’s ability to cope with our emissions. Before we blow through the 1.5-degree limit,” he warned, referring to one of the keystone targets under the landmark Paris Agreement.
Ominously, a steady stream of reports published in the lead up to COP28 have shown that the world is way off-track in achieving climate goals. and in the absence of ambitious action, we are heading towards a temperature increase of 3 degrees by the end of this century.
Against this backdrop, Mr. Stiell called on countries to deliver ambitious new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), or national climate action plans where every single commitment in 2025 – on finance, adaptation, and mitigation – must be in line with a 1.5-degree world. UN News managed to speak in Dubai on Thursday with the head of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Petteri Taalas, who told us that limit was on the brink of being breached: Progress on Paris Goals The Dubai COP will mark the culmination of a process known as the ‘Global Stocktake’ – an evaluation of the progress so far on achieving key provisions of the Paris accord: namely curbing greenhouse gas emissions, building climate resilience and mobilizing financial support for vulnerable countries. As such, the UNFCCC Executive Secretary said delegations at COP28 face two options: The first would be to note the lack of progress, tweak current best practices “and encourage ourselves to do more ‘at some other point in time’.” Or the conference could decide at what point it will have made everyone on the planet safe and resilient; to fund this transition properly including the response to loss and damage; and decide to commit to a new energy system.
Indeed, he warned: “If we do not signal the terminal decline of the fossil fuel era as we know it, we welcome our own terminal decline. And we choose to pay with people’s lives. If this transition isn’t just, we won’t transition at all. That means justice within and between countries.” He also emphasized his focus on ensuring accountability for climate promises.
“Yes, this is the biggest COP yet – but attending a COP does not tick the climate box for the year. The badges around your necks make you responsible for delivering climate action here and at home.”
“I am committing the UNFCCC to track all announcements made and initiatives launched. So that long after the cameras have gone, we can ensure our promises continue to serve the planet,” Mr. Stiell added. Thursday’s events marked the meeting’s procedural opening, but the conference will begin in earnest on Friday with a ‘climate action summit’ featuring the UN Secretary General alongside world leaders who will present national statements on what their governments are doing to address the global climate crisis. COP27: A call we heeded together Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of COP27 Sameh Shoukry reminded delegates that despite global challenges such as COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, COP27 turned out to be a moment for effective and global climate action, and succeeded in delivering a number of long-awaited elements of the global climate action agenda.
He recalled that the ‘loss and damage’ funding arrangement had been established, the so-named ‘Just Transition’ work programme had been launched, and parties had also agreed on a pathway to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, providing a boost to climate action during this critical decade.
He underscored that Together for Implementation had not just been a slogan for COP27, but rather a timely call to move from setting rules, frameworks and commitments to a clear focus on the tangible implementation these commitments on the ground. World at a crossroads: Addressing the opening plenary, Sultan al-Jaber, the President of the COP28 said: “We feel, as you feel, the urgency of the work, and we see, as you see, that the world has reached a crossroads.” “The science has spoken. It has confirmed that the moment is now to find a new road, wide enough for all of us. That new road starts with a decision on the global stocktake.”
He expressed his commitment to ensuring an inclusive and transparent process, one that encourages free and open discussion between all parties.
‘Bold action, now’ Speaking earlier on Thursday at the opening of the conference, Mr. Stiell, who is the UNFCCC Executive Secretary, issued a warning that the world is taking “baby steps” in the face of a terrifying planetary climate crisis that requires bold action now. “We are taking baby steps and stepping far too slowly to work out the best responses to the complex climate impacts we are faced with,” he told delegates gathered for COP28. The UN climate chief’s warning came just hours after the UN weather agency, known as WMO, issued a provisional report saying that this has “shattered” climate records accompanied by extreme weather which has left a trail of devastation and despair. What’s at stake Mr Stiell then outlined what’s at stake. “This has been the hottest year ever for humanity. So many terrifying records were broken,” he said, adding: We are paying with people’s lives and livelihoods.”
“Science tells us we have around six years before we exhaust the planet’s ability to cope with our emissions. Before we blow through the 1.5-degree limit,” he warned, referring to one of the keystone targets under the landmark Paris Agreement.
Ominously, a steady stream of reports published in the lead up to COP28 have shown that the world is way off-track in achieving climate goals. and in the absence of ambitious action, we are heading towards a temperature increase of 3 degrees by the end of this century.
Against this backdrop, Mr. Stiell called on countries to deliver ambitious new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), or national climate action plans where every single commitment in 2025 – on finance, adaptation, and mitigation – must be in line with a 1.5-degree world. UN News managed to speak in Dubai on Thursday with the head of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Petteri Taalas, who told us that limit was on the brink of being breached: Progress on Paris Goals The Dubai COP will mark the culmination of a process known as the ‘Global Stocktake’ – an evaluation of the progress so far on achieving key provisions of the Paris accord: namely curbing greenhouse gas emissions, building climate resilience and mobilizing financial support for vulnerable countries. As such, the UNFCCC Executive Secretary said delegations at COP28 face two options: The first would be to note the lack of progress, tweak current best practices “and encourage ourselves to do more ‘at some other point in time’.” Or the conference could decide at what point it will have made everyone on the planet safe and resilient; to fund this transition properly including the response to loss and damage; and decide to commit to a new energy system.
Indeed, he warned: “If we do not signal the terminal decline of the fossil fuel era as we know it, we welcome our own terminal decline. And we choose to pay with people’s lives. If this transition isn’t just, we won’t transition at all. That means justice within and between countries.” He also emphasized his focus on ensuring accountability for climate promises.
“Yes, this is the biggest COP yet – but attending a COP does not tick the climate box for the year. The badges around your necks make you responsible for delivering climate action here and at home.”
“I am committing the UNFCCC to track all announcements made and initiatives launched. So that long after the cameras have gone, we can ensure our promises continue to serve the planet,” Mr. Stiell added. Thursday’s events marked the meeting’s procedural opening, but the conference will begin in earnest on Friday with a ‘climate action summit’ featuring the UN Secretary General alongside world leaders who will present national statements on what their governments are doing to address the global climate crisis. COP27: A call we heeded together Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of COP27 Sameh Shoukry reminded delegates that despite global challenges such as COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, COP27 turned out to be a moment for effective and global climate action, and succeeded in delivering a number of long-awaited elements of the global climate action agenda.
He recalled that the ‘loss and damage’ funding arrangement had been established, the so-named ‘Just Transition’ work programme had been launched, and parties had also agreed on a pathway to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, providing a boost to climate action during this critical decade.
He underscored that Together for Implementation had not just been a slogan for COP27, but rather a timely call to move from setting rules, frameworks and commitments to a clear focus on the tangible implementation these commitments on the ground. World at a crossroads: Addressing the opening plenary, Sultan al-Jaber, the President of the COP28 said: “We feel, as you feel, the urgency of the work, and we see, as you see, that the world has reached a crossroads.” “The science has spoken. It has confirmed that the moment is now to find a new road, wide enough for all of us. That new road starts with a decision on the global stocktake.”
He expressed his commitment to ensuring an inclusive and transparent process, one that encourages free and open discussion between all parties.
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03 December 2023
COP28: Extraction of minerals needed for green energy must be ‘sustainable and just’, says Guterres
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday announced his plan to set up a panel aimed to ensure the move from fossil fuels towards renewable energy is just, sustainable and benefits all countries.
The UN chief made this announcement in an address to a summit of developing country leaders taking place at the latest UN climate conference, COP28, now under way in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Mr. Guterres, who has been a strong proponent of moving away from fossil fuels, told leaders of the Group of 77 Developing Countries, which includes China, that the availability and accessibility of critical energy transition minerals is crucial to reach the goals set by the 2015 Paris Agreement.
“COP28 must commit countries to triple renewables capacity, double energy efficiency, and bring clean energy to all, by 2030,” stated the UN chief, stressing that the phase out fossil fuels with a roadmap that is equitable and with a timeframe compatible with 1.5 degrees is also essential.
As such, he said, “we need a just, fair and equitable transition from fossil fuels to renewables…The very existence of some countries in this room depends on it.”
The green energy boom is an opportunity for commodity-rich developing countries to transform and diversify their economies.
However, a lack of global guidance to manage these resources could exacerbate geopolitical risks and environmental and social challenges, including impacts on water, biodiversity, health and indigenous peoples’ rights.
“The extraction of critical minerals for the clean energy revolution – from wind farms to solar panels and battery manufacturing – must be done in a sustainable, fair and just way,” the UN chief said, adding that the demand for minerals, such as copper, lithium and cobalt, is set to increase almost fourfold by 2030.
“We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past,” with a systematic exploitation of developing countries reduced to the production of basic raw materials.
The proposed Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals will bring together governments, international organizations, industry, and civil society to develop common and voluntary principles to guide extractive industries in the years ahead “in the name of justice and sustainability.”
‘Keep pushing the needle’
In his remarks, UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis praised the G77 and China for leading the charge to shift to renewable energy and leading the calls for building resilience.
“They have spearheaded debates on climate finance – including pushing for the reform of the international financial architecture, that would afford developing countries better access to development funding without the overhang of unsustainable debt levels,” he added.
The Assembly President noted his intention to convene a ‘Sustainability Week’ in April 2024, to address the dynamics of sustainability in relation to infrastructure, transportation, tourism, and, of course, energy.
“We must continue to push the needle on these sectors that are so essential to modern economies, that yet constitute some of the greatest contributors to atmospheric emissions,” he said invited the developing country leaders to come to New York for that ‘week’ to build on the impact of the decisions taken at COP28.
‘Renewables revolution’
The second and final day of the World Climate Action Summit – the ministerial-level segment of COP28, where world leaders have been laying out their national strategies – also saw the Secretary General press for accelerated climate action that would help offset the challenges faced by mountainous and landlocked developing countries.
UNFCCC/Kiara Worth
UN Secretary-General António Guterres (centre left) and other panellist at the High-Level meeting on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) held during the World Climate Action Summit at COP28, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
At a high-level meeting of the landlocked developing countries (LLDc), the UN chief highlighted that they are on the frontlines of climate change, facing a range of dramatic impacts: desertification and prolonged droughts, catastrophic biodiversity loss and rapidly melting glaciers.
According to Mr. Guterres, there are no LLDCs that are big emitters, but all landlocked nations are coping with the negative and devastating impacts of runaway emissions and the climate chaos it drives.
“So I think you have a moral authority to tell big emitters, namely the G20 countries that represent 80 per cent of the emissions, it’s time to seriously reduce emissions,” so the more than 500 million people living in least developed countries are not so impacted by the accelerated effects of climate change and benefit from “the same levels of well-being that we want for everyone everywhere in the world.”
At the same time, he pointed out how they could also harness it to their advantage, reaping the “rewards of the renewables revolution.”
“You can be champions of an energy transition that is sustainable, just, inclusive, and equitable. But to do all of this, you need much, much more support,” said Mr. Guterres.
‘Distress call’
Addressing the high-level side event ‘Call of the Mountain: Who Saves us from the Climate Crisis?’, the UN chief said mountains are issuing a distress call, and COP28 must respond with a strong rescue plan.
Mr. Guterres described his recent “unforgettable visit” to Nepal, where he was deeply shocked to learn about the rapid pace of glacier melting and its “terrible impact” on local communities.
The Himalayan nation has lost close to a third of its ice in just over 30 years – a direct result of the greenhouse [gas] pollution heating our planet.
“Nepal, and other vulnerable mountain countries, are being pounded by a crisis that is not of their making. Unless we change course, we will unleash catastrophe,” he explained.
UNFCCC/Kiara Worth
Screenshot of a monitor in the meeting room at the COP28 event in Expo City in Dubai on ‘Call of the Mountains: who saves us from the climate crisis?’
COP28: Towards solutions
Against the backdrop of the challenges faced by vulnerable landlocks and mountainous nations, The Secretary-General underscored the critical importance of the expected decisions by delegates at COP28 on the so-called ‘Global Stocktake’, which should set the stage for a “surge in global climate ambition in 2025 and beyond.”
The stocktake is a crucial mechanism established under the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, aimed at measuring progress towards the accord’s goals and encouraging countries to ramp up their climate action plans.
An ambitious outcome from the global stocktake process will require major progress on three fronts, Mr. Guterres explained.
Finance: “We need to see a boosting of contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund.” Developed countries need to make good on their financial commitments.
Reducing emissions: “We must preserve the limit of 1.5-degrees of heating, as set out in the Paris Agreement, to avert the worst of climate chaos.” It must advance a just, fair and equitable transition from fossil fuels to renewables. More international cooperation: Achieving the climate goals agreed in Paris “depend on new levels of collaboration between government, and between countries and companies, to drive down emissions, and to protect everyone on earth with an effective early warning system by 2027.”
Reducing emissions: “We must preserve the limit of 1.5-degrees of heating, as set out in the Paris Agreement, to avert the worst of climate chaos.” It must advance a just, fair and equitable transition from fossil fuels to renewables. More international cooperation: Achieving the climate goals agreed in Paris “depend on new levels of collaboration between government, and between countries and companies, to drive down emissions, and to protect everyone on earth with an effective early warning system by 2027.”
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03 December 2023
Science points to ‘climate collapse’ as UN chief calls COP28 to action
The world is heating up at an unprecedented pace, new climate data shows, and leaders gathered for the COP28 conference which opened in Dubai on Thursday must get us out of “deep trouble”, UN chief António Guterres said.
While 2023 is not yet over, a provisional report from the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that it is set to be the warmest on record, with global temperatures rising 1.4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Mr. Guterres said that the race is on to keep alive the 1.5-degree limit agreed by world leaders in Paris in 2015.
“We are living through climate collapse in real time – and the impact is devastating,” he warned in a video statement accompanying the launch of the report on the first day of this year’s annual UN climate talks.
UN News/Nargiz Shekinskaya
Melting glaciers, rising seas
The UN Secretary-General recently visited two global warming hotspots, Antarctica and Nepal, where he bore witness to record low sea ice and was “shocked at the speed of receding glaciers”.
According to WMO’s report, the maximum Antarctic Sea ice extent for the year was a staggering one million square kilometres less than the previous record low, at the end of southern hemisphere winter.
Glaciers in western North America and the European Alps also experienced an “extreme melt season”.
Because of continued ocean warming and melting of glaciers and ice sheets, record sea level rise was also observed, WMO said.
Greenhouse gas levels keep climbing
Meanwhile, concentrations in the atmosphere of heat-trapping carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide reached a record high last year and continued to increase in 2023.
WMO stressed that carbon dioxide levels are 50 per cent above the pre-industrial era and that the gas’s long lifetime “means that temperatures will continue to rise for many years to come”.
“These are more than just statistics,” said WMO chief Petteri Taalas, calling for action to “limit the risks of an increasingly inhospitable climate in this and the coming centuries”.
Dire consequences
From deadly Cyclone Daniel in Libya in September to devastating floods in the Horn of Africa following five consecutive seasons of drought and severe smoke pollution from Canada’s forest blazes, WMO’s report highlights the grim effects of climate upheaval on lives, health and livelihoods.
Throughout the year, communities suffering from extreme weather around the world faced food insecurity and displacement.
“Record global heat should send shivers down the spines of world leaders,” Mr. Guterres said. “And it should trigger them to act”.
Follow the roadmap
The UN chief reiterated his call on countries to “triple renewables, double energy efficiency… and phase out fossil fuels”.
According to WMO, last year renewable energy capacity grew by some 10 per cent worldwide, led by solar and wind power.
Mr. Guterres pointed to the existing roadmap to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Eight years on, he urged governments to set “clear expectations” for the next round of climate action plans and invest in their implementation.
Protect people
The COP 28 conference will see the first-ever “global stocktake” to assess collective progress on cutting emissions and ramping up adaptation efforts and support to developing countries hard hit by a warming climate.
The UN Secretary-General said that countries must “go further and faster in protecting people from climate chaos”.
This includes ensuring that every person on Earth is covered by early warnings against extreme weather by 2027 and operationalizing a “loss and damage fund” to assist vulnerable hit hard by floods, droughts and other climate disasters with “generous, early contributions” from richer nations, he said.
Developed countries must honour the promise to deliver $100 billion per year in climate finance, which was first made at COP15 in 2009, and double the amount of funding going towards adaptation efforts, he insisted.
© UNFCCC
COP28
The UN climate conference taking place from 30 November to 12 December in Dubai is the 28th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which entered into force in 1994.
Over 60,000 delegates are expected to attend, including the member states of the UNFCCC, industry leaders, youth activists and representatives of indigenous communities.
All eyes will be on the conclusions of the first global stocktake – referred to as a ‘temperature check’ on where the world stands in meeting commitments under the Paris Agreement – and countries’ willingness to use them as a springboard towards more ambitious, accelerated climate action.
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Press Release
04 December 2023
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL - MESSAGE ON HUMAN RIGHTS DAY - 10 December 2023
The Universal Declaration is a roadmap, helping to end wars, heal divisions and promote lives of peace and dignity for all.
But the world is losing its way. Conflicts are raging. Poverty and hunger are increasing. Inequalities are deepening. The climate crisis is a human rights crisis that is hitting the most vulnerable hardest.
Authoritarianism is on the rise.
Civic space is shrinking and the media is under attack from all sides.
Gender equality remains a distant dream and women’s reproductive rights are being rolled back.
Today, it is more important than ever to promote and respect all human rights – social, cultural, economic, civil and political – which protect us all.
The Universal Declaration shows the way to common values and approaches that can help resolve tensions and create the security and stability our world craves.
As we work to update global frameworks and make them more effective in the 21st century, human rights must have a unique and central role.
I call on Member States to use this 75th anniversary, and the Summit of the Future next year, to strengthen their commitment to the timeless values of the Universal Declaration.
And on Human Rights Day, I urge people around the world to promote and respect human rights, every day, for everyone, everywhere.
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Press Release
04 December 2023
Op-ed: Disability Inclusion is a key area of cooperation between the UN and Bahrain
Today, around 15 per cent of the world’s population, which is more than 1 billion people, live with a form of disability. Women with disabilities are recognized to be multiply disadvantaged, experiencing exclusion on account of their gender and their disability. These are just a few facts to keep in mind as we mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd.
Against the backdrop of 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda’s promise to leave no one behind, the UN Secretary General’s report on Disability Inclusion in the UN system noted that “persons with disabilities continue to be among those who are most excluded, including in gaining access to education, health services and employment and in participating in political decision-making”. During the global Covid-19 crisis, people with disabilities have been among the hardest hit. Around the world, the socioeconomic repercussions of the pandemic are deepening pre-existing inequalities, including those associated with disability. This backdrop makes efforts to address persistent vulnerabilities around disability all the timelier.
In 2019, the UN Secretary General launched the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy to achieve transformative and lasting change on disability inclusion. Through the strategy, the organizations of the UN system reaffirm that the full and complete realization of the human rights of all people with disabilities are an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.
Bahrain was one of the first countries to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007 (acceded in 2011). Under the guidance of the High Commission for Disability Affairs, a range of government ministries and entities partnered with institutions and civil society organizations throughout Bahrain to address the needs of people with disabilities.
Even before signing the convention, Bahrain paid considerable attention to the issue of disability inclusion, issuing legislation, laws and decisions designed to protect the rights of people with disabilities. One such law (No. 74, 2006) provided many important guarantees for people with disabilities in the areas of care, rehabilitation and employment, and instituted a monthly disability allowance.
The UN and Bahrain have a long-standing partnership in the area of disability inclusion. UN agencies have supported the government in formulating an inclusive and integrated National Strategy for Persons with Disabilities (2012-2016). This included key pillars, such as legislation, health and rehabilitation, inclusive education, economic empowerment, social empowerment (including empowerment of women with disabilities), ease of access to facilities and services and awareness-raising and the media.
With the government having launched in 2023 the Action Plan of the National Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2022-2026), UN agencies are coming together to support the government in its implementation. In addition, the UN Country Team in Bahrain includes persons with disabilities, contributing their expertise to a range of programmes and projects geared towards the 2030 Agenda.
As we mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the UN looks forward to continuing to work hand in hand with the government and the people of Bahrain towards a more inclusive, accessible and sustainable world.
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Press Release
03 December 2023
Statement by the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain, Khaled El Mekwad, on Bahraini Women's Day (1 December 2023)
Over this year, Bahrain has continuously progressed in the implementation of its ground-breaking National Gender Balance Model, driving national capacities and investments forward to
achieve His Royal Highness King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa's vision for Bahrain: a nation that empowers and values the contribution of all its people - women and men, girls and boys.
The dedicated efforts of the Supreme Council for Women, under the leadership of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, have been central to advancing gender equality and women's empowerment.
The United Nations in Bahrain is proud to partner with the Supreme Council for Women. In 2023, UN Women, the UN's principal entity for gender equality and women's empowerment, established an office in Bahrain; its first programme office in the Gulf region. The UN Country Team has been working closely with the Supreme Council for Women to support the implementation of Bahrain's national development priorities on gender balance, including championing Bahrain's lessons learned on gender-responsive development through such fora as the Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al-Khalifa Global Award for Women's Empowerment.
This year, Bahrain has reported on its accomplishments in implementing the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Women's empowerment, full participation, and leadership in all aspects of public life are crucial accelerators for achieving the SDGs by 2030. The United Nations Country Team will continue to partner with the Kingdom of Bahrain to achieve SDG 5 and all 17 SDGs by 2030.
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Press Release
01 December 2023
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL -- REMARKS TO WORLD CLIMATE ACTION SUMMIT COP28
Your Highness, President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
I want to express my profound gratitude for the wonderful hospitality that we are enjoying in Dubai from the government and the people of the United Arab Emirates.
COP28 President Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, I want to congratulate you on the positive start to the COP with an expeditious approval of the agenda and the landmark operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund. Congratulations.
Excellencies, friends, all protocol observed.
Just days ago, I was on the melting ice of Antarctica.
Not long before, I was among the melting glaciers of Nepal.
These two spots are far in distance, but united in crisis.
Polar ice and glaciers are vanishing before our eyes, causing havoc the world over: from landslides and floods, to rising seas.
But this is just one symptom of the sickness bringing our climate to its knees.
A sickness only you, global leaders, can cure.
Excellencies,
Earth’s vital signs are failing: record emissions, ferocious fires, deadly droughts and the hottest year ever. We can guarantee it even when we’re still in November.
We are miles from the goals of the Paris Agreement – and minutes to midnight for the 1.5-degree limit.
But it is not too late.
We can - you can - prevent planetary crash and burn.
We have the technologies to avoid the worst of climate chaos – if we act now.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has charted a clear path to a 1.5-degree world.
But we need leadership – cooperation – and political will for action.
And we need it now.
It’s true. Our world is unequal and divided.
As we see in this region, conflicts are causing immense suffering and intense emotion. We just heard the news that the bombs are sounding again in Gaza.
And climate chaos is fanning the flames of injustice.
Global heating is busting budgets, ballooning food prices, upending energy markets, and feeding a cost-of-living crisis.
But climate action can flip the switch.
And renewable energy is the gift that keeps on giving.
It is good for our planet, our health, and our economies.
Cleaning our air.
Meeting the world’s growing energy demand.
Connecting millions of people to affordable electricity.
Bringing stability and security to markets.
And saving money – as renewable energy has never been cheaper.
Excellencies, friends,
The diagnosis is clear.
The success of this COP depends on the Global Stocktake prescribing a credible cure in three areas.
First, drastically cutting emissions.
Current policies would lead to an earth-scorching three-degree temperature rise.
So the Global Stocktake must set clear expectations for economy-wide Nationally Determined Contributions presented by all countries that cover all greenhouse gases, and align with the 1.5-degree limit.
The G20 – which represents 80 per cent of the world’s emissions -- must lead.
And I urge countries to speed up their net zero timelines, to get there as close as possible to 2040 in developed countries and 2050 in emerging economies.
Second, we cannot save a burning planet with a firehose of fossil fuels.
We must accelerate a just, equitable transition to renewables.
The science is clear:
The 1.5-degree limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels.
Not reduce.
Not abate.
Phaseout – with a clear timeframe aligned with 1.5 degrees.
The Global Stocktake must not only commit to that – it must also commit to triple renewables; double energy efficiency; and bring clean energy to all by 2030.
The economics are clear: the global shift to renewables is inevitable.
The only question is how much heating our planet will endure before it happens.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has recommended ending our addiction to coal by 2030 in OECD countries and 2040 for the rest of the world.
At the same time, according to the International Energy Agency, the oil and gas industry accounts for just one per cent of clean energy investment.
So allow me to have a message for fossil fuel company leaders:
Your old road is rapidly aging.
Do not double-down on an obsolete business model.
Lead the transition to renewables using the resources you have available.
Make no mistake – the road to climate sustainability is also the only viable pathway to economic sustainability of your companies in the future.
I urge governments to help industry make the right choice – by regulating, legislating, putting a fair price on carbon, ending fossil fuel subsidies, and adopting a windfall tax on profits.
Excellencies,
Third, climate justice is long overdue.
Developing countries are being devastated by disasters they did not cause.
Extortionate borrowing costs are blocking their climate action plans.
And support is far too little, far too late.
The Global Stocktake must commit to a surge in finance, including for adaptation and loss and damage.
And it must support reform of the multilateral development banks to leverage far more private finance at reasonable costs for developing countries on climate action.
And developed countries must show how they will double adaptation finance to $40 billion a year by 2025 – as promised – and clarify how they deliver on the $100 billion – as promised.
Excellencies,
The climate challenge is not just another issue in your inbox.
Protecting our climate is the world’s greatest test of leadership.
And so I urge you to lead.
Humanity’s fate hangs in the balance.
Make this COP count.
Make this COP a gamechanger.
Make this COP the new hope in the future of humankind.
Thank you.
***
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Press Release
29 November 2023
Secretary-General's press conference on UNEP Emissions Gap Report Launch
Today’s Emissions Gap report shows that if nothing changes, in 2030, emissions will be 22 Gigatonnes higher than the 1.5 degree-limit will allow.
That’s roughly the total present annual emissions of the USA, China, and the EU combined.
It shows greenhouse emissions reaching [an] all-time highs – a 1.2 per cent increase on last year – when those levels should be shooting down.
And those emissions are shattering temperature records. June, July, August, September and October were all the hottest on record.
Present trends are racing our planet down a dead-end three-degree temperature rise.
In short, the report shows that the emissions gap is more like an emissions canyon.
A canyon littered with broken promises, broken lives, and broken records.
All of this is a failure of leadership, a betrayal of the vulnerable, and a massive missed opportunity.
Renewables have never been cheaper or more accessible.
We know it is still possible to make the 1.5 degree limit a reality. And we know how to get there – we have roadmaps from the International Energy Agency and the IPCC.
It requires tearing out the poisoned root of the climate crisis: fossil fuels.
And it demands a just, equitable renewables transition.
Leaders must drastically up their game, now, with record ambition, record action, and record emissions reductions.
The next round of national climate plans will be pivotal.
These plans must be backed with the finance, technology, support and partnerships to make them possible.
The task of leaders at COP28 is to make sure that happens.
This COP will respond to the Global Stocktake – an inventory of country’s climate plans which will show just how far the world is from meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.
That response is vital. Voluntary initiatives and non-binding commitments can play an important role. But they are no substitute for a global response agreed by all.
The response to the Global Stocktake must light the fuse to an explosion of ambition in 2025.
It must align with what the science tells us is needed.
It must set out plans to massively increase ambition and investment in adaptation.
It must commit to a surge in finance and cooperation.
And it must set an expectation for more ambitious and detailed national climate plans.
That means national plans with clear 2030 and 2035 targets, that align with 1.5 degrees, that cover the whole economy, and that plot a course for ending fossil fuels.
These plans must provide clear market signals.
We need market forces driving down emissions.
Governments need to put in place policies and regulations to give the private sector the certainty and predictability it desperately needs.
And the Global Stocktake response must be clear that credible action from the private sector is vital.
We need companies to produce comprehensive transition plans, in line with the recommendations of the High-Level Expert Group that I have created.
No more greenwashing. No more foot dragging.
Specifically, in their response to the Global Stocktake, countries must commit to triple renewables capacity, double energy efficiency and bring clean power to all, by 2030.
And they must also commit to phasing out fossil fuels, with a clear time frame aligned to the 1.5-degree limit.
Otherwise, we’re simply inflating the lifeboats while breaking the oars.
Achieving all this depends on countries cooperating and working together. The recent climate statement between China and the USA is a positive first step. But much more needs to be done.
And it depends on restoring trust between developed and developing countries, which has been badly damaged by broken promises and sluggish action.
Countries that have not yet done so should announce their contributions to the Green Climate Fund.
We need generous, early contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund to get it off to a roaring start.
And I welcome the European Union’s commitment to a substantial contribution, and look forward to hearing the details.
Developed countries must honour their promise of $100 billion a year in climate finance.
And they must deliver a clear plan on how they will meet their commitment to double adaptation finance to at least US$40 billion a year by 2025.
At a time of doubt, division and distrust we need the response to the Global Stocktake to restore credibility in climate action.
Leaders can’t kick the can any further. We’re out of road.
COP28 must set us up for dramatic climate action – now.
And finally, let me add that later today, I will travel to Chile and then to Antarctica to see for myself the deadly impact of the climate crisis.
Scorching temperatures mean Antarctic ice is melting ever-faster, with deadly consequences for people around the world.
I will take my experiences to COP where I will call for action that matches the scale of the crisis we face. And I thank you. Question: Thank you, on behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association, for this press conference. So my question on climate is how confident you are for a real concrete turning point emerging from COP28, especially from the countries with the highest emissions? And if I may a question on the Middle East. What is your vision for the day after in Gaza? Thank you so much. Secretary-General: well, first of all in relation to COP28. We must reverse course and as we have seen in this report, the crucial aspect is the eviction of fossil fuels. So it is time to establish a clear phased-out with a time limit linked to the 1.5 degrees and it’s time to be determined in pursuing that phase-down policy. And I hope that governments will understand it and I hope that there will be a clear signal from this COP that we must head in that direction. Now you ask about the day after. To have an after, we must have a before. And the before obviously conditions the after and that is why I have been insisting on the need for a humanitarian ceasefire, on unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, on the liberation of hostages and on the need to end the violations of international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians. And having said so, I think it is also important to be able to transform this tragedy into an opportunity. And for that to be possible, it is essential that after the war we move in a determined and irreversible way to a two-state solution. Now that means of course that after the war and this is my opinion, I believe it will be important to have a strengthened Palestinian Authority assuming responsibilities in Gaza. I understand that the Palestinian Authority cannot come with Israeli tanks in Gaza which means that the international community needs to move into a transition period. I do not think that a UN protectorate in Gaza is a solution. I think we need a multi-stakeholder approach in which different countries, different entities, will cooperate. For Israel, of course, the US is the main guarantor of its security. For Palestinians, the neighbouring and Arab countries of the region are essential. So everybody needs to come together to make the conditions for a transition, allowing for the Palestinian Authority, a strengthened Palestinian Authority, to assume responsibility in Gaza and then, based on that, to finally move, as I said, in a determined and irreversible way to a two-state solution based on the principles that have been largely established by the international community and which I have time and time again outlined. Question: thank you Secretary-General for this important briefing and the chance to ask you some questions. I am wondering if you see the intense conflicts in the world as a distraction or an opportunity with the conference coming up? But more specifically your calls for a ceasefire in Gaza have gone unheeded so far. You said over the weekend you were shocked by two UN schools and shelters being attacked. That would be a war crime, would it not? Why not call it out? Secretary-General: first of all, it is clear that we have a distraction in relation to the big challenges that the international community faces in relation to climate change, in relation to dramatic inequalities around the world, in relation to the problem of technologies that can change the world without effective regulation. Now, I have been very clear in denouncing the violations of international humanitarian law and the violations of protection of civilians and I have not a mandate to classify the acts that are entities that are recommended. But I think that more important than a discussion on names is the facts and let’s see the facts. As you know, we report every year on children killed in armed conflict. I have already presented seven reports. In the seven reports, the highest number of children killed in one year by one actor was by the Taliban in 2017, 2018. The second by the Syrian Government and its allies in again before 2020 and again it was around 700. We have had Russia last year 350. We had Saudi Arabia. If you remember the uproar in relation to Yemen. In one year, the maximum 300. Now without entering into discussing the accuracy of the numbers that were published by the de facto authorities in Gaza, what is clear is that we have had in a few weeks thousands of children killed. So this is what matters. We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I am Secretary-General. Thank you very much.
Scorching temperatures mean Antarctic ice is melting ever-faster, with deadly consequences for people around the world.
I will take my experiences to COP where I will call for action that matches the scale of the crisis we face. And I thank you. Question: Thank you, on behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association, for this press conference. So my question on climate is how confident you are for a real concrete turning point emerging from COP28, especially from the countries with the highest emissions? And if I may a question on the Middle East. What is your vision for the day after in Gaza? Thank you so much. Secretary-General: well, first of all in relation to COP28. We must reverse course and as we have seen in this report, the crucial aspect is the eviction of fossil fuels. So it is time to establish a clear phased-out with a time limit linked to the 1.5 degrees and it’s time to be determined in pursuing that phase-down policy. And I hope that governments will understand it and I hope that there will be a clear signal from this COP that we must head in that direction. Now you ask about the day after. To have an after, we must have a before. And the before obviously conditions the after and that is why I have been insisting on the need for a humanitarian ceasefire, on unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, on the liberation of hostages and on the need to end the violations of international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians. And having said so, I think it is also important to be able to transform this tragedy into an opportunity. And for that to be possible, it is essential that after the war we move in a determined and irreversible way to a two-state solution. Now that means of course that after the war and this is my opinion, I believe it will be important to have a strengthened Palestinian Authority assuming responsibilities in Gaza. I understand that the Palestinian Authority cannot come with Israeli tanks in Gaza which means that the international community needs to move into a transition period. I do not think that a UN protectorate in Gaza is a solution. I think we need a multi-stakeholder approach in which different countries, different entities, will cooperate. For Israel, of course, the US is the main guarantor of its security. For Palestinians, the neighbouring and Arab countries of the region are essential. So everybody needs to come together to make the conditions for a transition, allowing for the Palestinian Authority, a strengthened Palestinian Authority, to assume responsibility in Gaza and then, based on that, to finally move, as I said, in a determined and irreversible way to a two-state solution based on the principles that have been largely established by the international community and which I have time and time again outlined. Question: thank you Secretary-General for this important briefing and the chance to ask you some questions. I am wondering if you see the intense conflicts in the world as a distraction or an opportunity with the conference coming up? But more specifically your calls for a ceasefire in Gaza have gone unheeded so far. You said over the weekend you were shocked by two UN schools and shelters being attacked. That would be a war crime, would it not? Why not call it out? Secretary-General: first of all, it is clear that we have a distraction in relation to the big challenges that the international community faces in relation to climate change, in relation to dramatic inequalities around the world, in relation to the problem of technologies that can change the world without effective regulation. Now, I have been very clear in denouncing the violations of international humanitarian law and the violations of protection of civilians and I have not a mandate to classify the acts that are entities that are recommended. But I think that more important than a discussion on names is the facts and let’s see the facts. As you know, we report every year on children killed in armed conflict. I have already presented seven reports. In the seven reports, the highest number of children killed in one year by one actor was by the Taliban in 2017, 2018. The second by the Syrian Government and its allies in again before 2020 and again it was around 700. We have had Russia last year 350. We had Saudi Arabia. If you remember the uproar in relation to Yemen. In one year, the maximum 300. Now without entering into discussing the accuracy of the numbers that were published by the de facto authorities in Gaza, what is clear is that we have had in a few weeks thousands of children killed. So this is what matters. We are witnessing a killing of civilians that is unparalleled and unprecedented in any conflict since I am Secretary-General. Thank you very much.
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