Today is a solemn reminder of the grave risks facing our staff members as they carry out their vital work under the United Nations flag.
These brave women and men represent humanity’s highest calling: helping people in their hour of desperate need. They come from countries spanning the globe, but are united in their common dedication to the noble causes of peacekeeping, delivering aid and assistance, and upholding international law and human rights in countries and regions rocked by conflict and disaster.
They also face enormous and unacceptable risks — including violence, detention and abduction. Since 2022, 381 UN personnel have been detained — including 7 in January and February of this year. In total, 27 UN personnel are still in detention.
Our hearts are with their families and colleagues, and I will not relent in calling for their release and safe return.
In their name, we urge all countries to fully implement the 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, and the 2005 Optional Protocol to the Convention.
On this important day, let’s honor the courage and dedication of humanitarians everywhere by pledging to protect and support them as they help build a more peaceful, humane world for us all.
FORUM: "Creating Global Freedom: Countering Racism with Justice in Societies and Among Nations." International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade 2024. The transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans represents one of the most horrific and traumatizing eras in human history.This racialized system of enslavement abducted, trafficked, and brutally dehumanized Africans and their descendants over centuries, leaving a pernicious legacy of racism grounded in the false narrative of white supremacy.A critical way to counter racism with justice is to acknowledge the fundamental dignity, equality, and rights of people of African descent within communities, institutions, policies, laws and governing bodies. Recognizing the egregious history and legacies of enslavement, the United Nations will step up efforts to address racism, intolerance, bigotry and hatred, to advance the cause of global freedom.Follow the conversation with the hashtags #Rememberslavery!
Speakers will include the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General and Member States. The keynote speaker will be Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies and Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Commission on Reparation and Social Justice. The youth speaker will be Yolanda Renee King, author and granddaughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Followed by:
Commemoration of the abolition of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade - Item 118
Culture of peace - Item 14 - Draft resolution (A/78/L.53); Action on the draft resolution
Global health and foreign policy - Item 125 - Draft resolution (A/78/L.50); Draft amendment (A/78/L.55); Action on the draft amendment and the draft resolution.
The United Nations Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery in collaboration with the Iziko Museums of South Africa will display an adaptation of the exhibit “Who were the enslaved? Commemorating lives under enslavement at the Cape of Good Hope”. Originally displayed at the Iziko Slave Lodge in Cape Town in 2023, the exhibit examines slavery in South Africa and highlights stories of individuals enslaved at the Slave Lodge. The exhibition will be on display in the Visitors Lobby at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Link to UN Press Release.
The United Nations General Assembly will hold a meeting in the General Assembly Hall in New York to commemorate the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Speakers will include the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General and Member States. The keynote speaker will be Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies and Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Commission on Reparation and Social Justice. The youth speaker will be Yolanda Renee King, author and granddaughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Watch live on UN WebTV.
The United Nations Outreach Programme on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Slavery is supporting the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on the display of their powerful new exhibit entitled “Ibo Landing”. The Ibo, also referred to as Igbo, are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. In 1803, a group of enslaved people from this region committed one of history’s most grievous acts of resistance in defiance of enslavement. This exhibit captures the sorrow and horrors of this historic event that took place in the US state of Georgia, through original drawings by Jamaican-American artist Donovan Nelson. The exhibit will be on display at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Link to UN Press Release
“The International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade is an important moment to reflect on and honour the millions of Africans who, over a period of 400 years, were cruelly uprooted from their communities and enslaved, in Europe and the Americas, in dehumanising and degrading conditions where they endured horrific violations of their human rights, deprivation of their identity and physical, mental, psychological and spiritual brutality.
This day serves as a reminder that the enslavement of Africans gave rise to the systemic racism and institutionalised racial discrimination that their descendants continue to experience today.
In commemorating this day, it is imperative to recognise that people of African descent are disproportionately affected by discrimination, marginalisation and social injustice. Economic disparities, limited access to quality education, health care, housing, employment, under-representation in political, public and private sector leadership, and over-representation in law enforcement especially in the criminal justice system remain their daily reality.
We urgently call for a strengthened collective commitment to acknowledge and redress the enduring disparities and inequalities that stem from this cruel chapter in history and continue to reverberate across generations. We urge States ensure effective participation of people of African descent in decision-making processes and implement reparatory justice measures to redress these long-standing injustices.
We also call on States to proclaim a second Decade for People of African Descent to sustain global efforts to promote the inclusive and sustained development of, advance reparatory justice for, and combat discrimination, systemic racism and social exclusion of people of African descent.”
Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN human rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms. Special Procedures mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. They are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organisation. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.
FORUM: 'Yes! We can end TB!' World Tuberculosis Day 2024. The theme of World TB Day 2024 - ‘Yes! We can end TB!’ – conveys a message of hope that getting back-on-track to turn the tide against the TB epidemic is possible through high level leadership, increased investments and faster uptake of new WHO recommendations. Following the commitments made by Heads of State at the UN High Level meeting in 2023 to accelerate progress to end TB, this year's focus shifts to turning these commitments into tangible actions. To help countries scale-up access to TB preventive treatment, WHO will release an investment case on scaling up the roll out of TB preventive treatment.The day will inspire hope and encourage high-level leadership, increased investments, faster uptake of new WHO recommendations, adoption of innovations, accelerated action, and multi-sector collaboration to combat the TB epidemic. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #WorldTBDay, #24March, #YesWecanEndTB, #Tuberculosis.
EVENTS: The World Health Organization (WHO) will commemorate the World Tuberculosis Day 2024 on Sunday March 24rd to urge countries to ramp up progress in the lead-up to the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB. The WHO will also issue a call to action with partners urging Member States to accelerate the roll-out of the new WHO-recommended shorter all-oral treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB. This year is critical, with opportunities to raise visibility and political commitment at the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB.
"...Treatment currently looking at pentin on it for 3 months as well as ref and Ison it for 3 months we are not yet planning to move at least at the within the coming two years to the one month with pentin and ioniz it, because we've just started scaling up the three months refer pentin and ionizing and there are lessons that we have learned in terms of health system uh which needs to be strengthened because without doing that we're bound to fail when we go for the one month treatment option and next slide please and what then this means is that um we um we need to revisit the costing that was done for the NSP and one advantage was that since this has been costed within the NS key um and this is a structure this is coordinated by the CCM which is a structure that is a multi-sectoral structure we we leverage on the different sectors that are within to make sure that at least we get all the stakeholders to support this process but um when we look at the costing uh within in the NSP what we we saw was that we probably did under budget for for this intervention and um uh when I looked at what was estimated here at 7 billion uh we only budgeted over the three year period sorry 5e period for the Strategic plan only $44 million us and we probably need to look at him and the shortfall or revisit the costing first and then look at the shortfall and try and mobilize the resources to address the funding Gap and the other thing also related to this is that um the the challenge one of the challenges actually that we've we've encountered with the TPT and reaching household contacts is actually conduct the Outreach to households and Community level and this is part of Health System strengthening component and and this is something we probably need to look at and see how then we make sure that for us to succeed with this implementation we also uh try and strengthen and and and or maybe close the gaps where we have already identified that there are gaps and um the other area what I term marketing of a a TPT specifically because um there's a lot of resistance at Comm in communities around prevention and because people do not understand why they need to take medication to prevent a condition so we we going to look at how we change our communication strategy to to address um this Challenge and also use social mobilization strengthen social mobilization around this engaged Civil Society uh we have a very strong uh PL HIV Civil Society H to assist us particularly to increase demand at Community level for TPT and lastly we'll also look at um how we then monitor closely this intervention and identify barriers as we scale up we also during this will use the opportunity that we're also looking at Community Le monitoring to use that H to also get the sense of how the communities feel about this intervention as well as how best we can increase the the uptake and also look at the supply side in terms of what are the issues and concerns from from the communities otherwise um the other point was that as we scale up these interventions we also as we plan to uh also monitor for treatment outcomes we so that we understand uh what how many the proportion that actually completes treatment we also need to strengthen the pharmacovigilance as we are introducing a new drugs at a scale to understand as well in terms of what you are the common Adverse Events that are reported and that is next slide I think this is my last slide thank you and thanks to you uh Lind for this great presentation it's it's very good, you raise this important challenge right about the reluctance at times from both healthcare workers and people who are at risk to to use TPT and the work that you're doing to try and reverse this, I think the return on investment in South Africa with 1 is to 39 is I think a very strong argument that um that can be used right in in advocacy efforts in the country um just a small observation because a lot of our data go to 2050 right that we are presenting but um you can look at the estimates that go on to 2035 into in in in a short sort of the shorter time frame right in the article that is linked to the brochure um and I think this is a also will see that there are important gains to be made in the short term from from these Investments so with that I will come to the last presentation in this uh session and I invite David to make his presentation five minutes to you David thanks thanks very much hi everyone my name is David branagan I'm the TV project officer at treatment Action Group and I'll be providing an update from the 146 x24 campaign on delivering on the promise of new TB preventive treatments ending TB requires scaling up all the best available interventions including TB screening and TB preventive treatment as well as access to Rapid diagnostic testing Universal drug susceptibility testing and the best available shorter safer regimens for treatment of drug susceptible and drug resistant TB models show that all the of these interventions combined dramatically reduce TB incidents over time as well as related suffering and death from TB this new new investment case for scaling up TB screening and TB preventive treatment is a call to action for governments and donors to increase funding for Accelerated implementation of TB screening plus TB preventive treatment uh among people at risk of TB these interventions are essential to make progress in closing the 30% TB diagnostic Gap and preventing TB among the highest risk populations including people living with HIV child household contacts of people with TB as well as household contacts of all ages scaling up these interventions requires significantly increased investment not only in drugs and Diagnostics but in Health Systems this is what the late Dr Paul Farmer called the five staff stuff space systems and support necessary to deliver person- centered care and access to the best available tools to prevent diagnose and treat TB as a human right the campaign launched in 2022 calls on governments and Global Health actors to take concrete action to put in place the 5s's and scale up access to the best available who recommended regimens by the end of 2024 as a human right after more than 20 years of research and development we can finally treat TB infection in as little as one month and most forms of drug sensitive and drug resistant TB in just four and six months but relatively few people have access to these shorter safer regimens the campaign aims to change that this Friday March 22nd. the campaign is launching a mid- campaign report that details progress and gaps in scaling up access to the 146 regimens with specific recommendations for closing these gaps by the end of 2030. please as a result of scientific progress we can now treat TB infection in as little as one month with one HP or once weekly for three months with 3 HP between 2021 and 2022 there was a three-fold increase in the number of people receiving refy based short course TPT and the number of countries offering these regimens increased from 52 to 74 but universal access to TPT is a long way away 15.5 million people received TPT between 2018 in 2022 which is just over 50% of the targets set by governments at the first United Nations high level meeting on TB and just 16% of those who received TPT in 2022 were provided with a shorter safer one regimen data from the 2023 Global fund concept notes also indicate that while nearly all high burden countries intend to scale Up 3 HP during the grant cycle implementation of 1 HP remains much more limited due to a recent price reduction now costs just $9.99 per treatment course and the Pediatric formulation of 3hp remains the cheapest TPT option for kids next mid campaign report that will be launched later this week spotlights the leadership of countries in scaling up access to the best available shorter safer regimens in Malawi TB and HIV programs worked together to Pilot 3hp with support from Impact for TB and Civil Society proved instrumental in promoting the successful rollout of 3hp by raising awareness among communities to encourage uptake and adherence in Zambia stakeholder consultations and collaboration between HIV and TB programs was key to scaling up 1 HP among household contacts prisoners and other key populations the national TB program actively solicited feedback from end users which was overwhelmingly positive and within three months they had begun rolling out 1 HP in additional regions investments in expanding access to TB screening and short course TB preventive treatment is essential for making progress in the fight against TB as we see from examples in Malawi and Zambia it's also essential to Center the experience of people affected by TB to inform and guide the development and rollout of TB interventions we look forward to launching the mid campaign report on Friday March 22nd and tosharing more examples of country impact scaling up shorter safer TB regimens and recommendations for Country governments and Global Health actors to take concrete action to close gaps in access to these regimens before the end of 2024, thank you thanks very much David for this and we look forward to the report and the um on the midterm campaign so with that we finish this session and I hand over to Dr Kasa so thank you very much and Dennis it was a very rich session as well as the whole talk show uh we are moving towards the end of TB, thank you very much for staying with us for working with us and for believing that "yes we can end tb now'', I'm pleased to invite Dr Jerome Salomon assistant-director general for the Universal Health Coverage communicable and non-communicable diseases, he himself is Professor in infectious diseases Champions and To efforts with unwavering support Dr Jeron would appreciate your closing of this important event thank you thank you so much dear Teresa honorable ministers distinguished participants dear colleagues friends and partners today's discussions and dialogue at this important high level event on tuberculosis I've been inspiring and productive as we look towards accelerating the TB response over the next 5 years building on the commitments by world leaders at the 2023 United Nations high level meeting on TB as you heard TB continues to claim millions of lives and causes suffering to those affected and their families the experiences and work being doing by countries partners and Civil Society has been well showcased by with the Spotlight on Innovations and multi-sectoral engagement the need to ensure no one is Left Behind has been strongly highlighted especially in the case of migrants and refugees as the world grapples with unprecedented conflict and humanitarian crisis we need to redouble efforts to ensure all people with TB access quality prevention and Care in line with wh's drive towards achieving Universal Health coverage. I would like to remind you of our top calls for Action this year as I close wh is calling for high level leadership and action to end TB it's crucial to translate commitments made in the political Declaration of the UN highle meeting on TB into concrete actions actively working towards achieving key targets by 2027 we are calling for increased investments in wh recommend TB treatments Diagnostics prevention care and social protection that are crucial to save lives and reach TB targets faster financing for TB research must more than double to drive discovery of new tools including vaccines and to scale up life-saving Innovations the TB vaccine exelator Council that will launch last year is an important platform for this linked to the previous points we have placing a special focus on scaling up access to TB preventive treatment and screening services the investment case launched today is a vital advocacy tool to help facilitate this we are advocating for Global action to address Health inequalities and stigma for people with TB and over diseases we need all sectors all stakeholders from Ministries; Partners; health workers communities and those affected engaged and accountable and show we commit to invest in leading the NTB response and keeping the promises made to the millions affected by TB each year despite any hardships challenges or crisis that come our way we cannot falter in our commitment till we reach and save every person family and Community impacted by this deadly disease we call on you to join us in making Investments of your time energy support care or financing towards ending TB you can be a be on of hope everyone has a role to play in ending TB; individuals communities Civil Society organizations, businesses and governments I would like to thank our eminent speakers and panelist and you our wonderful audience for joining us in keeping the spotlight on ending TB we need to keep our promises there is not a moment to lose let us join forces in prioritizing and investing to end one of the world's top infectious Killers together yes we can end tb thank you very much so thank you colleagues and as as we close uh just to many thanks to Dr Jerome for inspiring closing remarks um as as we come to an end of this talk show just to note that we had hoped to have an interactive session within we've posted a link to the to a survey on the chat asking for your ideas and proposals on what action should be prioritized to accelerate the TB response many thanks to those of you who provided inputs already we'll keep this link alive please do share your suggestions we would appreciate it very much so thank you very much.
The World Tuberculosis Day 2024event will bring together Ambassadors and/or Permanent Representatives to the African Union, Special Missions to the AU, Specialized Organs, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), UN Agencies, Development Partners, Civil Society Organizations, and other stakeholders involved in the TB response and strengthening of health systems across the continent.
Objectives of the meeting are to:
The main objective of the event is to commemorate the 2024 World Tuberculosis Day under the theme: “Yes!,We can end TB”.
The specific objectives are to:
Provide AU Member States with a platform to strengthen awareness of AU policy documents on TB while fostering greater coordinated collaborative advocacy efforts towards ending TB;
Raise awareness on targets and commitments in the UN HLM Political Declaration to foster accountability and country ownership;
Accelerate response to childhood TB with a focus on the 2022 Call to Action on Childhood TB and Nutrition; Communiqué on Improved Political Commitment and Financing for TB for High Burden Countries and the Childhood and Adolescent TB Roadmap
EVENTS: On March 24th, the International Day will be observed worldwide under the theme "Advancing Victims' Rights and Rebuilding Just Communities". The organizers, panelists and participants will have the opportunity to reinforce the commitments to end the cycle of impunity and the possibility to learn how to fight for the respect of human rights for all. The OHCHR upholds this commitment to the right to truth every day, and urge the international community to add their powerful voice to advocate for justice and reparations for victims and to bring perpetrators to justice. Join us for the commemoration of the International Day for the Rights to the truth concerning the Gross Human Rights Violations 2024 at UNHQ in New york and Geneva!
Professional Training series: The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance is the first universally legally binding human rights instrument concerning enforced disappearance. It outlines States parties’ obligations vis-à-vis this phenomenon as well as the victims’ fundamental rights. Ten years after the adoption of the Convention, there is still work to do to eradicate and prevent enforced disappearances in all parts of the world.
The International Center for Transitional Justice assists countries pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights abuse. ICTJ works in societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or systemic abuse remain unresolved. Governments and others seeking to promote justice, peace and reconciliation are likely to consider a variety of responses to human rights crimes. ICTJ assists in the development of integrated, comprehensive and localized approaches to transitional justice, focusing on seven key elements: prosecutions, truth-seeking, institutional reform, gender justice, reparations, peace and justice, and memorials.
FORUM: ''At the frontline of climate action.'' World Meteorological Day 2024. Climate change is a real and undeniable threat to our entire civilization. The effects are already visible and will be catastrophic unless we act now. The Sustainable Development Goal 13 commits us to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.” Progress in this goal underpins progress in all the other Sustainable Development Goals. The work of the WMO community is indispensable to climate action and to the Sustainable Development Goals across the board. The work is of huge societal importance: reducing hunger and poverty; improving health and well-being; ensuring clean water and affordable and clean energy; protecting life below the water and life on land; and making our cities and communities more resilient to climate change. Weather and climate predictions help boost food production and move closer to zero hunger. Integrating epidemiology and climate information helps understand and manage diseases sensitive to climate. And early-warning systems help to reduce poverty by giving people the chance to prepare and limit the impact of extreme weather. The WMO, its Members, and its partners drive the full value cycle, from science to services to action for the good of society. It advances knowledge of our Earth system, monitors the state of the climate and water resources, provides scientific information to inform greenhouse gas emissions reductions and delivers climate services and early warnings to support climate adaptation. Science is central to solutions and can supercharge progress on the SDGs across the board. We are united in science. The WMO will remain at the Frontline of Climate Action as we embrace a journey of cooperation and innovation, leveraging collective expertise to overcome challenges and achieve our shared vision of a safer, more resilient world for future generations. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #WorldMetDay, #ClimateAction, #23March, #Meteorology, #Climatology, #Hydrology, #weather.
EVENTS: On March 23rd from 16:00 to 16:50 P.M. (GMT); The World Meteorological Day 2024 High-level panel discussion will take place at the WMO HQ. Participants will debate on the theme “At the Frontline of Climate Action.” Join us for the celebration to spotlight climate action. The ceremony embraces all the key players involved in tackling the climate crisis: the UN family. National meteorological and hydrological services, youth and civil society, policymakers and the private sector. The panelists will present the Panel Discussion I - How the weather has changed – through a TV forecaster’s eyes; The Panel Discussion II - Zebraside Conversation: Storytelling and Science.; The Panel Discussion III - How to keep the 1.5° goal of the Paris Agreement alive? - The Panel Discussion IV - Saving lives, at the forefront of climate action, Perspectives from WMO and meteorological services; Followed by a Q&A with the audience in the room.
AGENDA PROGRAMME
15:00-15:25 - Welcome and introduction – by WMO Secretary-General Prof. Celeste Saulo and WMO President Abdulla Al Mandous and Agi Veres, Director, Geneva office, United Nations Development Programme, and launch of the UNDP climate action campaign.
15:25-15:30 - How the weather has changed – Philippe Jeanneret, Swiss television weather presenter
15:30-15:45 - Zebraside Conversation - Storytelling and Science. Boaz Paldi, UNDP Chief Creative Officer and Lauren Stuart, WMO Scientific Officer
15:45-16:25 - High-level panel discussion on "How to keep the 1.5° goal of the Paris Agreement alive?" (see below)
Panelists: Marie-Claire Graf, Future Leaders Network (Moderator) Prof. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of WMO Agi Veres, Director, Geneva office, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Matthew Wilson, Permanent Representative and Ambassador of Barbados Rosa Sangiorgio, Head of ESG, Pictet Wealth Management
16:25-16:35 - Q&A with the audience in the room
16:35-16:40 - Saving lives, at the forefront of climate action, Perspectives from WMO and meteorological services
We can’t tell you what it is yet but we assure you the storyline will drive you to take action. Join us to celebrate the 2024 World Meteorological Day as we launch UNDP’s newest climate action campaign!
Tune in on March 21, 2024 at 10:00 EDT - 14:00 UTC - 15:00 CET for a live broadcast launch from Geneva, Switzerland to find out!
OTHERS EVENTS
Programme
15:00 - 15:25: Introduction by WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo and Agi Veres, Director, Geneva Office, UNDP and launch of UNDP’s new climate action campaign
15:25 - 15:30: How the weather has changed – through a TV forecaster’s eyes: Philippe Jeanneret, Swiss television weather presenter
15:30 - 15:45: Zebraside Conversation: Storytelling and Science. Boaz Paldi, UNDP Chief Creative Officer and Lauren Stuart, WMO Scientific Officer
15:45 - 16:25: High-level panel discussion to discuss how to keep the 1.5° goal of the Paris Agreement alive? (see below)
16:25 - 16:35: Q&A with the audience in the room
16: 35 - 16:40: Saving lives, at the forefront of climate action, Perspectives from WMO and meteorological services
16:40 - 16:50: Concluding remarks
How to keep the 1.5° goal alive?
The WMO State of Global Climate report reminds everyone of the urgency to tackle the climate crisis. Everywhere in the world, people are already suffering from the negative impact of climate change. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, ocean heat and acidification, ice and glacier retreat affects human health, economies and ecosystems. Science shows that negative impacts are increasing and some changes risk being irreversible. Climate action is essential to sustainable development, including good health, access to water and sanitation and freedom from poverty and hunger. There is no avenue for human development without prioritizing climate action. The Paris Agreement on climate change laid the ground to design robust climate action through the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and the ratcheting mechanism that obliges governments to review and enhance their goals every five years.
Everyone agrees on the need to abide by the lower 1.5° target of the Paris ambitions.
Can we still reach it and under which conditions?
How is it that despite scientific evidences and a wealth of climate data, public policies are not going faster and wider?
What is expected from the different actors – including the public, corporate and financial sector?
How do young people have a say in increasing climate ambition and contribute to moving the needle?
FORUM: "Turn off the Light for one hour." Earth Hour 2024. Never before has collective action been more important as we stand at a tipping point to keep the goal of 1.5C alive. Saturday's #EarthHour is a good reminder that small #ClimateAction steps can make a big difference.
EVENTS: Wherever you are in the planet, join the UNDP by turning off your light for one hour starting at 8:30pm local time. Let's stand as one for #ClimateAction.
FORUM: "Leveraging Water for Peace." World Water Day 2024. Water can create peace or spark conflict. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people have unequal, or no access, tensions can rise between communities and countries. More than 3 billion people worldwide depend on water that crosses national borders. Yet, only 24 countries have cooperation agreements for all their shared water. As climate change impacts increase, and populations grow, there is an urgent need, within and between countries, to unite around protecting and conserving our most precious resource. Public health and prosperity, food and energy systems, economic productivity and environmental integrity all rely on a well-functioning and equitably managed water cycle.When we cooperate on water, we create a positive ripple effect – fostering harmony, generating prosperity and building resilience to shared challenges. We must act upon the realization that water is not only a resource to be used and competed over – it is a human right, intrinsic to every aspect of life. This World Water Day, we all need to unite around water and use water for peace, laying the foundations of a more stable and prosperous tomorrow. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #WorldWaterDay, #22March., #Acceleratingchange.
EVENTS: On March 22nd at UNHQ in New York; The celebration of the World Water Day 2024 and the launch of the World Water Development Report 2024. under the auspice of the UNESCO entitled :"Water for prosperity and peace" will be held. During the event, Panelists and participants will talk about working together to balance everyone’s needs, with a dedication to ensure no one is left behind, to make water a catalyst for a more peaceful world.
Key messages:
Water can create peace or spark conflict. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people struggle for access, tensions can rise. By cooperating on water, we can balance everyone’s water needs and help stabilize the world.
Prosperity and peace rely on water. As nations manage climate change, mass migration and political unrest, they must put water cooperation at the heart of their plans.
Water can lead us out of crisis. We can foster harmony between communities and countries by uniting around the fair and sustainable use of water – from United Nations conventions at the international level, to actions at the local level.
SYMPOSIUM: On March 22nd, 2024 from 11:00 am to 7:30 pm at UNESCO HQ in Room IX and Room I; will be held a conference entitled ''Building Peace through Water Cooperation'. Under the World Water Day 2024 theme “Water for Peace”, this campaign, led jointly by UNESCO and UNECE on behalf of UN-Water, showcases water's pivotal role in fostering peace, prosperity, and conflict prevention. Join us at UNESCO Headquarters for the official World Water Day 2024 celebration. This pivotal event promises a rich one-day programme filled with insights from distinguished speakers, including heads of UN agencies and high-level officials, alongside technical presentations that draw on field experiences. The day will also be enlivened by artistic and cultural activities that echo the theme. A highlight of the celebration will be the unveiling of the United Nations World Water Development Report 2024. Get Provisional event programme in English or in Français!
WEBINARS: On March 22nd, from 10.30 – 13.00 (USA-EST); The 2nd High level panel on “Youth Views on VNRs Through a Water Lens’’ will be held virtually. In Observing World Water Day 2024 and acknowledging the critical role of water for a peaceful and prosperous society, the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) and Cansu Global are proud to present the findings of their Junior Researchers that have looked at the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) of UN Member States through a water lens. Watch the event!
Action for water is action for peace. And today it is needed more than ever.
Our world is in turbulent waters. Conflicts are raging, inequality is rife, pollution and biodiversity loss are rampant, and, as humanity continues to burn fossil fuels, the climate crisis is accelerating with a deadly force — further threatening peace.
Our planet is heating up — seas are rising, rains patterns are changing, and river flows are shrinking. That is resulting in droughts in some regions, and floods and coastal erosion in others. Meanwhile, pollution and overconsumption are imperilling the availability of fresh, clean, accessible water on which all life depends. Dwindling supplies can increase competition and inflame tensions between people, communities, and countries. That is increasing the risk of conflict.
Water for peace is the theme of this year’s World Water Day. Achieving it relies on far greater cooperation. Today, 153 countries share water resources. Yet only 24 have reported cooperation agreements for all their shared water. We must accelerate efforts to work together across borders, and I urge all countries to join and implement the United Nations Water Convention — which promotes managing shared water resources sustainably.
Cooperating to safeguard water can power and sustain peace. Water stewardship can strengthen multilateralism and ties between communities and build resilience to climate disasters. It can also drive progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals — which are the foundation of peaceful societies — including by improving health, reducing poverty and inequality, and boosting food and water security.
Let’s commit to work together to make water a force for cooperation, harmony and stability, and so help to create a world of peace and prosperity for all.
For more than 55 years, the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) has been
committed to empowering Youth and ensuring their participation actively in shaping the societies
in which they live through education, building and developing capacity, networking, recognition,
and ensuring their participation in policy and decision making.
The RASIT Youth Sustainable Development Studies Center, founded in 1986, strives to empower
Youth and enhance their participation in the scholarly exchange of knowledge on sustainable
development and promotes joint research and studies across sciences on sustainable development
issues. The Center is comprised of an inter-disciplinary group of youth and junior professionals,
whose work focuses on contemporary issues and challenges, inter alia, education, health, water,
food and agriculture, energy, environment, multilateralism, and beyond.
The Potential of Youth leadership as partners for sustainable development has been one of the
main objectives of RASIT.
In its second edition, the Royal Academy of Science International Trust and Cansu Global are
presenting to the International Community the Youth assessments, observations, analyses, and
vision of the Member States’ Voluntary National Reports presented at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum meetings.
"Our Water, Our Future" Introductory Remarks.
As part of their commitment to Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
UN Member States conduct Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) documenting their progress in
achieving sustainable development that leaves no one behind. These VNRs are not only an
accountability mechanism; they provide – through documenting successes and lessons learned on
shared implementation challenges – a rich source of knowledge on how to accelerate progress.
Water security is one of the most critical challenges of our time. We all need water every day, for
personal consumption and hygiene, for domestic uses and economic activities; and for the
ecosystems that surround and sustain us. With the world’s rapidly growing human population and
expanding economic activities, freshwater becomes increasingly scarce and polluted; in addition,
the effects of climate change on the water cycle affect the availability of the resource and cause
water-related disasters to become more frequent and disruptive.
How we deal with water today will determine our future.
The multilevel and multi-directional relationships between the natural and human systems with
respect to water resources mean that water challenges cannot be addressed from within the water
sector alone. If water is not featured adequately in national development strategies and the
planning of different segments of society, the risks presented by water scarcity, water pollution,
and the disruption of the water cycle will increasingly manifest themselves through declining
economic prosperity and upsetting the social order.
Rationale
Cansu Global, originally a program of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust
(RASIT) and presently transitioning to an Intergovernmental Organization, zooms in on the
critical importance of water for inclusive socio-economic development. As an interdisciplinary
partnership, it supports the development and implementation of comprehensive solutions for
water-related development challenges in different communities across the globe.
Cansu Global strives to remove institutional and socio-cultural barriers for concerted action by
furthering “ … the responsible use of science, technology, and innovation as drivers of
sustainable development and to build the capacities necessary for sustainable
transformations.” (Political Declaration of the HLPF 2023 paragraph 38q).
In this context, RASIT’s young scientists under the supervision of Cansu Global, have
conducted an inductive thematic analysis of the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) to gain
insight into how Member States are incorporating water in their sustainable development
approach and actions.
PUBLICATION: The Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation presents stories of transboundary cooperation that show the benefits of a human rights approach to transboundary water management. Read the Report: “Water as an argument for peace, twinning and cooperation”.