The United Nations General Assembly motivated its decision with “the high value for humankind of basic sciences”, and with the fact that “enhanced global awareness of, and increased education in, the basic sciences is vital to attain sustainable development and to improve the quality of life for people all over the world”. It also stressed that “basic sciences and emerging technologies respond to the needs of humankind by providing access to information and increasing the health and well-being of individuals, communities, and societies”.
With this resolution, the United Nations General Assembly “invites all [its] Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and other global, regional and subregional organizations, as well as other relevant stakeholders, including academia, civil society, inter alia, international and national nongovernmental organizations, individuals and the private sector, to observe and raise awareness of the importance of basic sciences for sustainable development, in accordance with national priorities”.
The resolution was proposed to the United Nations General Assembly by Honduras, and co-sponsored by 36 other countries. Its vote confirms resolution 40/C 76 adopted unanimously by UNESCO General Conference, 25 November 2019.
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The successes and difficulties of the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic have been for two years a stark reminder of this importance of basic sciences, such as (but not limited to) biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and anthropology.
The International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD2022) will be officially inaugurated with an opening conference 30 June – 1 July 2022 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Events and activities will be organized around the world until 30 June 2023.
• Demonstrating its role in advancing
civilization throughout recorded history.
• Organizing international festivals, with
workshops that excite and inform the
public of this rich history, and highlight
links between glass, art and culture.
• Holding: an inaugural Conference in
Geneva, Switzerland; a July International
Glass Congress in Berlin, Germany;
a Glass Technology event in China; a
Congress in Egypt; and a World Congress
and Exhibition on glass art and history.
• Stimulating glass research in educational
organizations, industry, and the public
domain, including museums, to address
the great challenges the world faces
such as sustainable, equitable growth
and an improved quality of life for all.
• Building worldwide alliances focusing on
science and engineering for young people,
addressing gender balance and tackling
the needs of emerging economies.
Milestones to be celebrated in 2022:
• 670th anniversary of first depiction of eyeglasses in a painting;
• 200 years of Fresnel Lenses in coastal lighthouses;
• 100 years since glass discovered in King Tutankhamun’s Tomb;
• 100 years of the German Society of Glass Technology (DGG);
• 70th anniversary of the Pilkington patent for Float Glass;
• 60 years of the Studio Glass Movement;
• 45th anniversary of Anderson, Mott & Van Vleck’s Nobel prize (glassy United Nations building in glass materials)
UN developmental Goals and Glass
The UN has set a series of development
goals with a completion date of 2030. In
the following we demonstrate how glass is
helping to address these targets.
GOAL 3: Good health and well-being
Biocompatible and bioactive glasses have
been universally life changing for patients.
Specialty glasses can bond broken bones
without rejection. Deep, persistent
wounds, especially in diabetic patients,
are hard to treat but new glasses show a
remarkable restorative capacity.
Porous hollow glass microspheres
(HGMs) can encapsulate fragile drugs
but reject undesired biological agents.
Radioactive Yttrium‐90 delivered in HGMs
has treated liver cancer.
Chemically inert glass vials, cartridges,
syringes and ampoules prevent interaction
with their contents, particularly active
formulations. The EpiPen®
auto-injector
cartridge treats severe allergic reactions
- at its heart is chemically strengthened
glass; millions have been made. Glass has
multiple roles in orthodontics and even
toothpaste.
GOAL 4: Quality education
A quality education underpins sustainable
development. An inclusive education
delivers the tools to create innovative
solutions for the world’s pressing problems.
A well-rounded education offers insights
into how society copes with change.
Education is at the heart of the
International Commission on Glass (ICG);
it links experts in science, technology,
art, history and education and in the last
decade has organized 20 schools in Europe,
China, India, North America and South
America. The book Teaching Glass Better
celebrates these Schools, capturing their
development and summarizing content.
Sharing staff across schools propagates
best practice. An ICG Youth Outreach team
arranges events and mentors to attract and
retain future talent.
Beyond ICG University Glass Art
programs are transforming craftspeople
into sculptors. Brazil and India already run
educational glass programs for younger
students and technicians. ICG actors
represent many international teaching
organizations - our IYoG goals are to share
aspirations, stimulate fresh ideas and seed
new courses.
GOAL 5: Gender equality
Gender equality is a fundamental human
right, a foundation for a peaceful,
prosperous and sustainable world. A must
for the IYoG, it will be achieved by recruiting
top glass-women for plenary and invited
talks, as well as CEO and Management
Board positions. The IYoG board will
propose and support committees chaired
by women and, whether organising a
congress or a smaller event, a balanced
constituency. Educating industry and
institutions to manage diversity, making it
an engine for innovation and creativity, is
the best path to a brighter future. Gender
matters. Women are half of the world; they
must become half the glass world.
GOAL 6: Clean water and sanitation
In the last century billions have experienced
an unprecedented rise in living standards,
but many still live in poverty with little
access to clean water. Sufficient fresh
water exists but damaging economics or
poor infrastructure cause millions to die
annually from diseases linked to inadequate
supplies, sanitation and hygiene. Similar
issues impact adversely on food security,
life choices and educational opportunities.
Industrial discharges, excess
agrochemicals and domestic waste landfill
contaminate surface and groundwater.
Glass can mimic current water treatment
processes. Porous foam glass or phase
separated glass filters can aid sanitization
(and purify air, another global issue).
Sunlight on coated glass immersed in
solutions of organic pollutants can oxidize
many into non-toxic products and likewise
restore drinking water. Most cost-effective
is a combination of porous glass filters with
titania-coated glass.
GOAL 7: Affordable and clean energy
Energy epitomises the opportunities and
challenges the world faces. Universal
access to energy is crucial to build more
sustainable and inclusive communities and
in turn entails more efficient generation,
renewable energy sources and ways to
store it. Sunlight is the main carbon-neutral
source and brings more energy hourly to
the earth than society consumes annually,
But renewable energy is just 17% (2018) of
global consumption.
Solar energy harvesting uses: photovoltaic cells, solar thermal energy
generation and photobioreactors.
Photovoltaics need glass protective covers
which are highly transparent and have
antireflection coatings. Solar thermal
devices have glass mirrors to reflect
the sun’s rays and heat a fluid inside a
glass tube, which powers a generator. In
photobioreactors, microorganisms such as
green algae grow in glass tubes, converting solar into chemical energy.
Turbine blades made from fiberglassreinforced composites convert wind
energy to electricity. Improved glass design
has created stronger composites and
given us larger, more efficient and reliable
windmills.
Nuclear power is another low carbon
energy source but generates radioactive
waste that decays over geological time.
New glasses will dissolve and immobilise
this waste.
New glasses are also improving
solid-state batteries and hollow glass
microspheres may have a role in hydrogen
storage for transport.
GOAL 9: Industry, innovation,
infrastructure
Investing in infrastructure such as
communication technologies is imperative
for sustainable development and increases
social cohesion. Low-loss glass optical
fibers were the precursor to the Internet
and catalysed a paradigm shift in global
communications. They are indispensable
in our knowledge-based society.
Glass fibre optics play a vital role in
communications
Product development is being driven
by the demand to send more data further;
on the horizon are photonic crystal fibers
(made from glass) and communication via
quantumly entangled photons.
But photonics is more than fibers:
optical communications industries
manage information streams with circuitry
fabricated wholly or partly in glass such as
spherical lenses, prisms and beam splitters.
Recent advances concern signals such
as 5G carried over fiber-optic cables. Fiber
lasers exploit rare earth doped glass and
are now standard for many applications.
Their use in surgery and therapy is
expanding and they are furthering studies
in nonlinear optics.
LEDs based on light emission from
crystalline semiconductors, require a
phosphor, often a doped glass, to produce
white light. One-dimensional photonic
structures, which can manipulate light,
are made by depositing glass layers with
different refractive indices. 2D and 3D
photonic crystals require self-assembling
glass nanoparticles and are attracting
interest as sensors.
Television began with glass cathode ray
tubes before moving to glass flat panel
displays. As resolution improves and pixel
size shrinks, thin film deposition display
electronics need panels with exceptionally
stable dimensions. Ultra-thin glasses for
bendable, even foldable displays are being
developed. Integrated optical circuits in
films on ultra-thin glasses may soon lead
to a breakthrough like that in flexible
electronics. Glasses to visualize information
through augmented and virtual reality
devices offer another revolution. Glasses have transformed data storage.
Rewritable storage is realized by toggling
regions between glassy and crystalline
states. Magnetic memory disks are highstrength, high-stiffness glasses for faster
reading and higher densities. Glass
holographic memories promise exceptional
capacity.
Sol-gel has been a developing process
technology for 50 years. Low temperature
and low cost, it works well for coatings
and membranes and offers: mechanical
and corrosion protection; anti-reflectivity;
hydrophobicity; photocatalytic selfcleaning; with optical and optoelectronic
functions such as filters, switches,
waveguides and integrated optical circuits
for solar cells, solid-state lighting and
communications.
Thin and flexible glass for future
applications.
GOAL 11: Sustainable cities & communities
Cities are hubs for ideas, commerce,
culture, science, production, social
development and more. At their best,
cities have enabled social and economic
advances. But by 2030 cities will house
5 billion people and require efficient
management. Issues include: congestion,
underfunded services, a lack of adequate
housing, solid waste management, ageing
infrastructure and air pollution.
In transport, glazing allows unimpaired
vision and contributes to safety and
security, as well as style. So, airplane cockpit
windshields are chemically strengthened.
Innovative designs offer thermal comfort;
improve fuel efficiency by light-weighting;
and integrate display features which
expand entertainment and connectivity
options.
Contemporary architectural designs
use larger windows with more energyefficient coated panes and new double/
triple glazing formats. Buildings may soon
be energy-neutral or even contribute to
the energy grid.
A TNO study showed that new glazing
could reduce energy consumption
across the EU by 30% in 2030, saving CO2
emissions of 94 million tons. Savings are
potentially greater using glazing-integrated
photovoltaics, switchable/electrochromic
glazing and other novel technologies. The
EU aims by 2050 to have the first climate
neutral economy.
Glass containers lessen solid urban
waste (SUW). The “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”
philosophy is vital to a sustainable lifestyle
and waste management. 60% of SUW is
packaging, mostly single use, often nonrenewable or scarce materials. ‘Reduce’
means using durable goods such as glass
kitchenware. Some hotels and restaurants
use returnable glass bottles for ‘Reuse’
and glass jars are often reused for storage.
Supermarkets though prefer singleuse containers leading to the third R,
‘recycling’, the transformation of an object
into a raw material and back. Glass is the
only truly recyclable container: one glass
bottle produces another, a perfect “circular
economy” expressed as “from cradle to
cradle”. Glass containers are the only ones
with the GRASS and Food Safety stamp in
Europe and US. Culture is essential to city life, enhancing
the well-being of its inhabitants. Museums
have a strategic role, preserving the
heritage of humanity for scholarship
and enjoyment. In museums with glass
collections art, science, archaeology,
history and social sciences meet. Glass
objects spanning history, works of art
and glass for everyday use, are displayed
with specialized glassware for industry and science. They describe raw materials
and production, telling the stories of
those who made and used them. Glass
museums, particularly ones with hot and
cold workshops, promote lifelong learning
through programs for young and old (Goal
4).
Early production of large glass sheets.
GOAL 12: Responsible consumption &
production. Sustainability means “doing more and
better with less”. It concerns efficiency
throughout the life cycle; infrastructure,
supply chains and basic services; green
and decent jobs; and a better quality of life
for all.
Glass firms are addressing these
environmental challenges and ICG
organizes international bench-marking
exercises to stimulate improvement.
Glass is innately environmentally friendly.
Most glasses are made from safe, readily
available raw materials. Recycling rates
are high and industry actively seeks more
energy efficient melting technologies and
alternative glass compositions to reduce
its carbon footprint. It has a rich history
of responding to challenge, a valuable
example for the future.
The glass industry has a long history of
energy conservation. Electric melting and
hydrogen based fuels offer sustainability
Educating consumers on sustainable
lifestyles depends on distributing
information through standards, labels
and advertising. The concept of a “circular
economy” needs to be understood so all
can commit to the challenges of global
change; ways to maintain lifestyle without
damaging the planet need explaining.
Many organizations already do this and an
IYoG can help to disseminate best practice.
GOAL 13: Climate Action. Climate change is affecting every country
on every continent, disrupting national
economies and individual lives, costing
people, communities and even countries.
Glass recycling and product
lightweighting have increased the energy
efficiency of glass melting substantially;
affordable pathways to decarbonization
are under development. Glass windows
let light into homes and offices while
protecting from harsh weather. Doubleglazed units increasingly have vacuum
insulated glazing, a more effective new
technology. Laminated glasses improve
acoustic damping to reduce “noise
pollution”. Architects are using more
glass for its functionalities and appealing
aesthetics.
Energy saving glass products
compensate during their service life several
times over for the energy used to make
them. So, replacing single with doubleglazed windows can give a 5 month energy
payback.
Goal 14: Life below water.The world’s oceans and rivers – their
temperature, chemistry, currents and life
Furna – drive global systems that make Earth
habitable. Careful management is vital
for a sustainable future but plastic waste
is polluting them. Marine animals ingest it
causing health issues for humans consuming
seafood: immune disorders, birth defects,
some cancers. Glass packaging is infinitely
recyclable and a safe, clean alternative
made of natural, plentiful materials.
GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve goals
A successful sustainable development
agenda requires partnerships between
governments, the private sector and civil
society built on principles and values, a
shared vision and goals with people and
the planet at the center; partnerships are
needed at global, regional, national and
local levels. An IYoG will underline the
varied roles of glass and stimulate, mobilize
and redirect such partnerships to unlock
their resources and deliver sustainable
development.
Summary
With its unparalleled versatility and
technical capabilities, glass has fostered
numerous cultural and scientific
advancements. Its history is shared with
the evolution of humankind. Its future
will contribute to the challenges of a
sustainable and fairer society.
• Weave together the multicolored
threads of technology, social history and
art through educational programs and
museum exhibitions.
• Plan national and international events
for varied audiences centered on glass
history, key anniversaries, technologies,
applications, and building a future.
• Promote networking among glass
associations; R&D centers; universities,
colleges, schools; producers, processors
and suppliers; museums; and civil
society.
• Mobilize governments, industry,
academia and cultural centers to
collaborate in the initiative and promote
a multitude of activities, building on the
imaginative programs already proposed.
• Activate support for a UN IYoG by
showing that glass is worth celebrating.
Let’s drink a glass to that!
The International Commission on Glass (ICG), along with the Community of Glass Associations (CGA) and ICOM-Glass recently applied for a United Nations International Year of Glass of 2022 and the UN General Council meeting on 18th May 2021 gave its formal approval!
History is full of milestones, turning
points where advances in glass
stimulated change:
• 3500 years ago, glass beads &
jewellery
• 3000 years, exquisite Egyptian bottles
for expensive perfumes;
• As BC became AD, glass-blowing gave
intricate, collectable objects;
• A millennium ago, glass windows
flooded our sacred buildings with
light, elaborate goblets celebrated
dynasties, decorated mosque lamps
spoke of a patron’s generosity.
• Now we view the world through glass
– our phone screens - glass fills our
architectural skyline, solar panels
and glass-reinforced wind turbines
blades dominate renewable energy
markets, and glass is integrated into
the fine arts.
Scientific endeavour has also relied on
glass:
• Galileo’s telescope opened our eyes
to the wonders of the cosmos;
• microscopes let us study cells and
microbes and so understand diseases;
• light bulbs enabled reading and
night-working,
• glass valves ushered in electronics,
• and now optical fibres are the
hidden network behind the worldwide web.
Glass is the sustainable tool supporting
our developed society. Appropriately
ancient writers equated the
glassblower’s breath with the wisdom of
the philosopher Seneca.
This international webinar is organised on Monday 21 February 2022, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (CET) by UNESCO on the occasion of the celebration of the 23rd edition of the International Mother Language Day (21 February).
The overall aim of IMLD 2022 is to “contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 by recognizing the role of teachers in promoting multilingual teaching and learning through technology. More specifically, IMLD 2022 aims to:
consider the potential role of technology, including traditional media such as radio and television, in supporting multilingual teaching and learning;
discuss action needed to ensure the design and delivery of technology-enabled multilingual teaching and learning
The webinar will explore the following two main themes:
Enhancing the role of teachers in the promotion of quality multilingual teaching and learning.
Reflecting on technologies and its potential to support multilingual teaching and learning.
Target audiences: the webinar will bring together a range of key stakeholders who are drivers of change to foster inclusive learning environments that support multilingual teaching and learning. They include senior officials and managers of Ministries of Education directly responsible for implementing and managing education programmes, as well as non-governmental organizations, bilateral development partners, foundations and others supporting multilingualism. Teachers, educators and those supporting teacher training will also benefit from this event.
Since 2009, every 20 February has been the UN observance known as “World Day of Social Justice”. The purpose of the day is to focus on the plight of social injustice throughout the world and to press for improvements and solutions.
The Global Forum; this year, will open with scene-setting remarks from the business and trade union communities. It will feature remarks from the UN Secretary-General and a number of Heads of State or Government, and the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.
Statement by ILO Director-General Guy Ryder. On the occasion of World Day of Social Justice 2022, February 20th.
ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, highlights how formality is a necessary condition to reduce poverty and inequalities,advance decent work, increase productivity and sustainability of enterprises and expand government’s scope of action, notably in times of crisis.
Preliminary programme overview
Introduction and overarching objectives
In June 2021, the International Labour Conference adopted a Global Call to Action for a human-centred
recovery from the COVID-19 crisis that is inclusive, sustainable and resilient. In it, Governments, workers’
and employers’ organizations from the ILO’s 187 Member States committed to pursue a “strong and
coherent global response in support of Member States’ human-centred recovery strategies that are
inclusive, sustainable and resilient, including through joint initiatives and enhanced institutional
arrangements among international and regional organizations.” They directed the ILO to organize a
major policy forum in cooperation with other multilateral organizations to advance this objective.
The high-level Global Forum for a Human-Centred Recovery will be held from 22 to 24 February in a virtual
format, bringing together Heads of State and Government, heads of international organizations and
multilateral development banks, and employers’ and workers’ leaders from around the world. The
sessions will provide an opportunity to discuss concrete actions that strengthen the international
community’s response to the crisis and to the “great divergence” or widening inequality in crisis response
and recovery among and within countries.
The Forum also serves to advance a more networked, inclusive, and effective form of multilateralism that,
in the words of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Guterres, “draws together existing institutional
capacities, overcoming fragmentation to ensure all are working together towards a common goal.” In
the current context, that goal must be to increase the level and coherence of the international response
to the profound and profoundly unequal nature of the COVID-19 crisis’s impact on people, in particular
regarding their employment opportunities and incomes; workers’ protection, capabilities, and just
transitions; and social protections including with respect to health care.
A key issue for discussion will be the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for a Just Transition
that the UN Secretary-General launched at the General Assembly in September 2021. The Forum will
examine how to generate the investments and resources required to meet the ambition of creating at
least 400 million new and decent jobs, including in the green, digital and care economy, while improving
protections at work; extending social protection floors to the more than 50 per cent of global population
without any access to social protection; improving protections at work; scaling up climate action for jobs
to accelerate progress towards a carbon-neutral global economy; and pursuing a transformative agenda
for gender equality. All participants of the Forum are invited to discuss how they will contribute to these
global goals, particularly in the four mutually reinforcing areas of actions specified in the thematic
sessions.
Provisional session descriptions
Opening session – 22 February, 13h00 to 14h30 CET
Advancing a human-centred recovery through strengthened multilateral
and tripartite cooperation
The Global Forum will open with scene-setting remarks from the business and trade union communities.
It will feature remarks from the UN Secretary-General and a number of Heads of State or Government,
and the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.
Thematic session 1 – 22 February, 14h45 to 16h15 CET
Decent jobs and inclusive economic growth.
The session will begin with opening presentations by Heads of State or Government, followed by an interactive
panel involving the leaders of a number of international organizations that are particularly engaged in this area,
together with high-level representatives of the social partners.
This session will present and discuss strengthened cooperative efforts and institutional arrangements to
address the serious and ongoing impact of the COVID-19 crisis on employment, business continuity and
livelihoods around the world, particularly with respect to disproportionately affected regions, sectors and
hardest-hit groups such as youth, women, small businesses and informal and migrant workers. Globally,
the labour market suffered unprecedented losses in working hours in 2020 and 2021 relative to prepandemic levels – the equivalent of 258 million and 125 million full-time jobs, respectively. Job recovery
has been uneven, with much faster recovery in advanced economies than developing countries and
uneven progress within countries, leaving already disadvantaged and hard-hit groups further behind
and many enterprises struggling to survive.
These deepened inequalities impede economic and social recovery, the prospects for which remain weak
and uncertain in 2022 and beyond. The eventual outcome will be strongly influenced by policy choices
and actions. Experience from past crises shows that achieving an inclusive, job-rich recovery requires
placing decent jobs at the centre of recovery efforts with strong linkages to social protection; increasing
investment in areas having particular potential for job creation (such as green, digital, and care
economies); and supporting business resilience and recovery during and after the crisis. There is a high
risk that without concerted international support, many developing countries will face significant
challenges in implementing policies to attain, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 8, “sustained,
inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all”.
• How can national and international solidarity and support be increased in sectors with
particular potential to create decent jobs in sustainable ways, including the green, care and
digital economies, as well as for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs); for
workers’ skills and transitions; and for youth, women and other disproportionately affected
groups.
Thematic session 2 – 23 February, 13h00 to 14h30 CETUniversal social protection.
The session will begin with opening presentations by Heads of State or Government, followed by an interactive
panel involving the leaders of a number of international organizations that are particularly engaged in this area,
together with high-level representatives of the social partners.
This session will present and discuss strengthened cooperative efforts and institutional arrangements to
help countries address the significant gaps in social protection comprehensiveness, adequacy and
sustainability, which are exacerbating the adverse human impacts of the current crisis. Less than half of
the global population is effectively covered by at least one social protection benefit. To guarantee at least
a basic level of social security through a nationally defined social protection floor, middle income
countries would need to spend between 3.1 to 5.1 per cent of GDP. However, in low-income countries,
the required amount of domestic resources amounts to an estimated 15.9 per cent of GDP, the equivalent
of 45 per cent of current tax revenues. Closing the social protection floor financing gap in such countries
through domestic resource mobilization alone is not realistic.
Clearly, current levels of expenditure on social protection are insufficient to close persistent coverage
gaps, despite large – yet unequal – resource mobilization during the COVID-19 pandemic. For countries
with limited fiscal capacities or facing increased needs due to systemic crises, additional international
financing in combination with technical assistance could complement national resources and support the
creation of sufficient domestic fiscal space. Greater alignment among national policy makers, social
partners and bilateral and multilateral development partners could help low- and lower-middle-income
countries make stronger progress in this regard. A new international financing mechanism could help
low-income countries increase levels of funding devoted to social protection over time.
• How can national and international solidarity and support for the design, sustainable
financing and administration of social protection systems in developing countries be
expanded through increased technical assistance, institutional capacity building and catalytic
financing that complements strengthened domestic resource mobilization?
Thematic Session 3, February 23, 14h45 to 16h15 CETProtecting workers and sustaining enterprises.
The session will begin with opening presentations by Heads of State or Government, followed by an interactive
panel involving the leaders of a number of international organizations that are particularly engaged in this area,
together with high-level representatives of the social partners.
This session will present and discuss strengthened cooperative efforts and institutional arrangements to
improve the implementation and ratification of international labour standards, notably with respect to
occupational safety and health, working time and wages, gender and other forms of discrimination, and
the other fundamental principles and rights at work, including through transitions to formality. It will
also examine how to enhance international support for decent work opportunities through increased
business continuity and productivity growth of MSMEs and other firms in sectors and geographies hit
hardest by the pandemic or affected by ongoing shifts in technology, climate change or trade and
investment as well as for universal global access to vaccines, as envisioned and enabled by the Access to
COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The pandemic is posing new challenges with respect to safeguarding workplace safety and health,
including in but not limited to frontline and other sectors critical to the functioning of economies and
societies, and ensuring respect for workers’ rights more generally, including in digitally-enabled remote
4
work arrangements which have expanded substantially during the crisis. Effective implementation of
labour standards enabled by properly resourced labour ministries underpins progress on all the other
policy domains covered by the Forum, as does a transformative and measurable agenda for gender
equality and non-discrimination and equal treatment more broadly. Social dialogue, including collective
bargaining, plays a critical role in supporting the application of such standards and finding solutions to
new challenges brought by changes in the world of work; however, the pandemic has placed employer
and worker organizations under increased pressure. At the same time, sectors such as tourism and
hospitality, culture, aviation, and some manufacturing and personal services continue to struggle, as do
many smaller firms, resulting in many workers shifting from formal to informal and often insecure
employment where labour protections, tax administration and social protection are considerably weaker.
• How can national and international solidarity and support be increased for the capacity of
countries to implement worker protections in such areas as occupational safety and health,
gender and other forms of discrimination, adequate wages and working time and
fundamental principles and rights at work; and how can international cooperation strengthen
worker and employer organizations, the continuity and productivity of small businesses and
other firms, and efforts to formalize jobs and enterprises?
The session will begin with opening presentations by Heads of State or Government, followed by an interactive
panel involving the leaders of a number of international organizations that are particularly engaged in this area,
together with high-level representatives of the social partners.
This session will present and discuss strengthened cooperative efforts and institutional arrangements to
support country strategies to achieve a just transition – a transition that maximizes economic and social
gains from climate action, while minimizing risks of social disruption. The government, company and
investment community net-zero commitments announced at the recent Glasgow Conference of theParties (COP26) imply an increasingly significant and potentially disruptive transformation of many
industries and their workforces over the next decade and beyond, including in developing countries. At
the same time, global warming is contributing to increasing levels of physical damage and social
dislocation in countries, whether in terms of extreme weather and natural disasters, rising sea levels and
water stress, or job loss and migration.
There is compelling evidence that the ecological transition can be positive for the economy, with net
gains in decent work and sustainable enterprise value creation which contribute to the advancement of
social justice. The ILO estimates that a green transition through low-carbon and circular economies can
generate some 100 million new jobs by 2030. However, 80 million jobs could be lost in the process. Most
if not all countries are at an early stage of analyzing and planning for the implications of these shifts in
public policy, corporate strategy, and environmental conditions. Many have limited resources to do so,
let alone to finance the adaptations that will be required in industrial and infrastructure investment and
public support for worker retraining, employment services and social protection. Policymakers will face
geographical and temporal complexities and need to ensure distributive justice, give specific attention
to the needs of young people, women, indigenous and tribal people, and persons with disabilities.
Comprehensive policy frameworks, based on social dialogue and strong social consensus, will be
indispensable to address all aspects of economic and social transformation.
• How can national and international solidarity and support for the preparation and
implementation of just transition strategies be expanded and accelerated, including withrespect to the transition of carbon-intensive industries and their workforces and
communities; the expansion of job-intensive, low-carbon sectors such as nature-based
services, regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, energy efficient buildings and industrial
practices, etc.; and the reshaping of enabling environment incentives and requirements, for
example with respect to carbon pricing and financial regulation?
Closing session – 24 February, 14h45 to 16h15 CETToward a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis that is
inclusive, sustainable and resilient.
After closing messages, including from Heads of State or Government, a high-level tripartite conversation
moderated by Director-General Guy Ryder will take place to reflect on the proceedings of the Forum,
focusing on the action needed to sustain and increase momentum on multilateral cooperation around
shared goals for human centred recovery.
The theme of the 2022 edition of World Radio Day is devoted to "Radio and Trust". Radio continues one of the most trusted and accessible media in the world, according to different international reports.
On the occasion of World Radio Day 2022, UNESCO calls on radio stations to celebrate the Day through three sub-themes:
Trust in radio journalism: Produce independent and high-quality content;
Trust and accessibility: Take care of your audience;
Trust and viability of radio stations: Ensure competitiveness.
On this edition of World Radio Day, the theme of which is radio and trust, we are celebrating the independence and reliability of radio. We turn to radio, more than to any other medium, when we need to be informed. For example, in Europe, where fewer than one in five people consider social networks a credible source of information, more than half of all people trust radio.This trust is all the more important under serious circumstances, as radio is the only medium which can reach so many households, especially in the remotest of areas. During a pandemic, radio thus remains one of the surest ways to know what to do, without controversy confusing matters. Radio is often the medium through which learning continues when schools are closed. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, while three quarters of university students own a radio, only 30% have Internet access at home.However, our trust in radio may be due to something even more profound: where images can be distorted or reproduced to the point of excess, radio establishes a more direct, more intimate relationship between speaker and listener. Of course, this close relationship must be coupled with a guarantee of independence and rigour. Our organization sees to this by promoting reliable and quality information everywhere through support for press freedom and journalists.The best guarantee of radio's independence, however, is the diversity of those who make it and the diversity of their voices. Radio would not inspire such trust if we could not make it our own, regardless of our culture. While television requires more significant resources, radio offers communities, villages and schools an accessible means of sharing their knowledge. UNESCO is encouraging radio projects, for example in Cameroon, where an agreement to support community radio stations was signed in November. For trust is the product not only of a constant effort to be independent, but also of better representation of diversity in terms of language, gender and ideas. Many radio stations have already taken up these issues; whatever their audience ratings, they will have UNESCO's solid support. This February 13, let us all join together to express how much radio means to us. A medium over 100 years old, radio is today more relevant than ever. May it live on for many more years to come!
UNESCO Director-General.
EVENTS
UNESCO invites all radio stations worldwide to celebrate the 11th World Radio Day and to share information about their relevant activities.
Listen "No Denying It", There’s no denying it - we have to tackle the climate emergency. The UN climate action podcast brings you the voices of young climate changemakers from across our warming planet.
Listen "Awake at Night": What does it take to be a United Nations worker in some of the world’s most difficult and dangerous locations? Melissa Fleming finds out.
The 7th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly.
The 7th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly , taking place on 11 February 2022, in virtual format from UN Headquarters in New York, aims to recognize the role of women and girls in science, not only as beneficiaries, but also as agents of change, including in view of accelerating progress towards the achievement of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
The 7th Assembly will bring together women in science and experts from around the world, high-level government officials, representatives of international organizations and the private sector to discuss the water nexus in achieving the three pillars of sustainable development, namely economic prosperity, social justice, and environmental integrity.
It will showcase best practices, strategies, applied solutions, and experiences in addressing the SDG6 challenges and opportunities through the Cansu Global Media Room. It will also feature, for the first time, a unique Ebru Water Art Performance to celebrate the 7th Anniversary of the #February11 Global Movement.
Today, only one in three science and engineering researchers in the world is a woman.
Structural and societal barriers prevent women and girls from entering and advancing in science.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased gender inequalities, from school closures to a rise in violence and a greater burden of care in the home.
This inequality is depriving our world of enormous untapped talent and innovation. We need women’s perspectives to make sure science and technology work for everyone.
We can – and must – take action.
With policies that fill classrooms with girls studying technology, physics, engineering, math.
With targeted measures to ensure opportunities for women to grow and lead at laboratories, research institutions and universities.
With determination to end discrimination and stereotypes about women in science.
And with more rigorous efforts to expand opportunities for women members of minority communities.
All of this is especially important in the crucial field of artificial intelligence.
There is a direct connection between low levels of women working in AI, and absurd gender biased algorithms that treat men as standard and women as an exception.
We need more women developing artificial intelligence that serves everyone and works for gender equality.
We also need to reverse trends that keep young women scientists from pursuing careers that help us address the climate and environmental crises.
I taught engineering. I know from personal experience that young women and men are equally capable and equally fascinated by science, brimming with ideas, and ready to carry our world forward.
We must ensure that they have access to the same learning and work opportunities on a level playing field.
On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, I call on everyone to create an environment where women can realize their true potential and today’s girls become tomorrow’s leading scientists and innovators, shaping a fair and sustainable future for all.
The major challenges the world faces today, from COVID-19 to climate change, need our brightest scientific minds to solve them. However, only one in three scientists is a woman. This glaring disparity does not just hamstring our ability to find solutions to our common challenges, it keeps us from building the societies we need. And the disparity is systemic. Women also remain underrepresented among senior scientists in academia. According to the 2021 UNESCO Science Report, they are awarded less research funding than men, and are less likely to be promoted. In the private sector too, women are less present in company leadership and in technical roles in tech industries. The lack of equal opportunities in the workplace is driving women out of research professions. We must put the principle of equality into action so that science works for women, because it works against them all too often – for example, when algorithms perpetuate the biases of their programmers. Despite a labour shortage in this field, studies have shown that women account for just 22% of professionals working in artificial intelligenceand 28% of engineering graduates. And when they found their own start-ups, women receive less than 3% of total venture capital compared to men.However, more generally speaking, we need to provide more opportunities in science and innovation to women. That is why UNESCO and UN Women strive to get girls into science education, and to ensure their rightful place in these professions and industries. Last year, the Generation Equality Forum launched the Action Coalition on Technology and Innovation for Gender Equality. Its aim is to double the proportion of women working in technology and innovation by 2026 and ensure that women and girls participate fully in finding solutions to the large, complex and interdisciplinary problems we face. Doing that requires positive remedies for increased representation, as well a constant vigilance to uproot long-standing discrimination and unconscious bias. We are already seeing how working together across the public and private sectors and across generations can bring about positive change, such as by eliminating gender stereotypes in education and putting policies in place to attract and support women scientists in the workforce.Science derives from the universal curiosity that makes us human, asking the questions that are common to us all. We urgently need it to build more inclusive, transformativeand accountable science and technology ecosystems that are free of biases and discrimination. In so doing, we will be able to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals, and address the challenges that impact us all
In order to achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls, and further achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/70/212 declaring 11 February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
As the pulses sector includes a wide range of actors, providing employment to rural women and youth in farming communities and to urban families in the manufacturing sector. Pulses, therefore, contribute to creating livelihood opportunities and equity, which are also essential for sustainable agrifood systems. Follow the conversation with the hashtags #worldpulsesDay; #Sustainableagrifoodsystems
Pulses contribute to creating economic, social and environmental opportunities for sustainable agrifood systems. But for the successful adoption of a pulse-driven agriculture, young people must be at the centre of any strategy.
Youth can act as a bridge between traditional farming techniques and new technologies, helping to make agriculture more sustainable and nutrition-sensitive. They can also bring added value to the promotion of pulses by shedding light on new business opportunities along the value chain.
The celebration this year under the theme Pulses to empower youth in achieving sustainable agrifood systems will focus on the key role young people play in shaping a better future for food and bring testimonies and perspectives of youth organizations’ representatives.
We see them at the grocery store, the farmer’s market and as side orders served with our favourite dish. In many countries, they are part of the cultural heritage and are consumed on a regular or even daily basis. In other parts of the world, they hardly garner a mention except when served in a soup on a cold winter’s day.
Join the virtual meeting of faith and spiritual leaders, which this year is of particularly importance, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic which has upended all assumptions of life on earth, causing never-before faced challenges worldwide.
Global Challenges: Pandemic and World Order - Religion. The COVID-19 global pandemic has upended a world that already faced significant political, economic, and social disruption. This fall, MSFS will host an online symposium for all GSFS students to explore and discuss how the global system has been changed and what the future might hold. The symposium is centered on a weekly series of interviews with high-level practitioners and leading SFS scholars who will assess the consequences of COVID-19 for issues in international affairs. Topics include great power competition, fragile states, democracy and disruption, the global financial system, the role of social media, public health and racial injustice, and much more. Each interview will be followed by a discussion among SFS faculty and students on the topic.
Over the years, this partnership has seen significant achievements. Through the support of the joint programme, more than 5.5 million girls and women received prevention, protection and care services related to FGM. Some 42.5 million people made public declarations to abandon FGM. 361,808 girls were prevented from undergoing FGM.
TheThe 2020 annual report of the global Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation presents the progress made thus far in the implementation of the Joint Programme. The report focuses on the experiences recorded in preventing, mitigating and responding to the increased risk of girls undergoing FGM during the pandemic. It also presents the achievements of the programme in 2020, which are key in setting the baseline for 2021 – the final year of Phase III of the Joint Programme. The 2020 annual report is presented in a sequenced format featuring six sub-reports.
The performance report in particular provides an analysis of the Joint Programme’s results including factors that contribute to programme achievements as well as approaches for addressing bottlenecks in the programme.
Cancer can be prevented and controlled by implementing evidence-based strategies for cancer prevention, screening and early detection, treatment and palliative care. The most common modifiable risk factors for cancer, which are shared with many other noncommunicable diseases, are: - Tobacco use - Low fruit and vegetable intake - Harmful use of alcohol - Lack of physical activity
Some specific risk factors for cancer include chronic infections from human papilloma virus (HPV) -for cervical cancer-, hepatitis B and C - for liver cancer-, and H.pylori -for stomach cancer.
One third to one half of cancer cases could be prevented by reducing the prevalence of known risk factors. Examples of actionable interventions are tobacco control and HPV vaccination. The most effective primary prevention of cancer is based on whole-of-government approaches, with legislation, regulation and fiscal policies combined with activities to change community and individual behaviour. Public health messages and health promotion should present evidence on specific risk factors.
An entertaining and informative, virtual live programme broadcasting across 11 hours this World Cancer Day This 4th February, we're bringing World Cancer Day to you. Tune in to a full day of live content streamed here on our website and on social media channels. The World Cancer Day LIVE programme includes discussions with leading thinkers from around the world and a rare look at the work of our cancer community. We’ll take you live on the ground, broadcasting World Cancer Day activities happening around the world. You will have the opportunity to watch testimonies by sports champions and celebrities, hear the stories of cancer survivors, listen to experts speak on equity and cancer-related topics, and participate in yoga sessions to help you stay healthy on and after World Cancer Day. Join us live this 4th February.
With one in five people worldwide developing cancer during their lifetimes, prevention of the disease has become one of the most significant public health challenges of the 21st century.
