International Day of Zero Waste 2023; March 30th.

 FORUM:"Towards Zero Waste." International Day of Zero Waste 2023.

                    

The International Day of Zero Waste aims to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns and raise awareness on zero-waste initiatives contribute to the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Humanity generates an estimated 2.24 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually, of which only 55 per cent is managed in controlled facilities. By 2050, this could rise to 3.88 billion tons per year. The waste sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in urban settings and biodiversity loss. Around 931 million tons of food is wasted each year, and up to 37 million tons of plastic waste is expected to enter the ocean annually by 2040.

The United Nations General Assembly on 14 December 2022 formally recognized the importance of zero-waste initiatives and proclaimed 30 March as the International Day of Zero Waste, to be observed annually beginning in 2023.

Zero-waste initiatives can foster sound waste management and minimize and prevent waste. This contributes to reducing pollution, mitigating the climate crisis, conserving biodiversity, enhancing food security and improving human health.

 EVENTS: The United Nations Environment Programme and UN-Habitat will facilitate the observance of the Day. All Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and relevant stakeholders are encouraged to implement zero-waste initiatives at local, regional, subnational and national levels.

UN observance | CR-11, United Nations Headquarters, New York | 1:15–2:30 p.m. EST

UN-Habitat and UNEP observe Zero Waste Day alongside the Office of the President of the General Assembly and the Republic of Türkiye. The observance includes a moderated session featuring remarks from UN leaders and a keynote session from the Republic of Türkiye.

UNGA high-level meeting | General Assembly Hall, United Nations Headquarters, New York | 10 a.m. to 3 pm EST

The President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) convenes a high-level meeting to provide Member States and stakeholders a platform to exchange experiences and success stories in solid waste management, including zero-waste initiatives.First letter from the President of the General Assembly
Second letter from the President of the General Assembly

UNEP/UN-Habitat observance | UN Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya | 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. EAT

UNEP and UN-Habitat jointly host a moderated session to discuss the importance of Zero Waste Day and the benefits of zero waste. The observance is convened by the Governments of Kenya and Türkiye. Observance includes participation from government representatives, UN experts and representatives from various stakeholder groups.

UNEP/UN-Habitat Asia Pacific observance | UN Conference Center, Urban Engagement Space, Bangkok, Thailand | 9:45–11:30 a.m. ICT.

UNEP, UN-Habitat and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) host a fireside chat during the 10th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development. Sessions cover food waste, greening the blue, the informal sector and waste management. A field visit to Chula Zero Waste Initiative at Chulalongkorn University follows the closing session. Event page and registration

Geneva Environment Network conference | Online | 1–2:30 p.m. CEST.

The UNEP-coordinated Geneva Environment Network hosts an online conference, in collaboration with UN-Habitat, featuring 10 speakers from across the UN system, environmental organizations, academia and governments. It celebrates the steps taken by actors in Geneva and beyond to move forward the zero-waste agenda.Event page and registration

Earth Hour 2023; March 25th.

FORUM: Earth Hour is here! Let's create the Biggest Hour for Earth together. Switch off and give an hour for Earth at 8.30pm wherever you are. The United Nations is joining in the global effort to mark Earth Hour 2023. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #Earthhour, #BiggestHourForEarth.

EVENT: Celebrate the Hour with your community - whether virtually or in-person - and be part of the #BiggestHourForEarth, no matter where you are in the world!

The Biggest Hour for Earth 2023 will be held on Sat, Mar 25, 2023 from 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM.
On Saturday, March 25th at 8:30 p.m. local time, join WWF, the United Nations and other partners in switching off your lights and giving an hour for Earth. For ideas on positive actions you can take for our planet.

Statement by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on Earth Hour 2023.

International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members 2023; March 25th.

FORUM: "Focus attention on the dangers faced by U.N. personnel and partners as they carry out the vital work of the United Nations." International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members 2023. The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members has taken on even greater importance in recent years, as attacks against the United Nations intensify. This is a day to mobilize action, demand justice and strengthen our resolve to protect UN staff and peacekeepers, as well as our colleagues in the non-governmental community and the press. Follow the conversations, #DetainedStaffDay; #UNStaffDay, #25March

Statement from the UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members 2023; March 25th.

On International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members, we focus attention on the dangers faced by our personnel and partners as they carry out the vital work of the United Nations. We salute their courage and service in some of the most challenging parts of the world — and we call for greater action to ensure their safety and security.

United Nations personnel should never face threats for carrying out their essential mission and serving people. But, the reality is that they may confront deliberate attacks, ambushes, kidnappings, intimidation and unlawful detention. This is unacceptable.

Since 2021, 239 United Nations personnel have been detained, 21 of whom were detained in 2023. In total, 28 United Nations personnel are still in detention. National staff are often at particular risk.

I call on all countries to fully implement the 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, as well as the 2005 Optional Protocol to the Convention, which extends protection to personnel delivering humanitarian, political or development assistance.

Today and every day, we stand in solidarity with all detained colleagues and their families and pledge to protect all United Nations personnel as they work to help the world’s most vulnerable people.

U.N. Secretary-General.

International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade 2023; March 25th.

FORUM: "Fighting slavery’s legacy of racism through transformative education." International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade 2023. 

                        

The enslavement of over 13 million Africans during the Transatlantic Slave Trade was driven by the racist ideology that these women, men and children were inferior because of the colour of their skin. Countless families were torn apart. Scores of human beings lost their lives. Despite experiencing serious human rights violations, and intergenerational trauma over centuries, enslaved people persevered in their resilience, demonstrating courage and defiance against the conditions of enslavement, forced labour, and systemic violence and oppression.

The racist legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade reverberates today in harmful prejudices and beliefs which are still being perpetuated and continue to impact people of African descent across the world. Transformative education, which seeks to empower learners to see the social world critically and through an ethical lens to challenge and change the status quo as agents of change is essential to the work of teaching and learning about slavery in order to end racism and injustice and to build inclusive societies based on dignity and human rights for all people, everywhere.

                            

Statement by António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, on the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and Transatlantic Slave Trade 2023; March 25th. 

2023 Theme: “Fighting slavery’s legacy of racism through transformative education” The enslavement of over 13 million Africans during the Transatlantic Slave Trade was driven by the racist ideology that these women, men and children were inferior because of the colour of their skin. Countless families were torn apart. Scores of human beings lost their lives. Despite experiencing serious human rights violations, and intergenerational trauma over centuries, enslaved people persevered in their resilience, demonstrating courage and defiance against the conditions of enslavement, forced labour, and systemic violence and oppression. The racist legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade reverberates today in harmful prejudices and beliefs which are still being perpetuated and continue to impact people of African descent across the world. Transformative education, which seeks to empower learners to see the social world critically and through an ethical lens to challenge and change the status quo as agents of change is essential to the work of teaching and learning about slavery in order to end racism and injustice and to build inclusive societies based on dignity and human rights for all people, everywhere. ------------- Today, we pay tribute to the victims of the transatlantic slave trade. The evil enterprise of enslavement lasted for over 400 years. Millions of African children, women, and men were trafficked across the Atlantic, ripped from their families and homelands – their communities torn apart, their bodies commodified, their humanity denied. The history of slavery is a history of suffering and barbarity that shows humanity at its worst. But it is also a history of awe-inspiring courage that shows human beings at their best – starting with enslaved people who rose up against impossible odds and extending to the abolitionists who spoke out against this atrocious crime. And yet, the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade haunts us to this day. We can draw a straight line from the centuries of colonial exploitation to the social and economic inequalities of today. And we can recognize the racist tropes popularized to rationalize the inhumanity of the slave trade in the white supremacist hate that is resurgent today. It is incumbent on us all to fight slavery’s legacy of racism. The most powerful weapon in our arsenal is education – the theme of this year’s commemoration. By teaching the history of slavery, we help to guard against humanity’s most vicious impulses. By studying the assumptions and beliefs that allowed the practice to flourish for centuries, we unmask the racism of our own time. And by honouring the victims of slavery, we restore some measure of dignity to those who were so mercilessly stripped of it. Today and every day, let us stand united against racism and together build a world in which everyone, everywhere can live lives of liberty, dignity, and human rights.

U.N. Secretary-General.

International Day for the Right to the truth concerning the gross human rights violations and for the Dignity of victims 2023; March 24th.

FORUM: Financing of reparations owed to victims of serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law. International Day for the Right to the truth concerning the gross human rights violations 2023. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #24March,  #Dignityforvictims, #Humanrightsviolations, #RighttotheTruthDay.

                       

Statement from the U.N. Secretary-General on the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims 2023; March 24th.

EVENTS: A Webinar will be held on March 24th at UNHQ to observe the International Day for the Right to the truth concerning the gross human rights violations 2023.

CALL FOR IMPUTS

Background: The Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence will devote his report to the 78th session of the General Assembly, in October 2023, to thoroughly reviewing the question of financing of reparations owed to victims of serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law. In order to obtain a broad representation of views to inform the thematic report, he is seeking written contributions from all relevant actors through responses to a questionnaire.
Objectives: The report will review the existing experiences, challenges, good practices and lessons learned regarding measures adopted at national and international levels to fund and sustain reparations offered or provided to victims of serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

Key questions and types of inputs/comments sought: In order to obtain a broad representation of views to inform the thematic report, the Special Rapporteur is seeking written contributions from all relevant actors through responses to a questionnaire.

The questionnaire is available in English | Français | Español.

Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice reparation & guarantees of non-recurrence.

World Tuberculosis Day 2023: March 24rd.

 FORUM: 'Yes! We can end TB!'  World Tuberculosis Day 2023.

The day will inspire hope and encourage high-level leadership, increased investments, faster uptake of new WHO recommendations, adoption of innovations, accelerated action, and multisectoral collaboration to combat the TB epidemic. The WHO will also issue a call to action with partners urging Member States to accelerate the rollout 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. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #WorldTBDay, #24Marh,‘#YesWecanEndTB, #Tuberculosis.

Message from Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO's Global Tuberculosis Programme on World TB Day 2023.

Millions of people around the world suffer and die from tuberculosis - a preventable, treatable and curable disease. We need to urgently fast-track the response against this ancient disease and reach those affected with the care they need.

EVENTS: Online talk show on March 22nd at 14:00 CET.

EVENTS: The World Health Organization (WHO) is organizing a conference to commemorate World Tuberculosis Day 2023 on March 24rd. The spotlight of the conference will be to urge countries to ramp up progress in the lead-up to the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB. The United Nations General Assembly will hold the second high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis on 22 September 2023. The theme of the meeting is: “Advancing science, finance and innovation, and their benefits, to urgently end the global tuberculosis epidemic, in particular, by ensuring equitable access to prevention, testing, treatment and care.”

The United Nations General Assembly will hold the Second high-level meeting onthe fight against tuberculosis on 22 September 2023. The theme of the meeting is: “Advancing science, finance and innovation, and their benefits, to urgently end the global tuberculosis epidemic, in particular, by ensuring equitable access to prevention, testing, treatment and care.”

ORGANIZATION OF THE MEETING 

CO-FACILITATORS: POLANDAND UZBEKISTAN

 The UN High-Level Meeting on TB will be organized under the direction of the UN General Assembly. WHO is working closely with the office of the President of the General Assembly, the Co-facilitators, Member States and partners including civil society in making preparations for the UN high-level meeting. The main objective of the meeting is to implement a comprehensive review of progress in the context of the achievement of targets set in the 2018 political declaration, and in the Sustainable Development Goals. 

In preparation for the high-level meeting, Member States have requested forthe Secretary- General, with support of the World Health Organization, to develop a "comprehensive and analytical report on progress achieved and challenges remaining in realizing tuberculosis goals within the context of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including on the progress and implementation of the 2018 political declaration” The Multi-stakeholder Hearings on Tuberculosis / Universal Health Care (UHC) / Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response will be held on 8-9 May at the United Nations in New York. 

The Hearings will provide an opportunity for all relevant stakeholders to contribute to the ongoing preparatory process for the High-Level Meetings, with a focus on the current state of efforts and top needs to accelerate response. The theme of the meeting is: “Advancing science,finance and innovation, and their benefits, tourgently end the global tuberculosis epidemic, inparticular, by ensuring equitable access toprevention, testing, treatment and care.” 

COORDINATION ACROSS THREE UN HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS:  Based on a request from Member States to WHO's Director General at the Executive Board, WHO is working with the office of the President of the General Assembly to coordinate across the high-level meetings of the United Nations General Assembly on universal health coverage, tuberculosis and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. This includes creating procedural synergy in the intergovernmental processes of the three meetings.

World Meteorological Day 2023; March 23rd.

 FORUM: “The future of weather, climate and water across generations.” World Meteorological Day 2023. As a result of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, the average global temperature is now more than 1° Celsius higher today compared to 150 years ago. Our weather is more extreme, our ocean is warmer and more acidic, sea levels have risen and glaciers and ice are melting. The rate of change is accelerating. We need urgent action now to slash emissions and to ensure that future generations can both survive and thrive on our planet. The good news is that rapid scientific and technological advances have greatly improved the accuracy of weather forecasts and life-saving early warnings. Big data is being exchanged more freely among a wider community than ever before, and there are new tools including machine learning and Artificial Intelligence.  There has been significant progress to monitor, simulate and project the global climate to support decision-making. Our weather, climate and water cycle will be different in future than in the past. Weather, climate and hydrological services will help us tackle the associated challenges and seize the opportunities. Forecasts of what the weather will BE are no longer enough. Impact-based forecasts that inform the public of what the weather will DO are vital to save lives and livelihoods. Yet one in three people are still not adequately covered by early warning systems. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #WorldMetDay, #23March, #Meteorology, #Climatology, #Hydrology, #weather.

Statement from the U.N. Secretary-General on World Meteorological Day 2023; March 23rd.

On this World Meteorological Day, humanity faces a difficult truth: climate change is making our planet uninhabitable.

Every year of insufficient action to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius drives us closer to the brink, increasing systemic risks and reducing our resilience against climate catastrophe. As countries hurtle past the 1.5-degree limit, climate change is intensifying heatwaves, droughts, flooding, wildfires and famines, while threatening to submerge low-lying countries and cities and drive more species to extinction.

This year’s theme — The Future of Weather, Climate and Water Across Generations — compels us all to live up to our responsibilities and ensure that future generations inherit a better tomorrow.

That means accelerating actions to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, through scaled-up mitigation and adaptation measures.

It means radically transforming our energy and transportation systems, breaking our addiction to fossil fuels, and embracing a just transition to renewable energy.

It means developed countries providing a revolution of financial and technical support to developing countries as they mitigate emissions, adapt to a renewable future, build resilience against extreme weather events, and address the loss and damage resulting from climate change.

And it means living up to the promise made last World Meteorological Day to ensure that early warning systems against climate disasters cover every person in the world. Thirty countries have now been identified for accelerated implementation this year.

2023 must be a year of transformation, not tinkering.

It’s time to end the relentless — and senseless — war on nature, and deliver the sustainable future that our climate needs, and our children and grandchildren deserve.

U.N. Secretary-General.

Statement from the Prof. Petteri Taalas, WMO Secretary-General on World Meterorological Day 2023; March 23rd.

Greetings from the World Meteorological Organization secretariat in Geneva.

Our weather and climate and water cycle know no national or political boundaries. International cooperation is essential. This philosophy has driven the work of the great meteorological family since 1873 and will guide us in the future.

The demand for our expertise and our science has never been higher.

World Meteorological Day 2023 is very special because it takes place during the 150th anniversary of WMO’s predecessor, the International Meteorological Organization.

For the past 150 years, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services have collected and standardized data which underpin the weather forecasts we now take for granted. The history of WMO data exchange is a success story of scientific cooperation to save lives and livelihoods.

We are the second oldest United Nations agency. We are proud of our achievements and will celebrate them in a landmark year when our decision-making World Meteorological Congress will agree strategic priorities to promote our vision of a world which is more resilient to extreme weather, climate, water and other environmental events.

 

Early Warnings for All

There is increasing momentum behind the ambitious drive to ensure that life-saving early warning systems cover everyone in the next five years. The Early Warnings for All Initiative, launched by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on World Meteorological Day 2022 was endorsed at COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh and has won support from developed and developing countries, from the UN family and the private sector. 

Early warnings work. They must work for everyone.

Half of WMO Members still do not have adequate Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems and we need to fill the gaps in the basic observing system, especially in Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. 

Early warnings are the low-hanging fruit of climate change adaptation – which is no long a luxury but a must. According to the World Economic Forum, in the next ten-year time frame, failure to mitigate climate change, failure of climate change adaptation and natural disasters are the highest risks for the global economy. 

At least half of all disasters are water-related. At the UN Water Conference in New York (22 to 24 April), WMO will show how water-related hazards like floods and droughts are increasing. Climate change and the melting of glaciers will also lead to more water stress. Better water monitoring and management are essential and this is why WMO is working on a Global Water Information System to promote free exchange of hydrological data.

 

Greenhouse Gas Monitoring

Climate change is the defining challenge of our time. How we respond to that challenge will determine the future of our planet and our children and grandchildren. This will be highlighted in the Synthesis of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The global average temperature is more than 1.1°C higher than it was when the IMO was founded 150 years ago. Our weather is more extreme, our ocean is warmer and more acidic, sea levels have risen and glaciers and ice are melting. The rate of change is accelerating.

Atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases remain at record levels. And yet there is currently no comprehensive, timely international exchange of surface and space-based greenhouse gas observations.

To fill the void, WMO is seeking to develop a sustained and coordinated Global Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Infrastructure.

It would expand and consolidate WMO’s long-standing activities in greenhouse gas monitoring under the auspices of the Global Atmosphere Watch and the Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System.

The concept is based on the highly successful World Weather Watch, which was ushered in at the start of the satellite era and celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. It remains the gold standard for international cooperation.

WMO’s Members can be proud of our achievements in our long and rich history.

We started life in an era of morse code and telegrams for shipping forecasts. Supercomputers and satellite technology are opening up new horizons for ever more reliable weather and climate prediction – with the possibility of kilometer-scale models.

But even in an era of artificial intelligence and machine learning, we still depend on the personal dedication and commitment of the staff of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services who work every day of every year to save lives.

We thank you all.

        Prof. Petteri Taalas,

WMO Secretary-General.

EVENTS: The World Meteorological Day 2023 will take place on March 23rd. The ceromy of the WMO’s 150th anniversary will be observed on Thursday, 16 March 2023 from 14:30 - 16:30 GMT+1 at the World Meteorological Organization HQ in Geneva, Switzerland. The event will highlight the past achievements, present progress and future potential - from the late 19th century telegraphs and shipping forecasts to supercomputers and space technology. Throughout this time, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services have worked around the clock to collect and standardize data which underpin the weather forecasts we now take for granted. The history of WMO data exchange is a remarkable story of scientific vision, technological development and, most of all, of a unique system of cooperation to serve society. The anniversary also serves as a reminder of our changing climate. The International Meteorological Organization – the predecessor of the World Meteorological Organization – was established in 1873 in an era when pollution from industrial and human activities was at its beginning. 

The World Meteorological Day 2023 ceremony took place on Thursday, 16 March 2023 at WMO Headquarters in Geneva. This was in view of the UN Water conference in New York from 22-24 March.

Early festivities allow for vital discussions ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conference. The WMO's 150th anniversary will showcase past achievements and future prospects, from telegraphs to space technology. The official World Meteorological Day on 23 March 2023 will be marked with the usual celebrations around the world, and with WMO communication activities.

World Meteorological Day 2023 Ceremony.
16 March 2023 at 14:30-16:30 (GMT+1).
WMO Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland.
PROGRAMME

Opening

- Ms Esra Sümeyye (Türkyie), 14 year old winner of 2022 UPU Letter Writing Competition
- Prof. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Official Addresses

- Mr Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition on Early Warnings for All Initiative called by UNSG one year ago
- H.E. Juerg Lauber, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UN
- H.E. Mr M. Ahmed Ihab Gamaleldin, Ambassador of Egypt to the UN – on COP27
- H.E. Mr Ahmed Aljarman, Ambassador of UAE to the United Nations – on COP28
Speakers

- Mr Michael Staudinger, former Director of Central Institute of Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) on History of IMO-WMO
- Ms Neo Gim Huay, Managing Director, Centre for Nature and Climate at the World Economic Forum (WEF)
- Prof. Ed Hawkins, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Reading and member of the National Centre for Atmospheric Science, creator of Show Your Stripes
- Saliqa Amin and Maximilian Schneider, young representatives of the 2023 FerMUN Conference.

World Water Day 2023; March 22nd.

FORUM: "Accelerating change." World Water Day 2023.

The World Water Day 2023 campaign is now live. This year, the focus of the UN observance is on accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. Currently, the world is seriously off track on SDG 6. The latest data show that governments must work on average four times faster to meet this Goal on time. Dysfunction throughout the water cycle is undermining progress on all major global issues, from health to hunger, gender equality to jobs, education to industry, disasters to peace. Rapid, transformative change is needed and everyone can play their part. Every action – no matter how small – will make a difference.  Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #WorldWaterDay, #22March, #Acceleratingchange

EVENTS: World Water Day 2023.

The UN-Water will hold several conferences, webinars and workshops. Register to the 2023 UN WATER CONFERENCE!

                           

The promises made by individuals on the campaign website will contribute to the Water Action Agenda - a main outcome of the UN 2023 Water Conference, which opens on World Water Day, 22 March 2023.


CAMPAIGN: Be the change you want see in the world.

The global campaign, called Be the change, encourages people to take action in their own lives to change the way they use, consume and manage water.

The Water Action Agenda is a collection of voluntary commitments from governments, companies, organizations, institutions, coalitions and members of the public, designed to deliver rapid progress on internationally-agreed water and sanitation targets, most notably Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6): water and sanitation for all by 2030.

United Nations World Water Development Report 2023 - Partnerships and Cooperation for Water.

The new edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR) 2023, Partnerships and Cooperation for Water, will be launched on World Water Day, 22 March.

At current rates of progress, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 – water and sanitation for all – will not be achieved by 2030. Accelerated implementation is needed, which depends on the capacity of the world’s organizations and institutions to come together in partnerships and cooperation to rapidly speed up progress.

The UN WWDR will review how the water and sanitation community can cooperate more effectively within itself and with other sectors and realms of decision-making where water is critical for progress, such as health, education, climate change and gender equality.

The UN WWDR is UN-Water’s flagship report on water and sanitation issues, focusing on a different theme each year. The report is published by UNESCO, on behalf of UN-Water and its production is coordinated by the UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme.
Browse past editions of the UN WWDR and download the 2023 edition on 22 March 2023.

 

To find out more about World Water Day 2023.
To make your own Water Action list.
To check out the Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving Water.
To find more simple Water Actions you can take.

World Down Syndrome Day 2023; March 21st.

FORUM: "With Us Not For Us." World Down Syndrome Day 2023.

The message of With Us Not For Us is key to a human rights-based approach to disability. We are committed to moving on from the outdated charity model of disability, where people with disability were treated as objects of charity, deserving of pity and relying on others for support. A human rights-based approach views people with disabilities as having the right to be treated fairly and have the same opportunities as everyone else, working WITH others to improve the lives of the persons with down syndrome.  Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #WithUsNotForUs and #WorldDownSyndromeDay.

CAMPAIGN: For WDSD 2023, we call for people and organisations around the world to be With Us Not For Us. Read more about the global campaign here.

In December 2022, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution, promoting and mainstreaming easy-to-understand communication for accessibility for persons with disabilities. 

EVENTS: 

New York

On World Down Syndrome Day 2023, the Down Syndrome International network will host the 12th World Down Syndrome Day Conference (WDSDC) at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Geneva

For the World Down Syndrome Day 2023, self-advocates with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities from around the world will be gathering in Geneva to discuss the resolution and speak up for their right to easy-to-understand communication. We welcome you to our 2023 WDSD celebrations.

World Down Syndrome Day - Geneva 2023;
20 – 21 Mar, 2023.
- 14:00 (CET) - Geneva - Switzerland.

International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2023; March 21st.

FORUM: "75th anniversary of the UDHR - an impetus to combat racism." International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2023.

The 2023 theme of the International Day focuses on the urgency of combatting racism and racial discrimination, 75 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).21 March is also an opportunity to focus attention on the International Decade for the People of African Descent, who constitute some of the world’s poorest and most marginalized groups. Five years after the Decade’s launch in 2015, the United Nations General Assembly have conducted a critical mid-point review, to assess what countries have accomplished and to identify actions to be taken to improve the human rights situation of Afro-descendants. Studies and findings by international and national bodies demonstrate that people of African descent still have limited access to quality education, health services, housing and social security. To observe the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, We invite people to demonstrate how 'harmony' hides structural and systemic racism. Follow the conversation with the hashtags:#AfricanDescent, #21March, #FightRacism, #IDERD.

EVENTS: Join the panel discussions to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2023.

Commemorative Event
21 March 2023, 11:00-12:30 pm EDT
General Assembly Hall, New York

An event to mark the International Day, featuring remarks by Secretary-General António Guterres, Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, President of the General Assembly, Ms. Ilze Brand Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ms. Verene Albertha Sheperd, Chairperson of Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and more. Watch live on UN WebTV.

Debate on the urgency of combatting racism and racial discrimination 75 years after the adoption of the UDHR

Wednesday, 29 March 2023, 4 - 6 pm CET
Palais des Nations, Geneva

The panel discussion will gather speakers, who are known for their active role in the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and who are from diverse backgrounds. They will share their experience, expertise and recommendations on how to address some of the most pressing challenges and obstacles. Watch live on UN WebTV.

2023 UN Human Rights Prize

Nominations are now open for the 2023 UN Human Rights Prize. The prize, which is given out every five years, recognizes individuals or organizations for outstanding achievements in the field of human rights. Nominations can be submitted until 15 April 2023. The award ceremony will take place at UN Headquarters in New York in December 2023.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED!

- Advance equality and anti-discrimination.

 Get involved in the development of more advanced racial awareness

- mobilize actions against all forms and manifestations of racial discrimination and injustice.
- Support individual and organisational conversations about the importance of keeping the focus of IDERD
- Engage in proactive, open discussions about racism demonstrates a commitment to tackling racism when it occurs and preventing it in the future
- Provide the space to strategise for change.

CAMPAIGN: Against the alarming rise of xenophobia, racism and intolerance, the UN Human Rights Office has launched its #FightRacism campaign to foster a global culture of tolerance, equality and anti-discrimination.

WEBINARS: Global Forum against Racism and Discrimination.UNESCO

FAQs:

How 'harmony' hides structural and systemic racism?

How does love help societies advance the rights of people of AfricanDescent?