Встреча с министрами финансов стран G20

Vladimir Putin met at the Kremlin with the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors. Russia is currently chairing the G20.




Владимир Путин принял в Кремле министров финансов и управляющих центральными банками стран «Группы двадцати». Встреча состоялась в рамках российского председательства в «двадцатке».

International Year for Water Cooperation

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2013 International Year for Water Cooperation in 2010, following a proposal from Tajikistan. At the request of UN Water, UNESCO was given responsibility of leading the Year's events, in cooperation with United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and with the support of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).

Report: Global Hydrological Monitoring Industry Trends

You are invited to read the new report: Global Hydrological Monitoring Industry Trends. Over 700 water professionals participated in the study. Get your complimentary copy today for an inside look at the current industry challenges, standards, strategies, and best practices.

Report: Global Hydrological Monitoring Industry Trends

Highlights - Networks are expected to grow by 53% more stations by 2022 - 40% of stations will have web enabled sensors, satellite, & telephone - 66% are implementing USGS standard operating procedures - 49% reported an increase in hydrologist salaries since 2002 - 83% reported an increase in the importance of data modeling - 46% expect to report daily means & unit values dynamically by 2022 - 28% use a commercial hydrological data management system

The UN Observance for February 2013

United Nations Observances Coming up this month :

- FEBRUARY -

First week of February
World Interfaith Harmony Week

- 4 February -
World Cancer Day [WHO]

- 6 February -
International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation [WHO]

- 13 February-
World Radio Day [UNESCO]

- 20 February-
World Day of Social Justice

-21 February-
International Mother Language Day [UNESCO]

Complete list of UN Observances

 

FORUM

 

Forum and Discussions about the worlf Interfaith Harmony Week

Forum and Discussion about the World Cancer Day 

Forum and Discussions about the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation 

Forum and Discussions about the World Radio Day 

Forum and Discussions about the World Day of Social Justice

Forum and Discussions about the International Mother Language Day

 

 

Launch of the International Year of Water Cooperation (WMO and UNESCO)

Press Conference on Launch of International Year of Water Cooperation

The global community should recognize the vital importance of water cooperation to peace, security and the achievement of Millennium Development Goals, experts said today at a Headquarters press conference upon the United Nations launch of the International Year of Water Cooperation.

The General Assembly, in 2010, had proclaimed 2013 to be the Year — one that would serve to raise awareness and prompt action on the multiple dimensions of water cooperation, such as sustainable and economic development, climate change and food security.  World Water Day, on 22 March, would also be dedicated to water cooperation.

“We are inching towards a water crisis,” warned Csaba Körösi, Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations, noting that water resources had remained unchanged for 1,000 years, but that the number of users had since increased 8,000 times.  With global food production projected to increase by 50 per cent by 2030 and with 70 per cent of water consumption going to agriculture today, “2.5 billion people will very soon live in areas of water scarcity”.

The Ambassador, whose country would host a World Water Summit in early October in Budapest, went on to state that more people died from water-related problems than from metro disasters combined and that by 2020, more than 60 per cent of the world’s population would live in urban centres where access to safe drinking water, sanitation and wastewater management would pose a heavy challenge.

While stressing the importance of more equitable access to water, better wastewater treatment, improved technology and governance, rapid capacity-building and cooperation, he also emphasized the need for better data collection, monitoring and assessment.  “Water used to be more of an area of cooperation than the source of conflict,” he said, adding:  “It should be so in the future”.  Sustainable development goals for water should be designed to avoid a looming crisis.

Mr. Körösi noted that when Hungary had the European Union’s rotating presidency two years ago, a strategy had been adopted, establishing a framework of cooperation among 19 countries that went well beyond hydrological issues and encompassed transport, agriculture, food production, water quality, culture, infrastructure, disaster preparedness and cooperation all over those sectors.

Ana Persic, Science Specialist at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Office in New York said her agency had been chosen to lead the International Year of Water Cooperation, not only because of its  involvement in many water-related projects, but also because of its multidisciplinary mandate covering education, culture and communication.  “It is important to see water, not only as a technical issue or an issue of access, quantity or quality, but also as a social and cultural issue,” she said.

Noting that water cooperation was vital because 40 per cent of the world’s population lived in river and lake basins comprising two or more countries and 90 per cent lived in countries that shared basins, she said:  “wherever you build something in one country upstream, you will absolutely have an impact on the countries downstream”.

Ms. Persic agreed with the Ambassador that water had been a source of cooperation, noting that since 1948, there had been only 37 incidents of acute conflict, while 295 international water agreements had been signed over the same period.  Enhanced water cooperation would contribute to poverty reduction, sustainability and peace, among other benefits.  Stressing the need to share best practices, she said many events were being planned worldwide to mark the International Year, providing opportunities to “unpackage” relevant issues and repackage them.

Paul Egerton, Representative of the World Meteorological Organization to the United Nations, said there were high levels of water stress in many countries and rapid climate change would further increase water variability, further enhancing vulnerability.  There was a need for supply- and demand-side measures to address water challenges to climate change.  Desertification, drought, or flooding could significantly impede development.  He encouraged Member States to coalesce around a sustainable development goal on climate-adaptive water strategies.

This year, the issue of water security would become increasingly relevant, because “water scarcity triggers migration, refugees, situations where basic human rights are weakened or threatened”, he said, adding that those issues had great relevance for maintaining the peace and security of regions under environmental and political stress.

Last September, at the start of the sixty-seventh General Assembly session, a side event had highlighted the increasing danger of conflict related to future water resource issues in climate-vulnerable and politically sensitive regions, he said.  It was encouraging that later this week the Security Council would hold an informal discussion on “climate security”, he added.  The recent events of Hurricane Sandy in a highly populated and developed region had been “a wake-up call” that most of the world’s biggest cities were in proximity to coastlines that could be subjected to severe flooding.

The World Meterological Organization would co-host a high-level conference in Geneva from 11 to 15 March, with a focus on national drought policies.  In addition, WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud would chair a conference on Water and Disasters on 5 and 6 March, hosted by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board of Water and Sanitation and the Japanese Mission.

In order to transform knowledge into action, he continued, WMO had launched a global framework for climate services, to bring the providers of climate information and observations closer to the users of that data and to enhance forecasting, risk assessment and management.

Responding to a question about regional water disputes, such as one involving countries along the Nile and a dam dispute between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Mr. Egerton said WMO and UNESCO were aiming to bring scientific and environmental aspects to the fore, instead of focusing on political elements.

Mr. Körösi described this year’s water cooperation efforts as particularly important because they would help formulate sustainable development goals and the post-2015 development agenda.

When asked about the role of UNESCO in water-related efforts, Ms. Persic said her agency would not tell Member States what to do, but rather facilitate processes.

Responding to a query about China’s “hegemony” over water resources in Asia, Mr. Egerton said he would not discuss an issue involving a particular country but pointed out glaciers in the Himalayas were melting due to climate change, resulting in downstream consequences.

* *** *

11 Feb 2013 - Participants: Paul Egerton, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Representative to the United Nations and Ana Persic, Science Specialist, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Office in New York.

International Year of Water Cooperation 2013 - Secretary-General's Video Message

Water is central to the well-being of people and the planet.

We need it for health, food security and economic progress.

Water holds the key to sustainable development.

We must work together to protect and carefully manage this fragile, finite resource.

Each year brings new pressures on water.

Growing populations. Climate change.

One-third of the world’s people already live in countries with moderate to high water stress.

Competition is growing between farmers and herders; industry and agriculture; town and country.

Upstream and downstream, and across borders, we need to cooperate for the benefit of all – now and in the future.

The United Nations General Assembly has designated 2013 the International Year of Water Cooperation.

Let us harness the best technologies and share the best practices to get more crop per drop.

Let us promote water rights, waste less and design intelligent policies so all users get a fair share.

Let us invest in water.

Water is Life

Ban Ki-moon, World Radio Day, 13 February 2013

Today, UN Radio continues to shed light on all the major issues on the United Nations agenda – from sustainable development to peacekeeping and conflict prevention. On the occasion of World Radio Day, the UN Postal Administration (UNPA) has issued six commemorative stamps designed to raise awareness of the critical role that radio continues to play across the globe. These stamps tell the story of UN Radio, and how far it has come, from the 1946 makeshift studios and offices at Lake Success, in New York State, to its present broadcasts through partner stations, via the Internet and new media and through mobile devices.



Message:

Since its invention more than 100 years ago, radio has sparked the imagination, opened doors for change, and served as a channel for life-saving information. Radio entertains, educates, and informs. It promotes democratic expression and influences ideas.
From short-wave to FM to satellite transmission – radio connects people wherever they are. In conflict situations and times of crisis, radio is a lifeline for vulnerable communities.
Radio is both valuable and cost-effective. From day one, the United Nations has been using radio to reach the peoples of the world.
UN Radio sheds light on all issues on the United Nations agenda – from sustainable development … to the protection of children … to peacekeeping and conflict prevention.
We are proud of our rich history of radio production in many languages, and the innovative ways we use radio to inform and serve the world.
On this World Radio Day, let us celebrate the power of radio and let us work together to tune the world to the frequency of peace, development and human rights for all.

Secretary-General’s message on World Radio Day

As a young boy growing up in a poor village after the Korean War, we did not have much. No phones. No television. But we had something that…
7 Feb 2013 / Listen / Download

UN Radio historical feature for World Radio Day

On Wednesday, the 13th of February this year, millions of people around the world will be celebrating World Radio Day. This annual event aims to highlight the power and relevance of radio broadcasting…
6 Feb 2013 / Listen / Download

UN Radio stamps go on sale on 13 February (UN Radio Day)

Six UN Radio stamps will go on sale at the UN Postal Administration's offices in New York, Geneva and…
5 Feb 2013 / Listen / Download

Youth have their say in radio

Young people have a lot to say, but in many communities they do not have a forum to talk…
4 Feb 2013 / Listen / Download

Radio in the line of fire

  Wednesday 13 February is World Radio Day. And according to UNESCO – it's a day to celebrate radio…
4 Feb 2013 / Listen / Download

 

 

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