Air tourism is important to geographic, cultural and personal discovery. It can also help restore prosperity and critical revenue streams to communities affected by the pandemic.
The purpose of International Civil Aviation Day is to help generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation to the social and economic development of States, and of the unique role of ICAO in helping States to cooperate and realize a truly global rapid transit network at the service of all mankind.
As the UN and world nations have now adopted Agenda 2030, and embarked on a new era in global sustainable development, the importance of aviation as an engine of global connectivity has never been more relevant to the Chicago Convention’s objectives to look to international flight as a fundamental enabler of global peace and prosperity. The work programme and activities conducted under the Strategic Objective on Safety cross-referenced six of the 17 SDGs, showing the strong benefits of enhancing aviation safety. These areas of work included:
• capacity-building projects aimed at air cargo services to support improved and efficient movement of sensitive cargo, such as vaccinations, medications and technical equipment;
• provision of air traffic flow data for UN field operations, including Peacekeeping Operations, in case of epidemics or infectious diseases;
• development and conduct of training and instructional material in the area of safety;
• ensuring, through the No Country Left Behind initiative, that all States have access to the socio-economic benefits of a safe air transport system; and
• strengthening the implementation of safety-related SARPs by promoting existing partnerships and developing new partnerships.
• Recognizing that investments are necessary to maintain or further enhance aviation safety, ICAO developed a tool to assist States in analysing the economic benefits of safety improvement investments.
Volunteering is giving, sharing, standing by others, supporting causes you care about and creating a better future for everyone. We aim to inspire people, whether they are decision makers or citizens of this world, to take action NOW for people and the planet.
CAMPAIGN: Help us spread the message and volunteer for our campaign by: Posting a photo, video or graphic to show how you Volunteer Now for our common future! You can find visuals and other resources for common use in the campaign on this Trello Board ‘Nominating’ another person to also "volunteer now for our common future", by tagging them with the hashtags #passiton, #volunteernow , #IVD2021. Example: “I volunteer to raise awareness about environmental sustainability/pant trees/do clean ups in my community. I #passiton to @UNVenture to also volunteer now for climate action.”
Key messages about the power of volunteerism
- Volunteerism is universal and strengthens civic engagement, social inclusion, solidarity, and ownership. - A top priority for the United Nations is avoiding climate disasters and reducing global warming.
- Through volunteering these goals, for tomorrow’s generations, are more likely to be achieved. - Volunteers promote people’s engagement and civic participation, which is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On International Volunteer Day, An Expo will celebrate the heroes of communities around the world. Volunteers play an invaluable role in working to improve the lives around them. The specialist event brings together Expo's Partner ecosystem to explore how emerging volunteer models can be a pathway for building equal and inclusive societies within the pursuit of achieving the SDGs, and encouraging volunteerism worldwide.
Salinization of soil negatively impacts plant development and induces land degradation. Saline earths show lower agricultural productivity, worsen farmers’ wellbeing, and the economic situation in the region. Managing soil salinity at early stages helps to reverse it. However, heavy contamination leads to complete loss of farmlands and desertification due to the negative effect of salinity on soil properties. The United Nations University states that about 5,000 acres have been lost daily all over the world because of salinization since the 1990s, as of 2014. In this regard, the problem requires immediate addressing.
What Is Soil Salinization?
Salinization of soil is an excessive accumulation of water-soluble salts. Typically, it is table salt NaCl. The list is far more extensive and includes various compounds of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfates, chlorides, carbohydrates, and bicarbonates. In general, salt-affected earths are categorized as saline, sodic and saline-sodic, depending on the content.
The major soil salinity effect on plant growth is tampering with water absorption. Even with sufficient soil moisture, crops wade and die due to the inability to take up enough water. At a global span, according to the report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) of 2018: ° about 190 million acres are completely lost; ° 150 million acres are damaged; ° 2.5 billion acres are impacted by salinization.
What Causes Soil Salinization?
Soil salinization occurs when soluble salts are retained in the earth. It happens either naturally or because of improper anthropogenic activities, particularly farming practices. Besides, some earths are initially saline due to low salt dissolution and removal. Soil salinization causes include: ° dry climates and low precipitations when excessive salts are not flushed from the earth; ° high evaporation rate, which adds salts to the ground surface; ° poor drainage or waterlogging when salts are not washed due to a lack of water transportation; ° irrigation with salt-rich water, which amplifies salt content in earths; ° removal of deep-rooted vegetation and a raised water table as a consequence; ° leakage from geological deposits and penetration into groundwater; ° sea-level rise when sea salts seep into lower lands; ° breezes in the coastal areas that blow salty air masses to the nearby territories; ° seawater submergence followed by salt evaporation; ° inappropriate application of fertilizers when excess nitrification accelerates soil salinization.
Indicators Of Soil Salinity
Salinization can be noticed visually by analyzing the soil surface, speed of water infiltration, and vegetation state. As salinization proceeds, signs get more severe. For example, slight whitening on the surface changes into distinct salt crystals. Apart from visual changes, there are indirect indicators of extra salt concentration. These are poorer water quality or animal behavior when livestock refuses to drink water due to its salty taste.
- Surface Changes Because Of Salinization - damp areas and waterlogging; - ground whitening at early stages and salt crystals at late ones; - increased water level in furrows; - bare soils (where plants fail to grow due to salinization); - deterioration of roads, buildings, etc.; - white or dark circles around water bodies. - Salinization-Related Indicators In Vegetation - plant withering; - crop loss; - reduction of biodiversity; - appearance of salt-tolerant plants in the area and their further dominance.
Soil Salinity Measurement
Apart from visual estimation, there are more reliable methods to measure soil salinity, e.g., to assess the earth’s electric conductivity with specific devices. With a rise of salt concentration in the solution, its conductivity rises, too. Other types of soil salinity tests find out the exchangeable sodium percentage or sodium absorption ratio.
Besides laboratory tests, salinization is estimated on farmlands or remotely. Salinity sensors are used for monitoring surface soil salinity in the field. Satellites retrieve data with SWIR and NIR bands for remote sensing analytics of water absorption and its possible correlation with salinity. Adverse Effects Of Salinization
Soil salinization consequences are far from positive, covering multiple aspects of ecology and human life. It affects crop production and water supply industries, induces the risk of floods and soil erosion, and decreases biodiversity. Agricultural Production
Water saturation in plants depends on the level of salts in groundwater and the plant itself. Water is absorbed in the process of osmosis and flows from less salt-concentrated areas to more concentrated ones. When the salt concentration is too high, it means that the soil’s osmotic potential is essentially negative. Plants suffer from osmotic stress when they fail to take up water, even when it is present in the soil. Basically, the process is similar to drought stress due to a lack of moisture in the ground. As a result, vegetation dies. Salinization tampers with nitrogen uptake too, which slows plant development and causes a yield loss.
Another soil salinity effect on agriculture is ionic stress due to harmful ions in soil salts, e.g., chloride or sodium. Apart from their toxic impact as such, these positively charged ions impede the acquisition of other positively charged ions vital for crop growth (particularly potassium and calcium). The result is the same as with osmotic stress due to salinization – vegetation dies
Well-run national development banks can help countries develop financing options for Sustainable Development Goal-related investments. Such banks should be aligned with the Goals in a holistic way and be considered in integrated national financing frameworks. Collaboration between national development banks and multilateral banks, through co-financing or on-lending arrangements, can enhance Goal-related finance through the complementarity of international resources and local market knowledge.
A major achievement of 2015 was the adoption of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, a new global framework for financing sustainable development, which aligns all financing flows and policies with economic, social and environmental priorities. The Addis Agenda builds on the 2002 Monterrey Consensus and 2008 Doha Declaration and provides a strong foundation to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It includes agreements and policy recommendations in seven main areas: (i) domestic public resources; (ii) domestic and international private business and finance; (iii) international development cooperation; (iv) international trade as an engine for development; (v) debt and debt sustainability; (vi) addressing systemic issues; and (vii) science, technology, innovation and capacity-building. The concluding section deals with data, monitoring and follow-up. The Addis Agenda also establishes a dedicated and strengthened follow-up and review process for the financing for development outcomes, as well as all the means of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Financing for Sustainable Development Officesupports the financing for development follow-up and review process, while working with Member States, major institutional stakeholders, other relevant organizations, civil society and the business sector. In addition, the office closely follows economic and financial policy developments in other international fora to support policy coherence at the global level.
- The crisis affecting the multilateral trading system is also an opportunity to revamp it and make it fit for sustainable development; - Challenges in sovereign debt restructuring have sensitized the international community to gaps in the existing Debt architecture; - Increasing vulnerabilities have underscored the importance of strengthening the global financial safety net; - The digitization of the economy has fuelled the debate about the design of the international tax system; - Growing market concentration has underscored the need to better monitor this trend and manage its socioeconomic implications.
PROGRESS TROUGH 2000 Summary
I Introduction The financial crises of the past few years exposed weaknesses in the international financial system. In response, the international community is strengthening the "architecture of the international financial system" to reduce the risk of crises. II Detecting and Monitoring External Vulnerability Detecting and Monitoring External Vulnerability. While good macroeconomic policies and adequate foreign reserves remain the key to reducing vulnerability, work has concentrated on improving IMF surveillance of policies, and on tools to help countries better assess the risks they face. III Strengthening Financial Systems Financial regulators need to upgrade supervision of banks and other financial institutions to keep up with the modern global economy and ensure that risk management and other practices keep institutions from getting into difficulties. IV International Standards and Codes Adherence to international standards and codes of good practices helps ensure that economies function well at the national level, which is a key prerequisite for a well-functioning international system. V Capital Account Issues Architecture reform aims to help countries benefit from international capital flows, an important element of which is helping them open to such flows in ways that avoid risks and emphasize careful preparation. VI Sustainable Exchange Rate Regimes Financial crises have often been marked by inconsistencies between the exchange rate regime and other economic policies. The IMF is advising countries to choose a regime that fits its needs, especially in light of the risks of pegged exchange rates for countries open to international capital flows. VII Involving the Private Sector in Forestalling and Resolving Crises Better involvement of the private sector in crisis prevention and management can limit moral hazard, strengthen market discipline by fostering better risk assessment, and improve the prospects for both debtors and creditors. VIII Reform of IMF Financial Facilities and Related Issues The IMF is implementing important changes to help focus its lending on crisis prevention and to ensure more effective use of IMF funds. IX Measures to Increase Transparency Measures are being taken to make available timely, reliable data, plus information about economic policies and practices, to inform both policymakers and market participants, and to reduce the risk of crisis. X Conclusion Although more remains to be done, the international financial system has undoubtedly benefited from the reforms over the past three years. Details of what has been done, as well as some of what remains, are set out in the attached matrix. XI International Financial Architecture A Matrix of Goals, Progress and Future Steps
Today, the world population is over 7 billion people and more than one billion people, or approximately 15 per cent of the world’s population, live with some form of disability; 80 per cent live in developing countries.
The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed in 1992 by United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
The Convention (Article 9, accessibility) seeks to enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life and development. It calls upon States Parties to take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to all aspects of society, on an equal basis with others, as well as to identify and eliminate obstacles and barriers to accessibility.
Realizing the rights, agency, and leadership of persons with disabilities will advance our common future. We need everyone, including persons with disabilities, on board to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Around the world, persons with disabilities and their representative organizations are taking action to realize the call: ‘Nothing about us, without us’. COVID-19 has laid bare the persistent barriers and inequalities faced by the world’s 1 billion persons with disabilities, who have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic. A disability-inclusive pandemic response and recovery should be guided by persons with disabilities themselves, forge partnerships, tackle injustice and discrimination, expand access to technology and strengthen institutions to create a more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable postCOVID-19 world. I urge all countries to fully implement the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, increase accessibility, and dismantle legal, social, economic and other barriers with the active involvement of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations. On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, let us commit to build a sustainable, inclusive and just future for everyone, leaving no one behind.
The Covid-19 global pandemic highlighted the deep inequalities that exist in our world. Over the past year, we have collectively witnessed the world’s most vulnerable populations fall through social safety nets and face increasingly insurmountable barriers to basic services. Persons with disabilities have been amongst the most negatively impacted, with new barriers added to pre-existing ones: they have had more difficulty exercising preventative measures due to inaccessible communication, and barriers to accessing WaSH facilities; in many contexts, persons with disabilities have not been adequately considered and prioritized to access health care due to a lack of understanding of the heightened risk they might face and negative perceptions about their value in society. Children with disabilities have struggled to keep up with remote learning, due to inaccessible platforms that are not always customized to their specific needs. These are just some examples of the factors that have compounded the lack of access to services faced by persons with disabilities, increasing their invisibility, and further deepening their exclusion from society.[AT1][KR2]
Often trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and disability, many persons with disabilities we already in a vulnerable situation pre-Covid; many were therefore unprepared for the pandemic and associated movement restrictions as they lacked the resources to stock up on food supplies and essential medicine. Findings from an UNRWA assessment conducted in Syria Field Office revealed that surveyed Palestine refugees with disabilities lacked access to basic medical supplies and services[AT3][KR4]. In Gaza and the West Bank, people with disabilities already had difficulties accessing services and information, and the pandemic significantly exacerbated this situation[AT5][KR6] due to the largely inaccessible manner in which Covid-19 preventative measures were communicated. Surveys conducted by organizations working with women and girls with disabilities in the West Bank and Gaza highlighted a significant need of psychological counselling. A study by UNICEF conducted in Gaza has shown that 64 per cent of children with disabilities experienced violence from caregivers and parents who were unable to cope with the economic burden caused by the pandemic. In Jordan, 46 per cent of Palestine refugee households with a member with disability did not have the necessary means to purchase medicine.
While UNRWA rapidly adjusted its operations [AT7][KR8] by providing home visits and delivery of essential items to some of its most vulnerable clients, including persons with disabilities, to ensure their needs were identified and addressed, lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic have renewed our commitment to ensure those who are most at risk of being left behind are assisted first. We acknowledge that this can only be done by taking conscious steps to empower those who are most at risk of exclusion, creating a space in which voices are heard, and equal participation is possible.
In 2021, UNRWA initiated a revision of its Disability Inclusion Policy to ensure that the meaningful empowerment and participation of persons with disabilities is explicitly referenced to better reflect our continued commitment to engaging men, women, girls, and boys with disabilities in our field activities and services. The updated policy[AT9][KR10] , consistent with the rights-based approach, emphasizes the necessity of systematic identification of persons with disabilities, their needs, and the barriers they face, recognizes the role of intersectionality in heightening vulnerability and risk, and commits to ensuring essential services are continuously adapted to the specific needs of persons with disabilities. Finally, the new policy reaffirms our commitment to ensuring the meaningful participation of person with disabilities in the planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and review of UNRWA policies and interventions that affect them.
We cannot move toward an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable post-COVID-19 world without the leadership and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities.
The focus of this day is on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. Modern slavery is all around us, but most people don't even realize it. On Thursday's Abolition of Slavery Day, see how you can make a difference:
The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December, marks the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (resolution 317(IV) of 2 December 1949). Today, the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, in fact recalls the date of the adoption of the first Convention to fight human trafficking by the General Assembly.
what measures employers can take to reduce and eradicate forced labour in their businesses.
Modern slavery is a huge business. An ILO study found that it generates annual profits of over US$ 150 billion, which is as much as the combined profits of the four most profitable companies in the world.
“What is significant is that we recognize that this is an issue that we, as employers, need to tackle together. Addressing the topic – actively naming it. Saying it’s still an issue,“ says Linda Kromjong.
Employers’ representatives voted with an overwhelming majority for the adoption of the ILO’s Forced Labour Protocol in 2014. The IOE together with the ILO has also produced a handbook for employers and business to address the risk of forced labour and human trafficking in their operations and in global supply chains
