International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025; October 17th.

FORUM: "Ending social and institutional maltreatment by ensuring respect and effective support for families." International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025. The observance this year underscores that ending poverty is about dignity, justice, and belonging, not just income. This year's theme focuses on ending social and institutional maltreatment by ensuring respect and effective support for families, with a clear goal: put the furthest behind first and build institutions that help families stay together, thrive, and shape their own futures. Families in poverty often face stigma and punitive practices in places meant to help: schools, clinics, welfare offices, and child protection systems. Single mothers, Indigenous families, and historically discriminated groups report judgment and control that erode trust and agency, sometimes culminating in poverty-driven family separation with lasting emotional and social harm to children and parents. To change course, the Day’s theme urges three shifts:

1. From control to care: Design services that start with trust. Reduce punitive conditionalities, streamline documentation, and prioritize respectful, person-centred interactions.
2. From surveillance to support: Rebalance investments away from monitoring and removal toward family-strengthening services: income support, quality childcare, adequate housing, mental health care, parenting support, and access to justice.
3. From top-down to co-created solutions: Involve families living in poverty at every stage—assessment, design, budgeting, delivery, and evaluation—so policies reflect real needs and constraints.

Supporting families advances multiple SDGs (Sustainable Development Goal 1, the Sustainable Development Goal 2, the Sustainable Development Goal 3, the Sustainable Development Goal 4, the Sustainable Development Goal 5, the Sustainable Development Goal 8, the Sustainable Development Goal 10, the Sustainable Development Goal 16) through coherent, jointly delivered policies across social protection, education, health, housing, and employment. With people-centered development gaining momentum ahead of the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha (4–6 November 2025), this agenda translates commitments into concrete, measurable change by respecting, protecting, and supporting families. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #Dignity4All, #PovertyDay, #17october, #EndingPoverty, #GlobalGoals, #SDG1.

EVENTS: On October 17th, 2025, from 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm in the ECOSOC Chamber at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, will be held a high-level event to commemorate the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025 followed by a special observance at the Commemorative Stone in Honor of the Victims of Extreme Poverty, located in the United Nations gardens’ North Lawn. Register to participate!

Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025; October 17th.

Too often, people living in poverty are blamed, stigmatised, and pushed into the shadows.

Yet poverty is not a personal failure; it is a systemic failure – a denial of dignity and human rights.

This year’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty calls on us all to stop the social and institutional maltreatment of people living in poverty – and to honour the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate poverty in all its forms, everywhere.

That requires policies that leave no one behind: affordable health care and housing; decent work and fair wages; universal social protection; food security; quality education; and financing that works for countries and communities.

On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, let’s reject stigma and discrimination. Let’s stand with people living in poverty, and act with solidarity to end poverty for good.

António Guterres.

Statement of the UNDP Administrator on behalf the  International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025; October 17th.

On the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) renews its resolve to eradicate poverty and advance shared prosperity. This year’s theme, “Ending social and institutional maltreatment by ensuring respect and effective support for families”, reminds us of the need to uphold the dignity of every family.

The 2025 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) by UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative reveals that nearly 80 percent of the world's multidimensionally poor people - 887 million individuals - now live in areas exposed to at least one major climate hazard: high heat, drought, floods, or air pollution. Some 650 million poor people face two or more hazards at the same time.

This new MPI matters because it allows us to see poverty as people live it: income poverty and lack of choices compounded by climate risk and inequality. Poverty is about more than not having enough money. It also means not having access to basic services or support systems. Therefore, UNDP works with countries to build institutions that people can trust and that help families through social protection, quality services, and climate action.

Ending poverty in all its forms, everywhere, remains a defining promise of our time. It is one we can keep by ensuring that every family can live with dignity, security, and the power to shape its own future.

Haoliang Xu, UNDP Acting Administrator and Associate Administrator.

PUBLICATION: Read the World Social Report 2025 entitled ''A New Policy Consensus to Accelerate Social Progress''.

LIVESTREAM: Family policies must be an integral part of overall development efforts and leveraged in achieving many of the interrelated Sustainable Development Goals (poverty eradication, food security, quality healthcare and education, gender equality, social inclusion, decent work/social protection, just and peaceful institutions.) Families are active agents in development. Therefore, their experiential knowledge and insight must be sought out and included to ensure effective support to lift people out of poverty and create a more just and equitable society. The 2025 commemoration will focus on ensuring respect and effective support for families. We need to better understand why poverty persists and why despite all the efforts made by parents, their children continue to experience the same deprivation. We need to better understand the reality of poverty as experienced by the people affected, so that appropriate support can be actioned. By focusing on families, we continue to highlight the hidden dimensions of poverty — in particular the social and institutional maltreatment they suffer in their daily lives, including situations of family separation due to poverty, and the pressing need to end it. Related Documents: Concept note and final programme

World Food Day 2025; October 16th.

FORUM: "Hand in Hand forBetter Food and a Better Future." World Food Day 2025; Food is our future. The celebration of #WorldFoodDay 2025 calls for global collaboration to build a peaceful, sustainable and food-secure world. Let’s act Hand in Hand — across borders, sectors, and generations for better foods and a better future. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #SOFI2025, #HungerMap, #WorldFoodDay.

EVENTS: On October 16th; The FAO will hold a high-level event at FAO Headquarters in Rome. Food is our future. The celebration of the World Food Day 2025 calls for global collaboration to build a peaceful, sustainable and food-secure world. Let’s act Hand in Hand — across borders, sectors, and generations — for better foods and a better future. To Participate to the celebration of the World Food Day and the FAO's 80th anniversary. Get the agenda programme and  Register to participate!

Throughout October a wide variety of events and activities are taking place during the World Food Week in Rome offering opportunities to learn, engage, and be part of the global movement for food security and sustainability.

LIVESTREAM

 

 Celebrate World Food Day with the leaders of the Rome-based UN agencies and special guests including His Holiness Pope Leo XIV; Her Majesty the Queen of Spain and His Majesty the King of Lesotho — also FAO Special Ambassadors for Nutrition; and, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, with a special message from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Watch the GO10 - World Food Day Ceremony - FAO80!

Agencies, Funds & Programmes

Join us for the inauguration of the Food and Agriculture Museum and Network on the morning of World Food Day, with the participation of Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, QU Dongyu, and the President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella.

Watch GO09 - Food and Agriculture Museum and Network Inauguration!

Agencies, Funds & Programmes

Chef Fatmata Binta will be designated as an FAO Regional Goodwill Ambassador for Africa by FAO Director-General QU Dongyu followed by the presentation of the FAO Achievement Award that recognises the outstanding performance of institutions that have created true impact in the efficient execution of programmes related to FAO's work.

Watch the GO21 - Goodwill Ambassador Designation and Presentation of the Achievement Award!

Agencies, Funds & Programmes

Join us at sunset on 16 October for a powerful visual experience marking FAO's 80th anniversary. A new lighting ceremony will illuminate the new FAO gardens and façade of FAO headquarters, delivering a global call to action. Following the lighting ceremony, the Food and Agriculture Museum and Network will open its doors to guests for an exclusive evening preview. The evening will conclude with a reception.

Watch the GO12 - Illuminating FAO's 80th Anniversary!

Agencies, Funds & Programmes

PUBLICATION: The State of Food and Nutrition in the World 2025. Addressing high food price inflation for food security and nutrition. This report is the annual global monitoring report for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 targets 2.1 and 2.2 – to end hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms. It presents the latest updated numbers on hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, as well as new estimates on the affordability of a healthy diet. Previous editions have highlighted several major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition including economic shocks, extreme weather events, the COVID-19 pandemic and conflict. While there have been signs of recovery in recent years, recent food price inflation affecting countries globally, has slowed this progress. This year’s report examines the impact of food price inflation on food security and nutrition. It includes analyses on the effects of food price inflation on different food groups and on the affordability of healthy diets. Analysis of country policy responses to food price inflation reveal patterns of successful policy interventions that have helped countries mitigate the impacts of inflation on food security and nutrition. While global efforts have become more effective, disparities across regions persist. The report reaffirms that food price inflation, though persistent, is not insurmountable. Building resilience will require sustained investments, stronger policy coordination, increased transparency, prioritization of nutritious diets, and ongoing institutional innovation.

Between 638 and 720 million people faced hunger in 2024. The FAO’s Hunger Map sheds light on the prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity in each country.

International Day of Rural Women, October 15th.

FORUM: "Rural Women Rising." International Day of Rural Women 2025. Rural Women make a lasting impact, but are hit hardest by extreme poverty and food insecurity. Today we celebrate the role of Rural Women in Protecting the environment, Mobilizing communities and Influencing policies, join our call to advance their livelihoods and leadership. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #RuralWomenrising, #ruralwomenday, #MujeresRurales, #15October, #RuralWomen, #InternationalDayOfRuralWomen.

EVENTS: On October 15th; The UN Women, the FAO, the IFPRI, the CGIAR will held a webinar to mark the observance of the International Day of Rural Women. Register to Paricipate!

From 1-17 October 2025 will be held the “17 Days of Activism for the Empowerment of Rural Women Leaders and their Communities.” The “Rural women, women with rights” campaign, convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is a collaborative work initiative that joins efforts, articulates networks, and disseminates knowledge and positive experiences to promote the full autonomy of women in the rural world. Since 2016, this campaign has articulated government entities, civil society organizations and United Nations agencies around regional and national political advocacy actions, in favor of the empowerment of rural women.

Statement by the UN Women on the International Day of Rural Women, October 15th.

On this International Day of Rural Women, we call for bold action to advance the equality, rights, and empowerment of women and girls living in rural settings. Every day, they feed communities, protect the environment, and power sustainable development. Investing in them is both an act of justice and a safeguard for our shared future.

For generations, women in rural settings have driven collective movements for change: mobilizing communities, influencing policies, and championing vital issues such as climate justice. Their leadership continues to build bridges between local action and global progress, even as rural areas are hit hardest by extreme poverty and food insecurity, impacting women, youth, and Indigenous Peoples the most. If current trends continue, 351 million women and girls will still live in extreme poverty by 2030.

Amid these challenges, Verene Ntakirutimana’s story from Rwanda demonstrates how empowering women in rural settings creates tangible, lasting change. With support from the Joint Programme on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment, she transitioned from subsistence farming to a thriving small business. Her success shifted community attitudes: challenging stereotypes, promoting shared decision-making, and inspiring others to follow her example.

This year’s theme ‘Rural Women Rising’ is both a tribute and a call to action. Advancing their livelihoods, leadership, rights, and resilience – as set out in the Beijing+30 Action Agenda – is essential. Initiatives such as the International Year of Women Farmers in 2026 and the Inter-American Decade for the Rights of All Women, Adolescents and Girls in Rural Settings (2024–2034), as well as community movements like Women to Kilimanjaro, offer powerful opportunities to make their work visible, their voices heard, and their rights recognized.

When rural women rise, fields flourish, families thrive, and societies transform, propelling us toward the vision of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the SDGs.

UN Women Executive Director.

Global Handwashing Day 2025; October 15th.

FORUM: "Keep Your hands clean.''  Global Handwashing Day 2025. Hand hygiene saves lives—but 2 Billions people still lack access at home To accelerate progress, the WorldBank supported WHO & UNICEF in launching global hand hygiene guidelines to help governments expand access & drive lasting change.

• In 2025, WHO celebrates 17 years of this global campaign.
• The 2025 SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign day coincides with the need for countries to rapidly consider implementation of the global action plan and monitoring framework on infection prevention and control (IPC) – supported by a guide to implementation – and the need to continue to improve IPC as demonstrated in the latest WHO IPC global report.
• One of the WHO indicators is hand hygiene compliance monitoring and feedback established as a key national indicator, at the very least in all reference hospitals by 2026.
• Additionally, the WHO Framework for Action 2024-2030 focused on WASH, waste and electricity services highlights the need for universal safe access to ensure quality of care (linked to climate and health), including by integrating WASH and waste requirements into health system planning, programming, financing, implementation and monitoring, which can in part be supported by IPC efforts.
• Therefore, it is recognized and reinforced that at this time countries and health care facilities should continue to highly prioritize optimal hand hygiene practices (using the appropriate technique and according to the WHO 5 Moments) alongside appropriate glove use, including through greater awareness and supported by IPC practitioners as part of an IPC team and programme.

Objectives 

• Promote optimal hand hygiene practices (using the appropriate technique and according to the WHO 5 Moments) and the times for appropriate glove use within the health care workflow.
• Promote inclusion of hand hygiene within national IPC strategies, as well as standard operating procedures (SOPs) at facility level, according to the recommendations of the WHO global action plan and monitoring framework 2024-2030.
• Raise awareness of the environmental and climate impact of gloves on waste generation and management, especially when used unnecessarily.

Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #GlobalHandwashingDay.

EVENTS: On October 15th, a webinar will be held to mark the Global Handwashing Day 2025; The global advocacy campaign dedicated to increasing awareness about the importance of handwashing as an effective way to prevent diseases and save lives. Register to participate!

Events in the regions

PAHO region - World Hand Hygiene Day webinar.

Recorded webinar (PAHO) in English, in Spanish, in Portuguese.

PUBLICATIONS: Guidelines on Hand Hygieme in Community settings.

ADVOCACY MATERIALS: Don't forget to use #handhygiene with your campaign related posts. Get the advocacy toolkit!

All assets: There is a wide range of campaign materials available in the six official UN languages ready for download.

Modifiable posters: Editable campaign material files can be accessed upon agreement with terms of use.

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025; October 13th.

FORUM: ''Fund Resilience, Not Disasters.'' International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025. This theme aligns with major global initiatives in 2025, including: • The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, which underscored the importance of financing for resilience. • The outcomes of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development, which called for greater investment in disaster risk reduction. • The G20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group, which under South Africa’s Presidency is prioritising DRR financing. Key initiatives include the development of G20 Voluntary High-Level Principles for Investing in DRR and a Ministerial on 13 October. • The focus on scaling up finance to address growing climate impacts at the 30th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 30) in Brazil in November. In the 10 years since the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, countries have made real progress in saving lives and strengthening resilience. Yet, as disaster impacts rise, so must our ambition. This means:

•  Increasing investment in disaster risk reduction and resilience. 
•  Ensuring all public and private sector investments are risk-informed.

 By funding prevention, we can save billions of dollars — and protect lives, livelihoods, and sustainable development. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #ResiliencePays, #IDDRR2025, #FundResilienceNotDisasters, #DisasterRiskReduction, #SendaiFramework.

EVENT: On October 13th. For the observance of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025; the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is calling on the world to #FundResilienceNotDisasters. Countries are facing more record-breaking disasters. This is driven by an increase in extreme weather events and by development decisions that are not risk-informed, which increases the exposure and vulnerability of people and economic assets to a range of hazards. Disasters are becoming significantly more expensive. While direct disaster costs have grown to approximately $202 billion annually, the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 estimates that the true cost, is 11 times higher at nearly $2.3 trillion. Developing countries bear the brunt of these impacts due to their smaller economies, even though developed countries suffer the most expensive disasters in absolute value. At the same time, investments in disaster risk reduction (DRR) have not kept pace with increasing disaster risks. This was one of the key findings from the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and a reason why many countries have been unable to reduce disaster impacts. In governments, often less than 1% of public budgets is allocated to DRR, which in most countries is only enough to meet 10 to 25% of the risk reduction needs. Moreover, international funding for DRR from developed countries has also been limited and, in some cases, decreasing, despite this funding being critical to protecting development progress and reducing humanitarian needs. According to UNDRR analysis, between 2019 and 2023, only 2% of Official Development Assistance projects listed DRR as an objective. Within the humanitarian sector, the amount of funding for disaster prevention and preparedness has gone down over the years – from an already low level of 3.6% between 2015 and 2018, to 3.3% between 2019 and 2023. Adding to the problem, most economic and investment plans remain blind to disaster risks. This is especially common in the private sector, which is responsible for about 75% of investments through the creation of economic assets. When these investment decisions, be they public or private, fail to account for climate and disaster risks, they not only put the investments at risk of loss from disasters, but could also lead to the creation of new disaster risks. We see this, for instance, through the expansion of urban development into hazard-prone areas or the construction of infrastructure that is not disaster-resilient. Closing this blind gap in the public sector requires aligning national economic plans with disaster risk reduction strategies and climate change adaptation plans so that development is risk-informed and resilient. For the private sector, the use of regulations, risk information, and the offering of financial incentives can encourage businesses to make risk-informed decisions. Register to participate!

Statement from the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the occasion of International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025; October 13th.

As the climate crisis accelerates, disasters are multiplying and amplifying - devastating lives and livelihoods, erasing decades of development gains in an instant. The cost to the global economy is staggering: an estimated $2 trillion every year, when indirect costs are taken into account.

Yet funding to reduce repercussions remains dangerously low. Just 2% of development assistance and often less than 1% of government budgets are dedicated to disaster risk reduction. That's not just a gap - it is a miscalculation. Every dollar invested in resilient infrastructure in developing countries saves $4 when disasters strike.

The theme of this year's International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction reminds us of the imperative to fund resilience. Governments and donors must scale-up investments in disaster risk reduction. The public and private sectors must integrate risk into every decision - to reduce exposure and vulnerability to hazards. And resilience must be embedded into the foundations of development.

On this Day, let's commit to meet surging risk with a surge in funds, and build a safer and more equitable future for all.

António Guterres.

Statement of Mr. Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction on the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025. 

In the 10 years since the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, countries have made significant strides in building their resilience. The number of countries with national Disaster Risk Reduction strategies has doubled, as has the number of countries with reported early warning systems.

The result is that more lives are being saved, with disaster mortality cut by half over the past decade. We should all be proud of this progress.

However, we can't afford to be complacent. While fewer people are dying, more people than ever are being affected by disasters, and the economic cost of disasters is breaking new records.

The Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 estimates that the true cost of disasters is 11 times higher than the direct economic costs, standing at an estimated $2.3 trillion a year.

To reverse these trends, countries must accelerate the full implementation of the Sendai Framework in the remaining five years. This requires prioritising financing for resilience.

That is why, for the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, we are calling on the world to "Fund Resilience, Not Disasters".

This means two distinct actions:First, increasing funding for disaster risk reduction and building resilience, especially within national budgets and international assistance. As humanitarian needs rise while global assistance funds decline, investing in disaster risk reduction becomes paramount to reducing future needs.
Second, we need to ensure that public and private sector investments are guided by an understanding of climate and disaster risks. Ensuring that all development is risk-informed will not only prevent the creation of new disaster risks, but will also help protect these investments from being lost to disasters.

Disasters are neither natural nor inevitable. And even in the face of a growing climate crisis, we can put a stop to spirals of growing disaster losses.

All that it takes is to put aside a little more funding for prevention and to assess investments against known risks. These two actions alone will save billions of dollars and help us protect lives, livelihoods, and sustainable development, now and into the future.

Thank you.

Every year, disasters cost the world an estimated $2.3 trillion — eleven times higher than direct economic losses. But we can change this.

Why invest in resilience?

 • Disasters are a growing threat to economic prosperity and sustainable development, with costs underestimated and unsustainable. • Disaster costs are pushing countries into spirals of increased debt, lower incomes, increased insurability, and repeated humanitarian crises. • Declining international assistance makes it even more critical to reduce disaster losses through disaster risk reduction investments. • Cutting funding for disaster risk reduction leads to more expensive disasters in the future, along with more humanitarian needs. • To reduce disaster costs, countries must increase funding for disaster risk reduction and ensure all development investments are risk-informed.

Benefits of resilience

 • Resilience pays dividends, but only when countries invest in it. 

- Every $1 invested in making infrastructure disaster-resilient in developing countries saves $4 in economic impacts (World Bank). 

- By investing in strengthening early warning systems, the Global Commission on Adaptation found that early warnings, issued within 24 hours of an impending hazard, can reduce the damage by around 30%. 

- Investments in anticipatory action and enhancing social safety nets can help communities bounce back swiftly after disasters. 

• Investing in resilience has benefits across the Humanitarian-Development nexus – it reduces disaster losses, protects development, and reduces humanitarian needs. 

How to fund resilience?

 • Increase funding for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in national budgets and international assistance (development and humanitarian). 

- Domestic funding for disaster risk reduction should be “ring-fenced” in national budgets and mainstreamed into sectoral budgets. Tools such as budget tagging and the development of national DRR financing strategies can help. 

- Countries with high vulnerability to disasters, such as the Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States, countries in Africa, and countries that are fragile and conflict-affected, deserve increased international assistance. 

• Ensure development is risk-informed. 

- Development plans should be aligned with disaster risk reduction priorities. Otherwise, development investments that are risk-blind could lead to the creation of new disaster risks or exacerbate existing ones, thus increasing the odds of a disaster. 

• Encourage the private sector to be resilient. 

- Businesses should be incentivised to ensure their investments are riskinformed, as they are responsible for the majority of development in countries. 

- The financial sector can develop instruments for financing resilience, such as bonds and insurance, and support government efforts through public-private partnerships and blended finance. 

TAKE ACTION: Advancing DRR.

• National Governments: Policymakers and budget planners are expected to prioritize DRR funding in national budgets and ensure development plans are risk-informed. 

• Private Sector Leaders: Businesses, investors, and financial institutions are called to incorporate risk considerations into their investment decisions and support DRR financing through public-private partnerships. 

• International Donors and Humanitarian Agencies: Development and humanitarian actors are encouraged to scale up funding for DRR, particularly in vulnerable countries including Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and conflict affected nations. 

• Civil Society and Academia: Advocates, researchers, and practitioners are expected to drive innovation, provide evidence for risk-informed investments, and hold stakeholders accountable for implementing DRR strategies. 

 Get involved and Learn more about the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR 2025).

Examples of Action.

 To illustrate the transformative potential of these calls to action, here are concrete examples: 

1. Increasing Domestic DRR Funding.

 India is currently dedicating around USD 28 billion to DRR financing and this amount is expected to rise to USD 42 billion under the 16th Finance Commission, which commences in 2026. This represents a 50% increase from the current budget. Philippines increased the 2025 budget of its National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund to USD 368 million, which is a USD 9 million, or a 2.5%, increase from 2024. 

2. Scaling Up International DRR Assistance.

Australia has long been a supporter of building climate and disaster resilience, especially in the Pacific. In 2025-26, Australia will increase its Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget by around 2.75% from the 2024-25 levels to deliver AU$5.097 billion in assistance. 

3. Ensuring Risk-Informed Development.

Guatemala’s Vice President Karin Herrera recently proposed including the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) in Guatemala’s main economic and social decision-making bodies, noting that risk reduction must be a whole-ofgovernment responsibility. Bhutan, with the support of UNDRR and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, developed a National Plan for Infrastructure Resilience, and aligned it with its 13th Five-Year Plan, 2024-2029, which aims to transition Bhutan to a highincome country within the next decade. Rwanda’s Vision 2050 aims to transform the country into a high-income country by 2050 with a green and climate-resilient economy. To achieve this vision, it updated in 2022 its Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy, which, among its goals, is “Disaster Risk Reduction that reduces vulnerability to climate change impacts.” 

4. Promoting Resilient Private Sector Investments.

 Chile has mandatory seismic-resistant building codes that apply to all structures and are enforced through combination of stringent regulations, independent oversight, and legal frameworks to combat corruption. Chilean law also holds builders liable for construction deficiencies, giving them ample incentive to make sure their structures are quake-resistant. This has saved countless lives and reduced earthquake economic losses. Octopus Investments, a member of UNDRR’s Investors Advisory Board, is applying the Principles for Resilient Infrastructure to guide investment decisions of a fund focused on the renewable energy industry.

COMMUNICATION MATERIALS: Partners are encouraged to promote the theme through their social media platforms.  Get the DDRday Social media kit: ResiliencePays and the Social media assets available .

International Day of the Girl Child 2025; October 11th.

FORUM: “We are Here: Bold, Diverse, and Unstoppable – DemandingAction for Girls’ Rights.” International Day of the Girl Child 2025. The discussion will focus on key issues affecting girls, such as their participation in social and political life, their education, eliminating all forms of violence and discrimination against them, championing their leadership in the climate crisis, and financing for the realization of their rights. As we honor the 30th anniversaries of the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action and of the World Programme of Action for youth, these engagements are the basis of a crucial movement toward the equality and empowerment of young women and girls. Girls Speak Out 2025 is not only a celebration, but also a policy platform. It is where commitments are made, heard, and expected to be fulfilled. Let’s go beyond recognition to real action. Let’s ensure that when girls speak, the world doesn’t just listen—it respond. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #DayoftheGirl, #IDGxWGG, #GirlsRightsNow, #11DaysofAction, #GirlsVision4Future #ActionforGirlsRights #GirlchildDay, #11october, #InternationalDayoftheGirlChild.

Statement of the President of the General Assembly on the International Day of the Girl Child 2025; October 11th.

Good morning, everybody. And I must say, Wow. What a room. I mean from this side, I can see all your faces, your beautiful dressings here. This is all so special. If you’re in a room full of women or girls, it’s so powerful and colorful. So what Andrea just said–this is your space. This is your room. So be like a girl. You don’t have to be sitting like this, like adult, 50-year-old ones, but really take your power and take your pride. And I have to confess something at the beginning, because I really hesitated to take part in this event today, not because I am not an advocate for women and girls’ rights; I am, fiercely so. But because this event is called “Girls Speak Out,” and I’m certainly not a girl anymore. I’m 44 years old. I have two teenagers, daughters. They could sit here, and sometimes they feel embarrassed about their mother. And as I heard from the beginning, moderator, I should sit up there in the red chairs. But anyway, I’m thankful that I’m being invited to your girl’s event. And though I’m obviously not a girl anymore, I was once a girl, a little girl with dreams just like you. And when I was little, like very little, I was dreaming of becoming a gardener, because I really loved the environment and nature around me. When I was a teenager, I wanted to become a journalist, and I even started to work as one. Then I dreamed of becoming a war reporter. Obviously, I’ve done at the end something differently. I’m not reporting on wars, but I’m trying now to help to prevent them. So I guess what I’m trying to say today here with you in this room is that it doesn’t matter if you dream of becoming a gardener, a teacher, winning an Olympic medal or a Nobel Peace Prize. The thing which really matters is that you follow your interests with passion and that you put your whole heart in every opportunity, even when there are detours, even when you have doubts. So my dream for you is that each day you do exactly that what you love, your passion, and you do what you love with every ounce of your being. And that nobody and nothing will stop you. No man, no religion, no legislation. No system that tries to silence you. No criticism or bullying from others at school or these times online. Not even what can feel often like the loudest voice of all — your own self-doubt. And frankly, I know that voice. As first female and especially youngest Foreign Minister of my own country. There were days when I was the only woman at the table. There were days when others questioned whether I should be there at the table with only 30 years old and little daughters. There were days when the firestorm on social media was so heavy that it made me waver, and I was not sure if I could stand that any longer. But what helped me was always remembering and thinking of all the other women who have been there before and who have been also little girls with dreams, who also struggled and wavered, but always stood up again, joined forces with other women and girls who struggled. And two weeks ago, like Andrea said in her introduction, we celebrated here at the United Nations, in the big hall, Beijing +30, the first female big event for women rights and representation. And you cannot imagine how these women did not only struggle, but people even questioned if they could meet. So we celebrated all these women who, with no doubt, faced not only challenges, but women like Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, who faced the most horrible atrocities you could imagine as a woman, but stood up for her own rights against ISIS, a terrorist organization, and spoke here in the General Assembly Hall. Women who became the first female president of their country. And when they dreamt about even going to Parliament, people laughed about them. We celebrated women who became the first head and President of the International Olympic Committee. So next time when you as a girl, hear that voice again, maybe at your school yard, “well, you just run like a girl”. Or you hear it in office, or even in Parliament, “you act like a girl”, or “you speak like a girl”, then do exactly that. Run like a girl, meaning running fast as hell. Act like a girl, meaning leading with empathy, with laughter, with compassion and sometimes with tears of joy or even grief, And speak like a girl, meaning speaking bold, loud, and clear for yourself and for all the girls who cannot speak up in that moment. And always remember when the headwinds are the strongest, you’re exactly on the right pathway and you are unstoppable. So use this power, speak up today and all the other 364 days, because you are unstoppable. I thank you.

H.E. Ms. Annalena Baerbock.

EVENTS: On October 10th, starting from 10:30am- 12:30pm EST at the ECOSOC Chamber in UNHQ New York, New York; As we commemorate International Day of the Girl 2025, we affirm that progress for girls must be led by girls. Under the theme: "We are here: Bold, Diverse, and Unstoppable - Demanding Action for Girls' Rights," this year's Girls Speak Out will highlight both the challenges girls face and the leadership, resilience, and solutions they bring forward. Hosted by the Working Group on Girls (WGG) and global partners, this 2-hour advocacy focused event is co-designed and co-led by girls. It brings together girl leaders, Member States, UN agencies, and civil society actors in a hybrid, intergenerational dialogue grounded in shared accountability and transformative action.

Girls Speak Out 2025 is not only a celebration, but also a policy platform. It is where commitments are made, heard, and expected to be fulfilled. Let’s go beyond recognition to real action. Let’s ensure that when girls speak, the world doesn’t just listen—it responds. The event will include an intergenerational townhall consisting of two panels: “Girls on the Frontline of Crisis – Protection, Peace and Power” and “From Margins to Power – Girls Defying Discrimination and Reclaiming Identity.” 

SPEAKERS: • H.E. Annalena Baerbock, President of the United Nations General Assembly • H.E. Gustavo Lino Adrianzén Olaya, Permanent Representative of Peru to the UN • H.E. Maritza Chan, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the UN • H.E. Michael Gort, Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN • H.E. Aslı Güven, Deputy Permanent Representative of Türkiye to the UN • Ms. Lauren Rumble, Associate Director, Gender Equality, UNICEF • Ms. Lopa Banerjee, Director, Civil Society Division, UN Women • Ms. Cecile Mazzacurati, Gender Advisor, Programme Liaison Branch, UNFPA • Girl moderators 

RUN-OF-SHOW: 

10:30 – 10:55: Opening Segment including a dance performance from the Greek American Folklore Society. 

10:55 – 11:30: Panel 1: Girls on the Frontline of Crisis – Protection, Peace, and Power 

11:30 – 12:00: Panel 2: From Margins to Power – Girls Defying Discrimination and Reclaiming Identity 

12:00 – 12:30: Reflections and Recommitment

Related Documents: Concept note

Watch Girls' Speak Out - 2025 International Day of the Girl!

High-level Events

World Mental Health Day 2025; October 10th.

FORUM: "Mental health in humanitarian emergencies." World Mental Health Day 2025. The observance of the Day serves as a powerful reminder that there is no health without mental health. This year’s campaign focuses on the urgent need to support the mental health and psychosocial needs of people affected by humanitarian emergencies. Crises such as natural disasters, conflicts, and public health emergencies cause emotional distress, with one in five individuals experiencing a mental health condition. Supporting the mental well-being of individuals during such crises is not just important – it saves lives, gives people the strength to cope, the space to heal and to recover and rebuild not only as individuals but as communities. That’s why it is essential for everyone, including government officials, health and social care providers, school staff and community groups to come together. By working hand in hand, we can ensure the most vulnerable have access to the support they need while protecting the well-being of everyone. By investing in evidence and community-based interventions, we can address immediate mental health needs, foster long-term recovery, and empower people and communities to rebuild their lives and thrive. On this World Mental Health Day, let us intensify our efforts to create a world where mental health is valued, protected, and accessible for all, especially in the face of adversity. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #WMHD, #10October, #MentalHealth, #WorldMentalHealthDay.

KEY MESSAGE

Investing in mental health is investing in recovery:

Investing in mental health and psychosocial support helps families, communities, and economies recover from crises, build long-term resilience, and shape stronger health systems.

Protect your mental health:

Prioritize your mental health by staying connected, being physically active, and following routines. Minimize alcohol use, engage in meaningful and enjoyable activities, and seek support from trusted friends, family, or health professionals


Mental health is essential for rebuilding lives:

Beyond food, water, and medicine, survivors also need mental health and psychosocial support to cope, recover, and rebuild


Mental health care saves lives:

The Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Minimum Service Package offers proven solutions in emergencies, ensuring timely, coordinated care that reduces suffering, strengthens well-being, and builds more inclusive responses.

Promoting mental well-being through various approaches:

A layered approach – from self-help tools and Psychological First Aid to specialized mental health services – ensures accessible, efficient, and responsive support for all.

Integrating mental health strengthens emergency response:

Making mental health and psychosocial support a core part of emergency response not only saves lives but also strengthens communities and health systems for the future

Inclusive mental health care leads to stronger communities:

Inclusive support must reach children, older people, persons with disabilities, refugees, and people with pre-existing mental health conditions, including those in institutions. Addressing barriers such as stigma, discrimination, costs, and language is essential.

Protect the well-being of humanitarian workers:

Humanitarian workers face extreme stress and are often directly affected by the crises they respond to. Organizations should provide rest, supervision, peer support, and workplace mental health programmes to sustain an effective humanitarian response.

EVENTS: On Friday, 10 October 2025 starting at14:00 CET / 12:00 UTC, a webinar with the World Health Organization, World Federation for Mental Health, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, international non-governmental organizations, civil society, and donors, with insights on concrete actions and strategies to improve access to mental health and psychosocial support before, during, and after humanitarian emergencies. To join WMHD 2025 webinar, please register!

At UN Geneva; This event is part of a two-day conference organized by European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP) at the ILO, aimed at sharing knowledge, experiences, and good practices in regulation and policy initiatives. 

Watch the sychosocial risks and mental health at work in the future: Promoting evidence-based policy making!

CAMPAIGN MATERIALS:  Infographics.

Discover details

LIVESTREAM:  At UNHQ; A commemoration of World Mental Health Day 2025, focusing on the theme "Access to services – mental health in catastrophes and emergencies." The event highlights the critical importance of supporting the mental well-being of both affected communities and UN personnel responding to crises. When disasters, conflicts, or displacement occur, the psychological toll can be immense—affecting humanitarian workers, their families, and the communities they serve. This event will examine global trends in psychological trauma in emergency contexts and feature a human-centered discussion on mental health care and support for UN personnel.

Related Sites and Documents: Healthy Workforce & World Mental Health Day page & More Information.

Watch Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies!

Meetings & Events