The Secretary-General message on World Habitat Day, 3 October 2011

 English
3 october 2011 - The Secretary-General - Message on World Habitat Day 2011 - Cities and Climate Change

 español
03 de octubre 2011 - El Secretario General - Mensaje en el Día Mundial del Hábitat 2011 - Ciudades y Cambio Climático

 العربية 
3 أكتوبر 2011 -- الأمين العام -- رسالة بمناسبة اليوم العالمي للموئل 2011 -- المدن وتغير المناخ

 française
3 octobre 2011 - Le Secrétaire général - Message de la Journée Mondiale de l'Habitat 2011 - Les villes et le changement climatique



 中国
3, 2011年10月 - 秘書長 - 2011世界人居日的消息 - 城市和氣候變化

 русский  
3 октября 2011 - Заместитель Генерального секретаря - Послание по случаю Всемирного дня Хабитат в 2011 - Города и изменение климата

This year, World Habitat Day falls during the month when demographers predict our planet's seven billionth inhabitant will be born. The future that this child and its generation will inherit depends to a great degree on how we handle the competing pressures of growing population growth, urbanization and climate change.
Experts predict that by the year 2050, global population will have increased by 50 per cent from what it was in 1999. Also by that time, scientists say, global greenhouse gas emissions must decrease by 50 per cent compared to levels at the turn of the millennium. I call this the "50 – 50 – 50 challenge."

Rising sea levels are a major impact of climate change – and an urgent concern. Sixty million people now live within one meter of sea level. By the end of the century, that number will jump to 130 million. Major coastal cities – such as Cairo, New York, Karachi, Calcutta, Belem, New Orleans, Shanghai, Tokyo, Lagos, Miami and Amsterdam – could face serious threats from storm surges.

The nexus between urbanization and climate change is real and potentially deadly.
Cities are centres of industrialization and sources of emissions, but they are also home to solutions. More and more municipalities are harnessing wind, solar and geothermal energy, contributing to green growth and improving environmental protection.

Local efforts are critical to success, but they must be supported by international initiatives. We have already seen progress, including the creation of the Climate Change Adaptation Fund and adoption of the action plan to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, known as "REDD plus." All countries agree on the goal of limiting global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius. Developed and developing countries have committed to lower greenhouse gasses in a formal, accountable international agreement.
Now we need to build on these advances. The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban this December must achieve decisive progress. Urbanization will be on the agenda at next year's Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development.

On this observance of World Habitat Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to the important journey to a more sustainable future, and let us focus greater attention on addressing climate change in the world's cities and beyond.

Ban Ki-moon

World Habitat Day 2011

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day.  This year, World Habitat Day will be celebrated on 3 October 2011 and the Global Celebration will be hosted by the Government of Mexico. read more

Events Around the World

World Habitat Day 2011 Executive Director's Message
English | Spanish

International Day of Non-Violence 2 October

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for 2011

We mark this year’s International Day of Non-Violence in a world dramatically altered since our last commemoration. The powerful engine behind that wave of change – beginning in Tunisia and then spreading across North Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere – was none other than a non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.
The individuals – many of them youth – at the helm and heart of these movements toppled long-entrenched governments, delivered a rebuke to those who embrace violence, and emboldened other oppressed peoples to think that the path of non-violence might work for them, too.
There is a heavy risk for those who stare down the barrel of a gun armed only with the knowledge that they have right on their side. But courageous individuals who believe in and use non-violence leave oppressors facing what is for them an unpalatable option – crack down harder or negotiate. The former simply reveals the bankruptcy of the systems they are defending; the latter could well set change in motion. This is why non-violence so often confounds those who face it; this is why non-violence is so powerful.
The United Nations Charter clearly champions a peaceful, non-violent approach as the first recourse – utilizing means such as negotiation, mediation, arbitration and judicial settlement.
When the Security Council has sanctioned the use of coercive measures, as was done earlier this year in Libya and Côte d’Ivoire, it was to protect civilians – and then only as a last resort, in the face of violence.
Our non-violent work to build peaceful, stable societies takes many forms – from promoting values and norms to establishing institutions. The rule of law, sustainable development, building and making peace – these are the elements of the UN agenda for non-violent change. We are striving to intervene early, before tensions escalate, and speedily when they do. We are strengthening our strategic partnerships so we can respond more quickly to crises while supporting national institutions for mediation and dialogue.
This International Day coincides with the anniversary of the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of India’s historic and non-violent movement for independence. His transformative and transcendent approach had deep roots in India’s past. Some two thousand years earlier, Emperor Ashoka renounced recourse to war and devoted himself to the peaceful development of his society. His idea of peace and non-violence extended to the protection of animals and trees – sustainability before its time.
Others around the world have carried this banner, from Chico Mendes in Brazil to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the United States, from Nelson Mandela in South Africa to Professor Wangari Maathai in Kenya. All of these leaders inspired global movements in which they were joined by countless others who embraced non-violence as a core value and animating principle.
The timeless power of non-violence, which has accomplished so much in the past year alone, has a vital role to play in all countries, including established democracies. On this International Day, let us re-commit to supporting non-violence. Non-violence is not only an effective tactic; it is a strategy and the ultimate vision. Durable ends such as peace can only come through durable means – non-violence.

Ban Ki-moon  

Celebration of a World Day

Celebration of a World Day

There is always a day that is dedicated to the awareness of some international issues. Today happens to be International Day for older persons .


These World Days spell opportunities for writers, internet marketers and activists.For writers, this is an opportunity to write on a topic that interests people worldwide. Publications will buy your articles and your articles will be widely read because it is relevant and timely for the occasion. So if you don't what to write, then write for the World Day's occasion.

For Internet marketers, make your presence felt through your blogs and websites because web surfers will be searching for topics related to the World Day. To optimise your website, populated your content with the relevant keywords. To attract traffic, use Google adwords and buy the right keywords related to the World Day. Participate in the buzz of the day and promote related affiliated products in Clickbank and Amazon.
Below is the list of some of the well known World Day.

• 1 Jan - Global Family Day
• 6 Jan - World Day for War Ophans
• 27 Jan - International Holocaust Remembrance Day
• 4 Feb - World Cancer
• Day 14 Feb - ValentineDay
• 20 Feb - World Day of Social Justice
• 21 Feb - International Mother Language Day
• 4 Mar - World Day Against Sexual Exploitation
• 8 Mar - International Women's Day
• 15 Mar - World Consumer Rights Day
• 21 Mar - International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• 22 Mar - World Water Day
• 24 Mar - World Tuberculosis Day
• 2 Apr - World Autism Awareness Day
• 4 Apr - International Day for Mine Awareness
• 7 Apr - World Health Day
• 25 Apr - World Malaria Day
• 29 Apr - World Dance Day
• 1 May - Labour Day
• 3 May - World Press Freedom Day
• 4 May - Internatoinal Firefighters' Day
• 12 May - International Nurses Day
• 5 May - International Day of Families
• 1st Tue of May - World Asthma Day
• 1 Jun - International Children's Day
• 4 Jun - International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression
• 5 Jun - World Environment Day
• 8 Jun - World Ocean Day
• 12 Jun - World Day Against Child Labour
• 14 Jun - World Blood Donor Day
• 20 Jun - World Refugee Day
• 21 Jun - World Music Day
• 6 Jun - International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
• 12 Aug - International Youth Day
• 13 Aug - Left Handers Day
• 5 Sep  - World Teachers Day
• 21 Sep - World Alzheimer's Day
• 21 Sep - International Day of Peace
• 22 Sep - World Car Free Days
• 3rd Sun, Sep - World Day of Remembrance for Traffic Victims
• 1 Oct - International Day of Older Persons
• 1 Oct - World vegetarian Day
• 2 Oct - International Day of Non-Violence
• 4 Oct - World Animal Day
• 8 Oct - World Humanitarian Action Day
• 10 Oct - World Hospice and Palliative Care Day
• 10 Oct - World Day Against the Death Penalty
• 10 Oct - World Mental Health Day
• 16 Oct - World Food Day
• 17 Oct - World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty
• 1 Nov - World Vegan Day
• 9 Nov - World Freedom Day
• 14 Nov - World Diabetes Day
• 16 Nov - Internaional Day for Tolerance
• 19 Nov - World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse
• 19 Nov - World Toilet Day
• 25 Nov - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
• 1 Dec - World AIDS Day
• 2 Dec - International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
• 3 Dec - International Day of Disabled Persons
• 9 Dec - International Day against Corruption

Celebrate the day with the rest of the world. Write about it. Let your voice be heard!

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon - Message on the International Day of Older Persons, 1 October 2011

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: "Older Persons are Vibrant and Essential Contributors to the Development and Stability of Society" Message on the International Day of Older Persons, 1 October 2011 VIENNA, 1 October (UN Information Service) - Next year marks 10 years since the adoption of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. The theme of this year's International Day of Older Persons, "Launch of Madrid Plus 10: The growing opportunities and challenges of global ageing", reflects this upcoming milestone. This year we also commemorate 20 years since the adoption of the United Nations Principles for Older Persons. These basic principles - independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity - both enshrine the human rights of older persons and give us the objectives for which we strive. Nearly two-thirds of older persons live in developing countries, yet older persons are still largely excluded from the wider global, regional and national development agendas. At a time when the international community is preparing to take stock of sustainable development and is looking to forge a development agenda for the future, it is important that the needs and contributions of older persons become a bigger part of the picture. Older persons are vibrant and essential contributors to the development and stability of society, and more can and should be done to utilize their potential. Over the last decade, there has been progress in the formulation of national plans of action related to ageing, including the emergence of non-contributory pensions in some developing countries. However, discrimination and social exclusion persist. These issues are a priority for the recently established General Assembly open-ended working group on ageing. As we commemorate milestones in global development for older persons, let us recommit to the full implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action. In the current fiscal environment, we must be vigilant in ensuring that the provision of social protection, long-term care and access to public health for the elderly is not undermined. On this International Day of Older Persons, I call on governments and communities everywhere to provide more opportunities for their ageing populations. * *** *

27 September 2011

Secretary-General SG/SM/13848 OBV/1032

Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York

Secretary-General Calls for Ensuring that Social Protection, Care for Older

 Persons Not Undermined, in Message for International Day

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day of Older Persons, observed on 1 October:

Next year marks 10 years since the adoption of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.  The theme of this year’s International Day of Older Persons, “Launch of Madrid+10: The growing opportunities and challenges of global ageing”, reflects this upcoming milestone.  This year we also commemorate 20 years since the adoption of the United Nations Principles for Older Persons.  These basic principles — independence, participation, care, self-fulfilment and dignity — both enshrine the human rights of older persons and give us the objectives for which we strive.

Nearly two thirds of older persons live in developing countries, yet older persons are still largely excluded from the wider global, regional and national development agendas.  At a time when the international community is preparing to take stock of sustainable development and is looking to forge a development agenda for the future, it is important that the needs and contributions of older persons become a bigger part of the picture.  Older persons are vibrant and essential contributors to the development and stability of society, and more can and should be done to utilize their potential.

Over the last decade, there has been progress in the formulation of national plans of action related to ageing, including the emergence of non-contributory pensions in some developing countries.  However, discrimination and social exclusion persist.  These issues are a priority for the recently established General Assembly Open-ended Working Group on Ageing.

As we commemorate milestones in global development for older persons, let us recommit to the full implementation of the Madrid Plan of Action.  In the current fiscal environment, we must be vigilant in ensuring that the provision of social protection, long-term care and access to public health for the elderly is not undermined.  On this International Day of Older Persons, I call on Governments and communities everywhere to provide more opportunities for their ageing populations.

Unite Nations Secretary-General's Message on World Habitat Day - October 3, 2011

Celebrations in 2011 

Secretary-General's Message on World Habitat Day 2011

This year, World Habitat Day falls during the month when demographers predict our planet’s seven billionth inhabitant will be born.  The future that this child and its generation will inherit depends to a great degree on how we handle the competing pressures of growing population growth, urbanization and climate change.

Experts predict that by the year 2050, the global population will have increased by 50 per cent from what it was in 1999.  Also by that time, scientists say, global greenhouse gas emissions must decrease by 50 per cent compared to levels at the turn of the millennium.  I call this the “50-50-50 challenge”.

Rising sea levels are a major impact of climate change — and an urgent concern.  Sixty million people now live within one metre of sea level.  By the end of the century, that number will jump to 130 million.  Major coastal cities — such as Cairo, New York, Karachi, Kolkata, Belem, New Orleans, Shanghai, Tokyo, Lagos, Miami and Amsterdam — could face serious threats from storm surges.
The nexus between urbanization and climate change is real and potentially deadly.
Cities are centres of industrialization and sources of emissions, but they are also home to solutions.  More and more municipalities are harnessing wind, solar and geothermal energy, contributing to green growth and improving environmental protection.

Local efforts are critical to success, but they must be supported by international initiatives.  We have already seen progress, including the creation of the Climate Change Adaptation Fund and adoption of the action plan to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, known as “REDD plus”.  All countries agree on the goal of limiting global temperature rise to below 2° C.  Developed and developing countries have committed to lower greenhouse gasses in a formal, accountable international agreement.

Now we need to build on these advances.  The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban this December must achieve decisive progress.  Urbanization will be on the agenda at next year’s “Rio+20” United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

On this observance of World Habitat Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to the important journey to a more sustainable future, and let us focus greater attention on addressing climate change in the world’s cities and beyond.

Ban Ki-moon