Development

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the handover ceremony of the Chairmanship of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, held today:

World Braille Day, on 4 January, aims to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people.  COVID-19 has revealed how critically important it is to produce essential information in accessible formats.

The intergovernmental Preparatory Committee for the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries voted to endorse a draft Programme of Action ahead of the January gathering in Qatar, concluding its third session today.

Following is the text of UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ video message to the Planet Budapest 2021 Sustainability Expo and Summit, in Budapest today:

Following is the text of UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ video message to the eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, in Dakar today:

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), non-performing loans in Afghanistan’s credit market have increased from around 30 per cent at the end of 2020 to 57 per cent in September 2021.  As the massive withdrawal of savings continues, UNDP projects that the deposits’ base could shrink by as much as 40 per cent by year-end.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Toilet Day, observed on 19 November:

UNICEF released a report today showing there are nearly 240 million children with disabilities around the world, a new global approximation higher than previous estimates which considers symptoms of anxiety and depression, among other difficulties across several domains of functioning.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched a new crisis response initiative in Afghanistan, known as ABADEI, as part of efforts to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.  Among other things, it provides grants to small businesses, cash-for-work projects and support to marginalized individuals.

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message to the Insurance Development Forum and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) leadership virtual round table on “Better reflecting risk management and insurance in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, in New York, 19 October: