Environmental issues and sustainable development

The Secretary-General expressed concern over the number of restrictions and attacks against journalists, as many face harassment, intimidation, killing and arbitrary detention.  He called on Governments to immediately release journalists detained while exercising their profession, stressing:  “No democracy can function without press freedom.”

A record 13.4 million people in Burkina Faso, Mali and western Niger need humanitarian assistance and protection, as fast-growing crises spread across the Central Sahel region.  The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the number of internally displaced people has grown 20-fold to 1.4 million in less than two years.

In Sudan, nearly 720,000 people have been affected by floods, with more than 100 deaths reported, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.  While the United Nations and its partners have reached 200,000 with health, food and other assistance, the $1.6 billion Humanitarian Response Plan is less than half funded.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, observed on 16 September:

Following is a transcript of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at a press conference to launch the “United in Science 2020” climate report, with World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Petteri Taalas, held in New York today:

The United Nations and humanitarian partners today released a tri-national action plan seeking $10.4 million to support Government responses over the next year to urgent needs in the border area between Colombia, Peru and Brazil, which currently has the world’s highest COVID-19 mortality rates per 100,000 people.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s opening remarks at the Great Green Wall ministerial meeting, in New York today:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, observed today:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the Global Manufacturing and Industrialization Summit, in New York today:

In Yemen, the United Nations and its aid partners report they have distributed emergency food, hygiene kits and other essential items to over 7,600 families impacted by deadly floods and torrential rains that destroyed homes, crops and livestock in July and August. An estimated 62,000 families have been affected.