Environmental issues and sustainable development

In the Gambia, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today raised concerns on the proposed repeal of the ban on female genital mutilation in the country, highlighting the proposal as a grave violation of human rights and significant setback in the global fight against gender-based violence.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day of Zero Waste, observed on 30 March:

A report released today by the International Labour Organization (ILO) shows that forced labour in the private economy generates $236 billion in illegal profits per year. ILO notes that the total amount of illegal profits from forced labour has risen by $64 billion since 2014.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message on the occasion of the State of the Global Climate Report launch:

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Meteorological Day, observed on 23 March:

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Water Day, observed 22 March:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for Earth Hour, observed on 23 March:

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Regional Forum for Sustainable Development, in Geneva today:

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development 2024, in Beirut today:

In Myanmar, the conflict now spans vast swathes of the country. More than 350,000 people are displaced in Rakhine. The 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan seeks $994 million to support 5.3 million people in the country, but it is currently just 3 per cent funded.