Environmental issues and sustainable development

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the World Day to Combat Desertification, observed on 17 June:

A new report released today by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that almost 3 million refugees worldwide will need resettlement in 2025. This is mainly driven by the emergence of new conflicts and the impacts of climate change.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ special address on climate action, “A Moment of Truth”, to the American Museum of Natural History, in New York today:

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, today expressed serious concern at the recent rise in killings of civilians across Burkina Faso, with allegations of responsibility pointing to both armed groups and State actors.

Results from the Global We the Women survey, produced by the UN Office for Partnerships and the polling company John Zogby Strategies, show that 86 per cent of women from 185 countries cite climate change and more than 50 per cent identify conflict as primary concerns for the next decade.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Noura Hamladji of Algeria as Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Environment Day, observed on 5 June:

The new Permanent Observer for the International Union for Conservation of Nature to the United Nations, Sofie Sandström Jaffe, presented her letter of appointment to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

In Burundi, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator has allocated $2.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to provide life-saving assistance to over 63,000 people, including water and hygiene kits, latrines, health support and cash, affected by severe flooding and landslides across the country.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message on the occasion of the tenth World Water Forum high-level meeting, in Bali today: