Environmental issues and sustainable development

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the International Day for Biological Diversity, observed on 22 May:

In Sudan, the World Food Programme says it has now reached over 300,000 people since restarting emergency food distributions there two weeks ago. Two cargo planes from the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service carrying critical supplies for United Nations agencies and aid partners have arrived in Port Sudan.

Amidst a steady influx of people to Vakaga prefecture from Sudan, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) is maintaining a temporary presence in the village of Tiringoulou following recent attacks against Central African defence forces.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the 2023 Asian Leadership Conference, in Seoul today:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the eighth International Wildland Fire Conference, in Porto today:

In Myanmar, 5.4 million people are expected to have been in the path of Cyclone Mocha – one of the strongest to ever hit the country – in Rakhine and in the north-west. Given the high risk of waterborne and communicable diseases, humanitarian agencies will need access to people impacted by the cyclone, as well as expedited travel authorizations and customs clearances for supplies.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the seventh Austrian World Summit, in Vienna today:

Two months after Tropical Cyclone Freddy devastated Malawi, United Nations agencies continue to support the Government-led response. While humanitarian assistance has reached 1.4 million people, more funding is needed to continue this work and the flash appeal — only 21 per cent funded — is asking for $116 million.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the seventy-ninth session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), held in Bangkok today:

The United Nations Forum on Forests concluded its eighteenth session today, approving a draft decision that its nineteenth session will be held at United Nations Headquarters from 6 to 10 May 2024 along with the draft provisional agenda for that session, sending both texts to the Economic and Social Council for formal adoption following week-long discussions on topics ranging from the importance of sustainable forest management to the potential offered by wood-based bioenergy.