Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the President of the General Assembly’s briefing to the Member States on the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, in New York today:

A report released today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and its partners is offering solutions to decarbonize the building and construction sector. The report says that the construction sector is currently responsible for 37 per cent of global emissions.

A report released over the weekend by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows that methamphetamine trafficking in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries is surging.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms, in Tehran today:

In Costa Rica, Resident Coordinator Allegra Baiocchi and the UN Team launched a new guide addressing online hate speech against women in politics, ahead of the country’s local elections scheduled to take place in February 2024. Online hate crime specifically targeting women jumped 72 per cent in the past year.

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

The following statement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres was issued today:

In Liberia, the United Nations team there is boosting its response to national efforts to address food insecurity. This follows a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) showing that over half a million people are currently facing acute food insecurity in the country.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Africa Climate Summit, in Nairobi today:

In Mali, armed conflict, internal displacement and restricted humanitarian access risks pushing nearly 1 million children under age five into acute malnutrition by the end of 2023. The UN Children’s Fund and the World Food Programme urgently seek $184.4 million to reach 8.8 million people, including 4.7 million children.