Environmental issues and sustainable development

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks for the One Planet Summit, today:

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, as delivered, to the Twenty-sixth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) round table on clean power transition, today:

Following is the text of UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ New Year’s video message 2021, issued today:

The World Food Programme today raised extreme concern that escalating violence and displacement in north Mozambique has led to more than 900,000 people facing crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity.  Plans are in place to reach 750,000 in the area, but $117 million is needed over the next year to meet needs.

A new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that if greenhouse gas emissions are not drastically reduced, all of the world’s coral reefs will bleach by the end of the century, and calls for even more urgent action to limit ocean temperature rise.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports it is providing supplies such as mosquito nets, solar lamps, and blankets for 36,000 people in Somalia’s Puntland region who have been affected by Cyclone Gati, the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the country, which made landfall in November.

Following is the text of UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ video message to the Japan National Conference for Realizing a Carbon‑Neutral Society by 2050, held today:

The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan told the Security Council that Afghanistan and the Taliban made genuine progress in peace talks, agreeing to rules and procedures; forming a working committee to discuss the agenda; and presenting each other initial lists of topics for negotiations.

Ethiopia is facing dire shortages of food, water, fuel, cash and electricity, as well as telecoms services in the Tigray region, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.  More than 63,000 people are recorded as internally displaced in Tigray, including some who fled towards Afar and Amhara.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message on Champions and Young Champions of the Earth 2020, today: