Environmental issues and sustainable development

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the online international Climate Adaptation Summit, hosted by the Netherlands, today:

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says the number of people displaced by violence in Africa’s Sahel region has reached 2 million.  Officials warn that needs continue to surge, with multiple crises converging and the humanitarian response dangerously overstretched.

Pramila Patten, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict, today expressed great concern about serious allegations of sexual violence in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, including a high number of alleged rapes in the capital. She called for zero tolerance of sexual violence among all warring parties.

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

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message for the International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA/Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week side event on “United Nations Food Systems Summit and United Nations High-Level Dialogue on Energy”, today:

Countries face serious costs, damage and losses, unless they step up actions to adapt to the new climate reality, the United Nations Environment Programme warns in a new report released today.  Financing and implementation fall far short of needs, with adaptation costs in developing countries estimated at $70 billion.

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:

In Afghanistan, the United Nations and humanitarian partners report that they will seek $1.3 billion this year to assist almost 16 million people with life-saving aid, up from 2.3 million people in 2017, as ongoing conflict, natural disasters, chronic poverty and the COVID-19 pandemic continue to devastate the population.

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

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