Women and gender issues

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award ceremony today:

The United Nations Department of Peace Operations announced that Superintendent Sangya Malla of Nepal, currently serving in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), will be named the 2021 United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year.  Superintendent Malla will be presented the award by United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres at a virtual ceremony on 9 November.

The global level of undernourishment increased sharply last year, under the shadow of the COVID‑19 pandemic, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s annual Statistical Yearbook, released today.  Nearly 10 per cent of the world’s population suffered from hunger in 2020, up from 8.4 per cent in 2019.

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message to the Amazon Leadership Initiative’s annual Leadership Forum, “Black Girl, Your Dreams Are Valid”, held today:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the event marking the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women:

More than half of Afghanistan’s population — some 22.8 million people — will face acute food insecurity starting November, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned today, including 3.2 million children under the age of five, who are expected to suffer acute malnutrition by the end of 2021.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council open debate on women, peace and security, in New York today:

Warning that an “avalanche of crises”, including an uptick in military coups and armament races, is rapidly setting back the clock on women’s rights, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, made a fervent call today to the Security Council to put women front and centre in peacebuilding efforts worldwide.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched a new crisis response initiative in Afghanistan, known as ABADEI, as part of efforts to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.  Among other things, it provides grants to small businesses, cash-for-work projects and support to marginalized individuals.

Despite increased climate ambition and net-zero commitments, Governments still plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, according to the United Nations Environment Programme’s Production Gap Report, released today.