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22 September 2023
Healthcare: Lack of universal coverage, ‘human rights tragedy on a massive scale’
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22 September 2023
Summit of the Future ‘unique opportunity’ to rebuild trust: Guterres
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21 September 2023
‘Humanity has opened the gates to hell’ warns Guterres as climate coalition demands action
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The Sustainable Development Goals in Türkiye
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Türkiye:
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20 September 2023
'Peace has no losers’, President Erdoğan says, vowing to step up efforts to end war in Ukraine
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan showcased Türkiye as an active partner on both the regional and global levels¸ and called for reform of the international institutions, during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan began his passionate and wide-ranging speech by highlighting the humanitarian crises, political conflicts, and social tensions plaguing various regions worldwide, emphasizing the difficulty in addressing these issues amid global economic problems.
He expressed grave concern about the use of terrorism as an instrument in proxy wars in regions like Syria, North Africa, and the Sahel, asserting that it was undermining international security.
The President also touched upon the growing threat of xenophobia, racism, and islamophobia, warning that these issues were reaching alarming levels globally. He stressed the importance of addressing these challenges for the sake of social harmony.
Source of consolation
On having expressed gratitude to the international community, including the UN, for coming to his country’s aid after it suffered a major earthquake which claimed over 50,000 lives and caused extensive destruction in February 2023, Mr. Erdogan noted, that “the friendship shown to our country on that very dark day … was an important source of consolation.”
Acting in the same spirit, Türkiye, he added, mobilized extensive help to Libya, where 12,000 people lost their lives with thousands still unaccounted for after the recent devastating storms and floods.
War has no winners
Presenting his country as an active international player, President Erdogan outlined multiple contacts Türkiye had developed with lands both near and far. The country’s relations span the whole world from China and South Asia to Africa and Latin America, but the main scope of attention is on its neighbouring region.
Referring to the ’war on Europe's eastern borders’ President Erdogan said, “Since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, we have been endeavouring to keep both our Russian and Ukrainian friends around the table with the thesis that war will have no winners and peace will have no losers,” the Turkish President said.
He stated readiness to step up efforts to end the war through diplomacy and dialogue based on Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.
In this context he highlighted the Black Sea Initiative launched together with the UN, which aimed to prevent a global hunger crisis by facilitating the transport of grain through the Black Sea to global markets.
Lamenting the fact that the initiative was no longer in operation, he mentioned a new plan new plan whereby another. Some 1,000,000 tonnes of grain will be released to the countries in dire need around the world.
Need of reform
Mr. Erdogan spoke of the need of the reform of the United Nations, expressing the idea that the institutions established after the Second World War no longer reflect today's world.
“The world is bigger than five,” he said referring to the five Permanent Members of the Security Council. Advocating for reform, he noted that “the Security Council has ceased to be the guarantor of world security and has become a battleground for the political strategies of only five countries.”
He urged a re-evaluation of the current international institutions to better reflect the realities of today's world.
He spoke also about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), underscoring the need to eradicate hunger and poverty.
“We find it difficult to accept hunger as an issue, as an unsolved problem, here in the 21st century,” said the President, urging all countries to demonstrate a strong will to realize Sustainable Development Goals.

Story
22 September 2023
Healthcare: Lack of universal coverage, ‘human rights tragedy on a massive scale’
World leaders on Thursday agreed to boost efforts to provide universal health coverage for all by 2030.
By approving a new political declaration at UN Headquarters during the high level meeting, Member States also pledged to take concrete action and provide the necessary funding to reach the ambitious goal.
The declaration – Universal Health Coverage: expanding our ambition for health and well-being in a post-COVID world – also saw governments promise to invest political capital in the push to expand universal care.
A political choice
Ultimately, achieving health coverage for all is a political choice, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
“But the choice is not just made on paper. It is made in budget decisions and policy decisions. Most of all, it is made by investing in primary healthcare, which is the most inclusive, equitable, and efficient path to universal health coverage,” he emphasized.
The declaration was adopted during the second of the three health summits taking place during this year’s General Assembly High Level Week.
The summit on pandemic preparedness took place on Wednesday and there will be another on ending the scourge of tuberculosis scheduled for Friday.
Staggering statistics
The urgency of the declaration is evident in the staggering statistics.
At least 4.5 billion people – more than half the world’s population – are not fully covered by essential health services, according to 2021 data.
Access to basis healthcare caused financial hardship for nearly two billion people, while over 1.3 billion were pushed back or pushed deeper into poverty just trying to access basic services and medicines – a stark reality of widening health inequities, according to WHO.
A fundamental right
Speaking on behalf of UN chief António Guterres, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed emphasized that universal health coverage will correct a “human rights tragedy on a massive scale”, with billions currently unable to access essential health services.
She called on countries to ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health services for girls and women, while focusing on the most vulnerable populations, including children, refugees, migrants, and those living through humanitarian crises.
“[Countries] must invest in a well-trained, well-paid health workforce capable of delivering safe, effective quality care to all who need it,” she said.
The deputy UN chief highlighted the need to increase the presence and voices of women – who already make up the majority of health workers – in decisions that concern health.
Extra support
Ms. Mohammed also urged massive scale-up in investments, stressing additional support is crucial for developing countries.
“I call on countries to generously support the SDG Stimulus to increase financing for sustainable development to reach at least $500 billion per year, including investments in health systems,” she said.
She also argued for effective debt-relief mechanisms and multilateral development bank reform.
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22 September 2023
Summit of the Future ‘unique opportunity’ to rebuild trust: Guterres
The President of the UN General Assembly told foreign ministers gathered in New York on Thursday that forecasts predicting the death of effective diplomacy are premature.
“Your strong engagement during our deliberations today reaffirms that multilateralism is neither dead nor obsolete,” said Dennis Francis in his opening remarks to a preparatory meeting for next year’s Summit of the Future.
Scheduled for September 2024, it is billed as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvigorate multilateralism, address gaps in global governance, and reaffirm existing commitments, including to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN Charter.
Recent global shocks – including the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the climate emergency – have tested international institutions, underlining the critical need for unity around shared principles and common goals.
‘A unique opportunity’
“The Summit of the Future is a unique opportunity to help rebuild trust and bring outdated multilateral institutions and frameworks into line with today’s world, based on equity and solidarity,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
“But it is more than an opportunity,” he added. “It is an essential means of reducing risks and creating a safer and more peaceful world.”
The Summit has its origins in Our Common Agenda, the Secretary-General’s 2021 report outlining his vision for the future of international cooperation “through an inclusive, networked, and effective multilateralism.”
The report aims to “turbocharge” the push towards the 17 SDGs – the global promise to deliver a more just, equitable and greener future for all people and the planet by 2030.
Although progress has been derailed by the pandemic and other crises, a “rescue plan” agreed this week aims to get them back on track.
Pact for the Future
At the Summit, countries are expected to adopt a Pact for the Future that covers five areas: sustainable development and related financing; international peace and security; science, technology, innovation and digital cooperation; youth and future generations; and transforming global governance.
Mr. Guterres commended their pledge to advance human rights, the empowerment of women and girls, and acceleration towards achieving the SDGs.
To support the negotiations, he has published 11 policy briefs that build on proposals contained in Our Common Agenda.
“The Pact for the Future will be your contract with each other and with your people,” he said. “It represents your pledge to use all the tools at your disposal at the global level to solve problems – before those problems overwhelm us.”
‘Start talking to us’: Youth advocate
Varaidzo Kathivu, a girls’ education activist and youth advocate from Zimbabwe, welcomed the Pact’s focus on future generations.
Over half of the world's population is under 30, representing the largest generation of young people in history. They need a real seat at the table when it comes to decision-making she declared, sitting next to the UN chief.
“Please stop talking about us and start talking to us. And not only talking to us but working with us,” she said.
“We want to be recognized as true and equal partners who have a stake in this just as much as you. We want to help get these Sustainable Development Goals back on track. And we are more than talented, willing and capable.”
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Story
21 September 2023
‘Humanity has opened the gates to hell’ warns Guterres as climate coalition demands action
“Horrendous heat is having horrendous effects”, the UN chief declared on Wednesday, as a broad global coalition of “movers and doers” politicians, business and civil society gathered in New York for the first ever Climate Ambition Summit.
Front and centre was an urgent call to action, to prevent cascading climate disasters through a just and equitable energy transition – before it’s too late.
In his impassioned address on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to politicians, business, activists and civil society leaders, Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stark warning about the dire consequences of inaction.
With extreme weather events accelerating, “humanity has opened the gates to hell,” said the Secretary-General, describing distressing scenes of farmers helplessly watching crops washed away by floods, the emergence of virulent disease due to rising temperatures, and the mass exodus of people fleeing historic wildfires.
Race for solutions
“Our focus here is on climate solutions – and our task is urgent”, he said.
He warned that climate action was being “dwarfed by the scale of the challenge”, with humanity heading towards a 2.8°C temperature rise, increasing danger and instability.
But “the future is not fixed” he added and the Paris Agreement target of limiting temperature rise as close as possible to 1.5°C is still attainable.
“We can still build a world of clear air, green jobs, and affordable clean power for all,” he said, addressing the high-level gathering of “first movers and doers”.
Driving force for change
Activists are refusing to be silenced, Indigenous Peoples are rallying to defend their ancestral land, and corporate executives are transforming how they do business.
The UN chief is calling for a Climate Solidarity Pact that will hold major emitters more to account, and calling on wealthy countries to support emerging economies so they can weather the crisis.
The Acceleration Agenda calls on governments “to hit fast forward”, he added.
Anger rising
The Secretary-General spoke of the need for more climate justice, recognizing the anger felt by many of the world's poorest nations disproportionately affected by a crisis they did not cause.
“Many of the poorest nations have every right to be angry,” he added, explaining that promised finance had not materialized while the costs of borrowing remain sky-high.
“All parties must operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund at COP28,” he urged and reminded the developed countries must meet the $100 billion commitment, replenish the Green Climate Fund, and double adaptation funding.
Creating early warning systems for everyone by 2027 is a must, too.
Rebuilding trust
The Acceleration Agenda also calls for businesses and financial institutions to embark on true net zero pathways, with a focus on transparency and credibility in emission reduction plans.
“Every company that truly means business, must create just transition plans that credibly cut emissions and deliver climate justice,” the Secretary-General said.
He called for action beyond the meeting rooms of New York.
“We can – and we must turn up the tempo,” he concluded, to loud applause around the room.
Responding to the call, Kenyan President William Ruto, which recently hosted the Africa Climate Summit, spoke about the continent’s huge potential.
With about 30 per cent of the world’s mineral resources and vast biodiversity, it is capable of “green global manufacturing” at scale, given the necessary financial support.
“Unlike other regions, Africa does not have to choose between satisfying new demand and decarbonizing existing capacities, because our existing capacity is very low,” he explained, adding that the continent can “leapfrog into fully green industrial paradigm”.
Climate justice
Financing and environmental justice were themes running throughout the discussions.
Lidy Nacpil is Coordinator of the Asian Peoples' Movement on Debt and Development, an NGO advocating for the transition to renewable energy.
New agreements are needed to make the shift “without loopholes or excuses”, she said. An international treaty on the non-proliferation of fossil fuels and a global phase-out plan are needed to reach “real zero” by 2050.
“We, the people of the Global South are not asking for aid or assistance. Climate finance is an obligation and a part of reparations for historical and continuing harms and injustices,” she asserted the right “not just to survive, but to build a better home and future for our children.”
No buy out
Developed countries at the Summit said they were prepared to contribute their fair share. President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen, for example, announced an additional €220 million for tackling climate change between 2023 to 2026.
“€50 million will be used to support programmes and projects related to loss and damage,” he assured. The country will also increase its contribution to the Green Climate Fund by a quarter, for a total of €160 million.
However, the Austrian president said, “we cannot buy ourselves out of the climate crisis. We must curb emissions at home.”
His country aims to achieve the ‘net zero’ target by 2040.
Summit goers later held a special session to discuss the thorny but crucial issue of loss and damage.
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Story
18 September 2023
UN General Assembly adopts declaration to accelerate SDGs
UN General Assembly adopts declaration to accelerate SDGs
Now is the time for a global plan to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are woefully off-track halfway towards their 2030 deadline, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday in New York.
Mr. Guterres was speaking at the opening of a high-level forum at UN Headquarters where world leaders adopted a political declaration to accelerate action to achieve the 17 goals, which aim to drive economic prosperity and well-being for all people while protecting the environment.
“The SDGs aren’t just a list of goals. They carry the hopes, dreams, rights and expectations of people everywhere,” he said.
Concerted, ambitious action
World leaders adopted the SDGs in 2015, promising to leave no one behind. The goals include ending extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring access to clean water and sanitation, as well as green energy, and providing quality universal education and lifelong learning opportunities.
UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis noted that despite commitments, 1.2 billion people were still living in poverty as of 2022, and roughly eight per cent of the global population, or 680 million people, will still be facing hunger by the end of the decade. The international community cannot accept these numbers, he said.
"With concerted, ambitious action, it is still possible that, by 2030, we could lift 124 million additional people out of poverty and ensure that some 113 million fewer people are malnourished," he said.
Going backwards
Each of the 17 goals contains targets, with 169 overall, but the Secretary-General warned that currently only 15 per cent are on track, while many are going in reverse.
The political declaration "can be a game-changer in accelerating SDG progress," he said.
It includes a commitment to financing for developing countries and clear support for his proposal for an SDG Stimulus of at least $500 billion annually, as well as an effective debt-relief mechanism.
It further calls for changing the business model of multilateral development banks to offer private finance at more affordable rates for developing countries, and endorses reform of the international finance architecture which he has labelled "outdated, dysfunctional and unfair.”
Millions still starving
The UN chief highlighted the need for action in six critical areas, starting with addressing hunger, which he called “a shocking stain on humanity, and an epic human rights violation.”
“It is an indictment of every one of us that millions of people are starving in this day and age,” he added.
The Secretary-General said the transition to renewable energy isn’t happening fast enough, while the benefits and opportunities of digitalization are not being spread widely enough.
Education cannot wait
At the same time, too many children and young people worldwide are victims of poor quality education, or no education at all, he continued, before shining a spotlight on the need for decent work and social protection.
Finally, he called for an end to the war on nature and “the triple planetary crisis” characterized by climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
Ensure gender equality
“Cutting across all of these transitions is the need to ensure full gender equality,” he said. “It’s long past time to end discrimination, ensure a place at every table for women and girls, and to end the scourge of gender-based violence. “
Mr. Guterres highlighted UN response to each area, including initiatives to transform global food systems so everyone can have access to a healthy diet.
Other efforts focus on boosting investment in the renewable energy transition, promoting internet access for all, creating 400 million new “decent jobs”, and extending social protection to over four million people.
Testament to commitment
The President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Paula Narváez, was heartened by the adoption of the declaration, calling it a testament to leaders’ unwavering commitment towards implementing the SDGs.
ECOSOC is at the core of the UN system’s work on all three pillars of sustainable development - economic, social and environmental – and provides a platform for follow-up and review of the goals.
The two-day SDG Summit is the centrepiece of the UN General Assembly’s high-level week, the annual gathering of Heads of State and Government, and Ms. Narváez also pointed to two other events on the agenda.
Seize the moment
She said the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development will address the need for an international financial architecture that can respond to current needs and emerging challenges.
Meanwhile, the Climate Ambition Summit presents an opportunity for decisive progress on climate action and to raise the bar for more timely and targeted efforts.
“This week should serve as a turning point to rescue the SDGs,” she said. “We must not let this moment slip away.”
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Story
18 September 2023
UNGA78: UN chief brushes off key leaders' absence, says delivery paramount
With several high-profile world leaders opting out of the UN General Assembly’s annual opening session next week, Secretary-General António Guterres has said that he cares less about who comes to New York and more about what gets done, especially to revive the lagging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“This is not a Vanity Fair. This is a political body in which governments are represented,” he told UN News in an exclusive interview.
“What matters is that [countries] are represented by someone that can [rise to] the present moment,” he said, and added: “So I'm not so worried about who’s coming. What I’m worried [about] is making sure the countries that are here … are ready to assume the commitments necessary to make the Sustainable Development Goals that unfortunately are not moving in the right direction a reality.”
Here, Mr. Guterres emphasized the need to reform the current “unjust, dysfunctional and outdated” global finance system to ensure the achievement of the SDGs by 2030.
He recalled his $500 billion SDG Stimulus proposal to support developing nations to make sure they have the resources they need to achieve the SDGs.”
Action on climate change
The UN chief further said that his 2023 Climate Ambition Summit will provide an opportunity for countries, businesses, and civil society to step up their efforts to reign in runaway climate change.
In a notable departure from standard practice where countries are front and centre, this Summit will give a platform to what the Secretary-General referred to as “frontliners”, those that are the most committed to climate action, and can share the best practices.
“We are moving to 2.6-2.8°C of global temperature rise by the end of the century,” he warned, stressing the urgency of returning to the goal of limiting the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
“It is still possible with political will – but a lot needs to be done,” Mr. Guterres emphasized.
Pushing for peace in Ukraine
As for the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Secretary-General reiterated that the central objective is to secure peace, which is just and in line with the UN Charter and international law.
However, he cautioned against undue optimism, acknowledging that current conditions may not favour a “serious dialogue” on peace.
“I think the parties are far from that possibility at the present moment, but we will never, never stop our efforts to make sure that peace comes to Ukraine,” he stressed.
Spotlight on public health
Mr. Guterres also spoke about the unprecedented three ministerial-level talks next week on global public health: pandemic preparedness, universal health coverage, and tuberculosis.
“Universal health coverage is an essential objective of the UN,” he said and added that “it requires not only the UN system to work, but also requires financial systems to be much fairer than they are today.
Mr. Guterres also stressed that “one of the things that I believe is essential is increase the resources and the power of the World Health Organization.”
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Press Release
11 September 2023
The world is failing girls and women, according to new UN report
New York — Despite global efforts, the world is falling short of achieving gender equality. This year's edition of the UN Women and UN DESA “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender snapshot 2023”, launched today, paints a worrisome picture halfway through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“The gender snapshot 2023” warns that, if current trends continue, more than 340 million women and girls—an estimated 8 per cent of the world’s female population—will live in extreme poverty by 2030, and close to one in four will experience moderate or severe food insecurity. The gender gap in power and leadership positions remains entrenched, and, at the current rate of progress, the next generation of women will still spend on average 2.3 more hours per day on unpaid care and domestic work than men.
The annual publication provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of gender equality across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and highlights prevailing trends, gaps, and recent setbacks on the journey towards achieving gender equality by 2030.
This year’s report includes sex-disaggregated data on the intersections of gender and climate change for the first time, and projects that by mid-century, under a worst-case climate scenario, climate change may push up to 158.3 million more women and girls into poverty (16 million more than the total number of men and boys).
Ms. Sarah Hendriks, UN Women Deputy Executive Director, ad interim, said: “In this critical midpoint moment for the SDGs, this year’s report is a resounding call to action. We must collectively and intentionally act now to course-correct for a world where every woman and girl has equal rights, opportunities, and representation. To achieve this, we need unwavering commitment, innovative solutions, and collaboration across all sectors and stakeholders.”
With a special focus this year on older women, the report finds that older women face higher rates of poverty and violence than older men. In 28 of the 116 countries with data, fewer than half of older women have a pension; in 12 countries fewer than 10 per cent had access to a pension. Halfway to 2030, progress on SDG 5—gender equality—is clearly way off track. The report shows that the world is failing women and girls with a mere two Goal 5 indicators being “close to target” and no SDG 5 indicator at the “target met or almost met” level.
“The gender snapshot 2023” underscores the urgent need for concrete efforts to accelerate progress towards gender equality by 2030, revealing that an additional USD 360 billion per year is needed to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment across key global goals. The report also includes calls for an integrated and holistic approach, greater collaboration among stakeholders, sustained funding, and policy actions to address gender disparities and empower women and girls worldwide, concluding that failure to prioritize gender equality now could jeopardize the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“Gender equality is not just a goal within the 2030 Agenda,” said Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs of UN DESA. “It is the very foundation of a fair society, and a goal upon which all other goals must stand. By breaking down the barriers that have hindered the full participation of women and girls in every aspect of society, we unleash the untapped potential that can drive progress and prosperity for all.”
Further facts and figures highlighted in the report include:
Under a worst-case climate scenario, food insecurity is projected to affect as many as 236 million more women and girls, compared to 131 million more men and boys, due to climate change.
No country is within reach of eradicating intimate partner violence, and only 27 countries have comprehensive systems to track and make budgetary allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The number of women and girls in conflict-affected contexts has risen significantly, with catastrophic consequences. In 2022, the number of women and girls living in such contexts reached 614 million, 50 per cent higher than the number in 2017.
Globally, at current rates of progress, an estimated 110 million girls and young women will be out of school in 2030.
The labour and earnings gap remains persistently high. For each dollar men earn in labour income globally, women earn only 51 cents. Only 61.4 per cent of prime working age women are in the labour force, compared to 90 per cent of prime working age men.
Access the report.
See also:
Global gender equality in 2023: Urgent efforts needed to reach 2030 goals
The 11 biggest hurdles for women’s equality by 2030
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Press Release
20 July 2023
Less than 1 percent of women and girls live in a country with high women’s empowerment and high gender parity
Kigali, 18 July 2023 – No country has achieved full gender parity and fewer than 1 percent of women and girls live in a country with high women’s empowerment and a small gender gap, according to a new global report launched by UN Women and UNDP today at the Women Deliver Conference. The report provides - for the first time - a more comprehensive picture of progress in women and girl’s human development.
The report sees UN Women and UNDP join forces to propose the Women's Empowerment Index (WEI) and the Global Gender Parity Index (GGPI) as the twin indices for measuring gender parity and women’s empowerment.
The twin indices offer different but complementary lenses for assessing progress in advancing women's human development, power, and freedoms. Together, they shed light on the complex challenges faced by women worldwide and pave the way for targeted interventions and policy reforms.
Analysis of 114 countries has found that women’s power and freedom to make choices and seize opportunities remain largely restricted. Low women’s empowerment and large gender gaps are commonplace.
The WEI measures women's power and freedoms to make choices and seize life opportunities across five dimensions: health, education, inclusion, decision-making, and violence against women. Similarly, the GGPI evaluates the status of women relative to men in core dimensions of human development, including health, education, inclusion, and decision-making.
Globally, women are empowered to achieve on average only 60 percent of their full potential, as measured by the WEI. They achieve, on average, 72 percent of what men achieve across key human development dimensions, as measured by the GPPI, reflecting a 28 percent of gender gap. These empowerment deficits and disparities are harmful not just to women’s well-being and advancement but also to human progress.
“With the Sustainable Development Goals, the global community has made a strong commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment. However, we can see clearly with these new indices that across countries, women’s full potential remains unrealized, and large gender gaps continue to be commonplace, thereby obstructing and slowing progress in the realization of all the Goals,” said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous. “Sustained efforts are therefore needed to deliver on the promise of gender equality, secure the human rights of women and girls and ensure that their fundamental freedoms are fully realized”, she concluded.
The Report also highlights that less than 1 percent of women and girls live in countries with both high levels of women's empowerment and high gender parity, while more than 90 percent of the world's female population —3.1 billion women and girls — live in countries characterized by a large women’s empowerment deficit and a large gender gap.
“This eye-opening analysis shows that higher human development is not by itself a sufficient condition, as more than half the countries with low and middle performance in the Women’s Empowerment Index and Global Parity Index fall in the very high and high human development groups,” said UNDP Administrator, Achim Steiner. “Too many women and girls are living in countries that only allow them to reach a fraction of their potential and these fresh new insights are ultimately designed to help to effect real change – for real people”.
The WEI and the GGPI are useful tools for policymakers, providing vital evidence on progress and the urgent policy actions needed to achieve women's empowerment and gender equality. The indices reveal the need for comprehensive policy action in the following areas:
Health policies: Support and promote long and healthy lives for all, with a focus on universal access to sexual and reproductive health.
Equality in education: Address gaps in skills and quality of education, especially in fields such as STEM, to empower women and girls in the digital age.
Work-life balance and support for families: Invest in policies and services that address work-life balance, including affordable quality childcare services, parental leave schemes, and flexible working arrangements.
Women's equal participation: Set targets and action plans for achieving gender parity in all spheres of public life and eliminate discriminatory laws and regulations that hold women back.
Violence against women: Implement comprehensive measures focused on prevention, changing social norms, and eliminating discriminatory laws and policies.
The indices serve as a catalyst for change, enabling comprehensive tracking and assessment of progress and gaps across countries. They come at a critical juncture, where global challenges threaten to undermine human development and exacerbate existing gender disparities. By harnessing these indices, policymakers, stakeholders, and communities can take informed action and accelerate the journey towards a more equitable and inclusive world.
The world is at a critical crossroads and this report is a key contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals stock-taking moment and a means of furthering the efforts each of the 17 goals, in the lead up to the SDG Summit in September.
To access the full report visit:
UNDP
UN Women
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Press Release
09 June 2023
UNICEF and Union of Turkish Bar Associations launch innovative child-friendly legal aid project to promote equal access to justice for all children
ANKARA, 09 June 2023 – UNICEF and the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (UTBA) today launched a new project focusing on child-friendly legal aid to strengthen the knowledge of lawyers and the bar associations on children's rights and to ensure equality in children's access to justice.
The Improving the Capacity of Lawyers and Bar Associations on Promotion, Protection and Monitoring of Children’s Rights (ÇABA) Project will be implemented in close partnership between UTBA, the European Union Delegation, and UNICEF with funding of approximately €3.2M of the European Union.
The 3- year project is designed to develop a full-fledged training programme on child-friendly legal aid and children’s rights in the justice system for around 2000 lawyers who are working with children, across Türkiye; establish five pilot Child Rights Centers to enhance the monitoring capacity of Bar Associations and increase knowledge and coordination among legal professionals. The pilot Child Rights Centers will be established in Adana, Aydın, Batman, Erzurum, and Trabzon.
With the impact of the training programme and the planned Child Rights Centers to be established within the project, UNICEF estimates that at least 100 000 children will indirectly benefit from improved legal aid services.
In his speech Mr. Ramunas Januaskas, First Counsellor and Head of the Communication Section of the EU Delegation to Türkiye said:
The goal of the ÇABA Project is to promote children's rights and ensure children's equal access to justice by strengthening the national capacity and by raising public awareness. It is crucial that lawyers and bar associations are equipped with basic principles of children's rights valid all over the world.
In her opening speech Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Representative to Türkiye stated: “There have been commendable reforms and great progress over the last two decades on child justice, which, as UNICEF, we are also proud to be a part of, however, there are still challenges concerning children’s right to access to equitable justice in Türkiye. UNICEF believes that the legal empowerment of children is an accelerator for change. Our Reimagine Justice for Children agenda, which was declared by our Executive Director in November 2021 at the World Congress on Justice with Children, clearly underlines that every child should access free legal aid and representation, national cadres of specialized lawyers and paralegal services should be strengthened and strategic litigation on justice for children, for broader policy impact should be supported.”
According to the latest Judicial Statistics of March 2023, the number of child offenders currently under trial reached up to 163.000. Despite the significant number of those alleged child offenders before the courts, more than half of the criminal investigations concerning children, which is more than 100.000, have ended with non-prosecution.
Mr. Erinç Sagkan, Attorney at Law President, Union of Turkish Bar Associations said:
"The Union of Turkish Bar Association aims to contribute to systematic developments in the field of human rights in our country to increase the professional capacity of lawyers through many different projects and to continue its work with determination in this direction. I believe the project that we are launching today is an important step towards fulfilling this sensitive responsibility."
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Press Release
04 May 2023
The future is ours to see ------ 75 Years of Human Rights -------
Project description
Students Short Film Competition this human world 2023
The International Film Festival on Human Rights this human world (thw) will hold the Short Film Competition on Human Rights 2023 under the auspices of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Austria and the Chief Executive Office of the City of Vienna for European and International Affairs in cooperation with schools in Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Türkiye.
In 2023, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be 75 years old
Many rights seem taken for granted by us today, yet at the same time we are confronted with new challenges, inequalities and war. The multitude of conflicts in recent years have shown that cooperation which exceeds borders, sectors, and generations is needed in order to face them. The link to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights can be found HERE.
Students from 10 to 20 years old are invited, as a class or individually, to develop short films inspired by the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The anniversary theme of this year's competition is:
75 Years of Human Rights
What do they mean for you and your/our future? How do you stand up for human rights? How can we support people who had to flee and have suffered human rights violations? Which article of the Declaration has impacted your life? Why is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights so important? Which article can you tell a story/make a short film about? The aim of this competition is to bring human rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with its 30 articles closer to young people, giving students an opportunity for critical reflection on these issues and offering a platform for young, committed filmmakers to present their work. The film submissions will be reviewed by an international jury. The short film, which is awarded the Jury prize, will be shown in the framework of a movie night within the international film festival this human world, which will take place from 30th November until 10th December 2023 in Vienna. After numerous and qualitatively outstanding submissions in the last 13 years, we are looking forward to inspiring and exciting contributions from individual students or group works from school classes again in 2023. The competition will be internationally advertised by the UN partner organizations and announced among local educational institutions in Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Türkiye. Framework conditions for the competition: The competition is open to children and teenagers aged 10 to 20. The film entries can be submitted by students individually or as school class. The maximum length of the short films should be 3 minutes. The film entries can be produced and edited using any means provided by the schools and/or available to the students. From professional video camera to phone camera everything is welcome, and every genre is allowed. Registration for the competition is open until 12th September 2023 via email to schulfilmprojekt@thishumanworld.com Registration should include: Name and address of the school Name and contact details of the person of contact in the school (teacher) Age and number of the participating students The students and legal guardians of minors, by the submission of film entries by their daughter/son, agree that photo and video material of the award ceremony (photos of the winners/interviews with participants) can be published in media and on websites of the issuing institutions (UNIS, UNHCR, City of Vienna, THIS HUMAN WORLD), as well as in social networks. Replies in English or German please The deadline to submit the film entries for the competition is 10th November 2023. Submission via email to: schulfilmprojekt@thishumanworld.com For additional information contact Lisa Wegenstein / Carla Lehner Tel.: +43/1/5855888/24 or schulfilmprojekt@thishumanworld.com Verein this human world ZVR 883089244
What do they mean for you and your/our future? How do you stand up for human rights? How can we support people who had to flee and have suffered human rights violations? Which article of the Declaration has impacted your life? Why is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights so important? Which article can you tell a story/make a short film about? The aim of this competition is to bring human rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with its 30 articles closer to young people, giving students an opportunity for critical reflection on these issues and offering a platform for young, committed filmmakers to present their work. The film submissions will be reviewed by an international jury. The short film, which is awarded the Jury prize, will be shown in the framework of a movie night within the international film festival this human world, which will take place from 30th November until 10th December 2023 in Vienna. After numerous and qualitatively outstanding submissions in the last 13 years, we are looking forward to inspiring and exciting contributions from individual students or group works from school classes again in 2023. The competition will be internationally advertised by the UN partner organizations and announced among local educational institutions in Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Türkiye. Framework conditions for the competition: The competition is open to children and teenagers aged 10 to 20. The film entries can be submitted by students individually or as school class. The maximum length of the short films should be 3 minutes. The film entries can be produced and edited using any means provided by the schools and/or available to the students. From professional video camera to phone camera everything is welcome, and every genre is allowed. Registration for the competition is open until 12th September 2023 via email to schulfilmprojekt@thishumanworld.com Registration should include: Name and address of the school Name and contact details of the person of contact in the school (teacher) Age and number of the participating students The students and legal guardians of minors, by the submission of film entries by their daughter/son, agree that photo and video material of the award ceremony (photos of the winners/interviews with participants) can be published in media and on websites of the issuing institutions (UNIS, UNHCR, City of Vienna, THIS HUMAN WORLD), as well as in social networks. Replies in English or German please The deadline to submit the film entries for the competition is 10th November 2023. Submission via email to: schulfilmprojekt@thishumanworld.com For additional information contact Lisa Wegenstein / Carla Lehner Tel.: +43/1/5855888/24 or schulfilmprojekt@thishumanworld.com Verein this human world ZVR 883089244
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Press Release
02 May 2023
UNDP and UK join forces to ease waste management burden in earthquake zone
Ankara, 28 April 2023 – With the delivery of a new street-sweeping vehicle to Kilis municipality, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Kingdom have launched a US$1.9 million program to meet urgent needs of Turkish communities affected by the earthquakes of 6 February 2023. UNDP Resident Representative Louisa Vinton presented the new vehicle to Kilis Mayor Servet Ramazan on 27 April 2023. The city also received 110 waste containers and 200 packages of sanitary and cleaning supplies for vulnerable households. A “garbage taxi” – a small garbage truck designed to navigate the narrow streets of Kilis – is also on the way.
Although Kilis escaped the massive destruction experienced by the neighboring provinces, it bore the brunt of the earthquake disaster in a different way, as tens of thousands of survivors from neighboring regions took refuge in the city. This is not the first time Kilis has offered shelter to such a large influx of people. During the refugee crisis triggered by civil war across the border in Syria, the population of Kilis surged from 120,000 to more than 220,000. Before the earthquakes, on a per capital basis, Kilis hosted the highest share of Syrians under temporary protection of any municipality in Türkiye. Now the earthquake has pushed the municipal population to nearly 300,000.
“We salute the sustained generosity of Kilis, a proud city with ancient roots,” said UNDP’s Vinton. “We see from the example of Kilis just how widely the impact of the earthquakes is being felt across Türkiye, as millions of people who have lost their homes and possessions seek shelter with friends and relatives in safer locations. This movement is creating major challenges for host municipalities, which are struggling to provide public services for the new arrivals. Waste management is under pressure, and this is where UNDP is keen to assist, with UK funding.”
“Kilis has seen a 40 percent increase in its population just in the ten weeks since the disaster, and it is our most important duty to create healthy and decent living conditions for all our residents now,” said Mayor Ramazan. “We have had a close partnership with UNDP from before the earthquakes, and since then they have provided waste containers and hygiene supplies. The street sweeper delivered today will further improve our waste management, helping to keep our streets clean and healthy for everyone.”
The street-sweeping truck will provide urgently needed waste collection and street-cleaning service for a crowded city that produces an estimated 320-330 tons of garbage each day. The UNDP-UK partnership will provide similar support to other locations, including those where the earthquakes destroyed all waste management capacity.
In addition, the UK funding will enable UNDP to set up mobile and temporary centers providing essential care services for vulnerable persons in the worst-hit provinces of Hatay, Adiyaman and Kahramanmaraş; and organize vocational training to help displaced persons begin to rebuild their lives in some of the worst-affected areas.
The UK funding was provided in response to UNDP’s request under the UN Flash Appeal of 16 February 2023.
“After the devastating earthquakes, the UK responded immediately to the Turkish government’s request for humanitarian support,” said British Ambassador Jill Morris. “The UK government launched its fastest humanitarian response in its history. Our search and rescue teams were on the scene within 72 hours, and a UK medical team treated over 18,000 people. In addition, we have helped deliver over 534 tons of aid to Türkiye and Syria. We are continuing our support to the international response, working with UN agencies. We hope that the street sweeping truck provided with our funding will help ease the waste management burden on the city.”
The February earthquakes struck an area of 110,000 sq km across southern Türkiye, killing more than 50,700 people, displacing 3.3 million (more than 20 percent of the region’s total population) and destroying more than 313,000 buildings. The Türkiye Earthquakes Recovery and Reconstruction Assessment (TERRA), an analysis of the disaster’s financial impact conducted by the Turkish Government with support from UNDP, the UN, the EU and the World Bank, estimated the total damages and losses caused by the earthquakes at US$103.6 billion.
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