Recent News

All news

Countries urged to prioritize protection of pollinators to ensure food security at UN biodiversity conference

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are increasingly under threat from human activities and countries must transform their agricultural practices to ensure global crop production can meet demand and avoid substantial economic losses, the United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity heard. “Pollinators affect all of us. The food that we eat like our fruits and vegetables, […]

In ‘wake-up call’ to Asia-Pacific, UN report urges region to do more to achieve zero hunger by 2030

Yesterday, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched a report that outlines declining progress towards defeating hunger in Asia and the Pacific, noting that nearly one-in-three children suffer from stunting, and warning that to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of zero hunger by 2030, the region must redouble its efforts. “The analysis […]

New UN report finds marine debris harming more than 800 species, costing countries millions

Marine debris is negatively affecting more than 800 animal species and causing serious losses to many countries’ economies, according to a United Nations report launched today. The report, Marine Debris: Understanding, Preventing and Mitigating the Significant Adverse Impacts on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity found that the number of species affected by marine debris has increased […]

At UN conference, countries adopt Cancun Declaration, ramping up efforts to protect world’s biodiversity

More than 190 countries at a major United Nations conference in Mexico have pledged to step up efforts to integrate biodiversity into the policies of their forests, fisheries, tourism and agriculture sectors. On 3 December, countries adopted the Cancun Declaration, named after the Mexican city where the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties […]

Decade after global treaty’s adoption, persons with disabilities still at ‘grave disadvantage’ – Ban Ki-moon

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today highlighted the challenges people with disabilities face despite progress made since the adoption of a global treaty to promote their rights a decade ago. “In the past decade, we have seen much progress. But, persons with disabilities continue to face grave disadvantages,” Mr. Ban told a high-level meeting on […]