New network connecting experts to produce and use better data for the SDGs
The need for timely and disaggregated data and statistics for decision-making has never been as clear as during the COVID-19 crisis. Having access to reliable and trusted data can mean the difference between life and death. To help national governments build resilient and sustainable national data and information systems, a new Global Network of Data Officers and Statisticians that connects data experts around the world, has been launched today at the UN World Data Forum.
Women’s job market participation stagnating at less than 50% for the past 25 years, finds UN report
Less than 50% of working-age women are in the labour market, a figure that has barely changed over the last quarter of a century, according to a new UN report launched today. Unpaid domestic and care work falls disproportionately on women, restraining their economic potential as the COVID-19 pandemic additionally affects women’s jobs and livelihoods, the report warns.
Annual day to mark fight against poverty takes on new significance as COVID-19 pushes millions into destitution
Prospects for fully eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 now appear highly unlikely, even under the most optimistic scenarios, according to a new policy brief issued by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, as the world sets to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October.
The eradication of poverty is more pressing than ever
“Ending extreme poverty is at the heart of the world’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and build a sustainable future for all”, says UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Despite this, and the coming commemoration of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October, this man-made crisis persists.
UN Secretary-General and top business leaders agree on steps to scale up investment in sustainable development
Meeting today with leaders of prominent financial institutions and businesses United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called the private sector “more important than ever,” as the world struggles to recover from the devastating economic fall-out from the COVID-19 pandemic.
World Data Forum seeks to boost data capacity and partnerships to tackle COVID-19 and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
More than 5,000 data experts will meet online to strengthen data for a changing world. As demand for trusted, inclusive, open and reliable data is surging in the face of unprecedented challenges, the global community of data experts and users will come together from 19 to 21 October in a virtual space at the United Nations World Data Forum to satisfy the need for quality data.
Countries step up innovation efforts, using over 500 digital apps to fight COVID-19
From chatbots in Singapore to drones in Oman; from robotic medical assistants in Indonesia to virtual doctors in Brazil; while the COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc across the world, governments have been working hard to implement digital solutions to minimize the adverse impact of the virus and to ensure business continuity.
“A job for life is no longer a thing” – growing up in time of uncertainty
Coming of age during a global pandemic and devastating climate change, today’s youth find themselves managing their transition to an adulthood where nothing is certain except uncertainty. But they are not the first generation for whom growing up feels like a plunge into the unknown. An intergenerational dialogue organized by UN DESA this week invited people of all ages to discuss ways of coping with uncertainties and finding jobs in a worsening market
Responding today for a better tomorrow
UN DESA entered 2020 with a concrete plan of action, placing it on firm footing to respond quickly to the needs of Member States, when the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly upended our daily lives. “In responding to this emergency, the Department immediately pivoted our intellectual resources toward understanding and projecting the real and potential socioeconomic fallout of the pandemic and identifying policy recommendations and concrete actions for Member States to consider,” stated Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin in the newly released UN DESA Highlights 2019-2020 report.
Listen to older people’s ‘suggestions and ideas’ for more inclusive societies
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is reckoning with the disproportionate and severe impact that the virus has wrought on the “health…rights and well being” of older persons, the UN chief has said, marking the international day highlighting their issues.
UN Forum redefines business leadership
Over 12,000 sustainability leaders, including Government Ministers, a Head of Government and 40 CEOs from around the world gathered virtually at the 5th SDG Business Forum on Wednesday to discuss how the private sector, can work with governments and civil society, to use the SDGs as a roadmap for long-term sustainability, and to address the three critical fragilities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic – climate change and nature loss, economic exclusion and social inequality.
Making the case for sustainable business solutions
This year is like no other, for individuals and businesses alike. The world is facing new and unforeseen challenges at a time when the international community is five years into efforts to achieve the global goals and at the start of the Decade of Action. As companies struggle in a COVID-19 stricken world, some suggest that the gloomy economic forecast may make them less inclined to adopt sustainable business practices. The SDG Business Forum, taking place on 23 September, hopes to prove otherwise.
