Dialoguepk

5 things you should know about the state of the global economy IMF/Ernesto Benavides Goods are transported by hands in Lima, Peru. 10 May 2021 Economic Development Is this the year we overcome the global economic crisis caused by the pandemic? Are our jobs in danger? Who has lost the most in the crisis and what can be done to recover? As the UN Department of Social and Economic Affairs (DESA) prepares to launch the mid-year update of the 2021 World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report, here are five things you need to know about the state of the global economy. Dock workers unload fresh fish from a boat in Casablanca, Morocco.IMF/ Jake Lyell Dock workers unload fresh fish from a boat in Casablanca, Morocco. 1) US and China bounce back, but a slow recovery for developing countries While economic output in the United States and China is expected to grow robustly and lift global growth, many developing economies are not expected to return to pre-pandemic output levels any

Security Council upholds role of multilateralism in a complex world UN peacekeepers patrol the Mopti region of eastern Mali. MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko UN peacekeepers patrol the Mopti region of eastern Mali. 7 May 2021 UN Affairs The President of the UN General Assembly on Friday urged countries to “do better” in making COVID-19 vaccines available to everyone, everywhere, warning that “good intentions are no match for vaccines in arms.” Briefing a high-level Security Council debate on upholding multilateralism, Volkan Bozkir equated fair distribution of vaccines with civilian protection. He commended recent developments on vaccine patent waivers which will help save lives, and lamented that low-income countries have so far received just 0.3 per cent of all doses. “We can do better. We must do better”, Mr Bozkir told the online meeting. “The COVID-19 pandemic is not a zero-sum game. Good intentions are no match for vaccines in arms.” Division and failure As the General As

8 May 2021 Peace and Security The Second World War had a profound impact on the international community, and established the conditions for the creation of the United Nations. This weekend marks the official remembrance of the tens of millions of civilians and soldiers who died during the conflict. In total, about 40 million civilians, and some 20 million soldiers, lost their lives in the war between 1939 and 1945. On 8 and 9 May, the UN invites its 193 member countries, non-governmental organizations, and individuals, to pay tribute to the victims of the conflict. The date of 8 May was chosen because it is the day the Nazi forces in Germany surrendered in 1945 but, recognizing that UN member states may have their own memorable days associated with the victory over fascism, the General Assembly invited all countries, UN organizations, non-governmental organizations and individuals to celebrate either 8 May, 9 May, or both of these days annually as a tribute to all victims of the Sec

26 April 2021 Health A UN-led global immunization strategy was unveiled on Monday to reach more than 50 million children who have missed lifesaving jabs against diseases such as measles, yellow fever and diptheria, in large part because of COVID-19 disruption. “Even before the pandemic, there were worrying signs that we were beginning to lose ground in the fight against preventable child illness, with 20 million children already missing out on critical vaccinations”, said Henrietta Fore, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director. According to UNICEF, disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of 2020 meant that vaccine deliveries fell from 2.29 billion in 2019, to just over two billion vaccine doses last year. Lost ground “The pandemic has made a bad situation worse, causing millions more children to go unimmunized”, Ms. Fore maintained. “Now that vaccines are at the forefront of everyone’s minds, we must sustain this energy to help every child

Two boys at the Loda camp for internally displaced people in Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo (file photo).UNICEF/Desjardins Two boys at the Loda camp for internally displaced people in Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo (file photo). 26 April 2021 Peace and Security A recent spike in inter-community violence in the eastern province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is worsening the plight of children there, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said on Monday, urging greater international support. UNICEF and humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned about the violence, which includes machete attacks and sexual assaults. A desperate humanitarian crisis Jean Metenier, UNICEF’s Senior Coordinator for Eastern DRC, said the agency will continue to raise the alarm to prevent the world from becoming numb to what he described as a desperate humanitarian crisis. “Every day, children and their rights are undermined through relentless vio

Use COVID-19 recovery to make inclusion ‘a reality’, UN chief says on World Day Mahmoud, who has autism, holding the letter P he was asked to find at his classroom in Egypt.UNICEF/Rehab El-Dalil Mahmoud, who has autism, holding the letter P he was asked to find at his classroom in Egypt. 2 April 2021 Health Building a more inclusive and accessible world that recognizes the contributions of all people, including persons with disabilities must be a “key goal” as countries work to recover from COVID-19 pandemic, United Nations Secretary-General said on Friday, commemorating World Autism Awareness Day. “The crisis has created new obstacles and challenges. But efforts to reignite the global economy offer an opportunity to reimagine the workplace to make diversity, inclusion and equity a reality”, Secretary-General António Guterres said. “Recovery is also a chance to rethink our systems of education and training to ensure that persons with autism are afforded opportunities for real

COVID-19 origins report inconclusive: We must ‘leave no stone unturned’ – WHO chief A digital illustration of the coronavirus shows its crown-like appearance. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention A digital illustration of the coronavirus shows its crown-like appearance. 30 March 2021 Health The report from a team of international scientists assembled by the World Health Organization (WHO) to examine how COVID-19 first spread to humans was published on Tuesday, and was described by the UN health agency’s chief as a welcome start, but far from conclusive. “This report is a very important beginning, but it is not the end”, said WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We have not yet found the source of the virus, and we must continue to follow the science and leave no stone unturned as we do.” He welcomed the findings of the 34-member team, which in January, visited the Chinese city of Wuhan where the first cases of the then new coronavirus came to light at the en