Week in Review

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Weekly Wrap 30 October 2020 US Government UN treaty banning nuclear weapons set to enter into force in January In what leading campaigners are describing as "a new chapter for nuclear disarmament", the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will now come into force on 22 January, after Honduras became the 50th Member State to ratify on Saturday. Peace and Security UNMISS Standing up for vulnerable South Sudanese: UN woman police officer of the year Chief Inspector Doreen Malambo, Gender Adviser at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), has won 2020 UN Woman Police Officer of the Year Award, in honour of her work supporting vulnerable groups, such as women, girls, children, and people with disabilities. Peace and Security UN Verification Mission in Colombia/Daniel Sandoval Women the 'driving force' for peacebuilding in Colombia: Deputy UN chief The UN deputy chief has underscored the importance of the full and comprehensive implementation of Colombia's historic 2016 peace agreement, to enable sustainable and resilient communities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.  Peace and Security Unsplash/Roxana Crusemire UN strongly condemns knife attack inside Nice church which left three dead The UN Secretary-General on Thursday strongly condemned a knife attack inside a French church in the southern French city of Nice, which reportedly left three worshippers dead. Peace and Security UN Photo/Hervé Serefio Guterres to Security Council: Women leaders 'essential to peace and progress for all' Women continue to be under-represented in key decision-making over the battle against COVID-19, the chief of the UN gender empowerment agency said on Thursday, addressing the Security Council, adding that the situation is even "worse for women in conflict areas". Peace and Security © UNOCHA Reduce risk to avert 'era of pandemics', experts warn in new report Unless there is a "seismic shift" in how countries collectively deal with infectious diseases, future pandemics will emerge more often, spread more rapidly, cause greater damage to the global economy and kill more people than COVID-19, international experts warned in a UN-backed report published on Thursday.  Climate Change UNDP 2020's deadliest shipwreck so far, sees 140 migrants perish off Senegalese coast In the deadliest shipwreck recorded so far this year, at least 140 people have drowned after a vessel carrying around 200 migrants sank off the Senegalese coast, the UN migration agency confirmed on Thursday. Migrants and Refugees © UNICEF/Francis Emorut COVID-19 robs children in poor countries of nearly four months of school The COVID-19 pandemic has robbed children in the poorest countries of nearly four months of schooling, compared to six weeks of lost education for their counterparts in high income countries, according to a report published on Thursday by the UN educational and cultural organization, UNESCO; the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank.  Culture and Education UN-Habitat/Kirsten Milhahn World Cities Day: Value communities, today and for the future Top UN officials have highlighted the "extraordinary" contributions of grassroots communities in towns and cities across the world in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, and urged that their unique efforts be built on, during recovery. SDGs UN Photo/Eric Kanalstein Rights expert urges greater protection for mass graves: proof of 'heinous events' More action must be taken to protect mass graves, which provide proof of "heinous events" that must never be forgotten, an independent UN human rights expert has said, in an appeal to the international community.  Human Rights C40 Cities Finance Facility 2020 Climate Action Award winners shine ray of hope In a year that has cast darkness upon many, the 2020 UN Global Climate Action Awards, announced on Tuesday, shone a light on the positive action that many across the globe are taking, to combat climate change. Climate Change WHO/P. Phutpheng UN agency chiefs appeal for 'open science' beyond COVID-19, citing dangers of secrecy and denial  The heads of three UN agencies joined forces on Tuesday to appeal for a global push towards "open science", citing the value of cooperation in the response to COVID-19 and the dangers of treating evidence-based knowledge as an exclusive asset, or simple matter of opinion.  Culture and Education © WFP/Alaa Noman Yemeni children suffer record rates of acute malnutrition, putting 'entire generation' at risk  Yemeni children are suffering acute malnutrition at unprecedented rates as the world's worst humanitarian crisis grinds on and funding falls far short of what is needed to offset the effects of conflict and  economic collapse, UN agencies said in a statement on Tuesday.   Humanitarian Aid Unsplash/Steve Harvey Exported used cars 'dumped' on developing nations, driving up pollution, UN warns Used vehicles exported from richer countries are contributing to increased air pollution in developing nations and hindering efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change, according to a report published on Monday by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).  Climate Change UNDP PAPP/Ahed Izhiman Coronavirus 'feeds off instability', disrupting Israel-Palestine peace efforts The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process reminded the Security Council on Monday of the Secretary-General's renewed appeal for a global ceasefire to respond to COVID-19, highlighting that the "the virus feeds off instability".   Peace and Security UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe UN's mission 'more important than ever', Secretary-General says at UN Day ceremony Seventy-five years after world leaders united to promote global peace and progress through cooperation, representatives from the international community stood in the UN General Assembly Hall on Monday to reaffirm their commitment to this promise.  UN Affairs Unsplash/Jezael Melgoza Climate action: UN chief encouraged by Japan's 2050 net zero pledge  UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed Japan's announcement on Monday that it would reduce carbon emissions to zero, by 2050, as part of the global effort to slow the worldwide rise in temperatures, and prevent the most damaging effects of human-made climate change.  Climate Change IOM/Abdullah Al Mashrif Science, unity and solidarity, key to defeating COVID: UN chief Better preparation, listening to the science and acting together in solidarity, are some of the main ways that countries across the world can overcome the on-going COVID-19 crisis, the UN chief told the World Health Summit on Sunday. Health Coronavirus Portal & News Updates Readers can find information and guidance on the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from the UN, World Health Organization and UN agencies here. For daily news updates from UN News, click here. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences