"CONCERTS"

Drought is on the verge of becoming the next pandemic, the UN’s top official for disaster reduction said on Thursday, in a call for concerted action and new transboundary alliances to tackle the growing global threat. UNTV CH

Speakers call for stronger action to prevent misuse of government authority, as General Assembly concludes special session on corruption.

“Al-Shabaab remains a serious threat manifesting the ability to plan and execute complex attacks on a range of targets across Somalia,” the top UN official in the country told the Security Council, warning also of a “dire” humanitarian situation, "with 5.9 million Somalis – or more than one-third of the population -- in need of humanitarian assistance.” UNIFEED

Issuing presidential statement, Security Council expresses grave concern about threats, attacks against peacekeepers around globe.

In accordance with the General Assembly Resolution 74/230, the President of the General Assembly convenes a one-day high-level event on Culture and Sustainable Development in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), held to commemorate the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development to highlight the resilient and transformative role of culture as an accelerator of SDG implementation, as well as the challenges within the cultural and creative industries and the broader cultural ecosystem that were exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis.

In accordance with the General Assembly Resolution 74/230, the President of the General Assembly convenes a one-day high-level event on Culture and Sustainable Development in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), held to commemorate the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development to highlight the resilient and transformative role of culture as an accelerator of SDG implementation, as well as the challenges within the cultural and creative industries and the broader cultural ecosystem that were exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis.

Secretary-General António Guterres called for the fighting between Israelis and Palestinians to “stop immediately,” appealing “to all parties to cease hostilities now.” UNIFEED

United States ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said her country would continue “standing up and speaking out until China’s government stops its crimes against humanity and the genocide of Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang.” UNIFEED

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said COVID-19 cases and deaths have recently declined in most regions, “but it’s an unacceptably high plateau, with more than 5.4 million reported cases and almost 90 thousand deaths last week.” WHO

Mounting numbers of people face acute hunger and require urgent life-saving assistance, with number acutely hungry people in countries hit by food crises reaching in 2020 the highest level in five years, an annual report launched by an international alliance of UN, governmental and non-governmental agencies working to tackle food crises together has found. FAO