GLOBAL AFFAIRS
We are witnessing a loss of biodiversity and natural habitats on an unprecedented scale, which in turn affects every sphere of our lives: from the air we breathe, water we drink, soil that grows our food, and climate. Entire ecosystems are disappearing; and the...
International Mother Earth Day is a single day in the year when the whole world puts the issue on the agenda. It is one day out of 365. It represents 0.27% of the whole year. This is nothing for something so important, but at least it is something - far better than...
April kicks off. Just six days later, a unique celebration begins, not only linked to sport, but also to the capacity of this activity to promote social change, community development, peace and understanding. It is obtuse that someone who exercises is able to...
Foresters, like doctors of medicine, are men - that is a common perception March seems a perfect timing to shed some more light on this misconception. It is the time of the year when we celebrate the beginning of spring, when we feel the first rays of sun on our face...
The view of a forecaster from Geneva My job as an operational weather forecaster – at the western regional forecasting office of MeteoSwiss in Geneva –, entails analyzing the atmospheric conditions to formulate forecasts for the next 7 days for the French-speaking...
The International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights will take place online between the 5th and 14th of March This 19th edition of the Festival intends to question and highlight the many new forms of collective commitment and creation emerging all over the...
Approximately 50 tonnes of plastic enter Lake Geneva every year, according to a study commissioned by the Association for the Safeguard of Lake Léman [1]. Most of this waste comes in the form of particles from tyres brought by runoff water, followed by discarded...
UN Today is following the journey of the Celestial Sphere, from the garden of the Palais des Nations to Florence, where it will be restored by a group of experts. A symbol of peace born in a time of war Eighty-one years after it reached the grounds of the Palais des...
The Covid-19 pandemic is giving rise to many concerns and fears among staff at a time when the literature remains very divided regarding the means of transmission of the virus. In order to get an answer to some of staff concerns, we have interviewed Ms. Sarah Holder...
GLOBAL AFFAIRS
Julian Braithwaite, the UK’s permanent representative talks about dealing with Brexit, online meetings, UN funding, explaining his work to an audience back home and cocktail parties. When Julian Braithwaite arrived in Geneva five years ago as the UK’s permanent...
This year International Mountain Day celebrates biodiversity. As a mountaineer and environmental expert, Andrea Cararo tells UN Today why this day matters to him and why it should to all of us. Since I was a kid, I have always been a nature and outdoor enthusiast. I...
On 10 December, the world celebrates Human Rights Day. We have asked Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to share her views and insights. Your role as High Commissioner receives a lot of attention, and also criticism, given the sensitivity...
Interview with Anne Hornung-Soukup, Chair of the Board, TPG (transports publics genevois). How has the tpg adjusted to a pandemic world? When Covid-19 reached Switzerland, the Swiss Federal Government stated clearly that public transport was an essential service which...
Pour le Président de la Fédération des entreprises de Suisse romande, Ivan Slatkine, le pragmatisme du gouvernement a amorti l’impact de la Covid19 sur l’économie mais le modèle d’affaires genevois doit évoluer, et il faut éviter les mesures extrêmes prises par les...
« Un mécanisme presque juridictionnel - même s’il n’est pas une cour internationale – qui fonctionne comme une cour ». C’est ainsi qu’Anna Batalla, juriste au Haut-Commissariat aux droits de l’homme, définit le mécanisme de plaintes associé aux organes de traités de...
UN Geneva and partners celebrate the centenary of modern multilateralism with a series of activities. Evolution of global cooperation in the Swiss city is highlighted. COVID-19 reinforces the need for multilateral problem-solving. Creative solutions bring lessons of...
Tobacco should be considered a pandemic – a slow-motion pandemic – that adds its lethal features to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.The harmful effects of tobacco on human health have been well documented, but people are not often aware of the extent of that harm. It is...
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims The year 2020 has seen unprecedented events. The COVID-19 crisis has brought grief and financial difficulties to many, and tremendous changes to the daily lives of us all. But it is during these times of great...
We would like to share with our readers an interview on the unanimous adoption by the Security Council, on 1 July 2020, of Resolution 2532 expressing its support for the Secretary-General’s appeal for a global ceasefire to help unite efforts to fight COVID-19 and its...
