United Nations (UN)

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization founded in 1945. It currently comprises 193 Member States. The mission and work of the United Nations are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter – the Charter of the United Nations.

The UN's objective is to unite all the nations of the world for peace and development, based on the principles of justice, human dignity and the well-being of all.

The UN serves as a forum for its Member States to express views through the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and other bodies and committees of the Organization. By enabling dialogue between its members and mediating negotiations, the UN has become the mechanism that allows governments to find areas of understanding and deal with challenges together. Its Secretary General is currently António Guterres.

Due to the powers conferred by the Charter and thanks to its sui generis international character, the United Nations can take action on issues related to humanity, such as peace and security, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian aid and health emergencies, gender equality, governance, among many others.

 

Given the importance of the topic, the United Nations also works in the field of climate change and sustainable development.

In 2015, the UN adopted the 2030 Agenda, consisting of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Agenda addresses various dimensions of sustainable development (socio, economic, environmental) and promotes peace, justice and effective institutions. The Sustainable Development Goals define the priorities and aspirations of global sustainable development for 2030 and seek to mobilize global efforts around a set of common goals and targets.

 

Thanks to its work for world peace, the UN was distinguished, together with Secretary-General Kofi Annan, with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.

 

Story

 

At the end of World War II, in 1945, nations were in ruins. Representatives from 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization UNCIO, from April 25 to June 26, 1945, to draft the United Nations Charter, which would to establish a new international organization, called the United Nations (UN), whose objective was to avoid a new world war.

The United Nations was officially created on October 24, 1945, when the Charter was ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and most other signatories. For this reason, United Nations Day is celebrated on October 24 of each year.

 

Source: United Nations

 

United Nations Ocean Conference 2022 – Applications for organizing Side Events

                                                          Image source: United Nations

 

Portugal will host, for the first time, the United Nations Ocean Conference, which will take place from June 27 to July 1, 2022, in Lisbon. This Conference is organized in partnership with the Governments of Portugal and Kenya and its main objective is to contribute to the implementation of sustainable development objective 14 “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”, one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda established by the United Nations in 2015. The Conference will seek to promote innovative solutions, through which it is intended to start a new chapter of global action on the oceans.

 

The Conference foresees the holding of plenary sessions, Interactive Dialogues, Special Events and counts on the organization of Parallel Events, the so-called Side Events, whose application period is now open. The deadline for submitting them is May 8, 2022. Side Events are an opportunity to share knowledge and solutions to accelerate the implementation of SDG 14, identify new and emerging issues and exchange experiences and national practices, and can be organized on the sidelines of the official meetings of the Conference, in person or virtually.

 

Member States, Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs), UN entities and all other duly accredited and registered entities can apply to organize a side event. Priority will be given to events organized by the Member States and those organized in partnership by various networks/organisations. All interested parties are strongly encouraged to partner with others to organize a side event. To check if your organization qualifies to host a side event, please click [here]. Only side events that have been approved through this application process will be included in the side events program to be featured on the Ocean Conference 2022 website. The Conference Secretariat will review applications and notify organizers whose side events have been approved. All submissions will be reviewed by May 16, 2022. Only approved side event organizers will be contacted.

 

All necessary information and forms are available at the following link.

 

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

 

In 1992, the UN organized the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, at which the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted. In this treaty, nations agreed to "stabilize greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere" to prevent dangerous interference by human activity with the climate system. Currently, the Treaty has 197 signatories. Since 1994, when the treaty came into force, every year the UN has brought together many countries for global climate summits or "COP's", "Conference of the Parties".

 

COP26: Together for our planet

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) took place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow and brought together 120 world leaders and more than 40,000 registered participants. The objective of the conference was to establish new global commitments to combat climate change. For two weeks, various facets of climate change were discussed - science, solutions, the political will to act and directions for action. The outcome of COP26 - the Glasgow Climate Pact - is the result of intense negotiations between almost 200 countries, formal and informal work over many months, and face-to-face and virtual engagement for two years. "The approved texts are a compromise", said the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres. "They reflect the interests, conditions, contradictions and the state of political will in the world today. They are taking important steps, but unfortunately the collective political will has not been enough to overcome some profound contradictions. "The cuts in global emissions of greenhouse gases are still far from where they need to be to preserve a livable climate, and support for the most vulnerable countries affected by the impacts of climate change continues to fall far short of what was intended. "It is an important step, but it is not enough. We must accelerate climate action to keep alive the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees," Guterres said in a statement released at the end of the two-week meeting. The UN chief added that it is time to enter "emergency mode", end fossil fuel subsidies, phase out coal, put a price on carbon, protect vulnerable communities and deliver on the 100,000 million dollar pledge in climate finance. While these goals were not achieved at this conference, COP26 produced new "building blocks" to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement through actions that can lead the world to a more sustainable and low-carbon path. Guterres had a message for youth, indigenous communities, women leaders, and everyone leading climate action: "I know you are disappointed. But the path of progress is not always linear. Sometimes there are detours. Sometimes there are ditches. But I know we can get there. We are in the fight of our lives, and this fight must be won. Never give up. Never back down. Keep moving forward."

 

Synthesis of the agreement

 

The Glasgow Climate Pact urges 197 countries to present their progress towards greater climate ambition next year at COP27 in Egypt. The result solidifies the global agreement to accelerate climate action this decade. Among the vast array of decisions, resolutions and declarations that make up the outcome of COP26 was an invitation to governments to provide tight deadlines for updating their emission reduction plans. On the issue of financing from developed countries in support of climate action in developing countries, the text underlines the need to mobilize climate finance "from all sources to reach the level necessary to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, including an increase in significant amount of support to developing countries beyond the 100,000 million dollar a year".

COP26 President Sharma stated that delegations could say "credibly" that they kept the 1.5 degrees within their reach. "But its pulse is weak, and it will only survive if we deliver on promises, if we translate commitments into swift action, if we deliver on the expectations set out in this Glasgow Climate Pact to raise ambition to 2030 and beyond, and if we close the vast gap that remains, as we should do". He quoted PM Mottley as saying that for Barbados and other small island states, "two degrees is a death sentence". The Chair asked delegates to continue their efforts to get finances flowing and drive adaptation forward. It concluded with, “We must ensure that the next chapter traces the success of the commitments we solemnly made together in the Glasgow Climate Pact.” Countries such as Nigeria, Palau, the Philippines, Chile and Turkey said that while there were imperfections, they largely supported the text. "It is an incremental step forward, but not in line with the necessary progress. It will be too late for the Maldives. This agreement does not bring hope to our hearts", said the Maldives negotiator. The US representative, John Kerry, said that it is a powerful declaration and guaranteed that his country will talk about "loss and harm" and adaptation, two of the issues that proved difficult for the negotiators to reach agreement.

 

Other achievements

 

In addition to political negotiations and the Leaders Summit, COP26 brought together more than 40,000 participants to share ideas, innovative solutions, attend cultural events and build partnerships and coalitions. There was a methane pledge, led by the United States and the European Union, by which more than 100 countries agreed to reduce emissions of this greenhouse gas by 2030. Meanwhile, more than 40 countries - including large users such as Poland, the Vietnam and Chile – agreed to move away from coal, one of the biggest generators of CO2 emissions. The private sector showed strong commitment, with nearly 500 global financial services companies agreeing to align $130 billion – about 40 percent of the world's financial assets – with the goals set out in the Paris Agreement, including limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The United States and China have committed to boosting climate cooperation over the next decade. In a joint statement, they said they had agreed to act on a range of issues, including methane emissions, the clean energy transition and decarbonisation. They also reiterated their commitment to keeping the 1.5C target alive. When it comes to green transport, more than 100 national governments, cities, states and major car companies have signed the “Glasgow Declaration on Zero-Emission Cars and Vans” to end the sale of internal combustion engines by 2035 in key markets, and by 2040 worldwide. At least 13 nations have committed to ending the sale of fossil fuel-powered heavy vehicles by 2040. Other small but equally inspiring commitments have been made, including one by the 11 countries that created the “Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance” (BOGA). Ireland, France, Denmark and Costa Rica, and some subnational governments, launched this first alliance to set a deadline for domestic oil and gas exploration and extraction.

 

Source: United Nations