Mercy, a single parent of two children, fled violence in her home county of El Salvador, and found refuge in Belize. Since her arrival to Belize, Mercy is most grateful for the safety she can provide her children. In the north of Central America, gender-based violence carried out by criminal groups is one of the primary factors driving women and girls—like Mercy and her daughter—to flee their homes for safety.
Madam Maa Zenai stands proudly at the entrance to her brand-new shed. Inside is the small herd of cattle that has changed her life, thanks to a project that employed a ground-breaking partnership between IFAD and UN Women to empower rural women in China.
Our UN teams are on the ground, working with governments and key stakeholders to bolster countries’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping ensure a smooth recovery. They tackle a range of multi-faceted priorities and key initiatives on a daily basis—from climate action to gender equality and food security—and utilize innovative approaches to problem-solving to better serve communities. Below are some highlights of their work this month.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Ms. Amina Mohammed has called on UN Resident Coordinators in Europe and Central Asia to help ensure the region does not lose momentum as its 18 countries and territories strive to meet the ambition of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “The 2030 Agenda remains our blueprint for action. Rescuing the Sustainable Development Goals in the Decade of Action across the region is, and will remain, the absolute priority for our work,” Ms. Mohammed told the Resident Coordinators gathered in Geneva for a meeting back to back with the Regional Forum for Sustainable Development.
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General on Monday called on countries in Asia and the Pacific to speed up the shift from fossil fuels to new, low-carbon development models, in a just and inclusive way.
The virtual platform Mujeres Emplea connects women with job offers and entrepreneurial opportunities in the public and private sectors. It also provides free training tools and promotes a listing of current offerings of child and adult care services.
As we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we share Siannie’s life story, one of the profiles collected for the first commemoration of the International Day for People of African Descent, which was hosted by Costa Rica, with support from UNFPA and OHCHR, within the framework of the International Decade for People of African Descent.
