Fantasy world

In 1996, the General Assembly invited Member States to observe the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November, with activities directed towards both educational establishments and the wider public (resolution 51/95 of 12 December). This action came in the wake of the United Nations Year for Tolerance, 1995, proclaimed by the Assembly in 1993 (resolution 48/126). The Year had been declared on the initiative of the General Conference of UNESCO. On 16 November 1995, the UNESCO member States had adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance and Follow-up Plan of Action for the Year.

The 2005 World Summit Outcome document (A/RES/60/1), outlines the commitment of Heads of State and Government to advance human welfare, freedom and progress everywhere, as well as to encourage tolerance, respect, dialogue and cooperation among different cultures, civilizations and peoples.

THE SECRETARYGENERAL MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR TOLERANCE

16 November 2008

Tolerance provides the basis for mutual understanding and respect. It is an
approach to life that allows for the rich diversity of the world’s cultures to flourish. It is also a cornerstone of our efforts to promote global harmony. As stated in the 1995 UNESCO Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, tolerance is “the virtue that makes peace possible [and] contributes to the replacement of the culture of war by a culture of peace.”

The promotion of tolerance is particularly important in today’s era of rapidly
increasing globalization, mobility and interdependence. While diversity is an invaluable asset, it can also be a source of tension. Tolerance can diffuse potential conflicts. It can help prevent theories of racial or cultural superiority from emerging, and help societies to gradually overcome longheld prejudices and negative stereotypes.

Tolerance should not be mistaken for concession or condescension. Genuine
tolerance is about openness, curiosity and communication. It goes hand in hand with
knowledge and understanding. Education is one of the best ways to prevent intolerance,by revealing similarities between people and spreading a healthy respect for differences.

Nor should tolerance be confused with indifference. Being tolerant does not mean
being passive in the face of racism, xenophobia and exclusion, or silent when minorities,refugees, migrant workers and other vulnerable groups face abuse. Tolerance is an injunction to all of us to stand up and speak out in defense of all who are deprived of their fundamental rights and freedoms.

On the International Day for Tolerance, and in this year in which we commemorate the 60 th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I call on all people to renew our commitment to tolerance. And let us redouble our efforts to achieve, through tolerance, our longsought goal of a global culture of harmony and peace.

World Diabetes Day raises global awareness of diabetes - its escalating rates around the world and how to prevent the illness in most cases. Started by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and WHO, the Day is celebrated on 14 November to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.

WHO estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes, according to 2005 figures. This number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Almost 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.

WHAT IS DIABETES?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.

UN Secretary General issues statement in support of World Diabetes Day

The Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon has issued a statement on the occasion of World diabetes Day.

In his statement the Secretary General thanks the International Diabetes Federation and the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh for co-sponsoring the World Diabetes Day panel discussion on diabetes (held November 14 at the UN). He acknowledges that diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood, that both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can strike children at any age and that diabetes is often diagnosed late or misdiagnosed.

“We must do more to inform children and adults about the warning signs of the disease, particularly in the developing world. We must also ensure access to proper medical care. Many children in the developing world die from diabetes because they do not have insulin.”

ON WORLD DIABETES DAY, SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ON ALL TO SHINE LIGHT ON IMPACT OF THIS DEADLY DISEASE, LIGHT WAY TO IMPROVED HEALTH SERVICES, CARE

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on the occasion of World Diabetes Day, today, 14 November, in New York:

I thank the International Diabetes Federation and the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh for co-sponsoring today’s panel discussion on diabetes. As it happens, I recently returned from Bangladesh, where I received a wonderfully warm welcome from the Bangladeshi authorities and people. The country’s involvement in this observance of World Diabetes Day is yet another sign of its strong commitment to the United Nations.

This year, we focus on the challenge of diabetes among children and adolescents. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood, and both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can strike children at any age. The disease is often diagnosed late or misdiagnosed as something else, such as the flu. We must do more to inform children and adults about the warning signs of the disease, particularly in the developing world. We must also ensure access to proper medical care. Many children in the developing world die from diabetes because they do not have insulin.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1 million people died from the disease in 2005, almost 80 per cent of them in low- and middle-income countries. WHO projects that, without urgent action, deaths from diabetes will increase by more than 50 per cent in the next 10 years. And by 2030, the number of people worldwide with diabetes -– currently more than 180 million -- is likely to double.

On World Diabetes Day, more than 800 buildings and landmark sites around the world are lighting blue circles as an expression of commitment to fight diabetes. Let us each do our part to shine a light on the impact of this deadly disease, and to light the way towards improved health services and care.

On 5 November 2001, the General Assembly declared 6 November of each year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict (resolution 56/4). In taking this action, it considered that damage to the environment in times of armed conflict impairs ecosystems and natural resources long after the period of conflict, often extending beyond the limits of national territories and the present generation. The Assembly also recalled the United Nations Millennium Declaration, which emphasized the necessity of working to protect our common environment.

MESSAGE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR PREVENTING THE EXPLOITATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
IN WAR AND ARMED CONFLICT

6 November 2008

The natural environment enjoys protection under Protocol 1 of the Geneva
Conventions. But this protection is often violated during war and armed conflict. Water wells are polluted, crops torched, forests cut down, soils poisoned, and animals killed, all in order to gain military advantage. The draining of the marshlands of the Euphrates-Tigris Delta during the 1990s deliberately targeted the ecosystem for political and military goals.

From the Balkans to Afghanistan, from Lebanon to Sudan, the United Nations is studying the environmental impacts of conflict across the world. We have seen how environmental damage and the collapse of institutions are threatening human health, livelihoods and security.These risks can also jeopardize fragile peace and development in post-conflict societies. In Afghanistan, warfare and institutional disintegration have combined to take a major toll. In a clear case of environmentally induced displacement, tens of thousands of people have been forced from rural to urban areas in search of food and employment.

The environment and natural resources are crucial in consolidating peace within and between war-torn societies.Several countries in the Great Lakes Region of Africa established trans-boundary cooperation to manage their shared natural resources. Lasting peace in Darfur will depend in part on resolving the underlying competition for water and fertile land. And there can be no durable peace in Afghanistan if the natural resources that sustain livelihoods and ecosystems are destroyed.

The United Nations attaches great importance to ensuring that action on the environment is part of our approach to peace.Protecting the environment can help countries create employment opportunities,promote development and avoid a relapse into armed conflict.On this International Day,let us renew our commitment to preventing the exploitation of the environment in times of conflict, and to protecting the environment as a pillar of our work for peace.

The anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter on 24 October 1945 has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. Simply put, it is the birthday of the United Nations.In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending that the day be observed as a public holiday by Member States. It has traditionally been marked throughout the world by meetings, discussions and exhibits on the achievements and goals of the Organization.

How is the Day observed at United Nations Headquarters?

Traditionally, UN Day is marked by an international concert in the General Assembly Hall. Sometimes, special events are arranged, electronically linking the UN with cities around the world.

The Day is also notable for messages issued by the UN Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly. A video taped message of the Secretary-General is often shown by national TV stations around the world.

In addition, special briefings are arranged for non-governmental organizations on UN-related topics. Sometimes schools and civic groups arrange “peace marches” and other celebratory events.

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL'S MESSAGE ON UNITED NATIONS DAY

24 October 2008

On this 63rd anniversary of our Organization, I join you in celebrating UN Day.

This is a crucial year in the life of our United Nations. We have just passed the midpoint in the struggle to reach the Millennium Development Goals -- our common vision for building a better world in the 21st century. We can see more clearly than ever that the threats of the 21st century spare no one. Climate change, the spread of disease and deadly weapons, and the scourge of terrorism all cross borders. If we want to advance the global common good, we must secure global public goods.

Many countries are still not on track to reach the Millennium Development Goals by the target date of 2015. I am also deeply concerned about the impact of the global financial crisis. Never has leadership and partnership been more important.

This makes our success at the high-level MDG event in September all the more remarkable. We brought together a broad coalition for change. Governments, CEOs and civil society. We generated unprecedented commitment in pledges and partnerships to help the world's poor.

The final tally is not in yet, but the total amount pledged at the MDG event may exceed 16 billion dollars.

Partnership is the way of the future. Just look at the advances on malaria. Our global malaria effort has brought us within range of containing a disease that kills a child every 30 seconds. It is doing so through focused country planning. Greater funding. Coordinated global management. Top-notch science and technology.

We need models like these to tackle other challenges, including climate change, as we approach the conferences on Poznan and Copenhagen. We need them to achieve all the other Millennium Development Goals.

Let us keep building on this as a way forward. There is no time to lose. The United Nations must deliver results for a safer, healthier, more prosperous world. On this UN Day, I call on all partners and leaders to do their part and keep the promise.

In recognition of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the theme for this year's observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is "Human Rights and Dignity of People Living in Poverty".

The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be traced back to 17 October 1987. On that day, over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. They proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected. These convictions are inscribed in a commemorative stone unveiled on this day. Since then, people of all backgrounds, beliefs and social origins have gathered every year on October 17 th to renew their commitment and show their solidarity with the poor. Replicas of the commemorative stone have been unveiled around the world and serve as a gathering place to celebrate the Day. One such replica is located in the garden of United Nations Headquarters and is the site of the annual commemoration organized by the United Nations Secretariat in New York.

Through resolution 47/196 adopted on 22 December 1992, the General Assembly declared 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and invited all States to devote the Day to presenting and promoting, as appropriate in the national context, concrete activities with regard to the eradication of poverty and destitution. The resolution further invites intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to assist States, at their request, in organizing national activities for the observance of the Day, and requests the Secretary-General to take, within existing resources, the measures necessary to ensure the success of the Day's observance by the United Nations.
October 17th presents an opportunity to acknowledge the effort and struggle of people living in poverty, a chance for them to make their concerns heard, and a moment to recognize that poor people are the first ones to fight against poverty. Participation of the poor themselves has been at the center of the Day's celebration since its very beginning. The commemoration of October 17 th also reflects the willingness of people living in poverty to use their expertise to contribute to the eradication of poverty.

The struggle against poverty has evolved more and more visibly into an overarching development goal of the international community. Poverty eradication, however, is not only a development goal; it is also a central challenge for ensuring world-wide recognition of human rights. The international community has acknowledged that poverty is a violation of human rights and that promoting human rights can reduce poverty.

The world-wide persistence of poverty can be attributed in part to the violations of human rights. In fact, human rights violations can be both a cause and a consequence of poverty. People living in poverty are excluded from society, and their ability to secure their own rights is particularly limited by their predicament.

Poverty can be seen as a human condition of deprivation of resources, capabilities, choices, security and power necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.

Under the core human rights instruments, human beings are guaranteed among others, the rights to life, liberty and security of person, the right to the highest attainable standard of health, the right to just and favourable working conditions, the right to adequate food, housing and social security, the right to education and participation in the democratic process. Securing those rights for all would bring us closer to poverty eradication.

Human rights based approach to fighting poverty links poverty reduction to the question of obligation, rather than charity and compels policymakers to implement strategies helping the most vulnerable individuals and groups escape poverty and destitution.


THE SECRETARY-GENERAL MESSAGE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ERADICATION OF POVERTY

17 October 2008

The theme of this year’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – “Human Rights and Dignity of People Living in Poverty” – recalls the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60 years ago. The Declaration affirms that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family”.

Sixty years on, hundreds of millions of people are still deprived of basic human rights such as food, housing, education, and decent working conditions. Those forced to live in poverty often face social exclusion, discrimination and disempowerment. Poverty robs the poor of their human dignity.

Our efforts to eradicate poverty must pay close attention to respect for human rights and the dignity of all. They must go beyond basic material needs and address discrimination and inequality. That means ensuring that all poor people have access to the resources they need - land, capital, knowledge and skills – to escape poverty. It means empowering the poor to effectively participate in decision-making and other activities that directly affect their lives.

Current economic uncertainties make this task even more challenging, but also even more important. Rising food and fuel prices, and the global financial crisis, are threatening to negate the progress made to reduce poverty and hunger in many parts of the world. An estimated 100 million people are now at risk of falling into poverty.

At the high-level event last September, Governments reconfirmed their commitments to the Millennium Development Goals. Many pledged new resources to bolster food security, eradicate disease, ensure access to water and sanitation and manage the financial crisis. These commitments are not a matter of charity, but an obligation in the pursuit of human rights for all. If we fail to keep our promise on the MDGs, we create the conditions for greater human misery and global insecurity.

Poverty will not be eradicated without due respect for human rights. On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, let us guarantee the inherent dignity and equal rights of all members of the human family and strive for a world free of poverty and injustice.

About the Millennium Development Goals

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight goals to be achieved by 2015 that respond to the world’s main development challenges. The MDGs are drawn from the actions and targets contained in the Millennium Declaration that was adopted by 191 member countries of the United Nations,during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000.

This unprecedented global framework for development is a crucial step towards ending poverty and inequality.

However, at the halfway point to the 2015 deadline for the achievement of the Goals, we have seen some progress, but much more needs to be done. Urgent action must be taken by nations if they are to fulfill their promise to achieve the MDGs. Since agreeing to make the MDGs a key framework for international action and cooperation to reduce poverty, much progress has been made.

But despite the gains, no region in the world is on-track to achieve all of the Goals, and some regions are off-track on many of them. Uurgent action is needed to implement sound policies to achieve the Goals set in 2000, and deliver on the promise made to the world’s poor in the Millennium Declaration:

“We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are currently subjected”

The eight MDGs break down into 21 quantifiable targets that are measured by 60 indicators. The eight MDGs are:

1. eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. achieve universal primary education
3. promote gender equality and empower women
4. reduce child mortality
5. improve maternal health
6. combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases
7. ensure environmental sustainability
8. develop a global partnership for development

The MDGs:

* synthesise, in a single package, many of the most important commitments made separately at the international conferences and summits of the 1990s;
* recognise explicitly the interdependence between growth, poverty reduction and sustainable development
* acknowledge that development rests on the foundations of democratic governance, the rule of law, respect for human rights and peace and security
* are based on time-bound and measurable targets accompanied by indicators for monitoring progress;
* bring together, in the eighth Goal, the responsibilities of developing countries with those of developed countries

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945.

The objectives of World Food Day are to:

* encourage attention to agricultural food production and to stimulate national, bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental efforts to this end;

* encourage economic and technical cooperation among developing countries;

* encourage the participation of rural people, particularly women and the least privileged categories, in decisions and activities influencing their living conditions;

* heighten public awareness of the problem of hunger in the world;

* promote the transfer of technologies to the developing world; and

* strengthen international and national solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty and draw attention to achievements in food and agricultural development.

FAO Director-General’s message on the World Food Day/TeleFood 2008 theme:

"World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy"

From 3 to 5 June 2008, delegates from 181 countries met in Rome – including 43 Heads of State and Government and over 100 ministers – to participate in the High-Level Conference on World Food Security. Over 5 000 people attended this event, which brought the food crisis to the forefront of the global development agenda. The Conference reaffirmed the need to produce more and therefore to invest more in agriculture. There is indeed a need to address the growing food demand due to increasing populations, economic progress in emerging countries and competition in the bioenergy sector when supply is affected by climate change and declining stocks.

This year’s World Food Day theme which is: “World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy”, provides an opportunity to promote the conclusions of the High-Level Conference in order to implement them as soon as possible.

Climate change affects everyone but the poorest regions are already its first victims. Their situation is likely to worsen in the next decades. The worst hit will be hundreds of millions of people who are already vulnerable and food insecure: small-scale crop and animal producers, fishers and foresters. Climate change will affect availability of land, water and biodiversity. Changes in temperatures and precipitation, as well as more frequent extreme weather patterns, are expected to result in agriculture production shortfalls with negative impacts on access to food.

Therefore, climate change is likely to increase migration towards richer countries while rising sea levels may force many communities in low-lying coastal areas and river deltas to move to higher ground. These risks need to be taken into account. And the analysis of food security needs to be placed in a completely new context.

During the last three years, due to the soaring food and energy prices, the number of hungry people has increased by another 75 million at the end of 2007. This crisis is due to decreasing investments in agriculture in the poorest countries during the last 30 years. The share of agriculture in public development aid declined from 17% in 1980 to 3% in 2006. Financial institutions drastically reduced their funds for agriculture. We need to reverse this trend to come back to the previous level of investment. We also need to create food enabling frameworks for substantial increase of direct foreign investments for agriculture in low-income, food-deficit countries. Equitable partnerships between countries which have land, water and labour supply and countries which have financial resources, management facilities and markets would constitute a solid base for sustainable agriculture. Agriculture has to be able to double global food production by 2050, when the current population of the globe now at 6 billion, will reach 9 billion. This is the only way to mobilise the needed funds for a renewal of agriculture which are estimated at US$ 30 billion per year by the special High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Crisis.


On this World Food Day 2008, I invite you to promote the Declaration of the High-Level Conference on World Food Security, mobilising all stakeholders: national governments, international institutions, agricultural professional organizations, civil society and the private sector for its implementation. More than ever, the future of this planet depends on our capacity to sustain the development of agriculture in the poorest countries.

Jacques Diouf
Director-General
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The first International Day of Rural Women is observed on 15 October 2008. This new international day, established by the General Assembly in its resolution 62/136 of 18 December 2007, recognizes “the critical role and contribution of rural women, including indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.”

The idea of honoring rural women with a special day was put forward by international NGOs at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. It was suggested that 15 October be celebrated as “World Rural Women’s Day,” the eve of World Food Day, in order to highlight the role played by rural women in food production and food security. “World Rural Women’s Day” has been celebrated, primarily by civil society, across the world for over a decade.

In 2007, at the tenth session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, Member States of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, expressed in the Quito Consensus their decision to promote the adoption of an International Day of Rural Women “as an explicit recognition of [rural women’s] economic contribution and the development of their communities, in particular with regard to the unpaid work they perform.”

The contribution of rural women


The International Day of Rural Women will direct attention to both the contribution that women make in rural areas, and the many challenges that they face. Women play a critical role in the rural economies of both developed and developing countries. In most parts of the developing world they participate in crop production and livestock care, provide food, water and fuel for their families, and engage in off-farm activities to diversify the family income. In addition, they carry out vital functions in caring for children, older persons and the sick.

Women make an important contribution to food production. According to the International labor Organization (ILO), 428 million women work in the agricultural sector around the world, compared to 608 million men. In many parts of the world, agriculture is the first sector of employment for women, for instance in Sub-Saharan Africa and in South Asia, where respectively 68 per cent and 61 per cent of working women are employed in agriculture.

Access to education and health


In developing countries, 25 per cent of rural children do not attend primary school, compared to 16 per cent of urban children, and gender inequalities in access to education remain: 69 per cent of rural girls attend primary school compared to 73 per cent of rural boys.

Different factors, including the need for their labor, the low levels of education of their parents, and lack of access to quality schooling, account for the high proportion of out-of-school children in rural areas. The gender disparity is partly due to the fact that girls are heavily relied upon for housework and child care. Other factors that account for girls’ unequal access to education in rural areas include a lack of a safe means of transportation, poor security in schools, and the lack of separate sanitation facilities.

Rural women are also disadvantaged in their access to health. For instance, in many countries, reproductive health care remains inadequate, and maternal mortality continues to be high, with the highest rates in Sub-Saharan Africa. In every region of the world, the presence of skilled birth attendants is lower in rural than in urban areas.

Most pregnant women in rural areas continue to work while pregnant and resume work soon after delivery. Moreover, the absence of timely medical care, inadequate diet and heavy workload often results in complicated pregnancies and high maternal mortality rates.

Poverty


Rural women are particularly vulnerable to poverty. According to the World Bank, 75 per cent of the poor in developing countries live in rural areas. While women work the land, they often do not hold formal and clear land titles. Less than two per cent of land in the developing world is owned by women, according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). A lack of rights over land makes women extremely vulnerable to eviction and negatively affects their economic options.

Women’s access to credit is also limited because land is the major asset used as collateral to obtain loans. Women have to rely heavily on the unregulated, informal sector to meet their needs, and often pay higher interest rates as a result. While limited access to land and credit affects rural women as a whole, some groups are particularly vulnerable and marginalized, such as widows, indigenous women and women heading households – a growing category, due to male out-migration.

Global challenges

Women and girls, particularly in rural areas, are also acutely exposed to the food crisis currently affecting the world. High food prices mean that the poor have to spend a larger proportion of their income on food and will probably buy less food or food that is less nutritious.

Moreover, in some societies the practice for men and boys to eat before women and girls may further compromise the latter’s food intake in times of shortages.

Another current global issue that disproportionately impacts rural women is climate change. Women and girls living in areas affected by desertification and deforestation have to walk longer to collect water and firewood, which further limits the time they can devote to school or income-generating activities. It may also put them at greater risk of gender-based violence.

Moreover, rural women suffer more from natural disasters, such as floods, fires, and mudslides, than men. A study of 141 countries showed that natural disasters killed more women than men, both directly and indirectly, in countries where the status of women was low. Other research provides evidence that there are frequently higher female casualties during floods because women have not been taught how to swim.

World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year to raise public awareness about mental health issues. The theme for this year's World Mental Health Day - 'Advocacy for Global Mental Health: Scaling Up Services through Citizen Advocacy and Action' - was chosen partly to gather together the hundreds of grassroots mental health organizations that participate in the World Mental Health Day so they can plan and carry out awareness and advocacy events within their own communities and countries.

Greater efforts are needed to address the difficulties in providing mental health care and protecting the human rights of those with severe disorders, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, urging scaled up resources to provide care to those who need it.

“Mental health is of paramount importance for personal well-being, family relationships and an individual’s ability to contribute to society,” Mr. Ban said in his message on World Mental Health Day, observed annually on 10 October.

He pointed out that mental disorders occur “in all cultures and at all stages of life,” and are too often linked to poverty, marginalization and social disadvantage.

Resources to tackle the issue are “insufficient, inequitably distributed and inefficiently used,” the Secretary-General noted.

“Scaling up services should be a priority,” he said, hailing a new initiative announced by the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

With over three quarters of people suffering from mental disorders in the developing world receiving no care, “Mental health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP): Scaling up care for mental, neurological and substance use disorders” seeks to close the massive treatment gap.

WHO said that tens of millions could be treated for diseases such as depression and schizophrenia, even where resources are scarce, so long as there is proper care, psychosocial assistance and medication.

“Governments across the world need to see mental health as a vital component of primary health care,” said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan. “We need to change policy and practice.”

In most countries, less than 2 per cent of health funds are earmarked for mental health. One third of people living with schizophrenia, over half suffering from depression and three quarters with alcohol-use disorders cannot access affordable care.

Meanwhile, one person dies of suicide – one of the leading causes of death, albeit a preventable one, among young adults worldwide – every 40 seconds.

The cost of boosting services is not very high, WHO said, and can be as low as $0.20 per person per year to enhance treatment for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and hazardous alcohol use.

“We need to ensure that people with these disorders are not denied opportunities to contribute to social and economic life and that their human rights are protected,” said Benedetto Saraceno, Director of WHO’s Mental Health and Substance Abuse Department.

In her message on the Day, the head of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) stressed the importance of addressing mental health through the lens of reproductive health, which “is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.”

During pregnancy and after delivery, many women suffer from depression, but cannot access the necessary treatment. “Perinatal depression is associated with increased risk of obstetric complications and premature birth,” said Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, UNFPA’s Executive Director. “And depressed women are less likely to seek and receive antenatal or postnatal care.”

Survivors of gender-based and sexual violence need mental health and psychosocial support services, she added.

UNFPA and WHO have joined forces to integrate mental health services into existing maternal and child health policies.

“Today, we call on all governments and partners to include measures for mental health in efforts to achieve human development and respond to humanitarian crises,” Ms. Obaid said. “Mental health is central to human dignity.”

The United Nations’ (UN) International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction is annually observed on the second Wednesday of October to raise the profile of disaster risk reduction. It also encourages people and governments to participate in building more resilient communities and nations. This event is held on October 8 in 2008.

In 2008 the UN’s International Day for Disaster Reduction focuses on ensuring hospitals and health facilities are safe from disaster. As part of the day, governments, organizations, community groups and individuals worldwide are joining forces to raise people’s awareness of disaster reduction.

Many people around the world have lost their lives, homes or access to essential facilities, such as hospitals, due to natural disasters, including earthquakes, droughts, tsunamis, heavy flooding, hurricanes or cyclones. Some of these disasters have caused economic damage to some countries. The UN acknowledges that education, training, and information exchanges are effective ways to help people become better equipped in withstanding natural disasters.

On December 22, 1989, the UN General Assembly designated the second Wednesday of October as the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction. This event was to be observed annually during the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, 1990-1999. On December 20, 2001, the assembly decided to maintain the observance to promote a global culture of natural disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness.

THE SECRETARY GENERAL MESSAGE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR DISASTER REDUCTION

8 October 2008

The observance of the International Day for Disaster Reduction for 2008 takes
place in a year that has seen more than its fair share of natural calamities, and falls on the third anniversary of the earthquake in South Asia. With the casualties of that disaster and of this year’s Wenchuan Earthquake and Cyclone Nargis still fresh in our minds, it is all the more appropriate to recall the lessons we have learned.

Nearly four years ago, Governments adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action,
which aims to reduce our collective vulnerability to natural hazards.But we must do
more to turn commitments on paper into deeds that can keep the next major disaster from taking so many lives and destroying so many livelihoods. Now more than ever, when we are trying to accelerate national and international efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, disaster risk reduction needs to be acknowledged and incorporated as a key plank of that work. The threats posed by climate change – including increasing droughts, floods and storms – increases the urgency further still, particularly in the world’s poorest, most vulnerable communities.

The World Disaster Reduction Campaign for 20082009 focuses on making “Hospitals Safe from Disasters”. When health facilities are damaged, so, too, is our ability to improve maternal and child health and to provide other essential health services.
But in resilient communities, health systems are better able to withstand natural hazards. We need to mobilize society at every level to reduce risk and protect health facilities so that they can save lives.

I urge all partners – Governments, civil society, international financial institutions and the private sector to step up implementation of the Hyogo Framework. Disaster risk reduction is everybody’s business. Only by investing in tangible risk reduction measures can we reduce vulnerability and protect development. On this International Day, let us renew our dedication to this vital task.

The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October (this year, 6th October) each year as World Habitat Day. The idea is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and the basic right to adequate shelter for all. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.

The United Nations chose the theme of Harmonious Cities for 2008 to raise awareness about the problems of rapid urbanization, its impact on the environment, the growth of slums, and the urbanization of poverty as more and more people teem into towns and cities looking for a better life.

In an age where for the first time half of humanity is now living in towns and cities, the quest for adequate shelter for all along with basic services such as water, sanitation, electricity, decent health care, safe streets, etc., is more urgent than ever, especially in developing countries. There should also be no illusion that cities have the greatest impact on the environment and climate change. And where they are poorly managed, with weak governance structures, it is their citizens and their surrounds that suffer most.

Urgent action is thus needed to foster widespread use of new energy efficient and environmentally friendly technologies to reduce urban pollution.

Harmonious Cities are inclusive cities where everyone and every culture is at home.

Indeed, such is the importance of all these aspects of Harmonious Cities that UN-HABITAT’s main flagship report in 2008 and the fourth session of the World Urban Forum in Nanjing, China from 3-7 November will also focus on Harmonious Cities to reinforce the World Habitat Day message.

The Secretary-General's message on World Habitat Day 2008


Many of the world’s most pressing challenges – poverty, natural disasters, escalating prices for food and fuel – have important links with rapid urbanization.

Urbanization changes forever the way we use land, water and energy. Done well, it can bring people choices and help them thrive. Done poorly, it reduces safety, despoils the environment and exacerbates the marginalization of those who are already suffering and excluded.

The theme of this year’s World Habitat Day is “harmonious cities”. Our rapidly urbanizing world cannot claim to be harmonious if slum-dwellers do not enjoy opportunities to find jobs and improve their living conditions. Nor will it be harmonious if the growth and expansion of urban areas comes at the expense of the natural environment. The Millennium Development Goals call for a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. As of 2005, slightly more than one third of the urban population in developing regions lived in slum conditions. In sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion was over 60 percent, meaning that large investments will be necessary, for example to provide access to water, sanitation, durable housing or sufficient living space. But even in that region, and in others where deprivation is not as acute, simple, low-cost interventions could go a long way.

Cities have tremendous potential to be places where balanced development prevails, where diverse people live in harmony, and where healthy living conditions coexist with low levels of energy consumption, resource-use and waste. As we observe World Habitat Day, I call on all partners and stakeholders to do our utmost to realize this potential, and to build decent living conditions for all women, men and children in a way that also preserves our natural heritage and promotes greener and smarter growth.

UNESCO inaugurated October 5 as World Teachers’ Day in 1993. This day represents the appreciation displayed for the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development. Since 2000, the international community has made solid progress towards Education For All. Enrolment rates have increased dramatically. However, UNESCO estimates that 18 million more teachers are needed worldwide if universal primary education is to be achieved by 2015.

World Teachers’ Day, a day set aside by the world community to celebrate teachers and the central role they play in nurturing and guiding infants, children, youth and adults through the life-long learning process.

Every day, in millions of classrooms around the world, the universal endeavour of teaching and learning takes place. The gift of literacy is passed from one generation to the next, along with love of learning and thirst for knowledge. When knowledge is shared, skills are gained and lives can be changed.

The shortage of qualified teachers is considered one of the biggest obstacles to achieving this goal. Accordingly, this year’s activities are focused on professional training for quality education. Teachers’ unions around the world are calling on public authorities to develop and provide adequate training programmes - because teachers matter!


The 2008 World Teachers' Day theme is Teachers Matter!