UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed participants at the session of the Commission on the Status of Women. Top news of the day | environment: human development, Gaza, CSW, infant mortality UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: uneven progress in human development, the catastrophic situation in Gaza, the UN Secretary General at the session of the Commission on the Status of Women, infant mortality has reached a historical low.
Human Development Report
Human development indicators have reached an all-time high after sharp declines in 2020 and 2021, according to a new report published by the United Nations Development Programme. However, progress has been extremely uneven, with half of the world’s poorest countries still performing below pre-pandemic levels. According to the report, Ukraine lost 18 positions in the ranking of countries on the Human Development Index compared to 2015 and dropped to 100th place. This is the lowest figure since 2004. The first places in the ranking were taken by Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Hong Kong (China), Sweden and Denmark.
Victims in the Gaza Strip
The UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said more children have been killed in the Gaza Strip in recent months than in four years of conflicts around the world. Meanwhile, at least one UNRWA staff member was killed and 22 injured when Israeli forces struck a food distribution center in the eastern city of Rafah in the southern Strip. UN humanitarian agencies have again and again warned of the catastrophic situation in Gaza, where one in four residents is on the brink of famine – at least 576,000 people.
UN Women’s Rights Chapter
The UN Secretary-General spoke on Wednesday at a meeting with representatives of civil society who are taking part in a session of the Commission on the Status of Women. He said that around the world, women’s rights are under attack, the space for civil society to operate is shrinking, and women’s rights defenders face threats of violence. The UN chief cited examples from around the world, including Afghanistan, Sudan and the current conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. According to him, such a situation is unacceptable.
Infant mortality
According to the latest data from the UN Interagency Child Assessment Group mortality rate, the number of deaths among children under five in 2022 has reached a historic low. The group’s report notes that more children are surviving today than ever before, with the global under-five mortality rate falling by 51 percent since 2000. However, data shows that the global community has a long way to go to end all preventable child and adolescent deaths. Most premature deaths occur from preventable or treatable causes.