On International Mother Earth Day, the UN chief called for a shift away from fossil fuels. Top news of the day | environment: USA/Iran, Syria, work environment, Mother Earth UN
The main news of the day in the UN and the world: the head of the UN welcomed the US announcement to extend the truce with Iran, progress has been made in Syria over the past month in terms of stabilizing the situation, an unfavorable work environment is harming the health of employees, the UN is celebrating International Mother Earth Day.
Truce between the USA and Iran
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the United States’ announcement to extend the ceasefire. This is an important step towards de-escalating the conflict and creating the necessary space for diplomacy and confidence-building between the United States and Iran, the UN chief noted. Guterres called on the parties to refrain from actions that could undermine the ceasefire and to constructively participate in the negotiations. The UN chief also fully supports Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate negotiations.
Security Council on Syria
In Syria over the past month, there has been some progress in terms of stabilizing the situation, but serious economic, social and institutional problems remain, Claudio Cordone, Deputy Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Syria, said at a meeting of the UN Security Council. He noted the efforts of the Syrian authorities to protect the country from regional conflicts and combat terrorism. However, he pointed to the lack of progress in resolving the situation in Suwayda and expressed concern about human rights violations. This is stated in a new report from the International Labor Organization. Experts estimate that every year more than 840 thousand people die from diseases associated with an unfavorable psychosocial environment at work. And it’s not just about overwork, but also about bad attitudes, bullying and harassment. Constant exposure to such an environment can lead to cardiovascular diseases and mental disorders.
Mother Earth Day
Today is International Mother Earth Day. The UN Secretary-General recalled that Mother Earth gave us everything, and we repaid her with reckless destruction, polluting the air, poisoning the water, destabilizing the climate. He stressed that solutions exist, and in most countries around the world, renewables are today the cheapest source of electricity. He called for ending dependence on fossil fuels and protecting nature from destruction.