UN police in Mali. Top stories of the day | Wednesday: drugs, Kenya, UN police, physical activity UN
Top stories of the day in the UN and in the world: the growth of the drug market worldwide, the UN Secretary General expressed condolences to the families of those killed in Kenya, the UN Police Chiefs Summit, 1.8 billion people on the planet are at risk of diseases due to insufficient physical activity.
Drug Report
The number of people using drugs has risen to 292 million in 2022, representing a 20 percent increase in 10 years. These data are cited by the authors of the World Drug Report, published on Wednesday by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. The report emphasizes that the right to health is a recognized human right, regardless of drug use status or whether a person is incarcerated. An estimated 64 million people worldwide suffer from drug use disorders, but on average only one in 11 receives treatment.
Kenya Protests
The UN Secretary-General is deeply concerned by reports of violence in Kenya related to protests and street demonstrations. This is stated in a statement released by UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. António Guterres stressed the need to respect the right to peaceful demonstration and urged Kenyan authorities to exercise restraint. The UN chief expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Police Summit
The fourth Police Summit opened today in UN headquarters in New York. The multi-day forum is attended by ministers of member states, chiefs of police and senior representatives of regional and professional police organizations. The purpose of the event is to reaffirm and expand the contribution of national and United Nations police to strengthening international peace, security and development for all.
Sedentary lifestyle
Nearly a third of adults worldwide—approximately 1.8 billion people—did not meet recommended physical activity levels in 2022. Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) came to this conclusion. Inactivity increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and breast and colon cancer. According to WHO research, physical inactivity is still more common among women, with a difference of up to 20 percentage points compared to men in some countries. In addition, people over 60 are less active. WHO calls on countries to step up efforts to promote and enable physical activity.