United Nations Activities: December 2020
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
SDG of The Month: Goal #13 Climate Action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts*
Description
In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Member States express their commitment to protect the planet from degradation and take urgent action on climate change. The Agenda also identifies, in its paragraph 14, climate change as “one of the greatest challenges of our time” and worries about “its adverse impacts undermine the ability of all countries to achieve sustainable development.”
Sustainable Development Goal 13 aims to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact”, while acknowledging that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change. More specifically, the associated targets of SDG 13 focus on the integration of climate change measures into national policies, the improvement of education, awareness-raising and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warnings.
Climate Change Interview with Dr. Randall Abate
Women and Gender
Event – December 17: NGO Committee on the Status of Women (CSW), NY- Monthly Meeting
- Summary: NGO CSW/NY facilitates a platform for the voices and leadership of feminists and women’s rights organizations globally who lobby for their inclusion in the UN deliberations in pursuit of gender equality.
- Time: 8 – 10 a.m.
- Register Here: Event Registration
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
Justice and Social Equality
December 3: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
- Video: Five Things to Know About Living with a Disability during COVID-19
- Document: United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequities
Event – December 3: UNA-NY Screening the Issues and BYkids Films presents screening of Faith’s World
- Summary: In the BYkids film FAITH’S WORLD, 16-year-old Faith Guilbault shares life with physical disability and her wish that students and society embrace our similarities, not our differences.
- Times: Screening 6:30 – 7 p.m.; Panel discussion 7- 7:30 p.m. EST
- Registration: Register Online
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
December 5: International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development
- Video: The UNV Online Volunteering Service
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Video: Sustainable Development Goal 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth – Suzanna Mahinder
December 9: International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 16: Peace and Justice, Strong Institutions
December 9: International Anti-Corruption Day
- SDG 16: Peace and Justice, Strong Institutions
Event – December 9 & 10: World Press Freedom Conference 2020 – Digital Edition
- Summary: This is a free conference, taking place as a digital event. A free press is essential, especially now, in times of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; helping us cope, understand and overcome the crisis. This makes it all the more necessary to come together to stand up for a free, independent press and the safety of journalists.
- Registration: : Register now online Slots are limited so reserve your spot well ahead!
- U.N. Webpage: World Press Freedom Day
- SDG 16: Peace and Justice, Strong Institutions
December 8: Barbera-Villegas International Social Work Lecture (Virtual Presentation on Zoom, Social Work CE Hours: 1.5 General)
- Time: 12 – 1:30 p.m.
- Summary: We live in a world divided, with contemporary US politics being the epitome of that division. The deep fissures of the social fault-lines, based on criteria like race, class, gender, nationality and socio-economic governance, exacerbated by Covid-19, implodes a range of taken-for-granted assumptions. We are at a conjectural moment in world politics that calls for a politics, and a social work with soul. In this lecture, Dr. Sewpaul will discuss the nexus between individual and societal consciousness, and how mindful living, and the power of love, kindness, gratitude, compassion and forgiveness, for self and other, can be elevated to broad socio-political forces in the interests transformative societies.
- Cost: Free
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
December 10: Human Rights Day
- Document (SDG’s 1-17): Universal Declaration of Human Rights
December 12: International Day of Neutrality
- SDG 16: Peace and Justice, Strong Institutions
December 18: International Migrants Day
This day aligns with 10 out of the 17 SDG’s (SDG’s 1,3-5,8,10,11,13,16, & 17)
December 20: International Human Solidarity Day
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 16: Peace and Justice, Strong Institutions
Environment
Event – November 23 to December 4: UNFCCC: UN Climate Change Dialogues 2020
- Website: UN Climate Change Dialogues 2020
- strong>Summary: The objective of the Climate Dialogues is to provide a platform for Parties and other stakeholders to showcase progress made in 2020 and exchange views and ideas across the subsidiary bodies and COP agendas mandated for 2020.
- SDG 13: Climate Action
Event – December 2: Special Address by the Secretary-General of the United Nations
- Summary: The UN Secretary-General will speak on the state of the planet at Columbia University, warning that current environmental and climate trends are dire. At the same time, solutions are increasingly within reach, and some are even accelerating around the globe.
- SDG 13: Climate Action
December 5: World Soil Day
- SDG 15: Life on Land
December 11: International Mountain Day
- SDG 15: Life on Land
Event – December 12: The Climate Ambition Summit
- Summary: There will be a special event to mark the five-year anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement on climate change. Co-hosted by the United Nations, the United Kingdom and France, and in partnership with Chile and Italy. The Climate Ambition Summit will bring together world leaders and non-state actors who will demonstrate new, enhanced ambition. The event, which will be virtual, will set the tone for our drive to increase climate action as we move toward the UN Climate Conference COP26.
- Watch Live: webtv.un.org
- SDG 13: Climate Action
Health and Wellness
December 12: International Universal Health Coverage Day
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being
Education
December 18: Arabic Language Day (Arabic)
- SDG 4: Quality Education