Press Releases

New York, 15 October 2020 Rural women play a critical role in agriculture, food security and nutrition, building climate resilience, and managing land and natural resources. But many rural women suffer from discrimination, systemic racism and structural poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has now…

New York, 15 October 2020 Corruption is criminal, immoral and the ultimate betrayal of public trust. It is even more damaging in times of crisis – as the world is experiencing now with the COVID-19 pandemic. The response to the virus is creating new opportunities to exploit weak oversight and…

New York, 13 October 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed attention to the importance of strengthening disaster risk reduction. Many countries are facing multiple crises simultaneously. We will see more of this. Extreme weather events have risen dramatically over the past two decades. Yet…

New York, 12 October 2020 The systems that bring food to our tables have a profound impact on our economies, our health and the environment. Food systems are one of the main reasons we are failing to stay within our planet’s ecological boundaries. But they can also be the key to tackling the climate…

New York, 11 October 2020 This year, we mark the International Day of the Girl against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, and resurgent movements for social justice. As we strengthen the response to the pandemic and plan for a strong recovery, we have an opportunity to create a better, fairer…

New York, 10 October 2020 Around the world, nearly 1 billion people live with a mental disorder. Every 40 seconds, someone dies from suicide. And depression is now recognized as a leading cause of illness and disability among children and adolescents. All of this was true, even before COVID-19. We…

New York, 10 October 2020 The theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day is “Birds connect our world”. As they travel the globe, migratory birds lift our spirits and remind us of nature, connecting people, ecosystems and nations. Yet our continued encroachment on nature and the destruction of…

New York, 9 October 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has touched every aspect of our lives, testing us all. Throughout these difficult times, I have found inspiration in the essential workers who have kept our communities and societies running smoothly in extremely difficult circumstances. I offer my…

New York, 8 October 2020 Excellencies, colleagues and friends, Today, I have the honor of meeting – albeit remotely – four formidable women leaders who strive for peace in their regions and countries. Thank you for joining us as we mark both the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and 20 years…