On World Toilet Day, UN spotlights the impact of sanitation on peoples' livelihoods
18 November 2016 - To mark the 2016 edition of World Toilet Day, along with urging action to tackle the oft-neglected global sanitation crisis, the United Nations is also spotlighting the impact of sanitation -or lack of it -on livelihoods and work environments.
While the is an opportunity to raise awareness about the 2.4 billion people around the world who live without a toilet and the rates of diseases due to inadequate access to sanitation and unsafe water, this year, the theme focuses on how lack of sanitation impacts people's livelihoods: the UN estimates that in many countries, it creates a 5 per cent loss in gross domestic product (GDP).
MARRAKECH: Ban hails 'new dawn of cooperation on climate change,' urges action on Paris accord
14 November 2016 - Ten days after the entry into force of the  on climate change, world leaders showed strong support for the implementation of this agreement at the opening of the high-level segment of the United Nations Climate Conference in Marrakech, Morocco, () today.
International Science Center & Science Museum Day: Local to Global Solutions for Sustainability
Today is World Science Day for ¹ú²úAV and Development (WSDPD) and UNESCO and the International Council of Museums, science centers, science museums, and their worldwide networks have organized the first International Science Center and Science Museum Day (ISCSMD) to mark the occasion!
Science centers and museums all over the world are offering exhibitions, programs, and special events to share information on one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with their thousands of visitors. The full agenda for the day can be viewed . Â
UNAI and Factslides Join Forces to Raise Awareness about SDGs among Students and Teachers
United Nations Academic Impact and educational website Factslides.com are working together to raise awareness about the Sustainable Development Goals among students and teachers by offering interesting and engaging facts on the Global Goals.
Factslides is a high traffic content website that takes relevant and complex information from NGOs, think tanks, journals, specialized magazines and media and converts it into colorful and animated slideshows that are easy and fun to read, making the information accessible to students and teachers for research, lesson planning, and recreational purposes.
World Science Day for ¹ú²úAV and Development 10 November
Science is highly diverse. Each year, World Science Day for ¹ú²úAV and Development offers an opportunity to demonstrate why science is relevant to people&rsquos daily lives and to engage them in debates on related issues. In 2016, the celebration focuses on science centres and science museums to highlight their important contribution to science communication.
On historic day for climate action, Ban urges sustained momentum for better, safer future
4 November 2016 – As the  on climate change enters into force, United Nations  Ban Ki-moon has called for the same determination going forward to implement the Agreement as well as to achieve the  for Sustainable Development.
Seton Hall Sustainable Development Challenge
Come up with an innovative idea to address climate change, poverty, education or another Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), and you could win a Seton Hall scholarship and cash prize to help you put your project idea into action!
Seton Hall University's announced the launch of its second UN Sustainable Development Challenge. This year, the University is sponsoring two challenge programs: one for and a second for college seniors and recent bachelor's degree graduates.
2017 Echidna Global Scholars Program
The Centre for Universal Education at Brookings has extended the deadline for submissions to the 2017 Echidna Global Scholars Program, and will now receive applications until November 14, 2016. Echidna Global Scholars spend nearly five months at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. to pursue research on global education issues with an emphasis on girls' education.
Almost one in seven children breathing heavily toxic air – UNICEF report
31 October 2016 – About 300 million children in the world are living in areas with outdoor air so toxic – six or more times higher than international pollution guidelines – that it can cause serious health damage, including harming their developing brains, a new United Nations Children's Fund () report has revealed.
Global Goals can 'propel us towards a better future for all on a healthy planet,' Ban says on UN Day
24 October 2016 – In his last United Nations Day message as Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon recognized the efforts of courageous UN staff members who are on the frontlines of disaster and violence and continue to respond to the plight of the vulnerable people across the world.
We have also suffered enormous heartbreak – including unresolved conflicts causing immense suffering throughout the troubled Middle East, South Sudan, the Sahel and beyond, said Secretary-General Ban in his on the , observed annually on 24 October, the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the .
RiverCity Gothenburg: A City Built On Inclusion
This article from the Gothenburg City Council is the third in the UNAI START series that looks at Sustainable Development Goal #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. UNAI member institutions as well as government leaders and policymakers were asked to submit articles highlighting research and policy development and implementation relating to the design and construction of more resilient and sustainable cities for the 21st century, and to showcase the importance of addressing urbanization in achieving the 2030 Development Agenda. Please note that the articles are for discussion, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.
Urban Resilience for a Changing Climate
This article from UNAI Member School New York University is the second in the UNAI START series that looks at Sustainable Development Goal #11:Sustainable Cities and Communities. Schools and departments of urbanization at UNAI member institutions were asked to submit articles highlighting research and work relating to the design and construction of more resilient and sustainable cities for the 21st century, and to showcase the importance of addressing urbanization in achieving the 2030 Development Agenda. Please note that the articles are for discussion, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.
Translating Goals into Action: Academia Towards an Inclusive Society
This article from UNAI member university Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture (BNCA) for Women is the fourth in the UNAI START series that looks at Sustainable Development Goal #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Schools and departments of urbanization at UNAI member institutions were asked to submit articles highlighting research and work relating to the design and construction of more resilient and sustainable cities for the 21st century, and to showcase the importance of addressing urbanization in achieving the 2030 Development Agenda. Please note that the articles are for discussion, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.
Habitat III and the New Urban Agenda: Growing Cities and Opportunities
Today, 54 per cent of the world's population lives in urban areas, accounting for more than 70 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and consuming close to two thirds of the world's energy.  Projections show that the number of city dwellers will only increase, reaching 6 billion inhabitants by 2050.  The data suggests that urbanization poses many challenges, including meeting the demand for affordable housing, well-connected transport systems, and other infrastructure, basic services and educational and employment options, particularly for the nearly 1 billion urban poor who live in informal settlements to be near job opportunities.  The upward trend in urbanization also presents opportunities, as well-designed and managed cities can contribute to sustainable growth by increasing productivity, reducing consumption and allowing innovation and new ideas to emerge.Â
Building Cities of the Future Must Start Today
This article from the Asian Development Bank is the first in the UNAI START series that looks at Sustainable Development Goal #11:Sustainable Cities and Communities. Schools and departments of urbanization at UNAI member institutions were asked to submit articles highlighting research and work relating to the design and construction of more resilient and sustainable cities for the 21st century, and to showcase the importance of addressing urbanization in achieving the 2030 Development Agenda. Please note that the articles are for discussion, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.
Imagine for a second that you have the ability to look into the future and see the city you live in. What would it look like? Would it be green, peaceful and safe or would it be full of crime, darkness and pollution? Maybe it is a city with skyscrapers and flying cars, where technology and the environment live in harmony?