Press Releases

New York, 26 May 2021 I send my warmest greetings to Buddhists all over the world on Vesak, when we honour the birth, enlightenment and passing of Lord Buddha. Today, we recognize the contributions Buddhism has made to human…

New York, 25 May 2021 This year’s Africa Day highlights arts, culture and heritage as levers for building the Africa we want. Africa’s rich and diverse cultural and natural heritage is important for sustainable development…

New York, 22 May 2021 A healthy planet is critical for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented and alarming rate, and the pressures are intensifying. We are depleting…

New York, 21 May 2021 Culture is the flower of the human being – the fruit of our minds, the product of our traditions, the expression of our yearnings. Its diversity is wondrous, part of the rich tapestry of civilization…

New York, 17 May 2021 LGBTIQ+ people around the world face discrimination simply because of who they are. The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the situation. Since the start of the pandemic, the United Nations has documented…

New York, 17 May 2021 Digital technologies sustain life, work, health and learning for billions of people. In the face of COVID-19, businesses, governments and the digital community have proven resilient and innovative…

New York, 3 May 2021 The global challenges we have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic underline the critical role of reliable, verified and universally accessible information in saving lives and building strong, resilient…

New York, 30 April 2021 Ten years ago, we launched the very first International Jazz Day in the United Nations General Assembly Hall at the initiative of UNESCO and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. With every passing…

New York, 26 April 2021 Today we mark the thirty fifth anniversary of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on 26 April 1986 – one of the most serious nuclear accidents in history. Hundreds of thousands of people…