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bokova_hermitageFrom 6 to 8 December, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, will undertake a visit to Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the State Hermitage Museum where the Director-General will highlight the longstanding support of UNERSCO to the State Hermitage and the importance of museums as spaces for dialogue and mutual understanding.

UNESCO is associated with the commemoration of the Hermitage’s anniversary by the resolution of the 37th session of the General Conference.

2015time1Calling for inclusive, agile and coordinated action to usher in an era of sustainable development for all, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today presented the United Nations General Assembly with an advance version of his so-called “synthesis report,” which will guide negotiations for a new global agenda centred on people and the planet, and underpinned by human rights.

“Next year, 2015, will herald an unprecedented opportunity to take far-reaching, long-overdue global action to secure our future well-being,” Mr. Ban said as he called on Member States to be “innovative, inclusive, agile, determined and coordinated” in negotiating the agenda that will succeed the landmark Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the UN-backed effort to reduce extreme poverty and hunger, promote education, especially for girls, fight disease and protect the environment, all by 2015.

soils_yearHealthy soils are the foundation for food, fuel, fibre and even medicine said the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today as it kicked off 2015 the International Year of Soils on the first-ever World Soil Day.

Soils are also essential to our ecosystems, playing a key role in the carbon cycle, storing and filtering water, and improving resilience to floods and droughts, and yet we are not paying enough attention to this important “silent ally,” the UN agency explained.

post2015The role of extractive industries in promoting sustainable economic growth and employment generation, through synergies with governments and civil society, is being discussed this week in Brasilia.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is facilitating this dialogue to help identify new or more inclusive approaches to reduce poverty, hunger and inequalities, to promote the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

national_parkMountainous regions are the birthplace of the globe’s largest rivers. Their reputation as global water towers is well deserved, as 40% of the world’s population rely indirectly on mountain resources for drinking water, irrigation, and hydroelectricity.

Their ecosystems are among the most sensitive to climate change and are being affected at a faster rate than other terrestrial habitats, which could have severe consequences for water provision and livelihoods in downstream regions.