The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022

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7 July 2022: The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 provides a global overview of progress on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, using the latest available data and estimates. It tracks the global and regional progress towards the 17 Goals with in-depth analyses of selected indicators for each Goal.

According to the Report, cascading and interlinked crises are putting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in grave danger, along with humanity’s very own survival. The Report highlights the severity and magnitude of the challenges before us. The confluence of crises, dominated by COVID-19, climate change, and conflicts, are creating spin-off impacts on food and nutrition, health, education, the environment, and peace and security, and affecting all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Report details the reversal of years of progress in eradicating poverty and hunger, improving health and education, providing basic services, and much more. It also points out areas that need urgent action in order to rescue the SDGs and deliver meaningful progress for people and the planet by 2030.

The Global SDG Indicators Database containing global, regional and country data and metadata on the official SDG indicators has been updated and accompanies this report.

About this Report

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 is the only UN official report that monitors global progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Using the latest available data and estimates, The SDGs Report 2022 gives the global community a reality check on the devastating impacts of multiple crises affecting people's lives and livelihoods. This annual SDG Report is prepared by UN DESA, in collaboration with the entire UN Statistical System, consisting of more than 50 international and regional agencies, based on data from over 200 countries and territories.

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SDG Report 2022 Overview Video

The Sustainable Development Report 2022 video is an animated overview of the main facts and figures found in the Report. Take a look!

Explore the Report

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Bringing Data to Life : SDG human impact stories from across the globe

SDG human impact stories

01 August 2022: Bringing Data to Life is a flip book that collects and showcases the faces and stories behind the data found in global figures on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It captures the real-life stories of people who are struggling to get out of poverty, battling the effects of climate change in their daily lives, and dealing with the impacts of COVID-19, among other challenges. This flip book publication is developed by the Statistics Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs from inputs provided by United Nations Information Centres and other United Nations agencies and organizations.

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Nearly half of the world’s migratory species are in decline, UN report says

FILE - An elephant head wall trophy is on display at the Nesbitt Castle in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in this April 23, 2018 file photo. Nearly half of the world’s migratory species are in decline, according to a new United Nations report released Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Many songbirds, sea turtles, whales, sharks and migratory animals move to different environments with changing seasons and are imperiled by habitat loss, illegal hunting and fishing, pollution and climate change. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

FILE - This Wednesday, March 6, 2019 photo provided by the NOAA Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary shows an entangled subadult humpback whale that was freed of gear by a team of trained responders off Makena Beach, Hawaii. Nearly half of the world’s migratory species are in decline, according to a new United Nations report released Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Many songbirds, sea turtles, whales, sharks and migratory animals move to different environments with changing seasons and are imperiled by habitat loss, illegal hunting and fishing, pollution and climate change. (Ed Lyman/NOAA Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary via AP, File)

FILE - A researcher uses a clothes hanger to secure a geo-locator in place on the leg of a Red Knot shore bird while the glue dries on the north end of Nauset Beach in Eastham, Mass., Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013. Nearly half of the world’s migratory species are in decline, according to a new United Nations report released Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Many songbirds, sea turtles, whales, sharks and migratory animals move to different environments with changing seasons and are imperiled by habitat loss, illegal hunting and fishing, pollution and climate change. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File)

FILE - A volunteer carries a Green Sea Turtle after it was caught temporarily at a feeding site on Itaipu Beach in Niteroi, Brazil, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Nearly half of the world’s migratory species are in decline, according to a new United Nations report released Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Many songbirds, sea turtles, whales, sharks and migratory animals move to different environments with changing seasons and are imperiled by habitat loss, illegal hunting and fishing, pollution and climate change. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo, File)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly half of the world’s migratory species are in decline, according to a new United Nations report released Monday.

Many songbirds, sea turtles, whales , sharks and other migratory animals move to different environments with changing seasons and are imperiled by habitat loss, illegal hunting and fishing, pollution and climate change.

About 44% of migratory species worldwide are declining in population, the report found . More than a fifth of the nearly 1,200 species monitored by the U.N. are threatened with extinction.

“These are species that move around the globe. They move to feed and breed and also need stopover sites along the way,” said Kelly Malsch, lead author of the report released at a U.N. wildlife conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

FILE - United Nations General Secretary António Guterres addresses a news conference during the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Aug. 24, 2023. The United Nations chief warned Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, that climate chaos and food crises are increasing threats to global peace, telling a high-level U.N. meeting that climate disasters imperil food production and “empty bellies fuel unrest.” (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

Habitat loss or other threats at any point in their journey can lead to dwindling populations.

“Migration is essential for some species. If you cut the migration, you’re going to kill the species,” said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who was not involved in the report.

The report relied on existing data, including information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List , which tracks whether a species is endangered.

Participants of the U.N. meeting plan to evaluate proposals for conservation measures and also whether to formally list several new species of concern.

“One country alone cannot save any of these species,” said Susan Lieberman, vice president for international policy at the nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society.

At the meeting, eight governments from South America are expected to jointly propose adding two species of declining Amazon catfish to the U.N. treaty’s list of migratory species of concern, she said.

The Amazon River basin is world’s largest freshwater system. “If the Amazon is intact, the catfish will thrive — it’s about protecting the habitat,” Lieberman said.

In 2022, governments pledged to protect 30% of the planet’s land and water resources for conservation at the U.N. Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • Slide Deck - UNDP Trends Report 2024: Landscape of Development
  • UNDP Trends Report 2024: Landscape of Development
  • Full Report - UNDP Trends Report 2024: Landscape of Development pdf (7.7 MB)
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2024 UNDP Trends Report: The Landscape of Development

January 31, 2024.

Answering the question, “What’s going on in development?,” isn’t easy. With exhaustive amounts of data and analysis at our fingertips, the best-informed of us can find it hard to choose what to read, remember and reference.

This report aims to help UNDP colleagues orient themselves in a constantly changing landscape by providing an overview of the issues that should be on everyone’s radar in 2024. Among lots of trends reports out there, this one is written for UNDP. It is not intended to be all-encompassing or definitive, but rather to alert us to what’s worth watching across the landscape of development.

Each chapter describes a current global theme and why it matters for development. In addition to key trends, “what to watch” lists emerging issues worth keeping an eye on because they look likely to become more prominent or serious. “Still uncertain…” points to signals of change whose direction and meaning are not yet clear.

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UN World Water Development Report 2023

UN World Water Development Report 2023: Partnerships and cooperation for water

Partnerships and cooperation for water

Safeguarding water, food and energy security through sustainable water management, providing water supply and sanitation services to all, supporting human health and livelihoods, mitigating the impacts of climate change and extreme events, and sustaining and restoring ecosystems and the valuable services they provide, are all pieces of a great and complex puzzle. Only through partnerships and cooperation can the pieces come together. And everyone has a role to play.

Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) is to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030. At current rates, progress towards all the targets of SDG 6 is off-track and in some areas the rate of implementation needs to quadruple, or more.

The inadequate rate of progress on water and sanitation highlights the need to explore opportunities through partnerships and cooperation. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2023: Partnerships and cooperation for water explores this theme, across regions, in relation to agriculture, environment, human settlements, industry, health and climate change. 

Aligned with each of the five ‘accelerators’ of the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework (GAF), the report also makes recommendations to policy-makers for how to speed- and scale-up change through capacity development, data and information, innovation, financing, and governance.

The year 2023 marks the first major conference of the United Nations (UN) dedicated to water since 1977. The UN 2023 Water Conference (22-24 March) focuses on progress towards water- and sanitation-related goals, coinciding with the mid-term comprehensive review of the International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Sustainable Development 2018–2028’. 

As the UN system’s principal authoritative report on water, the United Nations World Water Development Report 2023 directly informs the UN conference discussions, describing how building partnerships and enhancing cooperation across all dimensions of sustainable development are essential to accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal for water and sanitation (SDG 6) and realizing the human rights to water and sanitation.

  • UN World Water Development Report 2023: partnerships and cooperation for water English
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UN-Water Publications

UN-Water’s publications can be divided into two main groups: the publications that represent all Members and Partners of UN-Water – the collective products – and the publications that are under the UN-Water umbrella but produced by groups or individual UN-Water Members and/or Partners – the related products.

Nearly half of the world’s migratory species are in decline and more than a fifth face extinction, UN says

Turtle

Nearly half of the world’s migratory species are in decline, according to a new United Nations report released Monday.

Many songbirds, sea turtles,  whales , sharks and other migratory animals move to different environments with changing seasons and are imperiled by habitat loss, illegal hunting and fishing, pollution and climate change.

About 44% of migratory species worldwide are declining in population,  the report found . More than a fifth of the nearly 1,200 species monitored by the U.N. are threatened with extinction.

“These are species that move around the globe. They move to feed and breed and also need stopover sites along the way,” said Kelly Malsch, lead author of the report released at a  U.N. wildlife conference  in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Habitat loss or other threats at any point in their journey can lead to dwindling populations.

“Migration is essential for some species. If you cut the migration, you’re going to kill the species,” said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who was not involved in the report.

The report relied on existing data, including information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s  Red List , which tracks whether a species is endangered.

Participants of the U.N. meeting plan to evaluate proposals for conservation measures and also whether to formally list several new species of concern.

“One country alone cannot save any of these species,” said Susan Lieberman, vice president for international policy at the nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society.

At the meeting, eight governments from South America are expected to jointly propose adding two species of declining Amazon catfish to the U.N. treaty’s list of migratory species of concern, she said.

The Amazon River basin is world’s largest freshwater system. “If the Amazon is intact, the catfish will thrive — it’s about protecting the habitat,” Lieberman said.

In 2022, governments  pledged to protect 30%  of the planet’s land and water resources for conservation at the U.N. Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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World Population Prospects 2022

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The 2022 Revision of World Population Prospects is the twenty-seventh edition of official United Nations population estimates and projections that have been prepared by the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat. It presents population estimates from 1950 to the present for 237 countries or areas, underpinned by analyses of historical demographic trends. This latest assessment considers the results of 1,758 national population censuses conducted between 1950 and 2022, as well as information from vital registration systems and from 2,890 nationally representative sample surveys The 2022 revision also presents population projections to the year 2100 that reflect a range of plausible outcomes at the global, regional and national levels.

The main results are presented in a series of Excel files displaying key demographic indicators for each UN development group, World Bank income group, geographic region, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) region, subregion and country or area for selected periods or dates within 1950-2100. An online database (Data Portal) provides access to a subset of key indicators and interactive data visualization, including an open API for programmatic access. For advanced users who need to use these data in a database form or statistical software, we recommend to use the CSV format for bulk download. Special Aggregates also provide additional groupings of countries. For the first time, the estimates and projections are presented in one-year intervals of age and time instead of the five-year intervals used previously. The various datasets disaggregated by age are available in two forms: by standard 5-year age groups and single ages.

Additional outputs, including results from the probabilistic projections, and more detailed metadata will be posted soon after the initial public release.

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Disclaimer: This web site contains data tables, figures, maps, analyses and technical notes from the current revision of the World Population Prospects. These documents do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

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What people want most is peace with security, dignity, secretary-general tells general assembly, outlining organization’s priorities for 2024.

Although peace is the “raison d’être” of the United Nations, it is the one thing missing most dramatically from the world, Secretary-General António Guterres warned the General Assembly today as he laid out his critical priorities for 2024 amid a global landscape roiled by conflict, inequity and intensifying interlocking crises.

Presenting his Report on the work of the Organization (document A/78/1 ), the Secretary-General stressed that people want peace with security and dignity, “and frankly, they want peace and quiet” — from anger, hate and war.  However, for millions of people caught up in conflict around the world, “life is a deadly, daily, hungry hell”.  The situation in Gaza is “a festering wound on our collective conscience”, he stated.  Nothing justifies the horrific terror attacks launched by Hamas against Israel on 7 October, nor is there any justification for the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.  The situation urgently requires an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages, rapidly leading to irreversible actions towards a two-State solution.

In Ukraine, he repeated the call for a just and sustainable peace, further voicing support for the people of the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, Libya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Myanmar and Haiti, all facing various degrees of terrorism, lawlessness, conflict and acute food insecurity.  Next, he warned that the Security Council is deadlocked by its worst-ever geopolitical divisions.  Countries are “creating new ways to kill each other — and for humanity to annihilate itself”, he warned.  It further remains totally unacceptable that the African continent is still waiting for a permanent Council seat.

Noting that antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, persecution of Christian minorities and white supremacist ideology are on the rise, he called for renewal of the social contract, based on trust, justice and inclusion.  Addressing the global economic outlook, he noted that the world’s poorest countries owe more in debt service in 2024 than their public spending on health, education and infrastructure combined.  He called for a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Stimulus of $500 billion annually in affordable long-term finance for developing countries, and a new Bretton Woods moment.  Today’s financial architecture is outdated, dysfunctional and unfair, favouring “the rich countries that designed it nearly 80 years ago”, and the Summit of the Future will consider the need for deep reforms.

On harnessing the power of technology, he noted that generative AI is the most important potential tool to build inclusive, green, sustainable economies and societies — but is already creating risks around disinformation, privacy and bias, and is concentrated in very few companies — and even fewer countries.  Calling on the international community to ensure adequate guardrails and ethical standards, he stressed that artificial intelligence (AI) “was created by humans and must always be under human control”.

Turning to climate change, he warned:  “Humanity has waged a war we can only lose:  our war with nature.”  Limiting global temperature rise to 1.5ºC degrees demands cutting emissions by 45 per cent by 2030, compared to 2010 levels, with emissions peaking by 2025.  “The fossil fuel era is on its last legs,” he affirmed, requiring tripling the global renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.  A just transition further requires urgent action to unlock the finance developing countries need to leapfrog fossil fuel dependence.

He affirmed that every element of the agenda “connects to the most essential of all human endeavours:  the pursuit of peace”.  However, while “in today’s troubled world, building peace is a conscious, bold and even radical act”, he affirmed:  it is humanity’s greatest responsibility.  “In this difficult and divided moment, let’s meet that obligation for today and future generations,” he stressed.  “Starting here.  Starting now.”

In the ensuing debate, delegates welcomed the Secretary-General’s multifaceted report while echoing his alarm over conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine and global security in general, the threat of climate change and interlocking crises and inequities in development, financing and the prospects for AI.

The representative of Tunisia, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, welcomed the Secretary-General’s position on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, and repeated calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, delivery of humanitarian aid and prevention of forced displacement.  He categorically rejected the policy of collective punishment undertaken by the occupying authorities against the people in the Gaza Strip and the remaining occupied Palestinian territories and any forced displacement.

Using a wider lens, the representative of Venezuela, speaking for the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, warned of the deterioration of the global security architecture.  Approaches that are based on a zero-sum game negatively impact multilateral disarmament, non-proliferation and arms-control regimes, requiring a revitalized architecture based on non-intervention in internal affairs and the prohibition against the use or threat of force.

The representative of Guatemala, speaking for the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect, welcomed that preventing and addressing the risks of atrocity crimes are recognized as key objectives in the Secretary-General’s report.  She underlined the need for the Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect to be able to operate at full strength.

Turning to the SDGs, the representative of Pakistan quoted the Secretary-General that they are “on life-support” — noting that over 100 developing countries confront food, fuel and financial insecurity and over 60 developing States are trapped by unsustainable debt.  In that light, there is a need for a binding international convention on the right to development.

The Assembly further paid tribute to the recent passing of President Hage Gottfried Geingob of Namibia, with the Secretary-General stating:  “It is no exaggeration to say that President Geingob dedicated his life to his country.”   Recalling the President’s early years of activism during Namibia’s struggle for independence and against apartheid, to his years of service as Prime Minister and then as President, he observed that “Namibia shaped him, and he shaped Namibia”.

Dennis Francis (Trinidad and Tobago), President of the General Assembly, expressed profound sadness over the death of a “towering figure” in Namibian history and politics, and a beacon of leadership on the African continent.  As the third President of independent Namibia, he noted, his legacy is indelibly etched in the history of his nation’s liberation struggle and the ensuing journey of freedom, democracy, and prosperity.  “His remarkable life journey epitomized true resilience, dedication and unwavering commitment to the ideals of justice and equality.”

Also paying tribute were the representatives of Botswana (for the African Group), United Arab Emirates (for the Asia-Pacific Group), El Salvador (for the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean), Türkiye (for Western European and Other States Group), United States and Namibia.

In other business, the General Assembly adopted, without a vote, two decisions:  one titled “Authorization for the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction regarding the hosting of the secretariat of the Santiago network for averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change” (document A/78/L.36/Rev.1 ); and another titled “Participation of non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions and the private sector in the third United Nations Conference on the Landlocked Developing Countries” (document A/78/L.40 ).

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Report of Secretary-General on Work of Organization

ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, Secretary-General of the United Nations, outlined his 2024 agenda, stating that while “peace is our raison d’être, it is the one thing missing most dramatically from the landscape of today’s world”.  People want peace with security and dignity, “and frankly, they want peace and quiet”, he stressed — from anger, hate and war.  However, despite the turbulence of the times, he recalled “there are reasons for hope”, citing advancements including:  the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit, where world leaders endorsed an SDG Stimulus; the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty (High Seas Treaty); and the loss and damage fund.

He further cited the Security Council’s agreement to a years-long call to back peace enforcement and counter-terrorism operations led by regional partners, notably the African Union, with mandates from the Council and supported by assessed contributions.  Further, the new High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence (AI) launched a global conversation on “how this all-pervading technology can benefit us all”, while September’s Summit of the Future offers “a chance to shape multilateralism for years to come”, he stated.

However, for millions of people caught up in conflict around the world, he warned:  “life is a deadly, daily, hungry hell”.  The situation in Gaza is “a festering wound on our collective conscience”, he stated. Nothing justifies the horrific terror attacks launched by Hamas against Israel on 7 October, nor is there any justification for the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Yet, he stressed, Israeli military operations have resulted in destruction and death in Gaza “at a scale and speed without parallel since I became Secretary-General”.  The situation urgently requires an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages, rapidly leading to irreversible actions towards a two-State solution.  In Ukraine, he repeated the call for a just and sustainable peace, in line with the Charter of the United Nations and international law.  He further voiced support for the people of the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, Libya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Myanmar and Haiti, all facing various degrees of terrorism, lawlessness, conflict and acute food insecurity.

Next, he warned that the Security Council — the primary platform for questions of global peace — is deadlocked by geopolitical fissures — not the first time it has been divided, “but it is the worst”.  New potential domains of conflict, and weapons of war, are being developed without guardrails, “creating new ways to kill each other — and for humanity to annihilate itself”, he warned.  The Council must become more representative, as it is totally unacceptable that the African continent is still waiting for a permanent seat, while its working methods must be updated so that it can make progress — even when Members are sharply divided.

Noting that antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, persecution of Christian minorities and white supremacist ideology are on the rise, and that six out of seven people fear for their future, he called for renewal of the social contract, based on trust, justice and inclusion, anchored in human rights. The UN is advancing his Call to Action for Human Rights and “working for women’s full, equal participation and leadership in all sectors of society — and urgently”, he stated.  The Organization is also putting pressure on technology companies to take responsibility by stopping amplifying and profiting from the spread of toxic misinformation.  The upcoming Code of Conduct for Information Integrity, to be released ahead of the Summit of the Future, will help decision makers make the digital space inclusive and safer for all, while upholding the right to freedom of speech.

Warning that conflicts are stoking further inequalities and injustice, he spotlighted “the tale of two canals”.  Trade via the Suez Canal is down by 42 per cent since the start of Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea more than three months ago.  Meanwhile, trade via the Panama Canal is down 36 per cent in the past month, because of low water levels — a by-product of the climate crisis.  Whether the cause is conflict or climate, the result is the same:  disruption to global supply chains and increased costs, with developing economies being particularly vulnerable to these disruptions.

“Today’s global economic outlook largely ignores the elephant in the room,” he stated:  developing countries are experiencing their worst half-decade since the early 1990s, with the world’s poorest countries owing more in debt service in 2024 than their public spending on health, education and infrastructure combined.  He called for an SDG Stimulus of $500 billion annually in affordable long-term finance for developing countries, and a new Bretton Woods moment.  Today’s financial architecture is outdated, dysfunctional and unfair, favouring “the rich countries that designed it nearly 80 years ago”, and the Summit of the Future will consider the need for deep reforms.

On harnessing the power of technology, he noted that generative AI is the most important potential tool to build inclusive, green, sustainable economies and societies — but is already creating risks around disinformation, privacy and bias, and is concentrated in very few companies — and even fewer countries.  He cited the UN Advisory Body on AI, calling on the international community to move fast to ensure adequate guardrails and ethical standards, promote transparency and build capacities in developing countries.  AI “was created by humans and must always be under human control”, he affirmed.

Turning to climate change, he warned:  “Humanity has waged a war we can only lose:  our war with nature.”  Limiting global temperature rise to 1.5ºC degrees demands cutting emissions by 45 per cent by 2030, compared to 2010 levels, with emissions peaking by 2025.  Highlighting the good news that “we have never been better equipped to prevent climate breakdown”, he affirmed that by 2025, every country must commit to new national climate plans aligned with the 1.5ºC limit.  New national plans should map a just transition to clean energy, backed up by robust policies and regulations — from an effective carbon price to ending fossil fuel subsidies.  For developing countries, this is a chance to create national climate plans that double as national transition plans and national investment plans: attracting capital and investments and charting a just transition to a net zero future.

“The fossil fuel era is on its last legs,” he affirmed, requiring tripling the global renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.  This means working to ensure the production and trade of minerals critical to the energy transitions are just, sustainable and provide maximum added value in the countries supplying the raw materials in the first place.  A just transition further requires urgent action to unlock the finance developing countries need to leapfrog fossil fuel dependence while bringing clean power to all.  He cited the Climate Solidarity Pact, urging big emitters to cut emissions and wealthier countries to support emerging economies to do so.  Welcoming Brazil’s commitment to bring climate and finance discussions together as Group of 20 President, he called on developed countries to clarify the delivery of the $100 billion, while at the twenty-ninth UN Climate Change Conference, all countries must agree on an ambitious new climate finance goal.

Acknowledging this is “a full agenda”, he affirmed that “every element connects to the most essential of all human endeavours:  the pursuit of peace”.  While wars destroy, peace builds.  However, while “in today’s troubled world, building peace is a conscious, bold and even radical act”, he affirmed:  it is humanity’s greatest responsibility, belonging to all.  “In this difficult and divided moment, let’s meet that obligation for today and future generations,” he stressed.  “Starting here.  Starting now.”

The representative of Guatemala , speaking for the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect , welcomed that preventing and addressing the risks of atrocity crimes are recognized as key objectives in the Secretary-General’s report.  Preventing atrocities and effectively implementing the responsibility-to-protect agenda contribute to fulfilling Our Common Agenda and the “New Agenda for Peace”.  The UN, therefore, has an important role to play in preventing conflict and atrocity and peacefully settling disputes, including through the use of preventive diplomacy, fact-finding and reporting, mediation and dialogue facilitation. Emphasizing that the Secretary-General’s annual thematic reports on the responsibility to protect have been “incredibly important” in broadening collective understanding of this concept, she said that the international community would benefit from the receipt of UN information on current trends and risks relating to genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, as well as their prevention.

It is for this reason, she went on to say, the Group along with additional Member States have called for the inclusion of such information, as well as recommendations for responses on the national, regional and global levels, in future reports of the Secretary-General.  She also encouraged the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, once appointed, to continue to spotlight, through their joint public statements, situations where atrocity risk is present.  Further, she underlined the need for the Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect to be able to operate at full strength, looking forward to the appointment of a Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect as soon as possible.  Further, existing resources must be dedicated to that Special Adviser — particularly in the context of administrative support, travel and staffing.

The representative of Brazil , speaking on behalf of the Peacebuilding Commission , noted that the Secretary-General’s report refers to the body’s work, underlining the broadening of its geographical scope and inclusion.  On that, he stated that, in 2023, it held meetings on Canada, Honduras, Nepal, Norway and Mozambique at their request, as well as engaged in support of country- and region-specific settings.  As well, it tried to improve the timeliness and focus of its advice to the Security Council, while also advising the General Assembly and Economic and Social Council. In addition, the Commission engaged with a wide range of United Nations humanitarian, development and peace actors, especially peacekeeping operations and special political missions, while strengthening ties with regional organizations such as the African Union.

Turning to the issue of sustainable and predictable financing, for which the Commission advocated, he called for the implementation of General Assembly resolution A/RES/78/257, “Investing in prevention and peacebuilding”, which aims to strengthen the work of the Organization on peacebuilding throughout the entire peace continuum.  He hoped work will continue to improve the Commission’s advisory, bridging and convening role and strengthening ties with regional organizations and international and regional financial institutions, which, he pointed out, called for stronger ties between the body and the Peacebuilding Fund.  In that context, he looked forward to discussing the Commission’s role in the context of the 2025 review of the peacebuilding architecture.

The representative of Costa Rica , aligning herself with the Group of Friends on the Responsibility to Protect, stated that global crises are unfairly hitting the most vulnerable and marginalized, and people of the Global South are among those who pay the harshest price — despite having had no role in triggering them.  Unfortunately, she noted, armed conflicts remain a reality, and the principles of relevant international law — which used to be considered written in stone — are being challenged by the daily actions or acquiescence of various actors around the world.  The UN has a vital role in guaranteeing respect and application of all norms of international law beyond the contingencies of the moment.  “As stated in A New Agenda for Peace, we must all reduce the human costs of weapons,” she stated, which can only happen by strengthening humanitarian disarmament and advocating for the diversion of weapons resources towards human development.

The representative of Indonesia , expressing concern over the ever-growing mistrust and fragmentation in global affairs, said that respect for the Charter of the United Nations continues to erode.  The international community is witnessing this in Gaza, he said, stressing that failure to act decisively will only “bring us closer to the final nail in the coffin of the UN”.  He therefore echoed calls to restore trust, including by upholding respect for the rule of law; acting on political commitments to reform and strengthen multilateralism; and ensuring that the UN is more effective, transparent, accountable and representative.  He also stressed that adequate attention and resources must be given to address conflicts in Gaza, Myanmar and elsewhere, adding that — with six years left to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — the international community now faces a “litmus test” of its ability to safeguard the best interests of present and future generations.

The representative of Armenia observed that diverse and evolving challenges were testing the United Nations resilience and efficiency in responding to situations of conflict and crisis, impacting its ability to mobilize and deliver adequate humanitarian response to those in need, as well as its mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution.  In that context, he noted that the Organization has not been able to deliver protection to vulnerable communities facing existential threats, citing the case of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and the siege of its only transportation lifeline between December 2022 and September 2023, which led to the forced displacement of the entire ethnic Armenian population. Despite early warning signs and calls for intervention, the Organization did not address these egregious violations, departing from the commitment of the responsibility to protect populations from atrocity crimes.  On the International Court of Justice’s role in settling disputes, he underscored the need for compliance with its decisions, pointing to eight provisional measures issued against Azerbaijan between 2021 and 2023.

Draft Decisions

The General Assembly then adopted, without a vote, the decision titled “Authorization for the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction regarding the hosting of the secretariat of the Santiago network for averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change” (document A/78/L.36/Rev.1 ).  By its terms, the Assembly authorized that Office to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement regarding such hosting.

The General Assembly then resumed its consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 20, titled “Follow-up to the second United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries”, adopting a draft decision titled “Participation of non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions and the private sector in the third United Nations Conference on the Landlocked Developing Countries” (document A/78/L.40 ).

The representative of Tunisia , speaking on behalf of the Arab Group , welcomed the Secretary-General’s report, reaffirming a deep appreciation for his position on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, and repeated calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, delivery of humanitarian aid and prevention of forced displacement.  He further noted the Secretary-General’s support for the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) to enable it to provide life-saving assistance to 2 million people in light of one of the biggest and most complicated humanitarian crises in the world.  The Group backed the firm position calling for an immediate ceasefire, and for the UN to shoulder its responsibility by ending the violations by the occupying authority.

Emphasizing the need for protection of civilians and unhindered delivery of assistance, and ending the catastrophe faced by more than 2.3 million people in Gaza, he called on the international community to provide more uninterrupted, safe humanitarian assistance.  He categorically rejected the policy of collective punishment undertaken by the occupying authorities against the people in the Gaza Strip and the remaining occupied Palestinian territories, and any forced displacement.  He further reiterated the call to invest in climate financing, sustainable solutions and renewable energies, as well as emphasizing the need for a radical transformation of the existing international financial architecture.

The representative of Venezuela , speaking for the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations , said that a major challenge the world now faces is a deterioration of the global security architecture.  Approaches that are based on a zero-sum game negatively impact multilateral disarmament, non-proliferation and arms-control regimes.  International efforts are, therefore, required to establish a revitalized, more reliable international security architecture based on respect for the principles enshrined in the Charter, including sovereign equality, non-intervention in internal affairs and the prohibition against the use or threat of force.  Further, such architecture should take into account the principle of indivisible security and the interests and concerns of all — particularly developing countries — to, inter alia, advocate for common security and the resolution of conflict through development.  He also called on the international community to adopt urgent, effective measures to eliminate the use of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries.

He went on to say that, against the backdrop of a trust deficit and rapidly growing confrontation at the regional and global levels, the international community must reject “bloc logic” and provocative actions that infringe on others’ security interests — including attempts to achieve domination by force or economic means.  For its part, the United Nations must address the root causes of crises, rather than their symptoms.  He also said that it is “unacceptable” to introduce any “universal indicators of conflict”, because these can be used as a pretext for meddling in States’ internal affairs.  The path towards an ideal world can hardly be found when there is disunity between States, when the international community faces a crisis of confidence and when there is a growing accumulation of potential confrontations in international relations.  Multilateralism, international cooperation and solidarity must be promoted, he stressed, “rather than confrontation and eternal war”.

The representative of Belarus , aligning herself with the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, underscored that, amid an environment of unprecedented geopolitical confrontation and mistrust, sustainable development could only be achieved if the multilateral system functioned properly.  Belarus welcomes swift action taken by the Organization in realms such as health care and socioeconomic development and its mobilizing $500 billion to galvanize action on achieving the SDGs and counter the global financial crisis, amid a debt crisis.  However, she stated that the Organization falls short when it comes to countering illegitimate unilateral coercive measures, a pernicious practice that contributes to the widening rift between the Global North and the developing South. She went on to welcome the historic agreement reached at the twenty-seventh UN Climate Change Conference on helping vulnerable countries cope with climate change through a loss and damage fund.

The representative of Pakistan welcomed the Secretary-General’s report, echoing that a volatile global security environment is further exacerbated by growing poverty, climate change, injustice, inequality, hate, intolerance, xenophobia and Islamophobia.  He called on the United Nations to actively seek to resolve festering disputes, such as Jammu and Kashmir and Palestine, with several modalities for conflict resolution being available under the Charter of the United Nations.  “We must prevent a major conflict, especially in a ‘nuclearized environment’,” he stressed, further noting that it is essential to address the root causes of terrorism and new and emerging forms.  Quoting the Secretary-General that the SDGs are “on life-support”, he noted that over 100 developing countries confront food, fuel and financial insecurity, and over 60 developing countries are trapped by unsustainable debt.  In that light, there is a need for a binding international convention on the right to development.

The representative of South Africa observed that the international system and the United Nations are facing a period of unprecedented challenges, amid what the International Court of Justice describes as plausible acts of genocide unfolding in Gaza.  South Africa is concerned over the continued inability of the Security Council to act to promote peace and enable aid delivery to those suffering under such a relentless onslaught on their existence.  Citing the report, which stated that “nowhere are needs greater than in the midst of emergencies”, he said, “nowhere can the United Nations show its value to society more than in answering the call of these emergencies”.  Underscoring the importance of tackling emerging and long-existing threats, he noted that his country would be engaged in the run-up to the Summit of the Future, where it would focus on United Nations and Security Council reform, to address structural challenges that prevent the Organization from acting on its core mandates.  On the severe liquidity crises facing the Organization, he underscored that allocated resources must be commensurate with the mandates.  South Africa also remains deeply concerned by the slow fulfilment of nuclear disarmament commitments, while welcoming another successful Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons , which complements the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The representative of Malaysia noted the Secretary-General’s report’s reaffirmation of the importance of multilateralism in addressing issues that transcended borders, including poverty eradication, and in addressing conflict and climate change.  Progress on the SDGs has stalled or even gone in reverse, she stated, commending efforts by the United Nations to help Governments achieve them.  On the Middle East, she hoped for renewed efforts to help Palestinians attain their inalienable rights to self-determination in a free and independent State of Palestine, highlighting her country’s participation in the submission of a written statement for the “Advisory Opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s ongoing violations in the Palestinian territory” at the International Court of Justice.  On nuclear disarmament, she called for intensified efforts to ensure the implementation of all obligations and commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, highlighting her country’s work, alongside South Africa, in facilitating the signing and ratification ceremony of the 2022 Treaty Event for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

The representative of Cuba said that, while the meeting takes place, Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues.  The way in which the UN responds will, to a large extent, determine the Organization’s legitimacy going forward.  He went on to say that maintaining international peace and security requires strict adherence to the Charter and respect for the mandates of UN organs.  Additionally, the best strategy for preventing and resolving conflict is addressing its root causes.  However, this must not be used as a pretext with which to justify the advancement of geopolitical agendas, including through the interpretation of international law to justify the use of force for supposedly preventive purposes.  He also said that no country is free of challenges and, therefore, no country “should set itself as an example for the rest of us”. Detailing areas where the UN could do more, he urged efforts to address unilateral coercive measures’ impact on human rights and to make the “right to development” a reality.

The representative of Angola , aligning with the Group of 77 and China, said the Organization should make efforts to prevent and resolve global conflicts, taking note, in this context, of the number of special political missions and 12 peacekeeping operations around the world.  On peace and security, he emphasized the need for the Organization to work closely with the African Union and regional partners, to prevent conflicts and achieve ceasefires, as well as the peaceful settlement of disputes.  He went on to encourage the Secretary-General to push for the SDG Stimulus to address the global financing crisis and accelerate the implementation of the SDGs, particularly on health, environment and education.  On the Global Digital Compact, he called for the development dimension to be prioritized, and for discriminatory restrictions to be ended.  On United Nations reform, including Security Council reform, he called for substantive progress on Africa’s position for a permanent seat, pointing to growing consensus on the issue.

The representative of Myanmar noted that sharpened global divisions, protracted conflicts, an alarming series of military coups and the triple planetary crisis have undermined the work of the UN.  In his country, a four-year-old failed coup has left 4,400 people brutally killed by the junta, with 25,000 people arbitrarily arrested, more than 2.6 million people internally displaced, and almost 19 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.  Following the coup, human and drug trafficking and transnational organized crimes have exponentially increased across the border, threatening regional peace and security.  Stressing that full and equal attention must be paid to all conflicts around the world, including Myanmar, he called for the urgent appointment of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar.  The international community must take coordinated actions to eradicate the military dictatorship and build a federal democratic union.  “The UN must not fail the people of Myanmar,” he stressed.

The representative of Croatia , aligning himself with the European Union [whose statement was delivered during the informal meeting earlier in the day] and the Group of Friends of the Responsibility to Protect, recalled that his country chaired the Peacebuilding Commission at its seventeenth session.  Detailing his delegation’s efforts, in that capacity, to strengthen the Commission, he suggested that the body could discuss root causes of conflict and how to improve societies’ resilience.  Further, he underlined the need to connect the “universality of peace” to national prevention strategies, which the Commission could periodically review. Additionally, the body could engage in operational prevention through light-footprint missions to facilitate transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding, or to prevent a lapse or relapse into conflict. In this context, he expressed hope that peacebuilding, sustaining peace and prevention will continue to be at the centre of the peace-and-security agenda, as well as priorities for the Secretary-General.

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World Drug Report 2022

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Consisting of five separate booklets, the World Drug Report 2022 provides an in-depth analysis of global drug markets and examines the nexus between drugs and the environment within the bigger picture of the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change and environmental sustainability.

The World Drug Report 2022 is aimed not only at fostering greater international cooperation to counter the impact of the world drug problem on health, governance and security, but also, with its special insights, at assisting Member States in anticipating and address-ing threats from drug markets and mitigating their consequences.

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For First Time in Two Decades, U.S. Buys More From Mexico Than China

The United States bought more goods from Mexico than China in 2023 for the first time in 20 years, evidence of how much global trade patterns have shifted.

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By Ana Swanson and Simon Romero

Ana Swanson reported from Washington and Seoul, and Simon Romero from Mexico City.

In the depths of the pandemic, as global supply chains buckled and the cost of shipping a container from China soared nearly twentyfold, Marco Villarreal spied an opportunity.

In 2021, Mr. Villarreal resigned as Caterpillar’s director general in Mexico and began nurturing ties with companies looking to shift manufacturing from China to Mexico. He found a client in Hisun, a Chinese producer of all-terrain vehicles, which hired Mr. Villarreal to establish a $152 million manufacturing site in Saltillo, an industrial hub in northern Mexico.

Mr. Villarreal said foreign companies, particularly those seeking to sell within North America, saw Mexico as a viable alternative to China for several reasons, including the simmering trade tensions between the United States and China.

“The stars are aligning for Mexico,” he said.

New data released on Wednesday showed that Mexico outpaced China for the first time in 20 years to become America’s top source of official imports — a significant shift that highlights how increased tensions between Washington and Beijing are altering trade flows.

The United States’ trade deficit with China narrowed significantly last year, with goods imports from the country dropping 20 percent to $427.2 billion, the data shows. American consumers and businesses turned to Mexico, Europe, South Korea, India, Canada and Vietnam for auto parts, shoes, toys and raw materials.

Imports from China fell last year

U.S. imports of goods by origin

Mexican exports to the United States were roughly the same as in 2022, at $475.6 billion.

America’s total trade deficit in goods and services, which consists of exports minus imports, narrowed 18.7 percent. Overall U.S. exports to the world increased slightly in 2023 from the previous year, despite a strong dollar and a soft global economy.

U.S. imports fell annually as Americans bought less crude oil and chemicals and fewer consumer goods, including cellphones, clothes, camping gear, toys and furniture.

The recent weakness in imports, and drop-off in trade with China, has partly been a reflection of the pandemic. American consumers stuck at home during the pandemic snapped up Chinese-made laptops, toys, Covid tests, athleisure, furniture and home exercise equipment.

Even as concerns about the coronavirus faded in 2022, the United States continued to import a lot of Chinese products, as bottlenecks at congested U.S. ports finally cleared and businesses restocked their warehouses.

“The world couldn’t get access to enough Chinese goods in ’21, and it gorged on Chinese goods in ’22,” said Brad Setser, an economist and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. “Everything has been normalizing since then.”

But beyond the unusual swings in annual patterns in the last few years, trade data is beginning to provide compelling evidence that years of heightened tensions have significantly chipped away at America’s trading relationship with China.

In 2023, U.S. quarterly imports from China were at roughly the same level as they were 10 years ago, despite a decade of growth in the American economy and rising U.S. imports from elsewhere in the world.

“We are decoupling, and that’s weighing heavily on trade flows,” Mark Zandi, the chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, said of the United States and China.

Economists say the relative decrease in trade with China is clearly linked to the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and then maintained by the Biden administration.

Research by Caroline Freund, the dean of the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego, showed that trade with China fell for products that have high tariffs, like screwdrivers and smoke detectors, while trade in products that do not have tariffs, like hair dryers and microwave ovens, continued to grow.

Ralph Ossa, the chief economist for the World Trade Organization, said that trade between the United States and China had not collapsed, but that it had been growing about 30 percent more slowly than trade between those countries and the rest of the world.

There were two episodes in recent history where U.S. trade with China slowed notably, he said. The first was when trade tensions between the countries escalated in 2018. The second was when Russia invaded Ukraine, prompting the United States and its allies to impose strict sanctions and further reshuffling global trade relationships.

“There was a period where geopolitics didn’t really matter for trade much, but as uncertainty increases in the world, we do see that trade becomes more sensitive to these positions,” said Stela Rubinova, a research economist at the World Trade Organization.

Some economists caution that the U.S. reduction in trade with China might not be as sharp as bilateral data shows. That is because like Hisun, the Chinese vehicle producer, some multinationals have shifted portions of their manufacturing out of China and into other countries but continued sourcing some raw materials and parts from China.

In other cases, companies may simply be routing goods that are actually made in China through other countries to avoid U.S. tariffs.

U.S. trade statistics do not record such products as coming from China, even though a significant portion of their value would have been created there.

Ms. Freund, who wrote a recent paper on the subject, said the two countries’ trade relationship was “definitely being attenuated, but not as much as the official statistics suggest.”

Still, geopolitical risks are clearly pushing companies to look to other markets, particularly those with low costs and stable trading relationships with the United States, like Mexico.

Jesús Carmona, the president for Mexico and Central America at Schneider Electric, the French electrical equipment giant, said that the Biden administration’s 2022 climate law and geopolitical tensions stemming from the war in Ukraine were both factors pushing companies toward Mexico.

When China appeared to align with Russia in the conflict, “it triggered all sorts of alarms,” Mr. Carmona said. “People realized we cannot have such dependencies on China, which we built up over the last 40 years as we were making China the factory of the world.”

Schneider, which already had a substantial presence in Mexico with nine factories and nearly 12,000 employees, decided in 2021 that it needed to grow further in the country. Now, after opening new manufacturing sites and expanding existing plants, the company has about 16,000 employees in Mexico, with plans for that number to soon reach about 20,000.

Schneider sends about 75 percent to 80 percent of its production in Mexico to the United States, including an array of products like circuit breakers and panels used to distribute and regulate electrical power.

While foreign direct investment in developing countries fell 9 percent in 2023, the flow of such investment to Mexico surged 21 percent last year , according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Another economy caught in the shifting tides between the United States and China has been South Korea. Like Mexico, South Korea is subject to lower tariffs because it has a free trade deal with the United States. In December, U.S. imports from South Korea were the highest on record.

South Korean firms have also particularly benefited from President Biden’s new climate legislation. The U.S. government is offering tax credits for consumers who buy electric vehicles, but it has set certain limits on sourcing parts of those cars from China.

As major manufacturers of electric vehicle batteries and components, South Korean firms have seized the opportunity to participate in newly expanding U.S. vehicle supply chains. One Korean battery manufacturer, SK On, has invested $2.6 billion in a factory in Georgia and is building new facilities in Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky in partnership with Hyundai and Ford.

Min Sung, the chief commercial officer of SK On, said that China was getting more restrictive for Korean businesses. Meanwhile, the U.S. constraints on China benefiting from electric vehicle tax credits had given Korean businesses “more space to play.”

“In order for business to survive, you always find the market that’s got more potential,” Mr. Sung said.

As major South Korean companies like SK, LG, Samsung and Hyundai build new facilities to make products in the United States, that also appears to be increasing U.S. trade with South Korea since companies are importing some materials, machinery and parts from their home countries to supply the new facilities.

In December, Korean exports to the United States surpassed Korean exports to China for the first time in 20 years , driven by shipments of vehicles, electric batteries and other parts.

Mr. Sung agreed that increasing American skepticism of China was pushing the United States and South Korea closer together.

“It’s never been stronger than the last couple of years between two allies,” he said.

Ana Swanson covers trade and international economics for The Times and is based in Washington. She has been a journalist for more than a decade. More about Ana Swanson

Simon Romero is a correspondent in Mexico City, covering Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. He has served as The Times’s Brazil bureau chief, Andean bureau chief and international energy correspondent. More about Simon Romero

Lao PDR in the UNDP Regional Human Development Report 2024

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Landmark UN report reveals shocking state of wildlife: the world’s migratory species of animals are in decline, and the global extinction risk is increasing

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Samarkand, 12 February 2024 – The first-ever State of the World’s Migratory Species report was launched today by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), a UN biodiversity treaty, at the opening of a major UN wildlife conservation conference (CMS COP14). The landmark report reveals:

  • While some migratory species listed under CMS are improving, nearly half (44 per cent) are showing population declines.
  • More than one-in-five (22 per cent) of CMS-listed species are threatened with extinction.
  • Nearly all (97 per cent) of CMS-listed fish are threatened with extinction.
  • The extinction risk is growing for migratory species globally, including those not listed under CMS.
  • Half (51 per cent) of Key Biodiversity Areas identified as important for CMS-listed migratory animals do not have protected status, and 58 per cent of the monitored sites recognized as being important for CMS-listed species are experiencing unsustainable levels of human-caused pressure.
  • The two greatest threats to both CMS-listed and all migratory species are overexploitation and habitat loss due to human activity. Three out of four CMS-listed species are impacted by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, and seven out of ten CMS-listed species are impacted by overexploitation (including intentional taking as well as incidental capture).
  • Climate change, pollution and invasive species are also having profound impacts on migratory species.
  • Globally, 399 migratory species that are threatened or near threatened with extinction are not currently listed under CMS.

Until now, no such comprehensive assessment on migratory species has been carried out. The report provides a global overview of the conservation status and population trends of migratory animals, combined with the latest information on their main threats and successful actions to save them.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said : “Today’s report clearly shows us that unsustainable human activities are jeopardizing the future of migratory species – creatures who not only act as indicators of environmental change but play an integral role in maintaining the function and resilience of our planet’s complex ecosystems. The global community has an opportunity to translate this latest science of the pressures facing migratory species into concrete conservation action. Given the precarious situation of many of these animals, we cannot afford to delay, and must work together to make the recommendations a reality.”

Billions of animals make migratory journeys each year on land, in rivers and oceans and in the skies, crossing national boundaries and continents, with some travelling thousands of miles across the globe to feed and breed.

Migratory species play an essential role in maintaining the world’s ecosystems, and provide vital benefits, by pollinating plants, transporting key nutrients, preying on pests, and helping to store carbon.

Prepared for CMS by conservation scientists at the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), the CMS State of the World’s Migratory Species report uses the world’s most robust species data setsand features expert contributions from institutions including BirdLife International, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

The main focus of the report is the 1,189 animal species that have been recognized by CMS Parties as needing international protection and are listed under CMS, though it also features analysis linked to over 3,000 additional non-CMS migratory species.

Species listed under the Convention are those at risk of extinction across all or much of their range, or in need of coordinated international action to boost their conservation status.

Amy Fraenkel, CMS Executive Secretary, said: “Migratory species rely on a variety of specific habitats at different times in their lifecycles. They regularly travel, sometimes thousands of miles, to reach these places. They face enormous challenges and threats along the way, as well at their destinations where they breed or feed. When species cross national borders, their survival depends on the efforts of all countries in which they are found. This landmark report will help underpin much-needed policy actions to ensure that migratory species continue to thrive around the world.”

While there have been positive trends for numerous CMS species, the report’s findings underscore the need for greater action, for all migratory species. The listing of species under CMS means that these species require international cooperation to address their conservation. But many of the threats facing these species are global drivers of environmental change – affecting biodiversity loss as well as climate change. Thus, addressing the decline of migratory species requires action across governments, the private sector and other actors.

Over the past 30 years, 70 CMS-listed migratory species – including the steppe eagle, Egyptian vulture and the wild camel – have become more endangered. This contrasts with just 14 listed species that now have an improved conservation status – these include blue and humpback whales, the white-tailed sea eagle and the black-faced spoonbill.

Most worryingly, nearly all CMS-listed species of fish – including migratory sharks, rays and sturgeons – are facing a high risk of extinction, with their populations declining by 90 per cent since the 1970s.

Analysing the threats to species, the report shows the huge extent to which the decline in migratory species is being caused by human activities.

The two greatest threats to both CMS-listed and all migratory species were confirmed as overexploitation – which includes unsustainable hunting, overfishing and the capture of non-target animals such as in fisheries – and habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation – from activities such as agriculture and the expansion of transport and energy infrastructure.

One key priority is to map and take adequate steps to protect the vital locations that serve as breeding, feeding and stopover sites for migratory species. The report shows that nearly 10,000 of the world’s Key Biodiversity Areas are important for CMS-listed migratory species, but that more than half (by area) are not designated as protected or conserved areas. Fifty-eight per cent of monitored sites important for CMS-listed species are under threat due to human activities.

The report also investigated how many migratory species are at-risk but not covered by the Convention. It found 399 migratory species – mainly birds and fish, including many albatrosses and perching birds, ground sharks and stingrays – are categorised as threatened or near-threatened but are not yet CMS-listed.

While underscoring the concerning situation of many species, the report also shows that population and species-wide recoveries are possible and highlights instances of successful policy change and positive action, from local to international. Examples include coordinated local action that has seen illegal bird netting reduced by 91 per cent in Cyprus, and hugely successful integrated conservation and restoration work in Kazakhstan, which has brought the Saiga Antelope back from the brink of extinction.

The State of the World’s Migratory Species report issues a clear wake-up call, and provides a set of priority recommendations for action, which include:

  • Strengthen and expand efforts to tackle illegal and unsustainable taking of migratory species, as well as incidental capture of non-target species,
  • Increase actions to identify, protect, connect and effectively manage important sites for migratory species,
  • Urgently address those species in most danger of extinction, including nearly all CMS-listed fish species,
  • Scale up efforts to tackle climate change, as well as light, noise, chemical and plastic pollution, and,
  • Consider expanding CMS listings to include more at-risk migratory species in need of national and international attention.

The UN wildlife conservation conference (CMS COP14) starting today in Samarkand, Uzbekistan is one of the most significant global biodiversity gatherings since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (Biodiversity Plan). It will also be the first COP of any global environmental treaty to take place in Central Asia, a region home to many migratory species including the Saiga Antelope, the Snow Leopard, and many species of migratory birds. Governments, wildlife organisations and scientists have come together at the week-long meeting to consider actions to advance implementation of the Convention. The State of the World’s Migratory Species report will provide the scientific grounding along with policy recommendations to set the context and provide valuable information to support the deliberations of the meeting.

____ ENDS ____

NOTES TO EDITORS

Link to the Report:

https://www.cms.int/en/publication/state-worlds-migratory-species

  About the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

An environmental treaty of the United Nations, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats. This unique treaty brings governments and wildlife experts together to address the conservation needs of terrestrial, aquatic, and avian migratory species and their habitats around the world. Since the Convention’s entry into force in 1979, its membership has grown to include 133 Parties from Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. www.cms.int

About UNEP-WCMC

The UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is a global centre of excellence on biodiversity and nature’s contribution to society and the economy. It operates as a collaboration between the United Nations Environment Programme and the UK charity WCMC.

UNEP-WCMC works at the interface of science, policy and practice to tackle the global crisis facing nature and support the transition to a sustainable future for people and the planet: www.unep-wcmc.org

About CMS Appendices

  • Appendix I comprises migratory species that have been assessed as being in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range. The Conference of the Parties has further interpreted the term “endangered” as meaning “facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future” ( 11.33 paragraph 1).  Parties that are a Range State to a migratory species listed in Appendix I shall endeavour to strictly protect them by: prohibiting the taking of such species, with very restricted scope for exceptions; conserving and where appropriate restoring their habitats; preventing, removing or mitigating obstacles to their migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them.
  • Appendix II lists migratory species which have an unfavourable conservation status and which require international agreements for their conservation and management.  It also includes species whose conservation status would significantly benefit from the international cooperation that could be achieved by an international agreement.

For further information please contact:

Aydin Bahramlouian , Public Information Officer, Secretariat of the Convention on Migratory Species, +49 (0)228 815 2428, [email protected]

Emma Cooper , UNEP-WCMC Communications Manager, [email protected]

Natalie Taylor , UNEP-WCMC Communications Officer, [email protected]

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