The resolution was approved in the presence of a group of people who survived the Nazi genocide that killed around six million Jews, some two-thirds of the Jewish population of Europe, during World War Two. The vote comes on the same day, 80 years ago, during the Wansee Conference, when top Nazi officials discussed and coordinated the genocide of the Jewish people, establishing the system of Nazi death camps. Introducing the resolution, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, himself a grandson of Holocaust victims, Gilad Erdan, said the world lives “in an era in which fiction is now becoming fact, and the Holocaust is becoming a distant memory.” “Holocaust denial has spread like a cancer, it has spread under our watch”, he warned. Resolution According to the resolution, this genocide “will forever be a warning to all people of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice.” In the text, Member States express concern about “the growing prevalence of Holocaust denial or distortion through the use of information and communications technologies.” It also urges all Member States to “reject without any reservation any denial or distortion of the Holocaust as a historical event, either in full or in part, or any activities to this end.” Education The resolution commends countries that have “actively engaged in preserving those sites that served as Nazi death camps, concentration camps, forced labour camps, killing sites and prisons during the Holocaust, as well as similar places operated by Nazi-allied regimes, their accomplices or auxiliaries.” It also asksMember States to develop programs to educate future generations and urges social media companies to take active measures to combat antisemitism and Holocaust denial or distortion. UNESCO At the United Nations, most educational efforts to combat antisemitism happen through the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The agency activities include the training of teachers, developing policy guidelines for Ministries of education around the world as well as activities to address and prevent contemporary antisemitism, including online. Last year, the agency and the World Jewish Congress signed an agreement with Facebook to redirect users searching for terms related to the Holocaust or Holocaust denial to a joint website that is available in 19 languages.  Following the adoption of the resolution, the agency vowed to “continue to teach history and combat all forms of antisemitism, online and offline.” Human rights Also on Thursday, the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights spoke to the Italian Senate's Extraordinary Commission against intolerance, racism, anti-Semitism and incitement to hatred and violence.  In her speech, Michelle Bachelet recommended specific reforms to build policies and narratives that emphasise our common humanity and rights. She also said that antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice appear to be growing across Europe, highlighting a survey by the Fundamental Rights Agency’s showing that 89% of respondents felt that antisemitism had increased in their country. Political profit According to Ms. Bachelet, political movements that profit from hatred have gathered strength in many countries. “By heightening the emotions of their supporters through campaigns of misinformation and disinformation, they gain media attention, and votes – but they also drive deep, violent and profoundly damaging wedges through societies”, she warned.  The High Commissioner told Italian senators that the impact of this kind of hate speech is devastating.  “It exposes them to humiliation, violence, discrimination and exclusion – exacerbating underlying social and economic inequalities, and fuelling deep grievances”, she explained.  The Human Rights chief also remembered a quote from Primo Levi, a renowned Italian writer and Jewish Holocaust survivor, who said: "It happened, so it could happen again".

As the world picks up speed in its race against climate change and moves forward from the 2021 Glasgow Climate Change Conference, let’s look at ten key global events in 2022 that will shape critical conversations and influence public policy decisions around one of the most defining issues of our time.   (TBD) | 5th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDC5) | Doha, Qatar There are 46 countries, spanning from Afghanistan to Zambia, that are considered Least Developed Countries (LDCs). They are home to about 13 percent of the world’s population and 40 percent of its poorest people. They are highly vulnerable to countless shocks - from economic, public health to climate change. They remain at the forefront of the climate crisis and are disproportionately affected by extreme weather events. And unfortunately, they lack critical financing to support climate-resilient measures and infrastructure.   LDC5, a conference that happens every 10 years - will include a high-level thematic roundtable on climate change to discuss the unique and urgent issues that LDCs face and the necessary support that they need to ensure that much-needed economic growth does not take place at the expense of their already fragile ecosystems and diminishing natural resources.   February - September | IPCC  Assessment Report | Global The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which publishes assessments of climate science every six to seven years, will launch its first comprehensive assessment report since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015.  The IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) will encompass contributions from three working groups led by some of the world’s leading scientists on the physical understanding of the climate system and climate change [Working Group I - published in August 2021]; the impacts of climate change [Working Group II]; and the progress on mitigation and efforts to limit emissions [Working Group III]. 
  End of February | Working Group II Report | Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability  This report will cover the impacts of climate change on human and natural systems, observing their vulnerabilities, ability and limitations to adapt to climate change. It will look at options for creating a sustainable future through an equitable and integrated approach to mitigation and adaptation efforts at all scales. 
  Early April | Working Group III Report | Mitigation of Climate Change This report will focus on global and national efforts to mitigate the devastating and varying impacts of climate change, looking at innovation and solutions in energy and urban systems, and in sectors such as agriculture, forestry and land use, buildings, transport and industry. It will look at the link between short to medium and long-term plans to curb emissions, highlighting the importance of governments’ national action plans, the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. 
  September | Synthesis Report | Climate Change 2022 Finally, the Synthesis report, which will integrate contributions from the three Working Groups as well as from the Special Reports produced within the cycle - Global Warming of 1.5C; Climate Change and Land; and the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate - will be launched ahead of COP27. 28 February - 3 March | Middle East and North Africa Climate Week 2022 | Dubai, UAE The first-ever Middle East and North Africa Climate Week, organized by UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), marks a significant milestone in the lead up to COP27 which will take place in Egypt in November.  Hosted by the Government of the United Arab Emirates with support from United Nations and other multilateral and national agencies, the climate week will focus on regional climate action and collaborations needed to build climate-resilient economies and societies, and integrate climate action into pandemic recovery.   Main events will take place at the Dubai Exhibition Center, which is currently hosting Expo 2020. 
  25 April - 8 May | UN Biodiversity Conference (Part Two) | Kunming, China The UN Biodiversity Conference, which was expected to take place in 2020 in China, has now been split into two parts. In October 2021, the first part helped to set the stage for the next meeting in the Spring of 2022, with the adoption of the Kunming Declaration, which calls on countries to negotiate and agree on a global biodiversity framework, and the establishment of the Kunming Biodiversity Fund which saw commitments from China, France, the European Union, Japan and others. The second part, which is expected to resume with in-person sessions, will mark a major moment for global biodiversity with the adoption of the framework that will redefine our relationship with the natural environment. It will include 21 targets and 10 ‘milestones’ to be achieved by 2030, with net improvements by 2050 - including the conservation and protection of at least 30 percent of the planet’s lands and ocean. Countries had until 2020 to reach the targets of the last framework, known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Despite some progress, the targets – which range from stopping species from extinction to cutting pollution and preserving forests – were not achieved. The post-2020 framework will be critical in addressing the ongoing decline in biodiversity. 2 - 6 May  | XV World Forestry Congress 2022 | Seoul, Republic of Korea Eliminating emissions from deforestation and promoting forest regrowth and landscape restoration could reduce global net emissions by up to 30 percent. Over the next decade, forests could provide as much as 50 percent of the cost-effective mitigation available.  Taking place under the theme, Building a Green, Healthy and Resilient Future with Forests, the World Forestry Congress will focus on six sub-themes, including reversing forest loss, sustainable use of nature-based solutions and forest resources, and forest monitoring and data collection.  
  9 - 21 May | 15th UN Conference on Desertification | Côte d'Ivoire The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned in 2019 that roughly 500 million people live in areas that experience desertification. When land is degraded, it becomes less productive, restricting what can be grown and reducing the soil’s ability to absorb carbon. This exacerbates climate change and extreme weather events such as drought, heatwaves and dust storms, while climate change in turn exacerbates land degradation in many different ways. The next Conference on Desertification will be an urgent call to scale up land restoration as well as nature-based solutions for climate action.  
  2 - 3 June | Stockholm+50 | Sweden Fifty years ago, the first world conference on the environment played a significant role in drawing attention to the inextricable goals of poverty alleviation and environmental protection - a link that has influenced climate debates ever since, recognizing the interconnections between humans and nature.  Consequently, the conference gave birth to environmental diplomacy - in an effort to reconcile economic development and environmental management, paving the way for the establishment of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the concept of sustainable development. It also resulted in the formation of national environmental ministries and a series of new global agreements to protect the environment.   Today, as UNEP marks five decades of its work to strengthen environmental diplomacy, standards and practices, it will host Stockholm+50 with Sweden and Kenya, aiming to recommit and strengthen our ability to overcome the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.
  26 - 30 June | World Urban Forum 11 | Katowice, Poland Cities across the globe are facing – and fighting – climate change. Home to 4.5 billion people today, cities are projected to grow by almost 50 percent by 2050. They are engines of growth and innovation, generating 80 percent of the world’s GDP along with 70 percent of global carbon emissions. In recent years, as the epicentre of growth, cities have been struggling to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and to prepare for the worsening impact of climate change. By 2050, 800 million people in 570 coastal cities could see sea-level rise of half a meter and intensifying storm surges. Global warming may leave more than 1.6 billion urbanites facing an average summertime temperature of 35C. Despite the growing challenges, cities have also been on the frontline of the climate movement and more recently, more than 1,000 cities announced their intention to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Organized under the theme, Transforming our Cities for a Better Urban Future, the forthcoming World Urban Forum will be an opportunity to look at the future of cities based on existing trends, challenges and opportunities as well as how they can be better prepared to handle present and future shocks.  27 June - 1 July | UN Ocean Conference | Lisbon, Portugal The ocean is the greatest ally in our efforts to address the climate emergency. It generates 50 percent of the oxygen we need and absorbs 25 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. It is not just ‘the lungs of the planet’ but also its largest carbon sink - a vital buffer against the impacts of climate change. But the ocean is in trouble – from the impacts of climate change, pollution, loss of natural habitat and other destructive human activities. The forthcoming Ocean Conference, which was scheduled to take place in 2020, will be the second time the United Nations convenes a high-level meeting on the issue.   Organized with support from the Governments of Portugal and Kenya, the conference will be a call for ocean action - urging global leaders and all relevant sectors to boost ambition, mobilize partnerships and increase investment in science-driven and innovative approaches to reverse the decline in ocean health.  It will also be a clarion call to communities, businesses and individuals to play their part to curb marine pollution and commit to responsible consumption of ocean resources.
  7 - 18 November | UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) | Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt The annual UN Climate Change Conference is expected to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt in 2022. It will advance the global climate talks, mobilize action, and provide a significant opportunity to look at the impacts of climate change in Africa.  A newly released report by the World Meteorological Organization and partners, the State of the Climate in Africa 2020, warned of the continent’s disproportionate vulnerability, estimating that by 2030, up to 118 million extremely poor Africans will be exposed to drought, floods and extreme heat. This in turn will affect progress towards poverty alleviation and economic growth, leaving more people in entrenched and widespread poverty.  The report estimates that the investment in climate adaptation for sub-Saharan Africa would cost between $30 to $50 billion each year over the next decade, or roughly two to three per cent of GDP - enough to spark job opportunities and economic development while prioritizing a sustainable and green recovery.

The pride parade filled the streets of Belgrade with colours and music. Starting from Manjež park, people paraded around the city centre cheering and singing in unison. Among the cheerful crowd came Karim*, along with a few other asylum-seekers residing in Belgrade. Karim, who arrived in Serbia two years ago, enthusiastically talked about the parade and what it meant for him to attend this event. “It’s a great day for the LGBTIQ+ population in Serbia. Life in my country is dangerous for us, and I truly want to be myself,” he says. Karim faces dual hardship: as an LGBTIQ+ person and an asylum-seeker. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), together with the Serbian Government, has been assisting and empowering LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers as a particularly vulnerable group. “UNHCR assures the protection of LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers. We also raise awareness on the rights of LGBTIQ+ people in Serbia both directly among them and among the rest of society. When we spread this information, we make sure that we leave the door open for LGBTIQ+ beneficiaries to feel comfortable to come forward and ask for our assistance,” explains Edlira Baka-Peco, UNHCR’s Protection Officer. Thanks to the European Union funding, UNHCR actively supports the LGBTIQ+ beneficiaries integration-related activities of its partner organisations such as Crisis Response and Policy Centre (CRPC). “CRPC has established a relationship of trust with them, and we are present in various asylum centres around Serbia, such as Krnjača and Banja Koviljača. We hold sessions on discrimination and LGBTIQ+ rights for the POCs who came out or were outed, as well as for all the other groups and the staff in the centres.” affirms Vladimir Sjekloča, CRPC’s director. The EU continuously supports refugees and migrants in Serbia, including their accommodation and the provision of services within 19 Government-run asylum and reception centres. “Migrants and refugees must not be stigmatized because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation. The EU stands against any form of discrimination and with LGBTIQ+ people for their rights. Everyone has the right to be proud of who they are, and institutions are to continue to uphold those rights,” said Dirk Lorenz from the EU Delegation to Serbia. Working alongside LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers to strengthen their inclusion in the Serbian society, is also a must. “The first months upon my arrival to Serbia were quite hard. CRPC has given me a chance to meet different people through various activities and events and I enjoy taking part in them. I started talking to new people and made friends, which made me feel better here,” says Karim. After the formidable obstacles LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers have had to face in their home countries or on the route, UNHCR seeks to facilitate their participation in the Serbian society by encouraging their involvement in all kinds of activities. “UNHCR, along with all the UN agencies in Serbia, attended the parade to show our support and solidarity for the LGBTIQ+ community. We also went in hope that many LGBTIQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers would feel that they belong and are free to join the parade either with us or independently,” says Edlira. Together with the EU and the civil society, UNHCR will lend a helping hand to LGBTIQ+ refugees and to empower them to fully integrate into Serbian society. For Karim, Belgrade has a lot of similarities to his hometown and he believes he could fit in without too much difficulty. Proudly, he explains that he was able to return to his initial career as a restaurant manager in the hospitality industry in Belgrade. His next step is taking Serbian classes so that he can easily communicate with Serbian people. Although he already has some knowledge of the language through his job, he wants to have a solid foundation to help him feel even more at home.   *The name of the boy has been changed for protection reasons Written by Shiraz Haghdoust Mehrabadi 

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the launch of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, the band Pretty Loud, in collaboration with UN Serbia and the Coordination Body for Gender Equality, releases the music video for the song “Ravnopravno” (Equal) Belgrade, 24 November 2021 – Ravnopravno is the latest song / music video by Pretty Loud, the first all-female Roma hip hop band in Serbia, created to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the launch of the global 16-day campaign. Violence against women is a ubiquitous social problem that cannot be exclusively attributed to any single social class, and one that affects all women irrespective of their education level, socio-economic status and other socio-demographic characteristics. However, women with disabilities, women living in rural areas, women in traditional, minority or Roma communities, who face various challenges on a daily basis, find it even more difficult to speak out about
violence and to seek help. Therefore, the aim of the Ravnopravno music video, released as part of this year’s 16-day campaign, is to send a message to the general public about the various forms of violence against women, as well as to help young people to recognize it and adopt a constructive attitude towards eliminating all forms of violence as they grow up. Ravnopravno tells a story about a young woman growing up in an atmosphere of violence. Told from her perspective, the story exposes various traditional and cultural dimensions of violence against women, which often remain taboo subjects. “All women should bravely stand up and speak openly about the violence taking place every day in various communities. This issue is not given sufficient attention. How do we go about changing this? We have decided to stop the violence using music. Hence we made this song and this music video. We would like to see more articles on positive topics, on women being successful, independent and very brave”, said the Pretty Loud girls. “All women and girls, especially those from vulnerable groups, should live their lives free from violence, should be encouraged to report violence, and should receive timely and efficient protection against it. As the United Nations in Serbia, in cooperation with all our partners, we will continue our joint efforts towards building a society in which violence is not tolerated and perpetrators are punished”, said Françoise Jacob, UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia. Combating gender-based violence is one of the objectives of the Republic of Serbia’s gender equality policy, and domestic violence is prohibited by law. Despite considerable progress in this regard, many women and girls in Serbia still live in fear of violence and the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 epidemic pose an additional challenge for ensuring their full safety. “Violence against women and girls is widespread and constitutes a major social problem. It is, therefore, imperative that we all increase our efforts towards preventing violence, as well as working with the perpetrators and educating the youth and entire communities. Roma girls and women are multiply vulnerable and discriminated against, and are exposed to the most serious violation of human rights – child marriage. We must fight against this, since underage marriages affect the social well-being of a country and undermine the development and future of every girl. The very moment that girls enter such unions, they face alarming risks of violence, impaired health, inability to continue their education, and are precluded from gaining economic independence and dreaming of a better life. Child marriage does constitute a form of violence against women and girls”, said Prof. Zorana Mihajlović, Deputy Prime Minister and Chair of the Coordination Body for Gender Equality. Although gender-based violence is widespread and mostly affects women and girls of various ages and takes various forms, in recent years we have witnessed an increasing number of women who are encouraged to report violence and seek institutional assistance, as well as a developing positive climate in society and communities that are ready to support the victims and condemn violence. The activism and voices of young women, including the members of Pretty Loud, are symbols of the new generations that are capable of changing the reality and creating a society based on equality, in which violence will be totally unacceptable.
The music video for Ravnopravno is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85uoOsHFpaM PRETTY LOUD is the first all-female Roma band. It was founded as part of the activities of the GRUBB foundation, at the initiative of a group of girls and young women aged between 15 and 27. Roma women are predominantly housewives, dropping out of school early and marrying young. Pretty Loud breaks this stereotype. They are proudly fusing rap and hip hop with Roma music to create a unique blend, while combining contemporary and urban movement with the traditionaldance. Their lyrics send straightforward messages on the importance of education, the right to personal choice and independence, and maintain that underage marriage is not a Roma tradition. They sing about their daily challenges, hopes and discrimination, as well as about love and equality. GRUBB works with Roma children and youth to ensure that everyone can achieve their full potential and social integration. In 2017, GRUBB's innovative method was the winner of the 2017 EU Award for Roma Integration.