Nature is suffering. Oceans filling with plastic and turning more acidic. Extreme heat, wildfires and floods, have affected millions of people. Even these days, we are still facing COVID-19, a worldwide health pandemic linked to the health of our ecosystem. Climate change, man-made changes to nature as well as crimes that disrupt biodiversity, such as deforestation, land-use change, intensified agriculture and livestock production or the growing illegal wildlife trade, can accelerate the speed of destruction of the planet. This is the first Mother Earth Day celebrated within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people. Restoring our damaged ecosystems will help to end poverty, combat climate change and prevent mass extinction. But we will only succeed if everyone plays a part. For this International Mother Earth Day, let's remimd ourselves - more than ever - that we need a shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. Let’s promote harmony with nature and the Earth. Join the global movement to restore our world!

“The 2030 Agenda remains our blueprint for action. Rescuing the Sustainable Development Goals in the Decade of Action across the region is, and will remain, the absolute priority for our work,” Ms. Mohammed told the Resident Coordinators gathered in Geneva for a meeting back to back with the Regional Forum for Sustainable Development.

“Attaining the SDGs will mean overcoming setbacks that had already been caused by COVID-19, and accelerating efforts in-country and across the region.”

The UN Development Coordination Office’s Europe and Central Asia network is made up of Resident Coordinators posted in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo (UNSCR 1244), Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Unprecedented Challenges “This region faces unprecedented challenges as war rages in Ukraine,” Ms. Mohammed said.

“The most directly affected country is Ukraine itself, of course. But the effects of the war are being felt across the whole the region. Some are humanitarian, as countries in the region display unprecedented solidarity by taking in refugees from Ukraine. And some are economic, as trade ties and labor markets are disrupted.” For example, of the 4.3 million people who have fled from Ukraine since 24 February, around 399,000 have crossed the border into Moldova, according to data from 5 April. Given that Moldova is a nation of just four million people, in proportion to its population it is the country with the highest number of arrivals from Ukraine in the world. Around two-thirds of the refugees have moved on to other countries, notably neighboring Romania, but tens of thousands have remained in Moldova.

Among the other pressures in the region is the spillover effect from international sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation, with inflation of currencies, increased import bills, higher consumer prices for food staples, and increased production costs. Specifically, countries in Central Asia are highly dependent on remittances from labour migrants in Russia, which for millions of households are the sole source of income for families. Central Asian countries that neighbour Afghanistan had already been facing impacts from the upsurge in that country’s crisis since in 2021.

In addition, the region is continuing to face the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Mohammed underscored that, as the representatives of the UN Secretary-General for development in countries, Resident Coordinators have convening power, an ability to broker partnerships, and to provide the effective coordination needed to achieve results on the ground.

Given the massive impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine, like their role in the COVID-19 response, Resident Coordinators will be delivering fast-tracked development support to countries in the region. She added that gender inequality remains a priority to address in the region and is a major hurdle to sustainable and inclusive development. For example, gender gaps are persistent in participation in the labor force (66 per cent men compared to 50.6 per cent women) and wages (about 30 per cent); and women continue to face several major constraints including lack of affordable and quality childcare, the double burden of domestic and professional work and social pressure to conform to gender roles. 

In addition, inequalities are fueling political, economic, and social tensions, human rights abuses, violence against women, and conflicts, she warned. Selected Quotes from Resident Coordinators:

Osnat Lubrani, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, highlighted that “the UN is scaling up the humanitarian response, working closely with the Government of Ukraine and using national system to provide multi-purpose cash assistance. But there is a massive destruction of infrastructure that will require significant support to recover.”

Fiona McCluney, the UN Resident Coordinator for Albania, stressed the importance of partnership to deliver on the 2030 Agenda. She also underscored the need to ensure coherence in strategies and approaches, in particular in “safeguarding the focus on climate action and to mitigate the risk that its ambition is scaled back because of pressures of the war and from the private sector.”   

Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, limiting global warming to 1.5°C is beyond reach. However, there is increasing evidence of climate action, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released today. Since 2010, there have been sustained decreases of up to 85% in the costs of solar and wind energy, and batteries. An increasing range of policies and laws have enhanced energy efficiency, reduced rates of deforestation and accelerated the deployment of renewable energy. “We are at a crossroads. The decisions we make now can secure a liveable future. We have the tools and know-how required to limit warming,” said IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee.  “I am encouraged by climate action being taken in many countries. There are policies, regulations and market instruments that are proving effective.  If these are scaled up and applied more widely and equitably, they can support deep emissions reductions and stimulate innovation.” The Summary for Policymakers of the IPCC Working Group III report, Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of climate change was approved on April 4 2022, by 195 member governments of the IPCC, through a virtual approval session that started on March 21. It is the third instalment of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), which will be completed this year. We have options in all sectors to at least halve emissions by 2030 Limiting global warming will require major transitions in the energy sector. This will involve a substantial reduction in fossil fuel use, widespread electrification, improved energy efficiency, and use of alternative fuels (such as hydrogen). “Having the right policies, infrastructure and technology in place to enable changes to our lifestyles and behaviour can result in a 40-70% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This offers significant untapped potential,” said IPCC Working Group III Co-Chair Priyadarshi Shukla. “The evidence also shows that these lifestyle changes can improve our health and wellbeing.” Cities and other urban areas also offer significant opportunities for emissions reductions.  These can be achieved through lower energy consumption (such as by creating compact, walkable cities), electrification of transport in combination with low-emission energy sources, and enhanced carbon uptake and storage using nature. There are options for established, rapidly growing and new cities. “We see examples of zero energy or zero-carbon buildings in almost all climates,” said IPCC Working Group III Co-Chair Jim Skea. “Action in this decade is critical to capture the mitigation potential of buildings.” Reducing emissions in industry will involve using materials more efficiently, reusing and recycling products and minimising waste. For basic materials, including steel, building materials and chemicals, low- to zero-greenhouse gas production processes are at their pilot to near-commercial stage. This sector accounts for about a quarter of global emissions. Achieving net zero will be challenging and will require new production processes, low and zero emissions electricity, hydrogen, and, where necessary, carbon capture and storage. Agriculture, forestry, and other land use can provide large-scale emissions reductions and also remove and store carbon dioxide at scale. However, land cannot compensate for delayed emissions reductions in other sectors.  Response options can benefit biodiversity, help us adapt to climate change, and secure livelihoods, food and water, and wood supplies. The next few years are critical In the scenarios we assessed, limiting warming to around 1.5°C (2.7°F) requires global greenhouse gas emissions to peak before 2025 at the latest, and be reduced by 43% by 2030; at the same time, methane would also need to be reduced by about a third. Even if we do this, it is almost inevitable that we will temporarily exceed this temperature threshold but could return to below it by the end of the century. “It’s now or never, if we want to limit global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F),” said Skea. “Without immediate and deep emissions reductions across all sectors, it will be impossible.” The global temperature will stabilise when carbon dioxide emissions reach net zero. For 1.5°C (2.7°F), this means achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions globally in the early 2050s; for 2°C (3.6°F), it is in the early 2070s.   This assessment shows that limiting warming to around 2°C (3.6°F) still requires global greenhouse gas emissions to peak before 2025 at the latest, and be reduced by a quarter by 2030. Closing investment gaps The report looks beyond technologies and demonstrates that while financial flows are a factor of three to six times lower than levels needed by 2030 to limit warming to below 2°C (3.6°F), there is sufficient global capital and liquidity to close investment gaps. However, it relies on clear signalling from governments and the international community, including a stronger alignment of public sector finance and policy. “Without taking into account the economic benefits of reduced adaptation costs or avoided climate impacts, global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would be just a few percentage points lower in 2050 if we take the actions necessary to limit warming to 2°C (3.6°F) or below, compared to maintaining current policies,” said Shukla. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Accelerated and equitable climate action in mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts is critical to sustainable development.  Some response options can absorb and store carbon and, at the same time, help communities limit the impacts associated with climate change. For example, in cities, networks of parks and open spaces, wetlands and urban agriculture can reduce flood risk and reduce heat-island effects. Mitigation in industry can reduce environmental impacts and increase employment and business opportunities. Electrification with renewables and shifts in public transport can enhance health, employment, and equity. “Climate change is the result of more than a century of unsustainable energy and land use, lifestyles and patterns of consumption and production,” said Skea. “This report shows how taking action now can move us towards a fairer, more sustainable world.” For more information, please contact: IPCC Press Office, Email: ipcc-media@wmo.int IPCC Working Group III: 
Sigourney Luz: s.luz@ipcc-wg3.ac.uk

On 10 March 2022, thanks in part to UNICEF’s advocacy efforts, the National Council of the Roma National Minority adopted the Declaration on the Abolition of Child Marriage. It was adopted because of the consensus reached by Roma leaders. This is the first time that a national representative body of the Roma minority in Serbia has issued such a declaration, calling on Roma leaders, men and women, as well as Roma associations, to reassess the practice and belief that child marriage is part of the cultural heritage of Roma people. The Declaration clearly defines child marriage as a violation of child rights which endangers the lives and future of girls and boys, deprives them of the opportunity to make decisions about their lives, hinders their education, makes them vulnerable to violence, discrimination, and abuse. The National Council of the Roma National Minority also calls on the institutions of the Republic of Serbia and local self-governments to implement and support laws and policies that prevent child marriage and protect children at risk. This Declaration is a great step towards abandoning practices and beliefs that prevent children and families from the Roma community from reaching their full potential.