Daily Wrap

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Daily Wrap 25 September 2020 UN Photo/Loey Felipe Japan to 'proactively lead' on COVID-19 response efforts Japan has signaled its intention to take a leading role in global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftershocks, with new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga highlighting the links between recovery, health and economic development.  UN Affairs UN Photo/Rick Bajornas 'Things have to change' Canada's Trudeau declares amid COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that the world must change, as multilateral systems established decades ago are not working as they should, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada told the UN General Assembly on Friday.  UN Affairs UNDP Tuvalu/Aurélia Rusek Pacific small islands and 'Big Ocean' nations at UN Assembly make the case for shift to clean energy Facing constant threats from climate change and wary of the possible spread of COVID-19 to their shores, Pacific Island leaders on Friday touted their own environmental action plans and called for more aggressive climate action from other nations, including rapid shifts toward clean energy.  UN Affairs UN Photo/Evan Schneider Human rights, multilateralism and battling COVID-19, top focus of European Union The European Union has been at the forefront of international cooperation to defeat "the same common enemy", COVID-19, the President of the European Council, told the UN General Assembly on Friday. UN Affairs UN Photo/Evan Schneider Italy calls for reinvigorated multilateral system to combat 'invisible enemy', COVID-19 Today the world is faced with "an invisible enemy" that has upended lives, suffocated the world economy and limited freedoms, the Prime Minster of Italy told the United Nations on Friday. UN Affairs UN Photo/Rick Bajornas Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan warns of rising Islamophobia The driving force in international relations must be cooperation, in accordance with the principles of international law, and not confrontation, the Prime Minister of Pakistan told world leaders gathered virtually at the UN General Assembly.  UN Affairs UN Photo/Evan Schneider Pandemic is 'a time to separate what is necessary from what is not': Pope Francis The COVID-19 pandemic is a trial, but also "a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not", Pope Francis told world leaders on Friday, in his virtual address to the UN General Assembly.  UN Affairs UN Photo/Evan Schneider How long must we wait for a just solution, Palestinian President Abbas asks world leaders The President of the State of Palestine addressed, via a pre-recorded video, the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, highlighting the suffering of his people and the misery they experience every day "while the world stands by watching." UN Affairs UNAMID Progress on Sudan political transition, but challenges remain, Security Council hears Political developments in Sudan continue to move along a positive trajectory, while planning for a UN mission to assist the transitional government is progressing, the UN Security Council heard on Friday.  Peace and Security World Bank Conflict, climate crisis, threaten fragile gains to advance women and children's health Fragile gains made over the past decade to advance women and children's health are threatened by conflict, the climate crisis and COVID-19, according to a new report from Every Woman Every Child, released on Friday. Women UN/file photo Updated influenza vaccine advice targets protection of elderly and health workers Amid a potential global shortage in influenza vaccines and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the UN health agency has advised countries to protect the elderly and health workers first. Health UN News/Diana Leal Inclusion and more public participation, will help forge better government policies: Guterres Not only COVID-19, but climate protests, struggles for more inclusive politics, human rights and waning public trust, have put a magnifying glass to the social and economic injustices plaguing societies, the UN Secretary-General said on Friday.  Human Rights Kseniya Halubovich Belarus must release opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava, stress independent rights experts A group of UN independent human rights experts have called on Belarus to release prominent opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava, voicing serious concern over targeting and persecution of opposition politicians by the State.  Human Rights Coronavirus Portal & News Updates Readers can find information and guidance on the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from the UN, World Health Organization and UN agencies here. For daily news updates from UN News, click here. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences