UNIS/SGSM/1356
11 October 2023
2023 has shattered temperature records, and seen record drought, fire and floods around the world. Poverty and inequality are exacerbating these disasters.
Those with least are often at greatest risk from extreme weather. They may live in places that are more susceptible to flooding and drought; and they have fewer resources to deal with damage and to recover from it. They suffer disproportionately as a result, and may be pushed further into poverty.
Fighting inequality for a resilient future, is the theme of this year’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. Countries must work to break the cycle of poverty and disaster by honouring the Paris Agreement, striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
We must also tackle inequality at the global level, by operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund at COP28 this year and ensuring that every person on Earth is covered by an early warning system by 2027.
This International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction let us reaffirm our commitment to investing in resilience and adaptation, and building a safe and just future for everyone, everywhere.
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"Together, we can make 2025 a new beginning. Not as a world divided. But as nations united. " — António Guterres
The UN Convention against Cybercrime aims to prevent and combat cybercrime more efficiently and effectively, including by strengthening international cooperation and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building support, particularly for developing countries.
I welcome the landmark adoption of a new international convention on cybercrime by the United Nations General Assembly. This remarkable step represents the first UN international legal instrument on crime-related issues in over 20 years, and it comes at exactly the right time.
"On this International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, I call on countries to heed the lessons of past health emergencies to help prepare for the next." — António Guterres
