UNIS/SGSM/1452
31 October 2024
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami – one of the deadliest disasters in recent history. More than 230,000 people lost their lives.
On this World Tsunami Awareness Day, we honour the victims and recommit to protecting the 700 million people around the world who are at risk from tsunamis.
The best way to do so is by all partners delivering on the United Nations Early Warnings for All initiative that helps ensure every person on Earth is alerted when tsunamis and other disasters are on the way.
Education is vital to saving lives, and as this year’s theme reminds us, the participation of children and young people is critical. I urge governments and partners in coastal communities to raise awareness, so children and young people know how and where to evacuate to higher ground.
Together, let’s ensure people’s futures are not swept away by tsunamis. Let’s build resilience – now.
* *** *
We must transform how we produce and consume, and how we value nature, says the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, "Biodiversity is the bedrock of life and a cornerstone of sustainable development.... Biodiversity loss is a global challenge. No one country, however rich or powerful, can address it alone. Nor can they live without the rich biodiversity that defines our planet."
LGBTIQ+ people around the world face an onslaught of hate speech, attacks, and restrictions on their rights. The power of communities is the theme this year which reminds us that we are strongest together. "LGBTIQ+ people, and those working with them to secure their rights, have proved time and again the value of communities in providing support and driving change," says UN Secretary-General António Guterres
"From the telegraph to radio, from the Internet to Artificial Intelligence, technology has transformed how we live, work, and connect." — António Guterres
Barbados signed and deposited its instrument of ratification for the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships (the “Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships”) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 8 May 2025.
