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Good News Agency

In spite of everything, a culture of peace is emerging in all fields of human endeavour

monthly, year 23rd, number 313 – 31st January 2023

 

Good News Agency carries positive and constructive news from all over the world relating to voluntary work, the work of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and institutions engaged in improving the quality of life – news that doesn’t “burn out” in the space of a day. It is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists, NGOs, service associations and high schools and colleges around the world.

It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, an educational charity associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information It is a supporter of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace. In the final report of the Decade for a Culture of Peace project (2001-2010) provided to the UN Secretary-General for presentation to the UN General Assembly, Good News Agency is included among the three NGOs that have been playing an active role in the field of Information through Internet.* 

 

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The news are be divided into seven areas of reference:

 

1.         Government and politics

2.         Education and teaching

3.         Economy, finance and planning

4.         Arts of living and relationships

5.         Work, science and industry

6.         Society and communication

7.         Rules, regulations and environment

 

In this way we intend to cover seven main fields of human life and activities, in which to record and promote, as always, the presence of goodwill in action and the culture of peace and cooperation that are for us the guiding values in these complex times. Each news item you will find in the seven fields will in turn be linked to one in particular of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

 

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030 United Nations

 

SDGs number 1-No Poverty-

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere

 

SDGs number 2-Zero Hunger

Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

 

SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

 

SDGs number 4-Quality Education

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

 

SDGs number 5-Gender Equality

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

 

SDGs number 6-Clean Water and Sanitation

Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

 

SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

 

SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth

Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

 

SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

 

SDGs number 10-Reduced Inequalities

Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries

 

SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

 

SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

 

SDGs number 13-Climate Action

Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

 

SDGs number 14- Life below Water

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

 

SDGs number 15-Life on Land

Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

 

SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

 

News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships to achieve the Goals

Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

 

 

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Contents

Government and politicsEducation and teachingEconomy, finance and planning

Arts of living and relationshipsWork, science and industry

Society and communicationRules, regulations and environment

 

Government and politics
(top)

 

United Nations – General Assembly - Seventy-seventh session – Agenda item 99 (nn)

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 7 December 2022: Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

15 December 2022 - The General Assembly (…)

1. Urges all States not parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions to ratify or accede to it as soon as possible, and all States parties that are in a position to do so to promote adherence to the Convention through bilateral, subregional and multilateral contacts, outreach and other means;

2. Stresses the importance of the full and effective implementation of and compliance with the Convention, including through the implementation of the Lausanne Action Plan, as appropriate; (…)

4. Urges all States parties to provide the Secretary-General with complete and timely information as required under article 7 of the Convention in order to promote transparency and compliance with the Convention; (…)

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N22/739/69/PDF/N2273969.pdf?OpenElement

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

United Nations – General Assembly - Seventy-seventh session – Agenda item 99 (mm)

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 7 December 2022: Ethical imperatives for a nuclear-weapon-free world

14 December 2022 - The General Assembly (…)

1. Calls upon all States to acknowledge the catastrophic humanitarian consequences and risks posed by a nuclear weapon detonation, whether by accident, miscalculation or design;

2. Acknowledges the ethical imperatives for nuclear disarmament and the urgency of achieving and maintaining a nuclear-weapon-free world, which is a “global public good of the highest order”, serving both national and collective security interests;

3. Declares that:

(a) The global threat posed by nuclear weapons must urgently be eliminated; (…)

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N22/738/07/PDF/N2273807.pdf?OpenElement

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

United Nations – General Assembly - Seventy-seventh session – Agenda item 13 and 72 - 2025 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

13 December 2022 - The General Assembly (…)

1. Decides to convene the high-level 2025 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development in France, in June 2025, to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14; (…)

4. Decides to consider, before the end of the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly, the modalities of the Conference in the most efficient and effective manner possible;

5. Expresses its intention to consider further opportunities to actively involve Governments, civil society, the private sector, the United Nations system and other actors in driving progress and supporting the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14.

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N22/748/81/pdf/N2274881.pdf?OpenElement

News related with SDGs number 14- Life below Water

 

United Nations – General Assembly - Seventy-seventh session – Agenda item 14 - : Culture of Peace

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 6 December 2022: International Year of Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace, 2023

8 December 2022 - The General Assembly (…)

1. Declares 2023 the International Year of Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace;

2. Underlines that the International Year of Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace constitutes a means of mobilizing the efforts of the international community to promote peace and trust among nations based on, inter alia, political dialogue, negotiations, mutual understanding and cooperation, in order to build sustainable peace, solidarity and harmony;

3. Calls upon the international community to resolve conflicts through inclusive dialogue and negotiation in order to ensure the strengthening of peace and trust in relations between Member States as a value that promotes sustainable development, peace and security and human rights; (…)

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N22/729/47/PDF/N2272947.pdf?OpenElement

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

DIRECTIVE (EU) 2022/2381 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 23 November 2022 on improving the gender balance among directors of listed companies and related measures (Text with EEA relevance)

7 December 2022 - The European Parliament and the of the European Union (…) have adopted this Directive:

Article 1

Purpose

This Directive aims to achieve a more balanced representation of women and men among the directors of listed companies by establishing effective measures that aim to accelerate progress towards gender balance, while allowing listed companies sufficient time to make the necessary arrangements for that purpose.

Article 2

Scope

This Directive applies to listed companies. This Directive does not apply to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). (…)

Article 5

Objectives with regard to gender balance on boards

1.   Member States shall ensure that listed companies are subject to either of the following objectives, to be reached by 30 June 2026:

(a) members of the underrepresented sex hold at least 40 % of non-executive director positions;

(b) members of the underrepresented sex hold at least 33 % of all director positions, including both executive and non-executive directors. (…)

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2022.315.01.0044.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AL%3A2022%3A315%3ATOC

News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality

 

United Nations – General Assembly - Seventy-seventh session – Agenda item 127 (y) - : Cooperation

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 21 November 2022: Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL))

25 November 2022 - The General Assembly (…)

1. Calls for the strengthening of cooperation between the United Nations and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), within their respective mandates, in accordance with applicable international law, in (a) preventing and combating transnational crime, including illicit maritime activities, in particular transnational organized crime, including the smuggling of migrants, trafficking in persons, drug trafficking, piracy, the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in small arms and light weapons and ammunitions, illicit trafficking in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials,(…)

2.  Emphasizes the importance of optimal coordination and cooperation between the United Nations and INTERPOL in countering terrorism, with particular regard to the threat posed by the travel of foreign terrorist fighters, including those who return or relocate, and in strengthening international efforts to ensure that refugee status is not abused by the perpetrators, organizers and facilitators of terrorist acts, consistent with the obligations of Member States under international law, (…)

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N22/708/79/PDF/N2270879.pdf?OpenElement

News related with SDGs number 17-Partnerships for the Goals

 

 

Education and teaching
(top)

 

The 2019 Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education will enter into force with the ratification of Andorra

17 January 2023 - On 5 December 2022, Andorra deposited with the Director-General its instrument of ratification of the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education (Paris, 25 November 2019). In accordance with the terms of its Article XVIII.1, the Convention will enter into force three months after the date of deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession. The conditions for the entry into force provided for under this Article having been met on the above-mentioned date, the Convention will enter into force on 5 March 2023, with respect to the following States: Andorra, Armenia, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Estonia, France, Holy See, Iceland, Japan, Lithuania, Nicaragua, Norway, Palestine, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Tunisia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/2019-global-convention-recognition-qualifications-concerning-higher-education-will-enter-force?hub=701

News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education

 

NEH Announces $28.1 Million for 204 Humanities Projects Nationwide

Grant awards support humanities initiatives at college campuses, conservation research, innovative digital resources, and infrastructure projects at cultural institutions

10 January 2023, Washington, DC - The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced $28.1 million in grants for 204 humanities projects across the country.  Numerous grants awarded today support innovative projects that use emerging digital tools and technologies to further humanities research and increase the accessibility of public programs, cultural and archival materials, and educational resources for large audiences. Sixteen new NEH Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants will leverage federal funding to stimulate private investment in capital improvement projects at historical and cultural institutions. NEH Humanities Initiatives grants will fund educational resources, programs, curricula, and other projects that enhance teaching and learning in the humanities at 29 two- and four-year colleges and universities. In addition to these direct grant awards, NEH provides operating support to the agency’s humanities council partners, which make NEH-funded grants throughout the year in every U.S. state and territory.

https://www.neh.gov/news/neh-announces-281-million-204-humanities-projects-nationwide

News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education

 

UIL signs cooperation agreement with Shanghai Normal University

10 January 2023 - On 4 January 2023, the Director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), David Atchoarena, signed a four-year cooperation agreement with the Shanghai Normal University (SHNU), People’s Republic of China. As part of the cooperation, UIL and SHNU will jointly strengthen the training of teachers as lifelong learners and provide the basis for the next generation of the Global Report on Adult Learning and Education (GRALE). Teachers are key to transforming education systems into lifelong learning ecosystems. The cooperation project will hence produce new research and support the development of integrated learning policies by producing evidence and tools and sharing experiences with regard to the role, profile and learning strategies of teachers. In addition, the cooperation will support the next generation of GRALE, the only global report that monitors and compares developments in adult learning and education.

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/uil-signs-cooperation-agreement-shanghai-normal-university?hub=701

News related with SDGs number 4-Quality Education

 

Lasting traditions: How Dao healers are custodians of indigenous knowledge and the natural environment

20 December 2022 - Collecting and processing medicinal plants requires knowledge of the surroundings and the complex forest-based ecosystems in which they grow. These medicinal plants only survive in areas where their original habitats are intact. Where harmful farming practices are used, such as excessive use of chemical fertilizers, plants cease to flourish. IFAD’s Indigenous Peoples Assistance Facility (IPAF) finances small grants that support Indigenous Peoples to build their own culture, identity, knowledge, natural resources, intellectual property, and human rights. Through the principle of free, prior and informed consent, IFAD ensures that Indigenous Peoples drive their own development and determine their own future. Indigenous communities around the world have deep knowledge and understanding of the environments that have nurtured them for generations. Protecting these ecosystems is not just a matter of conserving nature, it’s about protecting the diversity of human cultures. Holders of traditional knowledge are custodians, passing on lifegiving wisdom to the future.

https://www.ifad.org/en/web/latest/-/lasting-traditions-how-dao-healers-are-custodians-of-indigenous-knowledge-and-the-natural-environment?p_l_back_url=%2Fen%2Fweb%2Flatest%2Fstories

News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land

 

 

Economy, finance and planning
(top)

 

Researchers harvest electricity from wood soaking in water

14 December 2022 - Water and wood may one day be all that's needed to provide electrical power for a household. At a time when energy is a critical issue for many millions of people worldwide, scientists in Sweden have managed to generate electricity with the help of these two renewable resources. The method reported in the scientific journal Advanced Functional Materials by researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology focuses on what naturally happens after wood is placed in water, and the water evaporates. Transpiration, a process in which water moves through a plant, is constantly occurring in nature. And it produces small amounts of electricity, known as bioelectricity (…) can now be harvested. (…)

https://www.biofueldaily.com/reports/Researchers_harvest_electricity_from_wood_soaking_in_water_999.html

News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

An important step towards strong and durable biobased plastics

14 December 2022 - In a recent paper in Nature Communications, researchers at the Industrial Sustainable Chemistry group led by Prof. Gert-Jan Gruter take an important step towards the production of fully biobased, rigid polyesters. They present a simple, yet innovative, synthesis strategy to overcome the inherently low reactivity of biobased secondary diols and arrive at polyesters that have very good mechanical- and thermal properties, and at the same time high molecular weights. It enables the production of very strong and durable biobased plastics from building blocks that are already commercially available. (…)

https://www.biofueldaily.com/reports/An_important_step_towards_strong_and_durable_biobased_plastics_999.html

News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

UPM Biochemicals’ Leuna biorefinery receives first delivery of wood

(by Meghan Sapp)

13 December 2022 - In Germany, UPM Biochemicals’ biorefinery at Leuna in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, moved one step closer to creating the world beyond fossils when the first delivery of wood from sustainably managed regional forests arrived in mid-November. The wood is both a symbolic first and an important practical step – it will enable UPM Biochemicals to begin testing its wood handling and processing activities. At the same time, it is now able to establish reliable supply chains and processes for future wood-sourcing operations and logistics chains. Finally, this event underlines the overall progress made on-site and the growing maturity of the company’s business platform. (…)

https://www.inoreader.com/article/3a9c6e75f0d314a2-upm-biochemicals-leuna-biorefinery-receives-first-delivery-of-wood

News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth

 

DOE Recognizes Better Buildings Partner City of Chattanooga, TN for Energy Efficiency Achievements

9 December 2022 - Today (Dec 8), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognized Better Buildings Challenge partner City of Chattanooga, Tennessee for energy efficiency leadership across more than 200 of its municipal facilities. Chattanooga hosted DOE for a tour of its Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus to showcase its successful energy, water, and cost savings measures. Since being dubbed the "Dirtiest City in America" by Walter Cronkite in 1969, the City of Chattanooga has made significant progress reversing the negative environmental impacts of local industry. As part of this work, the city joined the Better Buildings Challenge in 2015, committing to reduce energy intensity by 20%. After reaching this goal five years ahead of schedule in 2019, Chattanooga has since achieved 36% energy intensity savings across 2 million square feet of building space from a 2013 baseline. (…)

https://electricenergyonline.com/article/energy/category/climate-change/82/995166/doe-recognizes-better-buildings-partner-city-of-chattanooga-tn-for-energy-efficiency-achievements.html

News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production 

 

New power supply with a lifetime of up to 50 years

6 December 2022 - Switching power supplies are omnipresent in our daily life, may it be in households, offices, or industry. They convert the alternating current supplied into direct current for smartphones, laptops, charging stations of e-cars, and logistics and computing centers. However, conventional power supplies usually have to be exchanged after nine years of permanent operation. Digital Power Systems (DPS), a spinoff of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has now developed and tested power supplies with a lifetime of 50 years. (…)

https://www.energy-daily.com/reports/New_power_supply_with_a_lifetime_of_up_to_50_years_999.html

News related with SDGs number 8-Decent Work and Economic Growth

 

 

Arts of living and relationships
(top)

 

Polio-free India: It seemed impossible until it was done

Dr Hamid Jafari, Director of Polio for the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region, reflects on his time eradicating polio in India and what lessons we can take from this to address the final challenges for achieving eradication in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

12 January 2023 – India’s journey from the world’s epicentre of a highly infectious viral disease to turning polio-free was like walking on eggshells: Every step we took mattered.On 13 January 2023, India completes 12 polio-free years – a remarkable achievement that was made as a result of consistent, determined efforts and genuine commitment at all levels. I spent close to six enriching years of my life serving as the project manager of the National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP) for WHO India. My work entailed providing technical assistance and strategic guidance to the national programme. I was also in charge of poliovirus surveillance, monitoring mass vaccination campaigns, crafting corrective measures and strategies, and working closely with government counterparts at all levels to ensure every child was vaccinated enough times to build their immunity. We delivered around 1 billion doses of polio vaccine to 172 million children each year over the course of four years leading up to the last case. And many more in the years after. (…)

https://polioeradication.org/news-post/polio-free-india-it-seemed-impossible-until-it-was-done/

News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being

 

Spirituality & Sustainability Conference 2023 – Contemplation & Action for Social and Ecological Renewal!

Rome and Assisi, 9January 2023 – The 10th Spirituality & Sustainability Conference will be held in Rome and Assisi from 4 to 11 June 2023. The Spirituality & Sustainability Global (SSGN) is a co-convenor of this conference, and they are inviting members of the SSGN network to participate and those interested to register. The SSGN was founded by a group of past participants in Spirituality & Sustainability Conferences held in Assisi, Italy, in 2017 and 2018 and following a series of 10 similar conferences held in the 90s, always counting with the warm welcome from the Mayor of Assisi in the beautiful home of St. Francis & St. Clare. The latest two conferences were organized by Dr. Elizabetta Fererro, Emerita Professor of Religion at St. Thomas University, and Dr. Rick Clugston, a member of the Earth Charter International Council in consultation with a planning committee. These conferences were inspired by Thomas Berry’s wisdom and guided by the Earth Charter values and principles. This next conference will include contemplative practices in sacred places, the sharing of spiritual practices, sharing efforts to promote transformational change, exploring collaborative opportunities, and supporting the work of young leaders. 

If you are interested, please send an e-mail to Assisiconference@gmail.com (cc: to jimmaclellan714@aol.com).

https://earthcharter.org/spirituality-sustainability-conference-2023-contemplation-action-for-social-and-ecological-renewal/

News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land

 

Coping With Lebanon’s Crises

Anera’s food aid project is helping Lebanese families survive three years of economic crisis

5January 2023 – As human beings, we have certain basic needs that make up our day-to-day lives. Abraham Maslow proposed that these basic needs could be sorted into a hierarchy of needs. These requirements include the need for food, safety, love, and self-esteem. Without them, our individual and communal progress is interrupted.What happens when those basic necessities are scarce? What happens when putting food on the table is your first worry and highest priority upon waking every day? How do you hold your family together when so many businesses shut down, unemployment rises and your children have to drop out of school to help support their families. When savings are lost so are hopes and aspirations.

This is the reality for one out of three Lebanese today who are living in extreme poverty. Lebanon, a country of nearly seven million, has been beset by weak government, corruption, and catastrophic resource mismanagement, all provoking a three-year-long economic crisis. Healthy food is scarce or too expensive for a growing number of families sinking into poverty. To help meet that need, Anera has been implementing a year-long food security project supported by the UN World Food Program with funding from USAID. The aim is to provide 42,846 households (170,230 family members) with basic grocery items for an entire year. (…)

https://www.anera.org/stories/coping-with-lebanons-crises/

News related with SDGs number 2-Zero Hunger

 

Popular Mobilization Commission (PMC) in Iraq adopts Code of Conduct for Humanitarian Norms

22 December 2022 – The Code of Conduct, jointly developed by Geneva Call and PMC, aims to improve civilian protections for about two-thirds of Iraq’s 41 million inhabitants. Three years in the making, a pocket-sized leaflet produced by Geneva Call for the PMC packs a lot of power for its size because it responds to a great need and is built on a foundation of hard-won trust. The Code of Conduct (CoC) is meant to increase compliance with international norms by the 160,000 fighters who operate in Iraq under the umbrella of PMC. That will lead to fewer violations and protection issues. The document reflects international norms and Islamic teachings that emphasize the importance of protecting civilians and their belongings during conflicts. The CoC is an important tool to ensure that the PMF will abide by the key rules of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Civilians exposed to hostilities are treated better if fighters adhere to the humanitarian norms that are grounded in IHL. (…)

https://www.genevacall.org/popular-mobilization-commission-pmc-in-iraq-adopts-code-of-conduct-for-humanitarian-norms/

News related with SDGs number 16-Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

 

Work, science and industry
(top)

 

The deep sea is an unexpected, but at-risk, trove of biodiversity - The UN biodiversity conference reminds us how little we know of the deep ocean.

(by Doug Johnson)

20 December 2022 – (…) the abyss and the life within it remain poorly understood, despite making up around three-quarters of the area covered by the ocean. At this year’s United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15), Sigwart and her international colleagues presented a policy brief that urges more support for research into the biodiversity of the deep ocean, particularly as the region begins to be threatened by human activities. (…) its authors estimated that there are 2.2 million species that scientists have yet to identify—some of which are deep-sea species and/or are facing extinction. Some of them may go extinct before humans can even discover them. (…)

https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/12/the-deep-sea-is-an-unexpected-but-at-risk-trove-of-biodiversity/

News related with SDGs number 14- Life below Water

 

Nations agree to preserve 30 percent of nature by 2030

(by Doug Johnson)

20 December 2022 – (…) It was a wild year for the UN Biodiversity Conference, this year known as COP15. The international event brought delegates from more than 190 countries to Montreal to discuss the steps the world needs to take to safeguard its species and ecosystems. (…) Ultimately, the parties agreed to adopt the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). “The fact that they actually arrived at the agreement is in and of itself really momentous. A couple of weeks ago, that was looking tenuous” (…) Biodiversity is in crisis, with around 69 percent of wildlife populations having declined between 1970 and 2018. The new agreement is meant to reverse that trend. (…)

https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/12/now-that-cop15s-over-the-work-needs-to-start/

News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land

 

'Voluntary action is not enough': 150 top investors demand ambitious global biodiversity treaty

(by Michael Holder)

13 December 2022 - Financial giants ramp up pressure on negotiators at COP15 with call for clear mandate in treaty requiring finance sector to align activities with nature goals. Scores of financial firms, banks, and institutional investors representing more than $24tr in assets worldwide have today called on world leaders to adopt an ambitious global nature treaty that establishes clear guidelines for the financial sector to ensure biodiversity loss is reversed. (…) The statement argues that the current approach to nature protection that largely relies on voluntary action "is not enough". (…)

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4061564/voluntary-action-150-investors-demand-ambitious-global-biodiversity-treaty

News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land

 

On Convention’s Fortieth Anniversary, Secretary-General Stresses ‘Ocean Is Choking from Pollution’, Calls for False Dichotomy between Profit, Protection to End

8 December 2022 - Following are (some of) UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the United Nations General Assembly on the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, in New York today: (…) The ocean — and the people counting on it — are calling for greater ambition. (…)  It is high time to end the false dichotomy between profit and protection of the ocean.  If we fail to protect the ocean and its seas, there can be no profit for anyone.  Governments at all levels should develop laws and policies that put protection and conservation first — from conservation-based fisheries management approaches, to expanded marine protected areas, to ocean-based solutions to meet climate goals, to reducing chemical pollution and cleaning up plastic waste. Ocean-based industries and investors should make conservation, protection and climate resilience a top priority across their business plans — along with a commitment to creating safer working conditions. And we must support developing countries — especially small island developing states — as they balance the need for thriving coastal economies with the need to protect and preserve the ocean and its seas for future generations.  This includes meaningful progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Finance for Development. (…)

https://press.un.org/en/2022/sgsm21622.doc.htm

News related with SDGs number 14- Life below Water

 

Fertilizing the ocean to store carbon dioxide

(by Beth Mundy)

2 December 2022 - The urgent need to remove excess carbon dioxide from Earth's environment could include enlisting some of our planet's smallest inhabitants (…) the scientific evidence for seeding the oceans with iron-rich engineered fertilizer particles near ocean plankton. The goal would be to feed phytoplankton, microscopic plants that are a key part of the ocean ecosystem, to encourage growth and carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake. (…)

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Fertilizing_the_ocean_to_store_carbon_dioxide_999.html

News related with SDGs number 14- Life below Water

 

 

Society and communication
(top)

 

Early Career Fellowships support 25 women scientists in the developing world

16 January 2023 - The Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) announced that 25 women have been granted the 2022 Early Career Fellowships. These scientists will receive up to USD 50,000 to lead research projects and establish research groups at their home institutions to maintain an international standard of research and attract scholars from all over the world to collaborate. Funding for the fellowships is generously provided by Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC). In addition, the Aspen Institute Italia is this year funding for the first time one Early Career fellowship, marking the first step of a collaboration that will build the bridge for future opportunities to support women in science from the developing world.  OWSD’s fellowship programme supports outstanding women scientists to lead important research projects and create centres of international excellence in the institutes where they are employed. During the 3-year fellowship, fellows will receive specific training to build on their leadership and management skills and develop connections with a variety of public and private sector partners to potentially convert their research into marketable products or guarantee its impact on a broader scale.

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/early-career-fellowships-support-25-women-scientists-developing-world?hub=701

News related with SDGs number 5-Gender Equality

 

IFRC and IOM sign regional MoU to increase collaboration to support migrants and displaced people

22 December 2022 Beirut / Cairo, - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have signed a regional Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen National Societies’ capacities and ensure coordinated action to protect and provide basic assistance services to migrants, including displaced people and communities in the MENA Region. In 2020, there were 281 million international migrants and refugees in the world, out of which about 40 million were in the MENA region. In 2021, conflict and disasters triggered 1.2 million internal displacements in MENA, bringing the total of internal displacements in the region to 12.4 million. (…)

The MoU is based on the Sustainable Development Goals, Global Protection Cluster (GP20), the Global Compact on Migration (GCM), and IOM framework for addressing internal displacement and its progressive resolutions of displacement framework. It aims to reinforce collaboration with governments and relevant stakeholders on human mobility governance at all levels by capitalizing on the IFRC Global Strategy on Migration as well as the MENA Red Cross/Red Crescent migration network. (…)

https://www.ifrc.org/press-release/ifrc-and-iom-sign-regional-mou-increase-collaboration-support-migrants-and-displaced

News related with SDGs number 1-No Poverty

 

Supporting Youth with the Global Youth Community launch

21 December 2022 - Young people are worried about their future and have been very vocal about this. The recent UN study “Be seen Be heard” shows that 70% of young people feel they do not have enough space to express themselves in public debates nor can voice their concerns and ideas. They call for more recognition, visibility and opportunities to associate.

With this in mind, UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector launched the Global Youth Community (GYC) umbrella platform, in partnership with a highly motivated team of young leaders from across the world. Its aim is to further enhance cooperation among all youth initiatives and networks. Around 250 enthusiastic young people from all over the world joined the launch on 9 December 2022.  This is what the GYC is all about: collaborating to build a better world for the current and future generations; and co-creating a community characterized by strong youth engagement, where everyone involved has a say and can collectively contribute to increase its impact.

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/supporting-youth-global-youth-community-launch?hub=701

News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

I am not a target jump10: World Human Rights Day, the CRI publishes observatory data on aggression to its operators

December 2022- The repeated violence against hospitals, places of care, emergency vehicles and health workers prevent health care in areas of armed conflict, i.e. in contexts where this service is even more indispensable. The tragic consequence is the innocent victims (i.e. health workers) who join the rest of the civilian population, often with long-lasting negative effects. The objective is to safeguard, in every way, health care, putting in place adequate protective measures, in compliance with the Geneva Conventions and, more generally, with the principles of International Humanitarian Law, which sanctions the neutrality, protection and respect for personnel, facilities and medical means. In view of these objectives, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, "Health Care in Danger" (HCiD), puts in place a series of initiatives aimed at disseminating and raising awareness within itself, among citizens and institutions, i.e. society as a whole, through the use of the material developed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (videos, leaflets, toolkits, training and information activities).

https://cri.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Cs-osservatorio-conf-stampa-101222-Jump.docx.pdf

 

Investment of 6.5 million in the fight against fake news on the coronavirus

December 2022- Google has decided to finance the fight against disinformation related to the coronavirus by investing 6.5 million dollars in fact-checkers and non-profit organizations. Never before in this moment of international health crisis are big technology companies working to fight disinformation. After Facebook, Google has also decided to commit itself to providing the tools necessary to identify fake news, starting with those related to the coronavirus. “Uncertainty and fear make us more susceptible to inaccurate information,” writes Google on its blog, explaining the reasons that led it to invest $6.5 million in this project. “We also want to help make fact checks more visible, which counter the harmful effects that disinformation causes on our users,” continues Big G. For this reason, in the coming weeks, the Mountain View giant will launch a section dedicated to fact checking at the inside the space dedicated to covid-19 in Google News.

https://www.wired.it/internet/web/2020/04/03/coronavirus-google-fake-news/

News related with SDGs number 3-Good Health and Well-Being

 

 

Rules, regulations and environment

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Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough Announced By US DOE - A DOE lab has created a fusion event that created more energy than it consumes — something that has never happened before.

(by Steve Hanley)

14 December 2022 - Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory achieved a fusion ignition on December 5, when for the first time, more energy was produced from fusion than was needed to power the the laser used in the experiment. (…) Although this is a dramatic breakthrough, it could be decades before this technology is ready to produce the unlimited clean electrical energy that it theoretically possible from fusion technology. (…)

https://cleantechnica.com/2022/12/13/nuclear-fusion-breakthrough-announced-by-us-doe/

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

Producing 'green' energy -- literally -- from living plant 'bio-solar cells'

(Source: American Chemical Society)

13 December 2022 - Though plants can serve as a source of food, oxygen and décor, they're not often considered to be a good source of electricity. But by collecting electrons naturally transported within plant cells, scientists can generate electricity as part of a "green," biological solar cell. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have, for the first time, used a succulent plant to create a living "bio-solar cell" that runs on photosynthesis. (…)

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/12/221213121506.htm

News related with SDGs number 15-Life on Land

 

Paper-thin solar cell can turn any surface into a power source

(by Adam Zewe)

12 December 2022 - MIT engineers have developed ultralight fabric solar cells that can quickly and easily turn any surface into a power source. These durable, flexible solar cells, which are much thinner than a human hair, are glued to a strong, lightweight fabric, making them easy to install on a fixed surface. They can provide energy on the go as a wearable power fabric or be transported and rapidly deployed in remote locations for assistance in emergencies. They are one-hundredth the weight of conventional solar panels, generate 18 times more power-per-kilogram, and are made from semiconducting inks using printing processes that can be scaled in the future to large-area manufacturing. Because they are so thin and lightweight, these solar cells can be laminated onto many different surfaces. (…)

https://www.solardaily.com/reports/Paper_thin_solar_cell_can_turn_any_surface_into_a_power_source_999.html

News related with SDGs number 9-Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

1 Million european homes now powered by solar batteries

(by Cynthia Shahan)

9 December 2022 - Solar battery-powered homes are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in Germany. Total residential battery capacity in Europe is expected to reach 9.3 GWh by the end of 2022, powering over 1 million households, according to the most recent SolarPower Europe research. Germany leads the list of European countries with the most battery storage, accounting for 59% of the European market in 2021, followed by Italy, Austria, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland by a small margin. (…)

https://cleantechnica.com/2022/12/08/1-million-european-homes-now-powered-by-solar-batteries/

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

Mixing diesel and hydrogen provides big cuts in emissions

7 December 2022 - A team of engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney has figured out a way to run a diesel engine on a mix of diesel and hydrogen, dramatically lowering its emissions. Why do we even need a diesel-hydrogen hybrid engine when there are already many great electric vehicles available? EVs are definitely great for households, but they still don’t match heavy diesel engines’ performance in some contexts, such as mining, long-distance transportation, power generation, and agriculture. At present, there are 26,000 trains in the US that run on diesel, and there are potentially millions of trucks, generators, and other industry-grade equipment that require diesel to deliver optimum performance. It might take decades for EV technology to replace diesel engines in such industries. (…)

https://www.inoreader.com/article/3a9c6e75f32212ec-mixing-diesel-and-hydrogen-provides-big-cuts-in-emissions

News related with SDGs number 12-Responsible Consumption and Production 

 

'Extraordinary': IEA heralds energy crisis as 'historic turning point' for renewables

(by Cecilia Keating)

6 December 2022 - Agency increases its five-year renewables forecast by 30 per cent in wake of fossil fuel supply crunch triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The global energy crisis has unleashed an unprecedented wave of momentum across the renewables industry that will see wind, solar, and hydro power replace coal as the largest source of electricity generation by early 2025. That is the view of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which today predicted the world will add as much renewables capacity in the next five years as it did in the past 20. (…)

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4061209/extraordinary-iea-heralds-energy-crisis-%E2%80%98historic-point-renewables

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

How is innovation helping us rethink cities?

December 2022 - Climate change, the pandemic, and issues with supply chains and resources (energy, raw materials, etc.) are forcing a rethink in the way cities are being planned, constructed, and developed. Eco-friendly technological progress can offer solutions to make cities smarter, more resilient, and more sustainable. In this joint interview, architect Vincent Callebaut, and Delphine Woussen, Head of Smart Cities for Orange, discuss their visions of the city of the future. The human population is forecast to grow to 9 billion people by 2050, with two thirds of them living in cities. To anticipate the future, and reduce the burden on resources, urban communities have to work out how to consume more efficiently with less. Cutting-edge technological and architectural solutions can help cities make this transition. (…)

https://www.orange.com/en/magazines/innovation/digital-innovation-do-you-trust-it-to-have-a-positive-impact/how-innovation-helping-us-rethink-citiesù

News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

United Nations – General Assembly - Second Committee – Seventy-seventh session – Agenda item 18 (i) - : Sustainable development

Draft Resolution: ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

16 November 2022 - The General Assembly (…)

2. Also takes note of the role and activities of the International Renewable Energy Agency, encouraging the Agency to continue to support its members in the achievement of their renewable energy objectives, as well as the contributions of the International Solar Alliance (…)

4. Strongly encourages Governments and other relevant stakeholders to take actions to achieve universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy, increase the global share of renewable energy, improve the inclusion of developing countries in energy sector cooperation, where relevant, and increase the rate of improvement in energy efficiency for a clean, low-emission, low-carbon, climate-resilient, safe, efficient, modern, affordable, reliable and sustainable energy system (...)

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/N22/697/81/PDF/N2269781.pdf?OpenElement

News related with SDGs number 7-Affordable and Clean Energy

 

UNCTAD - How urban entrepreneurs can help build sustainable cities

31 October 2022 - Marking World Cities Day on 31 October, UNCTAD shines a light on how urban entrepreneurs can help make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. A new report by UNCTAD explores how urban entrepreneurs, or urbanpreneurs, use innovative solutions to tackle challenges triggered by rapid urbanization and drive the expansion of smart cities. The report entitled “Urban expansion, an entrepreneur’s playground”, published on 31 October, showcases replicable examples of urbanpreneurs worldwide tackling the socioeconomic and environmental challenges associated with ongoing rapid urbanization. By 2050, nearly 70% of the global population will live in urban areas, putting to the test the capacity of cities to accommodate them. (…)

https://unctad.org/news/how-urban-entrepreneurs-can-help-build-sustainable-cities

News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

A quantum shift in city design thinking is on the horizon

(by Gavin Davids)

27 October 2022 – (….) The concepts of smart cities and sustainability are often intertwined, as it is impossible to consider one without the other. By their very nature, smart cities involve the implementation of eco-friendly projects that improve the quality of life for residents and communities, while still respecting the environment. By using information and communication technology to collect data, optimise activities, and improve the management of resources and assets, cities can be enabled to react and offer solutions to specific problems. Whether it’s recycling garbage to form compost, treating sewage water for construction or using it to maintain public spaces, there are many ways that smart technologies can be deployed in a city. (…)

https://meconstructionnews.com/55072/a-quantum-shift-in-city-design-thinking-is-on-the-horizon

News related with SDGs number 11-Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

 

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Good News Agency is published monthly (except August) in English, Italian and Portuguese. Past issues are available at www.goodnewsagency.org . Rome Law-court registration no. 265 dated 20 June 2000. Managing Editor: Fabio Gatti. Editorial research by Fabio Gatti, Isabella Strippoli, Elisa Minelli, Salvatore Caruso Motta, Chiara Damilano, Francesco Viglienghi, Carlo Toraldo, Andrea Landriscina, Nazzarena Franco. Webmaster, media and NGO coverage: Simone Frassanito (simone.frassanito@goodnewsagency.org

 

Good News Agency is distributed free of charge through Internet to media and editorial journalists of the daily newspapers and periodical magazines and of the radio and television stations, NGOs, service associations, high schools and colleges as well as over 26,000 Rotarians around the world.

 

It is an all-volunteer service of Associazione Culturale dei Triangoli e della Buona Volontà Mondiale, a registered, not-for-profit educational charity chartered in Italy in 1979 The Association operates for the development of consciousness and promotes a culture of peace in the ‘global village’ perspective based on unity in diversity and on sharing. It is based in Piazzale degli Eroi 8, 00136 Rome, Italy. The Association is a member of the World Association of Non Governmental Organizations.

 

* http://decade-culture-of-peace.org/2010_civil_society_report.pdf - In section A - International Organizations, page 12, the Report says: ”Diffusion and exchange of culture of peace information via the Internet has become the major instrument for several international organizations, notably the Culture of Peace News Network, the Good News Agency and the Education for Peace Globalnet.”


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