UN News - Culture and Education

The attempted destruction of Ukraine’s historic culture by invading Russian forces, will have a devastating impact on the pace of recovery in the post-war era, an independent UN human rights expert warned on Wednesday.

The UN Secretary-General has condemned “in the strongest terms” a brutal attack on a Catholic church in southwest Nigeria at the weekend, which left at least 50 people dead and wounded dozens more.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed was in Kazakhstan on Thursday, where she spoke out against the “silent pandemic” of gender-based violence worldwide, saying that only collective action could end the scourge.

The ocean holds the keys to an equitable and sustainable development path for all. This is the premise behind the UN Ocean Decade and it will be in the spotlight during several major international summits this year to promote ocean health, including the UN Ocean Conference, which is set to open soon in Lisbon, Portugal.

A shocking new UN report released on Tuesday indicates that the number of crisis-impacted school-aged children requiring educational support has grown from an estimated 75 million in 2016, to 222 million today.

Following a week of discussions and events in Lisbon, Portugal, the UN Ocean Conference concluded on Friday, with governments and heads of state agreeing on a new political declaration to Save Our Ocean.

The United States must withdraw unilateral sanctions which are resulting in discrimination against academics from affected countries, a group of independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said on Thursday.

Young people must be recognized around the world as “drivers of change” and empowered to become “fully engaged in decisions affecting their future,” said Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, World Youth Skills Day.

The UN chief in his message to mark Monday's International Day in honour of Nelson Mandela, hailed the first Black President of post-Apartheid South Africa and racial justice icon, “a giant of our time”, who remains a “moral compass” for us all.

Amid the education crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations is partnering with leading children’s charity Theirworld and others in the sector, to launch the #LetMeLearn campaign, urging world leaders to listen to the voices of young people and put in place the plans and finance required to provide a quality education for every child.

From Ethiopia to Chad and Palestine, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the UN’s fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, is helping millions of boys and girls affected by conflict around the world to pursue their dreams.

The number of young people globally who can’t find a job this year is set to reach 73 million – that’s a full six million more than before COVID-19 – the UN labour agency said on Thursday.

International Youth Day celebrates “the power of partnerships across generations,” the UN chief said in his message for the day.

On Tuesday, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, issued its Annual Results Report, which revealed that despite global upheaval, the fund and partners have continued to expand their response.

UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet has deplored Israel’s refusal to grant visas for her staff in the occupied Palestinian territory, according to a statement issued on Tuesday.

The bell is ringing for the start of a new school year in many countries, but inequalities in access to education are keeping some 244 million children out of the classroom, according to data published on Thursday by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Education is a fundamental human right and “an essential driver for achieving peace and sustainable development”, Secretary-General António Guterres underscored on Friday, the International Day to Protect Education from attack.

Racing driver Sir Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula 1 world champion, is backing a fresh call from the UN on Tuesday for all refugee children and youth to be given access to a full quality education. He’s one driving force behind the release of a new report from UN refugee agency, UNHCR, revealing the urgent need for more international support for refugee students.

Solving the equation: Helping girls and boys learn mathematics, a new report published on Wednesday by UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, has revealed a growing worldwide disparity in maths skills between girls and boys. The report raises the alarm on how issues of sexism and gender stereotypes have undercut the potential of girls in the classroom.

One of the centrepieces of the opening week of the new General Assembly session is an event aimed at focusing fresh attention on the global crisis surrounding learning, and proposing solutions to make education fit for the Twenty-First Century. Ahead of the event, UN News spoke to Leonardo Garnier, the Special Advisor charged with making the Transforming Education Summit a success.

World leaders arriving at UN Headquarters for next week’s High Level General Assembly meetings, will be greeted by a powerful and striking new mural from renowned Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra, focusing attention on climate change and stewardship of the planet.

As the Transforming Education Summit kicks off on Friday, during the opening week of the 77th UN General Assembly session in New York, Ingrid Macdonald, the UN Resident Coordinator in Bosnia-Herzegovina, reflects on the important progress that the United Nations has made in supporting the authorities efforts to advance more equitable and inclusive education across the country.

Just a few hours before the start of the crucial Transforming Education Summit, UN Children’s Fund UNICEF on Friday, warned that globally, only a third of 10-year-olds are estimated to be able to read and understand a simple written story. This shocking statistic represents a 50 per cent decrease from pre-pandemic estimates.

Education systems around the world need “more, not less money” the UN chief told journalists on Saturday during a joint press stakeout on the Transforming Education Summit and the International Finance Facility for Education.

Marking one year since Afghanistan’s de facto rulers decreed that girls should be excluded from high school, UN chief António Guterres has urged the Taliban “to “let them back in” without delay.

Education has been Secretary-General António Guterres’ “guide and touchstone,” he said on Monday, the final day of the Transforming Education Summit, warning that it is in “a deep crisis”.

Colombia’s 2016 Peace Agreement has led to an unexpected outcome: the discovery of a new species of dinosaur.

Girls in Afghanistan have been forced out of high school, ever since the Taliban returned to power a year ago. A United Nations-backed initiative is training girls to help others in their situation, educating their peers until they are able to return to formal schooling.

The UN’s labour agency welcomed on Monday, the first ever global agreement on working conditions and rights of professional football players in both the men’s and women’s game.

The UN chief on Monday issued a statement expressing deep sadness at the death of 15 people, including 11 children, at a school in the Russian city of Izhevsk, following an attack by a lone gunman who killed himself at the scene. Two dozen people were wounded.

Latest Images