LEADERS PLEDGE FOR NATURE IN ADVANCE OF BIODIVERSITY SUMMIT

As part of the UN Summit on Biodiversity, taking place as a ZOOM event on September 30th, leaders from 64 countries (including France, Germany and the UK) from all regions of the world have pledged to clamp down on pollution, embrace sustainable economic systems and eliminate the dumping of plastic waste in oceans by the middle of the century. The 'Leaders Pledge for Nature' which they have signed, comits their nations to reversing biodiversity loss by 2030. 

Reports from leaderspledgefornature.org & The Guardian.

A TIME FOR RENEWAL: CALLING FOR A STRENGTHENED MULTILATERAL SYSTEM

This month, in preparation for the opening of the 75th General Assembly and the High Level Events surrounding the 75th Anniversary of the UN, a group of 49 former Heads of State and senior UN officials addressed an open letter to Heads of Government of UN Member States. The letter highlights current threats to multilateralism and calls for national leadership and effective global cooperation in response to these threats. Recovery from the COVID19 pandemic and institutional retooling go hand in hand. 

The leaders call for a dedicated intergovernmental process to follow the UN75 Political Declartion adopted at thye September 21 Special Session of the General Assembly. That process should pursue the goal of recognizing the need to support the indispensable role of the United Nations, while at the same time strengthen and reform the legal and institutional machinery of the UN system. 

from UN2020