World Youth Skills Day
The active engagement of youth in sustainable development efforts is central to achieving sustainable, inclusive, and stable societies by the target date, and to averting the worst threats and challenges to sustainable development, including the impacts of climate change, health, unemployment, poverty, gender inequality, conflict, and migration.
Globally, one in five young people are NEET: Not in Employment, Education or Training. Three out of four of young NEETs are women and sadly enough the World Youth Skills Day 2020 is taking place in a challenging context as the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures have led to the worldwide closure of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, threatening the continuity of skills development.
World Population Day
"On this World Population Day, let us act to safeguard sexual and reproductive health care, protect the health and rights of women and girls, and end gender-based violence. The pandemic has made our jobs much harder, but we must prevail." UN Secretary-General António Guterres
The COVID-19 crisis has taken a staggering toll on people, communities, and economies everywhere but not everyone is affected equally. Women, who account for the largest share of front-line health workers, for example, are disproportionately exposed to the coronavirus. The pandemic is hitting marginalised communities particularly hard and deepening inequalities.
International Day Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Trafficking
The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking recognises the severe impact that illicit drugs have on health, development, peace and security. According to the latest World Drug Report, around 269 million people used drugs worldwide in 2018, which is 30 percent more than in 2009, while over 35 million people suffer from drug use disorders. For two decades, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has been helping make the world safer from drugs, organised crime, corruption and terrorism. They are committed to achieving health, security and justice for all by tackling these threats and promoting peace and sustainable well-being as deterrents to them.
World Refugee Day
The World Refugee Day is celebrated every year on the 20th of June to support millions of families all over the world who have lost their homes and dear ones because of violence or war. Many refugees are in exile to escape the effects of natural or human-made disasters. Every minute 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution, or terror. Refugees are among the most vulnerable people in the world.
World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
As populations become larger, wealthier, and more urban, there is far greater demand for land to provide food, animal feed, and fibre for clothing. Meanwhile, the health and productivity of existing arable land is declining, worsened by climate change. To have enough productive land to meet the demands of ten billion people by 2050, lifestyles need to change.
The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed every year, since 1994, to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification. The day is a unique moment to remind everyone that land degradation neutrality is achievable through problem solving, strong community involvement, and co-operation at all levels.