Paris, 19 September 2022 (TDI): United Nations Education Science Culture Organization (UNESCO) has urged the world to protect biodiversity ahead of Peace Day.

It postulated that until the world interacts with nature in a more sustainable manner to prevent the extinction of species, humanity will face catastrophic outcomes.

Biodiversity: An Overview

The living web of our planet is its biodiversity. It supports human wellbeing currently and in the future, and its drastic reduction endangers both nature and people. There are primary global drivers of biodiversity loss.

The drivers are based on the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services that had been published in 2019 by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Framework on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) at UNESCO.

As per the report, these drivers are invasive species, climate change, pollution, overuse of natural resources, and urbanization.

Moreover, according to the Global Report, terrestrial ecosystems have lost 75% of their biodiversity as a result of human activity. This assessment suggested that there were options and that there was still time to take action.

Therefore, people’s roles and behaviors about biodiversity must change if there is a need to stop or reverse this deterioration.

Hence, numerous solutions are available in the form of programs, and partners of UNESCO. Apart from this, these solutions might be encouraging and motivate changes taking place all around the world.

Besides this, by comprehending, valuing, protecting, and employing biodiversity sustainably, UNESCO also supports the Member States and their citizens in their efforts to stop biodiversity loss.

Also Read: Chinese Ambassador to UN on Biodiversity

International Day of Peace

Every year United Nations celebrates Peace Day on the 21st of September. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) established the International Day of Peace in 1981.

The General Assembly decided to designate the Day as a time of non-violence and a cease-fire in 2001, 20 years after the original resolution was passed.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the International Day of Peace stated that “Peace is a noble and necessary pursuit and the only practical pathway to a better, fairer world for all people.

Yet in too many places, in too many contexts, we are failing the cause of peace.” He further added, “The theme of this year’s International Day of Peace ‘End Racism, Build Peace’ reminds us of the many ways racism poisons people’s hearts & minds & erodes the peace we all seek.”

Along these lines, he also added, “Racism robs people of their rights and dignity. It inflames inequalities and mistrust. And it pushes people apart, at a time when we should be coming together, as one human family, to repair our fractured world”.

Furthermore, he continued, “Instead of fighting each other, we should be working to defeat our true enemies: racism, poverty, inequality, conflict, the climate crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Antonio Guterres added, “We should tear down structures that sustain racism, and lift up human rights movements everywhere. And we should drown out the vicious voices of hate speech with a united and sustained cry for truth, understanding, and mutual respect”.

Moreover, he concluded that “On this important day, a time to observe 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire, we renew our call for all people to do more than lay down their weapons.

We call on them to re-affirm the bonds of solidarity we share as human beings and get down to the business of building a better, more peaceful world”.

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