UNAA News: September Issue

Welcome to the September edition of UNAA News!
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UNAA to host UN & Australia
Sustainable Partnerships Forum

From 15 to 16 April 2020, the UNAA will bring together UN agencies, Australian organisations and individuals across business, civil society, academia and government who are leading in building and supporting sustainable partnerships to progress the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This will be an outcome-oriented gathering guided by SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals but designed to encompass all of the SDGs.

Program Outline:

Ticket Sales and Information:
Our Forum website, with details of how you can register to attend this major event, will be live soon! We will also announce the first of our Forum partners and provide more information about our confirmed speakers through this site.

SAVE THE DATE: 15-16 April 2020, Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
STAY INFORMED: Email office@unaavictoria.org.au to join the Forum e-news list.
PARTNER WITH US: Email office@unaavictoria.org.au for the Partnership Prospectus.

21-23 September 2019, New York

"I want to hear about how we are going to stop the increase in emissions by 2020, and dramatically reduce emissions to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century"
- António Guterres, UN Secretary-General

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for world leaders to bring "concrete, realistic plans to enhance their nationally determined contributions by 2020, in line with reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent over the next decade, and to net zero emissions by 2050."

The Summit united governments, the private sector, civil society, local authorities and other international organisations to develop ambitious global solutions to combat climate change. The Summit also aligned with the International Day of Peace on 20 September 2019; this year's theme is 'Climate Action for Peace'.

Some key outcomes from the Summit include:

12 countries made financial commitments to the Green Climate Fund
The Russian Federation announced that they will ratify the Paris Agreement, bringing the total number of countries that have joined the Agreement to 187
The European Union announced that at least 25% of the next EU budget will be devoted to climate-related activities
130 banks (one-third of the global banking sector) signed up to align their businesses with the Paris agreement goals
Michael Bloomberg will increase the funding and geographic spread of his coal phase-out efforts to 30 countries; already, his work has helped to close 297 out of 530 coal plants in the US

We will be following the outcomes of this high-level climate summit further in next month's newsletter. In the meantime, take a read of the World Meteorological Organisation's report on the State of the Global Climate in 2018 that was released on 22 September 2019.

Global Climate Strike (Friday 20 September)
Young people from over 150 countries took part in another mass climate change protest urging world leaders to take stronger, more committed measures to tackle climate change. Over 300,000 youth took to the streets across Australia to call for increased action towards SDG 13. Click here to read more about the #ClimateStrike.

"If we don't urgently change our ways of life, we jeopardize life itself. Look around. Seas are rising and oceans are acidifying. Glaciers are melting and corals are bleaching. Droughts are spreading and wildfires are burning... Make no mistake, when we see those images, we are not just seeing damage. We are seeing the future - if we do not act now." - António Guterres, UN Secretary-General

United Nations Day Celebrations
(October 2019)

United Nations Day marks the anniversary of the UN's establishment from the ratification of the UN Charter on 24 October 1945. The UNAA state teams will honour this momentous occasion through celebratory dinners recognising the formation, goals and achievements of the UN. A lovely evening of fundraising and entertainment, the UNAA United Nations Day Dinners unite our UNAA communities and reaffirm our mandate to promote the work and values of the UN.

See below for UN Day celebrations across Australia:

Michelle Bachelet: UN High Commissioner returns to Sydney
(8-9 October 2019)

Dr Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, will be returning to Australia next month. On 8 October 2019, Dr Bachelet will present on 'Free and Equal: An Australian Conversation on Human Right' and 'Australia's Role - Human Rights in a Changing World' on 9 October.

UNAA Newspace Summit
(4 October 2019)

In supporting Australia's ambitious space endeavours, our NewSpace Summit aims to inspire, educate and empower those interested in helping Australia make its giant leap. The NewSpace Summit will showcase opportunities for those involved in law, science, engineering and business. A schedule of events can be viewed here and tickets here.

Is Australia on track to achieve the SDGs?

2019 marks four years since all UN Member States signed on to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The 2019 Sustainable Development Goals Report highlights the achievements since 2015 and the areas requiring urgent attention.

UNAA Submission to Climate Change Authority Review

The UNAA's submission to the Climate Change Authority recommends a nation-wide approach to Australia's management of climate change to meet its commitments to the Paris Agreement.

STAY INFORMED ABOUT THE SDGS

The United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA) is the peak body working to increase awareness of and engagement in the United Nations. This includes promoting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the importance of the rules-based international order, through events and programs across Australia on key issues affecting Australia and Australians. We focus on climate change, treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, rights of indigenous peoples and progress toward gender equality.

To progress this work, the UNAA is looking to expand our growing group of corporate and philanthropic partners. Find out more or contact us today at admin@unaa.org.au.