UN ALUMNI INTERVIEW - LAURA JOHN

To celebrate UN 75, each month we will profile members of the UNAA UN Alumni Network! In April we hear from Laura John, National President of the UNAA Young Professionals Network and Director on the UNAA Board. Laura is a human rights lawyer at Refugee Legal and has previously worked as a consultant for UNHCR in Geneva and in 2014 was the Australian Youth Representative to the UN. Read our interview and insights from Laura here!

COVID-19 AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 

The UN has released its report, Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19. The report includes mapping the impacts of the virus against the SDGs and highlights the shared responsibility of the global community. Meanwhile, as we marked the International Day of Multilateralism on 24 April, a UN survey has found the outbreak of COVID-19 has boosted support for international cooperation. 

CLIMATE CHANGE

One positive impact of COVID-19 has been on the environment. With clear skies, improved air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, there are renewed calls for leaders to act now on climate change to continue positive momentum. Many however, believe such improvements may only be temporary. With the UN COP26 Forum postponed to 2021, the UNAA are working with partners on how we continue to connect with our members and the community on topics such as combating climate change.

UNAA SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS FORUM

As you may be aware, the UNAA Sustainable Partnerships Forum has been postponed. We are working with partners towards setting a new date and look forward to inviting you to an even bigger and better Forum in the near future. During this period we encourage you to stay connected on issues that matter to you by following the UNAA on social media and for those in a position to do so, to become a member of the UNAA.