UNO - Current Affairs for November, 2016

The United Nation’s World Television Day is observed annually in many places across the world on Nov 21

• The day recognises that television plays a major role in presenting different issues that impact people
• On Dec 17, 1996, UNGA proclaimed Nov 21 as World Television Day to commemorate the day on which the first World Television Forum was earlier held that year
• UN invited all member states to observe the day by encouraging global exchange of television programs, focusing among other things, on issues such as peace, security, economic and social development and cultural change enhancements
• World Television Day is to renew the government, organisation and individual commitment to support the development of TV media in providing unbiased information about critical issues and events that impact society
• Educational institutions use the day to promote discussion on how televisions promote cultural diversity and common understanding, the link between democracy and television and the role of TV in social, political and economic development.

Giving a clear message to climate skeptics, the UN climate change conference has come out with action proclamation indicating the worldwide momentum on climate change is irreversible as it is driven by science, business, global action and governance.

• The proclamation which is a reiteration of the Paris Agreement calling for raising ambition and strengthening cooperation among nations to close the gap between current emission trajectories and the pathway needed to keep the average global temperature rise within 2 degree C by 2100 from pre-industrial levels
• The Marrakech Action Proclamation for Our Climate and Sustainable Development was issued on 16th Nov following consultations among nations and participating ministers regardless of what the US will do in the Trump era
• The final version of the MAP ensures that rich nations mobilise USD 100 billion by 2020 and the concerns of the developing countries over the issue of the developed countries pre-2020 climate actions including assigned emissions cut for them till 2020 under the Kyoto Protocol
• The developed country parties reaffirm the USD 100 billion mobilisation goal calling for further climate action and support, in advance of 2020 taking the specific needs and circumstances into account for developing countries, LDC nations and particularly those vulnerable to adverse effects of climate change
• The task is to now rapidly build on the momentum and move to reduce GHG emissions and foster adaptation benefiting and supporting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and SDGs
• As governments cannot implement the Paris agreement on their own, the MAP calls the private players including business enterprises to pitch in to fight challenges of climate change by moving onto a clean energy step
• The collective call is on non state actors to join us for immediate and ambitious action and mobilisation based on important achievements such as the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action itself.

A report by UNICEF has confirmed that bad air is contributing to the death of many children before they have even celebrated their fifth birthday.

• Outdoor and indoor pollution are directly linked to respiratory diseases that account for almost 1 in 10 under five deaths, making pollution one of the leading dangers in the world.
• Children are more susceptible to air pollution as their lungs, brains and immune systems are still developing and their respiratory tracks are more permeable.
• Young children also breathe faster than adults and taken in more air relative to the body weight.
• Around two billion children live in areas where outdoor air pollution caused by factors such as vehicular emissions, heavy use of fossil fuels, dust and waste burning exceeds minimum air quality guidelines set up by WHO.
• South Asia has the largest number of children living in these areas at 620 million, with Africa following at 520 million children.
• The findings come ahead of the COP22 in Morocco where UNICEF is calling on world leaders to take urgent action to cut air pollution.