Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good.  It is with profound sadness that I learned of his passing.  In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination.   Like so many, I was proud to call Kofi Annan a good friend and […]

  21 August 2018.  For the first time, the UN observes the International Day of Remembrance of, and Tribute to, the victims of terrorism. The new international day is observed on August 21, in order to honour and support victims and survivors of terrorism, and to promote and protect their human rights and fundamental freedoms. […]

19 August 2018. Attacks on humanitarian workers have increased considerably in the last five years.  For this reason the United Nations has chosen #NotATarget as the theme of the 2018  World Humanitarian Day. In 2017, 139 aid workers were killed, the highest toll since 2013, 102 were wounded and 72 were kidnapped. In the first three […]

The Norwegian coastguard was shocked to find huge amounts of plastic waste on the shores of Kiepert Island, a remote part of the Svalbard (Spitsbergen) archipelago, earlier this month. A polar bear could be seen close by as coast guard crewmembers cleaned a few hundred meters of the shoreline of the island in the archipelago north of mainland […]

Young women and men’s role as essential agents of change in the world is highlighted on International Youth Day, August 12. With 1.8 billion young people on this planet and 400 million of them living in fragile or conflict affected areas, a space to feel safe in and engage with other young people is important for their own development and […]