Moscow, 11 June, 2015 — UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signed an agreement today that establishes the Russian Federation – UNDP Trust Fund for Development, with initial funding of $25 million from Russia over the next four years.

The Fund has been created in accordance with the Partnership Framework Agreement between UNDP and Russia which was signed in January 2015.

Goal 6

Rising to the Challenge: Enabling Access to Clean and Safe Water Globally

By Justin D. Brookes and Cayelan C. Carey

Access to clean, safe and secure water resources is an essential prerequisite for communities to prosper. While access to water and sanitation is often taken for granted in developed countries, this basic right is denied to many across the globe every day.

2015 marks the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations. It is also the year when countries will come together to adopt the next generation of goals for our people and their only home – planet Earth. 2015 will also see the hosting of a Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa and the Climate Conference in Paris. It will be a historic inflexion point for the global approach to development.

Oceans are an essential component of the Earth’s ecosystem, and healthy oceans are critical to sustaining a healthy planet. Two out of every five people live relatively close to a shore, and three out of seven depend on marine and coastal resources to survive. Our oceans regulate the climate and process nutrients through natural cycles while providing a wide range of services, including natural resources, food and jobs that benefit billions of people.

Passage of landmark resolution at the Vienna Crime Commission revises the 1955 standard minimum rules for treatment of prisoners, ensuring they remain the universally acknowledged benchmark for prison administrations worldwide

Turning the challenges of greening workplaces and economies into opportunities

The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is “Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care”.

Humanity continues to consume far more natural resources than the planet can sustainably provide.  Many of the Earth’s ecosystems are nearing critical tipping points.  It is time for us to change.

Eighteen months ago, Bentiu, like most towns in South Sudan, was bustling with the restlessness of markets, people trading and children going to school.  UNMISS, the UN Mission in South Sudan, was busy supporting development and growth in the world’s youngest nation.

GENEVA (ILO News)—International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Guy Ryder has called for a global debate on the future of work during his opening address to the 104th International Labour Conference (ILC).