UN Charter Day
"Ecocide" The Now Proposed Fifth Crime for the International Criminal Court
Recently, a panel of distinguished international lawyers concluded a deliberations process that has since resulted in a legal definition of “Ecocide”. This newly defined term has the potential to be the fifth international crime coexisting with other international crimes such as genocide, crimes of aggression, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Having this new legal definition, the International Criminal Court can propose amendments to the Charter which would then “hold corporate and government decision-makers accountable for environmental damages and abuses such as oil spills, mass deforestation, ocean damage or severe pollution of waters”, at which point they would then face trial for their actions. For more information on please visit the Ecocide Foundation.
A Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance, 2021
On June 18, 2021 the President Joe Biden signed into law S. 475, the “Juneteenth National Independence Day Act,” which designates Juneteenth National Independence Day as a legal public holiday. This holiday recognizes that "On June 19, 1865 — nearly nine decades after our Nation’s founding, and more than 2 years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation — enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally received word that they were free from bondage." For more information please see the White House Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance.
A Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month, 2021
The Biden Administration has formally recognized June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride month. The LGBTQ+ community has made significant progressions in the United States in terms of inclusion, equality, and justice for human rights. Additionally, we have the first openly LGBTQ+ person serving in the cabinet as well as the first openly transgender person confirmed by the Senate. During this time, we would like to celebrate and support the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community as well as recognize the many struggles faced by these individuals. Please follow the link for more information on Biden’s recognition of Pride month.
A Proclamation on Jewish American Heritage Month, 2021
The Biden Administration has declared May National Jewish American Heritage Month. This is the first time in history that a Vice President took and oath of office alongside a Jewish spouse. Additionally, this is the first time that a Jewish American became the first Majority Leader of the United States Senate and the highest ranking Jewish American elected official in our Nation's history. This is a time to learn of the many contributions made by Jewish Americans as well as a time to observe the month appropriately. For more information on Jewish American Heritage Month please follow the link!
GPO and Libraries Set Goal to Make Every U.S. Document Accessible
The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) is undertaking a massive effort to capture and make publicly accessible every U.S. Government document through the National Collection of U.S. Government Public Information (National Collection). GPO will do this by digitizing documents and making them accessible on govinfo and the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP), as well as partnering with Federal depository libraries who serve as stewards for all tangible materials. The National Collection includes all public information products of the U.S. Government. To achieve its vision, GPO will identify, acquire, catalog, disseminate, digitize, make accessible, authenticate, and preserve all Government publications.
Through the CGP, the public can search for more than one million records in the National Collection and find direct links to the full document as well as nearby Federal Depository Libraries that offer the publication. GPO’s govinfo, the one-stop site for authentic information published by the Government, offers over two million content packages in the National Collection available for download. GPO’s govinfo is an ISO 16363 certified trustworthy digital repository—the only repository in the world with this certification. Visit www.govinfo.gov to explore the collection.
National Library Week (April 4th-10th)
The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) wants to showcase Federal depository libraries nationwide and the important work you do every day to support the mission of ‘Keeping America Informed.’
Help GPO shine a spotlight on your library. Tell us about some of the innovative ways your library is continuing to serve your patrons, how your staff has stepped up to the plate this past year, or about any new COVID-era services your library is offering. Share photos with GPO, and your library could be featured on FDLP.gov and GPO social media.
World Water Day (March 22nd)
On March 22, 2021, World Water Day will be celebrated in an online event. The World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness on the global water crisis, and a core focus on the observance is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
The theme of World Water Day 2021 is valuing water. The value of water is about much more than its price- water has enormous and complex value for our households, food, culture, health, education, economics, and the integrity of our natural environment.
For more information, please visit https://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday2021/
Launch of the "Valuing Water: UN World Water Development Report 2021"
The 2021 World Water Development Report on "Valuing Water" assesses the current status of and challenges to the valuation of water across differing sectors and perspectives and identifies ways in which valuation can be promoted as a tool to help achieve sustainability. The United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR), is the UN-Water flagship report on water. It is a comprehensive review that gives an overall picture of the state, use and management of the worlds freshwater resources and aims to provide decision makers with tools to formulate and implement sustainable water policies.
To consult this publication please go to https://www.unwater.org/publication_categories/world-water-development-report/ & https://www.worldwaterday.org/learn
Resources on this topic:
• Water Facts (UN Water): https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/
• UN Water publications: https://www.unwater.org/unwater-publications/
• UN Water - Who does what list: https://www.unwater.org/about-unwater/who-does-what/
• SDG Knowledge Hub - SDG Goal 6 - Clean Water & Sanitation: http://sdg.iisd.org/sdgs/goal-6-clean-water-sanitation/
CONTENT FOR THIS POST WAS PROVIDED TO FSU BY THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD LIBRARY.
International Day of Happiness (March 20)
- World Happiness Reports: The World Happiness Report is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness that ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. The World Happiness Report 2020 for the first time ranks cities around the world by their subjective well-being and digs more deeply into how the social, urban and natural environments combine to affect our happiness. The 2021 World Happiness Report will be published on 20 March 2021.
- Sustainable Development Goals: In 2015, the UN launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which seek to end poverty, reduce inequality, and protect our planet – three key aspects that lead to well-being and happiness.
- UN Photo Album: Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated the International Day of Happiness as a way to recognize the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world.
- Why Sustainable Development is Important: Happiness and Wellbeing (Video presentation -14mins):
International Women's Day (March 8)
This year’s theme for the International Day, "Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world", celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commission on the Status of Women (15 to 26 March) will also focus on the importance of women’s leadership and call attention to women's central role in building back better. The month will culminate in the Generation Equality Forum (29 to 31 March) which represents a key moment for gender equality advocates from every sector of society to drive urgent action and accountability for gender equality.
Join the online conversation on Twitter using the hashtags #IWD2021, #GenerationEquality, #ActforEqual, #internationalwomensday, and by following @UN_Women.
For more information, please visit: https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day. UN Secretary-General António Guterres video message for International Women’s Day 2021:
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender Equality
Gender Equality (Goal 5) is the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for the month of March. The main goal of SDG-5 is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Current progress on this SDG states that the commitment to advancing gender equality has brought about improvements in some areas, but the promise of a world in which every woman and girl enjoy full gender equality and all legal, social and economic barriers to their empowerment have been removed remains unfulfilled.
For more information, please visit: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal5 & https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2020/goal-05/
Virtual exhibit: I Lead by Example. I am Generation Equality
This exhibit features 13 extraordinary women leaders fighting for gender equality, whose words and stories inspired others to join "Generation Equality". It presents women leading by example to change the places of power, end violence, stop climate change, and open opportunities for all women and girls. The exhibit is organized by UN Women in connection with International Women's Day. Please view online at https://www.un.org/en/exhibits/exhibit/i-lead-by-example-i-am-generation-equality
Additional resources for conducting research on this topic:
- United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) - Guiding documents
- UN Women - Annual reports
- Turning promises into action: Gender equality in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Flagship report - UN Women)
- UN Women - Digital Library: https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications
- Commission on the Status of Women CSW65 - Official Meetings / Organization of the session
- CSW65 - Official documents for the session
CONTENT FOR THIS POST WAS PROVIDED TO FSU BY THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD LIBRARY.
GPO Celebrates 160 Years Of Keeping America Informed
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
- UN Women: https://www.unwomen.org/en. UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.
- UN Women publications: https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications
- Progress of the world’s women report: https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/progress-of-the-worlds-women
- Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW): https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/cedaw.htm The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is often described as an international bill of rights for women. Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination.
- UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights:
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Women/SRWomen/Pages/SRWomenIndex.aspx
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CEDAW/Pages/CEDAWIndex.aspx
- SDG - Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/gender-equality/
CONTENTS FOR THIS POST WAS PROVIDED TO FSU BY THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD LIBRARY.
20 Years of Women, Peace and Security
31 October 2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, 
Peace and Security, a ground-breaking resolution that was spearheaded by women leaders and organizations. It is the first resolution that recognized women’s leadership to achieve international peace and security and their contributions to conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. The implementation of women, peace and security priorities is a key political commitment in the Secretary-General’s Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative, which reaffirms that women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peace processes and political solutions is essential for effective peacekeeping and sustainable peace outcomes.
For more information, please visit: https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/20-years-of-women-peace-and-security & https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/promoting-women-peace-and-security
The Story of Resolution 1325 | Women, Peace and Security (Video presentation): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZH5hIOyU4Y&feature=emb_logo
Call to action - Women transforming peace and security: https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/dpo_call_to_action-final.pdf
Resources for conducting research on this topic:
- UN Department of Peace Operations (DPO): https://peacekeeping.un.org/en
- Women in Peacekeeping: https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/women-peacekeeping
- Peace is My Mission (video series): https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/peace-is-my-mission
- Leaders and Changemakers: Women Shaping Peace (2019 Annual Report): https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/dpo_wps_2019_digital_1.pdf
- Gender equality in peacekeeping (introduction): https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/dpo_brochure_2019_english.pdf
- Policy brief: Women transforming peace through peacekeeping: https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/policy_brief.pdf
- In Focus: Women's meaningful participation in peace and political processes:
https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/final_quartely_infograph-_womens_participation_-_october_2019.pdf - UN Women – Peace and Security: https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/peace-and-security
- Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative: https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/action-for-peacekeeping-a4p & https://www.un.org/en/A4P/
CONTENTS FOR THIS POST WAS PROVIDED TO FSU BY THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD LIBRARY.
International Day on the Eradication of Poverty
By adopting resolution 47/196 on December 22, 1992, the General Assembly declared October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and invited all States to devote the Day to presenting and promoting, as appropriate in the national context, concrete activities with regard to the eradication of poverty and destitution. The resolution further invites intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to assist States, at their request, in organizing national activities for the observance of the Day, and requests the Secretary-General to take, within existing resources, the measures necessary to ensure the success of the Day's observance by the United Nations.
October 17th presents an opportunity to acknowledge the effort and struggle of people living in poverty, a chance for them to make their concerns heard, and a moment to recognize that poor people are the first ones to fight against poverty. Participation of the poor themselves has been at the center of the Day's celebration since its very beginning.
For more information about the International Day on the Eradication of Poverty, please visit:
- https://www.un.org/en/events/povertyday/
- https://www.un.org/development/desa/socialperspectiveondevelopment/international-day-for-the-eradication-of-poverty-homepage.html
United Nations Resources on Poverty
Third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty 2018-2027: https://www.un.org/development/desa/socialperspectiveondevelopment/united-nations-decade-for-the-eradication-of-poverty/third.html The theme of the Third Decade, to be reviewed at its seventy-third sessions, is “Accelerating global actions for a world without poverty”, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Report on the Implementation of the Third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018–2027): https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1640259?ln=en
SDG Goal 1: End poverty in all its Forms Everywhere: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/poverty/
SDG Goal 1: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal1: This website maintained by UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs provides information about SDG 1, including the targets and related indicators, infographics, progress reports and key publications.
Topic page: Poverty Eradication: https://sdgs.un.org/topics/poverty-eradication: This website provides a brief account of the UN’s work in the area of poverty eradication and highlights major reports on the topic.
Why it Matters: No Poverty: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1_Why-It-Matters-2020.pdf
Global Issues - Ending Poverty: https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/poverty/
The 2019 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): http://hdr.undp.org/en/2019-MPI
The 2019 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) data and publication "Illuminating Inequalities" released on 11 July 2019 shed light on the number of people experiencing poverty at regional, national and subnational levels, and reveal inequalities across countries and among the poor themselves. Jointly developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford, the 2019 global MPI offers data for 101 countries, covering 76 percent of the global population.
Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/SRExtremePovertyIndex.aspx
CONTENTS FOR THIS POST WAS PROVIDED TO FSU BY THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD LIBRARY.
International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
The General Assembly declared 26 September as International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons in December 2013 by adopting resolution 68/32 as a follow-up to the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament held on 26 September 2013 in New York. 
In resolution 68/32, the General Assembly called for the “urgent commencement of negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament of a comprehensive convention on nuclear weapons to prohibit their possession, development, production, acquisition, testing, stockpiling, transfer and use or threat of use, and to provide for their destruction.”
Subsequently, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted on 7 July 2017 by the United Nations Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, Leading Towards their Total Elimination (UN doc. A/CONF.229/2017/8). The Treaty has been ratified by 45 signatory states and is not yet in force (50 ratifications are required for that to happen). For more information about the Treaty please visit: http://disarmament.un.org/treaties/t/tpnw
The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons has been observed annually since 2014. For more information about this international day, please visit: https://www.un.org/en/observances/nuclear-weapons-elimination-day
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Key resources for conducting research on this topic:
- United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA): https://www.un.org/disarmament/
- United Nations Disarmament Yearbooks Collection (1945 present): https://www.un.org/disarmament/publications/yearbook/
- Disarmament Treaties: http://disarmament.un.org/treaties/
- UNODA Documents Library: https://www.un.org/disarmament/publications/library/
- Resources for Learning - Disarmament Education: https://www.un.org/disarmament/education/index.html
- Disarmament in the General Assembly: https://www.un.org/disarmament/general-assembly/
- United Nations Conference on Disarmament (UNCD): https://www.unog.ch/80256EE600585943/(httpPages)/2D415EE45C5FAE07C12571800055232B?OpenDocument
- United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC): https://www.un.org/disarmament/institutions/disarmament-commission/
- Fact Sheets on Disarmament Issues: https://www.un.org/disarmament/factsheets/
- Disarmament: a basic guide, fourth edition (2017) - available in Arabis, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish: https://www.un.org/disarmament/publications/basic-guide/disarmament-a-basic-guide-fourth-edition-2017/
- United Nations Institute on Disarmament Research (UNIDIR): https://www.unidir.org
- Library research guide on disarmament documentation: https://research.un.org/en/docs/disarmament
Research guide on nuclear weapons (Library and Archives Geneva): https://libraryresources.unog.ch/nukes
List of Ask Dag FAQs on disarmament: https://ask.un.org/search/?t=0&q=Disarmament
Documents and publications in the UN Digital Library:
- All content about nuclear disarmament: https://digitallibrary.un.org/search
- Latest reports on nuclear non-proliferation: https://digitallibrary.un.org/search
- Latest reports on disarmament: https://digitallibrary.un.org/search
Contents for this post was provided to FSU by the United Nations and the Dag Hammarskjöld Library.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending 
poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
To find out more about all the Sustainable Development Goals, please visit: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
On the occasion of the opening of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly– and on the 5th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals – a 30-minute film titled “Nations United” will feature leading thinkers and activists, data visualizations, testimonies, and performances to highlight the solutions and actions we can take to create a world where no one is left behind. The first transmission was on 19 September, 2020, and can be found on YouTube live stream.
The United Nations has created a detailed advertisement of this monumental broadcast which includes a general overview, production details, and a list of famous activists that are being approached to host and contribute to this event. To view, click the link below: "Nations United": SDG Global Broadcast
Already available is the "Do you know all 17 SDGs?" Video, in eight languages on UN Web TV website (webtv.un.org):
- English: http://webtv.un.org/watch/english-do-you-know-all-17-sdgs/5827347434001/
- English (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XTBYMfZyrM
Other online resources available:
- Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Sustainable Development: https://sdgs.un.org
- SDG Indicators Global Database: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/database/
- 2020 Sustainable Development Goals Report: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2020/
- Other UN Publications on Sustainable Development and SDGs: https://sdgs.un.org/publications
- UN System SDG Implementation online database: https://sdgs.un.org/UNSDGimplementation
Additional research resources from the United Nations/Dag Hammarskjöld Library website:
- Library research guide: https://research.un.org/en/docs/dev/2016-2030
- List of Ask Dag FAQs: https://research.un.org/en/docs/dev/faq
- Research resources: https://research.un.org/en/docs/dev/resources
- Documents and publications in the UN Digital Library: https://digitallibrary.un.org/search
Contents for this post was provided to FSU by the United Nations and the Dag Hammarskjöld Library.
