An “unprecedented agreement” on the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea amid the ongoing war is “a beacon of hope” in a world that desperately needs it, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the signing ceremony in Istanbul, Türkiye, on 22 July.  The UN plan, which also paves the way for Russian food and fertilizer to reach global markets, will help to stabilize spiralling food prices worldwide and stave off famine, affecting millions.   Russian and Ukrainian Ministers signed the Black Sea Grain Initiative, facing each other at opposite ends of the table, while the Secretary-General and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sat in the centre.  Hope and relief  “Today, there is a beacon on the Black Sea,” the UN chief said, speaking prior to the signing. “A beacon of hope – a beacon of possibility – a beacon of relief -- in a world that needs it more than ever.”  Mr. Guterres thanked President Erdogan and his government for facilitating the talks that led to the deal.   He commended the Russian and Ukrainian representatives for putting aside their differences in the common interests of humanity.  “The question has not been what is good for one side or the other,” he said. “The focus has been on what matters most for the people of our world.  And let there be no doubt – this is an agreement for the world.”  Ukraine is among the world’s leading grain exporters, supplying more than 45 million tonnes annually to the global market, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).   The Russian invasion, which began on 24 February, has sparked record food and fuel prices, as well as supply chain issues, with mountains of grain stocks stuck in silos.  In addition to stabilizing global food prices, the agreement “will bring relief for developing countries on the edge of bankruptcy and the most vulnerable people on the edge of famine,” said Mr. Guterres.  “Since the war started, I have been highlighting that there is no solution to the global food crisis without ensuring full global access to Ukraine’s food products and Russian food and fertilizer.”    United Nations News · CLIP - UN chief António Guterres at signing of Ukraine-Russia grain deal A long road  The initiative specifically allows for significant volumes of commercial food exports from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea – Odessa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny.   The Secretary-General also announced the establishment of a Joint Coordination Centre to monitor implementation.  It will be hosted in Istanbul and will include representatives from Ukraine, Russia and Türkiye. Inspection teams will monitor the onloading of grain at the three ports. Ukrainian pilot vessels will guide the ships through the Black Sea, which is mined, after which they will head out through the Bosphorus Strait along an agreed corridor. Ships going into the ports also will be inspected. Mr. Guterres acknowledged “the long road” and weeks of around-the clock negotiations leading up to the landmark agreement.   In April, the Secretary-General met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to propose a plan. The UN has been "working every day since", he said. Two UN Task Forces were established in parallel on the talks - one focused on the shipment of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, which was led by UN humanitarian affairs chief Martin Griffiths, and the other on facilitating access of Russian food and fertilizers, headed by Rebecca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the UN trade and development body, UNCTAD.  Beacon for peace  Mr. Guterres pledged the UN’s full commitment to the agreement, and urged all sides to do the same.  “This is an unprecedented agreement between two parties engaged in bloody conflict. But that conflict continues,” he said, noting that people are dying every day as the fighting rages.   “The beacon of hope on the Black Sea is shining bright today, thanks to the collective efforts of so many. In these trying and turbulent times for the region and our globe, let that beacon guide the way towards easing human suffering and securing peace.”     This article was originally published on UN News on July 23.

One hot and humid summer day in 2019, Zoe Rimba was standing in front of the UNICEF Headquarters in New York as an international graduate student. She had just completed her studies in international and community development and was about to return to Indonesia. At that very moment a thought came to her mind that what a great honor and privilege it would be to be able to work for the cause of children across the globe! At the time, Zoe was fresh out of school, ambitious, idealistic, and driven to apply what she had learned for the good of others. However, she was also largely confused about the future. Could she really be a part of the solution to the issues she cared the most? How is she going to put into action the big dreams she has? Where should she even start? These were some of the major questions to which Zoe didn’t have the answers at the time. But she knew in her heart that whatever the future brings, she wants to do something meaningful for the women and children who are living in remote and underserved areas of Indonesia. Zoe had this conviction that there is much to be done when there are 11 provinces out of 34 that are still considered “disadvantaged areas” by the Indonesian government. She never thought that two years later, she would be serving as a United Nations Volunteer for UNICEF Indonesia. When she started her assignment as a Subnational Planning Officer in the summer of 2021, it was one of those full circle moments when her hopes and dreams, combined with her previous professional and academic experiences made her fit for this role. Zoe’s main role is to support UNICEF Indonesia’s urban and subnational planning and budgeting programs for children. “We believe that in 2022, we should dedicate our attention to child responsive urban planning which addresses urban inequities and disparities among children in cities. We also need to develop structures and systems for sustained participation of children and young people in policy making and decision-making processes. The key objective is to influence national government policies on planning and budgeting to reflect the voices, needs, and rights of children”, Zoe states.  She points out that their approach towards urban programming for children in Indonesia is two-pronged. First, they are working to strengthen governmental systems around planning and budgeting through evidence-generation, capacity building activities, and advocacy. Second, they are also working directly with children, adolescents, and young people to ensure their valuable participation in policy making and decision-making process through participation platforms like the Musrenbang (Public Participation in Planning and Budgeting) and Forum Anak (Child Forum). This commitment is reflected in one of their urban programs related to Child-Friendly City Initiatives. This is why this year, Zoe is supporting the work of the Social Policy team at UNICEF Indonesia in advocating for the integration of UNICEF’s global framework on Child Friendly City Initiatives (CFCI) with the Government of Indonesia’s own CFCI initiative called the Kabupaten Kota Layak Anak (KLA). “We see an opportunity to strengthen the government’s KLA initiative by conducting an assessment of the KLA implementation across Indonesia, including the 24 indicators in the current KLA guideline. I have contributed to the planning of our CFCI work under our annual work plan this year, engaged with our implementing partners who are rolling out adolescent participation programs in key provinces across Indonesia, and participated in technical discussion meetings with the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection/Kemenpppa, and the Ministry of Home Affairs/Kemendagri. Most memorably, I supported UNICEF Indonesia’s Urban 20 engagements, as a part of the Indonesian G20 Presidency”, she said. 2022 is a historical year for UNICEF Indonesia. UNICEF is supporting several global events, one of them being the Indonesian G20 Presidency. As a part of this, Zoe believes G20 is a great opportunity for UNICEF to encourage all stakeholders involved in this important endeavor to carry the voices of children, adolescents, and young people in Indonesia to the global stage. It is also an exciting year for her as she has the unique opportunity to be a part of UNICEF Indonesia’s coordinated G20 efforts in the Urban 20. For the Urban 20, she has helped the Social Policy team with event-planning for the Urban 20 Webinar on “A Common Framework: Towards Child-Friendly Cities Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, Climate Crisis, and Rising Structural Inequalities”, from drafting the concept note and terms of reference, preparing the event rundown, to liaising with the event organizer. She was also asked to represent UNICEF Indonesia as one of the speakers in a session where she presented “Children in Urban Settings in Indonesia” to over 300 hundred people in the audience. In the words of Ali Moechtar, Social Policy Specialist and Zoe’s supervisor, “working as a team with Zoe has been a fantastic opportunity for me. She has been instrumental in supporting the UNICEF Jakarta Office in the programme area Urban/Subnational planning and budgeting by connecting UNICEF with governments, CSOs, and youth and adolescents. Also, we asked her to be a speaker in the Urban 20 Webinar, representing UNICEF Indonesia, to give her more opportunities for capacity development.” Indeed, Zoe is hopeful for the future of cities. She is glad that UNICEF Indonesia is emphasizing on the importance of working with and for children, especially during a global pandemic, climate crisis, and rising structural inequalities. There is an African proverb that says it takes a whole village to raise a child. The same thing is true for creating inclusive and sustainable cities for children regardless of their socio-economic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. It requires a whole-of-society approach to tirelessly work and produce concrete and measurable results for children. This is why Zoe says that the spirit of volunteerism must always be ignited because each one of us has a special role to play. Volunteerism to me means living a life of service to others. It also means putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. Only then it is manifested in our daily work: that what we do, do not come from a place of power or some sort of advanced knowledge, but truly from a place of deep understanding of other people's unique backgrounds, guided by your personal, professional, and spiritual convictions, and finally, strong passion and desire to learn, share, and walk alongside those we serve. Adrian Kusuma Pratama, Urban & Subnational Planning Specialist, and another supervisor of Zoe says, “I thoroughly enjoy working with Zoe. Her understanding of urban/subnational planning and budgeting activity is excellent. Her commitment to work is beyond question. She has been actively involved in designing the program for urban/subnational planning and budgeting while completing the administrative tasks." Looking back at that exact moment in New York and the big questions she used to have, Zoe now realizes that she is not the solution per se, but in fact a part of the bigger picture. It’s heartening for her to see that the United Nations instills this culture in the people who are serving this great intergovernmental organization. Every day, she carries the honor, joy, and gratitude she has to be able to serve the United Nations Children’s Fund in Indonesia. In her very own words, “I commend the United Nations Volunteer for its concerted efforts in bringing volunteers from all over the world to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and hope that more volunteers across Indonesia and around the world will join us as we serve our country and the global community as changemakers, and produce results that last for generations to come.”

UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia Valerie Julliand and FAO Representative Rajendra Aryal were among a delegation of UN and Indonesian Government officials who kicked off a half-day event at an elementary school in Depok, West Java, designed to promote the conservation or Indonesia’s biodiversity and inland waterways among school-aged children. Some 60 students and teachers gathered to commemorate the UN’s global #Only One Earth” theme on June 16 at Sekolah Alam Matoa, a private elementary school that highlights Indonesian nature and biodiversity in its curriculum. The event, which was live-streamed across the UN in Indonesia’s social media channels, saw students plant trees, release fish, and join an array of FAO and UNESCO-led conservation-focused activities. “Protecting the planet really starts with loving it and all the species that depend on it,” the UN Resident Coordinator told the audience of five to 12-year-olds seated on the school’s lawn. “And that starts with enjoying being outside in nature, feeling the earth breathe around us.” Below is a selection of photographs from the UN in Indonesia’s visit to Sekolah Alam Matoa.

Hate speech is rising around the world Hate speech incites violence and undermines social cohesion and tolerance. The devastating effect of hatred is sadly nothing new. However, its scale and impact are nowadays amplified by new technologies of communication, to the point that hate speech - including online - has become one of the most frequent methods for spreading divisive rhetoric and ideologies on a global scale and threatening peace. The United Nations has a long history of mobilizing the world against hatred of all kinds to defend human rights and advance the rule of law. The impact of hate speech cuts across numerous existing United Nations areas of focus, from human rights protection and prevention of atrocity crimes to sustaining peace and achieving gender equality and supporting children and youth. Because fighting hate, discrimination, racism and inequality is at the core of United Nations principles and work, the Organization is working to confront hate speech at every turn. This principle is enshrined in the United Nations Charter, in the international human rights framework and in the global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia Valerie Julliand highlights our collective commitment to countering hate speech. UN Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech In response to the alarming trends of growing xenophobia, racism and intolerance, violent misogyny, anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred around the world, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech on 18 June 2019. This first UN system-wide initiative designed to tackle hate speech provides an essential framework for how the Organization can support and complement States' efforts. The strategy emphasizes the need to counter hate holistically and with full respect for freedom of opinion and expression, while working in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including civil society organizations, media outlets, tech companies and social media platforms. Hatred is a danger to everyone – and so fighting it must be a job for everyone. - António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General, 2021 International Day for Countering Hate Speech Marking an important milestone in the fight against hate speech, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on “promoting inter-religious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech”. The resolution proclaims 18 June as the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, which will be marked for the first time in 2022.   What is hate speech? In common language, “hate speech” loosely refer to offensive discourse targeting a group or an individual based on inherent characteristics - such as race, religion or gender - and that may threaten social peace. Under International Human Rights Law, there is no universal definition of hate speech as the concept is still widely disputed especially in regards to its relation to freedom of opinion and expression, non-discrimination and equality. With the aim to provide an unified framework for the UN system to address the issue globally, the United Nations Strategy and Plan of Action on Hate Speech defines hate speech as…“any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour, that attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender or other identity factor.” While the above is not a legal definition and is broader than the notion of “incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence” - prohibited under international human rights law - it highlights three important attributes: Hate speech can be conveyed through any form of expression, including images, cartoons, memes, objects, gestures and symbols and it can be disseminated offline or online. Hate speech is “discriminatory” - biased, bigoted, intolerant - or “pejorative” - in other words, prejudiced, contemptuous or demeaning - of an individual or group. Hate speech makes reference to real, purported or imputed “identity factors” of an individual or a group in a broad sense: “religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender,” but also any other characteristics conveying identity, such as language, economic or social origin, disability, health status, or sexual orientation, among many others. It’s important to note that hate speech can only be directed at individuals or groups of individuals; therefore, it does not include communication about entities such as States and their offices or symbols, public officials, nor religious leaders, or tenets of faith.   Targets of hate Minority groups Migrants and refugees Women and girls Key population such as sexual minority groups  Vocational targets Read more about the impact of hate speech affecting these target groups here.   Engage - how to deal with hate speech? Hate speech is an issue prevalent in all societies, whether offline or online. It can sometimes be difficult to assess when a comment is meant as hate speech - especially when occurring in the virtual world - or it can simply feel overwhelming trying to deal with obvious hateful content. However, there are many ways you can take a stand, even if you are not personally the victim of hate speech - and you can make a difference. The following tips may be helpful. Pause Restrain from making any hateful comments yourself and/or relaying such content. Whether online or offline, we can all act responsibly and contribute to stop the spread of hate and misinformation. Check out the United Nations #PledgetoPause campaign to find out why it’s important to take a moment to pause before you share content and how to do it responsibly online, whether you’re forwarding a message, retweeting a story or watching a video in your feed. Fact-check In the digital world, it’s common to come across misinformation and harmful content, but it’s generally also easy to verify whether the content you come across is reliable. Make sure you spot false and biased information, including hate speech propaganda, checking the content origin with the help of search engines, fact-checking tools and other reliable sources. You can also download images and run them through image search tools to find out when they appeared first. React Whenever possible, do not remain silent, even when others are targeted: speak up calmly but firmly against hate speech and call it out to make clear that you do not agree with the content of the statement. When relevant, you can refute misinformation with facts, providing reliable sources to back up your argument. Challenge One way to tackle hate speech is to spread your own counter-speech to make sure hate is not the dominant narrative. Feel free to undermine hateful content with positive messages that spread tolerance, equality and truth in defense of those being targeted by hate. Support Taking a public stand for and extending solidarity to people who are targets of hate speech can help fight hate speech and demonstrate that rejecting hate is the responsibility of each one of us. Report Most digital platforms and online communities have rules to ensure users' discussions remain respectful and will let you easily report messages of hate to administrators or moderators. Make sure you check out social media platforms guidelines and tips that aim to protect users from harassment and hate speech. For most serious cases - that may constitute incitement to violence, harassment and/or threat prohibited by law - you can choose to notify organizations fighting hate speech and/or file a complaint with the police authorities (or the public prosecutor’s office). Some countries have implemented nation-wide online tools to make reporting hate speech easier. Educate You can help raise awareness on the issue of hate speech - online or offline - as simply as engaging with your family and friends in conversations about how hateful content can harm societies, advocating for responsible behaviour and sharing public campaigns and educational resources. Commit Consider joining a NGO or another civil society initiative that works towards addressing the issue of hate speech in your community.   Further UN initiatives to combat hate speech Further initiatives across the United Nations system go beyond legal responses with the aim to prevent and mitigate the impact of hate speech. The Rabat Plan of Action - Complementing International Human Rights Law provisions, the Rabat Plan of Action on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence provides key guidance on the distinction between the freedom of expression and the incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence. Adopted in October 2012, the Rabat Plan of Action is the outcome of a series of Expert meetings organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). It stresses the collective responsibility of States officials, religious and community leaders, the media, civil society and all individuals on the need to nurture social cohesion, tolerance, dialogue to prevent incitement to hatred. The Rabat Threshold Test The Rabat Plan of Action suggests a high threshold for defining restrictions on freedom of expression, incitement to hatred, and for the application of article 20 of the ICCPR. It outlines a six-part threshold test taking into account (1) the social and political context, (2) status of the speaker, (3) intent to incite the audience against a target group, (4) content and form of the speech, (5) extent of its dissemination and (6) likelihood of harm, including imminence. Social Media 4 Peace Initiated in January 2021 in 3 pilot countries, with the support of the European Union, this UNESCO project aims to strengthen the resilience of societies to potentially harmful content spread online - in particular hate speech inciting violence - while protecting freedom of expression and enhancing the promotion of peace through digital technologies, notably social media. The “Verified” Initiative This global UN initiative launched in May 2020 aims to combat COVID-19 misinformation - often paired with fear-mongering and hateful content - by increasing the volume and reach of trusted, accurate information. “Verified” brings together United Nations agencies and teams around the world, with influencers, civil society, business and media organizations in order to distribute trusted, accurate content, while working with social media platforms to root out hate and harmful assertions about COVID-19. The International Day for Countering Hate Speech Marking an important milestone in the fight against hate speech, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on “promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech”. The resolution proclaims 18 June as the International Day for Countering Hate Speech and will first be marked on 18 June 2022.