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International Day of Democracy – 15 September 2024

15 septembre 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: accountable institutions, AI, civil liberties, free speech, human rights, opportunity, risks, rule of law

Secretary-General

Message for the International Day of Democracy

The International Day of Democracy is an opportunity to reinforce the importance of upholding free speech, civil liberties, and the rule of law; ensuring accountable institutions; and protecting and promoting human rights.

This is especially crucial in a year where more than 50 countries – representing half of the global population – are holding elections.

Yet, these rights and values are under attack around the world. Freedoms are being eroded. Civic space is diminishing. Polarization is intensifying. And mistrust is growing.

This year’s Democracy Day focuses on Artificial Intelligence as a tool for good governance.

Left unchecked, the dangers posed by artificial intelligence could have serious implications for democracy, peace, and stability. This can start with the proliferation of mis- and disinformation, the spread of hate speech and the use of so-called deepfakes.

Yet, AI has the potential to promote and enhance full and active public participation, equality, security, and human development. It can boost education on democratic processes, and shape more inclusive civic spaces where people have a say in decisions and can hold decision-makers to account.

To seize these opportunities, it is critical to ensure effective governance of AI at all levels, including internationally.

The inclusive and geographically diverse High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence has released a report with recommendations on how to harness the benefits of AI while mitigating the risks.

The message is clear: AI must serve humanity equitably and safely.

This month’s Summit of the Future offers a crucial opportunity to strengthen international cooperation, build trust, and safeguard current and future generations.

On this International Day of Democracy, let’s keep working to build a more inclusive, just, and equal world.

 

Source: Text: https://unis.unvienna.org/unis/pressrels/2024/unissgsm1432.html      Image: https://www.journee-mondiale.com/en/day/international-day-of-democracy/

World Hypertension Day – 17 May

17 mai 2024
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: blood pressure, complications, development, heart attack, hypertension, patients, public health, risks

16 May 2024 – Hypertension is a silent yet deadly public health problem. Today, on World Hypertension Day 2024, we remind all adults to get your blood pressure measured accurately and control it to live longer. Early detection and careful management of hypertension are vital.

Hypertension is a leading risk factor for premature death and disability – in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region especially. Untreated hypertension can lead to serious medical complications such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure, kidney damage, and other debilitating health issues.

In 2019, hypertension was estimated to affect 38% of adults aged 30–79 years in the Region – more than 104 million people. Shockingly, more than half of them (51%) are unaware of their status, and over 60% of the total are not receiving treatment. Just 16% of the total number have their condition under control.

Established risk factors include unhealthy diet (high salt and low fruit and vegetable intake), physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol use, and obesity. Emerging risk factors include pollution (air, water, noise, light), urbanization and loss of green space.

In humanitarian settings in the Region, such as conflict-affected contexts or areas affected by man-made and natural disasters including climate-related disasters, the burden of hypertension is even worse. This is the result of limited resources, heightened stress levels and inadequate access to health care in such settings.

Urgent action is needed to improve diagnosis, treatment, and control rates to combat the burden of hypertension in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. It’s vital to empower people to accurately measure their blood pressure (or have it measured for them), take control of their health, and embrace lifestyle changes.

Currently, the significant gaps in hypertension management and control efforts in the Region hinder progress towards Sustainable Development Goal target 3.4 – to reduce premature mortality due to noncommunicable diseases.

Hypertension, and its complications, worsens inequalities and imposes economic hardships on patients and their families, as well as on health systems and national economic and development agendas.

 

Source: Text: https://www.emro.who.int/media/news/world-hypertension-day-on-17-may-2024   Image: https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/resources/awareness/world-hypertension-day.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work – 28 April 2022

28 avril 2022
Nicole Gregoire
Aucun commentaire
Catégories: Anglophones et anglophiles
Mots-clés: culture, diseases, employment, health, prévention, risks, technology, work safety, working

Act together to build a positive safety and health culture

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen that having a strong OSH system, which includes meaningful participation of governments, employers, workers, public health actors and all relevant parties at the national and enterprise level, has been crucial in protecting working environments and safeguarding the safety and health of workers.

As we continue to live through a global health crisis and face ongoing OSH risks in the world of work, we must continue to move toward building a strong safety and health culture at all levels.

Background

In 2003, the International Labour Organization (ILO), began to observe World Day in order to stress the prevention of accidents and diseases at work, capitalizing on the ILO’s traditional strengths of tripartism and social dialogue.

This celebration is an integral part of the Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health of the ILO, as documented in the Conclusions of the International Labour Conference in June 2003. One of the main pillars of the Global Strategy is advocacy, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a significant tool to raise awareness of how to make work safe and healthy and of the need to raise the political profile of occupational safety and health.

28 April is also the International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers organized worldwide by the trade union movement since 1996.

Prevention of occupational accidents and diseases

The annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work on 28 April promotes the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on the magnitude of the problem and on how promoting and creating a safety and health culture can help reduce the number of work-related deaths and injuries.

Each of us is responsible for stopping deaths and injuries on the job. As governments we are responsible for providing the infrastructure — laws and services — necessary to ensure that workers remain employable and that enterprises flourish; this includes the development of a national policy and programme and a system of inspection to enforce compliance with occupational safety and health legislation and policy. As employers we are responsible for ensuring that the working environment is safe and healthy. As workers we are responsible to work safely and to protect ourselves and not to endanger others, to know our rights and to participate in the implementation of preventive measures.

Emerging risks at work

New and emerging occupational risks may be caused by technical innovation or by social or organizational change, such as:

  • New technologies and production processes, e.g. nanotechnology, biotechnology
  • New working conditions, e.g. higher workloads, work intensification from downsizing, poor conditions associated with migration for work, jobs in the informal economy
  • Emerging forms of employment, e.g. self-employment, outsourcing, temporary contracts

They may be more widely recognized through better scientific understanding, e.g. the effects of ergonomic risks on musculoskeletal disorders.

They may be influenced by changes in perceptions about the importance of certain risk factors, e.g. the effects of psychosocial factors on work-related stress.

 

Source: Text (summary): UN     Image: ilo.org