Stories written by Gloria Schiavi

The Double Burden of Malnutrition

Not only do 805 million people go to bed hungry every day, with one-third of global food production (1.3 billion tons each year) being wasted, there is another scenario that reflects the nutrition paradox even more starkly: two billion people are affected by micronutrients deficiencies while 500 million individuals suffer from obesity.

Family Farmers – Forward to the Future

"Who is more concerned than the rural family with regards to preservation of natural resources for future generations?"

Family Farming – A Way of Life

It does not make the headlines, but 2014 is the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) and family farming will be centre-stage at this year’s World Food Day on Oct. 16 at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

Marine Protection as Stand-Alone Goal for Post-2015 Agenda?

A multi-stakeholder group has expressed strong support for a stand- alone goal to protect healthy oceans in the U.N.’s post-2015 development agenda to be finalised next year.

U.N. Sees Progress in Death Penalty Moratorium

With the U.N. General Assembly expected to discuss a proposed moratorium on the death penalty later this year, a senior U.N. official said the world body is supportive of the proposal to end this “cruel practice.”

Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Still Lag Behind in Latin America

A new report issued by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) analyses the gaps in the fulfilment of rights of indigenous peoples in the region.

Urban Population to Reach 3.9 Billion by Year End

People living in cities already outnumber those in rural areas and the trend does not appear to be reversing, according to UN-Habitat, the Nairobi-based agency for human settlements, which has warned that planning is crucial to achieve sustainable urban growth.

ECLAC Report on Mitigating Climate Change Effects

A 2.5 degrees celsius increase in the world’s temperature would cost around 2.5 percent of the region's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while implementing actions to mitigate these effects would be more cost-effective, according to a new report released by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

“No Planet B”: Marchers Demand Swift Action on Climate Change

On Sunday, Sep. 21, at least 300,000 people filled the streets of New York City ahead of the U.N. General Assembly and special one-day Climate Summit Sep. 23 to protest the ongoing lack of political will to cut global CO2 emissions and kick-start a greener economy. They came by bus and bike and train. They came with their kids -- some in strollers, others old enough to proudly carry signs. By afternoon, it had become clear that the march in New York was the biggest climate-change gathering in history. Protesters also turned out in more than 150 other cities around the world.

New U.N. Mission to Fight Spreading Ebola Virus

The current Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa is the largest the world has ever seen, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council Thursday.

Middle East Claims 40 percent of Journalists Killed in 2013

The strife-torn Middle East has accounted for around 40 percent of all journalists killed last year, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Indigenous Peoples Seek Presence in Post-2015 Development Agenda

The world's 370 million indigenous people, who say they were marginalised in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), want to play a key role in the U.N.'s post-2015 development agenda, which will be finalised next year.

UNICEF Offers Psychosocial Support to Traumatised Children in Gaza

Children in Gaza are in desperate need of psychosocial support to cope with the violence and destruction they have witnessed, both on a physical and emotional level, a U.N. official saidThursday.

UNFPA Supports Abducted Nigerian Girls’ Transition to Normal Life

When Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls from their schools in Chibok, Nigeria last April, an international outcry was heard across the world under the slogan #bringbackourgirls.

U.N. Underlines Key Role for Youth and Sports on Development

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Nanjing, China, last week for the opening ceremony of the Second Youth Olympic Games.

International Youth Day Focuses on Mental Health

They survived mental illnesses and escaped suicides. They found new reasons to live, new hope and they grew stronger.



typical and atypical child development