U.N. highlights UNOPS operational footprint and World Environment Day warnings from senior officials

The United Nations highlighted a UNOPS annual report that outlines technical, operational and logistical support delivered through more than 1,100 projects across 130 countries and territories. The spokesperson said UNOPS delivered around $2.7 billion worth of support in humanitarian response, sustainable development and peace and security projects and that the work created about 26 million days of paid work for local communities, including roughly 10 million days for women.

Marking World Environment Day, the Secretary-General warned that the past 11 years have been the 11 hottest on record and said the world is heading for a temporary overshoot of 1.5 degrees Celsius, urging rapid emissions cuts, an accelerated just transition away from fossil fuels, methane reductions, and protection of land and sea. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said his office had recorded nearly 600 environmental and land defenders killed or disappeared worldwide over the past three years and urged governments to ensure the safety of environmental defenders and accountability for abuses.

The briefing also noted international observations related to food safety day and fishing, and flagged a forthcoming World Ocean Assessment briefing with invited experts and officials.