Sofia Diarra

YouTube video by BBC News Africa What is the future of AI and work in Africa? BBC Africa

Highlight of the year (so far!)-collaborating with BBC News Africa to produce this important discussion about AI, Youth and Jobs-The Future of Work in Africa: youtu.be/3V5psLHdRH0?...

Disasters cost agriculture $99B a year. In 30 years, climate shocks erased $3.26T, including 4.6B tonnes of cereals. Lost calories could feed 1.05B people for a year. Digital tech and strong institutions can shift countries from reaction to prevention. openknowledge.fao.org/items/05a73b...

Violent conflict. 
Climate shocks. 
Poverty.

In 2024, children faced skyrocketing needs while the resources to respond continued to shrink.

Here’s how UNICEF stayed and delivered #ForEveryChild despite the challenges.

unicef.link/4nj5AMF

Girls in India are shaping the future through science.

At a UNICEF-supported lab, they’re using robotics and 3D printing to build real-world solutions.

When girls have the tools to create, there is no limit to what they can achieve. #GirlsInSTEM #GirlGoals

#CommitToLife: How the World Bank Is Advancing Road Safety at a Critical Juncture As the world approaches the midpoint of the United Nation’s Second Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030), the urgency to meet the goal of halving road traffic fatalities and serious injuries by...

“Road crashes claim nearly 1.2 million lives each year—around 3,300 every day—with children and young people disproportionately affected.”

blogs.worldbank.org/en/transport...

Angélique Kidjo on music, activism, and empowering Africa’s next generation

“I didn't decide to become a musician. It was music that chose me” An interview with Grammy winner and @unicef.org ambassador Angélique Kidjo on her work and activism www.un.org/africarenewa...

Advancing Africa's Energy Future at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit Connecting 300 Million People to Electricity by 2030

Tune in on Jan 27-28 to watch African Leaders and Development Partners discuss challenges and solutions for affordable, sustainable energy access across the continent. Sign up & join the conversation live.worldbank.org/en/event/202... #PoweringAfrica via @worldbankgroup.bsky.social

WHO comments on United States announcement of intent to withdraw The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization. WHO plays a crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans, by addressing the root causes of disease, building stronger health systems, and detecting, preventing and responding to health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, often in dangerous places where others cannot go. The United States was a founding member of WHO in 1948 and has participated in shaping and governing WHO’s work ever since, alongside 193 other Member States, including through its active participation in the World Health Assembly and Executive Board. For over seven decades, WHO and the USA have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats. Together, we ended smallpox, and together we have brought polio to the brink of eradication. American institutions have contributed to and benefited from membership in WHO. With the participation of the United States and other Member States, WHO has over the past 7 years implemented the largest set of reforms in its history, to transform our accountability, cost-effectiveness, and impact in countries. This work continues. We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions of people around the globe.

WHO comments on United States announcement of intent to withdraw bit.ly/4hrbeJ7

Giving back to the desert in Mauritania In depth story: Giving back to the desert in Mauritania

FAO: “In a country that is almost 90% desert, the menace of advancing sand dunes, land degradation and desertification is palpable and increasing.“

www.fao.org/newsroom/sto...

Syria crisis: ‘Key priority’ is preserving evidence of crimes, say UN investigators The historic shift of power in Syria and the possibility of finally accessing evidence of horrific human rights violations could bring accountability closer than ever – if only proof can be preserved ...

#Syria: ‘Key priority’ is preserving evidence of crimes, say @UN investigators and “finally” establishing the fate of tens of thousands who had been “illegally arrested, detained and suffered years of violence inside the prison system." news.un.org/en/story/202...

🔴 2023 was also the driest year for global rivers in 33 years.

🌡️ Rising temperatures are speeding up the hydrological cycle, making it more erratic and unpredictable.

🔵 This means we’re increasingly facing extremes—too much water in some places and too little in others.

Gabriel Paun has faced threats and violence in his quest to protect Romania’s old-growth forests.

But that didn’t stop him.

His work has saved tens of thousands of hectares—and earned him a place among the 2024 #EarthChamps Inspiration & Action laureates.

More: www.unep.org/championsofe...

Human trafficking rises sharply after dropping during pandemic, UN says Human trafficking has risen sharply due to conflicts, climate-induced disasters and global crises, according to a United Nations report published on Wednesday.

Human trafficking has risen sharply due to conflicts, climate-induced disasters and global crises, according to a United Nations report reut.rs/4gtnesT

All human beings depend on the environment in which we live. A safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is integral to fully enjoying various human rights.

For #HumanRightsDay, see how you can act now for a better future today and every day. www.ohchr.org/en/get-invol...

More than 60 million displaced and stateless women and girls face heightened risks of gender-based violence during displacement.

It's time to turn awareness into action—protecting them is a global responsibility.

#16Days

“I always wanted to be the voice of my people” Marcela de Jesús Natalia is a Mexican Indigenous Ñomndaa’ journalist, who has dedicated her life to informing in her language and defending human rights. For this she was shot three times, nearly losi...

“Nothing and no one, not jail, not this attack with three bullets, takes away my desire to continue being the voice of my people, to continue with my activism, my defence of human rights…”

Marcela de Jesús. Journalist, activist, surviver.

Her incredible story: www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2...

Lesley Stahl reports on the growing market of “humans in the loop” — workers around the world who help train AI for big American tech companies. They say they face poor working conditions, low pay, and undertreated psychological trauma. Sunday on 60 ⏱️

More than 400 Million Students Affected by Climate-Related School Closures since 2022 Education systems can skill young people for climate mitigation and adaptation. At the same time, climate change induced heat and extreme weather events are significantly disrupting learning, and low-...

“A 10-year-old in 2024 will experience three times more floods, five times more droughts, and 36 times more heatwaves over their lifetime compared to a 10-year-old in 1970.”

Important read: Impact of climate crisis on education in low/ middle income countries 👇

www.worldbank.org/en/news/pres...

🚨Once again, we are sending out a Red Alert.

📈The #StateOfClimate update at #COP29 confirms that 2024 is on track to be the hottest year on record—hotter even than 2023, which smashed all previous records.

🔗 Full update: wmo.int/publication-...

Children and amputees bear brunt of Myanmar’s deadly landmine epidemic Myanmar has become the world’s deadliest country for landmine and unexploded ordnance casualties, with over 1,000 victims in 2023 alone, surpassing all other nations, according to separate studies by ...

#Myanmar is the deadliest country for landmine casualties, with over 1,000 victims in 2023
Independent #HumanRights experts warn this grim milestone highlights a deeper crisis, as the military escalates attacks on civilians, including those with disabilities

My story ⤵️
news.un.org/en/story/202...

Turning waste into treasure: Gadiaba Kodio's mission to recycle Africa's waste

One Malian artist reimagines waste, by blending art with activism.

www.un.org/africarenewa...

Female Farmer

Together for farmers:

FAO and COP29 Presidency launch the ‘Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers’

The platform will help farmers navigate the current network of agriculture-focused initiatives and programs

www.fao.org/newsroom/det...

The climate crisis puts children's rights to health, a livable planet, and a better future at risk.

On #WorldChildrensDay, UNICEF is calling on world leaders to #ActNow for every child. www.unicef.org/world-childr...

Humanity faces a triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, & pollution. Sometimes, it’s hard not to lose hope. UNEP is all about visionary blue-sky thinking for Earth & now we are on BlueSky, sharing ideas, solutions, & voices from the people most affected by environmental change.

African climate leadership at COP29 and beyond Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, emphasizes that Africa, severely impacted by climate change, must focus on sustainable, low-carbon growth. A climate financial decision at COP29 is critical fo...

African climate leadership at #COP29 matters.

Africa is not a climate victim, but a continent of solutions to tackle the climate crisis. But these diverse countries need greater support to mitigate & adapt to climate impacts.

My remarks at African Ministerial Meeting: www.unep.org/news-and-sto...

New UN report on rethinking Africa’s debt: Debunking myths and identifying sustainable solutions

“By rethinking debt, fostering domestic investment, and pushing for global financing reforms, Africa can bridge its development gap and achieve its aspirations sustainably.”

www.un.org/africarenewa...

Wondering who to follow here?

@luefkens.bsky.social already did the heavy lifting for us.

Here’s the DigiTips starter pack for #DigitalDiplomacy 👇🏽

go.bsky.app/yo2kbo

To implement a #PlasticsTreaty we will need finance from all sources - public, private and blended finance - to help lower costs, adopt innovative solutions and support small businesses in developing countries.
 
At #COP29, UNEP, IFC and UNCDF discussed how we will work to deliver this.

Transforming Africa into a global renewable energy leader: www.un.org/africarenewa... #COP29

The Iraqi Parliament has proposed a law to lower the legal marriage age for girls from 18 to 9.

Girls are not spouses.

Child marriage is a human rights violation & harmful practice that threatens girls’ lives & health locking them in a cycle of poverty & violence.