Women at the Intersection of Science, Technology and Innovation
A gifted mathematician, , the Right Honourable Countess of Lovelace, later known as Ada Lovelace, is considered to have written instructions for the first computer program in the mid-1800s. Ada displayed her mathematical aptitude at an early age. At the age of 12, she designed a steam-powered flight machine. In her late teens, she was asked to translate an article on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine that had been written by Italian engineer Luigi Federico Menabrea for a Swiss journal. Aside from translating the original French text into English, Ada also added her own thoughts and ideas about the machine. Her notes ended up being three times longer than the original article. Ada's contributions to the field of computer science were not discovered until the 1950s.
Famine declared in region of South Sudan – UN
20 February 2017 – Famine has been formally declared in parts of South Sudan, the United Nations said today, warning that war and a collapsing economy have left some 100,000 people facing starvation there and a further 1 million people are classified as being on the brink of famine.
Famine has become a tragic reality in parts of South Sudan and our worst fears have been realised, said Serge Tissot, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in South Sudan, in a news release issued jointly with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
Many families have exhausted every means they have to survive, he stated, explaining that these people are predominantly farmers who have lost their livestock, even their farming tools.
Famine is currently affecting parts of Unity State in the northern-central part of the country. A formal famine declaration means people have already started dying of hunger.
A decade on, Ãå±±½ûµØurges all Governments to endorse convention on enforced disappearance
17 February 2017 – Marking the tenth anniversary of an historic treaty to keep people from suffering enforced disappearance or secret detentions, the United Nations today urged all Governments that have not done so to ratify it, as the world body honoured victims separated from their loved ones.
The Ãå±±½ûµØGeneral Assembly adopted the  on 20 December 2006, and it opened for signature the following February.
Reflections on the Day of Holocaust Remembrance
In memory of the victims of the Holocaust, the United Nations annually observes the International Holocaust Remembrance day. During this year's commemoration week, the United Nations Department of Public Information organized special exhibitions, film screenings, NGO briefing and the Holocaust Memorial Ceremony to bring awareness and remind the world of the threat posed to us all when genocide and crimes against humanity are allowed to occur.Â
Call for Nominations for the 2017 United Nations Public Service Awards
Nominations for the 2017 United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA) are currently being accepted until 17 March 2017. UNPSA aims to recognize public service institutions that exemplify innovation and excellence in their work. All public organizations are welcome to be nominated including governments and public sector institutions that are engaged in public-private partnerships for delivering services. Candidates are expected to present innovative projects that contribute to improved public service delivery and can inspire similar initiatives around the world.
Nominations for the 2017 UNPSA are classified into three categories:
The Mission to Stop Ebola: Lessons for Ãå±±½ûµØCrisis Response
The International Peace Institute published its new report entitled &lsquoThe Mission to Stop Ebola: Lessons for Ãå±±½ûµØCrisis Response&rsquo on 15 February 2017. Written by its vice president, Adam Lupel and Michael Snyder, an independent researcher, the publication outlines the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) efforts, successes, failures and lessons learnt while combatting the Ebola pandemic of 2014 to 2016.  
Following the outbreak in West Africa, particularly in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the United Nations established its first-ever emergency health mission, UNMEER. In September 2014, UNMEER was authorized by the United Nations General Assembly to coordinate and increase the United Nations&rsquo activities on the ground to curb the deadly outbreak. To read the publication, visit .
At Prevention Forum, Participants Discuss Education Strategies for the Prevention of Violent Extremism
Delegates and members of civil society gathered on 13 February 2017 at United Nations Headquarters in New York to discuss and provide a forum for debate on strategies and methods for the prevention of violent extremism.
The Forum, co-organised by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations' (UNAOC) Media and Information Literacy programme and the United Nations Academic Impact's (UNAI) Unlearning Intolerance programme, carried the theme Media and Information Literacy: Educational Strategies for the Prevention of Violent Extremism.
'Radio provides accessible, real-time medium to bridge divides,' UNESCO says on World Day
13 February 2017 – Radio has never been so dynamic, engaging and important in the midst of deep change in ways to share and access information, the Ãå±±½ûµØEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organization () said today, World Radio Day.
At a time of turbulence, radio provides an enduring platform to bring communities together,  UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova in her message on the .
The Africa We Want
On 30th January 2017, the 6th United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, began with a call to action by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres, who urged young people to speak up and share their stories.
New Partnerships for Digital Education
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) address core development issues including education. A panel discussion hosted by the International Peace Institute (IPI) and the Sustainable Development Goals Fund (SDGF), identified education as a key driver for social change and poverty eradication. Four speakers, including Paloma Duran, Director of the SDGF; Cesar Alierta, President of Foundation Telefonica; Madhavi Ashok, Senior Advisor of Ãå±±½ûµØPartnerships at UNICEF and Anthony Bosah, Charge d'Affaires of Nigeria to the UN, discussed that in this modern era with high technology proliferation, innovation in education is a critical element for the realization of the Global Goals. They agreed that digital education is an effective tool that should be adopted in every country's education system. Digital education is the process of facilitating a learning session with the aid of digital content and platforms.Â
Ãå±±½ûµØurges renewed fight to end female genital mutilation as populations grow where practice occurs
6 February 2017 – Female genital mutilation denies women and girls their dignity and causes needless pain and suffering, with consequences that endure for a lifetime and can even be fatal, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has said, stressing that the Ãå±±½ûµØSustainable Development Agenda promises an end to this practice by 2030.
Early cancer diagnosis, better trained medics can save lives and money – UN
3 February 2017 - Early cancer diagnosis saves lives and cuts treatment costs, the United Nations health agency today said, particularly in developing countries where the majority of cancer cases are diagnosed too late.
UNITED NATIONS MEDIA SURVEY
The United Nations (UN) does great things all around the world and would like to make them known to the global pubic. For that reason, the Ãå±±½ûµØwishes to know how you find out about news and information that matters to you, your preferred social media channels and what makes you share information with your networks as well as what you would like to see on its social media accounts.
Please fill out this brief by 14 February 2017 so that the Ãå±±½ûµØcan learn how to engage with you and audiences around the world.
Announcing of Prevention Forum- Media and Information Literacy: Educational Strategies for the Prevention of Violent Extremism
You are warmly invited to attend the 'Prevention Forum' discussion series on 9 February 2017 from 3pm to 6pm at the United Nations Headquarters. The forum is co-organised by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations' (UNAOC) Media and Information Literacy programme and United Nations Academic Impact's (UNAI) Unlearning Intolerance' programme, under the theme - 'Media and Information Literacy: Educational Strategies for the Prevention of Violent Extremism'.
The event will also be an occasion for the presentation of the recently published United Nations Alliance of Civilizations - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - Nordic Documentation Center for Mass Communication Research (UNAOC-UNESCO-NORDICOM) publication 'Opportunities for Media and Information Literacy in the Middle East and North Africa'.
The event will feature the following speakers:
At Youth Forum, Ãå±±½ûµØcalls on young people to help realize a better future for all
30 January 2017 – Drawing attention challenges such as climate change, unemployment and inequality, confronting young people around the world, including in places where peace prevails, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today called for the youth to speak up and share their stories.
Tell us how the United Nations can see the world from your perspective – and answer your concerns, said Mr. Guterres in a video message to representatives gathered at Ãå±±½ûµØHeadquarters in New York for the sixth annual Youth Forum.
According to estimates, about 74 million young people around the world cannot find a job, many youth are driven from their homes due to conflicts, and, in places where there is peace, they suffer violence and discrimination.