Amid sound macroeconomic policies, Bangladesh has navigated the Covid-19 pandemic relatively well, says the United Nations (UN). The country's total economic output is projected to expand by 6 percent in 2022, according to the UN's World Economic Situation and Prospects 2022, which was launched recently. Bangladesh economic activities ride on export growth and the rising demand for apparel, robust remittance inflows, and accommodative fiscal and monetary policies, it said. However, the outlook is more challenging for other countries in South Asia, including those more dependent on tourism. In the Maldives, economic activity is gradually improving partly due to a solid rebound in international tourism. But renewed Covid-19 outbreaks, locally and abroad, could easily derail the recovery. The country's gross domestic product (GDP) may remain well below pre-pandemic levels; the risk of debt distress could be high. In Sri Lanka, GDP growth is projected at 2.6 percent in 2022. Its major challenges include food shortages, dwindling foreign reserves and sovereign debt risks. Afghanistan's severe downturn has come amid drastic political changes, a decline in international aid and a lack of access to offshore assets. The worsening situation is leading to extreme poverty and food insecurity with the risk of the entire country becoming a humanitarian catastrophe.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has reappointed Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) as the member of the Committee for Development Policy (CDP). The new term of Dr Debapriya as a member of CDP will be for three years starting 1 January 2022. He will serve in the committee in his individual capacity. READ: Bangladesh must assess post-graduation IPR implications, says  Debapriya Liu Zhenmin, Under Secretary-General of the United Nations on December 13 made the announcement, according to a media release issued on Saturday. The CDP, a subsidiary body of the United Nations, is entasked to provide independent advice to ECOSOC on development policy issues. READ: Dhaka-Beijing ties can be prime mover for Bangladesh’s transformation: Debapriya The committee is also responsible for deciding inclusion in and graduation from the least developed countries (LDCs) group.

Pope Francis on Monday decried as criminal the existence of hunger in a world which can produce enough food for all, building on a warning from the chief of the United Nations that climate change and conflict are both a consequence and a driver of poverty and income inequality. Earlier in the day, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a meeting in Rome via video message that the world’s food system generates a third of all greenhouse gas emissions. That same system is responsible for as much as 80% of biodiversity loss, he lamented in a video message. The gathering was called to help prepare for a U.N. food systems summit to be held in September in New York. In a written message that was read to meeting participants, Francis said the coronavirus ppandemic has “confronted us with the systemic injustices that undermine our unity as a human family.” He said the the world’s poorest people and the planet are crying out because of “the damage we inflict on it through irresponsible use and abuse of the goods God has placed in it.” READ: Pope decries shame of racism, like ‘virus’ lurking in wait The pontiff added that while new technologies are developed to increase the capacity to produce food on Earth, people continue to “exploit nature to the point of sterilization, thus expanding not only external deserts but also internal spiritual deserts.“ Francis called the “scandal” of hunger a ”crime that violates basic human rights.” Earlier this month, a U.N. report noted that up to 161 million more people faced hunger last year compared to 2019, with much of that widened suffering likely linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Poverty, income inequality and the high cost of food continue to keep healthy diets out of the reach of some 3 billion people,″ Guterres said. ”Climate change and conflict are both consequences and drivers of this catastrophe.” The summit idea was launched in 2019 months before the coronavirus emerged, but Italian Premier Mario Draghi said the pandemic made existing threats to food security more urgent. Draghi noted in his remarks Monday that the Agricultural Commodity Price Index had jumped by 30% compared to January 2020. The International Fund for Agricultural Development called on decision-makers “to address the failures in food systems” that leave hundreds of millions of people poor and hungry. IFAD is a U.N. agency which aims to help small-scale farming. IFAD appealed for food production which “protects the environment and biodiversity, and where people who produce our food are paid decently for their labor.” In 2020, as many as 811 million people faced hunger, according to the U.N. report earlier this month. READ: Pope visits Iraq's war-ravaged north on last day of tour The chief economist of the Rome-based U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has said that removing 100 million people from chronic undernourishment would need an additional $14 billion (nearly 12 billion euros) every year until 2030 and nearly triple that amount to achieve the U.N. goal of zero hunger by 2030.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has renewed his call for countries to share vaccines, particularly with those that are struggling to cope with new surges and variants.  He also renewed his call to the international community to come together to address the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19 pandemic.  Read:UN authorizes AstraZeneca's COVID vaccine for emergency use "There is an urgent need for increased global solidarity to ensure that vaccines are available to everyone, everywhere," said his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric in a regular briefing on Friday.  Equitable access to vaccines is a prerequisite for ending the pandemic and kick-starting a strong recovery, he said. The UN welcomed the announcement made by the Biden administration that it will be sharing millions of vaccine doses with both the COVAX facility as well as bilaterally with countries in particular need. The Administration announced its framework for sharing at least 80 million U.S. vaccine doses globally by the end of June and the plan for the first 25 million doses.  Read: UN Chief for ensuring equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccine  The Biden-Harris Administration on Thursday announced an allocation plan for the first 25 million doses to be shared globally. Approximately 7 million doses will be shared in Asia covering countries and entities including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, and the Pacific Islands, according to White House.  The United States will share vaccines in service of ending the pandemic globally.  The United States will share 75% of these vaccines through COVAX.  The United States will share at least three-quarters of its donated doses through COVAX, supplying U.S. doses to countries in need.  "But I also want to add that the Secretary-General is extremely grateful to the United States Government for the inclusion of United Nations personnel and Member States delegates serving in the United States in its national vaccination programme, and for the generous offer to provide vaccines for United Nations frontline personnel serving in the most challenging and dangerous locations around the world," said the UN Spokesperson.  This donation, he said, will allow the UN staff to stay and deliver critical services to vulnerable people around the world in a safe and effective manner. 

Nations must start weighing up the cost of economic profit against damage to the environment if they are to have a chance at a sustainable future, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday.

In his first major speech of the year, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has underlined the need for global cooperation to address today’s challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called on governments to invest more in universal health coverage, reports Xinhua.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the international community to work together to improve world governance.

Heads of United Nation agencies called on countries to take action to protect children from food supply problems sparked by Covid-19 pandemic.

The United Nation weather agency has been investigating media reports suggesting the Arctic Circle has recorded a new record high temperature of over 38 degrees Celsius amid a heat wave and prolonged wildfires in eastern Siberia.