Latest news with #SummitoftheFuture
Scoop
20 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
After The Big Development Pledges In Seville, UN Says Action Starts Now
30 June 2025 l Economic Development That's where the Sevilla Platform for Action (SPA) comes in – a major step to begin implementing the Sevilla Commitment without delay. It features over 130 concrete actions to support the renewed global financing framework that world leaders just adopted at the international conference. They will help countries mobilise resources for an SDG investment push, build developing countries' development capacity, help address the sustainable development debt crisis, and take steps to improve the system by which the developing world can borrow money for national investment without crippling debt burdens. Launching the platform, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, highlighted the urgency of collective action saying the platform represents 'a critical opportunity to restore trust in multilateralism and deliver tangible financing.' UN Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the importance of the SPA as a catalyst for joint action and delivery. In a world divided, it is 'a springboard towards a more just, inclusive and sustainable world for all countries,' he said. Countries can make up for absence of US Speaking earlier at press conference for the hundreds of journalists here in Sevilla, he said the absence of the United States which left negotiations earlier this month was a challenge but there are always ways to raise the money needed: 'It's a question of political will.' This can be done if leaders are willing to take the necessary measures such as working through multilateral development banks and carbon taxes, for example. Power shifts 'To have the United States on board would be excellent but it can be done in any case by those willing to do so.' 'I have a clear message to the powerful,' the UN chief continued. 'It's better to lead the reform of the system now than to wait and eventually suffer the resistance later when power relations change. 'And I believe that the reforms that are proposed in Sevilla in line with the work that was done in the Summit of the Future are reforms that are absolutely needed both for developing and developed countries.' Following the opening remarks, interventions demonstrated strong political commitment to start implementing the historic funding agreement. Notable initiatives include a global hub for debt swaps for development at the World Bank and a debt pause clause alliance – championed by Spain and a coalition of partners. Sevilla Platform for Action at a glance: It aims to bring together countries, organisations, businesses and others to make real, measurable progress in tackling global financial and development challenges. Any group – from governments to charities, businesses to universities – can put forward a new or significantly expanded plan that supports the UN's sustainable development goals. Proposals must set out clear, achievable actions with specific results, a timeline, and show how they will be funded. Submissions were open from 1 May to 6 June 2025, using an online form. Each plan had to name the lead group behind it, list any supporting partners, explain what makes it new or ambitious, and include a communications plan. Selected initiatives will be presented to the public and media during FFD4 in Sevilla. All approved commitments will be listed online, with progress tracked and reported through future UN reviews and meetings. 'Everyone's business' A further essential part of turning words in Sevilla into action on the ground, is mobilising the business community. Business leaders on Monday issued an urgent appeal to unlock more private capital at the opening of the International Business Forum on Monday. António Guterres told delegates: 'Development is everyone's business', emphasising the private sector's essential role alongside public institutions in achieving the SDGs. Sevilla in the south of Spain is the venue for FFD4. Five priorities for delivery A new communique from the conference's Business Steering Committee – co-chaired by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) – outlines five priority areas for action: Create more ways to invest in development: Set up tools and platforms that make it easier and safer for private money to flow into projects that help people, especially in poorer countries. Work more closely with governments: Join forces to plan and support projects from an early stage, making them ready for investment. Make sustainability rules clearer and more consistent: Align standards across countries so businesses can invest more confidently and support national development goals. Fix financial rules that get in the way: Update regulations that make it harder to invest long-term in developing countries. Help small businesses get funding: Improve access to finance for entrepreneurs by reducing risks and partnering with development banks and governments. The communiqué complements the newly endorsed Seville Agreement and business leaders described the moment as pivotal. 'Private finance is essential to bridge the global gap,' said José Viñals, co-chair of GISD. At the forum, developing countries are showcasing over $1 billion worth of investable projects in sectors including energy, agriculture and digital infrastructure. 'The focus now must be on action,' said UN economic chief and conference Secretary-General Li Junhua.
Gulf Today
4 days ago
- General
- Gulf Today
Sharjah Social Empowerment Foundation's efforts praised
The Sharjah Social Empowerment Foundation held its annual meeting in the presence of Sheikha Jameela Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), where she reviewed the key statistics and outcomes of programmes and projects achieved during 2024. These efforts contributed to supporting 2,769 orphans and 1,186 families across Sharjah and its affiliated regions, in addition to empowering 170 newly enrolled orphans, bringing the total number of empowered children by year-end to 2,035. Al Qasimi expressed her appreciation for the efforts exerted by the Sharjah Social Empowerment Foundation, underscoring the importance of sustaining humanitarian work that enhances the quality of life for orphans. She said, 'What the Foundation delivers reflects a deep humanitarian commitment. These achievements are not just numbers; they are success stories that inspire us to continue giving. Empowerment is not limited to financial support—it includes capacity building and boosting self-confidence, which the Foundation has successfully achieved through its comprehensive programmes.' For her part, Mona Bin Hadda Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the Foundation, expressed her gratitude for the presence of Sheikha Jameela at the meeting, affirming that the achievements reflect the Foundation's vision to empower children and their families, drawing inspiration from the guidance and support of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. She added, 'The year 2024 marked a pivotal milestone in which the Foundation accomplished qualitative achievements across various empowerment domains, with international participation in prestigious events such as the United Nations' Summit of the Future and other scientific and educational conferences. We were also honoured with the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Award for Best Charity Performance in the Arab World.' Al Suwaidi confirmed that these accomplishments are the result of an effective strategy and the continuous support of the wise leadership and generous partners from individuals and institutions. The Foundation reaffirmed its full commitment to global quality standards and its continued implementation of certified quality management systems. This comes within the scope of maintaining its ISO9001:2015 Quality Management System certification, ensuring the best practices in delivering services to beneficiaries. In 2024, the total expenditures provided to families amounted to approximately Dhs27 million. A total of 1,169 families and 2,744 children benefited from zakat funds and Ramadan provisions during the holy month. The 'Iftar Project' supported 248 families and 772 children through contributions from hotels, restaurants, and community members, who helped provide meal vouchers for orphan families. Ramadan gifts were given to nine newly enrolled families and 20 children, while the 'Eid Sweets' project during Eid Al Adha reached 199 families and 515 children. Additionally, 327 children were gifted 'Eidiya' under the Eid gift project to complete their festive experience. The Foundation also supported orphans and their families through sponsorship projects, including the sponsorship of 331 orphans via the 'Sponsor an Orphan' project and 226 families via the 'Sponsor a Family' initiative. Moreover, urgent financial support to relieve hardships exceeded Dhs2 million through the 'Jabr' (Relief) project. The education of students enrolled in the Foundation was supported through 585 education sponsorships, bringing the total number of sponsored students to 1,913 by the end of 2024. Also, 277 wishes were fulfilled through the 'Sidrat Al-Amani' (Tree of Wishes) project, raising the total number of fulfilled wishes since the project's launch to 3,666. A total of 1,058 students benefited from tuition fee payments and 99 students received educational devices. The Foundation awarded eight university scholarships and honoured 34 outstanding students, in addition to organising 10 Umrah trips. Educational support lessons benefited 156 students, while nine students with learning difficulties were also supported. Moreover, 165 students attended specialised skills-development courses, and 18 students were enrolled in IELTS exams. WAM
Sharjah 24
5 days ago
- General
- Sharjah 24
Sharjah Social Empowerment Foundation reviews 2024 achievements
These efforts contributed to supporting 2,769 orphans and 1,186 families across Sharjah and its affiliated regions, in addition to empowering 170 newly enrolled orphans—bringing the total number of empowered children by year-end to 2,035. Constructive Efforts Her Excellency Sheikha Jameela bint Mohammed Al Qasimi expressed her appreciation for the efforts exerted by the Sharjah Social Empowerment Foundation, underscoring the importance of sustaining humanitarian work that enhances the quality of life for orphans. She said: 'What the Foundation delivers reflects a deep humanitarian commitment. These achievements are not just numbers; they are success stories that inspire us to continue giving. Empowerment is not limited to financial support—it includes capacity building and boosting self-confidence, which the Foundation has successfully achieved through its comprehensive programmes.' For her part, Mona bin Hadda Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Foundation, expressed her gratitude for the presence of Her Excellency Sheikha Jameela at the meeting, affirming that the achievements reflect the Foundation's vision to empower children and their families, drawing inspiration from the guidance and support of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. She added: 'The year 2024 marked a pivotal milestone in which the Foundation accomplished qualitative achievements across various empowerment domains, with international participation in prestigious events such as the United Nations' Summit of the Future and other scientific and educational conferences. We were also honoured with the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Award for Best Charity Performance in the Arab World.' Al Suwaidi confirmed that these accomplishments are the result of an effective strategy and the continuous support of the wise leadership and generous partners from individuals and institutions. She emphasised the Foundation's commitment to continually developing its programmes and expanding its impact, based on its belief that investing in children is an investment in the future of society. Conferences on Arab and Global Levels Throughout 2024, the Foundation participated in a number of prominent global and Arab conferences, furthering its role in supporting scientific research, innovation, and engagement in global developmental issues. These included two conferences in Saudi Arabia, namely the Third Scientific Conference for Psychological Studies, where the Foundation presented a study on the effectiveness of its guidance programme 'Takhaṭṭā' (Overcoming), which helps orphans cope with loss. It also had a notable presence at the Educational Innovation Conference, offering new insights on the impact of the pioneering 'Allama bil Qalam' initiative in delivering psychological and educational support to orphans. Additionally, the Foundation participated in the UN Civil Society Conference supporting the Summit of the Future in Nairobi, Kenya—laying the groundwork for involvement in the actual summit, including workshops focused on youth leadership in the future and innovation in humanitarian projects. Global Quality Management System The Foundation reaffirmed its full commitment to global quality standards and its continued implementation of certified quality management systems. This comes within the scope of maintaining its ISO9001:2015 Quality Management System certification, ensuring the best practices in delivering services to beneficiaries. Empowerment Achievements The Foundation continued to achieve qualitative progress in 2024 by providing comprehensive support to its beneficiaries through academic, economic, social, psychological, health, environmental, and professional empowerment programmes, solidifying its leading role in sustainable empowerment. Zakat and Donations Expenditures Total expenditures provided to families amounted to approximately AED 27 million, allocated to fund all projects supporting orphan families throughout the year. Economic Empowerment of Families A total of 1,169 families and 2,744 children benefited from zakat funds and Ramadan provisions during the holy month. The 'Iftar Project' supported 248 families and 772 children through contributions from hotels, restaurants, and community members, who helped provide meal vouchers for orphan families—enhancing the spirit of social solidarity. Ramadan gifts were given to 9 newly enrolled families and 20 children, while the 'Eid Sweets' project during Eid Al Adha reached 199 families and 515 children to bring joy in preparation for the Eid celebration. Additionally, 327 children were gifted 'Eidiya' under the Eid gift project to complete their festive experience. The Foundation also supported orphans and their families through sponsorship projects, including the sponsorship of 331 orphans via the 'Sponsor an Orphan' project and 226 families via the 'Sponsor a Family' initiative. Moreover, urgent financial support to relieve hardships exceeded AED 2 million through the 'Jabr' (Relief) project. The education of students enrolled in the Foundation was supported through 585 education sponsorships, bringing the total number of sponsored students to 1,913 by the end of 2024. Also, 277 wishes were fulfilled through the 'Sidrat Al-Amani' (Tree of Wishes) project, raising the total number of fulfilled wishes since the project's launch to 3,666. Academic Support for Students A total of 1,058 students benefited from tuition fee payments and 99 students received educational devices. The Foundation awarded 8 university scholarships and honoured 34 outstanding students, in addition to organising 10 Umrah trips. Educational support lessons benefited 156 students, while 9 students with learning difficulties were also supported. Moreover, 165 students attended specialised skills-development courses, and 18 students were enrolled in IELTS exams. School visits were conducted for 735 students across 101 schools. Social Empowerment The Foundation enhanced the social empowerment of its beneficiaries through social services, which supported 146 children and 59 guardians, and individual case studies for 333 children. Social programmes included the 'Sanad Al-Bayt' (Home Support) project, which served 85 young men, 84 girls, and 69 guardians. Social support and counseling programmes were also delivered to 333 children. Additionally, group activities and seasonal programmes benefited 553 guardians and 72 children, while the support groups programme served 52 guardians. A total of 71 mothers were honoured on International Women's Day and Mother's Day in recognition of their efforts in raising children. Mental Health Care The Foundation focused on providing psychological support for orphans and their families through counseling sessions and services that benefited 279 children and 84 guardians. The 'Takhaṭṭā' programme, aimed at helping orphans overcome the trauma of loss, was conducted with the participation of 23 children. Healthcare Services Treatment costs were covered for 40 children and 30 guardians, while 240 children and 145 guardians received free medical check-ups. Additionally, health awareness workshops were held for 84 girls. Meeting Environmental Needs The environmental needs of orphan families were addressed through environmental aid worth nearly AED 2 million, benefiting 284 families and 719 children. The 'Jodran' (Walls) project provided necessary home repairs for 6 houses. Developing Vocational Skills The Foundation worked to enhance the job-readiness of its children by training 38 participants across 4 entities, and conducting 4 vocational workshops that benefited 109 children and 6 guardians. Sustainable Impact Sharjah Social Empowerment Foundation continues its efforts to provide comprehensive, sustainable support to orphans, ensuring their independence and quality of life across all aspects of empowerment. The Foundation reaffirms its commitment to continuously evolving its initiatives to secure a dignified life for its beneficiaries and amplify its social impact in line with its vision.
Straits Times
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Australia shuts down Tehran embassy as Iran-Israel conflict escalates
Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of Australia Penny Wong addresses the \"Summit of the Future\" in the General Assembly hall at United Nations headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 23, 2024. REUTERS/David Dee Delgado/File Photo SYDNEY - Australia said on Friday it had suspended operations at its embassy in Tehran, citing "a deteriorating security environment" as Israel hit Iran's nuclear facilities again, and the week-old air war showed no sign yet of an exit strategy from either side. Israel launched a sweeping aerial campaign against Iran last Friday, calling it a preemptive strike to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied any such plans and retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel. "The Australian government has directed the departure of all Australian officials and dependents ... based on advice about the deteriorating security environment in Iran," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement. Consular staff are being deployed to neighbouring Azerbaijan, including its border crossings, to support Australians departing Iran, Wong said. "We remain in close contact with other partner countries. At this stage, our ability to provide consular services is extremely limited due to the situation on the ground. The airspace remains closed," she added. Australia's ambassador to Iran, Ian McConville, would remain in the region to support the government's response, Wong said. More than 1,500 Australians and their families in Iran have sought assistance to leave the country, official data showed. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Insider
08-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
AI leaders have a new term for the fact that their models are not always so intelligent
As academics, independent developers, and the biggest tech companies in the world drive us closer to artificial general intelligence — a still hypothetical form of intelligence that matches human capabilities — they've hit some roadblocks. Many emerging models are prone to hallucinating, misinformation, and simple errors. Google CEO Sundar Pichai referred to this phase of AI as AJI, or "artificial jagged intelligence," on a recent episode of Lex Fridman's podcast. "I don't know who used it first, maybe Karpathy did," Pichai said, referring to deep learning and computer vision specialist Andrej Karpathy, who cofounded OpenAI before leaving last year. AJI is a bit of a metaphor for the trajectory of AI development — jagged, marked at once by sparks of genius and basic mistakes. In a 2024 X post titled "Jagged Intelligence," Karpathy described the term as a "word I came up with to describe the (strange, unintuitive) fact that state of the art LLMs can both perform extremely impressive tasks (e.g. solve complex math problems) while simultaneously struggle with some very dumb problems." He then posted examples of state of the art large language models failing to understand that 9.9 is bigger than 9.11, making "non-sensical decisions" in a game of tic-tac-toe, and struggling to count. The issue is that unlike humans, "where a lot of knowledge and problem-solving capabilities are all highly correlated and improve linearly all together, from birth to adulthood," the jagged edges of AI are not always clear or predictable, Karpathy said. Pichai echoed the idea. "You see what they can do and then you can trivially find they make numerical errors or counting R's in strawberry or something, which seems to trip up most models," Pichai said. "I feel like we are in the AJI phase where dramatic progress, some things don't work well, but overall, you're seeing lots of progress." In 2010, when Google DeepMind launched, its team would talk about a 20-year timeline for AGI, Pichai said. Google subsequently acquired DeepMind in 2014. Pichai thinks it'll take a little longer than that, but by 2030, "I would stress it doesn't matter what that definition is because you will have mind-blowing progress on many dimensions." By then the world will also need a clear system for labeling AI-generated content to "distinguish reality," he said. "Progress" is a vague term, but Pichai has spoken at length about the benefits we'll see from AI development. At the UN's Summit of the Future in September 2024, he outlined four specific ways that AI would advance humanity — improving access to knowledge in native languages, accelerating scientific discovery, mitigating climate disaster, and contributing to economic progress.
