World Hearing Day, 3 March
Some 900 million people could suffer from disabling hearing loss by 2050, according to new estimates released by the World Health Organization on the occasion of World Hearing Day on 3 March. Currently 466 million people worldwide suffer from disabling hearing loss, 34 million of whom are children.
On the eve of World Hearing Day 2018, the World Health Organization is calling for intensified action to address disabling hearing loss, including by providing treatment and regulating sound exposure on personal audio devices, in workplaces and at entertainment venues.
Dr Shelly Chadha, Technical Officer, Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Loss, WHO

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WHO

Press stakeout by Mr. Jan Egeland, Special Advisor to the UN Special Envoy for Syria, following the meeting of the International Syria Support Group's Humanitarian Access Task Force.
The press stakeout will be webcast live on webtv.un.org. (Please note that the live stream may not be accessible on all mobile devices.)

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UNOG

Ecuador candidature to the Presidency of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly

• H.E. Mrs María Fernanda Espinosa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Candidate

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UNOG

Launch of report by the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (NB: Commission Chairperson Yasmin Sooka will be holding a press conference simultaneously in Nairobi – additional information in attached media advisory) (The report will be shared with you beforehand under embargo. It is scheduled to be presented by the Commission to the Human Rights Council on 13 March)
Prof. Andrew Clapham, Member of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan

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OHCHR

Pre-embargo launch of UNICEF Child Alert: the dangers facing Rohingya children in Bangladesh and Myanmar six months after the latest mass flight of refugees
Edouard Beigbeder, Representative, UNICEF Bangladesh Simon Ingram, UNICEF Senior Communication Adviser/report author

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UNICEF

Human Rights Council, 37th regular session (26 February-23 March)
Ambassador Vojislav Šuc (Slovenia), President of the Human Rights Council (12th cycle)
(A light breakfast will be served outside the Press Room.)

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OHCHR

WHO is publishing new recommendations to establish global care standards for healthy pregnant women and reduce unnecessary medical interventions. Worldwide, an estimated 140 million births take place every year – the majority occurring without complications for women and their babies. Yet, over the past 20 years, the health sector has increased the number of interventions once only used to avoid risks or treat complications.
Metin Gülmezoglu, Coordinator, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO Dr Olufemi Oladapo, Medical Officer, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO

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WHO

Clearance of explosive hazards in Iraq post ISIL
Extensive conflict in Iraq associated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has displaced more than 5.8 million people since 2014. The military campaigns to retake cities have significantly contaminated areas with explosive hazards in addition to the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) placed by ISIL before their withdraw and during their occupation.
The presence of explosive hazards in liberated areas hinders stabilization and impedes urgently needed humanitarian response efforts and prevents civilians from safely returning home. The UN Mine Action Service and partners are working in the most complex and challenging environment imaginable and the ‘evil genius’ tactics engaged by ISIL is making the situation in Iraq even more complex and challenging. Highly skilled operators are required to carry out survey and clearance to ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian aid and to enable the realisation of stabilization efforts throughout the liberated areas.
Pehr Lodhammar, Senior Programme Manager, United Nations Mine Action Service, Iraq

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UNOG

Match for Solidarity 2018
As an expression of solidarity, and in recognition of the importance of sport in society, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the United Nations Office Geneva recently announced they will join forces to organize a charity football match at the Stade de Genève on 21 April 2018, with the support of the Canton and City of Geneva and the Geneva Stadium Foundation. The press conference will provide an update on this event and the latest news about the two teams.
Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA President Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office, Geneva Luís Figo, UEFA’s football advisor and former football star Sybille Bonvin, Chief of the Sports Service, City of Geneva

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UNOG

70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2018 – media opportunities
The 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration in 2008 received widespread, sustained and imaginative media coverage all across the world. In 2018, the tensions surrounding human rights are far greater than they were a decade ago, lending an especially sharp relevance to this year’s anniversary of one of the most significant documents ever written (and holder of the World Record for the number of translations).
During this informal briefing, OHCHR will lay out some of the many possible avenues journalists/editors can follow in their coverage of this important anniversary during the course of the year
Laurent Sauveur, Chief of External Outreach, OHCHR Rupert Colville, Spokesperson / Head of Media, OHCHR

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OHCHR