Unit 1 Current Affairs and Issues (Grade 10) Reading II

Unit 1. Current Affairs and Issues

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Reading II (page 10)

Open Letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

His Excellency Antonio Guterres

United Nations Secretary General

United Nations Secretarial

42 Street, New York, NY 10017

7 August 2020

RE: Inclusion of children in the Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change

Your Excellency,

Congratulations on your recent announcement of seven young climate leaders between the ages of 18 and 28 years old to your Youth Advisory Group on climate change, who will advise you regularly on accelerating global action and the action to tackle the worsening climate crisis. We appreciate this important focus on bringing young leaders into decision-making and planning processes related to climate action. We also welcome the emphasis you place on receiving and giving frank and fearless advice, and the urgency of holding government and corporate leaders to account on climate action.

We are disappointed, however, that you have not expanded this list of young climate leaders to children in all their diversity. Millions of children took part in school strikes for climate action in 2019 and early 2020 and demonstrated their outrage and constructive solutions in equal measure. They have been agents of change in the climate debate using their channels of influence-schools, social media, and street protest-to catalyse global activism on the climate crisis. We have seen children from the global North to the global South engaging with political and corporate leaders- in their home countries and also within the international system-most recently at the UN Human Rights Council-claiming their right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment as critical foundation to realizing their wellbeing and rights.

It was, after all, a child. Greta Thunberg, who sparked this global movement through an inspiriting solo protest in 2018. By 2019, she was able to rightly assert: "We proved that it does not matter what you do and that no one is too small to make a difference." In 2020, children are saying the same thing. Like Fabrizio, a 16 year old boy from Peru, who told us on a recent child-led online conversation, "The Future of Children is at stake now, tomorrow will be too late." Children like Fabrizio are vocal in their anxiety that our dash to economic recovery will scupper climate change at net-zero commitments. They continue to pressure on us all for urgency, and to fight for a green recovery.

Once again, Secretary-General, we congratulate you on the establishment of the Youth Advisory Group on climate change. We ask, however, that it be inclusive of children and adolescents younger than 18; respecting their right to be heard and to contribute their expertise directly. We also ask that as preparations for COP26 advance, you call for the UK and Italy to give children a safe space to influence these upcoming preparatory events. We would of course be happy to support a process that facilitates meaningful engagement with children across the globe on both your Group and COP26.

If the last two years have taught us anything it is that children, armed with information and a sense of purpose, have a unique role to play by participating in decision-making processes and in combating crises with constructive solutions. Let us make sure that we learn and apply this lesson to the planning process related to climate action.

 

Sincerely Yours,

Save the Children

Child Rights Connect

 

https://reliefweb.int/report/world/open-letter-un-secretary-general-antonio-guterres-re-inclusion-children-youth-advisory

 

A. Fill in the blanks with the correct words given below.

tackle corporate outrage catalyse outrage at sake net-zero expertise

a. The........ headquarters of the company is in Dubai.

b. According to Greta, the leaders are failing to................. the key issues.

c. Some viruses ………. the step in the production of other viruses.

d. His …………… in business helped him greatly to run the company.

e. Nepal government plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to ……….

f. He does not have good knowledge of business. So, he has put his investment.........

g. His controversial remarks caused public …………..

Answer:

a. The corporate headquarters of the company is in Dubai.

b. According to Greta, the leaders are failing to tackle the key issues.

c. Some viruses catalyse the step in the production of other viruses.

d. His expertise in business helped him greatly to run the company.

e. Nepal government plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to net-zero.

f. He does not have good knowledge of business. So, he has put his investment at stake.

g. His controversial remarks caused public outrage.

 

B. Write whether the following sentences are 'True' or 'False" Write 'Not Given if the information is not found in the letter.

a. Save the Children congratulates Antonio Guterres on his recent appointment as the General Secretary of the UN.

b. The Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change was announced on the request of the children between 18-21 years of age.

c. The dissatisfaction is that the representation of children is not inclusive.

d. Greta Thunberg protested for the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

e. The children demand their physical safety in the UK and Italy.

f. The children think that they can participate in decision making to fight against the climate crisis."

Answer:

a. Save the Children congratulates Antonio Guterres on his recent appointment as the General Secretary of the UN. TRUE

b. The Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change was announced on the request of the children between 18-21 years of age. False

c. The dissatisfaction is that the representation of children is not inclusive. False

d. Greta Thunberg protested for the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. TRUE

e. The children demand their physical safety in the UK and Italy. TRUE

f. The children think that they can participate in decision making to fight against the climate crisis." TRUE

 

C. Answer the following questions.

a. Where is the office of the UN Secretary General?

b. What is the purpose of writing this letter to Antonio Guterres?

c. Why was the Youth Advisory Group announced?

d. What roles have children played in the time of climate crisis?

e. Describe Greta Thuberg and Fabrizio's contributions.

f. What is the final demand of the children?

D. As a student, what roles can you play to control climate change and its effects? Share your ideas in the class.

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