United Nations University - IIGH

📢 Save the date! As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, the United Nations University - IIGH will host a public lecture by Dr. Youssef Nassef, Director of the Adaptation Division at the UN Climate Change Secretariat, in Kuala Lumpur on “𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲-𝗼𝗳𝗳𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.” In this lecture, he will explore climate diplomacy as a practice of navigating complexity, uncertainty, and competing priorities in a rapidly changing world. Taking a global perspective, he will reflect on how the international climate response can better address interdependence, uneven vulnerabilities, and long-term transformation, and on how foresight can help shape more resilient futures. Dr. Nassef has led adaptation workstreams under the 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 since their inception and brings over 30 years of experience in diplomacy and international environmental policy. He is also the founder of the 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. 🗓️ 8 May 2026, 10:00–11:30 📍 Senate Meeting Room, Level 11, Block G, UCSI University KL Campus 🔗 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gKb6FZgS UCSI | MIGHTmalaysia | United Nations University | Revati Phalkey | Zakri Abdul Hamid

ERIA: Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, in collaboration with the United Nations University - IIGH, co-hosted a closed-door Roundtable Discussion on 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 at the ERIA Office in Jakarta, Indonesia. The event brought together Indonesian policymakers and selected experts to discuss recent developments in global health governance, Indonesia’s position on the mandate of the World Health Organization and other international institutions, as well as opportunities to strengthen national health security through regional and South-South cooperation. More info: https://go.unu.edu/L7j9a David McCoy | Revati Phalkey | United Nations University | United Nations in Indonesia | Dian Maria Blandina | Ronald Tundang

Today, at the Women Deliver 2026 Conference #WD2026 in Melbourne, the Director of the United Nations University - IIGH, Dr. Revati Phalkey, called for stronger collective action in the face of growing setbacks to gender equality and human rights.   Dr. Phalkey participated as a speaker in the pre-conference event “𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵, 𝗦𝗥𝗛𝗥 & 𝗚𝗕𝗩”, where she joined a high-level panel discussion alongside Diene Keita, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and Khun Sint Phoo Wai, Co-Founder of 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲.   The event, which also featured Johanna Riha, UNU-IIGH Policy Research Lead, and 𝗚𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝗲𝗻, UNU-IIGH Senior Visiting Fellow, aimed to strengthen the resilience and strategic autonomy of feminist movements, address ongoing anti-rights pushbacks, and advance concrete solutions—including pathways for sustainable and climate-resilient financing for women’s rights and women-led organizations, as well as stronger alliances among key stakeholders to safeguard sexual and reproductive health and rights and civic spaces.

Happening tomorrow! #WD2026 Our Director, Dr. Revati Phalkey, and our Policy Research Lead, Johanna Riha, are participating in the pre-conference event “𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵, 𝗦𝗥𝗛𝗥 & 𝗚𝗕𝗩”, hosted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) with Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Equality Fund, Fòs Feminista and UNU-IIGH. More details here 👇

This week, at the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 #RES2026 in Astana, the Director of the United Nations University - IIGH, Dr. Revati Phalkey, underscored how climate change is driving a “triple burden” for women—more work, fewer resources, and greater health and security risks—and emphasized the urgent need for stronger gender-disaggregated and intersectional data and multidisciplinary research to better inform policy and action.   She spoke at a session on climate and health in Central Asia, organized by UNFPA in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, alongside high-level representatives from governments, UN agencies, international organizations, and youth networks, including Florence Bauer (UNFPA), Hans Kluge (WHO), 𝗔𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗹𝗻𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗮 (Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan), Shanon McNab (UNFPA), Robb Butler (WHO), 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝗸𝘆𝘀𝗵 (UN Youth Advisory Council) and Valerie Hickey (World Bank).

United Nations University - IIGH convened a diverse group of national stakeholders in Kuala Lumpur for an initial stakeholder engagement meeting on strengthening health workforce wellbeing and resilience in Malaysia. The discussion brought together representatives from government, research, professional bodies, and academia to reflect on key challenges affecting the wellbeing, resilience, and retention of health and care workers. It also helped identify priority areas for future collaboration and ongoing engagement. An important and timely conversation, and a strong foundation for taking this agenda forward together.

This week, the Director of the United Nations University - IIGH, Dr. Revati Phalkey, participated in the “Beyond SDGs Southeast Asia and ASEAN Dialogue”, organized by the Keio University Global Research Institute (KGRI) and the 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆-𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 (𝗠𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧), in Kuala Lumpur.   During her participation in the panel “Anticipating the Next Frontier: Emerging Domains and the Reconfiguration of Global Sustainability Governance”, Dr. Phalkey emphasized the need to address structural inequalities and power dynamics shaping global health, as well as to strengthen systemic resilience in the face of interconnected and rapidly evolving risks.   The panel also featured Dr. 𝗔𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗖. 𝗗𝗶𝗲𝘀𝗺𝗼𝘀, Director of the Biodiversity Knowledge Management Department at the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity; Dr. Zurina Moktar, Assistant Director and Head of the Science and Technology Division at The ASEAN Secretariat; and Dr. 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹, Senior Economist at the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam (United Nations in Malaysia).

United Nations University - IIGH present at the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 #RES2026 in Astana! 🌍 Our Director, Dr. Revati Phalkey, will participate in the event “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮” tomorrow, organized by UNFPA in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This session will bring together policymakers, UN agencies, and experts to examine how climate change is impacting health in the region, particularly for women and young people, and to discuss concrete actions to strengthen resilience and policy responses. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀: Florence Bauer, Regional Director of UNFPA in Eastern Europe and Central Asia | Hans Kluge, Regional Director of WHO Regional Office for Europe | 𝗔𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗹𝗻𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗮, Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan | Shanon McNab, Regional Adviser on SRH of UNFPA in Asia and the Pacific | Robb Butler, Special Representative for Climate and Health of the World Health Organization | 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝗸𝘆𝘀𝗵, Deputy Chairman of the UN Youth Advisory Council | Valerie Hickey, Director for Environment at the The World Bank Group 🔗More info: https://go.unu.edu/z2ifS

In a context of increasing environmental degradation worldwide, biodiversity loss is emerging as a critical threat to global health, according to a recent editorial published in The BMJ.   The article, co-authored by Liz Willetts, Remco van de Pas (UNU-IIGH), and Unnikrishnan Payyappallimana, warns that ecosystem collapse could occur as early as 2030, with direct implications for global health, as well as human and national security.   🔗 Read more: https://go.unu.edu/KEKoT #UNUIIGH #UNU #GlobalHealth #Climate