Humankind is indisputably entering a new digital era. The impact of rapid technological and scientific advances on our lives is so great that World Economic Forum’s founder Klaus Schwab termed this process as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We are the witnesses of the transcendence through new frontiers.

Throughout history, the speech has been one of the most powerful forms of communication. Technological, social and economic changes have enhanced that power. As digital communication has increased, speeches have had to become more authentic and honest. 

The United Nations and its related bodies, agencies and programmes convene thousands of formal and informal, official and unofficial, meetings and conferences each year. The Secretary-General meets with Heads of States and Governments and Ministers on an on-going basis either at Headquarters or during his travels.

Under UN leadership, the last 30 years have seen remarkable development in the fight against impunity. Many different accountability mechanisms – truth commissions, international and hybrid tribunals, as well as commissions of inquiry, fact-finding missions and investigations – have been established and successfully implemented.

The e-Learning course "Human Rights, Environmental Protection and Climate Change" covers the basic principles and concepts of human rights, the SDGs with emphasis on the goals and targets most relevant to environmental protection, and the relationship between human rights and the environment.

The rapid development and use of new payment products and services, including pre-paid and store-value cards or e-cash, mobile payments, internet based payments and virtual currencies, has changed the dynamics of the 21st century financial market and services.

Despite their endowment of natural wealth, resource-rich developing countries among the poorest, low democratic and most conflict-ridden countries of the world.

Almost every country in the world holds foreign currency reserves or “FX reserves”, which are assets of the central bank held in different reserve currencies, most commonly the US Dollar, used to back its liabilities. Foreign exchange reserves held by the Central Bank are a major national asset and a primary tool of monetary and exchange rate policy.

War remains a matter of great concern to humanity. Recent conflicts have demonstrated that the ravages of war continue to have a devastating impact especially on the civilian population.  
 

International organizations are playing an increasingly important role in the international legal order. They are active in virtually all fields of human activity, they regularly conclude international treaties and continuously interact with other actors of international law. Nowadays, they wield growing normative powers.