Adventists at the United Nations
The Right To Life! World NO Tobacco Day
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Unequal World Conference Report December 2021
January 26, 2022
Download the report of Dr. Nelu Burcea, Associate Director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department, on the Unequal World Conference Report, December 2021.
2021 In Review
January 26, 2022
2021 In Review presents a selection of news headlines and reports on the general direction that nations follow when relating to human rights, the humanitarian area, and international relations as they are seen by the United Nations.
Report of the UN Liaison
May 14, 2021
Download the report of Dr. Nelu Burcea, associate director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department, on his work at the United Nations.
UN Liaison Committee March 2021
April 1, 2021
This is a summary of the United Nations Liaison Committee Report held on March 22, 2021. This report presented a perspective of the vision of the Seventh-day Adventist Church on the importance of championing religious freedom and the promotion of social, moral, and spiritual values.
2020 In Review
February 1, 2021
2020 in Review presents a selection of news headlines, and reports on the general direction which nations follow when relating to human rights, the humanitarian area, and international relations as they are seen by the United Nations.
Unequal World Conference Report January 24-25, 2021
December 1, 2020
Download the report of Dr. Nelu Burcea, associate director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department, on the Unequal World Conference.
International Day of Education 2020
February 5, 2020
The right to education is one of the 17 Global Goals included in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
The World Social Report 2020
January 27, 2020
The World Social Report 2020: Inequality in a rapidly changing world was released on January 21, 2020, by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations.
For People of Faith, 70-year-old Human Rights Document Holds Special Meaning
January 21, 2020
Nelu Burcea, the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s liaison to the United Nations, reflects on the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
'Religious Freedom Is a High Priority for Church,' Adventist Representative Tells UN Envoy
January 7, 2020
It is universally acknowledged that smoking negatively impacts the right to life and the right to health. World Health Organization data indicates that tobacco is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced. Over 80% of tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries, where tobacco-related illnesses and deaths are the most severe. Additionally, tobacco farmers face several health risks, including the 'green tobacco disease.'
Approximately 8 million people worldwide die from tobacco-related diseases each year. Over 7 million of these deaths are related to direct tobacco use, while 1 million are caused by secondhand smoke exposure among nonsmokers.
World No Tobacco Day is observed on May 31 to raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco use and what can be done to reduce it. In 2022, the United Nations is bringing to attention the study of the impact of smoking on the environment under the theme "Tobacco: Threat to our environment."
The WHO has discussed in the last 15 years increasing the implementation of six tobacco control measures (MPOWER) in order to reduce the negative impact of smoking on the population. In addition to monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies, these measures include protecting people from tobacco use, providing assistance to people quitting smoking, warning the public about the dangers of tobacco use, enforcing advertising bans, and increasing tobacco taxes.
For more than a century, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has warned its youth and the general public regarding the addictive and health-destroying nature of tobacco smoking. According to the Adventist official statement on the tobacco issue, the existence and enforcement of stricter laws banning smoking in public places, more aggressive and systematic public education, and substantially higher cigarette taxes are just some of the measures that should be taken to save millions of lives each year.
You can find more information about this topic by visiting these links:
https://www.adventist.org/official-statements/smoking-and-tobacco/
https://www.adventisthealth.org/sonora/health-wellness/freedom-from-smoking/
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-no-tobacco-day
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/07/1096532
https://adventist.news/news/as-the-world-celebrates-no-tobacco-day-church-addresses-wholistic-health
Pastor Nelu Burcea, PhD