The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS is calling for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to be fully funded as an imperative to countries achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
Three hundred African migrants who tried to reach Europe from Libya are reported to be missing. There are fears that the migrants are dead after their boats sank as they tried to sail to the Italian island of Lampedusa. UN Radio’s Gerry Adams reports. NARRATOR: It is that time of the year when smuggling across [...]
PRES: Afghanistan’s future is the focus of a conference in The Hague on Tuesday attended by some 80 countries and dozens of international and non-governmental organizations. The conference sponsored by the Dutch government was opened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with words of optimism. Ban 1: There is real potential to make concrete progress in [...]
Southern Sudan will on Wednesday mark the fourth anniversary of the ‘Go to School’ initiative as the school gates open on 1 April, the first day of the new school year in Southern Sudan.
Tuesday's International Conference on Afghanistan in The Hague is meant to show political support; to build on the Paris conference and to commit with renewed vigour to Afghanistan's stability and recovery.
The government of Turkey has contributed US$500,000 to the UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in response to the agency's appeal for its Quick Response Plan for Gaza (QRP).
An upsurge in violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) has caused tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes since January 2009.
Heavy rains in Southern Africa could soon lead to more floods and further destruction in the region.
Too often in Afghanistan's history, the country has been the battlefield of rival powers.
Up to 300 African migrants are feared to have drowned off the coast of Libya after their boats capsized in stormy weather.
In too many countries, women are still not seen as equals in the eye of the law or the minds of men and boys.
More than 2,000 participants are in Bonn, Germany, for the latest meeting on the road to a new global agreement on climate change. The Bonn talks, which run through April 8th, are the first in a series of major UN negotiating sessions this year, designed to culminate in an ambitious and effective international climate change [...]
To mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery, Akon, the world-famous hip-hop star of Senegalese descent, and Peter Buffett, the musician son of American philanthropist and investor Warren Buffett, have teamed up to record a special song. The duo premiered their new song at the United Nations headquarters in New York, [...]
A warning that there's only six weeks left for negotiations to deliver on a meaningful long- term response to climate change between now and the Copenhagen conference on climate change in December.
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan will remain difficult in the months ahead.
From the widening fallout of the global economic crisis to the suffering of victims of armed conflict, the Arab world faces insecurity today and the potential for more tomorrow.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged Arab States to work together with the United Nations to transcend the tensions related to the International Criminal Court.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
UN Calling Asia – a weekly magazine programme, in English, that keeps you in touch with UN developments covering Asia and the Pacific.
Caribbean News Round-Up: a weekly 15-minute news magazine on developments at the United Nations concerning the Caribbean.
Women: a weekly 14-minute news magazine that looks at issues affecting women around the world.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The announcement by the United States State Department to officially resume US funding to the UN Population Fund heralds a new era for women, girls and their families around the world.
The UN regional centre for the Asia –Pacific region says Asia and Pacific countries are particularly vulnerable to the triple threat of food and fuel price volatility, climate change and the global economic crisis.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he has outlined four areas to Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown where the G-20 countries need to show strong leadership in tackling the global economic crisis.
A new report says arbitrary detention in Afghanistan is widespread and unacceptable, and calls for an immediate review in order to protect Afghans' human rights.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Two months since the unilateral ceasefires were declared in Gaza, the United Nations faces a worrying situation of impasse and uncertainty.
Cooperation among governments in the Asia/Pacific region for disaster risk reduction is of paramount importance, given the fact that the region is the most disaster-prone area in the world.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
There are significant signs of an erosion of humanitarian response capacity, with a concurrent impact on the lives of people in Darfur since the Sudanese government expelled 13 international non-governmental organizations.
Members of the UN Security Council have expressed grave concern at the continued insecurity in some parts of Somalia, violations of human rights and the precarious humanitarian situation.
Saturday 21st March is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay has issued a call denouncing racial discrimination.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has hailed the entry into force of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia.
As preparations continue for next month's UN conference on racism, lost amidst the controversy over charges of anti-semitism is the goal of the conference to encourage individuals and countries to work towards eliminating racism in their societies.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The head of the United Nations in Afghanistan, Kai Eide, is calling for greater support for Afghanistan as the country struggles to build its institutions and create stability.
There's a need for a new paradigm, based on the linkage between governance, security and development to address the complexities in Somalia.
There's a call for more attention to be paid to water management in agriculture and for increased support and guidance for farmers in developing countries to tackle water scarcity and the related problem of hunger.
In a bid to help Haitian families improve their food security, several projects by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are supporting backyard gardens in Cap-Haitien and Les Cayes.
The World Food Programme (WFP) says it has received a $640,000.00 donation from Ireland that will permit the agency to maintain the West African Air Service until 1 May.
Attacks by the Hutu rebel group – the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) are still causing displacement over a wide area of the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The top UN envoy in Afghanistan has urged the government to address opposition concerns over the conduct of upcoming elections.
The Human Rights Committee is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
UN special envoy for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Alan Doss, is continuing his security and humanitarian assessment mission to North Kivu.
Soccer, football whatever you call it, is the most popular sport in the world.
Cholera has killed at least 22 people and infected more than 600 in different parts of Kenya since late 2008.
The United Nations must play a central role in the reform process to the international financial and monetary systems.
Israel says it will incorporate some suggestions made by the UN Human Rights Council in its treatment of minorities and prisoners.
Local food prices in most developing countries have not fallen and in some cases, continue to increase despite the drop in global agricultural commodities prices.
The UN Security Council has hailed the "continuing important efforts of the African Union to settle conflicts on the continent and expressed its support for peace initiatives conducted by the Union.
The overall levels of humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza remain below what is urgently required.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
In early March, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, criticized countries campaigning against the UN anti-racism conference to be held in Geneva in April.
In Uganda, a draft law that would force HIV-positive people to reveal their status to sexual partners has come under fire from AIDS activists.
Education is crucial in emergency and crisis situations.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Wednesday welcomed the release of a significantly shorter draft outcome document for the Durban Review Conference saying she hopes the introduction of this latest version of the draft would be a "major turning point" in preparations for the conference.
Universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support remains the number one priority of UNAIDS.
The development of the African Peace and Security Architecture is crucial to an effective long-term approach to conflict prevention and resolution.
The UN food agency – WFP is scaling up food assistance in Kenya to feed more than 3 million Kenyans hit by drought and high food prices.
An agreement on forests in Copenhagen is necessary, and sustainable forest management will be the most important tool to achieve reduced emissions.
The UN Security Council has welcomed the successful handover of peacekeeping duties in Chad and the Central African Republic from the European Union to the United Nations.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed grave concern about the evolving developments in Madagascar and took note of the resignation of President Marc Ravalomanana.
A peacekeeper with the joint UN-African Union Mission in Darfur-UNAMID was killed in an ambush by unknown gunmen near the town of Nyala on Tuesday.
A United Nations peacekeeper has been shot and killed by unidentified gunmem near the town of Nyala, in Souther Darfur.
One of the leading causes of blindness worldwide is a treatable eye disease. Glaucoma has been called the "sneak thief of sight" because it causes a gradual loss of vision.
The United Nations is very grateful that its staff is free and safe, stated UN Resident Coordinator Mark Bowden.
Fighting continues between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government.
Five accidental fires have swept through parts of two camps for Sudanese refugees in remote eastern Chad in the past four weeks, destroying nearly 300 houses and leaving some 1,500 people homeless.
The displacement of Colombia's indigenous people continues.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has welcomed the decision of the Government of Pakistan to reinstate the former Supreme Court Chief Justice and other judges, who were removed from their post in 2007.
The UN Humanitarian Air Service, UNHAS, will be forced to close its West Africa coastal air service as of March 20, due to lack of funds.
Promoting security, development and peace in fragile situations will be the focus of discussion when representatives from the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Bank and NATO meet in Geneva later this week.
A donation of 16 million US dollars from the Japanese Government to IOM will help the Organization counter some of the many impacts of severe food insecurity on migrants and migration in the Horn, East and Southern Africa.
Water and sanitation issues are critical to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Increased demand for water caused by population growth, higher consumption levels and increased energy needs could lead to critical shortages, according to a report by a conglomerate of UN agencies.
The incidence of cholera in Zimbabwe has stabilized, in part because the donor community has been funding the salaries of health workers.
Assessment teams from the United Nations and the Government of Sudan are on the ground looking at some of the critical gaps that need to be covered in North, South and West Darfur as a result of the expulsion of 13 international non-governmental organizations.
The 5th World Water Forum opened Monday in Istanbul with a call for better management to alleviate water shortages.
The Security Council has completed its mission to Haiti after four days of discussions on issues including security and peace consolidation, and economic and social development.
United Nations peacekeepers have taken over patrolling and security duties from the European Union Force (EUFOR) in eastern Chad and north-eastern Central African Republic.
A new report is warning that the current economic crisis is having a negative impact on the world's forests.
Four United Nations staff members were abducted by unknown armed men in Waajid, central Somalia, early Monday morning.
PRESENTER: Women’s participation in Parliament reached a global high in 2008 according to a report published by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the IPU. Rwanda leads with 56% women in Parliament. But progress towards the United Nations target of 30 per cent representation of women, remains slow and uneven throughout the world says Senator Pia Cayetano of [...]
DIANE: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed alarm at the increasing number of civilians reported killed and injured in the conflict in northern Sri Lanka. Navi Pillay described the situation as “desperate” and said actions by both the Sri Lankan military and by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the LTTE, could [...]
UN Calling Asia – a weekly magazine programme, in English, that keeps you in touch with UN developments covering Asia and the Pacific.
The Government and the people of Afghanistan face a critical test in 2009, as it prepares to hold credible elections over the coming months.
The Joint Government of Sudan /UN assessment teams have arrived in the three Darfur states to, among other things, gauge the humanitarian impact of the expulsion of 13 international non-governmental organizations – the NGOs.
A UN independent expert on internally displaced people has called for more attention to be paid to some of the world's most serious displacement crises, including those caused by natural disasters and by the conflicts in Somalia, Sudan and Sri Lanka.
The UN special envoy for Somalia says the country needs diplomatic and material assistance.
The head of UNAIDS says there is a need to scale up universal access to HIV treatment.
Caribbean News Round-Up: a weekly 15-minute news magazine on developments at the United Nations concerning the Caribbean.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed her growing alarm Friday at the increasing number of civilians reported killed and injured in the conflict in northern Sri Lanka, and at the apparent ruthless disregard being shown for their safety.
Women: a weekly 14-minute news magazine that looks at issues affecting women around the world
At his monthly press conference on Thursday, just days after meeting President Obama in Washington, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he and President Obama had agreed on a number of issues, including that green investments must be a major part of any global stimulus plan: SG1: If we are going to spend such tremendous sums [...]
"The world drug problem has been contained, but not solved."
"This is a great day for women, girls and their families around the world."
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has reiterated his call to the Sudanese government to reverse its decision to expel 13 international non-governmental organizations that provided valuable humanitarian services to the North Darfur region.
Climate change and its likely global effects dominated discussions this week between UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and United States President Barack Obama.
Demand for water has never been as great as it is today, and it will only increase due to population growth and mobility, rising living standards, changes in food consumption, and increased energy production, especially biofuels.
Given the importance of water to development, water infrastructure should be at the top of the list for investment if a country is going to invest in infrastructure.
Policymakers should consider the threat climate change poses to public
health in setting their priorities for action and investments to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
The UN African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID) reports that a peaceful demonstration comprising mostly of youth and labour movement figures took place Wednesday in Nyala, South Darfur, during which they condemned the recent decision of the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant against the President.
For centuries the sea has served as a means to move goods around the world. But along with their cargoes, container ships and other large vessels also transport tiny marine species which could cause billions of dollars in environmental and economic damage. The problem stems from the water taken on by ships to provide needed [...]
In Madagascar, opposition leader Andry Rajoelina has refused to attend talks scheduled for Thursday aimed at resolving the crisis in the country. President Ravalomanana and Mr. Rajoelina have been engaged in a power struggle since mid-January, leading to protests in the capital and the resignations of both the defence minister and the army chief of [...]
The United Nations is working to enhance Africa's capacity to benefit from initiatives such as the New Partnership for Africa's Development and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was continuing his meetings in Washington DC Wednesday with key United States officials.
World population is projected to reach 7 billion early in 2012, up from the current 6.8 billion, and surpass 9 billion people by 2050.
The United Nations says the number of people dying and infected with cholera in Zimbabwe is decreasing for the second consecutive week.
A warning that there are grounds for serious concern despite the positive developments for children since the signing of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
2009 is a "make-or-break" year, full of crises on many fronts — for the United Nations, for the United States, and for the international community as a whole.
The United Nations remains highly concerned over the safety of national and international staff in Darfur in light of repeated reports of intimidation and harassment.
The overall humanitarian situation in Gaza remains unchanged.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrapped up his trip to Haiti Tuesday morning with a visit to a factory of about 1,000 employees who were working for the garment industry.
Here in New York, a Sudanese women’s organization has joined other women, representing NGOs from around the world in sharing their experiences of fighting HIV, sometimes with very few resources. Bissera Kostova recently spoke to Fatima Ahmed, the President of Zenab for Women and Development, an organization active in the eastern Sudanese state of Gadaref. Ms. Ahmed says the [...]
Four UN peacekeepers were injured Monday night in an ambush in Darfur. The attack is the first on members of UNAMID, the joint UN African Union mission since the International Criminal Court indicted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes last week. Violence against UNAMID personnel, including carjackings, have increased over the last 6 weeks in [...]
A United Nations expert on protection of human rights while countering terrorism says the secrecy under which intelligence agencies conduct their operations is an impediment to independent investigations into human rights violations.
Ten million new "green jobs" can be created by investing in sustainable forest management.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets with United States President Barack Obama to discuss the global economic crisis and other issues Tuesday at the White House.
The UN children's agency (UNICEF) says more than a million people may stop receiving safe water, sanitation and hygiene services in North Darfur especially as delivery systems run out of materials, machinery breaks down, and staff are laid off.
The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) is warning that diarrhoeal diseases, such as cholera, are increasingly becoming the major cause of recurring disease and death throughout the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
The decision of the Government of Sudan to expel 13 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and terminate the operations of three national NGOs is still being assessed.
2008 was a difficult year for Haiti – from the violent reactions to the increase in food prices to the devastations caused by successive hurricanes.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Tuesday stressed the key roles human rights and harm reduction should play in the response to drug use.
The current global financial crisis will have long-term implications for developing countries.
"Children are the innocent victims of conflict."
A new appeal was made to Sudan Monday to reverse its decision to expel 13 humanitarian aid groups from Darfur following the decision of the International Criminal court to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Last year rising global food prices brought the number of hungry people up to nearly a billion worldwide. While prices on the international markets have decreased since then, the food crisis is not over. As the UN Human Rights Council meets in Geneva to discuss how the crisis continues to impact human rights, Patrick Maigua [...]
A mutiny by one camp of Madagascar’s army has put into question efforts to reach a solution to the country’s political crisis, which has left almost 100 people dead in protests. But UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Haile Menkerios, assured UN Radio’s Diane Bailey that actions by Madagascar’s army will not threaten ongoing negotiations [...]
More than 4,000 people have died from cholera in Zimbabwe since an outbreak of the water-borne disease last year.
A nine-member mission of the UN Security Council heads to Haiti Wednesday during which it will visit the town of Gonaives that suffered severe flood damage after four hurricanes ravaged the country last year.
Efforts to mitigate hunger and promote and protect the right to food have not been translated into concrete action to empower those most affected by the crisis.
Empowering women and girls and creating an environment conducive to the realization of their full potential is a responsibility and priority of the tallest order.
Aid operations in North Sudan, the largest humanitarian emergency in the world costing over $2 billion annually, will be irrevocably damaged by the government's order suspending 16 non-governmental organizations.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Women: a weekly 14-minute news magazine that looks at issues affecting women around the world
Caribbean News Round-Up: a weekly 15-minute news magazine on developments at the United Nations concerning the Caribbean.
UN Calling Asia – a weekly magazine programme, in English, that keeps you in touch with UN developments covering Asia and the Pacific.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said Thursday that combating impunity, racism and all forms of discrimination against women, indigenous people, minorities, migrants and other vulnerable groups are top priorities for her office.
All schools must be havens of peace and security.
News and features from United Nations Radio
News and features from United Nations Radio
