Syrian government and opposition groups have been asked to recommit themselves to a sustained cessation of armed violence and implement the six point peace plan immediately. The Action Group for Syria which has been meeting in Geneva called for the establishment of an executive transitional governing body in Syria whose membership should be drawn from [...]
The value and virtue of public service are honoured each year by the United Nations when it celebrates UN Public Service Day. The commemorative day, which occurs on June 23, recognizes that democracy and good governance cannot take place without competent civil service workers. This year, a concert honouring the day was held on June [...]
At a Security Council meeting on Afghanistan in June, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous noted that 2011 marked the fifth consecutive year of rising civilian casualties in the country. The UN peacekeeping chief told the Security Council that "significant progress" has been made over the past months on Afghanistan's path toward self-reliance but that [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is travelling to Geneva on Friday to participate in this weekend's meeting by the Action Group for Syria. The meeting has been convened by UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan, and comes amidst intensification of the conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people since March 2011. Foreign Ministers from [...]
Thousands of people who fled civil wars in Angola and Liberia will lose their refugee status as of June 30 this year, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. This means people who fled the two countries and remain abroad will no longer be regarded as refugees by UNHCR and host governments. The Liberian civil [...]
Camel racing is a centuries old sport in the Gulf region. It’s an exciting event that generates cash prizes which drive the camel owners to do anything they can to win, even if that means using children as jockeys. The children, mostly from Bangladesh, Sudan, India and Pakistan, are smuggled into the Gulf states. Qatar and [...]
• UN and African Union envoys have highlighted a new regional strategy that they hope will bring an end to the activities of Joseph Kony and his rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The Secretary-General’s Special representative and head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa, Abou Moussa says its success depends on the willingness of [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon The Rio+20 Conference marked the further evolution of a global movement for change, according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Addressing the General Assembly on Thursday, Mr. Ban labelled the conference a success, bringing together governments, civil society and the private sector. The conference outcome document is entitled 'The Future We Want,' [...]
The fashion industry is putting its best foot forward to boost production in Africa. Through the Fashion 4 Development (F4D) campaign, the industry is devising creative strategies which promote sustainable economic growth in communities while also supporting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Franca Sozzani is Editor-In-Chief of Vogue Italia and F4D Goodwill Ambassador. "Africa can [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
United Nations humanitarian agencies and partner organizations are appealing for an additional $108 million to help meet the needs of growing numbers of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq. The agencies originally appealed for $84 million in March this year. Currently, more than 96,000 Syrians are either registered or being assisted in neighbouring [...]
As the first African woman to occupy the position of Deputy-Secretary- General of the United Nations, Asha-Rose Migiro is grateful for the opportunity she has had to be an inspiration to women and girls. Ms. Migiro is leaving the UN after having served the organization for over five years. In an interview with UN Radio's [...]
Regional cooperation is critical to the global fight against terrorism. That message comes from the President of the UN General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser. Mr. Al-Nasser said the world needs to learn from those countries which have benefited from regional cooperation in counter-terrorism activities. "This requires multi-national efforts that go beyond traditional and localized approaches. [...]
Conflict between Tuareg rebels and government forces in the north of Mali has led to two of the country's historic sites being added to the List of World Heritage in Danger. Timbuktu and the Tomb of Askia are now on the list which seeks to protect cultural sites from threats caused by armed conflict, war, [...]
Sudanese authorities are being urged to exercise restraint ahead of mass protests planned for Friday. The call comes from UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay, who wants the government to ensure the demonstrations can proceed peacefully. Dozens of people, including human rights defenders, journalists, students and political opponents, have been arrested since protests began [...]
Map of Afghanistan The Security Council met Wednesday to consider the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Afghanistan. The report is cautiously optimistic about the future of the country, especially as countries withdraw their military forces and foreign aid dries up. It warns that serious difficulties could arise and should not be underestimated. [...]
The United Nations and the Government of Myanmar signed an action plan Wednesday to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers. The plan sets a timetable and measurable activities for the release and reintegration of children associated with Government armed forces, as well as the prevention of further recruitment. It also calls for additional [...]
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It takes more than traditional security approaches to counter terrorism. The warning came from the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as a symposium on dialogue, understanding and countering the appeal of terrorism opened at the United Nations on Wednesday. Gerry Adams reports. Duration: 2’54″
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), are joining forces to combat foot-and-mouth disease on a global scale. The organizations laid out a detailed strategy at the opening session of the FAO/OIE global conference in Bangkok Wednesday to bring the devastating livestock disease under control. Julie Walker [...]
The human rights situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, with innocent people trapped in the fighting between security forces and anti-government groups. That assessment comes from UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay, in a report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday. She was among several speakers addressing the Council's interactive dialogue [...]
At least 50 people have been killed since sectarian violence broke out in Myanmar's Rakhine State last month and more that 52,000 are displaced, according to official government sources. The UN and its humanitarian partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), have responded with food, health, water and sanitation supplies. Instability in Rakhine State started [...]
It takes more than traditional security approaches to counter terrorism…that was the message Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered Wednesday to a symposium at the United Nations. Mr. Ban says that is why the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy places special emphasis on dialogue and understanding between communities. He says governments must foster engagement between communities, and build [...]
The number of Palestinians adversely affected by Israeli activity in the West Bank has increased by 87% compared to last year. That's according to United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Richard Falk. Charles Appel reports. Richard Falk said in a statement Wednesday that Israeli authorities have [...]
How well countries have implemented the UN Counter-Terrorism Strategy is under review by the General Assembly. The Strategy, adopted on 8 September 2006, was the first global attempt to agree on a wide set of practical action points to combat terrorism. In it, Member States also committed themselves to review its implementation. The Strategy sets [...]
Following the 1998 bombings of the American embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the UN Security Council adopted a sanctions regime directed against al-Qaida and the Taliban. The Taliban was expelled from power in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2001. Since that time, the sanctions regime has focused on al-Qaida wherever it is, says [...]
A ministerial meeting on the Syrian crisis is to be held on Saturday June 30 in Geneva. The meeting has been convened by the joint UN and Arab league special envoy Kofi Annan. The permanent members of the UN Security council have been invited, along with some of Syria's neighbors including Turkey. The meeting is [...]
Human rights violations by government forces and armed opposition groups are on the rise in Syria as fighting spreads across the country, the UN Human Rights Council heard on Wednesday. In a report to the Council, the Commission of Inquiry on Syria said the Syrian army and its allied militia were responsible for killing civilians, [...]
As the violence in Syria continues, details of the contact group meeting that the UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan wants to hold are still being worked out. On Tuesday, the UN Security Council got a closed door briefing from the head of UN peacekeeping Herve Ladsous and the Deputy Joint Special Envoy for [...]
The number of deaths caused by the influenza virus H1N1 has been underestimated, says the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus reached pandemic proportions in 2009-2010. The pandemic occurred among younger people, including those who were otherwise healthy. Donn Bobb reports: Duration: 1’22″
Organized crime and illicit drugs are impeding development, says the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Yuri Fedotov told the General Assembly while launching the 2012 World Drug Report on Tuesday that drugs and crime represent a severe impediment to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the MDGs. Gerry Adams [...]
Worldwide about 27 million people or one in every 200 is a problem drug user, according to the annual report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The 2012 World Drug Report released Tuesday, also finds that roughly 200,000 people die every year from narcotics abuse, with cannabis remaining the most popular drug of [...]
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In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a livestock disease has already killed 75,000 goats and is threatening neighboring countries, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Julie Walker reports. FAO says the epidemic is the worst the agency has seen in a decade and is mobilizing emergency support to contain it. [...]
Platinum, gold, copper and coal: these are some of the minerals extracted from the rich ground in South Africa. But what happens when all the treasures buried deep in the Earth are gone, and the multinational mining corporations move on? South Africa's National Union of Mine Workers is hoping commitments made by governments at the [...]
Twenty-five years after the Convention against Torture went into effect, the cruel and dehumanizing practice remains pervasive and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wants states to do more to stop it. Charles Appel reports on the international day in support of victims of torture observed on 26 June. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on countries to provide [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the official death toll from the 2010 H1N1 flu pandemic is still subject to intensive research around the world. WHO however says official records put the number of deaths listed as having been caused by the H1N1 virus at 18,500 worldwide. The organization says the actual number of deaths [...]
Nearly 400,000 people still remain in displacement camps two years after the January 2010 devastating earthquake in Haiti, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). At the peak of the displacement crisis, camp populations peaked at 1.5 million people. IOM says despite the sharp reduction in the numbers of displaced people, there was need [...]
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan known as UNMISS has released a report on the findings of its in-depth investigation into the inter-communal violence in Jonglei State that claimed the lives of hundreds in 2011 and early 2012. The report, "Incidents of Inter-communal Violence in Jonglei State," documents crimes and human rights violations that [...]
United Nations Public Service awards have been presented to 44 organizations from 29 countries in recognition for "Innovation and Citizens Engagement for Effective Governance". The award ceremony was held Monday morning in the General Assembly hall on the occasion of the 10th anniversary United Nations Public Service Day and the start of the Public Service [...]
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is paying tribute to those who work on the high seas on this, the International Day of the Seafarer 25 June. IOM is asking people around the world to use social networks to highlight just how important the world's 1.5 million seafarers are, noting that they are responsible for transporting [...]
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The killings of women, whether in the family, the community, or perpetrated by the state, are reaching alarming proportions, according Rashida Manjoo, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women. Gerry Adams reports. Duration: 1’44″
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging the Security Council to use all the tools in its arsenal to protect civilians in armed conflict. The message came during an open debate of the council on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Mr. Ban pointed to several examples including Syria, where he said government forces and [...]
New figures released by CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs show the number of rhino being poached has reached record levels. The number of black rhinos in the wild is estimated at 5,000 and that of white rhinos at 20,000. Both are found in Africa and [...]
The UN Secretary-General has congratulated the winner of Egypt's presidential election. The Secretary-General said in a statement that he trusts president-elect Mohamed Morsy will spare no effort in ensuring the people of Egypt realize their aspirations for greater democracy, the promotion of human rights, and a more prosperous and stable country. Mr. Ban also commended [...]
Inter-communal violence claimed the lives of hundreds of people in the South Sudan state of Junglei within just six weeks, according to a UN report. The UN Mission in South Sudan's recorded 612 fatalities in the course of the attacks on Murle settlements and 276 deaths resulting from the attacks on the Lou Nuer and [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the world that although the Rio+20 forum has ended, the work to bring about a sustainable planet was only just beginning. Mr. Ban, in his final remarks to the Rio+20 conference, certainly welcomed the 700 voluntary commitments announced at the conference by countries, businesses, development banks, universities and UN agencies [...]
Rio+20 may have ended, but the work to bring about a sustainable planet was only just beginning, according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Mr. Ban welcomed the more than 700 voluntary commitments announced at the conference by countries, businesses, development banks, universities and UN agencies, among others, to galvanize action on the ground. The [...]
Violence against women has reached alarming portions, with more and more women and girls being killed by their partners and family members, according to a United Nations human rights expert. Rashida Manjoo, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, says in many countries the home is the place where a woman is most likely [...]
The Balkan country of Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing a relatively high rate of cervical cancer, which the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is working to bring down. Health officials in the country say with an incidence rate of more than 13 cases per 100,000, cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality for [...]
Egypt in recent months has experienced a number of upheavals and challenges. Now, as the country transitions to democracy following its presidential election, Shahira Amin, an Egyptian journalist and consultant to UN Women, asked some women what the future holds for them and what they would like to see. Duration: 2’34″
June 23 is annually observed as International Widows’ Day. Cherie Blair, wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, is president of the Loomba Foundation, a staunch supporter of the rights of widowed women. May Yacoub caught up with Ms. Blair, who talked about the number of widows in the world today. Duration: 2’02″
The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) says more nations around the world are realizing the positive contribution that the forestry industry can make to the development of a green economy. In Viet Nam, the loss of forested areas has been reversed and the country is now increasing forest area by about one percent every [...]
Rio+20 wrapped up on Friday Representatives from the UN member states arrived in Brazil nearly two weeks ago with a simple charge from Sha Zukang, the Secretary-General of the Rio+20 conference. He told them "Come to Rio, ready to commit." On Friday evening, world leaders adopted the final outcome document, bringing to a close the [...]
Ban Ki-moon The Rio+20 conference has ended, but the work begins now. That is what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told heads of state and government on Friday at the closing ceremony for the three-day event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He said the Rio+20 outcome document, 'The Future We Want,' will guide the world on [...]
Governments, companies, universities, other institutions and UN agencies, have pledged more than $500 billion to support sustainable development programmes around the world. The announcement was made in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday the final day of the Rio+20 conference. Sha Zukang, Secretary-General of the conference, said these commitments will be the legacy of the [...]
A centre to study sustainable development will be one of the legacies of the Rio+20 conference, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Rio+Centre, the World Centre for Sustainable Development, was launched on Friday and will facilitate research, in addition to promoting international debate. Brazil's Environment Minister, Izabella Teixeira, and UNDP Administrator Helen Clark, addressed [...]
When migrants are detained in irregular situations, liberty is the rule and detention the exception, says the annual report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants. François Crépeau, in his report to the Human Rights Council, said immigration detention should never be mandatory or automatic, but a measure of last resort, [...]
The joint UN Arab league Special Envoy for Syria wants the world to raise the pressure on the country to end the conflict and he says Iran must be involved. Kofi Annan held a news conference Friday in Geneva where he also said he is trying to gather world ministers together for a contact group [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he's encouraged by the strong political commitment to the Rio+20 Outcome Document. His comments come as the UN Conference on Sustainable Development is coming to an end in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Secretary-General tells UN Radio’s Maha Fayek that the document puts "all of us on a sustainable path". [...]
There are more than 43.7 million refugees and internally displaced people around the world according to the UN's refugee agency and Afghans make up the largest group of those refugees 2.7 million. On 20 June World Refugee Day was observed and a new campaign was launched to bring attention to the issue. UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador [...]
Egypt in recent months has experienced a number of upheavals and challenges. Now, as the country transitions to democracy following its presidential election, Shahira Amin, a journalist and consultant to UN Women, asked some Egyptian women what the future holds for them and what they would like to see. Raising Awareness for Cervical Cancer in [...]
A humanitarian crisis is unfolding among tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees who have crossed into Southern Sudan and Ethiopia according the UN refugee agency UNHCR. Nearly over 200,000 Sudanese refugees who have fled fighting in the Blue Nile State are now being accommodated in refugee camps in South Sudan and Ethiopia. UNHCR says humanitarian [...]
The number of people killed in the latest wave of violence unleashed on churches by the Boko Haram group in Nigeria, has risen to over 100 according to the UN Office for Human Rights (OHCHR). At least 30 of victims were killed in the subsequent retaliation by Christian youths who set up check points. The [...]
The deployment of United Nations humanitarian workers in Syria is on hold as a result of the deteriorating security situation in the country. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA, says UN agencies are looking for alternative methods for delivering assistance including establishing partnerships with local relief organizations. Earlier this month, [...]
This week, the United Nations has been marking "World Refuge Day", which is observed 20 June. In honour of the day, an event was held at UN headquarters in New York sponsored by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. Highlighted at the event were two sisters who were once refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo. [...]
Businesses, governments, development banks and civil society have so far pledged more than $50 billion to support the UN Secretary-General's goal to achieve universal energy access by 2030. The Sustainable Energy for All initiative also seeks to double both energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy by that deadline. Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella is [...]
• A notorious group of human rights violators continues to act with impunity in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. The group, known as M23, is accused of raping and killing civilians, as well as recruiting child soldiers. Pillay, who named five of the leaders [...]
A new report finds that climate change can make people more vulnerable and can also play a part in driving them into areas of conflict and ultimately across borders and into exile. The report, "Climate Change, Vulnerability and Human Mobility," is based on scores of personal testimonies from refugees in Eastern Africa. Based on discussions [...]
Timor-Leste has made significant progress towards the consolidation of peace and security and has experienced rapid economic growth, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights told the Human Rights Council in Geneva Thursday. Ms. Magdalena Sepulveda Carmona, however, says a harsh reality of entrenched poverty and rising inequality hides behind rapid macroeconomic [...]
Heads of state are sharing their views on a sustainable future for the planet at the UN's Rio+20 conference in Brazil. Bhutan's Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley says he has a simple message to deliver: be happy. Instead of Gross National Product, Bhutan measures its developmental success by Gross National Happiness. The first pillar is promoting [...]
Bold leadership and commitment are needed in choosing a development path that addresses the major global challenges of our times. The head of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Noeleen Heyzer warns that "we are running out of time to make the changes that must be made". She says that [...]
Countries, businesses, philanthropic organizations and UN entities at the Rio+20 conference are pledging to create a cleaner, greener, more equitable world. They are making voluntary commitments in any of 23 areas related to sustainable development such as climate change, sustainable education and green jobs, but also education, gender equality and public awareness. The commitments [...]
United Nations Human Rights experts have decried the high number journalists killed or subjected to inhuman treatment in the course of their duties. Frank La Rue expert on freedom of opinion and expression and Christof Heyns expert on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions called on governments worldwide to act decisively to protect journalists and media [...]
Eight of the world's largest development banks will invest $175 billion over the next 10 years to support the creation of sustainable transport systems. The voluntary commitments by the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and six other multilateral development banks (MDBs) will result in cleaner air and safer roads. The announcement was made on [...]
World leaders began a three-day UN summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Wednesday where they're expected to approve a blueprint for protecting the environment and ending poverty. The draft called "The Future We Want" outlines measures for tackling the planet's many environmental problems and lifting billions out of poverty through policies that protect and [...]
Rising amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have caused the world's oceans to become more acidic, thus threatening the survival of marine ecosystems. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is supporting research and action on this problem by creating the Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre at its laboratories in Monaco. The announcement came just ahead of [...]
A number of United Nations have hailed the 'REACH' Initiative on child under-nutrition as a foundation for sustainable development goals. The Initiative, which brings together the World Food Programme, UNICEF, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, offers practical and effective approaches to reducing under-nutrition in the most heavily burdened countries. But [...]
Several UN agencies are joining together to try a new approach to fight hunger in children. The World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) say their 'REACH' Initiative offers practical and effective approaches to reducing under-nutrition in the most heavily burdened [...]
"The negotiators on the Rio+20 Outcome Document have acknowledged the important contribution human rights, including the right to food, can make to sustainable development." The view was expressed by the UN expert on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter. In a statement Wednesday, De Schutter stressed that "the strong references to the right to [...]
The landmark Rio+20 conference opened on Wednesday with a call for action from heads of state and governments as the world watches. In his address to the opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the conference is an opportunity to renew political commitment for sustainable development. Dianne Penn reports. Duration: 2’08″
Establishing the rule of law, restoring public safety and order, protecting of civilians and supporting the preservation of human rights are just some of gains made by the military component of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Commander of the MINUSTAH Peacekeeping Force, Major-General Fernando Rodrigues Goulart, told the UN Security Council Wednesday that [...]
Academy Award winner and Special Envoy of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), Angelina Jolie is speaking out about the plight of refugees on the occasion of World Refugee Day. Ms. Jolie has seen firsthand the enormous challenges that refugees face. “No one chooses to be a refugee. Today, 43 million people worldwide have been displaced. [...]
Warming ocean waters are causing major shifts in fish distribution and severe degradation of coastal habitats. That according to a report by the UN Development Programme, UNDP. The report warns that Large Marine Ecosystems or LMEs, as they're called, are at risk because of climate change, affecting the lives of billions of people who depend [...]
Over the next three days, heads of state and government will present their visions of a sustainable future as the Rio+20 conference opens in Brazil. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Brazilian Foreign Minister Antônio Patriota, and Brittany Trilford, a teenager from New Zealand, will address the opening session on Wednesday morning. Dianne Penn reports. The largest [...]
Refugees have no choice. You do. That's the theme for World Refugee Day, observed each year on the 20th of June. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, every minute, eight people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror. For the 5th consecutive year, there are more than 42 million forcibly displaced people [...]
World Refugee Day is being observed on 20 June. There are more than 43.7 million refugees and internally displaced people around the world according to the UN's refugee agency, UNHCR. This year's theme for the Day is "Refugees have no choice. You do." The campaign, which UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Khaled Hosseini is taking part in, [...]
Major-General Robert Mood Major General Robert Mood, who heads the observer mission in Syria,told the UN Security Council on Tuesday that he will stay in Syria until conditions allow the suspended mission can resume. Gerry Adams reports. Duratio:1’25″
More than 100 heads of State and government, along with thousands of people from civil society are in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. The Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature is hoping that their cause will be taken up by Rio+20. They are calling for global recognition and [...]
Clashes between Israeli settlers and Palestinians continued in the West Bank over the past month, according to a new report to the UN Security Council. UN Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco pointed to attacks on Israelis in the West Bank and Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians. “Early this morning, a mosque near Ramallah was spray painted [...]
The international community is gathering in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development known as Rio+20 which officially begins 20 June. The official discussions will focus on two main themes: How to build a green economy to achieve sustainable development and lift people out of poverty, including support for developing [...]
A notorious group of human rights violators continues to act with impunity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. The group, known as M23, is accused of raping and killing civilians, as well as recruiting child soldiers. They have been conducting a mutiny in [...]
Achieving a full and sustained cessation of violence and seeking a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Syria remain the centre of United Nations efforts. That's what UN Assistant Secretary-General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco told the Security Council Tuesday. He said the UN remains gravely concerned about the intensification of violence and a rising death toll in [...]
Members of the Security Council have welcomed the resumption of negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan. Repeated incidents of cross-border violence have occurred between the two countries, including seizure of territory and aerial bombing. South Sudan became independent from Sudan in July 2011. Security Council President Li Baodong of China said the negotiations are taking [...]
The UN refugee agency –UNHCR is stepping up its humanitarian response in Myanmar. This follows the sudden escalation of violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state nearly two weeks ago. UNHCR Spokesman Adrian Edwards said the agency is now responding to the request from the authorities in Myanmar for assistance. “UNHCR will provide shelter material and basic [...]
The United Nations and its humanitarian partners have launched new and updated appeals for the crisis stricken Sahel region in West Africa. The combined request now amounts to 1.6 billion dollars, for food nutrition, health services, sanitation and other urgent assistance. The UN says more than 18 million people are in need in the region. [...]
Fernando Gabeira said that Rio + 20 should discuss the future of the UN Environment Programme giving it more clout to deal with the world's ecological issues. One of Brazil's most historical figures in environmental protection has defended a bigger role to be played by the UN Environment Programme, UNEP, in the future. In a [...]
1. Syria conflict forcing more people to flee their homes 2. Annan wants new strategy to end Syria violence 3. UN monitors shot at trying to verify massacre in Syria 4. UN General Assembly holds meeting on Syria 5. UNHCR : Thousands of Angolans to lose their refugee status by end of June 6. Navi [...]
1.Violence hinders work of UN observers in Syria, says UNSMIS head 2.UN demands Syria government take lead to end violence 3.Violence escalating in Syria, say Ban ki Moon, Kofi Annan & UNSMIS 4.Corporate Social Forum examines the business of sustainability 5.Myanmar's democratization requires hard work and commitment : Aung San Suu Kyi 6.150,000 Sudanese refugees [...]
The cost of the humanitarian response to the crisis in the Sahel region of West Africa has more than doubled. It will now require more than one and a half billion dollars to finance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA. Earlier this year, the United Nations and its humanitarian [...]
The use of cell phones for money transfers, payments and more sophisticated financial activities is becoming increasingly popular in East Africa. Now UNCTAD, the UN Conference on Trade and Development says "mobile money" could benefit from region-wide rules to coordinate and harmonize regulations. More than half a billion dollars are transferred in the region using [...]
Many European cities spend more on heating schools than on education itself, according to the Mayor of Heidelberg, Germany. He is just of one of thousands of people gathering in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this week for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. Eckart Würzner, along with other Mayors is presenting 30 proposals for the [...]
The number of rhinos being poached has reached record levels, according to CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. New figures released by CITES and South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs show that 2012 is likely to be the rhino’s worst year, with a death toll that even [...]
According to a report released on Monday by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, 2011 was a record year for forced displacement. The Global Trends Report says 800 thousand people had to flee their homes, more than at any time since 2000, explaining that a string of major humanitarian crises led to the exodus. [...]
The yearly commemoration of the World Day to Combat Desertification (17 June) took place on the eve of the opening of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. Participants at the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil conference have said that halting land degradation must be a part of a new road map for sustainable development. Speaking to [...]
A record 800,000 people crossed borders fleeing conflict last year, the highest number of new refugees since the beginning of the century, according to the UN's refugee agency. The UNHCR 2011 Global Trends Report, which is being released in advance of World Refugee Day on 20 June, tracks the extent of refugees and internally displaced [...]
The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro is this week hosting two parallel conferences on a common sustainable future. The UN Rio+20 conference, which opens on Wednesday, and the People's Summit currently underway at Flamengo Beach, are both investigating how economic development and protecting the environment can be combined. But that is where the similarities [...]
Women want governments, civil society and the private sector to prioritize gender equality and women's empowerment. That's according to UN Women Chief Michelle Bachelet. She told reporters in Rio de Janeiro at the Rio + 20 conference Monday that women will come together for a "Leaders' Forum" this week. Their voices and views, she [...]
Without the eradication of hunger, there can be no sustainable development. That's the message the UN Food and Agriculture organization –FAO is taking to the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development. Charles Appel reports. In a policy paper prepared for presentation in Rio, FAO warns that today, over 900 million people still suffer from hunger. And [...]
Nearly 10,000 political prisoners are behind bars in Eritrea, according to the UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay. Addressing the UN Human Rights Council, Ms Pillay said the fate of the prisoners remains unknown as Eritrea has declined to cooperate with her office and other international and regional human rights mechanisms. The High Commissioner said [...]
United Nations Human Rights Chief is calling on the international community to overcome divisions and work to end the violence and human rights violations in Syria. Ms Navi Pillay regretted that the United Nations observer mission in Syria was no longer able to discharge its mandate due to the escalating violence in the country. Addressing [...]
A new UNICEF report shows that pneumonia and diarrhoea are leading killers of children under five, disproportionately affecting children in the poorest, most disadvantaged areas. In Nusa Tenggara Timor Province, located in West Timor region of Indonesia, UNICEF and the community have gotten together to do something about it. Gerry Adams reports. Duration: 2’57″
Roughly six inches of top soil separates humanity from extinction, according to the UN agency which works to protect this resource. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) says each year, desertification and drought rob the planet of 12 million hectares of land which could produce as much as 20 million tonnes of grain. [...]
The Academy Award winning actress and advocate Geena Davis has been appointed the Special Envoy for Women and Girls, for the UN's International Telecommunication Union. She will be a leading spokesperson for the Tech Needs Girls campaign and will promote the empowering role technology can play in the lives of women and girls. Duration: 5’00″
With 140 million people, Bangladesh is one of the world’s densest populated nations and also one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, says the World Bank. People in Bangladesh live precariously close to the risks of cyclones, floods and droughts and more than 100 million people live in rural areas. Charles [...]
Negotiations on the final political document for the Rio+20 conference will now be led by Brazil which has assumed the presidency of the sustainable development forum. Government representatives late on Friday concluded the third and final preparatory meeting ahead of the conference, with agreement on nearly 40 per cent of the text. Pragati Pascale, [...]
Statement attributable to the Head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria, General Robert Mood There has been an intensification of armed violence across Syria over the past 10 days. This escalation is limiting our ability to observe, verify, report as well as assist in local dialogue and stability projects – basically impeding our ability [...]
A delegation of 24 young women from 15 different countries is in Brazil to represent the Girl Guides and Girl Scouts organizations, at the UN's conference on sustainable development, known as Rio+20. They are advocating for gender equality and non-formal education to be part of the final outcome document for the conference. Jane Harris, a [...]
An effort is underway in Chad to convince mothers of the importance of breastfeeding. The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, says the nutritional crisis in the African country is being compounded by one of the world’s lowest rates of breastfeeding – only three mothers out of every hundred exclusively breastfeed their children. The agency has [...]
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More than 2,000 business leaders are meeting this weekend in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to examine the role of the private sector in creating a sustainable future. The Corporate Sustainability Forum, which opens on Friday, is taking place on the sidelines of the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development. The forum is an initiative of the [...]
Hundreds of people fleeing violence in western Myanmar are stranded in boats off the coast of Bangladesh, according to the UN Refugee agency UNHCR. The boats, which are reported to be carrying mainly women children and wounded people from Myanmar's Rakhine State, have been denied entry into Bangladesh. UNHCR is appealing to authorities in Bangladesh [...]
Jamaica has told the International Labour Organization that the International Labour Conference was overshadowed by the global crisis with the prospects of growth and job creation remaining illusive. Jamaica's Minister of Labour and Social Security is Derek Kellier. Derek Kellier: The World of Work report of 2012 informs us that it is unlikely that [...]
United Nations Assistant-Secretary-General Elizabeth Thompson is the Executive Coordinator of the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development. The former Environment Minister of Barbados has been involved in the negotiations for the past two years. She was asked what Barbados and the rest of the Caribbean can offer to the negotiations. Elizabeth Thompson: I think that we [...]
Trinidad and Tobago has told the International Labour Organization about a few issues which it said stood out as requiring urgent attention. Minister of Labour pointed to the duration of the International Labour Conference and the often times prohibitive costs for smaller countries who wish to participate. Second, he said, was the need to consider [...]
Caribbean States this week expressed their concerns about youth unemployment and the current global economic situation to the 101st session of the International Labour Organisation Conference in Geneva. Barbados' Minister of Labour and Social Security Esther Byer-Suckoo warned that the global financial crisis has led to the loss of many jobs, particularly among the vulnerable [...]
The Caribbean Community –CARICOM joined speakers from more than 30 countries to reaffirm their commitment to ending the HIV epidemic, pledging to focus on high-risk populations and to build shared responsibility for achieving targets outlined in the 2011 Political Declaration. Speaking on behalf of CARICOM, the representative of Suriname Ambassador Henry MacDonald noted that for [...]
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Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi says that sustaining the ongoing reform process in the country is a collective responsibility of the people, government, political leaders and the military. Speaking in Geneva Ms. Suu Kyi said she holds no bitterness against Myanmar's military rulers for keeping her under house arrest for over 22 years. [...]
1. UN Secretary-General calls for cutting new HIV infections by 1 million by 2015. 2. UN condemns attack that killed 7 peacekeepers in Liberia. 3. UN demands Syrian government to take lead to end violence and killings. 4. World Oceans Day highlights importance of oceans. Narrated and Produced by Ambalika Misra Duration: 14’15″
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Exposure to diesel exhaust fumes causes lung cancer in humans, according to the World health Organization(WHO). Studies conducted on groups such as underground miners, railway workers and truck drivers who were exposed to fumes from diesel engines showed an increased risk of death from lung cancer. A panel of experts from WHO's International Agency for [...]
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) works to apply nuclear technology in four of the seven areas identified as priorities for the UN conference on Sustainable Development or Rio+20: energy, food, water and oceans. Nuclear technologies are used daily to find and protect sustainable sources of fresh water, produce energy and food, while providing researchers [...]
A concert by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra quavered the UN General Assembly Hall recently. This cultural event celebrated the 66th presidency of the United Nations General Assembly and it honored the work of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. In this feature prepared by Florence “Beng” Poblete-Enriquez, you will hear a fusion [...]
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More than 150,000 Sudanese refugees have crossed the border into South Sudan, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. The refugees are fleeing fighting between Sudan government forces and rebel groups in Blue Nile State. Last week humanitarian agencies operating in the region reported seven deaths among a group on new arrivals at a transit [...]
Children as young as eight years are being used as human shields by the Syrian army, according to a United Nations report. The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, says the children are being forcibly taken from their homes and placed in front of windows of buses carrying military personnel going [...]
UN Observers in Syria Violence in Syria has once again escalated to levels seen before the cease-fire plan was put in place in April, according to the UN and Arab League special Envoy Kofi Annan. In his view, the Syrian government has the upper hand to stop the violence, killings and human rights abuses. Mr [...]
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Each year, the UN Population Award is given to an individual(s) and/or institution(s) in recognition of outstanding contributions to increasing the awareness of population questions and to their solution. This year's winner in the institution category is the Federation of Reproductive Health Associations of Malaysia. Gerry Adams spoke with two women who have been involved [...]
Noor is a young woman from Iraq with virtually no legal rights in a country still struggling with the legacy of Saddam Hussein’s 24-year dictatorship. Many women in Iraq cover their faces in public for cultural and religious reasons. But Noor does not want to be seen in public because, as far as most people [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said there is a danger that the crisis in Syria can quickly go from a tipping point to a breaking point. UN Special Envoy Kofi Annan, who for the past two months has been working on resolving the crisis., has proposed a plan which brings together members of the international [...]
UN staff members and residents search the rubble of a building in Mazraat al-Qubeir, located near the city of Hama, Syria. UN observers reached the site of an alleged massacre in Syria on Friday, after being shot at a day earlier while trying to verify the reports. Syrian activists claim that Government troops and militiamen [...]
The United Nations is promoting biking as a sustainable form of transportation, by hosting a ride outside its headquarters in New York on Friday. The event is just one of many taking place in advance of the UN's conference on sustainable development known as Rio+20 in Brazil this month. Ambassador Herman Schaper of The Netherlands [...]
Scaling up prevention measures against pneumonia and diarrhoea could save the lives of more than two million children a year, according to a new report from the UN children's fund (UNICEF). UNICEF believes these children could have a shot at survival through increased commitment, attention and funding to fight these diseases, the two major killers [...]
Close to 20,000 newly displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have received aid from the World Food Programme (WFP) that should last a month. Overall, the agency is currently providing assistance to a total of 532,000 Congolese refugees. The WFP's Elisabeth Byrs says tens of thousands of people have fled their homes, [...]
Oceans make up 70 per cent of the earth's surface and are a major source of food and medicine. They are also rich in mineral resources, including oil, and exploration is continuing. In addition, oceans are also considered the lungs of the planet, providing most of the oxygen that we breathe. To highlight the [...]
Serbia's foreign minister Vuk Jeremic will become President of the 67th United Nations General Assembly. He was elected by member states Friday, with 99 votes in favour. His opponent, Dalius Čekuolis, the Lithuanian Ambassador to the UN received 85 votes. Mr. Jeremic will begin his new term 18 September. "We are a small developing [...]
With the Rio+20 conference just weeks away, diplomats in New York are doing their part to promote sustainable urban transport. They are participating in a bike ride near the United Nations headquarters on Friday, organized by The Netherlands Mission to the UN. Dutch ambassador Herman Schaper says in a country where even the Prime Minister [...]
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Preventing and treating pneumonia and diarrhoea can help save the lives of more than two million children each year according to a new report released on Friday by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Pneumonia and diarrhoea are the two leading causes of death among children under five. The UNICEF report, "Pneumonia and diarrhoea: Tackling [...]
In observance of World Oceans Day, 8 June, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for increased action to preserve oceans, which make up 70-percent of the earth's surface. He says oceans are being threatened by pollution, overfishing, climate change and the deterioration of the marine environment. The Secretary-General says the UN's conference on sustainable development, known [...]
Angolan refugees Over 120,000 Angolans living in neighbouring countries are to be stripped of their refugee status and sent back home, according to the UN Refugee agency UNHCR. The Angolans will lose their refugee status on 30th June this year, based on recommendations that fundamental improvements had taken place in the country to warrant their [...]
Displaced Syrians As many as 1.5 million people are in need of assistance in Syria, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The organization says those displaced by fighting were finding it increasingly hard to access basic needs such as food, especially bread, while the sick and wounded had limited access to [...]
Ugandan rebels of the so-called Lord's Resistance Army or LRA continue to perpetrate violations against children says a report of the United Nations Secretary-General to the Security Council. It says that the LRA has abducted and recruited at least 591 children, including 268 girls. The first report to the Security Council on the situation of [...]
The European debt crisis is currently the biggest threat to the world economy, according to a report released on Thursday by the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs (DESA). The UN World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2012 mid-year update warns that austerity measure in Europe will plunge the region further into recession. [...]
A plan to build new Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory has been described by a top United Nations envoy as "deeply troubling". Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process says the plan violates international law. Charles Appel reports. According to media reports, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered [...]
United Nations observers in Syria were shot at on Thursday as they attempted to verify a massacre in the village of Mazraat al-Qubeir, according to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Syrian activists said at least 78 people were massacred in the village near Hama. Mr. Ban, who addressed the UN General Assembly, called the reports shocking [...]
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The global economy continues to grow at a slow pace, according to a new report released on Thursday. The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2012, issued as a mid-year update, says that developed economies are still struggling to overcome the problems created by the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. The report warns that [...]
The continued violence in Syria was the focus of a General Assembly meeting on Thursday. It came a day after the killing of at least 78 villagers near the city of Hama. Among those addressing the chamber was Kofi Annan, joint UN-Arab League Special Envoy for Syria, who said his peace plan is not [...]
A "new level" of international action is needed to halt the violence in Syria according to the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and Arab League. Kofi Annan told the General-Assembly on Thursday that his 6-point peace plan is not being implemented by Syria and a new strategy is needed. "The process can not [...]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says with the fighting in Syria continuing, the international community must act with unity and collective will. In a speech to the UN General Assembly Thursday he said the recent massacres in the country show there is little evidence that the Syrian government is living up to its commitments under [...]
Peacekeeping Forces are a living demonstration of "the will to peace", says Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar in this celebration of Nobel Peace Prize to the UN. Language: English Genre: Speech 1988
Global food prices have dropped sharply in May for the second month in a row according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The FAO Food Price Index, which measures the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities, fell by four percent in May. The agency credits the drop [...]
United Nations observers in Syria have been prevented from reaching the village of Mazraat al-Qubeir to verify reports of large-scale killings, according to the head of the monitoring mission for the country. Syrian activists say at least 78 people were massacred in the village. Charles Appel reports. General Robert Mood, who heads the UN Supervision [...]
The death sentence imposed on five women in Pakistan for allegedly dancing at a wedding has been condemned by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. Speaking at the end of her four day visit to the country, Ms Pillay said the sentence was symbolic of restrictions, dangers and lack of fundamental human [...]
The Ugandan rebel group known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) remains one of the biggest perpetrators of violations against children according to a new United Nations report. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's first report to the Security Council on the situation of children affected by the LRA says that at least 591 children including 268 girls [...]
The countdown has begun for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development known as Rio+20. More than 50,000 people, including 135 heads of state, are expected to attend the forum in Brazil this month. Maoqi Li spoke to Sha Zukang, the senior UN official who is serving as the Secretary-General of the conference. Mr. Sha [...]
The amount of garbage generated by cities worldwide will outpace the rate of urbanization over the next 13 years, according to the World Bank. In a new report released Wednesday, the bank says improving solid waste management is becoming an urgent global issue. Some cities in developing countries already spend as much as 50 percent [...]
The UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan will brief the Security Council and the General Assembly on Syria, Thursday. The President of the General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser has expressed his disappointment over the lack of progress in ending the violence in the country. He says while the General Assembly supports Mr. Annan and [...]
With the UN Conference on Sustainable Development known as Rio+20 just 14 days away, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging Member States to show leadership. He says while negotiations are still underway for an agreement on the final text, he expects it to be finished before the conference from 20 to 22 June. Mr. Ban says Rio+20 [...]
Sustainability targets can only be met through rapid scaling-up of successful policies, according to a report published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on Wednesday. The Global Environment Outlook known as GEO 5 reviews the state, trends and outlook of the global environment. The reports finds that urbanization, consumption and population growth are set [...]
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Gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted disease is becoming a serious threat to health as available anti-biotics to treat it are no longer effective. This warning has come from the World Health Organization (WHO) in a report released on Wednesday. WHO says that millions of people with gonorrhoea may be at risk of running out of treatment [...]
The head of the International Labour Organization (ILO) says the world economy can be turned around, but it will take a concerted effort that focuses not just on finance, but society as well. ILO Director-General Juan Somavia told International Labour Conference in Geneva on Wednesday that the lingering financial crisis and feeble recovery is one [...]
There is now a new way to track progress made on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). At the United Nations Tuesday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Integrated Implementation Framework or IIF, which is a UN initiative to record and monitor commitments made by the international community towards achieving the MDGs. Mr. Ban called the IIF [...]
A cultural event featuring the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra is taking place in the UN General Assembly Hall on Wednesday evening. The concert has a dual purpose – it celebrates the 66th session of the General Assembly and it honours the work of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. General Assembly President Nassir [...]
The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra is giving a special performance at the United Nations to celebrate the 66th Presidency of the General Assembly and in support of UN Women. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, the President of the General Assembly says the concert is one way of raising awareness of the work of the UN Trust Fund to [...]
Gonorrhoea is becoming a major threat to public health worldwide as the only available antibiotic for the treatment of the disease is no longer effective. The World Health Organization(WHO) says several countries, including Australia, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom are reporting cases of resistance to cephalosporin antibiotics – the last treatment [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wants world leaders to include green growth in their economies as a way to drive sustainable development. He made the remarks Tuesday, at a closed door General Assembly meeting in preparation for the G-20 conference. Mr. Ban will represent the views of the Assembly at the summit taking place in Los [...]
What is needed to put people back to work and revive lacklustre economies? The International Organsation of Employers, says it's a combination of things, including new jobs, fewer government regulations and incentives to invest. UN Radio's Patrick Maigua asked Daniel Funes de Rioja, Executive Vice President of the International Organsation of Employers to explain [...]
1. UN Secretary-General warns of catastrophic civil war in Syria 2. Annan stresses need of democratic transition in Syria 3. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says massacre in Syria may amount to crimes against humanity 4. Kofi Annan visits Damascus for talks with Syrian authorities and opposition 5. UN Security Council condemns killings of Syrian [...]
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United Nations agencies have been given the green light to begin delivering humanitarian assistance in Syria. The UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) has announced that the Syrian authorities have agreed to allow aid workers unimpeded access to four provinces. John Ging, OCHA's Director of Operations, said the agreement is a sign of progress in the [...]
The lead prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) is urging the Security Council to implement the arrest warrant for Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. In 2009, an arrest warrant was issued after Mr. al-Bashir was indicted for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told Council members at a [...]
The theme of this year's World Environment Day is the "Green Economy: Does it include you?" In a message marking the occasion, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the Day is an opportunity to highlight the need to shift towards a more sustainable world. He also said that the UN's Rio+20 conference on sustainable development is an [...]
Thousands of refugees from Sudan have massed at a border area in South Sudan's Upper Nile State, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). UNHCR has warned of what it calls "a sharply worsening humanitarian situation" in that area. The agency is also concerned about the safety of the refugees who are close to [...]
One year after a combination of drought and conflict drove thousands of Somalis from their homes into neighbouring countries, the refugees still face a myriad of challenges, according to the UN Refugee agency UNHCR. Although the famine is over, food stocks in many parts of the country remain dangerously low due to the poor seasonal [...]
The United Nations will begin to distribute humanitarian aid inside Syria after the government agreed to grant access. At least seven UN aid agencies are to begin humanitarian operations in four Syrian provinces including Homs, Daraa, Idlib and Deir el-Zour. John Ging, the Director of Operations at OCHA, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian [...]
Twenty years ago thousands fled Somaliland into neighbouring countries. Today peace has returned to this corner of war-torn Somalia, bringing many refugees and displaced back home. Most initially return to makeshift camps and continue to live as displaced people. But thanks to a project started by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), some of these [...]
United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Gisele Bündchen has planted the first of 50,000 new trees in Quinta da Boa Vista Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to mark World Environment Day, 5 June. The supermodel had competed against fellow UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Don Cheadle to win the new trees for her home country of Brazil. At [...]
A sewing project has been started in Juba Maximum Prison where some of South Sudan's worst offenders are imprisoned. The prison which has tall walls with barbed wire at the top, houses both males and females. Some of the prisoners are on death row, others are serving short or long sentences while others are waiting [...]
A deadly attack in central Baghdad that reportedly killed at least 26 people and injured more than 100, has been strongly condemned by the United Nations top envoy in Iraq. According to media reports, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive-packed car outside a Shi'ite Muslim office in the capital's centre on Monday. Martin Kobler, the [...]
The Security Council President for the month of June expects a busy agenda, with Syria at the top the list. Ambassador Li Baodong of China says there will be 30 items covering issues involving mainly the Middle East and Africa. On 7 June, UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan will come to the Council [...]
As sustainability commitments and policies gain ground, corporate practice still lags behind according to the United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary initiative for responsible corporate citizenship. The public-private partnership's 2011 Implementation Survey finds large gaps when it comes to sustainability efforts made by big business. UN Global Compact Executive Director Georg Kell says commitments need [...]
Even if you have a national passport, the UN Environment Programme, UNEP, and Brazil are encouraging all who visit Rio de Janeiro these days to get a "Green Passport". Just ahead of World Environment Day, June 5th , the Rio + 20 Summit, the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the summer Olympics in 2016, [...]
The expansion of Israeli settlements and the realities of occupation have created a precarious and worrying situation for workers in the occupied Arab territories. That assessment comes from the International Labour Organization (ILO) in a report released on Monday. Dianne Penn reports. Duration: 3’02″
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned of a sharply worsening humanitarian situation in South Sudan's Upper Nile State. António Guterres says over the past three weeks an estimated 35,000 refugees have arrived there from Sudan's Blue Nile State. This is on top of an existing refugee population there of approximately 70,000. Derrick [...]
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The Green Passport initiative has been launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the government of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. The campaign, which started ahead of World Environment Day on 5 June, aims to help travelers become more environmentally conscious. UNEP spokesperson Nick Nuttall says thousands of green passports will be distributed to [...]
The situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories is extremely worrying and remains precarious according to the annual report of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The survey has been submitted to the 101st Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva. Special Advisor to the ILO Director-General Kari Tapiola summed up the report's findings [...]
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has scheduled a new meeting with Iran to be held on 8 June in Vienna. IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano is urging the country to sign a framework cooperation deal and provide inspectors with access to the Parchin military site. Mr. Amano says the IAEA continues to verify the [...]
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on nations to boost their efforts to combat terrorism. He made the remarks to the Second meeting of the Advisory Board of the UN Centre for Counter-Terrorism, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday. Mr. Ban said terrorism continues to affect all regions of the world and has left a heavy [...]
Authorities in Pakistan are being urged to investigate the killings of two journalists last month. The call has come from the head of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova who has condemned the murders of the journalists. Charles Appel reports. About 20 gunmen reportedly attacked the office of Aurangzeb Tunio, a [...]
Non-governmental organizations are urging states to make progress in negotiations for a final agreement on how to promote economic development while protecting the environment. The call comes as delegates continue to negotiate an outcome document for the UN conference on sustainable development known as Rio+20 to be held in Brazil later this month. Rajiv Joshi [...]
The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution to condemn Syria over the killing of 108 civilians, 49 of them children, last week in the Houla region. The resolution passed on Friday with 41 in favor, 3 against including Russia, China and Cuba, 2 abstentions and one member did not vote. The [...]
The United Nations-Arab League Special envoy Kofi Annan has urged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to take bold steps to implement his six-point plan to resolve the crisis in the country. Kofi Annan spoke in Lebanon, where he met with the country's leaders in his ongoing effort to end the crisis in Syria. The envoy said [...]
The United Nations Human Rights Council has condemned last week's massacre of more than 100 people in Houla, a cluster of villages in central Syria and ordered an independent probe. The Geneva based Council passed the resolution Friday with 41 in favor, 3 against including Russia, China and Cuba and 2 abstentions. The UN High [...]
Governments, business leaders and trade unions around the world are being urged by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to take urgent action to stop forced labour. In its latest report, the ILO says that nearly 21 million people are victims of forced labour. The agency is warning that the number may increase during the current [...]
Thousands of people in Italy have been displaced by two earthquakes that struck the northern part of the country on 20 and 29 May. According to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), 17 people have been confirmed dead and 350 others injured. IFRC spokesperson, Jessica Sallabank says that many [...]
Somalia needs long-term assistance as it works to meet the deadline of August 20 for moving from a transitional government. That's what United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told an international conference meeting to discuss Somalia in Istanbul, Turkey on Friday. Mr. Ban said the Horn of Africa country needs its own strong and trustworthy security [...]
Cigarette makers are now using the court system to undermine public health policies that protect people from the harmful effects of tobacco. That's the opinion of the World Health Organization (WHO) which says these companies are threatening governments with litigation or discrediting evidence proving the dangers of tobacco. For example, Australia now requires cigarettes to [...]
The United Kingdom's decision to establish a special rapid deployment unit that will collect evidence of rape and other sexual violence in conflict areas has been welcomed by a senior UN official. Margot Wallström, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sexual Violence in Conflict, said measures like this will help build a strong [...]
About 20,000 Sudanese refugees have crossed into South Sudan after fleeing fighting in the Blue Nile State, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). The agency says thousands of the refugees have been moved to new camps and now they are in a race against time and bad weather to relocate the rest. Many [...]
The United Nations is taking steps to make sure its blue helmets are going green. With roughly 120,000 peacekeepers deployed to the UN's 16 peacekeeping operations, the missions are investigating ways to minimize their impact on the natural environment in the countries where they work. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) recently released a report called [...]
Nearly 21 million people are victims of forced labour across the world, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The Asia-Pacific region accounts for the largest number of forced labourers in the world with 11.7 million people trapped in jobs which they were coerced or deceived into and which they cannot leave. The agency says [...]
The United Nations Human Rights Council is holding an emergency special session on the on-going violence and deteriorating human rights situation in Syria. The session comes after the recent massacre of 108 civilians including 49 children, and 34 women in the village of El-Houleh. The Syrian government has blamed armed rebel groups for the killings. In a [...]
