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 [...]
One of the side effects of the economic downturn has been donor fatigue, but the 'UN Staff 1% for Development Fund' has been able to thrive during these tough times. It was created in Geneva in 1977 to make micro-grants to community projects in developing countries, which range from village libraries, to day care [...]
