• Somali leaders on Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted a provisional constitution, following a week of negotiations. The Constituent Assembly brought together various elements of Somali society including elders, religious leaders, women and the Diaspora. The UN has welcomed the adoption of the constitution. UN teams work to rid Libya of mines and unexploded ordnance • One [...]
Recent cutbacks by European Union governments in jobs, wages and benefits have particularly affected women, according to a new study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Commission. It finds women civil servants are at greater risk of losing their jobs as a result of austerity measures. Experts fear that these cuts could [...]
China's economy will experience moderate growth of about eight per cent this year as a result of the global economic slowdown and measures put in place by the country's authorities to slow down the economy. That assessment comes from economists at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Markus Rodlauer, head of the IMF China team, says [...]
The inability of the Security Council to act on Syria is creating what has been described as "a strong danger" that some countries may decide to take their own actions. That warning has come from Ambassador Gérard Araud of France, President of the Security Council for August. Ambassador Araud told reporters on Thursday that [...]
Nearly three million Syrians are in need of food, crops and livestock assistance this year, according to an assessment carried out by the United Nations and the Syrian Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform. The ongoing crisis in Syria has resulted in nearly $2 billion in losses to the agricultural sector, and the study finds [...]
The Security Council has reiterated its demand that armed rebels in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo stop their destabilizing activities. The Council issued a statement following a briefing by the head of the United Nations mission in the country on the attacks carried out by army mutineers known as [...]
Governments around the world are being urged to mark Roma Holocaust Remembrance Day with a commitment to confront modern-day hatred, violence and discrimination against Roma. The appeal has come from two United Nations independent experts on minority issues and racism. Derrick Mbatha reports. Roma Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed on 2 August to remember the [...]
A new project providing fuel-efficient stoves to displaced families in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, is literally a life saver. As the stoves burn waste instead of wood, women and girls are freed from the potentially dangerous chore of collecting firewood where they risk being assaulted by attackers hiding in bushes. The project is supported by the [...]
Insurance can help protect the poor against the impact of global warming, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The ILO says that the poor will suffer the most from the effects of global warming. Donn Bobb reports. The ILO says that insurance against natural hazards is a risky business and not always viable, particularly [...]
Kofi Annan has resigned as the joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League for Syria. The Ghanaian diplomat and former Secretary-General of the United Nations had been trying to resolve the conflict in the Middle East country where violence continues. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says Mr. Annan has informed [...]
Three million people in Syria are in need of food, crops and livestock assistance as fighting between government forces and opposition fighters continues, according to a report issued on Thursday. The report is based on an assessment mission by the UN Food and Agriculture Programme, the World Food Programme (WFP) and Syria's Ministry of Agriculture [...]
