Sudan has called the recent signing of agreements with its neighbour, South Sudan, an "important step" in relations between the two countries. Addressing the General Assembly on Saturday, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti spoke about the accords signed earlier this week on security, the common border and economic issues. "This is an important step [...]
With international security forces scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014, assistance to the country should centre on revitalizing the economy and strengthening the social sector. That statement comes from the Foreign Minister of neighbouring Tajikistan, Hamrokhon Zarifi, who addressed the UN General Assembly on Saturday. Speaking through an interpreter, he said economic and social [...]
New Zealand is calling for a restriction on the right to veto by the five countries that are permanent members of the UN Security Council. Foreign Minister Murray McCully made the appeal in his address to the General Assembly on Saturday. He recalled that in the early days of the UN, his country had opposed [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon continues to meet with world leaders who have gathered in New York for the annual debate in the General Assembly. On Saturday he exchanged views with Myanmar's President Thein Sein on a range of issues, including the country's political reforms and national reconciliation. Charles Appel reports. Mr. Ban commended President Sein's [...]
Iceland is pioneering a programme that will bring clean renewable energy to millions of people in Africa, the country's Foreign Affairs Minister told the UN General Assembly on Saturday. Össur Skarphéðinsson said the Nordic nation will work with the World Bank to assist 13 countries in East Africa to harness their geothermal energy resources. He [...]
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has highlighted the importance of relying on what he called "accepted rules of conduct" in responding to threats to global stability. In his speech to the UN General Assembly on Friday, Lavrov urged world leaders not to allow what he characterized as "irresponsible actions dictated by expedient [...]
The United Nations will continue to support Myanmar as it addresses political, humanitarian and development challenges, a senior UN official told journalists in New York on Friday. Vijay Nambiar, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General, spoke to the press following a meeting of ministers from countries known as the Group of Friends on Myanmar. "At [...]
With Africa home to some of the world's fastest growing economies, the 21st century will belong to the continent, Ethiopian Prime Minister told the General Assembly on Friday. In his first address to the gathering as Prime Minister, Hailemarim Desalegn echoed comments made by other world leaders about what they have labelled "an African century." [...]
With more than 70 per cent of Somalia's population under 30-years-old, empowering young people will be key to the country's future, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP). UNDP on Friday launched the Human Development Report for Somalia, the first in more than a decade. Dianne Penn has the story. The report finds the majority [...]
The international community has done "literally nothing" to stop the bloodshed in Syria, Turkey's Foreign Affairs Minister has charged. In his address to the General Assembly on Friday, Ahmet Davutoğlu reminded world leaders that so far, 30,000 people have been killed in Syria, while 300,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries like Turkey. "Unfortunately, this [...]
NARRATOR: In the Caribbean region, the global economic and financial meltdown continues to be felt most acutely by the poor, the youth, the elderly and the vulnerable, who bear no responsibility for the rampant financial speculation and unregulated movement of capital that spurred the crisis. That's what Prime-Minister Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the [...]
Three years after more than 100 women were raped or sexually abused during peaceful protests in Guinea-Conakry, some perpetrators still have not been brought to justice. That assessment comes from the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Bangura, in a statement on Friday. Charles Appel report. Ms. Bangura [...]
Tanzania is appealing for African solidarity on the issue of representation in the UN Security Council. The call was made by the country's Foreign Minister, Bernard Kamillius Membe, in his address to the General Assembly on Friday. "It is important to remind ourselves that Africa is the largest Group in the United Nations and the [...]
Bhutan hopes to contribute to a new global development agenda, Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley told the General Assembly on Friday. He said the country has created initiatives similar to the eminent panel to advise the UN Secretary-General on development after 2015, the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals. They include a working group to refine [...]
As an organization with responsibility to provide leadership in regional tourism, it is the duty of the Caribbean Tourism Organization – CTO to emphasize the need for more renewable energy technologies in operations throughout the tourism sector and to encourage the widespread adoption of energy efficiency as a way of life. That's the [...]
One person dies from rabies every 10 minutes, on average, with the disease claiming 55,000 lives every year. World Rabies Day, today, highlights the fact that rabies can be prevented. However, experts say that the high cost of safe and effective vaccines – up to US$ 50 in Asia, where the average daily income is [...]
The United Nations Human Rights Council has voted overwhelmingly to extend the mandate of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria for another six months. It has also condemned the continuing violence and what it described as "heinous crimes" committed by the Syrian authorities and their affiliated militias against civilians. The draft resolution on [...]
Vaccinate a dog and save a life is the message from the World Health Organization (WHO) for World Rabies Day, observed on 28 September. Approximately 55,000 people worldwide, mostly in Asia and Africa, die each year from the disease which is spread by a bite or a scratch from an infected animal, usually a dog. [...]
Sustainable energy initiatives in tourism are creating economic opportunities and jobs for millions, whether in tourism, energy or other sectors. In a message marking World Tourism Day on 27 September, Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization Taleb Rifai said that as UNWTO findings show, the return on investment in sustainable energy can be enormous, [...]
In early September, students from around the world were invited to imagine a speech that would be made by Mr. Ban Ki-moon at the opening of the United Nations General Assembly debate. The debate which takes place in New York every year, brings together several world leaders. Vatsal Vasudev from India is one of [...]
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is promoting good public health practices following a deadly outbreak of acute jaundice at the world's largest refugee camp. Four new mothers at the Daadab refugee complex in northern Kenya have died from the disease, which is largely caused by the hepatitis E virus. More than 200 cases were reported [...]
The world was shocked when terrorists used passenger planes to attack buildings in New York City on September 11, 2001 killing nearly 3,000 people. No one one wants to imagine what would happen if such terrorists could acquire nuclear material or other weapons of mass destruction. It's against that background that the issue of [...]
NARRATOR: There is a particularly vulnerable group – the women and children of our world for whom ‘external shocks’, cause real and serious dislocation in their daily lives. Jamaica's Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller told the UN General Assembly that too many mothers have to face tough choices to meet their basic needs and too many [...]
NARRATOR: Recovery from the global financial crisis is at best incipient and sluggish. That assessment comes from Guyana's President Donald Ramotar. In his address to the 67th session of the UN General Assembly, President Ramotar said several of the major contributors to global output are grappling with unsustainable fiscal balances, which hinder their ability to [...]
Countries are being urged to build on the progress made in tackling the spectre of nuclear terrorism. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made the appeal during a high-level meeting in the General Assembly on Friday. He described the prospect of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists as "one of the most unnerving threats imaginable." [...]
Two years after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, the country is ready to move from an emergency to a long-term development phase, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Actor, director and philanthropist Sean Penn is one of the people who rushed to the scene shortly after the disaster struck and [...]
More must be done in the global fight against nuclear terrorism, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told world leaders meeting in the General Assembly. IAEA chief Dr. Yukiya Amano said action is urgently needed to ratify an amendment to the Convention on the Protection of Nuclear Material, the only international legally [...]
United Nations agencies in Geneva have launched an appeal for more than $38 million to help feed people in Lesotho. The landlocked African country, which is surrounded by South Africa, is facing the devastating effects of two successive crop failures as a result of drought. Gerry Adams reports. In addition to drought, Lesotho has faced [...]
Imagine that you are the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The 67th session of the UN General Assembly is about to begin and you are being called on to make the inaugural speech to hundreds of the world's leaders, a speech that will set the tone for the global agenda for the coming year [...]
At the beginning of the 67th session of the General Assembly , a team of top officials, staff members and ambassadors to the United Nations played in a friendly match of football in New York City against a Bolivian team headed by the country's President, Evo Morales. Both teams played for Unite to End Violence Against [...]
Heart attacks, diabetic shock, even fires, are just some of the emergencies that the UN medical services division is prepared for during the annual general debate. The unit also has a walk-in clinic particularly for people who have flown in from other countries and maybe need to renew a prescription or just get treatment. Doctors [...]
The priority now for Lesotho is to secure food aid for the most vulnerable populations, according to its Prime Minister, Motsoahae Thomas Thabane. Recurring drought and late rains have resulted in a poor harvest and added to the already fragile situation in the country, he says. The UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, has launched an appeal [...]
Preparations to resume oil production in South Sudan will soon begin, following an agreement with Sudan on issues of security, border and the use of oil infrastructure. That's what South Sudan's Vice-President Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon announced to the General Assembly on Thursday. If each country upholds its part of the agreement, noted Mr. Teny-Dhurgon, the [...]
The death of American ambassador Christopher Stevens was a loss to both the United States and Libya. That was the message from Libyan President Mohamed Yousef el-Magarief to the General Assembly on Thursday. He said the late diplomat was among those who supported the country as it works to establish democracy after years of dictatorship. [...]
An estimated 60 per cent rise in food demands over the next 50 years will put increased pressure on natural resources, the head of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned. Dr. Graziano da Silva said drought, desertification and rural poverty are contributing to hunger and malnutrition today, which could worsen in the future. [...]
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has renewed his call to states that have not ratified the United Nations-backed treaty to ban all nuclear tests to do so. A vast majority of countries have endorsed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). Indonesia is the latest state to sign the Treaty. But for the CTBT to enter into force, [...]
There is no greater peril to the global common future than arming Iran with nuclear weapons, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In his address to the General Assembly on Thursday, Prime Minister Netanyahu told world leaders it would be very dangerous to assume a nuclear Iran could be deterred. "Shockingly, some people have [...]
The world is being urged to stand with Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan—the last countries where polio is endemic. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday made the appeal for global solidarity to stamp out the disease which causes paralysis and mainly affects children under five-years-old. "When children are protected from polio, they are better protected [...]
There is still chance for a two-State solution to the Middle East crisis, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told world leaders on Thursday. Addressing the General Assembly, President Abbas said Palestinians and Israelis must co-exist in their respective states. "The establishment of a free and independent state of Palestine is a sacred right of the Palestinian [...]
• Although significant progress has been made in the fight against malaria, the disease remains the biggest killer in Africa. The Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) says the efforts against malaria have saved the lives of 1.1 million children under five years of age in Sub-Saharan Africa since 2001. However, more needs to be done to [...]
Broader international cooperation is needed to help Central America and the Caribbean combat violence and other challenges stemming from the illegal trade in cocaine. The appeal comes from the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which on Thursday released an assessment of threats to the region. It finds homicide rates have [...]
The United Nations says it will require nearly $488 million to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis up from $200 million requested earlier this year. Aid agencies estimate that the number of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey will increase from the current 300,000 to over 700,000 by the end of the year. [...]
Four UN entities have joined together to empower rural women through a programme that promotes economic integration and food security. Women comprise up to 70 per cent of the agricultural workforce in some countries, and the five-year programme aims to increase incomes and enhance participation in rural institutions, including at the leadership level. Charles Appel [...]
Agreements signed by the governments of Sudan and South Sudan on security, the common border and economic relations, are vital to a stable and prosperous future for both countries. That's according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who has welcomed the agreements, signed in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, on Thursday. Martin Nesirky is spokesperson for [...]
A new international forestry award that honours the memory of a Kenyan environmentalist was given to a dedicated activist from Nepal on Thursday. Narayan Kaji Shrestha has received the first-ever Wangari Maathai Award, which recognizes efforts to improve and sustain forests. Mr. Shrestha told Gerry Adams how he first became involved in community forest management. [...]
The path to democracy is providing both opportunities and challenges for Myanmar, the nation's leader told the UN General Assembly on Thursday. President U Thein Sein said his country is resolutely pursuing political, social and economic reforms. "Despite the challenges, we can now witness encouraging progress and significant developments in the country. They include granting [...]
The current insecurity in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo cannot be resolved through military means, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told African leaders meeting in New York on Thursday. Since April, nearly 300,000 people have fled the region after a group known as the M23 Movement launched a campaign of terror, committing numerous human [...]
A combination of flooding, late rains and early frost in Lesotho has led to a decline in agricultural production by about 70 per cent, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Over a third of the population is estimated to be food insecure, it says. Maize and sorghum are the [...]
A mini summit to mobilize support for Somalia was convened by the UN Secretary-General on the margins of the General Assembly's general debate on Wednesday. Over the last eight years, a transitional government in Somalia, with the help of the UN and the African Union has been working to re-establish state institutions which collapsed in [...]
A veteran forestry activist from Nepal is the recipient of the first-ever Wangari Maathai Award presented on Thursday at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome. Narayan Kaji Shrestha was recognized for promoting community forest issues in his homeland over the past three decades. "My own belief was unless and until [...]
The United Nations says it will require nearly 500 million dollars to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis up from 200 million dollars requested earlier this year. Aid agencies estimate that the number of Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey will increase from the current 300,000 to over 700,000 by the end of [...]
World leaders are in New York this week to discuss global issues, including human rights, sustainable development and conflict resolution. Some of the future leaders are in universities around the world acquiring knowledge and getting skills to tackle global problems. As part of educating young people about the United Nations and world affairs, the UN [...]
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned that the situation in Mali is critical. Speaking at a special session on Mali held on the sidelines of the General Assembly debate, Clinton called on all parties to ensure unhindered access so that emergency aid meets those who need it most. And she warned that [...]
The year 2015 should not just be the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals but the jump-off point for new global action, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard told the Security Council on Wednesday. Prime Minister Gillard said over the next decade, her country will provide $320 million to support women’s political participation, expand women’s leadership, [...]
Today, Africa boasts of some of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with Ghana being one of them, according to President John Mahama. He told the General Assembly that as the United Nations Human Development Index will attest, Ghana has made tremendous strides in a number of areas with the aim of improving the living [...]
In just two years, a global movement launched by the UN Secretary General has helped garner a lot of attention and investment for women and children's health. 'Every Woman, Every Child' has raked in half of the US $20 billion pledged to save 16 million lives before 2015. The movement counts more than 250 individual [...]
As the violence continues in Syria, UN Security Council resolutions on the issue remain "dead letter," Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby told the Council on Wednesday. The Security Council has been deadlocked on the crisis with some of the five permanent member countries (P5) exercising their right to veto. Elaraby said ending the bloodshed is [...]
The international community needs to keep the faith and redouble its efforts for open societies. This is the message delivered by Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom to the General Assembly on Wednesday. He said the events taking place around the world, including riots on the streets and Syria's descent into a bloody [...]
World leaders meeting in New York have been urged to work to stamp out hatred. The call comes from Egyptian President Dr. Mohamed Morsy in his address to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. President Morsy said countries must join together to confront extremism, discrimination and hatred based on religion or race. "The obscenities recently [...]
More than $1.5 billion in commitments have been made to support a new initiative by the UN Secretary-General to ensure all children have a chance to go to school. Education First aims to mobilize the world to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of universal primary education by the 2015 deadline. Speaking at the launch [...]
Africa, the cradle of humanity, is also the cradle of hope and experience for the planet, Benin's President Thomas Boni Yayi told continental leaders meeting in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly. President Boni Yayi, chairperson of the African Union, spoke at a special event on Wednesday entitled 'Shared Responsibility [...]
As world leaders gathered in New York for their annual general debate at the United Nations General Assembly, the spotlight was put on the issue of HIV and AIDS. A special event was held on Wednesday, attended by a number of African presidents. The meeting was titled Shared Responsibility and Global Solidarity: Leveraging the AIDS [...]
A new initiative launched on Wednesday promises to encourage governments, the UN system, business leaders and civil society to put education at the top of the global agenda. "Education First" as the initiative is called, aims to give a stronger impetus to the movement for education through a five year global initiative. UN Radio's Geraldine [...]
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for what he described as "universal participation in global management." In a wide-ranging speech to the General Assembly on Wednesday, President Ahmadinejad said people everywhere have expressed discontent and disappointment with the current international order. Speaking through an interpreter, he made recommendations for the way forward, including reforming the [...]
The United Nations is developing an Integrated Regional Strategy on the Sahel – one that will strengthen regional capacities to combat insecurity, prevent and respond to large-scale crises, and promote democratic governance and respect for human rights. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a High-level meeting Wednesday that the Sahel is at a critical juncture and political [...]
A Global Strategy for women's and children's health endorsed by the Secretary-General has made impressive strides in accelerating the push to reduce maternal and child mortality, according to a new UN report. 'Every Woman, Every Child' launched in September 2010, has attracted enormous political and financial support. It's estimated that the Global Strategy has delivered [...]
Each year in September, world leaders gather in New York for the General Assembly's general debate on global issues. This reflects the growing consensus that the world is interdependent, but there are still questions about the role of civics in promoting global understanding. As part of efforts to tackle this issue, the United Nations Academic [...]
UN agencies and their partners are mobilizing efforts to reach health-related Millennium Development Goals by 2015, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The agency has supported various programmes that focus on eliminating the deaths of young children and women of child-bearing age. In a bid to give a 'Big Push' to [...]
Liberia is no longer a place of conflict, war and deprivation, according to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She told the 67th session of the UN General Assembly Wednesday that as Liberia moves toward its tenth year of sustained peace, she could state with conviction that the country has turned the corner. "We are no longer [...]
Somalia is undergoing a period of rebirth, a UN independent expert told the Geneva-based Human Rights Council on Wednesday. Shamsul Bari, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Somalia, says that despite continuing violence, the situation in the country is "less despondent" and "hopeful." After years without a government followed by transitional rule, Somalia adopted [...]
Terrorism represents a "huge risk" threatening Yemen, the Gulf region and international peace and stability. That's what President Abdrabu Mansour Hadi of Yemen said on Wednesday as world leaders continued their general debate on global issued in the General Assembly. President Mansour Hadi said that Al Qaeda has resorted to using suicide bombers as it [...]
As the annual debate continues in the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, the Security Council is preparing for a high-level meeting on the Middle East. Germany holds the rotating presidency of the Council in September and the country's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle met with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby ahead of the session. The German [...]
1. International Day of Peace : A call for cessation of hostilities 2. Myanmar leader Ang San Suu Kyi welcomes lifting of sanctions against her country by US Congress 3. UN Human Rights Office condemns inmate abuse in Georgia 4. Cholera epidemic continues to spread in Sierra Leone 5. UN official says good donor response [...]
Pakistan has called for international collective action to tackle the problem of drugs in Afghanistan. President Asif Ali Zardari’s call came as world leaders spoke on various issues of concern during the general debate in the General Assembly on Tuesday. He said that his government is coordinating with its neighbours to combat the problem [...]
As the UN's first Youth Champion in 2010, singer and actress Monique Coleman spent a year travelling the globe and raising awareness about issues that affect the youth. During her stint, Ms. Coleman visited more than 20 countries on 5 different continents, and met with thousands of young people. Now, she has recently been named [...]
The UN's sound recording collection presents excerpts of historic speeches given at the United Nations featuring many UN Secretary-Generals and heads of government, including Fidel Castro, Nikita Khrushchev and Dwight E. Eisenhower, among others. Language: English Genre: Speech 1972 Duration: 9’42″
Two years after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, the country is ready to move from an emergency to a long-term development phase, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Actor, director and philanthropist Sean Penn is one of the people who rushed to the scene shortly after the disaster struck [...]
South Africa is calling for greater African representation in the Security Council. In his address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, the country's President Jacob Zuma described the 15-member chamber as unrepresentative and undemocratic in both its composition and decision-making. "We would like to see a more meaningful representation of Africa in the UN [...]
French President Francois Hollande is concerned about what he has characterized as "paralysis" in the United Nations over the crisis in Syria. In his first speech to the UN General Assembly, President Hollande said 30,000 people have already died in Syria, and he asked how many more deaths have to occur before action is taken. [...]
World leaders are being urged to secure justice for the survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and gender-based crimes. The call came during a high-level panel held against the backdrop of the annual debate in the UN General Assembly which opened in New York on Tuesday. UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet participated in the meeting. [...]
People worldwide are being asked to support a "big push" to improve the lives of pregnant women and children through the UN Secretary-General's 'Every Woman, Every Child' initiative. The Big Push campaign aims to fund innovations in global health to achieve goals such as a reduction in HIV infections and malaria deaths by 2015. It [...]
By the end of this year a team of experts from the United Kingdom will be ready to deploy to conflict areas to assist survivors of sexual violence and other forms of gender-related abuse. The announcement was made by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague at the United Nations on Tuesday. "It is part of our [...]
Earlier this month, students from around the world were invited to imagine a speech that would be made by Mr. Ban Ki-moon at the opening of the United Nations General Assembly debate. The debate, which opened Tuesday, is an opportunity for world leaders to tackle global problems together. Vatsal Vasudev from India is one of [...]
Global issues are under the spotlight at the United Nations headquarters in New York as leaders from around the world began their annual general debate in the 67th session of the UN General Assembly. The leaders, who include heads of state, prime ministers, foreign ministers and other senior government officials, are addressing a myriad of [...]
The world is experiencing unprecedented global interdependence, according to UN General Assembly President Vuk Jeremić. Addressing the annual gathering of world leaders in New York on Tuesday, he said the international system is becoming both more volatile and unpredictable. The General Assembly President warned about some of the dangers that the world is facing today. [...]
World leaders have again gathered in New York for the annual general debate in the United Nations General Assembly. In his address to the gathering, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sounded the alarm about the direction humanity is taking, listing concerns such as widespread insecurity, inequality and wasting of funds. He said there will be no [...]
Violence and intolerance have no place among the countries that make up the United Nations, United States of America President Barack Obama told world leaders meeting in New York at the General Assembly. President Obama said the UN was founded on the idea that people can resolve their differences peacefully through diplomacy. He said the [...]
Vietnam's decision to convict three bloggers for "conducting propaganda" against the State is cause for concern, says UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay. On Monday the bloggers received sentences ranging from four years' imprisonment and three years' probation, to 12 years behind bars together with five years' probation, for posting material on a journalism club [...]
About 50 million Yemenis are either hungry or on the verge of hunger – that's almost half of the population in Yemen. That's according to the World Food Programme – WFP. Child malnutrition rates are among the highest in the world, with most of the children under five years of age, the agency says. Two [...]
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is calling for the urgent resumption of global economic growth to counteract unemployment and a lack of opportunities. In her speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, President Rousseff said fiscal policies adopted after the 2008 economic crisis have affected emerging countries like her nation. "The main leaders in the [...]
The World Food Programme (WFP) is ramping up operations in Yemen where 10 million people—nearly half the population—is suffering from hunger. WFP reports Yemen's child malnutrition rates are among the world's highest, with close to two million children under five years old stunted and one million youngsters acutely malnourished. WFP spokesperson in Geneva Elisabeth Byers [...]
Although significant progress has been made in the fight against malaria, the disease remains the biggest killer in Africa. The fight against the disease is spearheaded by the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) which includes United Nations agencies, the World Bank, governments and the private sector. In its report for 2011, the RBM says there [...]
Tens of thousands of people affected by monsoon floods in Pakistan are receiving assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP). WFP says severe flooding has affected more than four million people in Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab, resulting in 400 deaths and the destruction of houses and hundreds of thousands of acres of crops. Charles Appel [...]
Fresh air and ground attacks in Sudan’s South Kordofan state are causing a renewed population influx to South Sudan, says the UN Refugee agency UNHCR. About 100 refugees are arriving daily at the border town of Yida, many of them in poor health and without any belongings. UNHCR says some refugees said they also fled [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO)has issued a global alert on a new viral infection which has killed one person and left another in critical condition. The viral infection is being caused a newly identified Coronavirus. WHO says very little is known of the new Coronavirus including its mode of transmission although it belongs to the [...]
Children are still being captured at a young age, shot up with drugs and used in combat, warns Academy Award-winning actor and producer Michael Douglas. It's one of the causes he has taken up since being appointed UN Messenger of Peace in 1998. Mr. Douglas recently hosted a documentary filmed in Sierra Leone to [...]
The Government of Haiti is committed to strengthening its relationship with humanitarian aid partners and making their job more efficient, Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe told the international community on Monday. Two years after a deadly earthquake slammed the country, the Prime Minister said Haiti does not want to be known as an "NGO nation." Rather, [...]
For many people around the world who have suffered war crimes and crimes against humanity, The Hague represents hope. Home to a number of international courts and institutions charged with promoting and protecting international peace and justice, it's also a place where countries come to settle their disputes. Advancing the cause of justice and [...]
The rule of law is generally understood to mean that people in societies should be governed by laws with no-one being above the law. When disputes occur between people, judges should adjudicate in courts of law. Constitutions form the basis for laws that are passed in democratic countries. At the international level, the rule of [...]
A painful era is now coming to an end for Serbia, a European country which was part of the former Yugoslavia, according to Vuc Jeremic, the newly elected President of the 67th General Assembly. His tenure, says the former Foreign Minister, will mark the re-instatement of his country on the international scene. Twenty years ago, [...]
Indian actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has been appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS). She will assist efforts to reduce the number of children born with HIV and to empower women affected by the virus. "This particular cause, the particular agenda that UNAIDS has, when you have [...]
The energy sector could be a key player in the transition to a greener economy, according to the head of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Achim Steiner says renewable energy is increasingly becoming less a question of economics as costs are falling rapidly. The UNEP Executive Director spoke ahead of a high-level meeting of the [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) is obtaining further information to determine whether there are any public health implications following reports of two confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in Europe. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses which includes those that cause the common cold and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Charles Appel reports. WHO says the [...]
As the annual debate of the UN General Assembly opens in New York, the UN emergency relief coordinator is hoping humanitarian concerns will remain in the spotlight. Valerie Amos told UN Television that so far this year, aid organizations have asked for nearly $9 billion but only half that mount has been received. “It’s a [...]
Once again world leaders have gathered in New York City, the headquarters of the United Nations to discuss global issues. Behind the scenes, a lot of preparations have been made for the General Debate taking place during the next two weeks. One person who makes sure that world leaders and other delegates gathered in [...]
Countries are being urged to strengthen the rule of law, which is in the best interest of all people. That was the message UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered to the General Assembly on Monday. Mr. Ban called for action in five areas, including supporting UN initiatives through measures such as training police officers and enhancing [...]
Israel is failing to take legal action against Israeli settlers and soldiers who perpetuate violence against Palestinians and their property, according to a report by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). The report says a soldier investigated for the killing of a Palestinian woman and her daughter was yet to be indicted for the crime, [...]
An all-inclusive dialogue that addresses the legitimate aspirations of all Bahraini communities is the best way to promote lasting peace, stability, justice and economic progress in Bahrain. That's what the Secretary-General told Bahrain's Foreign Affairs Minister when he met him on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the UN Spokesperson. Mr. Ban Ki-moon discussed [...]
The United Nations has agreed to Mali's request for support in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict, according to a statement issued by the Secretary-General's Spokesperson. Mr. Ban Ki-moon met with Mali's Prime Minister on the sidelines of the 67th General Assembly to discuss the modalities. Jocelyne Sambira has more. Mali has been facing [...]
The escalating crisis in Syria has become an increasing threat to regional peace and security. The Secretary-General and the Joint Special Representative for Syria came to that conclusion following a briefing on the Middle Eastern region. Jocelyne Sambira reports. Mr. Ban Ki-moon and Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi met on Saturday and focused on how to [...]
Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker is concerned that some 60 percent of people in conflict areas of the world are under the age of 25. Whitaker, as a Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation with UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, participated in the International Day of Peace observance at the United [...]
Heads of state will once again converge on New York for the annual general debate of the United Nations General Assembly which begins on Tuesday. For UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is in his second term at the head of the global organization, the two weeks of speeches, meetings and other high-level events is an [...]
As the United Nations prepares to draw down its massive peacekeeping operations in Haiti, the chief of that mission, Mariano Fernández Amunategui, says his top priority is to help the country rebuild its earthquake-ravaged security institutions. UN Radio’s Maha Fayek sat down with Mr. Amunategui to discuss these and other issues, including Haiti's [...]
Even as the number of States signing on to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities continued to grow at an "exhilarating" pace, there remained a critical need for the United Nations to act as a "real, practical and daily advocate" for those who had once been all but invisible on the world [...]
Rising global food prices are threatening to worsen food insecurity in Yemen, according to humanitarian agencies. The country in the Arabian Peninsula is recovering from the political upheavals that have affected North Africa and the Middle East. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of people in Yemen have been displaced by conflict between government [...]
Burundi's civil war may have ended more than a decade ago, but violence in the country continues, and many of its victims are women whose rights under the law are often ignored. Now a unique legal aid programme is helping women like Maura Ntukamazina understand the law and reclaim their rights. We hear more [...]
The United Nations is calling for an end to conflict, if only for one day. The International Day of Peace, observed on 21 September, is an opportunity to strengthen the ideals of non-violence, both within and among all nations and peoples. It has been celebrated each year since 1982. Gerry Adams reports on this year's [...]
India and China have enjoyed some of the world's fastest economic growth with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reporting that average income in China has grown nearly ten-fold since 1995 while in India it has nearly quadrupled. Lika Gueye spoke with James Walsh, an economist with the IMF's Asian and Pacific Department, who has [...]
A prominent campaigner for democracy in Myanmar has welcomed the lifting of sanctions against her country by the United States Congress this week. Aung San Suu Kyi, Chairperson and General Secretary of the National League for Democracy of Myanmar spoke to reporters at UN headquarters in New York on Friday. On Wednesday the U.S. Congress [...]
Acts of torture and ill-treatment of inmates at a prison in Georgia have been condemned by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. This follows shocking videos which appeared on television in Georgia this week showing prisoners being physically and sexually assaulted, humiliated and verbally abused by prison officers. Spokesperson Rupert Colville [...]
People all over the world have been asked by the United Nations to observe a moment of silence on Friday to mark the International Day of Peace. The theme of this year's observance is "Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future". Speaking at a ceremony at UN Headquarters to mark the day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [...]
PART I General Assembly starts its 67th session. PART II Viability of two-state solution in Middle East at risk: UN official. PART III UN celebrates progress on child survival. PART IV To be young and profitable in Peru. Narrated and Produced by Ambalika Misra Duration: 14’45″
Chemicals are posing a serious risk to people's lives, particularly children in Africa. To tackle this problem, more than 500 participants from 124 countries gathered in Nairobi, Kenya this week for a five-day meeting on global chemicals management. The International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM3) has been organized under the auspices of the UN Environment [...]
People crossing international borders seeking asylum should not be treated as criminals and detained, says the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR). The agency says that indefinite and mandatory detention of asylum seekers and individuals seeking international protection are prohibited under international law. In a set of new guidelines issued Friday, UNHCR says detention of asylum seekers [...]
New media and technology are changing the way people communicate, but they can also help change the world for the better. That is the premise of the Social Good Summit (www.socialgoodsummit.org) to be held from 22-24 September on the margins of the annual UN General Assembly. While the 92nd Street Y, a cultural institution in [...]
Over 10,000 Somalis have fled from the port city of Kismayo in anticipation of military activities and new clashes, according to the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR). Reports from Somalia indicate that African Union troops in the country are preparing to liberate Kismayo which has been a stronghold of the Al Shabaab insurgents. UNHCR says up [...]
• A deadly cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone has killed nearly 300 people with more than 18,000 cases reported since the beginning of the year. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls it the country's worst in nearly four decades. WHO and the International Red Cross/Red Crescent are helping Sierra Leone to control the [...]
Germany assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council in September with a view to focus on three particular issues – children and armed conflict, the Arab world and Afghanistan. Ambassador Peter Wittig told Gerry Adams the Council is working on improving accountability for such crimes as the recruitment of child soldiers and other [...]
Sierra Leone is in the grip of a deadly cholera outbreak which the World Health Organization (WHO) calls the country's worst in nearly four decades. The intestinal infection, caused by contaminated water or food, has killed nearly 300 people and more than 18,000 cases have been reported since the beginning of the year. WHO and [...]
Active ageing and the participation of older people in Europe were the focus of a two-day ministerial meeting that ended in Vienna on Thursday. The meeting was organized by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) which says it's no secret that the continent is growing older. While European countries have made great progress in [...]
Governments around the world have been urged not to place the burden of financial problems on the backs of the poor. The call was reiterated by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the launch of his 2012 report on the MDG Gap Task Force on Thursday. The Task Force was created five years ago to track [...]
A $1.6 billion humanitarian appeal to assist millions of hungry people in Africa's Sahel region is nearly 60 per cent funded, according to UN humanitarian agencies and their partners. They also expect that malnutrition levels and food insecurity will ease because good rains will increase cereal production and there is a likely drop in [...]
The release of prisoners of conscience by the government of Myanmar has been welcomed by the United Nations independent expert on the situation of human rights in the Asian country. Tomás Ojea Quintana renewed his call on the government of Myanmar to immediately release all the remaining prisoners of conscience without conditions. Donn Bobb reports. [...]
A good response by donors has contained a food and nutrition crisis in the Sahel region of Africa, according to a senior United Nation humanitarian official. UN humanitarian agencies and their partners say the appeal for $1.6 billion to help millions of hungry people in the region is 60 per cent funded. David Greesly, UN [...]
The 2012 Olympics are now a fading memory, but the sporting spirit lives on in Timor-Leste where more than 300 people recently competed in a gruelling bike race that promotes peace and development. The Tour de Timor took riders throughout the island nation and, for the first time ever, into the territory of West Timor [...]
The Cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone continues to escalate with the number of cases reported now close to 19,000, according to the World Health Organization(WHO). The disease has already claimed 273 lives. WHO says 12 of the country's 13 districts are now reporting cholera cases with the capital Freetown being the epicenter of the outbreak. [...]
This year's session of the General Assembly takes place against the backdrop of widespread violence linked to intolerance. That's what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday during a press conference on the 67th session of the General Assembly. Mr. Ban said this year's General Debate will be among the busiest ever, reflecting what he [...]
The increasing number of older people in Europe is posing challenges for governments in the region, according to the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It says that more than 14 per of the population in the region is older than 65 years of age and this number is expected to increase to 20 [...]
Kenya's Minister of Defence has given assurances that the Kenyan forces will do everything possible to minimize the impact of their ongoing military operations on civilians in Somalia. Kenyan soldiers are part of the African Union forces that are supporting Somali troops battling the Al-Shabaab insurgents near the town of Kismaayo, south-west of the [...]
The plight of the youngest victims of war—whether as fighters or witnesses to the fighting—was the focus of a Security Council open debate on Wednesday. Council members adopted a resolution strongly condemning the recruitment of child soldiers, but also attacks on schools and hospitals and the denial of humanitarian access by all parties to [...]
More than 20 action plans to stop the use of children in armed conflicts have been adopted around the world. That's what was reported to the Security Council on Wednesday by Leila Zerrougui, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. She said that action plans are not only a process but [...]
Asia has become a major market for manufacturers of forest products in Europe and North America, according to the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). UNECE says that with the general malaise in the European and American economy, manufacturers have been looking for sales opportunities further afield. Export of logs from the UNECE region to [...]
A former Somali refugee has won the prestigious annual award of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). Hawa Aden Mohamed is the winner of this year's Nansen Refugee Award which is given to people or groups for their outstanding work to help refugees. She has been a teacher, a former director of education, a social worker [...]
The Kingdom of Bahrain is to compensate families of protesters killed during last years anti government protests. That's what the Foreign Minister of Bahrain Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohamed Al Khalifa told the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday. The minister said 17 of the victims have already received compensations totalling 2.6 million dollars. [...]
The goodwill at the start of this year's session of the General Assembly should not be just a "fleeting moment" but should result in progress for the world's people. That's what United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said as the General Assembly opened its 67th session in New York on Tuesday. He said the Organization is [...]
Resolving international disputes by peaceful means is the overarching theme of the 67th session of the General Assembly. That's what the President of the General Assembly, Vuk Jeremić, the top Serbian diplomat, said at the start of the session in New York on Tuesday. He said the maintenance of international peace and security was enshrined [...]
1. WHO : Efforts continue to curb Ebola virus in DR Congo 2. UNHCR : Hepatitis E kills 16 Sudanese refugees in South Sudan 3. President of UN General Assembly says culture of peace is “most critical” to today's society 4. Conference on Disarmament failed to advance global disarmament goals, says Angela Kane 5. UNICEF, [...]
There is an African proverb which says "When elephants fight, it is the grass that gets hurt." In Afghanistan, when two families fight, young girls are often the victims. To settle debts or disputes, or just to have a bit of peace, warring families will trade a daughter in a traditional practice known as "Baad." [...]
Authorities in the United States are being urged to do more to address the concerns of indigenous peoples. The call has come from the UN independent expert on the rights of indigenous peoples, James Anaya, who spoke in the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday. Mr. Anaya said that American Indian, Alaska Native and [...]
Authorities in Yemen need support in restructuring the security forces, says Jamal Benomar, the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Yemen. On 6 August, Yemen's President adopted decrees for the restructuring of the Yemeni security sector. Mr. Benomar, who has returned from a ten-day mission to the country, briefed the Security Council behind closed doors [...]
An appeal for almost $40 million has been launched by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) to help displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. UNHCR says that violence in the eastern part of the country has displaced about half a million Congolese civilians and forced others to cross into Uganda and Rwanda. [...]
More than half of Sudanese children living in Yusuf Batil refugee camp in Maban County in South Sudan are severely malnourished, according to Doctors without Borders. The non-governmental organization of medical professionals, which is known by its French acronym MSF, says that between four and five children die every day in the camp. MSF is [...]
The situation in Syria is not improving but further deteriorating, said the joint Special Representative of United Nations and the Arab League on Tuesday. Lakhdar Brahimi spoke during his visit to Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan where he had gone to see first hand the living conditions of the refugees and the work done [...]
The end of the transition in Somalia is only the beginning, says the ambassador of the United Kingdom, the lead country on the issue in the Security Council. Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant spoke to reporters on Tuesday after the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution welcoming the transition in the Horn of Africa country. [...]
A former Somali refugee is the winner of the United Nations refugee agency's (UNHCR) annual prize. UNHCR announced on Tuesday that the 2012 Nansen Refugee Award is being given to Hawa Aden Mohamed. She is the founder and director of the Galkayo Education Centre for Peace and Development (GECPD) in Puntland, north-eastern Somalia. Ms. Mohamed [...]
The United Nations will continue to offer humankind the best platform for a world of peace, security and prosperity for all. That's what Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser said in his final remarks to close the 66th session of the General Assembly on Monday. Ambassador Al-Nasser said no organization in the world maintains what he described as [...]
The arrival of the last major group of Iranian exiles from a camp outside Baghdad to a new camp has been welcomed by the top United Nations envoy in Iraq, Martin Kobler. The relocation convoy of the residents from Camp Ashraf arrived at Camp Hurriya over the weekend. Most of the people are members of [...]
Governments around the world have been urged to ratify a treaty to ensure the security of nuclear material. The appeal has come from Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Mr. Amano addressed the General Conference of the IAEA which opened in Vienna on Monday. He said the Amendment to the [...]
As the United Nations prepares to draw down its massive peacekeeping operations in Haiti, the top priority is to help the country rebuild its earthquake-ravaged security institutions. That's what the chief of the UN mission in the country, known as MINUSTAH, Mariano Fernández, has told UN Radio. Mr. Fernández said that the police force [...]
The human rights situation in Syria has deteriorated and gross violations of human rights have increased. That's what Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic told the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. Mr. Pinheiro said that the frequency with which human rights violations occur in the country [...]
The viability of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at risk, according to the UN Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. On Monday Robert Serry briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. Mr. Serry said that despite what he called "some positive quiet" [...]
Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of Qatar has had an eventful year as President of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly. Among the challenges he faced were the transition of power in Libya, the lagging world economy and the on-going crisis in Syria. Just before handing over the presidency to his successor, Ambassador Al-Nasser [...]
Côte d'Ivoire faces big challenges to promote national reconciliation and economic development as it recovers from the violence that happened after the November 2010 presidential run-off elections. That's the observation that has been made by the top United Nations development official who has just concluded her four-day visit to the West African country. Helen Clark, [...]
This report offers a preview of the main issues that were to be addressed during the 14th General Assembly of the United Nations. Language: English Genre: Report 1959 Duration: 27’00″
Serious human rights violations and possibly war crimes have allegedly been committed by armed groups in northern Mali. That's what the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay told the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. She said it has been difficult to obtain information from northern Mali which is occupied by various [...]
The Syrian government has rejected as inaccurate the latest report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on human rights violations in the country. In a statement to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the government says the report was based on unsubstantiated testimonies. Syrian Ambassador Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui accused some neighbouring countries and foreign [...]
Foreign militant groups including Jihadists are fighting alongside anti-government groups in Syria, according to the UN Commission investigating human rights violations in Syria. The commission says there is evidence that the foreign groups are joining anti-government forces and pushing them towards more radical positions. It adds that gross violations of human rights by both government [...]
The United Nations is encouraging young professionals anywhere in the world who are ready to launch a career as international civil servants. Through its Young Professional Programme or YPP, the Organization is inviting potential candidates to submit their applications before the deadline of 12 September 2012. To get more information, you can go to https://careers.un.org/lbw/Home.aspx [...]
A powerful typhoon is threatening the Korean Peninsula, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Typhoon Sanba, with peak winds of 155 mhp, was reported to be heading towards Japan and South Korea on Friday. Clare Nullis is WMO spokesperson in Geneva. "There's a strong typhoon which is currently in the Pacific on the trajectory [...]
Although the depletion of the ozone layer that protects the earth from the sun's harmful rays is still happening, it has levelled off. That's according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which attributes this success to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. WMO says that globally, the protocol is estimated to [...]
Eighty-seven migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa who tried to use a smuggler to get to Italy have asked the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to help them return home. The agency says the migrants, who were left stranded on the Tunisian coast on Sunday, were part of a group of 154 mainly Sub-Saharan Africans who [...]
NAR: The adoption of the 2001 Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons was the tangible reflection of the need for coordinated action at the multilateral level to prevent and combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. So says Barbados’ representative to the United Nations Ambassador Joseph Goddard. His comments [...]
The open borders in the Caribbean make us an easy conduit for trans-shipment between the major sources and destinations of small arms and light weapons and ammunition. That’ s what Jamaica’ s representative Farah Browne told the conclusion of the second United Nations conference to review the 2001 Programme of Action on trafficking in small [...]
Children in Syria are receiving assistance from the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) as the school year starts on Sunday. The security and safety of students remain a concern in the country, where more than 800 schools are being used as shelter by displaced families. Citing figures from the Syrian Ministry of Education, the children's agency [...]
1. New UN Report calls for action to reduce hazards from chemicals. 2. Unemployment is higher for youth. 3. Children in an Indian village lead the way towards better sanitation. 4. Literacy and peace is the theme of this year's International Literacy Day. Narrated and Produced by Ambalika Misra Duration: 15’00″
1. UN agencies fear Syria could be among greatest humanitarian crisis. 2. Dengue fever symptoms mask as flu. 3. Kazakhstan continues to suffer from effects of nuclear tests. 4. ILO convention offers hope to Bote people of Nepal Narrated and Produced by Ambalika Misra Duration: 15’00″
Conflicts continue to challenge the international community and take a heavy toll on nations and people around the world, says the United Nations. At a meeting of the UN General Assembly on Thursday, participants explored the role of mediation in settling such conflicts. In fact, the role of mediation in the settlement of disputes by [...]
The rights of children with disabilities featured prominently at a major United Nations meeting that concluded in New York on Friday. Delegates gathered at UN headquarters to review implementation of the UN's Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Violence, lack of access to education and the right of children to speak for themselves [...]
Spending over a trillion of dollars on weapons in one year alone has been described by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as "a moral outrage". The Secretary-General spoke at the General Assembly's High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace on Friday. Mr. Ban said war causes the largest destruction but even in countries at peace, [...]
1.Food prices remain unchanged in August, says FAO chief 2.States are urged to sign and ratify nuclear test ban treaty by Ban ki-Moon 3.Navi Pillay urges Bahraini authorities to release all political activists 4.Role of UN is to help governments protect citizens, says GA President 5.Responsibilty to protect faces urgent test : UN chief 6. [...]
1.Ban Ki-moon urges developing countries to answer peoples' aspirations 2.People who have disappeared around the world are remembered 3.UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urges leaders in Gambia to stop executions 4.WHO warns of global Dengue fever epidemic 5.Unaccompanied Syrian children seek refuge across borders 6.More people from Horn of Africa cross Gulf of Aden [...]
Spreading the culture of peace is critical to modern society if it is to make a new beginning to live without conflict. That's the message delivered by the President of the General Assembly, Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser at the start of the High-level Forum on the Culture of Peace on Friday. Ambassador Al-Nasser stressed the [...]
More than half a million people in Niger have been affected by flooding in which at least 81 people have died, says the United Nations relief agency (OCHA). According to OCHA, this is an increase from the 485,000 people which the authorities of Niger estimated to have been affected in the first week of September. [...]
An outbreak of Hepatitis E has claimed the lives of 16 Sudanese refugees living in camps in South Sudan, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. Hepatitis E is a viral disease that attacks the liver and is transmitted through eating food or drinking water contaminated with faecal material. UNHCR says there have been 23 confirmed [...]
The deadly Ebola virus continues to claim more lives in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO says there are now 68 cases of Ebola and 18 deaths, five of which have been confirmed in laboratories to have been caused by the Ebola virus. At least 18 health workers [...]
There are nearly 450,000 young people without jobs in Peru, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). They represent more than two-thirds of the country's unemployed and of the five million young people who do have work, many are in 'precarious' conditions, without social benefits or job security. So instead of looking for a job, [...]
• The political leadership in Somalia should focus on delivering basic services to the people and establishing the rule of law. That's what has been said by a UN independent expert on human rights in the country. This follows the election of a new President and Speaker of Parliament by Somalia's lawmakers. Sudanese refugee children [...]
Nuclear technology is "extremely effective" in supporting agriculture and fighting hunger around the world, according to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Yukiya Amano says that the global population is growing very rapidly and by 2050 it will be nine billion. The IAEA Director-General says food should be made available for everyone [...]
The number of cholera cases has increased dramatically in Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO says there are now more than 16,000 cases of the disease which has also claimed more than 250 lives. This has prompted the government to declare a cholera emergency in the West African country. WHO spokesperson, Tarik [...]
The joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the Arab League for Libya, Lakhdar Brahimi, started his mission to Syria on Thursday. The envoy is pressing ahead with his efforts to help end the conflict in the country, where thousands of people have been killed since the crisis began in March of last year. [...]
The United Nations and all its partners should work together and make full use of the potential of mediation to prevent, manage and resolve disputes and conflicts. That's what United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the General Assembly during the launch of his report on the issue on Thursday. The Secretary-General stressed that mediation is [...]
The all-time heat record held for 90 years by El Azzizia in Libya is invalid, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). On 13 September 1922 the temperature recorded at El Azizia, about 40 kilometres south-west of Tripoli was recorded as 134.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 58 degrees Celsius. Professor Randall Cerveny an expert on weather [...]
Child mortality is on the decline. That's the finding of new data released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). According to UNICEF, Spokesperson Sarah Crowe, the number of children that die before their fifth birthday has dropped by nearly [...]
Back in 1922, meteorologists declared that the all-time heat record of over 136 degrees Fahrenheit, 58 degrees Centigrade, had been reached in El Azizia, Libya. But a recent investigation by the World Meteorological Organization, WMO, raised questions about the validity of the methods used to reach that conclusion. Randall Cerveny, a WMO independent expert [...]
For centuries in one community in India, people have defecated in the street. Now, that community is working to change sanitation and hygiene practices. And, according to UNICEF, the UN Children's Fund, the initiative is being led by children! Charles Appel has more. Governments can do more for universal health coverage: WHO Universal access to [...]
Child mortality is on the decline. That's the finding of new data released by UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the UN Population Division. According to UNICEF Spokesperson Sarah Crowe, the number of children that die before their fifth birthday has dropped by nearly fifty percent, most notably in Africa and Asia. [...]
Scores of human rights defenders in at least 12 countries worldwide have faced serious reprisals and intimidation over the past one year, according to a report by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. The report says the human rights defenders were tortured, detained without trial, beaten, banned from travelling, labeled traitors and subjected to [...]
The continued failure of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) to agree on its priorities has been characterized by a United Nations official as "disappointing". Angela Kane, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, spoke at the closing of the 2012 session of the Conference in Geneva on Thursday. Ms. Kane said all previous presidents of [...]
The pace of reducing child deaths has accelerated sharply since 2000, according to new data released by the United Nations. The report says nearly 7 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2011 compared to 12 million children in 1990. The report jointly published by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank [...]
The attack on the Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu on Wednesday has been strongly condemned by the top United Nations envoy in the Horn of Africa country. According to reports, three suicide bombers dressed in Somali uniform tried to enter the hotel where the newly elected president of Somalia was giving a press conference. Gerry [...]
A proposal for a neutral force to help end violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is being considered by the United Nations. That is what the head of United Nations peacekeeping operation, Hervé Ladsous told reporters in the town of Goma in the DR Congo on Tuesday. Charles [...]
As the world grows more integrated, many are looking to define the nature of this integration. Kemal Dervis, the Director of Global Economy and Development at the Brookings Institution says there is convergence of emerging and advanced economies. He says there is also interdependence of the fortunes of countries and divergence of incomes within countries. [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated Hassan Sheik Mohamud who has been elected President of Somalia. Mr. Ban, who was in Geneva early on Wednesday, spoke to the Somali leader by telephone. Vanina Maestracci is a UN spokesperson in New York. "The Secretary-General noted that Somalis still face great challenges and assured the new President [...]
Persons with disabilities want to be part of all the phases in the implementation of the Convention on their rights. That's what was stressed by Yannis Vardakastanis, Chairperson of the International Disability Alliance (IDA) in New York on Wednesday. Mr. Vardakastanis spoke at the start of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention [...]
Making the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities count for Women and Children is the theme of the current session of the Conference on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It was adopted by the General Assembly in December of 2006 and came into force on 3 May 2008 when it received its [...]
For the past twenty years the European Commission and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) have worked together in countries affected by emergencies and conflict. On Tuesday, the Commission announced that it will continue to work with UNICEF to prioritize the needs of vulnerable people, especially the children in war-torn Syria. Gail Walker has the story. [...]
Reducing widening gaps in wealth and income will not only have social benefits but will also lead to higher economic growth, according to a report of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The publication titled “Policies for inclusive and balanced growth" published on Wednesday, focuses especially on income inequality. It says that fiscal [...]
The priority of the political leadership in Somalia should be to win the hearts and minds of the people, according to an independent United Nations expert. Dr. Shamsul Bari, who deals with the situation of human rights in Somalia, has welcomed the election of a new President and Speaker of Parliament by Somalia's lawmakers. He [...]
Authorities in Libya are facing security challenges as they try to consolidate democracy, according to the latest report of the UN Secretary-General. The head of political affairs at the United Nations, Jeffrey Feltman, who presented the report to the Security Council, said these challenges were manifested in the attack on the United States embassy in [...]
The killing of the United States ambassador to Libya and three other embassy staff has been strongly condemned by the Security Council. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and the other staff members were reportedly killed in an attack by unidentified armed men. According to reports, the men stormed the grounds of the US consulate in Benghazi [...]
Nearly 250,000 Palestinian refugees living in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). The agency says the refugees need to be supported with food and health services as well as cash for those who lost their jobs following the widespread closure of small scale businesses. The [...]
Liberia is on the verge of becoming a true success story, according to Karin Landgren, head of the UN Mission in the country (UNMIL). Ms. Landgren on Tuesday briefed the Security Council on the situation in the West African country. She said that since 2003, Liberia has transformed itself from a failed state to [...]
The European Commission will continue to prioritise funding for children in humanitarian emergencies, despite the economic challenges that Europe is facing. That assurance was given to the Executive Board of UNICEF in New York on Tuesday by Kristalina Georgieva, the European Commissioner dealing with humanitarian aid. Ms. Georgieva commended UNICEF for the improving techniques for [...]
The general elections in Sierra Leone scheduled for 17 November this year will be a test of political maturity for the leadership of the West African country. That's what the UN Secretary-General's Executive Representative in the country, Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen, told the Security Council on Tuesday. Mr. Toyberg-Frandzen said that Sierra Leone is making steady [...]
After decades of conflict, the new parliament of Somalia has elected the country's next president. The election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ends Somalia's transitional period. The top United Nations envoy in Somalia, Ambassador Augustine Mahiga, says the election of the president is a major breakthrough in the political transition in the Horn of [...]
The Swiss parliament has been urged to help the United Nations achieve its goals, including the elimination of poverty and nuclear weapons and the promotion of human rights. The appeal came from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who spoke to the parliament in Berne on Tuesday. Mr. Ban congratulated the people of Switzerland as they [...]
For centuries in one community in India, people have defecated in the street. Now, that community is working to change sanitation and hygiene practices. And the initiative is being led by children! Charles Appel has more. Duration: 2’28″ Source: UNICEF
A cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone which has claimed more than 250 lives shows no sign of slowing down. This warning has come from the World Health Organization (WHO) which is stepping up efforts to help local authorities contain the disease. WHO spokesperson, Tarik Jasarevic says emphasis is being placed on early detection of cases [...]
Jordan has been commended by award winning American actress, Angelina Jolie for welcoming Syrian refugees escaping conflict in their country. Ms. Jolie, the Special Envoy of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and Antonio Guterres, the head of UNHRC met with Syrian refugees during a visit to the Za'atri camp in Jordan on Tuesday. [...]
Every year, three million girls and women across the globe are genitally mutilated. Female genital mutilation (FGM), a procedure that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, is practiced in many countries around the world. But as the immigrant population in the United States increases, FGM is becoming more widespread in the [...]
The election of the President of Somalia by the country's parliament on Monday has been welcomed by United Nations officials. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, as well as the New Federal Parliament and its Speaker for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the process. The top United Nations envoy in Somalia, [...]
The Syrian armed forces have been added to the United Nations list of parties that kill or maim children. That's what the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday. Ms. Zerrougui who presented her annual report to the Council says [...]
Advocacy Radio Programme on Literacy Education is one of the key thematic/working area of the United Nations priority in Pakistan. UNESCO is the lead UN agency working together with other UN organisations to assist the Government efforts in the promotion of education in the country Source:UNIC Islamabad Duration: 12’17″
Provision of health care services in the Homs district of Syria is hampered by a lack of facilities and qualified health workers, according to the World Health Organization ( WHO). The agency says that 44 public and private hospitals have been extensively damaged in the on-going conflict, leaving only 14 hospitals in operation. WHO spokesperson [...]
People engaged in conflict near the town of Kutum in the Darfur region of Sudan are being urged to stop hostilities and engage in peaceful dialogue. The appeal has come from the joint United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID) following the latest outbreak of armed attacks. The latest violence was reportedly triggered by the [...]
India and China have enjoyed some of the world’s fastest economic growth in recent years. Since 1995, average income in China grew nearly ten-fold and in India, it has nearly quadrupled. As the global economy becomes increasingly interconnected, the growth rate of these two countries has major implications for the rest of the world. The [...]
Full employment should be part of policies for economic development, said United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson on Monday. Mr. Eliasson addressed the General Assembly as it discussed sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals of fighting poverty and disease. He said many countries continue to face deep-rooted economic problems, seriously affecting vulnerable segments of [...]
The head of the United Nations peacekeeping operations, Hervé Ladsous, began a visit to the Great Lakes region of Africa on Monday. The aim of the six-day visit to Africa is to discuss with national and regional leaders the situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo where rebel groups are [...]
The on-going conflict in Syria and its effect on civilians is one of the key issues on the agenda of the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva on Monday. The UN Secretary-General and the UN's human rights chief told those gathered for the two-week meeting that the humanitarian situation in Syria is deteriorating. [...]
A successful suicide is completed every 40 seconds of every day, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). To raise public awareness of the very serious issue of suicide, and to encourage policymakers to do something about it, the World Health Organization observes World Suicide Prevention Day on the 10th of September. This year's [...]
The London Paralympic Games will be remembered as "a success story" according to a senior United Nations sports official. Wilfried Lemke, the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Sport for Development, said the conclusion of the games on Sunday marked the end of what he called "a glorious" summer. Charles Appel reports. Wilfried Lemke said the [...]
Iranian authorities are being urged by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to allow its inspectors immediate access to the Parchin military site. The head the IAEA Yukiya Amano told the agency's Board of Directors in Vienna on Monday that he is concerned about the activities that have taken place at the location since February [...]
Every 40 seconds a person commits suicide which claims the lives of almost one million people every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO says that suicide, which is surrounded by stigma and silence, kills more people than murder, conflict and war combined. September 10 is marked every year as World Suicide Prevention [...]
The sale of ammunition to the Syrian government and opposition forces is only helping to prolong the conflict according to the UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay. Addressing the UN Human Rights Council, Ms Pillay said the worsening security situation is preventing humanitarian workers from providing assistance to over 2.5 million Syrians affected by the crisis. [...]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has deplored the continued use of military force by both the Syrian government and rebel forces. Mr Ban said failure to embrace dialogue is complicating efforts by the United Nations to facilitate a transition and promote the peace the Syrian people deserve. Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva [...]
UN Habitat just concluded a week-long meeting in Naples, Italy where world leaders gathered to talk about the future of the world's cities. Dr. Kulwant Singh, the UN-Habitat Coordinator in India attended the forum and spoke to Gail Walker about the impact of urban growth in the Asia Pacific region. Duration: 2’39″
The Philippines was the second country to ratify ILO Convention No. 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. Uruguay was the first country to do so in June of 2012. Convention No. 189 lays down basic rights and principles for domestic workers and requires states to take a series of measures to make decent work [...]
A group of HIV-infected mothers and their partners have formed a mothers' support group attached to their local health clinic in Kitulo Ward, Makete District in Tanzania. Besides providing psycho-social support to each other, members of the group also speak to surrounding communities about prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Gerry Adams reports Duration: 3’14″
World leaders have called for eliminating the worst forms of child labour by 2016. While the global number of child labourers has fallen in recent years, experts fear that the global economic crisis could retard further growth. But working with UN agencies, the Cambodian government has pledged to reduce the number of child labourers in [...]
The literacy of women helps to promote the development and wellbeing of children, according to an official of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). To underline the importance of this issue, the United Nations observes International Literacy Day on 8 September each year. The United Nations estimates that 775 million young people, the [...]
The European Union is preparing to release an additional 50 million Euros in humanitarian funding to help Syrian civilians caught up in their country's crisis. The announcement was made in Geneva on Friday following the Syrian Humanitarian Forum. Claus Sorensen is the Director-General of the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO). "The European Union announced [...]
Leaders of countries in East and Central Africa have been asked by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to make concerted efforts to resolve the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The eastern part of the country has faced attacks by a rebel group called M23 and other armed militias. In a message [...]
A new president of Somalia is expected to be elected by members of the country's newly formed parliament on Monday. The election will completely end the transitional period and move Somalia towards a phase of political and socio-economic transformation, according to the top United Nations envoy in the country. Augustine Mahiga has written an open [...]
Having a clear understanding of how well humanitarian efforts are working around the world is the subject of a new report released by ALNAP, a network of global humanitarian organizations. ALNAP Director John Mitchell says some information on case loads, numbers affected, how well aid has been delivered and funding flows is available, but not [...]
The entire population of Syria is gripped by fear and despair, says John Ging, who is in charge of coordination and response at the UN humanitarian organization, OCHA. Mr. Ging was speaking to the press following the Syria Humanitarian Forum in Geneva on Friday. The meeting brought together international agencies seeking to strengthen [...]
Literacy contributes to peace as it brings people closer to attaining individual freedoms and a better understanding of the world. That's the message of UNESCO, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on International Literacy Day observed on 8 September each year. Subbarao Ilapavuluri, Chief of the Literacy Section of UNESCO, speaks to Gerry Adams [...]
The pardoning of an Azerbaijani soldier who killed an Armenian officer during a NATO training course in 2004 is causing concern at the United Nations. Last week Ramil Safarov was extradited to Baku from Hungary, where he had been serving a life sentence for the murder of Gurgen Margaryan. UN human rights spokesperson Rupert Colville [...]
UN-Habitat just concluded a week-long meeting in Naples, Italy where world leaders gathered to talk about the future of the world's cities. Dr. Kulwant Singh, the UN-Habitat Coordinator in India attended the forum and spoke about the impact of urban growth in the Asia Pacific region. Cambodia works to reduce child labour World leaders [...]
A group of HIV-infected mothers and their partners have formed a mothers' support group attached to their local health clinic in Kitulo Ward, Makete District in Tanzania. Besides providing psycho-social support to each other, members of the group also speak to surrounding communities about prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. "Literacy and Peace" is the [...]
Members of the newly formed parliament in Somalia are being urged to elect a president who will form a good and credible government. The appeal has come from the top United Nations envoy in Somalia, Augustine Mahiga in an open letter to the Somali parliamentarians. He said the election of the president will completely end [...]
Humanitarian operations are being scaled up in Syria where the ongoing conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and forced others to flee to neighbouring countries. Following a humanitarian forum on Syria held in Geneva on Friday, the UN and its humanitarian partners say the scale of the crisis is escalating and humanitarian needs [...]
China is being urged to protect thousands of refugees from Myanmar who have fled fighting between government troops and rebels in the volatile Kachin state. The appeal comes from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) which says that up to 5,000 people, the majority of them children, have been returned since mid-August and are living [...]
Thousands of Syrian children will not be able to return to school for the new academic year which starts on the September 16, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The agency says that 2,000 schools have been damaged or destroyed in the ongoing conflict while others have been occupied by thousands of displaced [...]
• Youth unemployment in Africa is more problematic than in many other parts of the world. That's according to Theodoor Sparreboom an economist at the International Labour Organization (ILO). Africa has a high population growth rate and there are millions of young people looking for a job. UN works to provide better life for [...]
There is need for feedback from people who benefit from humanitarian assistance that is being provided to them, according to the head of an independent research network. John Mitchell, the Director of "Active Learning for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action" spoke to UN Radio after the launch of the State of the Humanitarian System [...]
Thousands of Syrian children are being screened by United Nations agencies and their partners to prevent malnutrition. The UN children's agency (UNICEF) says this is part of a regional response to meet the growing health and nutrition needs of an estimated 1.3 million children inside and in surrounding countries. According to UNICEF, the conflict [...]
More than 1,000 people have died of cholera in West Africa where rains and floods are threatening to create conditions for the disease to spread faster and further. This warning has come from the World Health Organization and the United Nations children's agency (UNICEF). Derrick Mbatha reports The World Health Organization and UNICEF say that [...]
Food prices did not change in August, according the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The agency says its new report shows that there's no indication of a global food crisis on the horizon. However it also cautions that there is need for the international community to remain vigilant and to move to calm markets. [...]
In 1991, the Republic of Kazakhstan took the bold step of eliminating all nuclear weapons testing on its territory. Shortly afterward, in 1995, the country rid itself of all nuclear weapons. The International Day against Nuclear Tests is observed on the 29th of August of each year to highlight efforts to end nuclear tests and [...]
Authorities in Bahrain have been urged to release all the people who have been detained for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The appeal has come from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay after an appeals court on Tuesday upheld convictions of 20 human rights activists and political [...]
Nuclear tests remain a threat to human health and global stability and states that have not done so should sign and ratify the global treaty to ban these tests. That's the message of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the General Assembly which marked the International Day against Nuclear Tests on Thursday. The day itself [...]
Food prices remained flat in August offering assurances that a repeat of the global food price crisis of 2008 that sparked rioting is unlikely. That's according to the latest Food Price Index of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), launched in Rome on Thursday. FAO says that international prices of cereals, oils and [...]
Agusan del Norte, a province in the southern part of the Philippines, is one of the leading rice producers in the country. The majority of the people in this region rely heavily on farming and fishing for their livelihoods and congenial weather patterns are very important for their livelihoods. But in recent years, alternating periods [...]
Authorities in Bahrain have been urged by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to ensure that international human rights are applied in dealing with political activities in the country. The call comes after an appeals court in the country upheld convictions of 20 activists and opposition leaders for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government. The verdicts, issued [...]
Millions of people moved to work in wealthy countries in the past twenty years before the economic crisis of 2008, according to a migration expert. Demetrios Papademetriou, President of the Migration Policy Institute says that many migrant workers are likely to move to developed countries when there is economic growth. However, he adds, migration is [...]
The role of the Arab League in the resolution of conflicts in the Middle East is to be highlighted during Germany's presidency of the Security Council this month. That's what Ambassador Peter Wittig, the president of the Council told reporters on Wednesday, as he outlined the programme of the Council for September. Ambassador Wittig said [...]
Member States on Wednesday met at the United Nations to discuss the responsibility to protect. The concept was established in 2005 at the United Nations in an effort to prevent genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. Gerry Adams reports Duration: 3’38″
More than 15,000 cases of cholera have been reported across Sierra Leone since the beginning of this year, according to the United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA). Last month the country's president declared a national emergency after the disease claimed the lives of over 200 people. UN spokesperson Martin Nersiky says United Nations agencies, including the [...]
There are growing risks posed by the worldwide use of chemicals. This is a finding of a new report titled Global Chemical Outlook issued by the UN's Environment Programme (UNEP). The negative impact of chemicals on human health, the environment and the economy are among the concerns listed in the new report. [...]
In carrying out the responsibility to protect, the United Nations helps governments that are unable to deliver on their protection obligations. That's what the President of the General Assembly, Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of Qatar said as he opened a meeting of the General Assembly on Wednesday. He said there are legitimate concerns about the [...]
Vulnerable populations in conflict should not be held hostage to disagreements over the application of the concept of the responsibility to protect. That's what United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the General Assembly on Wednesday during the presentation of his report on the issue. He said the adoption of the concept at the 2005 World [...]
A partnership of over 10 years between the UN children's agency and the Swedish retailer, IKEA to help children in India, is being celebrated this month, UNICEF announced on Wednesday. According to the agency, the private sector is playing an important role in humanitarian and development issues. UNICEF says Untied Nations agencies could and must [...]
The growing misuse of chemicals is causing serious damage to health and the environment especially in developing countries, according to a new study published by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). The Global Chemicals Outlook report warns that in sub-Saharan Africa the accumulated cost of illness and injury linked to misuse of pesticides in small [...]
The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday afternoon welcomed the newly-appointed joint Special Representative of the UN and Arab League for Syria. Lakhdar Brahimi told the Assembly that he is preparing to start what he called a "difficult mission" to help resolve the conflict in Syria. He said the grave situation in the Middle Eastern [...]
The Government and the armed opposition in Syria have been once again urged to stop fighting and to engage in dialogue. The call came from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the General Assembly discussed the crisis in Syria on Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Ban said that large-scale human rights violations are being reported with both sides [...]
The security situation along Lebanon's border with Syria, where there have been incursions and shelling, is causing concern for the United Nations. That's what the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Derek Plumbly, told reporters on Tuesday after meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The two men discussed the challenges the country is facing as [...]
Thousands of people migrate every year from East Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region to Southern Africa in search of a better life. The International Organization for Migration, (IOM) says these people face hardships on the way. According to the IOM, many of the migrants, who use smugglers to reach their [...]
A study is being launched to analyze the health vulnerability of men, women and children migrating from East Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region to Southern Africa. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says the study will be conducted by Lawry Research Associates International and is expected to be completed by [...]
Three United Nations agencies have appealed for action on international food prices following fears of a repeat of the 2007-2008 world food crisis. The heads of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) issued a joint statement on Tuesday. Charles Appel reports. [...]
