The credibility of international law and of the United Nations is undermined when States violate the UN Charter with impunity or apply human rights law as it suits them. That warning has come from Alfred de Zayas the United Nations independent expert on promotion of a democratic and equitable international order. Gerry [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is closely monitoring developments in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy which has caused death and widespread damage to parts of the United States and the Caribbean. Speaking in Incheon, South Korea, on Tuesday, Mr. Ban said the storm has affected millions of families, including the United Nations family. "My thoughts are [...]
A new collaborating centre for energy efficient lighting opened in Beijing on Wednesday. The Global Efficient Lighting Centre (GELC) has been launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Chinese National Lighting Test Centre. Dianne Penn reports. The Global Efficient Lighting Centre is designed to boost efforts by developing countries to phase out inefficient [...]
An outbreak of yellow fever has killed at least 32 people in Sudan's Central and South Dafur regions, according to the World health Organization (WHO). Since the first week of October a total of 84 suspected cases have so far been reported. Patrick Maigua Reports. The World Health Organization says it was notified of the [...]
The number of journalists killed in the line of duty in Somali this year has reached 18, the second highest toll in the world after Syria according to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). The latest victim is Warsame Shire Awale, a well known Somali musician and poet working for Radio Kulmiyehas who was gunned [...]
Renewed violence in western Myanmar's Rakhine state over the past week has displaced more than 28,000 people, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR quoting government estimates. The agency says since the fresh wave of inter communal unrest began on 21 October, authorities in Rakhine state estimate that dozens of people have been killed and [...]
Heavy fighting around the Syrian city of Homs has prevented United Nations aid mission from delivering food and other relief items to families trapped in the city. United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA) says the failure of the mission was despite assurances received from the local parties to the conflict that the [...]
UN Arab league Joint Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi says Syrian government and opposition leaders did not heed his call for a ceasefire over the weekend. Mr Brahimi says what was in effect was a pause in the fighting and not a true ceasefire. Patrick Maigua Reports. Speaking in Moscow where he held talks with the [...]
The human family is at a critical juncture and the world is moving through a Great Transition, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in an address on receiving the "Seoul Peace Prize" on Monday. In his remarks titled "The Pursuit of Peace at a Time of Global Transition", the Secretary-General pointed out that "this transition is economic, [...]
Climate variability and extreme conditions such as floods are increasingly causing epidemics of diseases such as diarrhoea, malaria, dengue and meningitis, according to UN health and Climate experts. The World Health Organization(WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) say collaboration between public health and weather experts can help better manage the control and prevention of [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed disappointment at the failure of the Syria ceasefire. Patrick Maigua Reports. Speaking in South Korea where he received the Seoul Peace Prize on Monday, the Secretary-General said he was deeply disappointed that the parties failed to respect the call to suspend fighting, stressing that the crisis cannot be solved [...]
The Rohingya people of Myanmar are excluded from basic human rights, according to Tomás Ojea Quintana. Mr. Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, presented his report to the UN General Assembly on Thursday. He said Buddhist and Muslim communities continue to suffer from violence in Rakhine State where there [...]
An indiscriminate attack on Afghan civilians during Eid al-Adha prayers killed at least 40 people on Friday, according to the UN Asssitance Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA. UNAMA has strongly condemned the attack. Charles Appel has more. At least 40 people were killed and another 52 injured as they celebrated the Eid-al-Adha religious festival in the [...]
Bordering on the vast Sahara Desert, the Sahel stretches across the African continent. Eking out any kind of life here is tough, but some women in north western Burkina Faso are turning their corner of this harsh, arid region into a lush and productive garden. In a place where people survive mainly on the [...]
Nineteen countries have just concluded a European region-wide test of cybersecurity capabilities. The three-day exercise, which ended on Thursday in Sofia, Bulgaria, was carried out in collaboration with the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport. It involved virtual simulated attacks and tested response, readiness and reaction capabilities in the event of a theoretical cyber attack. The drill, [...]
Reforms are moving at a rapid pace in Myanmar, according to Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in that country, Tomas Ojea Quitana. But while considerable progress has been made, including in the country's human rights situation, he says, it is clear that addressing long-standing human rights concerns needs to be an integral part [...]
A week-long course organized by the International Labour Organization, the ILO, brought together 25 judges from Botswana, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia for training in international labour law. It can take as long as three years for sacked employees living with HIV or AIDS to resolve their cases in Botswana's industrial courts, says the [...]
The Secretary-General has called on authorities in Myanmar to take urgent and effective action to bring all cases of lawlessness under control in five townships in Northern Rakhine. The Secretary-General says the vigilante attacks, targeted threats and extremist rhetoric must be stopped. According to Spokesperson Martin Nesirky, the Secertary-General's special advisor is concerned the violence [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has condemned an attack that took place at the home of a leading doctor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Charles Appel reports. The home of Dr. Denis Mukwege was vandalized on Thursday night and his family held at gunpoint by armed men, according to the Spokesman of the Secretary-General. [...]
Amid widespread poverty, farmers in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia are struggling to protect the land on which they depend for their livelihoods. Overgrazing by cattle has increased the risk of landslides, but a UN-backed project to revive beekeeping is helping villagers to preserve the environment while earning an income. Gerry Adams [...]
October is a special month for the United Nations as it marks the anniversary of the founding of the organization which is 67 years old this year. The UN would not have existed had it not been for supporters like former United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. A New York City park honouring the President, [...]
The reported announcements of a suspension of violence during the Eid Al-Adha holiday in Syria, has been welcomed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The ceasefire has been proposed by the joint UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi. UN spokesman, Martin Nesirky says the world is now watching to see what will happen on [...]
Kenyan authorities have been urged to provide information to the ICC needed to complete evidence for the trial of four Kenyans indicted by the International Criminal Court. Three high-level Kenyan political leaders and a journalist have been indicted by the ICC for the crimes related to the violence that followed the December 2007 presidential election [...]
More than 90 countries have abolished the death penalty and close to fifty others have not executed anyone for the last ten years, according to a United Nations independent expert. Christof Heyns, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions presented his report to the General Assembly on Thursday. He told reporters that [...]
American musical icon, Stevie Wonder, brought the house down during the United Nations Day concert in New York on Wednesday, the 24th of October. In this feature prepared by Beng Poblete-Enriquez, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon introduced Stevie as the 8th wonder of the world. Mr. Wonder then spoke about one's relation with religion [...]
1. New camp to be built for Somali refugees in Ethiopia 2. Syrians face economic hardships as conflict continues 3. Syria likely to descend into an all out sectarian conflict 4. Derrick Mbatha interviews ECOSOC director Navid Hanif 5. European Union urged to grant Syrians asylum and protection Narrated and Produced by Zafar Qureshi Duration: [...]
• Five people have died of the Marburg haemorrhagic fever in south-western Uganda. The World Health Organization and the Ugandan Ministry of Health have deployed a team to the district to help contain the spread of the disease. The virus that causes the fever is named after the German city of Marburg where it was [...]
A mood of cautious optimism prevails as the international community awaits a decision on a ceasefire from the parties to the Syrian. The ceasefire was proposed by Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, in early October to observe the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Gerry Adams reports. Duration: 2’31″
Legendary American musician Stevie Wonder says he is excited to work through the United Nations to help heal the world. The Grammy Award-winning songwriter performed at a UN Day concert on Wednesday evening. Stevie Wonder, who is known for his activism in the United States and in the campaign against apartheid, is a United Nations [...]
NARRATOR: The golden thread that joins the Caribbean to Africa is one woven by ties of culture and history, shared struggles and common aspirations. So says the Permanent Representative of The Bahamas Ambassador Paulette Bethel. She told the General Assembly's meeting o the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), that the Caribbean Community reaffirmed its [...]
In his message for UN Day, observed on 24 October, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that the United Nations is not just a meeting place for diplomats. Mr. Ban proved this when he welcomed South Korean pop star PSY to the United Nations. He said the singer, who has become world famous due to his [...]
The United Nations independent expert on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories has called for a boycott of businesses that profit from Israeli settlements. Richard Falk who presented his report to the General Assembly on Thursday said that Israel continues to transfer its population to the West Bank where its [...]
Freedom of religion and belief is being violated by some governments around the world in order to exercise political control. That's what the United Nations independent expert on freedom of religion or belief, Heiner Bielefeldt told reporters in New York on Thursday before presenting his report to the General Assembly. Mr. Bielefeldt said that [...]
The United Nations General Assembly came alive with the music of renowned American artist Stevie Wonder on Wednesday night. The award-winning musician has long been a UN Messenger of Peace, and he headlined a concert celebrating the 67th anniversary of the organization. Alex King caught up with Stevie Wonder after the concert. He says [...]
Adultery should not be classified as a criminal offense at all, says the UN expert group on women's human rights. While adultery may constitute a civil offence with legal consequences in certain countries and circumstances, it should not be a crime punishable by severe bodily harm or death, says the UN Working Group on [...]
Israel's highest-rated television news programme has published a statement correcting false claims made against the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) during the Gaza war in 2008-2009. UNRWA says Channel Two News makes it clear that Israeli officials acknowledged the falsehood of the claims that rockets were fired from schools operated by [...]
Four women peace activists from across the Asia-Pacific region this month received the N-PEACE Award by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and Search for Common Ground. One of the winners is Radha Paudel, a grassroots activist from Nepal who was honoured for her advocacy on behalf of poor and marginalized communities. Paudel established the NGO [...]
NARRATOR: Over the last few years, the Government of Jamaica has made considerable progress, through several legislative and institutional changes, to address issues relating to the protection of children. Ambassador Raymond Wolfe told the General Assembly's Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee that on a legislative front, there's the Jamaica's Child Care and Protection Act of [...]
NARRATOR: Trinidad and Tobago remains dedicated to the promotion and protection of the rights of children. Ambassador Rodney Charles told the UN General Assembly's Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee that his country's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, demonstrated Trinidad and Tobago's commitment to the provisions of the instrument. TAPE: In [...]
NARRATOR: In the developing world, some 25 million children below 5 years of age suffer from acute malnutrition. That's what delegates in the General Assembly's Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee stressed, as they wrapped up their discussion on the promotion and protection of children's rights. They noted that as Governments intensified their efforts to keep [...]
The United Nations is appealing to the Syrian government and opposition groups to fully observe the ceasefire proposed by the joint UN-Arab League envoy for Syria. UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson, who spoke to reporters in Geneva on Thursday, says the cessation of hostilities would be a positive indicator that both sides are [...]
The United Nations team investigating human rights violations in Syria has written to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad requesting for a face to face meeting. The Syrian government has not allowed the Commission of inquiry, which was established nearly a year ago by the UN Human Rights Council, to enter the country to document human rights [...]
Corruption in the judiciary threatens the rule of law and the protection of human rights. That warning came from Gabriela Knaul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, during the presentation of her annual report to the General Assembly on Wednesday. She said corruption in the judiciary remains what she called [...]
United Nations peacekeepers in the North Darfur region of Sudan have still not been able to access an area where dozens of civilians were reportedly killed last month. That's what the deputy head of UN peacekeeping operations, Edmond Mulet, told the Security Council on Wednesday. Mr. Mulet said that at the beginning of October a [...]
The Security Council has welcomed the initiative of the joint UN-Arab League envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, for a ceasefire in Syria during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha on Friday. In a statement on Wednesday, the Council says the ceasefire could be a first step towards a sustainable cessation of all violence in conformity with [...]
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is being compelled to scale down its activities because of a lack of resources. That's what UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, told the General Assembly during her presentation of her annual report on Wednesday. Ms. Pillay said the growing recognition of the [...]
1. Secretary-General calls for more support to the poor during tough economic times. 2. Perpetrators of sexual violence have no place to hide. 3. FAO steps up efforts to reduce world hunger. 4. First ever Wangari Maathai Award goes to Nepalese activist. 5. Health workers in rural Bangladesh working to reduce mother and child deaths. [...]
1. On UN Day Secretary-General reaffirms pledge to tackle global problems. 2. UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi calls for ceasefire in Syria. 3. More action needed to conserve world's biodiversity. 4. UN celebrates the first International Year of Girl Child. 5. World leaders vow to stamp our polio. Narrated and Produced by Ambalika Misra Durration: 15’00″
More people are likely to be forced to leave their homes in the future as a result of a number of factors, says a UN independent expert on the human rights of internally displaced persons. Chaloka Beyani spoke to reporters in New York on Wednesday after presenting his report to the General Assembly. He says [...]
Polio eradication is at a pivotal point, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative of the World Health Organization and could be eradicated by the end of 2013. Since World Polio Day on 24 October last year, the number of new cases of the disease has declined from 467 to 171, according to the Initiative. [...]
In his message for UN Day, observed on 24 October, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon states that the United Nations is not just a meeting place for diplomats. Mr. Ban proved this when he welcomed South Korean pop star PSY to the UN on Tuesday. Through his song 'Gangnam Style,' PSY has become an international sensation [...]
The government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria has agreed to observe a ceasefire during the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha. That's what the joint UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters in the Egyptian capital, Cairo on Wednesday. Last week Mr. Brahimi called for a cease-fire during Eid Al-Adha festival celebrated at the end [...]
Many countries are taking action to stop the erosion of livestock genetic resources, crucial for food and agriculture, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The agency says that many governments are beginning to put in place programmes to reverse the "alarming" decline in the numbers of indigenous livestock breeds. However, FAO points [...]
The recent targeted attacks on journalists in Somalia have been strongly condemned by the top United Nations envoy in the Horn of Africa country. This week one journalist was shot dead and another was critically injured. Dr. Augustine P. Mahiga the head of the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) says these attacks must stop [...]
United Nations helps to alleviate poverty in Pakistan Source: UNIC Islamabad Duration: 8’30″
Radio Programme on Women Empowerment Source: UNIC Islamabad Duration: 8’58″
UN Day 2012 – 65 Years of Improving Lives and Helping People Source: UNIC Islamabad Duration: 18’01″
Global efforts to eradicate polio remain on track although the disease remains endemic in Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This year 171 cases of polio have been reported worldwide, with three countries jointly reporting 166 cases. WHO is supporting the implementation of national polio emergency action plans to vaccinate [...]
Young people are creative and enthusiastic agents of change energetically demonstrating their desire to tackle global challenges and make their own mark on history, says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. His comments resonated on the day a young Japanese artist was presented a certificate and cheque by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for winning the United Nations "Art [...]
The world needs greater cooperation to tackle global problems, says UN Secretary-General in his message on UN Day. The day is observed each year on 24 October on the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter which officially brought the United Nations into being. Mr. Ban says the UN is not just [...]
The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan is urging the Sudanese government and rebel forces to stop violence in Kadugli in South Kordofan State. Ali Al-Za'tari says he is deeply concerned about the escalation of fighting in and around Kadugli where there was an exchange of shelling on Tuesday morning and afternoon. Charles Appel reports. [...]
A special programme about 24 October 1945, marking the 16th anniversary of the day the United Nations became a working organization, narrated by Canadian-American actor Hume Cronyn. Language: English Genre: Report 1961 Duration: 14’36″
A panorama of the world’s remaining problems twelve years after the creation of the United Nations. Language: English Genre: Drama 1957 Duration: 14’26″
“The road of Beethoven in his Ninth Symphony is also the road followed by the authors of the preamble of the Charter”, says former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in this introduction to a symphonic concert for UN Day. Language: English Genre: Speech 1960 Duration: 4’36″
To what extend the death penalty can infringe on the absolute prohibition of torture, is the theme of a report presented to the General Assembly on Tuesday by a United Nations independent expert. Juan Mendez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture said the issue is complicated because international law does not prohibit the death [...]
Thirteen thousand Syrian refugees are being supported by a voucher programme in Turkey with the help of the World Food Programme, according to Daly Belgasmi, WFP's Regional Director for the Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Mr. Belgasmi has just returned from a visit to three countries in the region with substantial numbers of [...]
A young Japanese artist was on Tuesday presented a certificate and check by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for winning the United Nations "Art for Peace" contest. The contest, which ran from February through April of this year, provided a platform for children and young people throughout the world to use their creative talent to [...]
Two Nepali men who were victims of human trafficking have arrived in Kathmandu after an eleven-month ordeal that took them through five countries. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the men were recruited by a human smuggling network in Nepal and charged a fee with the promise of legal migration and work in [...]
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is usually associated with issues relating to safeguards for nuclear installations or verification that nuclear technology is being used for peaceful purposes. But in Cameroon, the IAEA is helping to diagnose animal diseases, in a country where over a third of the population depend on livestock for their livelihoods. [...]
A senior United Nations humanitarian official is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to see what is being done to help hundreds of thousands of people in the eastern part of the country. John Ging, Director of Operations for the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA), started a five-day mission to the country on Monday. OCHA [...]
Inflows of foreign direct investment (FDI) declined by 8 per cent in the first half of 2012, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In its latest Global Investment Trend Monitor, UNCTAD projects that FDI flows will at best level off in 2012 at slightly below $1.6 trillion. The agency says the [...]
Four countries in northwest Africa are being urged to prepare for the likely arrival of swarms of Desert Locusts, the most devastating of the species. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has alerted Algeria, Libya, Mauritania and Morocco about the insects which appear to be headed their way from the Sahel region of West Africa [...]
The number of undernourished people in Madagascar continues to rise, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). The UN food agency says it is targeting to feed up to one million people in the island country on the Indian Ocean in 2013. However, WFP says it is facing a serious funding shortfall in its operation [...]
More than one-third of the population in Madagascar is undernourished and the World Food Programme (WFP) warns that the number could rise. WFP is aiming to feed up to one million people in the country in 2013 but the agency is facing a serious funding shortfall which threatens its school feeding programmes and other initiatives. [...]
Swarms of Desert Locusts are forming in the Sahel region of West Africa following good summer rains that provided favourable conditions for breeding. The warning has come from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which has alerted Algeria, Libya, Mauritania and Morocco to prepare for the likely arrival of the crop devouring insects. [...]
The recent spate of insecurity and growing tensions in Lebanon has forced the UN refugee agency to temporarily halt the registration of Syrian refugees in the country. Lebanese cities affected by the suspension include the capital Beirut, Tripoli, Akar and Saida in the south. UNHCR says the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has [...]
The United Nations should truly prioritize supporting African nations in unlocking their full potential. That's the message delivered by the President of the UN General Assembly, Vuk Jeremić on Monday during a meeting on the report of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for 2012. Mr. Jeremić stressed the "critical importance" of enhancing coordination between [...]
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says it has lost a tireless advocate for the world's hunger with the death of former United States Senator George McGovern. Mr. McGovern, who was 90 years of age, passed away at a hospice near his home in the U.S. state of South Dakota on Sunday. He served [...]
The outlook for the global economy for next two years is sobering. That was the conclusion of a recent analysis of the world's economy by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Economic growth worldwide, it said, is predicted to expand at a pace far below potential. Word of this came as the General [...]
There has been an outbreak of the deadly Marburg haemorrhagic fever which has killed five people in south-Western Uganda. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ugandan Ministry of Health have deployed a team to the district to investigate and come up with a response to the outbreak. The virus which causes the disease is [...]
The United Nations is moving towards what has been described as "rightsizing" of its peacekeeping operations. That's what the head of UN peacekeeping operations Hervé Ladsous told reporters on Monday. He said that for the first time in many years a UN peacekeeping operation will close, with the conclusion of the mission in Timor [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a peaceful resolution of the stand-off in the Libyan city of Bani Walid. According to reports, at least 20 people have been killed in the fighting between government forces and supporters of the previous government. UN Spokesperson Martin Nesirky says the Secretary-General is alarmed by the fighting in [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The current global economic recovery remains precarious, according to Permanent Representative of Guyana, Ambassador George Talbot. Ambassador Talbot is the Chairperson of the General Assembly's Committee which deals with economic and financial matters. He spoke on Monday at a joint meeting of the Committee and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the main [...]
As Afghanistan prepares to assume responsibility for its national security following the departure of foreign forces in 2014, an unexpected form of peace-building is taking root in some of the country's rural villages. In rural villages near the border with Pakistan, thousands of dairy farmers have formed cooperatives which are not only helping them earn [...]
Five people have died of Marburg haemorrhagic fever in the Kabale district of south-western Uganda, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The highly infectious disease causes high fever, diarrhoea, weakness and bleeding. WHO and the Ugandan Ministry of Health have deployed a team to the district to support the investigation of the outbreak and [...]
The new Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has assured the people and government of Kenya that they are not on trial for the violence that followed the December 2007 presidential election in the country. Ms. Fatou Bensouda spoke to reporters in Nairobi on Monday during her first official visit to Kenya as the [...]
The United Nations will stand by Lebanon through the difficult period, says Derek Plumbly, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon. Mr. Plumbly issued a statement on Monday amid reports of clashes in the Middle Eastern country following the assassination of a senior army officer last Friday. Donn Bobb reports. Brigadier-General Wissam al Hassan and others [...]
The joint UN-Arab League envoy for Syria has reiterated his call on the Syrian government and all sides in the conflict to observe unilateral ceasefires immediately. Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi has made the appeal for this week's celebration of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. Mr. Brahimi says he spoke with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad [...]
Southern African governments and their partners are being urged to work together to strengthen disaster preparedness and tackle food insecurity. The call has come from Catherin Bragg, the deputy United Nations humanitarian chief, who ended a five-day visit to Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe on Friday. Charles Appel reports. The UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator [...]
In Bamako, Mali on Friday, the Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told a meeting of the Support and Follow-up Group on Mali that, for many reasons, the situation in that country is unacceptable. He said that some 4.6 million people are at risk of food insecurity, while 560,000 children below the age of five are threatened [...]
The importance of conserving biological diversity has been a subject of discussion at a major meeting which ended in the Indian city of Hyderabad, India on Friday. The 11th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity or COP 11 brought together representatives of governments from around the world. The Hyderabad meeting reviewed [...]
Women's advancement is not an option; it is essential, the delegate of Haiti Nicole Romulus told the General Assembly's Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee during a discussion on the advancement of women. She stressed that "gender equality is not something we can afford to postpone", adding that integrating women into decision-making is important for Haiti. [...]
Representatives from the international community have expressed unity with Mali as the country responds to political, security and humanitarian challenges, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said on Friday. Eliasson was speaking to UN Radio from Mali's capital, Bamako, where he participated in a meeting which brought together the UN, the African Union and the Economic [...]
The General Assembly's committee that handles decolonization matters has forwarded 10 draft texts to the Assembly, with half of them being approved without a vote, reaffirming the rights of the people of Non-Self-Governing Territories to shape their destiny. The committee approved its annual omnibus draft resolution on Questions of a number of territories including several [...]
The UN Secretary-General and his Arab League counterpart are appealing for warring parties in Syria to observe a cease-fire during one of the holiest holidays in the Muslim calendar. In a statement on Friday, the two leaders also called on regional and international actors to support the appeal which was made by their Joint [...]
The role of the United Nations development system in advancing the global development agenda is one to which Jamaica attached great importance. Ambassador Raymond Wolfe told the UN General Assembly's Economic and Financial Committee that the support of the United Nations is particularly relevant as Jamaica pursues its development goals against the backdrop of the [...]
By all accounts, Cambodia is doing very well economically. For the first decade of the 21st century, it was the 15th fastest growing economy of the world, according to the World Bank. And, says the Bank, for the past two years, the country's economic performance has remained strong. But despite these impressive accomplishments, malnutrition [...]
By all accounts, Cambodia is doing very well economically. For the first decade of the 21st century, it was the 15th fastest growing economy of the world, according to the World Bank. And, says the Bank, for the past two years, the country's economic performance has remained strong. But despite these impressive accomplishments, malnutrition [...]
A $132 million appeal for Syria and the region remains $90 million underfunded, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced on Friday in Geneva. Meanwhile, the agency reported that the number of internally displaced Syrians continues to grow, half of whom are children. While the last official estimates put the figure at 1.2 million, UNICEF [...]
CARICOM has frequently underscored the importance of the provision of adequate and predictable funding for the UN system and in particular for its operational activities. So says the Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda Ambassador John Ashe. He told the General Assembly's Economic and Financial Committee that in spite of the continued appeals by CARICOM, [...]
Life continues to be hard for Syrians and their children as the conflict drags on. According to the United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA), inflation and rising market prices have reduced purchasing power in Syria. OCHA says the information comes from a Joint Rapid Food Security Needs Assessment which was organized by FAO and WFP in [...]
Caribbean history — from slavery to independence — bore ample testimony to the crucial role played by women in all aspects of development. That's what Guyana's Representative Ambassador George Talbot, told the General Assembly's Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee at the start of its three-day discussion on the advancement of women. Speaking on behalf of [...]
There is an urgent need to end the climate of impunity in Sudan's Darfur region, the UN Human Rights Office said in a statement on Friday. This follows the deadly attack earlier this week on a convoy from the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). Ravina Shamdasani is Acting Spokesperson for the UN Human [...]
In a world of plenty, no one should go hungry. That was the message UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered at the World Food Prize ceremony held on Thursday in the American city of Des Moines, Iowa. "Ending hunger and malnutrition can be done. It is the right thing to do, the smart thing to do, [...]
People who commit rape and other acts of sexual violence against women during conflicts must know that they have no place to hide anywhere in the world, says the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Zainab Bangura says although in most cases perpetrators target women, men and boys are increasingly becoming [...]
The number of Somali refugees living in the Dollo Ado refugee camp in southeast Ethiopia has passed the 170,000 mark, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. The agency says the Dollo Ado refugee complex is now the second largest refugee camp in the world after the Daadab complex in Kenya which hosts over 400,000 [...]
• Africa Week is being celebrated at the United Nations from the 15th to the 19th of October. It is happening as NEPAD, the New Partnership for Africa's Development, marks its 10th anniversary. NEPAD is a programme designed by African leaders to promote political and socio-economic transformation on the continent. UNICEF supports birth registration in [...]
Adultery should not be classified as a criminal offense at all, says the UN expert group on women's human rights. While adultery may constitute a civil offence with legal consequences in certain countries and circumstances, it should not be a crime punishable by severe bodily harm or death, says the UN Working Group on the [...]
Five countries have been elected to serve as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, the Republic of Korea and Rwanda will begin their two-year terms in January 2013. The decision follows a vote in the General Assembly on Thursday. Dianne Penn reports. The General Assembly is where all 193 UN member [...]
People who commit rape and other acts of sexual violence against women during conflicts must know that they have no place to hide anywhere in the world. That's the message that has been stressed by Zainab Bangura, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Ms. Bangura told reporters in Geneva on [...]
A UN expert group on women's rights is calling for countries to repeal laws that criminalize adultery. It says that under some penal codes, women and men are not treated equally for the offence, with women sometimes receiving harsher sanctions including fines, imprisonment or being put to death. Professor Frances Raday is vice-chair of the [...]
More than 60 years after United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt articulated what he called "The Four Freedoms," his words remain a guide post for people worldwide. That's what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday at the dedication of a New York City park honouring the late President who was instrumental in the founding [...]
UNICEF is supporting birth registration to facilitate access to social services and combat such abuses as child trafficking and early marriage in Malawi. The south-eastern African country has made much progress in reducing child mortality, which has dropped by some 60 percent in the last twenty years. By implementing the birth registration programme together with [...]
Building strong partnerships to eradicate hunger is the main objective of a project launched by Germany, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The project aims to strengthen existing policies and programmes among the 15 ECOWAS countries as they work to fight hunger through agricultural development. Charles [...]
The conflict in Syria is likely to descend into an all out sectarian conflict, as the international community remains divided on how to end the 18 month crisis, the UN Human Rights chief Navi Pillay has warned. Speaking at a news conference in Geneva, Ms. Pillay said the memories of what happened in Bosnia were [...]
The situation of children in some parts of the world has been described by a senior United Nations official as a "nightmare" that must be ended. The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui says it is not acceptable that children are paying the heavy price for war. According to Ms. [...]
Men and boys are increasingly becoming victims of sexual violence in conflict situations, according to the UN Special Representative on Sexual violence Zainab Hawa Bangura. She says sexual violence in conflict was no longer a gender issue as perpetrators seek to dehumanize their victims into submission. Speaking in Geneva, Ms. Bangura said the elimination of [...]
The Security Council is calling on the Sudanese authorities to investigate the killing of a peacekeeper serving with the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The South African peacekeeper was killed and three colleagues wounded when unidentified armed men ambushed their convoy in North Darfur on Wednesday morning. The UNAMID peacekeepers were going to assess [...]
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday devoted a meeting to focusing on strengthening the United Nations engagement with the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). NEPAD is a programme of the African Union (AU) adopted by African leaders in 2001 to promote political and socio-economic transformation on the continent. Derrick Mbatha reports Duration: [...]
The approval of a new Prime Minister in Somalia is "incontrovertible evidence" of the country's progress. That's according to Dr. Augustine Mahiga, head of the UN Political Office for Somalia, in a statement on Wednesday welcoming the decision. Charles Appel reports. The UN envoy characterized the Somali Parliament's overwhelming endorsement of Abdi Farah Shirdon "Saaid" [...]
The crisis in Syria either will be resolved or will spread beyond the country's borders and consume everyone, UN-Arab League Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi told journalists in Lebanon on Wednesday. Mr. Brahimi was speaking in the capital, Beirut, following a meeting with the country's President and other senior leaders. UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky said [...]
1. Syrian refugees brace for harsh winter 2. Pakistan flood victims begin to receive humanitarian aid 3. IOM launches major Asian initiative launched for disaster risk reduction 4. UN Women : Girls around the world want their rights to be protected 5. ITU : Six billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide and still growing 6. World [...]
1. Security Council condemns shelling of Turkish town by Syria 2. IOM : Evacuation of migrant workers from Syria hit by lack of funds 3. UN calls for restraint following attack on Turkish town 4. Security Council condemns killing of peacekeepers in Darfur 5. UN deputy chief : More work needed on Millennium Development Goals [...]
1. IAEA chief calls for more action to prevent nuclear terrorism 2. Secretary-General : No military solution to DRC crisis 3. UNHCR : Nearly $500 million needed to help Syrian refugees 4. Security Council to hold high-level meeting on Middle East 5. World leaders speak on global issues Narrated and Produced by Zafar Qureshi Duration: [...]
Africa Week is being celebrated at the United Nations from the 15th to the 19th of October. It is happening as NEPAD, the New Partnership for Africa's Development, marks its 10th anniversary. NEPAD is a programme spearheaded by African leaders to promote political and social economic transformation on the continent. Gerry Adams sat down with [...]
Justice is critical to breaking cycles of violence and fragility, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a Security Council meeting on Wednesday. Council members discussed the Rule of Law with a focus on the role of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Mr. Ban said the Security Council and the 10-year-old Court share a common interest and [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says poverty is easy to denounce but difficult to combat. On the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, observed each year on the 17th of October, the Secretary-General says rampant poverty is linked to social unrest and threats to peace and security. According to the ATD Fourth [...]
The United Nations must continue to prioritize Africa's singular needs, General Assembly president Vuk Jeremić told ambassadors in New York on Wednesday. He said the various UN agencies and programmes need to be engaged as never before in the task of supporting African nations to unlock their full potential. "In my view, the overall credibility [...]
At a time of economic austerity, the UN Secretary-General is urging countries not to forget about the poor. In a message on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 17 October, Ban Ki-moon points out that anti-poverty measures are being threatened as governments struggle to balance budgets. But, he says, this is precisely the [...]
A major shortfall in funding is threatening to stall global efforts to treat and prevent the spread of tuberculosis, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The organization says an additional US$ 4.4 billion is needed over the next three years to fund TB control measures including the research and development of new drugs. [...]
In less than a year, the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone is expected to complete its mandate. It was established by the United Nations and the government of Sierra Leone to prosecute perpetrators of war crimes during the country's 11-year civil war which started in 1991. The perpetrators of war crimes included leaders [...]
A $20 million agreement signed on Wednesday by Brazil and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will bring Brazilian expertise in cotton production to other developing countries. Cotton is fundamental to many developing nations' economies and thus occupies a strategic position in development and poverty-reduction initiatives of several governments, according to FAO. Charles Appel reports. [...]
The recent signing of agreements by Sudan and South Sudan "bodes very well" for the relationship between the two countries. That was the message South Sudanese ambassador Francis Deng told journalists following a Security Council meeting on Tuesday. Sudan and its southern neighbour last month signed cooperation agreements on oil, security and citizenship, among other [...]
The defence trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić opened in The Hague on Tuesday with Karadžić claiming he had done “everything within human power to avoid the war and to reduce the human suffering”. Karadžić has been charged with 10 counts of war crimes and genocide related to the Balkan wars of [...]
The only solution to the ongoing conflict in Syria is through negotiation for a political settlement. That's what has been stressed by Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, the chairperson of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria established by the UN Human Right Council in 2011. Mr. Pinheiro says civilians are paying the price for [...]
Africa's poverty rate dropped by nearly 10 per cent over a three-year period, according to a report launched on Tuesday by the United Nations and regional partners. It finds that Africa is making steady progress on the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) although some indicators remain off-target. However, the good news includes a decline in [...]
From Grenada’s perspective, the highlight of the past year, has been renewed international political commitment to sustainable development, the Permanent Representative of Grenada Ambassador Dessima Williams told the General Assembly's general debate. Indeed, she added, interest continues to gain momentum. Dessima Williams: Grenada's tremendous green and blue endowments and our people's living intelligently with them, [...]
The role of agricultural cooperatives is the focus of this year's World Food Day observed on 16 October. The day is being observed in 150 countries, under the theme, “Agricultural cooperatives – key to feeding the world” The observance coincides with "2012 International Year of Cooperatives" designated by the UN General Assembly. Derrick Mbatha reports [...]
Security Council members overwhelmingly welcomed the progress Somalia has made in successfully transitioning from conflict to peace. The Council met on Tuesday to discuss that progress and the role of AMISOM, the African Union Mission in Somalia, in supporting peaceful progress in the country. Gerry Adams reports Duration:
An estimated 200 million young people in developing countries have not completed primary education and will need alternative pathways to help them get the basic skills to land a job. That's according to a new report from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched on Tuesday. The report says it will cost $8 [...]
Barbados has been classified as a middle-income developing country. But according to Foreign Minister Maxine McClean, in reality, Barbados is a Small Island Developing State –SIDS, characterized by high debt, high vulnerability to external shocks, and susceptibility to the impacts of Climate Change and natural disasters. Maxine McClean: The global economic and environmental situation has [...]
The Security Council has been encouraged to support an African Union request to boost its maritime presence in Somalia. The call comes from Dr. Augustine Mahiga, head of the UN Political Office in Somalia, who addressed the Council on Tuesday. Dr. Mahiga reported that the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is nearly at its [...]
The Bahamas solemnly reaffirms her commitment to the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. So says Minister of Foreign Affairs Frederick Mitchell. He told the 67th session of the General Assembly that advancements continue nationally in important areas pertaining to the protection of its biodiversity and development of policies to promote renewable [...]
More than 50 trafficked children in Uganda have been returned to their extended families, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Tuesday. The children, who were from Karamoja, one of the poorest regions in Uganda, had been forced to beg on the streets. IOM said the youngsters are among the thousands of minors [...]
One of the United Nations' main areas of work is to promote development and well being of people on the ground. In fact, one of the main bodies of the United Nations is the Economic and Social Council, (ECOSOC) which deals with the issues identified in its name. Every four years, the United Nations Secretary-General [...]
The global debate on food security must also take the environment into consideration, a new report recommends. Launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on World Food Day, 16 October, the study calls for safeguarding the ecological foundations which support food production. It was written by 12 scientists and experts who say protecting biodiversity will [...]
Agricultural cooperatives could make a greater contribution to combating poverty and hunger provided they are given proper support by governments, civil society and academia. That's the message from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for World Food Day, observed annually on 16 October. This year's theme is 'Agricultural cooperatives: Key to feeding the world' and [...]
Over 1.4 million Syrians are now dependent on food assistance provided by the UN World Food Programme WFP. The organization says in areas where fighting is taking place, food prices have also most doubled and shortages of essential food stuffs such as bread is a regular occurrence due to lack of fuel to operate bakeries. [...]
Over 16,500 Syrians have applied for asylum within the European Union (EU) over the past 18 months, according to the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR). Countries with the largest applications include Germany with over 5,500, Sweden with 2,500 and Switzerland with 1,400. UNHCR is appealing for EU member states to be sensitive of the situation in Syria, [...]
There is no military solution to the conflict in Syria, according to the head of a UN Human Rights commission on Syria. Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, chairperson of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, says civilians are paying the price of nearly 20 months of armed conflict in the country. Mr. Pinheiro spoke to UN [...]
Countries have made progress in promoting and protecting women's rights but important challenges remain in achieving equality, according to a member of a UN expert body that monitors discrimination against women. Nicole Ameline, vice chair of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, says access to education is one area for improvement. She [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his deep condolences to the Royal family of Cambodia, and to the country's government and people, following the death of King Norodom Sihanouk. The former monarch died in Beijing, China, on Monday. Charles Appel reports. In a statement, the Secretary-General acknowledges King Sihanouk's long dedication to his country and [...]
Despite the sluggish global economy, sub-Saharan Africa has remained resilient, with growth expected to be around five per cent this year says the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest African Regional Economic Outlook. However, not every country is performing well. While low-income countries continue to expand, middle-income countries, and particularly those closely linked to [...]
The Joint UN-Arab League Special Representative for Syria is calling for a cease-fire ahead of one of the holiest holidays in the Muslim calendar. Lakhdar Brahimi made the appeal during a visit to Iran where he held talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other senior officials. The envoy appealed to the Iranian authorities to assist [...]
The possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could be diminishing, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Monday. UN Political Affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman said both sides maintain what he called a "rhetorical commitment to a negotiated peace". However, this commitment is not translating into steps leading to a renewed [...]
Eliminating hunger is one of the major challenges faced by governments and international agencies today. One of the eight Millennium Development Goals or MDGs that world leaders have set to be achieved by 2015 is the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today 870 million [...]
Government ministers, ambassadors and representatives from civil society are among the participants at a week-long meeting on combatting organized crime which began on Monday in Vienna. The event marks the sixth session of the conference of parties to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which has [...]
The UN Secretary-General is calling for greater investment in rural women, whom he describes as crucial in the fight to end hunger. The call comes in a message marking the International Day of Rural Women, observed on 15 October. Dianne Penn reports. The Secretary-General says that while rural women produce much of the world's food, [...]
With diarrhoeal diseases killing up to 2,000 children each day, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is reminding the world of a simple yet effective practice that can save countless lives. Monday, 15 October, is the fifth annual Global Handwashing Day and UNICEF says it is critically important that handwashing with soap becomes routine for all [...]
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is calling on countries to be creative and proactive in exchanging ideas and information on what is working in the global fight against drugs and crime. UNODC says that while transnational organized crime costs the world $870 billion, the misery and suffering experienced by its victims are [...]
The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving the number of hungry people worldwide by the 2015 deadline can be achieved if countries ramp up their efforts to reduce hunger. That's what the head of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), José Graziano da Silva, told the Committee on World Food Security as it started its [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned attacks on health facilities in Syria. In a statement on Monday, WHO says the escalation of the crisis in Syria has resulted in substantial damage to the country's health facilities. The agency is expressing deep concern about the serious implications they have on medical personnel, patients and the [...]
The Security Council on Friday held out the possibility of endorsing an international military force to restore the unity of Mali. In a resolution adopted unanimously, the Council says that the control of northern Mali by terrorists and Islamic militants is a threat to regional peace. It urges UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to work on [...]
In many parts of the world women are responsible for securing food and water. With disasters on the rise, the UN Office for Disaster Reduction believes they can play a key role in another important area: helping communities plan for these events. For this reason, women and girls are the focus this year on the [...]
As the crisis continues in Syria, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Syrian refugees has started a tour of the Gulf region. Panos Mumtzis and other humanitarian coordinators are meeting with government officials and other partners to find ways to ensure that Syrian refugees get help. Mr. Mumtzis says funding for relief aid to the [...]
Women and girls are being asked to take a leadership role in disaster management. The call comes from the head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, in her message marking the International Day for Disaster Reduction, observed on 13 October. She says women, who comprise more than half of the 200 [...]
One Day After Peace is a film by Robi Damelin, an Israeli mother whose son was shot and killed some 10 years ago by a Palestinian sniper at a military checkpoint in the West Bank. Instead of seeking revenge, Robi wrote to her son's killer requesting to meet with him to begin a dialogue. [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated the European Union on receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for 2012. In a statement read by his spokesman, Martin Nesirky, the Secretary-General called the EU "an indispensable partner to the UN," which has been given "a richly-deserved recognition of its accomplishments and its importance in Europe and around the [...]
The Europe countries have been urged to increase their use of the environmental friendly water ways. The call came at a meeting of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) which ended in Geneva on Friday. UNECE says that Europe has more than 29,000 kilometres of navigable waterways that can be used for commerce. Gerry [...]
A major initiative to help communities in Asia to prepare for and reduce the risk of natural disasters has been launched by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The announcement was made in Geneva on Friday on the eve of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction which is being observed on Saturday, 13 October. [...]
The floods that started in Pakistan nearly a month ago continue to create a humanitarian crisis in the provinces of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan. The United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA) says the floods have affected about five million people and left 1.1 million acres of farmland under water. Dianne Penn reports. Duration: 2’49″
One Day After Peace is a film by Robi Damelin, an Israeli mother whose son was shot and killed some 10 years ago by a Palestinian sniper at a military checkpoint in the West Bank. Instead of seeking revenge, Robi wrote to her son's killer requesting to meet with him to begin a dialogue. [...]
Nearly five million people have been affected by flooding in Pakistan's Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan provinces, according to the UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The flooding which started nearly a month ago has also left over 1.1 million acres of farmland under water and killed nearly 10,000 heads of cattle. OCHA says [...]
United Nations agencies are stockpiling relief supplies to assist the over 340,000 Syrian refugees live through the coming harsh winter months. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says the refugees, who are spread across Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq, will need specially adapted tents, warm clothing, high thermal blankets, hot water bottles and fuel for heating [...]
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is writing to the family of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenage activist who was shot this week. Malala, an advocate for girls' education and winner of the Pakistani government's highest civilian award, was seriously wounded by Taliban gunmen who shot her and two classmates on Tuesday. The Secretary-General paid [...]
• Human rights violations have become systematic in northern Mali, according to a senior UN human rights official who has visited the country. He says Islamic extremists who control the region have imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law. The official says there are also cases of drastic punishments including executions, amputations and public floggings. [...]
One out of every three young women between 20 and 24 was married before the age of 18, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a UN meeting on ending child marriage. The event took place on the first International Day of the Girl Child, observed on 11 October, which focused on the issue of child marriage. [...]
Many girls grow up dreaming about their wedding day. But for millions of girls across the world, the dream can become a living nightmare if they are married off while still children. In 2010, nearly 70 million girls in developing countries, excluding China, were married before they turned 18, according to the UN Population Fund [...]
Inequalities persist in Namibia 20 years after independence, according to a United Nations independent expert on extreme poverty and human rights. Magdalena Sepúlveda visited Namibia from 1 to 8 October to collect first-hand information on the situation of people living in extreme poverty in the Southern African country. During her mission, she met with the [...]
It does not make sense to sideline women who make up over 50 per cent of the world population. That's what Archbishop Desmond Tutu said at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Thursday where he participated in the observance of the first International Day of the Girl Child. Archbishop Tutu said that it [...]
Approximately 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired nearly 40 million of whom are blind, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). World Sight Day is being observed on 11 October this year to focus attention on the issues of visual impairment and what is being done to restore sight. Gerry Adams reports World Sight [...]
Too many girls around the world suffer sexual abuse and violence but they want their rights to be promoted and protected. That's the message from Michelle Bachelet, the head of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, known as UN Women, on the first International Day of the Girl Child. The [...]
The number of people who are using information and communications technology is continuing to grow, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). In its Measuring the Information Society Report, the ITU says 86 out of every 100 people worldwide are mobile phone subscribers. South Korea is the world's most advanced ICT economy followed by Sweden, [...]
More than a third of the world's population is now connected to the Internet, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). In its annual Measuring the Information Society Report, which tracks development in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry, the ITU says 86 out of every 100 people worldwide are mobile phone subscribers. The [...]
The brutal shooting this week of schoolgirls in Pakistan highlights the lengths to which some people will go to stop girls from getting an education. Poor access to schooling is one example of how the human rights of millions of girls worldwide are being trampled on. Another is early marriage, which increases the risk of [...]
There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of a newly discovered virus called 'novel coronavirus,' the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday. WHO says novel coronavirus can cause acute respiratory infection and renal failure. Beng Poblete-Enriquez reports. A 60 year old man in Saudi Arabia was stricken and died from the virus earlier [...]
The shooting of a 14-year old girl in Pakistan has outraged UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who is writing to her family to show support. Malala Yousafzai, who is a campaigner for education in her country, was seriously wounded by Taliban gunmen who shot her and two other girls on Tuesday. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) [...]
The Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) has called for measures to ensure that girl children around the world attain social justice and progress. The call comes ahead of the first ever observance of the International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October. Gerry Adams reports. ILO Chief Guy Ryder says long-term gender [...]
Human rights abuses have become systematic in northern Mali where Islamic extremists have imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law. That's what a senior United Nations human rights official who has just concluded a four-day visit to the country told UN Radio on Wednesday. Ivan Šimonović says that at the beginning of the conflict when [...]
Policymakers and experts from 23 Asian countries are meeting this week to further plans for a sustainable regional transport and logistics network. An integrated transportation system would help spur growth while improving access to economic opportunities and social services for all people, according to the UN office for the region. The three-day meeting, which opened [...]
The United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone has informed the Security Council that it will soon complete the case of former Liberian President Charles Taylor. It is the final case related to war crimes committed during the 11-year civil war in Sierra Leone which started in 1991 and reportedly left about 50,000 people dead. [...]
Depression is a global crisis, says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message on World Mental Health Day observed on 10 October. According to the World Health Organization, some 350 million people of all ages, incomes and nationalities suffer from depression. Dianne Penn reports. The Secretary-General says in the most extreme cases of depression, people [...]
Islamic extremists controlling the northern part of Mali are carrying out cruel punishments and abusing women, according to a senior United Nations human rights official. Ivan Šimonović spoke to reporters in New York on Wednesday following a four-day visit to Mali. He said Islamic militants have imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law and carrying [...]
1. UN chief reiterates call for the end of crisis in Syria 2. Governments propose to expand list of endangered plants and animals. 3. Displacement of Myanmar's Rakhine state still rising: UNHCR. 4. Teachers honored for helping build strong communities. 5. Landmark report covers 10 years of human rights violations in Nepal. 6. A carpet [...]
1. International Day of Non-Violence observed at UN. 2. World leaders grapple with threat of nuclear terrorism 3. Putting education at the top of global agenda 4. Student from India writes imagined speech for UN opening debate Narrated and Produced by Ambalika Misra Duration: 14’52″
The transport decisions of today will impact the livelihoods and lifestyles of tomorrow, according to Noeleen Heyzer, the head of the UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Ms. Heyzer spoke at a three-day meeting of ESCAP's Committee on Transport which started in Bangkok, Thailand on Wednesday. She said transport can reduce poverty [...]
A senior United Nations official has condemned "in the harshest terms" the shooting of three Pakistani school girls by Taliban gunmen on Tuesday. The girls were reportedly shot by gunmen in a school bus in front of their school in the city of Mingora in Pakistan's volatile Swat Valley, Charles Appel reports. Fourteen year-old Malala [...]
Pakistan has become the first country in South Asia to introduce a new vaccine that targets a major childhood killer: pneumonia. The pneumococcal vaccine will help in the fight against a largely preventable illness which robs the world of more than a million children under five years old each year. Dianne Penn reports. Duration: 2’07″
Everyone feels sad every now and then, but constant feelings of sadness, guilt or low self-worth, as well as disturbed sleep or appetite, could be symptoms of depression, according to mental health professionals. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that approximately 350 million people across the planet are currently suffering from depression, or have had [...]
One of the major barriers against treatment for depression is that people don't seek help according to Dr. Shekar Saxena of the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Saxena, WHO's Director for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, says depression is a disease in which sadness is sustained for two weeks or more and which affects a [...]
More than 100 Iraqi refugees began a process of being resettled from Turkey to Germany on Tuesday. Many of the refugees, who include families with children, have lived in Turkey for years. IOM Spokesman Jumbe Omari Jumbe says the refugees, who took a charter flight from Ankara to Hanover, will undergo a two-week of orientation [...]
Human rights abuses in northern Mali are continuing, but have changed in nature, says Ivan Šimonović, the UN's Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights. Mr. Šimonović recently returned from a four-day visit to Mali, where he says women are the primary victims since extremist Islamic groups have taken control of the region. Charles Appel reports. Ivan [...]
The former Prime Minister of Italy, Romano Prodi, has been appointed Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Sahel region of Africa. Countries of the North African region stretching from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean are facing turmoil, extreme climatic conditions and fragile economies. UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky says Mr. Prodi [...]
Six people have been confirmed drowned and ten are still missing after a small vessel carrying 24 passengers capsized off the French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean on Monday. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says this is the second such tragedy in a month, bringing to 69 the number of people who have [...]
The UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone will soon complete its final case, that of former Liberian President Charles Taylor. That's what the Court's President Justice Shireen Avis Fisher told the UN Security Council on Tuesday. “That final judgement will determine Mr. Taylor's guilt or innocence. The Court will then transition to residual status and [...]
Pakistan on Tuesday became the first country in South Asia to introduce a vaccine to protect children from pneumonia. The initiative has been launched by the Pakistani Ministry of Health, the GAVI Alliance, which is a public-private global health partnership, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. UNICEF spokesperson, Marixie Mercado says that pneumonia is [...]
Hunger remains a serious problem in the world today with almost 870 million people chronically malnourished, according to a report released on Tuesday. The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012 (SOFI) has been jointly published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, (FAO) the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World [...]
Representatives from up to 160 countries are meeting in Hyderabad, India, to review progress on a 10-year plan for the planet's biodiversity; that is the various forms of life on Earth such as plants, animals and even microbes. One of the aims of the conference is to mobilize more resources to implement targets under the [...]
The world economy is not expected to grow significantly, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In its latest World Economic Forecast, the IMF projects global growth to reach 3.3 per cent this year. The twin fears over the future of the Euro zone and what has been described as "the fiscal cliff" in [...]
Nearly 870 million people around the world – one in eight — are chronically undernourished, according to a report released on Tuesday. The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012, jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) says the [...]
United Nations has been forced to temporarily relocate its staff working in the Sudanese city of Kadugli in South Kordofan province after motor shells landed near the UN premises in the city. The UN Office for the Co-ordination for Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA) says several motor rounds landed near the UN Children's fund (UNICEF) offices, a local [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the announcement of a peace agreement between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The Framework Peace Agreement is aimed at ending decades of fighting in Mindanao, South Philippines. Charles Appel reports. The Secretary-General commended President Benigno Aquino for his [...]
A new strain of wheat rust – known as Ug99 – is decimating African wheat fields. Ug99 was first detected in Eastern Africa in 1998 and has since spread around the continent but help could be at hand in the form of nuclear science. The Joint Division of the IAEA and the UN's Food and [...]
A senior UN official has met with Lebanon's Prime Minister to discuss international and financial arrangements for the growing number of Syrian refugees as winter approaches. Derek Plumbly, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut on Monday. Gerry Adams reports. Derek Plumbly thanked Lebanon for honouring its [...]
A landmark 235 page report analysing the conflict that occurred in Nepal from 1996 to 2006 was released on Monday. The report, released by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is accompanied by a database of some 30,000 documents. Hanny Megally, an official at the High Commissioner's Office, says it is designed as [...]
More than two decades after independence, in Namibia, poverty wears a woman's face, according to Magdalena Sepúlveda, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. Gerry Adams reports. Women continue to be economically marginalized, have unequal access to land and are disproportionately affected by unemployment and HIV-AIDS, says Magdalena Sepúlveda. Ms. Sepúlveda has just [...]
The situation in Syria has dramatically worsened and is posing a serious risk to the stability of the country's neighbours and the entire region. That warning has come from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who addressed the World Forum on Democracy held in Strasbourg, France on Monday. Derrick Mbatha reports. Duration: 2’40″
It's been about a week since Al Shabaab militants retreated from the Somali port city of Kismayo, and Kenyan soldiers on duty there are working to make sure a potentially explosive situation is kept under control. The troops are locating improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by the militants. Kismayo, the third largest city in Somalia, [...]
The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkol Karman from Yemen has called for support for the Syrian people and for the United Nations to act whenever injustice is found. Ms. Karman made the appeal on Monday during the World Forum for Democracy taking place in Strasbourg, France. She said democratic and civil rights for all citizens [...]
The International Labour Organization (ILO) says it is time to promote employment for older people in the same way youth employment is being promoted. The ILO says that's because young and older workers face the same problems of unemployment. Beng Poblete Enriquez reports. The ILO says many of the countries that are suffering from [...]
The crisis in Syria has dramatically worsened and is threatening to engulf neighbouring countries and the entire region, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned. Mr Ban said the escalation of hostilities along the Turkish Syrian border and the impact of the crisis on Lebanon had shaken stability in the region. Speaking at the opening of the [...]
For years, India's carpet industry and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have been engaged in the fight against illegal child labour. Carpet weaving involves many steps, each one of them potentially hazardous- there is constant danger of cuts and injuries from sharp tools, repetitive work and machinery. But child labour is also a risk, especially among [...]
There are 61 million children around the world today who are not in school. To get everybody educated, an "Education First" initiative was recently launched in New York where world leaders and partners were given an assignment of putting every child in school regardless of race, gender, background or circumstance. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who [...]
The Security Council has strongly condemned what it calls "terrorist attacks" that took place in the Syrian town of Aleppo on Wednesday which reportedly left close to 50 people dead. In a statement issued on Friday, the Council reaffirmed that terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, is one of the most serious threats to [...]
Ukraine is being urged by the United Nations human rights office to rectify a draft law that criminalizes any reference to homosexuality in the media or public domain. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says the bill runs counter to Ukraine’s international commitments to ensure freedom of expression and information. Spokesperson [...]
Massive teacher shortages are quietly looming over countries struggling to provide every child with quality primary education by 2015, says UNESCO, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. On the occasion of World Teachers' Day, the 5th of October, Albert Motivans of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics told me the current problem is just the [...]
The head of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has reiterated his call for countries to keep their borders open for refugees and to provide financial assistance to the agency. Antonio Guterres told reporters in Geneva on Friday that there were 800,000 new refugees last year and by the end of September this year 700,000 people [...]
Both the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council are calling for restraint following the deadly shelling this week of a Turkish town by Syrian forces. Five people were killed, all of them women and children, when mortar fire from Syria hit the town of Akcakale, located on the border between the two countries. Dianne Penn [...]
Four months after inter-communal violence erupted in western Myanmar's Rakhine state people continue to flee, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The agency says the villagers affected by the violence leave their homes in search of food, healthcare and other assistance. UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards says that humanitarian agencies are providing assistance to [...]
Polar bears, sharks and Madagascan hardwood timber are among several animal and plant species that are being proposed to be added to the list of flora and fauna protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Over 50 states have submitted to the CITES Secretariat 67 proposals to adjust the rules governing [...]
People around the world are being urged to take a stand for teachers whose profession is losing status. The call has come from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which is celebrating World Teachers Day on 5 October. UNESCO's Director General, Irina Bokova says education, which is provided by teachers, is vital in [...]
Teachers and trainers are responsible for providing knowledge, skills and values that build strong and stable communities, says the head of the International Labour Organization (ILO). In a message to mark World Teachers Day on October 5, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder says that education is one of the most important gifts that can be [...]
NARRATOR: Whatever the debate being waged internationally regarding the question of climate change; however dramatic the rhetorical jousting within various circles on this issue, we, in the Caribbean, can attest to the radical climatic shifts that our region has undergone in recent decades. That's what St. Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas told the [...]
The shelling by Syrian forces of a border town in Turkey on Wednesday has been strongly condemned by the Security Council. In a press statement late on Thursday, it says this incident highlighted the grave impact the crisis in Syria has on the security of its neighbours and on regional peace and stability. The Council [...]
Over 6,000 foreign workers residing in Syria have requested for evacuation out of the country, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). To date IOM has helped some 2,000 vulnerable migrant workers leave Syria. The airlift is however seriously short of funding having managed to raise 3.3 million dollars out of the 20.7 million [...]
NARRATOR: Many of the decisions that affect St. Lucia and the world are still made solely and unilaterally in the capitals of others, and at times multilaterally in groups of 5, or 8, or 20, or 30. That's what Prime Minister Kenny Anthony told the UN General Assembly during ts annual debate. He noted [...]
NARRATOR: Transnational crime is threatening the very existence of peace in Antigua and Barbuda. Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer told the UN General Assembly that the twin-Island State's size, lack of human and financial resources makes it difficult for it, as a small island nation to address this impediment in an effective manner. TAPE: The crime [...]
The World Bank Board of Directors this week endorsed a new two-year strategy for Haiti that will continue to reduce the population's vulnerability to disasters, provide 1.5 million people with cholera education, prevention and treatment, and support the repair and reconstruction of houses so that 45,000 people can return to safe homes. The strategy will [...]
For centuries, quinoa and amaranth have been cultivated in the High Andes of Peru. These highly nutritious cereals were even consumed by the Incas. Today, demand for these products is on the increase in places like North America, Japan and in European countries. Plant breeder, Professor Luz Gomez Pando, is trying to develop new varieties [...]
Heads of state, medical experts and donors promised to do all they can to eradicate polio during a high-level meeting organized on the sidelines of the recently concluded UN general debate. Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan are the only countries where the disease remains endemic. Polio is a vaccine-preventable yet infectious, crippling and potentially fatal [...]
Tanzania is determined to bring an end to maternal mortality, which robs as many as 23 families a day of their mothers. President Jakaya Kikwete told a press conference at the United Nations that women dying while giving birth is unacceptable. Tanzania and its health partners have been scaling up efforts to protect pregnant women [...]
Long hours, low pay, harsh conditions: welcome to the reality of millions of teachers worldwide. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is calling for more support for teachers whom it calls "change agents," improving the lives of countless children and communities. On World Teacher's Day, observed on 5 October, UNESCO and its [...]
The representative of France says it's time for the Security Council to approve the deployment of a military force in Mali to help the government recapture parts of the country controlled by rebels. Islamist rebels captured the northern and eastern parts of Mali after a military coup in March created a power vacuum. French Ambassador [...]
From the GPS system in cars to the navigational equipment in airplanes, satellite navigation technology is critical to keeping humanity on the move. Since 2000, the United Nations has celebrated World Space Week (4-10 October) to show how space science and technology have an impact on life here on Earth. Anne Thomas recently sat down [...]
World Space Week started on Thursday with the unveiling of a navigation satellite model for display at the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in Vienna, Austria. The Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) is based on a constellation of active satellites which continuously transmit coded signals. Satellite navigation systems are used for various purposes, [...]
Mozambique has been commended for sustaining 20 years of peace. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated the country on the accomplishment, which commemorates the signing of a peace accord after years of civil war following independence from Portugal in 1975. The government and the Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO), which was supported by the apartheid regime [...]
• The future of Somalia rests on empowering its large youth population, according the UN Development Programme's 2012 Somalia Human Development Report. The report was launched on the margins of the UN General Assembly's annual debate. It contains a Youth Charter developed by youth representatives from various regions in Somalia as well as from the [...]
Peace is like a marriage that needs to be nurtured and nourished over a long period of time, says the top United Nations official in Mozambique. Jennifer Topping, the UN Resident Coordinator, spoke as Mozambique celebrated 20 years of peace after a devastating 16-year civil war. Ms Topping said Thursday was a day of a [...]
The shift from a transitional government in Somalia to one that was approved by the people has been a momentous achievement by the Somali people. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, made this point at a press conference in neighbouring Nairobi, Kenya. Not only was the transition successful, he said, but [...]
Risks of regional conflict and the threat to international peace and security are increasing as tensions escalate along the Syrian-Turkish border. The warning has come from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon following the deadly shelling of a town in Turkey from Syria on Wednesday and Turkish response on targets in Syria. The Secretary-General is calling on [...]
The date for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia to nominate a Prime Minister is just around the corner, said the top United Nations envoy in Somalia. Ambassador Augustine Mahiga told reporters in Nairobi, Kenya that ending the transition in Somalia was a momentous success story which the Horn of Africa country has not witnessed [...]
Global food prices rose by 1.4 per cent in September, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO says this is a slight increase following two months of stability. Donn Bobb reports. The FAO Food Price Index, based on the prices of a basket of internationally traded commodities, climbed to 216 [...]
Authorities in Serbia have been urged to facilitate the re-scheduling of a pride parade for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community that was planned for Saturday. The call has come from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, after the Serbian Ministry of Interior banned all public gatherings on that day [...]
The killing of four Nigerian peacekeepers in West Darfur on Tuesday has been strongly condemned by the UN Security Council. The peacekeepers of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) were ambushed as they returned from their patrol duties in the evening. In a statement read by its President for October, Ambassador Gert Rosenthal [...]
WHY POVERTY? is a groundbreaking cross-media event reaching more than 500 million people around the world via television, radio, internet and live events in November 2012. Launching during one intense week, people around the world will be asking the question ‘Why Poverty?’ The Why Poverty? launch event took place at the UN Secretariat on the [...]
Over 50 million people are to be immunized against seasonal meningitis in West Africa over the next three months. The immunization campaign is to cover seven countries including Benin, Cameroun, Chad, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan. The campaign is a joint effort between the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), The World Health Organization(WHO), [...]
Adapting to climate change will be high on the agenda when more than 1,000 representatives from countries that are party to the UN Convention on Biodiversity meet next week in Hyderabad, India. They will also review progress on the so-called Aichi Biodiversity Targets which are 20 goals aimed at safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity [...]
The United Nations remains a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations, says Vuk Jeremić the President of the 67th session of the General Assembly. Mr. Jeremić spoke to reporters for the first time since becoming the President of the Assembly. He said the general debate which brought world leaders to New York that ended [...]
Progress has been made in assessing the risk of living modified organisms, also known as LMOs, according to an information officer for the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. David Ainsworth spoke to UN Radio as more than 1,000 delegates gathered in Hyderabad, India to review the Protocol on Biosafety adopted in Montreal, Canada [...]
Special temporary measures, such as quotas, can help boost the number of women in parliament and decision-making positions. That's what Michelle Bachelet, the Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), said in India on Wednesday. Gerry Adams reports. Michelle Bachelet addressed the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference [...]
Four peacekeepers of the joint African Union /United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) in Sudan have been killed. On the evening of 2 October, members of the Nigerian contingent were on a military patrol near the regional headquarters of UNAMID when they were attacked by unknown assailants. Several more peacekeepers were wounded in the attack [...]
The security situation in Haiti is stable but vulnerable as the country continues to face the problem of extreme poverty. That's what the head of the United Nations Mission in the Caribbean country, Mariano Fernandez told the Security Council on Wednesday. Mr. Fernandez said that after eight years of work by the UN Stabilization Mission [...]
The jobs situation for young people in the major economies, known as the G20, remains critical, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The G20 is a group of 19 countries plus the European Union which represent two thirds of the world's population and more than 80 per cent of the world's gross domestic product, [...]
Each year, nearly 300,000 women across the globe die during what is normally a happy occasion: giving birth. That's more than the population of several of the small island states in the Pacific and the Caribbean. In Tanzania, it is estimated that 23 families a day are robbed of their mothers who die due to [...]
The killing of four peacekeepers in West Darfur has been strongly condemned by the joint United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The Mission says the peacekeepers were ambushed by unidentified assailants on Tuesday evening near El Geneina. UNAMID spokesperson Chris Cycmanick says that Nigerian peacekeepers were returning from their patrol duties when they were [...]
The teaching profession, which provides education — one of the pillars of sustainable development– is under siege. That warning has come from the head of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder. In a statement issued ahead of World Teachers Day, Mr. Ryder says teachers are facing a number of difficulties, including low salaries, long [...]
With only three years and three months to go before the deadline for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) much more still needs to be done. That's the assessment of United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, who spoke to reporters in New York on Tuesday. In 2000 world leaders agreed on a set of [...]
Each year, nearly 300,000 women across the globe die during what is normally a happy occasion: giving birth. That's more than the population of several of the small island states in the Pacific and the Caribbean. In Tanzania, it is estimated that 23 families a day are robbed of their mothers who die due [...]
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has been awarded the Agricola Medal by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The medal, the highest award given by FAO, was presented by the agency's Director-General, José Graziano da Silva in Beijing on Tuesday. Gerry Adams reports. Presenting the Agricola Medal, FAO Chief José Graziano da Silva said it [...]
Somalia has a chance to get out a "failed state syndrome", according to United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson. Mr. Eliasson briefed reporters on Tuesday about the activities at the United Nations during the past ten days when world leaders gathered in New York for the annual debate in the General Assembly. He said one [...]
A programme to reduce the number of women who die during childbirth in Tanzania has met with success. Bloomberg Philanthropies is funding the programme to train health workers in Tanzania, particularly in rural areas. At a UN press conference on Tuesday Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete thanked Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York for his [...]
In the wake of the global economic crisis, some countries implemented policies aimed at stimulating economic growth. However, these moves have not been successful in bringing about recovery. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) recently released a report which explores the links between the global economy, income distribution, growth and development. Dianne Penn [...]
The assassination of a local parliamentarian in The Maldives has been condemned by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Afrasheem Ali was stabbed outside his home on Tuesday. The IPU calls his death the latest and most tragic act of violence in the island nation stemming from the resignation of the democratically-elected President in February. Dianne Penn [...]
The International Day of Non-Violence observed on 2 October coincides with the birthday of renowned Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi. The observance promotes non-violence through education and public awareness. At an event to commemorate the day in New York, Indian Foreign Minister Shri S.M. Krishna said Mahatma Gandhi was impatient for change, yet he shunned violence [...]
A special meeting marking the 15th anniversary of the Chemical Weapons Convention took place at the United Nations on Monday. The Chemical Weapons Convention is an arms control agreement which outlaws the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons. The Convention was many decades in the making, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, but only entered [...]
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has condemned the killing of a Member of Parliament in the Maldives earlier on Tuesday. The IPU says the death of Afrasheem Ali is the latest and most tragic act of violence in a country that has been in a political crisis since the start of the year. Charles Appel reports. [...]
The number of Syrians registered or awaiting registration as refugees in four neighbouring countries has increased three-fold in just three months, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). The agency says there are now more than 300,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq compared to around 100,000 in June. UNHCR spokesperson Adrian [...]
