The UN refugee agency and the Open Society Justice Initiative are jointly appealing to the United States Government to take further action to end the hardships facing stateless people in the United States. In a report released Monday, Citizens of Nowhere: Solutions for the Stateless in the U.S. the two organizations recommend changes that [...]
It is ironic that people know more about outer space than the oceans, the "blue lungs of the planet." That observation comes from Tommy Koh, President of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, speaking on Monday in the General Assembly. Ambassadors met to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention [...]
The ongoing crisis in the Sahel region of Africa was under the spotlight in the Security Council on Monday. The semi-arid region, south of the Sahara desert which stretches from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, is facing a number of problems, including drought, hunger and conflict in Mali. Derrick Mbatha reports. Duration: 3’43″
Renowned American-born opera singer Barbara Hendricks is the longest serving Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN refugee agency. On the occasion of Human Rights Day, the 10th of December, she recalled feeling like a refugee as she grew up in the then racially segregated south of the United States. Dianne Penn reports on how important [...]
In Geneva, the Human Rights Council has elected a new President Ambassador Remiqiusz Henczel of Poland was elected at an organizational meeting Monday and takes up his duties on 1 January. He told delegates that as president, he will spare no effort to further contribute to the full implementation of the Council's founding resolution which [...]
"Truth, justice and accountability are key in upholding the human rights of women and their right to a life free from violence, particularly in countries in post-conflict situations". The view was expressed by the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, its causes and consequences, Rashida Manjoo, and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General [...]
Policy makers, senior UN officials and students have gathered in Paris on Monday to promote the right of all girls to go to school. 'Stand up for Malala—Stand up for girls' right to education!' was the rallying cry for the advocacy event which took place at the headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for the strengthening of resilience in Africa's Sahel region, where nearly 20 million people continue to face food insecurity. Speaking in the Security Council on Monday, Mr. Ban said the governments and people of the region need the full support of the international community. "The warning lights for the [...]
UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay has decried the continued exclusion of women and other minority groups from active participation in public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives. Ms Pillay said such exclusion not only denied them the basic human rights, but also services that would give them the opportunity to build a better [...]
