Agreements have been reached to end the conflict in the Central African Republic where a coalition of armed rebel groups known as Séléka took control of a number of cities and towns. Representatives of the government, the Séléka, the opposition and civil society have been meeting in the Libreville, Gabon for the talks. The top [...]
The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean Edward Greene was in New York early January as part of a team of envoys dealing with HIV/AIDS in Asia and the Pacific and Africa, among other regions. They discussed with the Secretary-General their portfolios and the way forward in collaboration with the Office [...]
The Convention on the Law of the Sea is as relevant today as it was 30 years ago. That according to Jamaica's representative Ambassador Raymond Wolfe. Speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), he told the General Assembly that the Convention, whose provisions defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use [...]
More than 1.5 million people in Zimbabwe urgently need food assistance as a result of poor rains and a drop in agricultural production, according to the United Nations food agency. The World Food Programme (WFP) says that most of the vulnerable people are in rural areas of the Southern African country. The East and Southern [...]
Prasad Rao, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region, clearly remembers the day he met an HIV-positive orphan in Thailand who was only expected to live for five years. Fifteen years later, the picture is brighter for people living with HIV, thanks to greater access to life-saving anti retroviral [...]
The international community has been urged to provide more diplomatic and financial support to efforts to end the crisis in the Central African Republic. The call came from the top United Nations envoy in the country Margaret Vogt, during her briefing to the Security Council via a video link on Friday. The current crisis in [...]
The Syrian refugee situation has seen a dramatic turn as severe weather conditions hit the refugee camps around the area. The UN refugee agency says despite the winter preparations done in recent months, many refugees are facing particularly cold and damp conditions. The agency also says people fleeing Syria are still arriving in neighbouring States [...]
This weekend marks three years since the devastating earthquake in Haiti which killed more than 200,000 people and left more than a million homeless. The international humanitarian response continues in the country as numerous obstacles remain, particularly in finding housing solutions for the 350,000 people who still live in camps. Dianne Penn spoke on the [...]
The Joint Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi says he's not too sure there's a solution to the Syrian crisis around the corner. He was at the time responding to reporters' questions after meeting in Geneva Friday with representatives of the United States and Russian Federation. ” If you are asking me if there's [...]
There's been yet another call for an end to the bloodshed, the destruction and all forms of violence in Syria. Joint Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters in Geneva shortly after meeting with representatives of the United States and the Russian Federation that they're "all very, very deeply aware of the immense suffering [...]
Hundreds of thousands of displaced people and refugees are in need of urgent assistance in the Central African Republic, according to the United Nations refuge agency (UNHCR). The agency is concerned about the plight of these people to whom it has no access. UNHCR says it welcomes the one-week ceasefire announced on Thursday in Gabon [...]
The United Nations says it's dismayed at the beheading of a young Sri Lankan woman in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says Rizana Nafeek, who arrived in Saudi Arabia from Sri Lanka in 2005 to work as a housemaid was charged with the murder of [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is deeply concerned about ongoing terrorist violence in Pakistan. A statement from the Spokesperson's Office says the Secretary-General strongly condemns the multiple attacks in Quetta (Balochistan) and the Swat Valley that have reportedly killed at least 100 people and injured at least 200 more. He also strongly condemns Wednesday's targeted [...]
The UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has expressed alarm over the deadly fighting between Beni Hussein and Abbala ethnic groups in the Jebel Amer area in North Darfur. And it has urged the Sudanese Government, North Darfur authorities and leaders from both ethnic groups to end fighting and give dialogue a chance. At the same [...]
The Security Council has warned that the capture of the city of Konna by terrorist groups in Mali is a direct threat to international peace and security. The warning follows reports that the militant Islamist Ansar Dine on Thursday entered the key central town about 500 miles north-east of the capital, Bamako. In a statement [...]
More than 50 million people worldwide, mostly women, are employed as domestic workers, according to the latest figures from the International Labour Organization (ILO). But ILO says despite their numbers, domestic workers are among the least protected of employees. Long hours, poor working conditions and insufficient legal protection are some of the realities they face. [...]
It's customary for children in Niger to help out with the chores, whether at home or in the field. As a result, countless youngsters are kept out of school and are at risk of exploitation and abuse. A pilot programme supported by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is giving children in Niger a chance to [...]
