Globally, over one billion people live without access to electric light, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Replacing the millions of kerosene lamps, candles and flashlights used worldwide to provide an energy-efficient source of lighting is an idea whose time has come. The UN environment agency says these unsustainable fuels produce carbon emissions, create [...]
Liberia, with the help of the United Nations continues to rebuild after a civil war in the 1990's which killed hundreds of thousands of people and led to complete breakdown in law and order. As part of the rebuilding efforts, the Liberian government inaugurated the first justice and security hub in Gbarnga, Bong County. With [...]
The numbers of Syrian refugees, particularly in Jordan and Lebanon are increasing in a dramatic fashion with Jordan receiving some 2,000 a day, according to David Kaatrud of the World Food Programme (WFP). As a result, the agency has begun scaling up its operations to meet the requirements for the summer and beyond. But he [...]
The Myanmar Armed Forces have officially discharged 24 children in the capital, Yangon, in line with the Government's commitment to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers. In a ceremony on February 15th, UNICEF Representative Bertrand Bainvel told the discharged children, "You have not done anything wrong. You are discharged because you were recruited [...]
The World Food Programme (WFP) has begun scaling up food distribution to reach 2.5 million Syrians by April. The agency says that by the end of January, it had distributed food to approximately 1.2 million people in all governorates in Syria. In order to address the growing needs throughout the country, the United Nations is [...]
A UN human rights official has called for the creation of a truth commission in Myanmar. Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana said such a commission could address the issues of truth, justice and accountability during the previous military governments. He said it would also be "crucial for [...]
Off-grid lighting — kerosene lamps, flashlights and candles — are just some of the fuel-based sources of energy used by the more than one billion people worldwide who do not have access to electric light, says UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme. But UNEP Information Officer Bryan Coll says that is changing. Modern solar lighting [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for an intensification of efforts to achieve a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable development path built on dialogue, transparency and social justice. In a message marking World Day of Social Justice, the Secretary-General said "we are seeing far too many places where there are increasing opportunities for a few [...]
The United Nations on Wednesday officially launched the International Year of Quinoa. The extraordinary grain has been a cultural anchor and a staple in the diet of millions of people throughout the Andes for thousands of years. And as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted in remarks marking the occasion, Quinoa has two great advantages. First, it [...]
There's been a call for "smart social policies" to tackle the global economic recovery which hangs in the balance. ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder says "Tipping that balance towards sustainable growth and development means tackling social injustice". In a statement marking World Day for Social Justice, Ryder said "the world of work is now at the [...]
The large-scale response to the Sahel crisis– providing US$1.2 billion in assistance to around 10 million people across eight countries – helped to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. That assessment of the response by the international community comes from leaders of humanitarian agencies, government representatives from countries affected and major donors who met in Rome to [...]
2013 has been declared “The International Year of the Quinoa” (IYQ). Quinoa, known for its exceptional nutritional value and agronomic versatility, has a potential contribution in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. The Andean indigenous peoples have maintained, controlled, protected and preserved quinoa as food for present and future generations. The Year was proposed [...]
