More than 30 women's groups in South Sudan are planning to come together for a prayer for Peace day in the lead up to the next round of talks in Addis Ababa. The talks are aimed at ending the conflict that broke out in December between government forces and those loyal to former Vice President [...]
Aid agencies in the occupied Palestinian territory have voiced concern over pressure being placed by Israeli authorities on Palestinian Bedouin communities to relocate. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA said the forced relocation comes on the heels of a wave of demolitions of Bedouin residences. Since the beginning of the year, [...]
The arrest of a prominent human rights activist in Burundi is cause for concern, the UN has said. UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric noted that Pierre Claver Mbonimpa is currently in pre-trial detention for allegations he made on a Burundian radio station. Mr Mbonimpa is the President of the Association for the Protection of Human Rights [...]
Over 100 rebel soldiers of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda have surrendered to the UN in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's North Kivu province. That's what Stéphane Dujarric, UN Spokesperson, told reporters in New York on Friday. Also known under their acronym FDLR, the armed group is among the many others [...]
Canada has pledged an additional $3.5 billion for maternal and childhood mortality, once again proving its strong commitment to the cause. That's according to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who is in Toronto for a high-level summit on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health that ends on Friday. The new funding is part of the Muskoka [...]
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The Special Representative for the Secretary-General in South Sudan is ending her term in office after three years of service. Hilde Johnson made the announcement on Friday after meeting with the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir. Ms Johnson said she is sad to leave but South Sudan will continue to have a big place in [...]
The United Nations Human Rights Office has welcomed a ruling by the Supreme Court in the United States concerning the use of the death penalty for people with mental and intellectual disabilities. Tuesday's ruling means that US states must not rigidly apply intelligence tests to inmates on death row, with the court saying this is [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries to raise taxes on tobacco to encourage users to stop and prevent other people from being addicted to tobacco. The message was delivered ahead of World No Tobacco Day observed annually on 31 May. WHO warns that every six seconds, someone dies from tobacco use and [...]
Women are now better off than they were 20 years ago, according to the head of UN Women. The United Nations agency is marking the 20th anniversary of the historic Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, a landmark meeting that promoted gender equality. A major publicity campaign is aiming to mobilize governments and citizens [...]
Almost half of the population in Yemen is either hungry or on the edge of hunger, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Friday. Out of those ten million people, four and a half million were found to be severely food insecure. This means that they require food aid because they are unable to find [...]
A ruling by the Supreme Court in the United States concerning the use of the death penalty for people with mental and intellectual disabilities has been welcomed by the United Nations Human Rights Office. Tuesday's ruling means that US states must not rigidly apply intelligence tests to inmates on death row, with the court saying [...]
An attack on a church in Bangui in the Central African Republic has left at least 17 people dead and 27 missing, thought to have been abducted. The attack took place on Wednesday at the Notre Dame de Fatima church, which was sheltering 9,000 internally displaced people. Attackers threw grenades into the church ground before [...]
The Special Representative for Secretary-General (SRSG) in South Sudan is ending her term in office after three years of service. Hilde Johnson made the announcement on Friday after meeting with the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir. Ms Johnson, who is also the head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), began her term in [...]
A partnership between a Spanish sailing organization and the United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO, aimed at contributing to scientific ocean research, is being launched at the UN on Friday. The agreement between the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC) and the Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing has been described as "an unprecedented alliance between the [...]
Smoking could kill more than eight million people every year by 2030, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Every year on 31 May, WHO and its partners mark World No Tobacco Day, advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. This year, they are calling on all countries to raise taxes on tobacco, a [...]
An integrated approach linking the health and food sectors such as agriculture is needed to tackle the problem of malnutrition among children. This is one of the conclusions of a symposium hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, from 26 to 29 which moderate malnutrition in children. It is estimated that [...]
A UN peacekeeper in Haiti says it is not a hindrance being a woman and having to lead fitness training for officers. Sergeant Ermita Matutina, who is from the Philippines, is based in Haiti with the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSTAH. She's in charge of daily fitness training for men and women. She served in Haiti [...]
A global summit in support of the UN Secretary-General's flagship movement to improve the health of women and children worldwide has opened on Thursday. Mr Ban Ki-moon has travelled to Toronto, in Canada for the Every Women Every Child initiative. The Summit will provide global leaders and experts with a platform to build consensus on [...]
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While peacekeeping carries a high cost in terms of lives lost, it also brings an enormous return in lives saved, according to the United Nations Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon on Thursday spoke at the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, marked every 29 May, to honour what he described as their "courage, dedication, and professionalism". 120,000 women [...]
United Nations peacekeepers have shown the world that it's possible to end conflicts when united, the Secretary-General said during a memorial for fallen heroes. In 2013, for the sixth year in a row, more than a hundred peacekeepers died in the service of peace. Meanwhile, over the past year, Mr Ban said that men and [...]
The Italian football club, Juventus has joined forces with the UN's cultural organization, UNESCO to work against discrimination. Under the partnership, Juventus will finance a global research programme on racism and discrimination in sport. The findings will be published by UNESCO in a report aimed at providing governments and other stakeholders with insights on how [...]
A terrorist attack against the Jewish Museum in Brussels, Belgium on Saturday has been condemned in the "strongest terms" by members of the UN Security Council. The tragic incident resulted in loss of life and injuries, and with a possible anti-Semitic motivation behind it, the 15-member body said. A gunman reportedly shot dead two Israelis [...]
The dedication and courage of people who serve in UN peacekeeping operations around the world is being recognized on Thursday, on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. The annual commemoration also honours the memory of peacekeepers who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. Since the first UN peacekeeping mission was established in [...]
A female peacekeeper from Australia and now based in South Sudan has said she was inspired to become a soldier by her father who was in the Australian army. Lt. Sara Mooney is one of the few female peacekeepers in the newest African country working for the UN mission (UNMISS). She said she is motivated [...]
Sri Lankan women who migrate abroad for work should be better protected against abuse and exploitation, according to a UN expert. Around 1.8 million Sri Lankans are migrant workers in foreign countries. The majority of women migrants are employed as domestic workers in the Middle East where they often face exploitative work conditions. Daniel Dickinson [...]
Peacekeeping operations of the United Nations are needing to adapt to confront the new political and security challenges across the world. That's the view of the UN Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Edmond Mulet. Speaking on International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, he said the theme of the commemoration ‘A Force for Peace, a Force for [...]
Innovation and technology are being used to shape the future of peacekeeping, the Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations said on Thursday. International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, observed annually on 29 May, pays tribute to the men and women who help countries torn by conflict create the conditions for lasting peace. It's also a day to [...]
The people of Afghanistan have been urged by the top United Nations official in the country to take part in the second round of presidential elections due to take place in June. Speaking on a trip to the western province of Herat, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ján Kubiš, reaffirmed the world body's [...]
Violence rages on in parts of east Ukraine, despite the recent presidential elections which the United Nations hoped would be a new chapter for the country. That's what the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs told members of the Security Council on Wednesday. Deploring the loss of life and injuries, Mr Jeffrey Feltman said both Lugansk and [...]
Women and male security personnel in Somalia treat each other with "mutual respect" according to the Chief of Security at UNSOM the UN monitoring mission in the country. Speaking ahead of International Day of UN Peacekeepers celebrated annually on May 29th, Olga Mokrova said that in the United Nations women are held to the same [...]
Human rights abuses, including sexual violence, are one of the challenges that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing, according to UN human rights experts. A case that made news is that of mass rapes of over 130 women and girls by members of the Congolese Army during thee pillaging of the eastern town [...]
A UN peacekeeper in Haiti says it is not a hindrance being a woman and having to lead fitness training for officers. Sergeant Ermita Matutina, who is from the Philippines, is based in Haiti with the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSTAH. She's in charge of daily fitness training for men and women. She served in Haiti [...]
International efforts have succeeded in significantly reducing the toll of cholera in Haiti, according to the latest official figures from April this year. The number of cases has been reduced by 75 per cent in the first trimester of 2014 compared to the same period last year, and fatality rates are below the one per [...]
“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou recites a poem during the gathering for the United Nations Development Fund for Women’s Achievement Awards Duration: 4’00″ 1996
A guide to better identify deep-sea sharks and improve reporting on catches has been launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Although they are not usually targeted, sharks and some sponges and corals can be impacted by boats trawling for fish at depths of between 200 and 2000 metres. In most cases, their survival rate [...]
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![Members of the UNMISS Japanese contingent are building latrines for the displaced people inside UNMISS compound. UN Photo/x [575503]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/un-latrines-south-sudan2.jpg "un-latrines-south-sudan2")
A toilet is taken for granted in many developed countries, yet around the world over one billion people still defecate outside, sometimes in full view of other people. A new campaign was launched at the United Nations on Wednesday to break the silence on the problem of open defecation One of the eight Millennium Development [...]
Strong and urgent measures are needed to end so-called "honour killings" in Pakistan, the High Commissioner for Human Rights has told the government there. Navi Pillay released a statement on Wednesday following what she described as the "shocking" and "brutal" murder of a pregnant 25-year-old woman by her family. Farzana Parveen was stoned to death [...]
Over 17,000 tonnes of electronic waste or the equivalent of 130 million mobile phones is generated in Kenya annually, according to estimates by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). A National e-Waste Conference and Exhibition was held in Nairobi on Wednesday, to identify solutions to Kenya’s mounting e-waste problem. E-waste is composed of a complex mix [...]
![Members of the UNMISS Japanese contingent are building latrines for the displaced people inside UNMISS compound. UN Photo/x [575503]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/un-latrines-south-sudan1.jpg "un-latrines-south-sudan1")
More than one billion people worldwide are forced to relieve themselves using rivers, fields and other open places because of the lack of latrines or toilets, according to the UN. The practice is associated with the spread of diseases like diarrhoea, for entire communities and it increases the risk of sexual violence and harassment for [...]
Three in every four Syrians was living in poverty by the end of 2013, with more than half of the population living in extreme poverty, according to a UN report published on Wednesday. It says most people are only able to secure the most basic food and non-food items required for their households. The UN [...]
Schools in rural China are piloting a new teaching method which is changing the way students and educators interact. The approach is being called social and emotional learning and is being supported by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Daniel Dickinson has more details. Duration: 2’43″
Planned urbanization can help reduce poverty sustainably Rwandan President Paul Kagame has told participants at a UN gathering on the future of cities. With 6.3 billion people expected to live in urban areas by 2050, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is holding three days of discussion on sustainable urbanization. The choice is [...]
Peacekeepers in South Sudan have been authorized to use "all necessary means" to protect civilians and to monitor and investigate human rights. That's according to a resolution adopted by all 15 members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday. The resolution revises and extends the existing UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) mandate to address [...]
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed alarm at the continuing violence in eastern Ukraine. According to media reports, renewed clashes between anti-Government groups and Ukrainian security forces near the eastern city of Donetsk left at least a dozen soldiers dead over the weekend. Presidential elections were held on 25 May in most of Ukraine. [...]
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United Nations officials have urged the Government of the Republic of Congo to immediately halt the expulsions of citizens from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Since April, more than 130,000 nationals of the DRC have been expelled from Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo, according to the UN. The Mission says [...]
Countries that have invested in high quality jobs have registered economic growth, according to the latest report of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The report, entitled "World of Work 2014: Developing with Jobs", provides and in-depth analysis of 140 developing and emerging economies. It points out that countries that invested the most in skilled and [...]
![A view of the New York city skyline. [1993] UN Photo/Andrea Brizzi](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/un-nycity1.jpg "un-nycity1")
Urban areas are at the heart of many great challenges, opportunities and promise, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a gathering of high-level representatives in New York on Tuesday. The three day Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Integration Segment will focus on the topic of sustainable urbanization. By 2050, about 70 per cent of the [...]
Aid workers have resumed operations in the northern region of Mali following deliveries of relief items such as water, food and medical equipment by United Nations agencies. The UN Humanitarian Office (OCHA) says some 4,000 people fled the town of Kidal, in northern Mali, after clashes between government forces and rebels over the previous ten [...]
Health experts and veterinarians are saying that more research needs to be carried out to understand the transmission of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Over 600 people have caught the illness which, it's thought, originated in the Gulf States; of those 200 have died. Doctors understand how it is transmitted between humans but [...]
A team of international inspectors and United Nations staff is said to be "safe and well" following an attack on its convoy, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' (OPCW) announced on Tuesday. The group was travelling to a site of an alleged chlorine gas attack when the incident happened. The OPCW Director-General, Ambassador [...]
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned that it will be forced to suspend its essential health services in Somalia if additional funding is not made available within one month. Some three million Somali are currently receiving health assistance, principally in the centre and in the south of the country. In general, more than 70 [...]
The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, says the number of people fleeing fighting in South Sudan continues to rise, almost three weeks after a truce agreement was signed. Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Adrian Edwards, UNHCR spokesperson, said the continuing fighting has forced almost 70,000 people to flee their homes, and seek shelter elsewhere in the [...]
Quality jobs are a key driver for development, according to the findings of a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Launched on Tuesday, "World of Work"—the ILO's annual report—is this year focusing on "developing with jobs". It is being presented in Geneva, where the international organization is based. Drawing on evidence from more [...]
Moderate malnutrition is associated with more deaths in children than severe malnutrition, because it affects a greater number of them. That's according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is hosting a four-day symposium on moderate acute malnutrition in children from 26 to 29 May, at its headquarters in Vienna. Nutritionists, health professionals, policymakers [...]
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The number of refugees living with cancer is overwhelming health systems in Jordan and Syria, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). On Monday, the agency's top medical experts were echoing the results of a recent study published by the leading British medical journal, the Lancet Oncology. Paul Spiegel, a doctor who has worked [...]
The next few months will be decisive for South Sudan, according to the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country who described the situation as "make or break". On Sunday Tony Lanzer said pledges from a donor conference need to be turned into results with positive impacts for South Sudanese, who have been devastated by violence [...]
Countries in Africa are marking a 25-year long partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology on the continent. The African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research Development and Training related to Nuclear Science and Technology or the AFRA, contributes to a range of development issues including [...]
The UN has warned that livestock killed in the largest ever floods to hit the Balkans region in Europe could pose a serious health risk. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is currently assessing the situation in the worst affected areas of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia. The devastating floods have led to the deaths of [...]
The UN says animals killed by flooding in the Balkans could spread diseases. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says contaminated water is also a risk of damaging crops. Devastating floods in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia have reportedly so far claimed more than 50 lives and affected hundreds of thousands of people. Gerold Boedeker is [...]
A thriving agriculture sector is crucial to long-term peace and development in South Sudan, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Over one million people have been forced to flee their homes and leave agricultural land untended as the conflict between the government and rebel forces continues. FAO is assisting the majority of [...]
The rate of deaths among refugee children in Cameroon has been particularly high, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). The agency said that since mid-April, nine children have died after arriving gravely ill from the Central African Republic. Dehydration, hypothermia and severe anaemia were reportedly the main causes of death. Refugees have been [...]
The ongoing conflict in Syria continues to take its toll on civilians, including children. More than 100,000 have died and millions of others displaced from their home in the conflict that has entered its fourth year. There appears to be no end in sight. But statistics don't really tell the story of the suffering of [...]
A clean beak from the past is needed to move towards to a new Syria, according to the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon made the comment on Friday after a mortar attack killed 21 people in southern Syria. The attack targeted an electoral rally, reportedly killing 11 civilians, six members of a pro-government militia and four [...]
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A clearer picture of the damage caused by the worst floods to hit the Balkans in more than a century, is beginning to emerge as the waters start to recede, according to UN agencies. Devastating floods engulfed Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, causing landslides and killing people and animals. The United Nations has dispatched a team [...]
Two Palestinian minors who were killed in the West Bank were found to have presented no threat when they were shot, according to the United Nations human right office. On 15 May, Israeli security forces allegedly shot and killed the two boys who were taking part in a demonstration in the town of Beituniya, commemorating [...]
A former militia leader based in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Germain Katanga a senior commander from the group known as the Force de Résistance Patriotique en Ituri (FRPI), was convicted by the court in March on four [...]
The rule of law in Thailand needs to be restored and human rights ensured, according to the head of the United Nations human rights office. On Friday, Navi Pillay condemned a military coup in Thailand by the National Peace and Order Maintaining Council (NPOMC), the new body that has seized power from the caretaker government. [...]
A lack of funding for a food programme in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is endangering the development of children in the country according to the executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP). Ertharin Cousin has just ended a visit to the country where she assessed humanitarian needs and the food security [...]
The Nigerian militant group Boko Haram has been added to a UN Security Council list of terrorist groups. Boko Haram is now considered an affiliate of the outlawed Middle Eastern group Al Qaida and is subject to financial sanctions and an arms embargo. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for many acts of terror, including the [...]
Human rights issues need to be embedded in Afghanistan as a central part of the country's political and social culture.That's according to a senior UN official in the country. Afghanistan has experienced years of instability, most recently caused by the ongoing threat of violence by the outlawed Taliban movement. The issue of high civilian deaths [...]
South Sudan has suffered what has been called the "liberation curse" following its independence from Sudan in 2011, a curse which has contributed to the ongoing conflict in Africa's newest nation. A new book launched at the United Nations by a former BBC correspondent argues that South Sudan's liberation leaders were not equipped to govern [...]
Thousands of indigenous people in West Papua have been killed since the territory was annexed by Indonesia in 1969, according to a representative of indigenous people from the territory. Herman Waingai, a visiting scholar at George Mason University in the United States attended this year's session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. He [...]
Several million women in the developing world are affected by obstetric fistula, with 50 to 100 000 new cases each year, according to the United Nations. Obstetric fistula is an injury that occurs during prolonged, obstructed labour, resulting in chronic incontinence and, in most cases, a stillborn baby. The International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, [...]
Somalia is approaching what has been described as a "critical phase" in a number of areas but has seen some improvement, according to the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in Somalia. Nicolas Kay on Thursday briefed the Security Council by teleconference on the priorities, progress and challenges since the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia started its [...]
The International Day for Biological Diversity is an opportunity to recognize the central role of biodiversity to life on earth and to human well-being. That's according to Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Marked every 22 May, this year's focus is on island diversity. Mr Dias said [...]
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Having a "voice" allows women to challenge social norms that dictate how men and women behave and can help advance the global development agenda, the World Bank highlights in its latest report on gender. There are laws treat men and women differently in over 100 countries, the report says, making it impossible for a woman [...]
Russia and China have vetoed a move in the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court. A draft resolution, submitted by France, would have strongly condemned the widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the ongoing conflict in Syria. More than 100,000 people have been [...]
Women are now better off than they were 20 years ago, according to the head of UN Women. The United Nations agency is marking the 20th anniversary of the historic Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, a landmark meeting that promoted gender equality. A major publicity campaign is aiming to mobilize governments and citizens [...]
Russia and China have vetoed a resolution of the Security Council that would have allowed the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and prosecute war crimes in Syria. Aside from these two countries, the French-sponsored draft resolution received favourable votes from all 13 other members of the Council. This is the fourth time Russia uses [...]
Students in Shanghai have been asked by the UN Secretary-General what kind of world they want to live in. On Thursday, Ban Ki-moon wrapped up his seventh official visit to China with a speech at Fudan University. He highlighted the importance of partnership between the UN and China, as well as the organization's efforts to [...]
Recent incidents have disrupted the United Nations peacekeeping operation in South Sudan, and have exposed personnel to serious security risks. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said it deplores the fact that some security forces and local authorities have assaulted and illegally detained two UNMISS staff members in Juba. It also said UN [...]
A hundred and sixty five Somali men and women are being trained to become the new administrators of towns recently recovered in the recent military offensive by the Somali National Army (SNA) and AMISOM. Access to social services has also been severely limited, with basic facilities such as schools, hospitals either dilapidated or destroyed. The [...]
The economy of Gaza continues to be stifled by the Israeli blockade, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA). Robert Turner, UNRWA's director of operations says about two-thirds of the population of Gaza are dependent on food assistance. He points out that the people of Gaza don't want to be receiving [...]
Presidential elections in Malawi have been declared "free and credible" by the top UN official in the country. The incumbent President Joyce Banda came to power two years ago after the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika. Mr Mutharika’s brother is one of 12 presidential candidates and one of her main challengers. Joshua Mmali [...]
The global future is being built in Asia and the continent is on the rise, according to the United Nations Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon was in China on Wednesday, delivering a speech at the Fourth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). This two-day summit is taking place in Shanghai, drawing a dozen [...]
The human rights situation in eastern Ukraine has worsened, according to the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights. Ivan Šimonović on Wednesday briefed the press on developments in Ukraine, which he had discussed earlier in the Security Council behind closed doors. The uprising in the east of Ukraine has gathered pace after Russia annexed [...]
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The Iranian authorities have been urged by the UN to halt the execution of two Ahwazi Arab farmers and cultural rights activists, scheduled for Thursday. Ali Chebeishat and Sayed Khaled Mousavi, were arrested in November 2012 and sentenced to death on blasphemy charges. Four United Nations human rights experts have expressed alarm over the sentence [...]
A "flagrant" disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law in Syria has led to "tremendous" suffering for civilians, according to the United Nations human rights chief. Navi Pillay on Wednesday blamed both the Syrian government and some armed groups for causing great hardships to civilians living in Aleppo. She said they have experienced terrifying [...]
Treatment and rehabilitation services to reduce the impact of drugs on Iraqi society are being launched by the United Nations. Two UN agencies have joined efforts on the project—the Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Both are supporting the development of drug dependence treatment services in Iraq, which has [...]
Anxiety and fear is gripping Nigeria following bombings that claimed more than 100 lives in the central city of Jos on Tuesday, according to the United Nations. The attack came as the country continues to grapple with the abduction of more than 200 school girls by the Boko Haram Islamist extremists in the northern city [...]
Violence can only breed more violence and the people of Mali will be the first to suffer, according to the head of the UN Stabilization Mission in the country (MINUSMA). Bert Koenders on Tuesday evening briefed the Security Council by teleconference from Mali. In the town of Kidal on 17 and 18 May, attacks resulted [...]
Development cooperation beyond 2015 will have to increase and continue to support developing countries. That's one of the key goals being discussed on Wednesday during a meeting of the General Assembly. The event will focus on strengthening and improving development cooperation in the context of the post-2015 development agenda, a process led by the UN [...]
Having a "voice" allows women to challenge social norms that dictate how men and women behave and can help advance the global development agenda, the World Bank highlights in its latest report on gender. There are laws treat men and women differently in over 100 countries, the report says, making it impossible for a woman [...]
Human rights issues need to be embedded in Afghanistan as a central part of the country's political and social culture. That's according to a senior UN official in the country. Afghanistan has experienced years of instability, most recently caused by the ongoing threat of violence by the outlawed Taliban movement. The issue of high civilian [...]
Unacceptable atrocities have taken place in northern Mali which must be condemned, according to the head of the UN stabilization mission in Mali (MINUSMA). On Saturday, fighting broke out between governmental forces and separatist Tuareg rebels during a visit by Prime Minister Moussa Mara. More than a dozen people were reportedly killed, including many civilians. [...]
The United Nations has said it will continue the task of what it calls "tough" fundraising for the crisis in South Sudan, despite pledges of $600 million dollars made by the international community on Tuesday. The money was pledged at a UN-backed conference in Norway and will be used to scale up the response to [...]
Providing education to previously disadvantaged communities in South Africa is one of the main priority areas for the country, according to a senior government official. Professor Muzamani Charles Nwaila, the country's Director-General for the Department of Traditional Affairs was at the UN to attend this year's session of the Forum on Indigenous Issues. He said [...]
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Highly effective treatment and diagnostics for HIV, malaria, tuberculosis are increasingly becoming available but market barriers need to be removed so that people can have access to them. That's the conclusion of a report issued by a global health initiative, called UNITAID. The initiative is financed by a levy on airline tickets to facilitate access [...]
The illicit market for synthetic drugs is expanding in an unprecedented way both in scope and variety, according to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). A new report by UNODC shows the trafficking of methamphetamine is on the rise, and new psychoactive substances are flooding the market. The drugs, which include ecstasy, are [...]
Six hundred million dollars has been pledged by the international community to scale up the humanitarian response to the South Sudan crisis. The pledges were made at a conference hosted by Norway in collaboration with the UN Humanitarian Office (OCHA). Speaking as chair of the conference, Valerie Amos, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said the [...]
Palestinian refugees in Syria have continued to receive health services despite massive challenges, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). A new report highlights how UNRWA's health services in war-torn Syria remained active, even though half of its centres were destroyed or non-functional. The agency continued to provide care by establishing ten "health [...]
![UNHCR Spokesperson Adrian Edwards [Photo adapted from UNIFEED]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/adrian-edwards.jpg "adrian-edwards")
The UN refugee agency says there are now about ten thousand internally displaced people in Ukraine. Unrest has been building in the country with clashes between separatists and security forces leaving many dead. UNHCR Spokesman Adrian Edwards says international agencies and local authorities are helping with legal assistance, integration grants, cash and improved shelters. Edwards [...]
Many more South Sudanese will suffer if funding is not made available immediately, according to a senior UN humanitarian coordinator in the country. Ahead of a pledging conference in Norway starting on Tuesday, Vincent Lelei said more than $1.2 billion is needed to support the most vulnerable. More than four million people are facing acute [...]
A humanitarian pledging conference that has opened in Oslo, Norway could be South Sudan's last resort to ward off an impending famine, according to the UN humanitarian agency, OCHA. More than 4 million people are facing acute food insecurity as a result of the ongoing conflict that broke out in December last year. The Oslo [...]
The United Nations Secretary-General is on Tuesday attending the Fourth Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). Ban Ki-moon is participating in the opening ceremony of the two-day conference. In Shanghai, world leaders will discuss increasing dialogue, mutual trust and collaboration to build a new Asia. Issues related to [...]
Forced labour generates more than $150 billion in illicit profits a year, a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) has found. Entitled the "Profits and poverty: the economics of forced labour", the study investigates the underlying factors that drive this criminal activity. Women and girls forced into prostitution, migrants trapped in debt bondage, [...]
Somalia is on the brink of a humanitarian emergency, according to the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the country. Speaking to the press in Nairobi on Monday, Philippe Lazzarini said early action is required to avert what he called this "looming" humanitarian emergency, which he added, he first warned about last February. He reminded journalists [...]
China has been urged by the UN Secretary-General to provide global leadership on a range of political issues. Speaking in Shanghai after meeting the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, Ban Ki-moon outlined key global challenges facing the international community. In a speech to the Shanghai Institute of International Studies [...]
The upcoming presidential run-off election in Afghanistan needs to be as transparent as possible, according to a senior United Nations official in the country. Speaking in the capital Kabul, Nicholas Haysom, the deputy head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said this second round of the election gives an opportunity for a much [...]
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"There can be no doubt that climate change is already a great threat to human health". That's the message delivered at the start of the annual session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva on Monday. More than 3,000 delegates are attending the World Health Assembly which is this year focusing on the link between [...]
More people than ever before are relying on fisheries and aquaculture for food and as a source of income. That's according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). But, the UN agency's "State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture" report is warning that wastage, harmful practices and poor management threaten the sector's sustainability. Global fisheries and [...]
Unhealthy diets are now a greater threat to global health than tobacco, according to the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food. Speaking in Geneva on Monday, Olivier De Schutter called for a new global agreement to regulate unhealthy diets. He said the international community continues to pay insufficient attention to the worsening epidemic [...]
The number of people affected by cholera in South Sudan is rapidly increasing, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Three people have died and there are now more than 130 confirmed cases being treated in the capital, Juba. Dozens of children are among those affected. Dr Pinyi Nyimon, from the South Sudanese Ministry of [...]
A United Nations disaster coordination team is on its way to Serbia with life-saving supplies, according to the UN humanitarian chief. Devastating floods in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia have so far claimed 35 lives and affected hundreds of thousands of people. Valerie Amos said on Monday that emergency responders fear that more rain could lead [...]
One of the world's most successful football managers has been announced as an Ambassador Against Hunger for the UN World Food Programme (WFP). Jose Mourinho, who is currently the manager of Chelsea Football Club in the English Premier League, will use his status to raise awareness about WFP's life-saving work. The agency estimates that more [...]
An initiative to make all investments sensitive to disaster risk is being launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday. The R!se Initiative is aimed at encouraging a new way of collaboration by people in the private and public sector willing to take leadership on disaster risk reduction. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [...]
A cash for work project has been started in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic to promote cooperation and reconciliation between Christian and Muslim communities. The street-cleaning project, initiated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) involves locals in one of the last areas where Muslims and Christians continue to live in relative [...]
A street cleaning project with local youths in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, is aiming to promote cooperation and reconciliation between rival Christian and Muslim communities. Thousands of people are believed to have been killed and hundreds of thousands of others forced to flee their homes across the country in the violence [...]
A new interactive digital globe that graphically depicts the vulnerability of our planet is calling attention to what is really happening on Earth, according to its creator. Japanese Professor Shinichi Takemura is presenting his invention called "Tangible Earth" at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The globe allows users to view the condition of the [...]
Promoting the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex community can be risky in some countries but is "the right thing to do" according to a senior United Nations human rights expert. Speaking on the International Day against Homophobia, Clifton Cortez of the UN Development Programme said it was crucial to highlight the [...]
Civil society groups in Kosovo are working hard to change public perceptions and protect the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. On 17 May, the United Nations is marking the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. Homophobia is the fear or hostility towards homosexuals or homosexuality while in transphobia, these sentiments [...]
Government authorities and opposition forces in South Sudan have been urged to allow UNMISS, the UN mission and humanitarian workers in the country to move freely to do their work. The appeal follows incidents in which UNMISS patrols were stopped by the South Sudanese army. UN Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York on [...]
The Sudanese authorities have been urged to respect the freedom of religion of a 27-year old woman who has been sentenced to death for apostasy and adultery. On 11 May Sudan's Criminal Court convicted Meriam Ibrahim, nullified her marriage to a Christian man and gave her three days to declare her return to Islam. Rupert [...]
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Health experts are closely monitoring the situation in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, where one person has died of cholera and 18 people are suspected to have caught the infection. South Sudan's Ministry of Health on Thursday officially declared an outbreak of cholera which is transmitted by contaminated food or water. Dr Dominique Legros [...]
The international community is being urged once again to help Lebanon support over one million Syrian refugees. The appeal has been made by Ross Mountain, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon. Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Friday, he asked how many refugees the international community expects Lebanon to take in and still remain a [...]
United Nations monitors have found an alarming deterioration in the human rights situation in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine has been in turmoil since February when its president was forcibly removed from power after months of political unrest. In a report the monitors raise concerns about the lack of law and order and armed groups acting with [...]
The operation, has been launched by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which is working with 16 international and national non-governmental organizations. Alexis Bonte, the FAO Representative for the Central African Republic, says each family will receive 25 kg of seeds and two hoes to produce groundnuts, maize and rice. "The objective is that [...]
Being a woman in the top ranks of the military has been "challenging but interesting", according to the new head the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Major-General Kristin Lund is the very first woman to be appointed Force Commander at the UN. She had broken new ground before as the first female officer in [...]
India has started counting votes on Friday, following the world's largest ever electoral exercise. Voter turnout is estimated at 835 million, according to the UN Development Programme's Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific. The agency says around 11 million personnel were deployed by India's Electoral Commission to help people exercise their right to vote. [...]
A major operation to distribute seeds and tools to support crisis-hit farming families has been launched in the Central African Republic. It's hoped that farmers receive the agricultural kits in time for the next planting season. Sixteen international and national non-governmental organizations are working with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to overcome the challenges [...]
An "alarming deterioration" in human rights in eastern Ukraine has been reported by the UN human rights office. Separatists have continued to fight security forces leaving many dozens of people dead. The uprising in the east of Ukraine has gathered pace after Russia annexed the autonomous Ukrainian region of Crimea in March. Claire Doole asked [...]
An expert on robotics is part of a campaign seeking a legally binding prohibition on the use, development and production of so-called "robot soldiers" or "robot killers". A debate has just concluded at the UN in Geneva on the ethics of using Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems or LAWS during war. Noel Sharkey, emeritus professor of [...]
India has started counting votes on Friday, following the world's largest ever electoral exercise. Voter turnout is estimated at 835 million, according to the UN Development Programme's Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific. The agency says around 11 million personnel were deployed by India's Electoral Commission to help people exercise their right to vote. [...]
An interactive digital globe that graphically depicts the vulnerability of the planet to natural disasters is making its debut at UN Headquarters on Friday. The "Tangible Earth" globe allows users to view and understand the condition of the planet, by dynamically visualizing scientific data such as earthquake and tsunami-prone zones. It also maps climate variations, [...]
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Thursday called for increased protection for people with albinism. Navi Pillay's appeal came on the heels of a barbaric killing of a 40-year- old women with albinism from Tanzania. These attacks, which are often motivated by the use of body parts for ritual purposes, have claimed the [...]
More than 30 million children in Africa are out of school, according to a report launched by the Tanzanian government and the UN cultural agency (UNESCO) in Dar es Salaam on Thursday. The 2014 Education for All Global Monitoring Report identifies the shortage of quality teachers as the key problem in the efforts to provide [...]
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People everywhere are living longer, according to the latest global health statistics published by the World Health Organization (WHO). Based on worldwide averages, the report shows that a girl who was born in 2012 can expect to live to around 73 years, and a boy to the age of 68. This is six years longer [...]
An appeal for more protection for people with albinism in Tanzania has been made by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay. It follows what has been described as "the barbaric" murder on Monday of a 40-year old woman with albinism. It's thought her body parts were to be used in ritual potions. [...]
The combination of drought conditions and conflict in Syria has resulted in a significant drop in the production of wheat and barley, two of the country's most important food crops. That's according to the latest report of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). FAO Economist Monika Tothova says it is difficult to come up [...]
Life expectancy around the world is on the increase, according to the World Health Statistics 2014 report published on Thursday. The World Health Organization (WHO), which launched the study, says the greatest progress in life expectancy has been in low-income countries. WHO says one of the reasons for the improvement is that fewer children are [...]
More than half of the population of Yemen is in need of some form of humanitarian assistance, according to a senior UN official in the country. The Middle Eastern country continues to work towards building a federal state and forge ahead with democratic reform. Thousands of people have been displaced in Yemen as government forces [...]
The Maasai people of East Africa are facing the threat of land dispossession according to an activist from this indigenous community. Yannick Ndoinyo, Executive Director the Tanzania-based IrkiRamat Foundation, is attending this year's session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues which began in New York on Monday. According to Mr. Ndoinyo, the Maasai [...]
Strengthening families as units of societies can help to move countries to the next stage of development, according to the representative of a Kenyan non-governmental organization. The comment was made as the United Nations commemorates the International Day of Families on 15 May to recognize their contributions to societies. Raymond Mutura of Voice of the Family in [...]
Families are fundamental to attaining development goals according to a senior development worker who's in New York to mark the annual UN International Day of Families. Raymond Mutura is joining experts from around the world to discuss the role of families in the post-2015 development agenda, the theme of the commemoration. Daniel Dickinson asked Mr [...]
Although the number of attacks by pirates off the coast of Somalia has gone down, "the game is not over" yet. That's what Maciej Popowski, Deputy Secretary-General of the European Union External Action Service told reporters in New York on Wednesday. Mr. Popowski spoke before a meeting of the Contact Group on Piracy off the [...]
The killing of a French photojournalist in the Central African Republic has been strongly condemned by the United Nations. The body of 26-year old Camille Lepage, was reportedly found by French peacekeepers when they searched a car in the Bouar region in west of the country where she had been working. In a statement issued [...]
Governments around the world have been urged by the UN Secretary-General to create what he called "regular, safe and orderly channels for migration." Ban Ki-moon spoke at the opening of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Stockholm, Sweden on Wednesday. He said that "more than one in 30 people on earth is a [...]
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Indigenous women are taking on more leadership positions and standing up for their rights, according to a member of an East African indigenous community. Martha Ntoipo is part of the Maasai community, a population of several hundred thousand people living in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. She is at United Nations Headquarters in New York [...]
The spread of the sometimes fatal Middle East respiratory syndrome corona virus, known as Mers-Co V, is serious, but it is not yet an international public health emergency, according to the World Health Organization. Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Security told reporters on Wednesday that experts have met to review the relevant [...]
Burundi needs political will from its leaders to avoid a reversal of what has been described as its "commendable" gains in creating stability ahead of general elections next year. That's what the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the UN Office in Burundi (BNUB), Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, told the Security Council on Wednesday. Mr. Onanga-Anyanga said [...]
More than 30 million people globally were internally displaced at the end of 2013 due to conflict, according to a new report launched at the United Nations in Geneva on Wednesday. The report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), which is part of the Norwegian Refugee Council, covers 58 countries. It reveals that more [...]
Efforts are being made by the World Health Organization (WHO) and authorities in Tanzania to control the outbreak of dengue in the country's main city, Dar es Salaam. Three people are reported to have died and more than 400 infected by the flu-like mosquito-borne tropical disease. WHO says there is no specific treatment for dengue [...]
A booklet has been launched in Afghanistan by the UN to promote the rights of children under international law and Islam. Afghanistan continues to suffer from instability as the government faces the ongoing threat of violence by the outlawed Taliban movement. Thousands of people have died in recent years, including many children, despite the presence [...]
Governments around the world are being encouraged to take action to promote health amongst young people. The call comes in a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday called "Health for the world's adolescents." The report covers a range of issues that concern young people between the ages of 10 and 19 [...]
Health officials in Tanzania are battling an outbreak of dengue fever which has killed three people and infected more than 400. Dengue is a contagious viral infection transmitted through mosquitoes which begins with flu-like symptoms. It can become fatal if it develops into severe dengue. The World Health Organization's Dr Grace Saguti says the UN [...]
The ongoing conflict in the Central African Republic has worsened an already "dire" situation for children. That's what the country representative of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Souleymane Diabaté, told reporters in New York on Tuesday. Thousands of people are believed to have been killed and hundreds of thousands of others forced to flee their [...]
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The United Nations-Arab League Envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, has stepped down. The announcement was made by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to reporters on Tuesday with Mr. Brahimi at his side. Since August 2012 Mr. Brahimi has been trying to help the Syrian government and opposition to find a political solution to ongoing civil war [...]
The poaching and illicit trade in wildlife in Tanzania can be combated if people in rural areas of the East African country are given more opportunities for development. That's what Helen Clark, the Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) told reporters in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday as she concluded her visit to the [...]
Libya continues to face "serious security challenges and a deep political crisis" which undermine its ability to affect meaningful judicial and other changes. That's what the Prosecutor of the UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) Fatou Bensouda told members of the Security Council on Tuesday. The steady decline in the security situation has hampered the investigative [...]
An appeal has been made by a senior United Nations official for "bold" action" to ensure that decisions to end human life are not made by so-called "killer robots." Michael Møller, Acting Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, spoke at the start of a Meeting of Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems. He [...]
The number of people fleeing their homeland who have died in boat accidents in the Mediterranean Sea has increased this year, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The agency says that people, including those fleeing violence and persecution, are once again risking their lives by using smugglers' boats to cross the sea from [...]
The Caribbean island of Barbados has been chosen to host the UN's World Environment Day celebrated on June 5. The theme for this year's celebrations is "Small Island Developing States and Climate Change". Barbados is considered to be highly vulnerable to shifts in climate. Agricultural could suffer and coastal ecosystems may be destroyed. The 430-square [...]
Being a woman in the top ranks of the military has been "challenging but interesting", according to the new head the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Major General Kristin Lund is the very first woman to be appointed Force Commander at the UN. She had broken new ground before as the first female officer [...]
Technological advances can and must be used to reduce the numbers of non-combatant casualties on the battlefield, according to Ronald Arkin, a professor of robotics and ethics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Speaking ahead of an informal meeting at the United Nations in Geneva on the "pros and cons" of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems [...]
UN humanitarian agencies are using trucks, air drops and barges to deliver life saving aid to the communities affected by the conflict, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Sue Lautze said these operations are in response to a cease-fire agreement signed by President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar on Friday. [...]
830 million women workers around the world do not have adequate maternity protection according to the International Labour Organization, (ILO). The ILO's Maternity and Paternity report reveals that while many countries have adopted the principles of protecting the rights of women at work after they give birth, implementation is often lacking. Shauna Olney, is Chief [...]
More than one million people in South Sudan are expected to benefit from a major humanitarian operation over the next ten days, according to an official of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It follows an agreement between President Salvar Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar signed in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa on [...]
The provision of maternity protection for women around the world is improving, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO), but "vast" global gaps remain. On Tuesday, the ILO published its third Maternity and Paternity at Work report, which shows that at least 830 million women workers still do not have adequate protection. But as Daniel [...]
An interactive hearing on issues affecting indigenous peoples around the world is to be held soon at the United Nations in preparation for a major conference later this year. The announcement was made by the President of the General Assembly, John Ashe at the start of this year's session of the UN Permanent Forum on [...]
Counselling support has been pledged by the United Nations to the Nigerian girls who have been kidnapped in the north of the West African country. The search is continuing for more than 230 schoolgirls who were abducted by the outlawed Boko Haram militant group almost one month ago. The Head of the UN Office for [...]
One person dies of alcohol related conditions every ten seconds, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The agency on Monday launched its "Global status report on alcohol and health 2014". The report highlights the need for governments to develop policies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, to raise awareness about the problem and [...]
The UN Secretary-General has said a "glass ceiling" has been broken with the appointment of a Norwegian general as the first female Force Commander of a United Nations peacekeeping Mission. Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Major-General Kristin Lund to lead the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) on Monday. Secretary-General Ban said that in [...]
Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are adopting public policies to support family farming which is seen as "essential for food security and rural welfare in the region", according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Latin America and the Caribbean is the region which has made the greatest advances in the fight [...]
The Central African sub-region remains fragile and needs ongoing support from the international community. That's what Ambassador Abbou Moussa, the outgoing head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) told the Security Council on Monday. In his last briefing to the Council, he said leaders of the Economic Community of Central African States [...]
Six hard-to-access towns in north-western rural Aleppo in Syria have received life saving supplies, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). On Thursday and Friday last week, UN agencies and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent reached the people in need in the towns that have been besieged for more than a year and a half. [...]
Syrians living in rural Aleppo are "eking out" an existence, according to the World Food Programme (WFP), as the civil war in the country continues. Over a hundred thousand people have been killed and millions are in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of the ongoing conflict between government and rebel forces. The people [...]
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Commitments to end the conflict in South Sudan should immediately be put into action, according to the United Nations Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon welcomed the signing on Friday of an agreement between the two opposing sides in the crisis. However, less than 48 hours after the agreement, fighting has been reported in the town of Bentiu, [...]
A "vigorous research and analysis effort" on wildlife crime is to be launched by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The announcement was made by the head of UNODC, Yury Fedotov in his opening remarks to the 23rd Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice on Monday. About 800 [...]
The void left by the withdrawal of Chadian peacekeepers from the Central African Republic should be quickly filled. That's according to the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Mary Robinson, who was speaking during her visit to the country over the weekend. Chad completed the withdrawal of its contingent of African Union troops [...]
Indigenous people from around the world are gathering at the United Nations on Monday to discuss the role of good governance and other issues. The annual two-week meeting brings together leaders of indigenous groups from every corner of the planet. It's one of the most colourful events on the UN calendar with many people addressing [...]
Barriers preventing children with disabilities from an education need to be removed, according to the United Nations education and cultural organization (UNESCO). The organization estimates that 93 million children across the world live with some form of disability. A "Global Action Week" organized by the Global Campaign for Education, a civil society movement dedicated to [...]
Countries which are susceptible to natural disasters should be looking at pairing satellite technology with alternative power sources as part of their response plan. That’s according to a senior official from the Department of Science and Technology, in the Philippines. Parts of the south-east Asian country were destroyed affecting around 16 million when Typhoon Haiyan [...]
The deadly landslide that recently affected northern Afghanistan highlights the need to focus on the larger issue of natural disasters, according to the UN. Hundreds of people were killed in the Nowabad area of Abi-Barik village in the Argo district of Badakhshan province. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that 1,000 [...]
A drought emergency in Somalia could aggravate the country's fragile food security situation unless immediate action is taken according to the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Horn of Africa nation. In a press briefing in Geneva, Philippe Lazzarini said that a combination of delayed rains, rising food prices and continued conflict is further worsening the [...]
Millions of desperate people in Syria won’t get humanitarian aid unless there is political support, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs or OCHA. Since the conflict began, 9.6 million Syrians have been affected by the crisis, a number that continues to grow. More than 6.5 million people have had [...]
Pope Francis I has been invited to United Nations headquarters in New York to speak about his vision of the future of humankind. The invitation was extended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who met with the Pontiff in the Vatican on Friday. Secretary-General Ban reminded the Pope of a tradition of papal visits to the [...]
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Citizens of South Sudan are hoping the peace talks in Ethiopia between the two sides of the South Sudanese conflict, will bring an end to the crisis. President Salva Kiir and former Vice-President Riek Machar are to meet face-to face on Friday in Addis Ababa, for the first time since the conflict broke out in [...]
The "brutality and frequency" of attacks in north-eastern Nigeria is unprecedented, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The agency said that multiple kidnappings and deaths have caused people to flee their homes both inside Nigeria and into neighbouring countries. A quarter of a million people are now internally displaced, and around 60,000 others [...]
The United Nations Secretary-General has praised the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church for his role in promoting what he called "a life of dignity for all." Ban Ki-moon met with Pope Francis I in Rome on Friday Speaking to an audience at the Vatican, Mr Ban said there is too much intolerance among peoples [...]
The Bollywood actress, Celina Jaitly, says she's "saddened" by the treatment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in India. Ms Jaitly, who is also a human rights equality champion for the United Nations, was in New York for the launch of a Bollywood-style music video made with the UN human rights office. The [...]
The expansion of broadband services on the internet has been described as a "game-changer" in India by the chairman of the country's Telecom Commission. M.F. Farooqui says that with increased accessibility and the right price, broadband could provide access to information and become a major driver of sustainable development. Telecom experts recently gathered at the [...]
Tens of thousands of farmers in the Philippines are bringing in their first rice harvest just six months after one of the worst ever typhoons to hit the country destroyed their fields. More than 6,000 people lost their lives, while some 600,000 hectares of farmland were destroyed when Typhoon Haiyan hit the country last November. [...]
South Sudan's President and his main political rival are expected to meet on Friday in Ethiopia for talks on ending nearly five months of fighting. The UN Secretary-General, who was in South Sudan on Tuesday, said this meeting is "absolutely necessary". He held talks with President Salva Kiir and spoke on the telephone with his [...]
The Security Council has decided to create a medal in honour of a United Nations peacekeeper credited with saving the lives of many Rwandans during the 1994 genocide. More than 800,000 Tutsis as well as Hutus were massacred during that period. The "Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage" will be awarded to military, police [...]
"Gross violations" of international human rights and humanitarian law have almost certainly been committed by both sides in the South Sudanese conflict. That's according to a new report released on Thursday by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Conflict between government and opposition forces in the world's newest nation began in December 2013, after [...]
The recent abductions of girls in northern Nigeria by Boko Haram militants group could deter other parents from sending their daughters to school, a senior official for the UN's Children Fund told UN Radio. Dr. Nicholas Alipui said the group's threat to sell or forcibly marry the girls is a "credible" threat that should not [...]
Moving goods by road can play a critical role in promoting trade between African countries, according to the Secretary-General of the International Road Transport Union (IRU). Umberto de Pretto was at the United Nations recently to attend a meeting on sustainable development goals that will replace the Millennium Development Goals after their 2015 deadline. He [...]
Eight per cent of chemical weapons stockpile remaining in Syria is currently inaccessible due to security conditions. That's according to the head of the Joint Mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations. Sigrid Kaag briefed the Security Council on Thursday on the status of the removal and [...]
The lack of provision in access to drinking water and sanitation in certain parts of the world need to be reduced further, according to a new report by two United Nations agencies. The World Health Organization and the UN's Children's Fund report, entitled Progress on drinking water and sanitation: 2014 update, was released on Thursday. [...]
The suffering of one million people displaced in the north-west of Pakistan is "heart-wrenching", according to a top UN Humanitarian official. Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Kyung-wha Kang, wrapped up a visit to Pakistan on Thursday. She stressed the need for more support to millions of people in the country affected by insecurity, natural disasters [...]
Too many people still lack a basic level of drinking water and sanitation, according to the World Heath Organization (WHO). A new report by WHO and the UN's Children's Fund (UNICEF) says despite some progress, sharp geographic and economic inequalities in access to improved water facilities still persist around the world. Dr Maria Neira, WHO [...]
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"Grave" violations of human rights and international humanitarian law have taken place in South Sudan, according to a report released on Thursday. The report by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) describes how civilians have suffered in the ongoing conflict in the country. The new African country has been beset by fighting between government [...]
A senior United Nations representative will be going to Nigeria to discuss how the UN can support the country's "internal challenges", as it struggles to find more than 230 abducted schoolgirls. The proposal came from the UN Secretary-General on Thursday during a phone call with Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan. President Jonathan backed the idea after [...]
An international hotel chain is aiming to create one million new jobs for young people in the tourism and hospitality industry by 2019. Hilton Worldwide says the initiative makes good business sense and is also an important part of its corporate responsibility programme. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), young people are three times [...]
"Significant progress" has been made in fighting cholera in Haiti according to a senior United Nations official in the country. The number of cases of the disease has fallen by 75 per cent since the beginning of the dry season in November last year. The UN has been criticised for the role it played in [...]
An update on Syria's chemical weapons stockpile is expected on Thursday by the head of the Joint Mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations (OPCW-UN). Ms. Sigrid Kaag's last update was given on 28 April, when she announced Syria had disposed of more than 92 per cent of [...]
Several cities around the world are making a conscious effort to clean up their "dirty" air as the UN health agency warns about rising levels of pollution. WHO's 2014 urban air quality database launched on Wednesday covers 1,600 cities across 91 countries. Air pollution dramatically affects the health of city dwellers, the agency says, increasing [...]
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Solutions for Kenya's displaced people require urgent action, according to a United Nations expert. Chaloka Beyani, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, was in Kenya for nine days to discuss durable solutions for the country's displaced. He met with representatives of the government as well as with internally displaced [...]
The Nigerian government has been asked to spare no effort to ensure the safe return of more than 230 girls abducted in the country, according to the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui. The girls were abducted from their school by Boko Haram in Borno State, Nigeria on the night of [...]
Governments around the world have been urged to support smallholder farmers as they struggle to produce food in increasingly fragile ecosystems. The call came from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a meeting of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in Rome on Wednesday. The CFS was created in 1974 to serve as a [...]
The world shares a common interest in preventing the use of weapons of mass destruction, according to the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General. Jan Eliasson made the comments at the 10th anniversary of a Security Council resolution that aims to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Mr Eliasson recognized that in its first ten [...]
Only one fifth of Syrian refugees in Jordan are living in camps, according to the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the country. Edward Kallon described the situation as "very unique". He explained that close to 600,000 Syrian refugees are registered by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), but only twenty per cent of them are in [...]
Ending hunger can be achieved, according to the United Nations Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon was speaking in Rome on Wednesday to food experts from around the world. He said that during his visit to South Sudan on Tuesday, he saw a country on the brink of a food security calamity. Without immediate action, Mr Ban said [...]
The island of Kiribati says it must remain resilient and prepared for the challenges presented by climate change. The low-lying Pacific Ocean archipelago is facing extensive flooding in the future if sea levels rise due to new climatic conditions. The Kiribati Minister of Communications, Rimeta Beniamina, recently attended the World Telecommunication Development conference in Dubai, [...]
The recent abductions of girls in northern Nigeria by Boko Haram militants group could deter other parents from sending their daughters to school, a senior official for the UN's Children Fund told UN Radio. Dr. Nicholas Alipui said the group's threat to sell or forcibly marry the girls is a "credible" threat that should not [...]
A new database of air pollution levels and trends is covering 1600 cities in 91 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The 2014 Air Quality global database is being launched in Geneva on Wednesday. Covering 500 more cities than in 2011, it highlights the ones where air pollution and the related health risks [...]
The first concrete step towards ensuring nuclear weapons are banned from Central Asia has been achieved, according to the UN Secretary-General. On Tuesday, five countries that hold nuclear-weapons signed a protocol to the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia. The five countries are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China. [...]
A plea not to fail young generations of the world has been made by the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth. Speaking at the World Conference on Youth in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday, Ahmad Alhendawi said young people are facing many challenges. He pointed out that 40 per cent of the unemployed globally are youth, [...]
More than 11,000 refugees from South Sudan have crossed the border into Ethiopia over the past three days, since government forces captured the rebel stronghold of Nasir in the Greater Upper Nile region over the weekend. The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, says that the refugees have arrived in the Ethiopian town of Burubiey, a small [...]
Continued support for vulnerable communities affected by conflict and natural disasters in Afghanistan must remain a priority, according to a top UN Humanitarian official. The UN Deputy Humanitarian Chief, Kyung-wha Kang, concluded her visit to the country on Tuesday. She noted that many regions of Afghanistan are prone to recurrent natural disasters. Vannina Maestracci is [...]
The UN says it is disappointed by the judgement of a military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) against 39 Congolese military. They were accused of rapes and crimes committed in Minova and its surroundings in November 2012. The Court condemned 26 members of the Congolese Army, including two for rape, one [...]
The President Salva Kiir of South Sudan and his former deputy turned opposition leader Riek Machar have agreed to hold direct talks in Addis Ababa following a visit by the UN chief on Tuesday. The two leaders have been locked in a fierce battle over control of the country since mid-December after their fallout in [...]
The UN Humanitarian agency (OCHA) has said that a "funding crisis" is putting lives at risk in Chad. Some programmes, such as those providing nutritional support for children in the Sahel, may have to be cut. The situation in Chad has been impacted by civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR). Close to 100,000 [...]
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There has been a 45 per cent reduction in the number of women who die during pregnancy and childbirth but still more still needs to be done. That's according to the latest updates on maternal mortality released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday. Approximately 289,000 women died in 2013 due to complications in [...]
The humanitarian crisis in Chad is deteriorating according to a top UN official in the region. Around two and a half million people out of a population of 12 million are not getting enough food. And 400,000 children are malnourished. Robert Piper is the UN's Regional humanitarian coordinator for the Sahel. He's been accompanying Valerie [...]
The United Nations Secretary-General is in South Sudan to urge the country's leaders to find peace through dialogue. Africa's newest nation has been in crisis since December 2013 following a power struggle between the president and his former deputy. Ban Ki-moon told journalists he was there "with a sad and heavy heart", after visiting displaced [...]
South Sudan deserves the "commitment" of the United Nations to help rebuild the country, according to a senior member of the government there. The country is facing an internal conflict which started in December last year, after the former Vice-President, was driven from power. Thousands of people have died in inter-ethnic violence and a million [...]
All sides involved in the crisis in Ukraine have been urged to make greater effort to find a peaceful resolution to the current situation, especially in towns in eastern and southern Ukraine that have seen increasingly violent confrontations. Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, says that the government must ensure [...]
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says that it is deeply concerned about claims made in a video, believed to be by the leader of Boko Haram in Nigeria yesterday, concerning the fate of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls, abducted from a school in the northern state of Borno on [...]
Transgender people in India are for the first time recognized as voters in the elections currently taking place in what is known as the largest democracy in the world. Since 1994, India’s Election Commission has been expanding efforts to register members of the transgender community as voters. In a landmark decision in 2014, the Supreme [...]
Somalia has been commended by a senior United Nations official for the political and economic progress it is making. The UN Assistant Secretary General for peacebuilding support, Judy Cheng-Hopkins arrived in the Horn of Africa country on Sunday for a five-day visit. Somalia is in the process of rebuilding federal state institutions and preparing for [...]
The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator is meeting with government officials in Chad to discuss ways of enhancing the humanitarian response for close to 100,000 Central African refugees. During her visit, Valerie Amos is expected to draw attention on chronic food insecurity and malnutrition in the Sahel zone. Sectarian violence between Christian and Muslim militias has [...]
The UN Security Council has condemned a terrorist attack that occurred in Yemen on Monday, in which one person was killed. The victim worked for the European Union Mission in the Yemeni capital Sana'a and was reportedly French. The members of the Council expressed their "deep" sympathy and condolences to the family of the victim [...]
Heavy fighting continued in South Sudan on Monday close to the UN base in Bentiu, according to the UN mission in the country (UNMISS). Clashes between government forces and opposition rebels in the Unity State capital have broken out close to where 23,000 displaced civilians are being protected by the United Nations. South Sudan plunged [...]
Long-term preventive measures are needed to fight natural disasters in Afghanistan, according to top United Nations humanitarian officials. UN Deputy Humanitarian Chief Kyung-Wha Kang and UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Mark Bowden visited the location of a deadly landslide which killed hundreds in north-eastern Afghanistan last Friday. Four decades of conflict and recurrent natural disasters, [...]
Millions remain in a precarious situation six months after Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines, according to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The group has now launched an ambitious plan geared towards supporting the long-term recovery of survivors. Sixteen million people were affected by the typhoon, with thousands losing family members, homes and [...]
The spread of polio has been declared an international public health emergency by the head of the World Health Organization (WHO). This follows a meeting of the Emergency Committee for the international spread of wild polio virus in Geneva last week. According to WHO, polio has re-emerged in ten countries: Afghanistan, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, [...]
The Bollywood actress, Celina Jaitly, says she's "saddened" by the treatment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in India. Ms Jaitly, who is also a human rights equality champion for the United Nations, was in New York for the launch of a Bollywood-style music video made with the UN human rights office. [...]
Climate change is the "defining issue of our time" and concrete actions are needed to tackle the phenomenon. That was the UN Secretary-General's call to action to the one thousand plus participants at the end of a two-day meeting he co-hosted with the Arab United Emirates (UAE) in Abu Dhabi. The Gulf country has invested [...]
The international spread of polio is a public health risk that requires a coordinated response, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). An emergency committee of the WHO advised on Monday that wild poliovirus now constitutes an "extraordinary event". The current transmission rate could result in failure to globally eradicate one of the world's most [...]
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Any government or major business that doesn't have a climate strategy is in trouble, according to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Ban Ki-moon wrapped up a two-day meeting on climate change that he co-hosted with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government in Abu Dhabi on Monday, reminding world leaders that "change is in the [...]
Access to the Internet is a "crucial right" for young people around the world according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Only 30 per cent of people in the developing world have access to the Internet. The agency says that in some parts of Asia women and children are being "left behind." It's now looking [...]
Health care workers around the world are being encouraged to make sure their hands are thoroughly clean as a way to protect against the spread of drug-resistant germs. The World Health Organization, (WHO) is highlighting the importance of clean hands on Hand Hygiene Day marked every year on the 5th of May. It says many [...]
Health care workers around the world are being told that keeping their hands clean at work is vital for the health and safety of patients. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that up to 10 per cent of people treated in developing countries catch a new infection directly from the health worker treating them. Nicki [...]
The UN Secretary-General has called on world leaders to "usher in a new era of climate actions" to help reverse the acceleration towards global warming. Ban Ki-moon made his remarks to heads of state and government, and other leaders at a meeting he co-hosted with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government. During the Abu Dhabi [...]
Flying is still the safest way to travel according to an annual report released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The number of fatal accidents involving scheduled commercial operations remained steady at nine during 2013, with total fatalities down to 173. That is compared to 388 in 2012 – a 55 per cent decrease. [...]
Leaders in government, business, finance and civil society from around the world are in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to debate practical solutions to reducing greenhouse gases and enhancing resilience to climate change. The high-level meeting named Abu Dhabi Ascent after its host city aims to generate momentum ahead of the UN Climate Summit in [...]
All sides to the conflict in Ukraine are being urged to exercise maximum restraint and to return to the negotiating table, the UN political chief told members of the Security Council on Friday. Jeffrey Feltman said the recent developments in the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine threatened to further destabilize the country, the region, [...]
The people of the Central African Republic will be supported by the UN in their efforts to build dignity, prosperity and social peace in the country. The pledge was made by the Under-Secretary-General of UN peacekeeping operations, Herve Ladsous, who is touring the conflict-affected country. Fighting between mainly Muslim and Christian communities has fuelled a [...]
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An organization led by woman has been working for 20 years to provide education in Afghanistan. Working underground when the country was ruled by the Taliban, the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) has provided teacher training and supported education for girls and boys. The organization, which has also delivered health services to women and children, [...]
Thousands of people in Mali who were displaced by a crisis that started with a coup in March 2012 are now returning home. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says it follows an improvement in the security situation in the north of the country. Many of the people returning home are in need of assistance [...]
The fight against terrorism in Ethiopia cannot be used as an excuse to intimidate and silence journalists, bloggers, activists and members of civil society organizations. That's what Navi Pillay, the UN human rights chief said on the eve of World Press Freedom Day celebrated on 3 May. She expressed concern over the recent wave of [...]
An "immediate moratorium" on the use of the death penalty in the United States has been called for by the UN after a bungled execution of a man in the state of Oklahoma. Clayton Lockett was taken to the execution chamber on Tuesday but the lethal drugs that were injected into a vein did not [...]
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says that the suffering of a prisoner during his execution in Oklahoma in the US this week may amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, according to international human rights law. Clayton Lockett had been sentenced to death for shooting a 19-year-old woman and watching as two accomplices [...]
Indiscriminate attacks that maim and kill civilians may amount to war crimes, the Deputy Envoy for Afghanistan warned on Friday. Mark Bowden made the statement after Thursday's suicide car bombing in the province of Panjshir that took the lives of 15 people, including seven civilians. More than a dozen people were injured, including civilians, with [...]
From today, the State of Palestine is bound by international human rights standards, having brought into force five treaties, with two others coming into effect in July. The treaties include the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on [...]
A Turkish investigative journalist Ahmet Şik has been designated as the winner of the 2014 UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. The prize, named after a Colombian newspaper reporter who was murdered in 1986, is awarded by UNESCO to a person, organization or institution making a significant contribution to the defence of press freedom [...]
Journalists in the Central African Republic are being encouraged to report stories which reflect the changing needs of the country's people. Ethnic violence has spread across CAR over the last year and a half. Thousands of people are believed to have been killed and hundreds of thousands of others have been forced to flee their [...]
An organization led by woman has been working for 20 years to provide education in Afghanistan. Working underground when the country was ruled by the Taliban, the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) has provided teacher training and supported education for girls and boys. The organization, which has also delivered health services to women and children, [...]
The relocation to safe areas of people affected by ongoing internal conflict in the Central African Republic will be a last resort according to the UN peacekeeping chief. Hervé Ladsous, is in the country on his first visit since the Security Council authorized a new peacekeeping mission. He said his aim was to make the [...]
A Bollywood-style music video which presses for the recognition of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) is being launched in India by the UN human rights office. It's part of a global campaign to raise awareness of homophobic violence and discrimination. It comes just after the decision of the Indian Supreme [...]
Mother Earth would benefit from a new legal system, where just as we recognize human rights, we would recognize the inherent rights of nature. That's according to Linda Sheehan, the Executive Director of the Earth Law Centre, an organization based in California that advocates for legal changes in governance. Ms Sheehan was at UN Headquarters [...]
Fighting in parts of South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in east Sudan in the past two weeks has displaced or affected an estimated 16,500 people, according to government figures. Meanwhile, the contested oil-rich region of Abyei has seen at least 3,000 people arriving from South Sudan Unity State bringing the total number to 6,000. [...]
Ukraine's economic reform programme has received $17 billion in loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The reform programme will focus on five key areas which include exchange rate flexibility, banking stability, fiscal policy, energy policy and governance. The government of Ukraine is also launching a new social protection programme to cushion the impact of [...]
Ordinary people in the Central African Republic (CAR) are being radicalized and manipulated by their leaders to believe that the solution to the crisis is segregation, the Operations Director of the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said on Thursday. In his briefing to the press on his recent trip to the troubled Central African nation, John [...]
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North Korea has been urged to acknowledge human rights violations in the country and take immediate steps to end such violations and abuses. The call came from Ambassador Robert R. King, United States Special Envoy for North Korea Human Rights Issues in Geneva during his address to the UN body in charge of examining the [...]
The role of volunteerism in channelling the energies of young people in the Arab world has been a subject of discussion in a two-day forum that ended in the Moroccan City of Marrakesh on Wednesday. About 100 representatives of governments, civil society and youth shared ideas about volunteerism in the meeting that was organized by [...]
The UN paid tribute to journalists and media workers around the world who risk their lives to inform societies at an event in New York on Thursday. The General Assembly held a meeting to celebrate World Press Freedom Day under the theme "Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the Post 2015 Development Agenda." The [...]
A culture of accountability is important to assess progress and achieve results in regards to the UN's new development agenda, the UN Secretary-General underscored on Thursday. Ban Ki-moon spoke at a meeting of the General Assembly to discuss a framework to ensure accountability for the post-2015 development agenda. The year 2015 is the deadline for [...]
Malaysia is urging the UN's ICT agency (ITU) to work with the aviation industry to develop a better way to monitor real-time flight data and record what is happening in the cockpit. The call came from the country's Minister for Communications and Multimedia, Ahmad Shabery Cheek. The ITU says that modern technology solutions could aid [...]
Whether it's Typhoon Haiyan which tore through South East Asia last last year, or the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004, media reports of natural disasters appear unrelenting. But are there more natural disasters today or are we simply more aware of them because of real time, round the clock media coverage? IMF's Nicole [...]
A truly uninhibited free press is necessary for societies to move forward, according to Pamela Falk, a CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst based at UN Headquarters. Ms. Falk is sharing her thoughts about the future of media freedom at the 2014 commemoration of World Press Freedom Day in New York on Thursday. The UN says [...]
