Authorities in Pakistan are being urged to redouble efforts to protect religious and ethnic minorities following a terrorist attack that killed around 54 people. The call was made by the UN Secretary-General following the bombing of a mosque in the southern Sindh province belonging to the minority Shia Muslims. Jocelyne Sambira has the story. UN [...]
The Ebola epidemic in the most affected West African countries is "far from over" but the tide is turning, the UN Secretary-General said on Saturday. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently reported that the number of new Ebola cases recorded in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone fell below 100 for the first time in seven [...]
The brutalization of women during armed conflicts remains a persistent and serious problem. That was the message from delegates addressing the UN Security Council on Friday at a debate on the protection of civilians from physical violence. For the first time, the meeting focused on challenges faced by women and girls in armed conflict and [...]
A humanitarian truce in eastern Ukraine is needed immediately, a United Nations official in the country has said. Heavy fighting has intensified in densely populated areas of the eastern European country in recent days. Delivering life-saving aid to the affected populations has been increasingly difficult. Daniel Dickinson has the story. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in [...]
The conviction of five senior Bosnian Serb military officials has been upheld by the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY). The United Nations court issued its final decision on Friday. The crimes were committed in July 1995 by Bosnian Serb forces following the takeover of the protected areas of Srebrenica and Žepa. Jocelyne Sambira reports. [...]
A social media campaign to counter widespread xenophobia and negative perceptions of migrants has been launched by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The "Migrant Heroes" campaign invites a global audience to identify and tell positive stories of people who have moved to other countries. The agency, which works in partnership with the United Nations, [...]
The annexation of Crimea and the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine are creating an HIV/AIDS crisis, according to a United Nations envoy. Since Russia occupied Crimea in March 2014, injecting drug users are no longer receiving substitution treatment which had helped to reverse the growing AIDS epidemic in Ukraine. Michel Kazatchkine, the UN Secretary-General's Special [...]
The use of social media platforms by ambassadors at the United Nations is making diplomacy more relevant and immediate. That's according to one of the authors of a study looking at the impact of the Twitter platform on diplomatic relations. Adam Snyder, an analyst at the private sector firm Burson-Marsteller, was at the UN on [...]
European Union (EU) nations are being advised not to return asylum seekers to Greece in a new UN report. The country has seen a dramatic increase in refugee and migrant arrivals by sea. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) points to multiple gaps and concerns regarding the asylum process in the Hellenic Republic. Jocelyne Sambira reports. [...]
Despite its high rate of economic growth, the Asia-Pacific region is facing challenges in reducing poverty and economic inequalities, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP). UNDP on Monday launched its Regional Report 'Achieving Development Results in Asia and the Pacific". The report highlights some of the successful programmes implemented between 2013 and 2014. Xu [...]
Efforts to eradicate Ebola have shifted to tracing those with the virus. It follows signs that the deadly disease is on the wane in the three worst affected countries Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. But humanitarian workers have met resistance from communities which deny them access to the sick in the belief that the outsiders [...]
The British actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson has unveiled a new initiative to galvanize support for women's empowerment. Launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday it's part of the UN's HeForShe gender equality campaign. Known as the HeForShe IMPACT 10X10X10, the new initiative is a one year pilot [...]
More work needs to be done to unleash the potential of Africa's women and girls, the UN Secretary-General has said. Ban Ki-moon was speaking during the opening ceremony of the annual gathering of African Heads of State in Addis Ababa. The 24th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) opened on Friday. [...]
A once empty Syrian border transit point has rapidly become home to more than 11,000 people from Iraq. They've been forced to flee their homes following an upsurge of terrorist violence across the region. Now named the Badjet Kandela camp, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is turning the site into a temporary home for the [...]
The recent killings of journalists in South Sudan and in Iraq have been denounced by the United Nations Cultural Agency, UNESCO. The Director-General Irina Bokova called on governments on Thursday to improve the safety of media workers in the country. Stephanie Castro reports. The death of the five South Sudanese journalists has been described by [...]
The deteriorating security situation in Darfur is of "deep concern" the UN Secretary-General has said. Ban Ki-moon's remarks follow reports of an escalation of hostilities between the Government of Sudan and armed movements in Central Darfur. At least 36,000 civilians have been displaced in the western region of Sudan due to these hostilities. Jocelyne Sambira [...]
Iraqi authorities have announced their decision to conduct a full probe into the massacre of civilians in Diyala province, according to the UN. The people of the village of Barwanah were allegedly killed by armed groups. The UN Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) has welcomed the news. Jocelyne Sambira has the story. In a statement issued [...]
A memorial service was held on Thursday morning at the Beirut International Airport in Lebanon in honour of a fallen peacekeeper. An investigation is ongoing to determine the "precise cause of death" of the peacekeeper and is being led by the UN Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The member of the Spanish contingent succumbed to injuries [...]
Half a billion dollars is needed to continue fighting Ebola in West Africa, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). The money is part of an appeal for $3.1 billion the agency launched on Thursday to help 62 million children at risk in humanitarian crises around the world. Ebola has killed more than 8,700 people [...]
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the ongoing civil conflict in South Sudan and the rise of terrorism in Nigeria are topics on which the UN Secretary-General is expected to focus at the Assembly of the African Union. Ban Ki-moon is on Thursday arriving in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa to attend the annual gathering [...]
The outlook for the humanitarian situation in Somalia in 2015 remains "worrisome" a new UN study has found. Over 730,000 Somalis face acute food insecurity, the vast majority internally displaced people. An additional 2.3 million are at risk of sliding into the same situation. Stephanie Castro has the story. The total number of people in [...]
Efforts are under way to secure the release of six crew members of a UN food agency's helicopter who disappeared in Sudan. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) says the helicopter was flying from South Sudan to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, for regular maintenance on Monday when it made an emergency landing in the [...]
Participants in a UN-facilitated political dialogue have agreed "in principle" to move the talks to Libya. A second round of negotiations is being held in Geneva this week. Two rival governments are currently vying for control of the North African oil producer, three years after the fall of leader Muammar Qadhafi. Jocelyne Sambira reports. Moving [...]
Increasingly complex and destructive conflict have made UNICEF's job harder than ever, it said at the launch of its biggest ever appeal. The UN agency plans to use the $3.1 billion to help people in countries directly affected by fighting such as Syria but also those out of the media spotlight, such as South Sudan. [...]
The cultivation of potatoes, the staple food in Bolivia, is in danger as a result of climate change, according to the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Potatoes originated in the Andes and the region boasts more than 4,000 different varieties of the crop. However, increased temperatures, changes in growing seasons and increased incidence [...]
An investigation has been launched in northern Mali after violent protests near a UN base in the town of Gao led to the deaths of several people. The demonstrations were in reaction to an initiative that would establish a temporary security zone in Tabankort following heavy fighting in the area. Jocelyne Sambira has more. The [...]
The release of a presidential aide in Yemen on Wednesday has been welcomed by the UN senior envoy to the country. Ahmed Bin Mubarak, Director of the Office of the President, was held captive for nearly ten days by the Ansarallah opposition group. The President and the Prime Minister of the Middle Eastern country both [...]
An investigation into the death of a UN peacekeeper killed in southern Lebanon is underway, according to the UN Interim Force in the country, UNIFIL. The peacekeeper of was from Spain died from injuries sustained following an exchange of fire north of the Blue Line, a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon. The Israeli Defence [...]
The atrocities committed by the Nazis during the Second World War were revisited on Tuesday as the UN observed the International Day of Commemoration of the Victims of the Holocaust. The day marks the liberation of the notorious Auschwitz-Berkenau concentration and extermination camp on 27th January. The now notorious acts committed at the camp included [...]
Anti-Semitism remains a violent reality, the UN Secretary-General warned during a ceremony in memory of the Holocaust victims. The International Day of Commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust also marks the liberation of the Aushwitz Birkenau death camp at the end of the Second World war. Over a million people were killed in the [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The call to end indiscriminate employment of weapons in populated areas of Syria has continued to be ignored, according to a UN top humanitarian official. Kyung-wha Kang, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, was speaking on Wednesday at the Security Council. She presented a report on recent developments in Syria, which is now in [...]
Racism and discrimination at any level should not be tolerated because it can be a foundation for atrocities. That's according to Charlotte Cohen, a youth adviser to the United Kingdom Holocaust Commission. She's been attending an event at the UN in New York to observe the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims [...]
A UN peacekeeper has died from injuries sustained following an exchange of fire near Ghajar in southern Lebanon. The precise cause of death is as yet undetermined and remains the subject of investigation, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Wednesday Ghajar is north of the Blue Line, a buffer zone, free [...]
A decision by the Dutch government to provide funding to municipalities that offer emergency shelters for homeless migrants has been welcomed by human rights experts. The announcement by the Government of the Netherlands represents a significant change in the country's longstanding refusal to provide emergency aid to this group. Jocelyne Sambira reports. The move by [...]
A polio outbreak in the Middle East is "on the verge" of being stopped, according to health experts at a UN meeting in Lebanon. The outbreak which started in Syria and spread to Iraq in early 2014 paralysed at least 38 children in Syria and Iraq, prompting fears of a major epidemic. A regional outbreak [...]
A UN special envoy has expressed outrage over an assault by protestors on his Office in Gaza on Wednesday. The Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) sustained damages to its premises and property during the attack. The Office has a responsibility to assist in all issues related to [...]
Devastating floods in Malawi have left thousands of farmers without crops and livestock according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The agency estimates that 60,000 hectares of land and 250,000 farming families have been affected by the heavy rains that have hit the Southern African country. FAO Representative in Lilongwe, the capital of [...]
A €315 billion investment plan proposed by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker could generate more than 2.1 million jobs, the International Labour Organization (ILO) believes. The UN organisation warns however that if the cash isn't invested where it's needed most it could only create 400,000 eurozone jobs by 2018. ILO economist Raymond Torres Key says [...]
The surveillance of outbreaks of the Ebola disease in West Africa needs to be intensified if the deadly virus is to finally be beaten, according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) new regional director for Africa. More than 8,700 people have died from Ebola mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, but now the number [...]
Around 3000 child soldiers in South Sudan are scheduled to be released from fighting, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). The children were recruited by the South Sudan Democratic Army’s Cobra Faction. Some had been fighting for almost four years in the country's civil conflict. UNICEF, which is facilitating the process, says close to [...]
![Congolese refugees in Uganda. [Photo: UNHCR/L.Beck]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/congo-refugees-uganda.jpg "congo-refugees-uganda")
Around 150,000 refugees in Uganda will receive reduced food rations from the UN food agency starting Tuesday because of insufficient funding. The ration cut of 50 per cent comes as the World Food Programme (WFP) struggles to raise an additional US$ 30 million for its operations in the East African country for the next six [...]
Palestinian refugees in Gaza are sleeping in the rubble of their destroyed homes and children are dying from hypothermia, according to the United Nations. It follows the suspension of a UN programme to repair houses damaged in a two month conflict last year between Israel and the Palestinian faction Hamas. Daniel Dickinson reports The UN [...]
The Egyptian authorities have been urged by the UN human rights office to end excessive force against protestors. It follows the death of at least 20 demonstrators marking the fourth anniversary of the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak. One of the victims was leading civil rights campaigner Shaimaa Al Sabagh, whose death was captured [...]
A growing global population means there are likely to be far more than the 850 million vehicles on the roads now, with an even greater demand for fuel than today. At a United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) partner event, fans of natural gas-powered cars explained why they could help meet tomorrow's energy needs. [...]
Continued fighting in Ukraine has forced an estimated 1,000 children and their families into bomb shelters in the eastern city of Donetsk. UN children's agency UNICEF says there's a serious health risk from diseases such as polio to the country's 7.9 million youngsters. It's calling for an immediate halt to hostilities between government and rebel [...]
The rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community in El Salvador are being highlighted as a result of a campaign supported by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). The Libres e Iguales (Free and Equal) campaign was created in response to a reported increase in hate crimes. It's hoped it will [...]
The world continues to be haunted by the fate of the millions of Jewish men, women and children who suffered and were killed in the Holocaust. The UN Human Rights chief made the remarks on the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust observed annually on 27 January. This year's [...]
The maintenance of peace across the so-called "Blue Line" that separates Lebanon from Israel has been highlighted as one of the country's greatest achievements of the past three years by the UN's former senior official in Lebanon. Among Derek Plumbly's most important responsibilities at the helm of the Beirut-based UN political office in Lebanon (UNSCOL) [...]
Citizens in the Asia-Pacific region have been partnering successfully with the UN to solve problems of poverty and inequalities in the past two years. A report documenting the achievements of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) US$2 billion delivery has been launched on Monday. The focus has been on finding innovative solutions to these challenges and [...]
Civilians affected by an attack on the city of Mariupol in Ukraine are receiving vital support from the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. The UN says a rocket, which appears to have been launched indiscriminately into civilian areas on Saturday, killed dozens of people and left over one hundred injured. Fighting between Ukraine's government troops and [...]
Despite its high rate of economic growth, the Asia-Pacific region is facing challenges in reducing poverty and economic inequalities, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP). UNDP on Monday launched its Regional Report 'Achieving Development Results in Asia and the Pacific". The report highlights some of the successful programmes implemented between 2013 and 2014. Xu [...]
Hunger kills more people nowadays than conflicts, including terrorism, the Director-General for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned. José Graziano da Silva made the remarks in New York ahead of a special meeting organized by the UN peacebuilding commission. He delivered a presentation on food security and peacebuilding on Monday. Jocelyne Sambira reports. [...]
Authorities in Liberia believe they're "very close" to eradicating Ebola and repairing the damage done to the economy, it's been announced. Trade minister Axel Addy told reporters at the UN in Geneva that the country took a "dramatic hit" from the killer epidemic but communities were increasingly effective in taking measures to eradicate it. The [...]
The emphasis placed on accountability regarding the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs should be strengthened, UN human rights experts have stressed. The SDGs as well as a universal meaningful climate agreement are part of the United Nations agenda for 2015. Stephanie Castro has more. Accountability is the key to achieving the post-2015 Sustainable Development [...]
Fresh talks began Monday at the UN in Geneva to find a solution to the ongoing political and military crisis in Libya. The new round of negotiations with Libyan delegations follows an initial two-day meeting in Geneva earlier in January, co-ordinated by Bernardo Leon, head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). The [...]
The resilience of women and girls who face gender-based violence around the world is being celebrated in a concert at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York on Monday evening. Ninety-eight classical musicians from about 40 different orchestras around the world are participating in the concert to raise funds and public awareness for the UN [...]
Some of the world's most renowned classical musicians are due to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York at a benefit concert to end violence against women. Monday's event was made possible through a partnership between the NGO "Music For Life International" and the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The UN agency [...]
The apparent murder of a Japanese citizen by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been condemned by the UN Security Council. Media reports on Sunday indicated that Haruna Yukawa had been killed after the terrorist group said the Japanese government failed to pay a ransom. “This crime is once more a [...]
Ebola is a tragedy that has taught the World Health Organization (WHO) many lessons about how to prevent similar events in the future. That's according to the Director-General of WHO, Margaret Chan, who spoke on Sunday at a special session of the Organization's Executive Board on reviewing the response to the Ebola virus disease. The [...]
Pollution from fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas is taking a toll on people's health worldwide, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The so-called "dirty energy" from these fuels kills millions of people each year. Coal generally causes the most air pollution followed by diesel, while natural gas and gasoline cause the [...]
The UN Security Council offers all of the support it can to Haiti to ensure that elections take place in 2015, according to the US Permanent Representative to the organization. Ambassador Samantha Power was on Saturday in the Caribbean nation with other members of the Security Council on a three-day mission. The trip is taking [...]
Theatre groups in Nicaragua are using performance as a tool to fight gender violence in the Central American country. A third to a half of Nicaraguan women has suffered violence from men at some time, the UN estimates. The country also has the second highest incident of domestic violence in the region which has been [...]
A peace deal reuniting one of South Sudan's political parties has been welcomed by the United Nations. The agreement which seeks to reunite and reconcile three fighting factions of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) was signed in Arusha, Tanzania. Violent unrest began thirteen months ago between government forces and fighters loyal to former Vice-President [...]
Inland fishing in canals, lakes, rivers and bays plays a critical role in food security, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Yet not much is known about the actual production and kinds of species of fish that as being caught. Around 60 million people throughout the world are dependent on inland fishing. [...]
A regional refugee response plan to assist more than 460,000 fleeing Central Africans has been presented by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and its partners. The plan appealed for US$331 million to provide essential items such as food, clean water and shelter to the refugees from the Central African Republic. They have been fleeing mainly [...]
The British actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson has unveiled a new initiative to galvanize support for women's empowerment. Launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Friday it's part of the UN's HeForShe gender equality campaign. Known as the HeForShe IMPACT 10X10X10, the new initiative is a one year pilot [...]
The apparent use of force by law enforcement officials against demonstrators in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been described as "alarming" by the UN human right office (OHCHR). More than 13 people have reportedly been killed and 30 injured in the context of several days of demonstrations in the cities of Kinshasa [...]
The year ahead must be a time for strong commitments and global action, according to the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon was speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He said multiple crises currently face the planet, ones that are geopolitical, socio-economic, and related to sustainable development. But he is hopeful that the world [...]
The recent upsurge in fighting in Ukraine has resulted in more civilian deaths than at any time since the signing of the failed ceasefire last year, according to the UN's human rights agency. "The significant escalation of hostilities in Ukraine since 13 January has taken the total death toll in the country to at least [...]
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia left a tangible legacy that can still point the way towards peace in the Middle East, according to the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon said the King, who died on Thursday at the age of 90, was a driving force behind the Arab Peace Initiative. King Abdullah, he said, made major [...]
The resignation of the President and Prime Minister of Yemen is a cause for serious concern, according to the UN Secretary-General. President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi Mansour and Prime Minister Khaled Bahah submitted their resignations on Thursday. Media reports indicated that Houthi fighters had advanced in the capital, Sana'a, surrounding the President's home for several days. Yemen [...]
Iceland has been demonstrating to the international community why it ranks number one in the world in closing the gender gap. The Nordic country recently hosted a conference at the United Nations to highlight the influence society has in the way men treat women. The Barbershop Conference comes as the UN brings the global community [...]
Small farmers play a critical role in feeding people around the world and now the food they produce is going to feed people 250 kilometres above the earth's surface. Chef Stefano Polato produces special meals known as bonus foods that European astronauts like Italy's Samantha Cristoferetti can take to outer space. The first Italian female [...]
British actress Emma Watson is launching a new initiative at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, to address deficiencies in women's empowerment. Ms Watson is a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women, the UN agency for gender equality. Last September, she called on men and boys to help end the persisting inequalities faced by women and [...]
The challenges in Somalia have been described as "tremendous" by the new Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the country. Raisedon Zenenga, a citizen of Zimbabwe, recently arrived in the capital Mogadishu to assume his duties with the UN Mission, UNSOM. He said the global community needs to work together to push forward [...]
Thousands of lives have been saved thanks to greater understanding of the dangers posed by natural disasters, according to the United Nations. It has been a decade since the adoption of the Hyogo Framework for Action, a ten-year plan to make the world safer from natural hazards. Since its adoption, there have been more than [...]
Economic growth in Asia in 2015 is expected to be lower than previously projected, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Despite the sharp fall in oil prices across the world, a situation which can help to boost national economies, growth estimates have been revised down by 0.3 per cent for the next two years. [...]
Anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head again particularly in Europe, the United Nations General Assembly was told on Thursday as it held its first ever meeting on the issue. The gathering comes in the wake of reports of attacks against Jews. The most recent at a kosher supermarket in Paris, France where four Jewish men [...]
Child abuse is continuing in Iraq where disabled children have been used to carry out terrorist attacks in a belief it will cure them, it emerged on Thursday. In a UN report on Iraq, human rights experts also detailed child prostitution and child pornography, along with other harmful practices targeting girls, such as female genital [...]
An armed attack against the Libyan Central Bank's branch in Benghazi has been condemned by the UN Mission in the country, UNSMIL. Media reports indicate fighters seized the bank, which is the repository for Libya's oil revenue and holds billions of US dollars in foreign currency reserves. The Mission believes that the establishment of an [...]
Jordan says it needs more help from the international community to accommodate refugees fleeing from the conflict in Syria. The country is currently hosting around 800,000 refugees, the vast majority from Syria. The Za'atari Refugee Camp in the north of the country is now the second largest camp for displaced people in the world. Basma [...]
The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, will only withdraw from the country when the threat from armed groups is under control, according to the UN's peacekeeping chief. Hervé Ladsous was speaking in the Security Council about the political and security situation in the country. He said much has been achieved [...]
The sense of injustice about Israel's actions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should never be used as an excuse to attack Jews, according to the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon on Thursday shared a video message with the General Assembly during a meeting on the rise of anti-Semitism worldwide. He said over the centuries, Jews have been [...]
Barges carrying food have reached Malakal in South Sudan's Upper Nile state bringing aid to thousands of people displaced by conflict. The UN World Food Programme (WFP), which delivered the supplies, says access to people in need has improved with the coming of the dry season. The UN estimates that around 2.5 million people require [...]
Princess Haya Al Hussein of Jordan is to receive the 2015 Hunger Hero Award from the UN World Food Programme (WFP). The award ceremony will take place during a panel discussion on Empowered Women and Innovation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The Jordanian Princess is a UN Messenger of Peace, as well [...]
A social media campaign by the UN is honouring women human rights defenders worldwide and raising awareness about the dangers of the job. Under the hashtag #reflect2protect, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) is releasing a series of 12 short video profiles of these defenders. 2015 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and [...]
The rise in anti-Semitic violence worldwide is being discussed by the General Assembly on Thursday. The event was organized following a request by Member States of the United Nations last October. Bernard-Henri Lévy, the French intellectual, philosopher and writer is scheduled to give opening remarks alongside the UN Secretary-General. Following the terrorist attacks in Paris [...]
Running a small or medium sized business in South Sudan is set to become more straightforward following support from the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank. Working with the Bank of South Sudan, the IFC is promoting the introduction of leasing in the African country. Leasing enables companies which do [...]
The situation in the north of Nigeria has been described as "dramatic" by a senior UN official as the country struggles to contain increasing levels of violence. The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui made the comment as she toured Nigeria's Yola town in Adamawa State where she assessed how violence [...]
The establishment of an international tribunal to investigate and prosecute war crimes in the Central African Republic has been urged by UN investigators. More than two years of civil war and sectarian violence have displaced hundreds of thousands of people and led to widespread human rights abuses. Two million are also in need of humanitarian [...]
More than 18,000 people have been reported as displaced in several areas of North Darfur in Sudan, according to the UN humanitarian agency, OCHA. Locations affected are El Fasher, Shangil Tobaya, Tawila and Um Baru. There are already 2.5 million internally displaced people in the region following years of instability. A recent operation led by [...]
One and a half billion dollars is needed over the next six months to fight the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, according to the UN. Around 8,500 people have died from the disease in the three worst affected countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The number of new cases is now in decline, but more [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
From an aerial view the Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan looks like a prison camp, totally dehumanized. That's according to documentary photographer Nina Berman. Ms Berman, along with four photographers from a Dutch photography collective, documented daily life in the camp which is run by the United Nations. It's now the 2nd largest refugee camp [...]
Lessons of the Holocaust perpetrated by Nazi Germany at Auschwitz-Birkenau camp during the Second World War were revisited at the United Nations on Wednesday. The camp was made up of a network of concentration and extermination facilities in areas of Poland annexed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Over one million people perished [...]
A high ranking commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has been transferred to the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The move has been welcomed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensouda. An arrest warrant for Dominic Ongwen had been issued in 2005 for [...]
Commemorating victims of the Holocaust is an important opportunity for the global community to transform lessons it should have learned into concrete acts of prevention. That was one of the UN Deputy Secretary-General's main messages at an event in New York marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi extermination camp in [...]
Some twenty diplomats from nine countries have visited the Gaza Strip to better understand the situation facing thousands of Palestinians this winter, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). A 50-day conflict which started last July between Israel and the Palestinian faction, Hamas led to the deaths of 2000 Palestinians and 70 Israelis [...]
The battle against an ongoing plague of locusts in Madagascar risks being lost as funds run out for operations to control them, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned. The locust is the most serious threat to farmers on the Indian Ocean island. If crops are damaged up to 13 million people may [...]
Funds are running out to fight a battle against an ongoing plague of locusts in Madagascar, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The agency says an extra US$10.6 million is urgently needed to avoid a serious food security challenge for 13 million people on the south-east African island. Annie Monard, who leads [...]
Emergency health kits have been delivered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to people who have been under siege in north central Iraq for the past seven months. WHO says the kits, brought to the Dhuluiya district in the Salah al-Din governorate, will support those with limited access to health care. The kits reportedly contain [...]
Finding people in Guinea who have come in contact with a family member or friend infected with Ebola is not only difficult but it's dangerous, according to the UN. The intervention, called "contact tracing" is being used to effectively control the Ebola Virus Disease outbreaks in the West African region. In September last year, eight [...]
World leaders are gathering in Davos, Switzerland to discuss global economic challenges with the private sector and civil society. The annual World Economic Forum, which begins on Wednesday, is focusing on the theme "the new global context". Issues discussed will reportedly include the future of the economy, social inclusion, and trust as a leadership responsibility. [...]
More than 6,000 people from across Afghanistan have been describing how they think peace can be brought to the troubled country. The Afghan People's Dialogue on Peace which is supported by the UN mission in the country, UNAMA, began three years ago. Its recommendations will be presented to the government. Afghanistan continues to face serious [...]
Countries in Southern Africa are at risk of more flooding and the displacement of people due to ongoing heavy rains, according to the UN humanitarian agency, OCHA. Based on available forecasts, the agency says Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi may experience more heavy rains during the next four days. In Malawi search and rescue operations continue [...]
The rights of children in Somalia have been made legally binding following the ratification by the Horn of Africa country of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Twenty-six years after the treaty first entered into force, Somalia has become the 195th state party. The UN Children's Fund, UNICEF on Tuesday called the news [...]
Children returning to school in Guinea after a three month closure due to Ebola are learning how to stay safe from the deadly disease, the UN Children's Fund says. A protocol has been developed by UNICEF and its partners with safety measures such as daily temperature screening, encouraging handwashing and minimizing physical contact. Schools officially [...]
The global economic outlook looks worse than it did in the last quarter of 2014, despite the sharp fall in oil prices across the world. That's according to a report launched by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Beijing, China on Tuesday. The IMF says that global growth is forecast to increase moderately from 3.3 [...]
The situation in Yemen has been described as "deteriorating" by the UN Secretary-General. In a statement on Tuesday, Ban Ki-moon said he was "gravely concerned" and deplored the heavy fighting between armed groups and Yemeni presidential guards throughout the capital, Sana'a. The Security Council also held a private meeting to discuss the sensitive security situation [...]
The terrorist group ISIL has established unlawful, so-called "Sharia courts" in Iraq that are performing cruel and inhuman punishments to men, women and children, according to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). The victims reportedly are accused by ISIL of violating the group's extremist interpretations of Islamic Sharia law or for suspected disloyalty. OHCHR says [...]
Boko Haram violence in Nigeria may have forced at least one million people to flee their homes, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Tuesday. The organisation's latest estimates come amid renewed bombings and mass killings in the north-east of the country, where there's a state of emergency. The million figure is a combination of [...]
Renewed fighting in Ukraine and apparently indiscriminate shelling is preventing humanitarian aid from getting through, the Red Cross warned on Tuesday. Anastasia Isyuk is a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross: "We are obviously very concerned about the recent escalation of fighting that put in danger people in and around Donetsk… We [...]
The Ebola epidemic will continue to cripple the economies of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone even as transmission rates show significant signs of slowing. That's according to a new World Bank Group analysis published on Tuesday. The World Bank estimates that the three most-affected countries will lose at least US$1.6 billion in forgone economic growth [...]
As the global demand for food, raw materials and energy grows, a UN food security expert is calling for a new economic and industrial model. He calls it bioeconomy, a model which relies on the sustainable use and exploitation of naturally occurring renewable resources like plants, trees and marine products. The Global Forum for Food [...]
An increase in levels of poverty in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone because of the Ebola virus outbreak is "worrying", a World Bank Group official has warned. A report by the organization says that the economic impact of the epidemic on the three West African countries will have a huge impact on economic growth in [...]
Veterinary camps run by Indian peacekeepers in South Sudan are helping to keep livestock in the country healthy. A camp recently opened in Wau town where the pastoralist Shiluk community can have their cattle dewormed and treated for diseases, as well as receive feeding supplements. The ongoing conflict in South Sudan has displaced millions of [...]
The UN Security Council has demanded that the terrorist group Boko Haram immediately and unequivocally disarm and demobilise. The President of the Security Council issued a statement which was adopted on Monday by the 15-member body. It condemned in the strongest terms the escalation in attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram, in particular those reportedly involving [...]
A new employment and social report has been described as "familiar" and "not very encouraging" by the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Guy Ryder says the global economy is continuing to grow at tepid rates, which has consequences for the unemployment situation. He said that is where the core of what he called [...]
Global economic growth is forecast to increase marginally over the next two years, according to the UN World Economic Situation and Prospects 2015 (WESP) report, launched on Monday. The global economy is expected to grow 3.1 per cent in 2015 and 3.3 per cent in 2016, outstripping the last two years. The report says that [...]
Restrictions on and harassment of civil society and the media may have worsened in Myanmar, according to a UN independent human rights expert. UN Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee recently concluded a ten-day official visit to the South-East Asian country. She reported that valuable gains made in the area of freedom of expression and assembly risk [...]
A leader of a Christian militia has been arrested in the Central African Republic (CAR) following an arrest warrant issued by the Public Prosecutor of the country. Peacekeepers from the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) seized Gaibona Rodrigue, known as “General Andilo”, in Bouca, Ouham province. In December 2013, the capital Bangui [...]
The development of nations across the world which includes all people is central to the maintenance of international peace and security, the UN Security Council was told on Monday. The meeting, attended by senior government officials, including foreign ministers, was convened by Chile and presided over by the country's President Michelle Bachelet. In his opening [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
A reduction in cases of the Ebola outbreak disease in West Africa has been described as "encouraging" by the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). Twelve of Liberia's 15 counties have reportedly had no new cases of Ebola within the past seven days. More than 8500 people have died from the disease in West [...]
The escalation of fighting for control of Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine has been described by the UN Secretary-General as "severe" and "alarming". Ban Ki-moon has implored all sides to respect their commitments under the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum, a ceasefire agreement signed last September. Fighting between pro-Russian groups and the Ukrainian military has displaced [...]
Plunging oil prices, fighting in Ukraine, ebola and deflation: a selection of problems that weighed heavily on the world's economy in 2014. In a new report on the risks to global growth and prospects for the next two years, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said there was only a "moderate and [...]
All countries and societies can benefit from sustainable and inclusive development, according to the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon was on Monday participating in a debate chaired by the President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, on how inclusive development can promote peace and security. The UN says development can include everyone only if all groups of people [...]
Around 63 million adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 years are denied their right to an education, according to a new joint report from the UN educational agency (UNESCO) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). The report released on Monday shows that globally, one in five adolescents is not in school compared to [...]
Genetic resources have a critical role to play in feeding the world, as climate change advances faster than expected, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Genetic resources are the raw materials upon which the world relies to improve the productivity and quality of crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries. A new book released [...]
Geopolitical tensions such as fighting in Ukraine and deflation are just two of the major risks to global growth in 2015 and beyond, UN economists warned Monday. In a new report on the state of the world's economy and prospects for the next two years, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said [...]
A large proportion of the 16 million people who die from non-communicable diseases each year before the age of 70 are in low and middle income countries. That's according to a report on non-communicable diseases, also known as NCDs released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday. The most common NCDs are cardio-vascular diseases, [...]
Deaths from common illnesses known as non-communicable diseases are said to be at epidemic levels, World Health Organization has warned. It says that urgent action is needed to prevent 16 million people dying prematurely – before the age of 70 – from diseases including heart and lung disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. WHO recommendations contained [...]
The global unemployment rate is expected to increase by 3 million this year, according to a report issued by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Tuesday. The agency says that the global economy is continuing to grow at trends that are below the levels recorded during the period before the 2008 economic crisis. According to the [...]
An inability to remember and learn lessons from major natural catastrophes is the "enemy of disaster management" according to the head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). Margareta Wahlström, who made the comment, was due to participate in a ceremony on Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary of the Kobe earthquake in Japan. [...]
A probe into possible crimes committed during the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza last year has been opened by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The fighting claimed the lives of more than 2,000 Palestinians and 70 Israelis and resulted in the widespread destruction of property. The decision by the ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, [...]
The situation in the north of Nigeria has been described as "dramatic" by a senior UN official as the country struggles to contain increasing levels of violence. The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui made the comment as she toured Nigeria's Yola town in Adamawa State where she assessed how violence [...]
Crimes allegedly carried out by Israel and Palestinian factions during a conflict in the Gaza Strip last year are to be investigated by the UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC). The 50-day conflict between Israel and the Palestinian faction, Hamas led to the deaths of 2000 Palestinians and 70 Israelis, as well as the widespread destruction [...]
An upsurge in fighting in Libya since the start of the year has forced people to flee their homes, with about 400,000 now displaced across the country, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The agency says that many of the people have had to flee for a fourth or fifth time as the conflict [...]
Syrian refugees living in Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan are working to overcome the fall-out from a severe winter storm that hit the Middle East region last week. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned that Syrian refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries like Jordan and Lebanon are slipping deeper into poverty. The UNHCR [...]
El Salvador has been praised for the progress it has made in building peace through reconciliation by the United Nations Secretary-General who is visiting the Central American country. Ban Ki-moon, who arrived in El Salvador on Thursday, will take part in the events to commemorate 23 years of peace in the country. Peace agreements signed [...]
A team of emergency relief experts is being deployed by the UN to Malawi to help the country respond to floods. Heavy rains over the past few weeks have led to severe flooding in the Southern African country. More than 100,000 are reported to have been displaced and at least 48 others killed in the [...]
All political parties in Bangladesh are being urged by the UN Human Rights Office to immediately stop violence that has reportedly killed over a dozen people and injured hundreds. The Office says the unrest began on January 5 when the opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP) called on its supporters to launch a transport blockade to [...]
The operation to return civilians who fled a massacre by Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria must stop immediately, the UN refugee agency has said. The UNHCR appeal comes after hundreds of people were reportedly transported back from Niger into Nigeria by bus on Wednesday. The agency says the operation should cease in view of the [...]
Ukraine’s healthcare system is at risk of collapse and access to medical help is dire for people trapped by the fighting, according to the UN health agency. Amid an upsurge in the violence in the east of the country, World Health Organization (WHO) experts said more than 5.1 million people are in need. Of that [...]
The goal of reaching zero new cases of the deadly Ebola disease in West Africa is achievable according to the UN Special Envoy, David Nabarro. Over 21,000 people have caught the disease and almost 8,500 have died in the worst affected countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Mr Nabarro has recently visited the three countries. [...]
Hundreds of experts are needed across West Africa to reduce to zero the number of infections of Ebola, according to the UN's senior envoy dealing with the deadly disease. Almost 8,500 people have died in the worst affected countries,Guinea,LiberiaandSierra Leone. Over 21,000 people also have the virus. The UN's David Nabarro says epidemiologists or disease [...]
The international community has been urged by the President of the UN General Assembly to redouble its efforts against extremism and terrorism. Speaking to the press on Thursday, Sam Kutesa described attacks by such groups as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram as "heinous and brutal." He said [...]
India is being urged to play a leading role in the efforts to address climate change. The appeal was made by UN Secretary-General who visited the country this week where he saw some of the initiatives that are being taken to develop solar and wind power. During his visit to India, Ban Ki-moon attended "Vibrant [...]
Authorities in Saudi Arabia have been urged to stop public flogging of an online blogger and activist. The appeal was made on Thursday by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein who said the practice is a form of cruel and inhuman punishment. According to media reports Raef Badawi was sentenced [...]
The latest report into women in business has found that only five per cent hold a top management position, according to the International Labour Organization. It's calling for an overhaul of corporate culture to help more talented women break through the so-called glass ceiling. The organisation insists that companies need to stop pigeon-holing women in [...]
The world has been urged to unite in condemning what has been described as Boko Haram's "barbaric and evil use" of girls as suicide bombers. The call was made on Thursday by Gordon Brown, the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education. This follows reports that last weekend Boko Haram terrorists used three young female [...]
Palestinians and Israelis are engaged in a "downward spiral of actions and counter-actions", the UN Secretary-General has warned. Ban Ki-moon's remarks were delivered during a briefing to the Security Council on the Middle East on Thursday. Nearly 2,200 Palestinians and 70 Israelis died during a 50-day conflict in the Gaza strip that ended in August [...]
Donors have been urged to meet their financial pledges to fund the reconstruction of Gaza following the conflict with Israel last year. Up to 100,000 families in Gaza are living in houses that have sustained varying degrees of damage. The appeal was made by the UN deputy head of political affairs, Jens Toyberg-Frandzen during a [...]
"Real men don't fear women", the President of the UN General Assembly told a meeting on gender equality on Thursday. Sam Kutesa participated in the Barbershop Conference organized by Iceland and Suriname to focus on the role of men and boys in promoting gender equality. He said that historically, women and girls have led the [...]
The first ever deployment of a Chinese infantry battalion in a United Nations peacekeeping mission is expected in South Sudan. The UN Mission in the country (UNMISS) says the deployment is part of the surge authorized by the UN Security Council in December 2013 to increase the number of UN military peacekeepers in South Sudan [...]
Relief assistance is getting to people displaced by fighting in a town that had been besieged by the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIL) terrorists, according to the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA). In December Iraqi government forces recaptured the town of Dhuluiya, north of Baghdad from ISIL insurgents who had controlled large parts of Salah al-Din [...]
A solution to the Syrian conflict must not be put on the "backburner", according to the UN envoy tasked with securing peace there. Staffan de Mistura told reporters that 2015 must not be like 2014 "when nothing happened". Mr de Mistura added that the presence of jihadist fighters in Syria only 20 kilometres from Aleppo [...]
In order for men to help women to achieve gender equality, men need to help themselves first, according to the head of a male-led campaign to end violence against women. Todd Minerson, executive director of the White Ribbon Campaign, has been speaking at the Barbershop Conference underway at the United Nations. The Campaign promotes gender [...]
Literacy programs are being rolled out in South Sudan to help teach as many people to read and write as possible, according to an education specialist with the UN cultural agency. Small libraries, literacy centers and temporary learning spaces for the displaced populations are being built by UNESCO to boost literacy. South Sudan has one [...]
Member States of the United Nations have been urged to approach negotiations on a post-2015 development agenda with a positive and constructive spirit. The appeal was made by the President of the UN General Assembly, Sam Kutesa on Wednesday. In 2000 world leaders set 2015 as the deadline for meeting anti-poverty goals and there are [...]
Lawmakers in Honduras have been urged to support the forthcoming inauguration in the Central American country of a United Nations office on human rights. The appeal was made by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his address to the National Congress late on Wednesday. Mr Ban, who is on his first visit to the country said [...]
The number one challenge for the people of South Sudan is finding a sustainable peace agreement, according to a senior United Nations official. The country has been mired in conflict for over a year, which has forced two million people to flee their homes. Last week, the UN released a report which said that hundreds [...]
Attention should be paid to all the stages of a conflict and should not just focus on what has been described as the "CNN stage", according to the UN Deputy Secretary-General. Jan Eliasson referred to the American news channel during a briefing in the Security Council on the Secretary-General's Report on Peacebuilding in the Aftermath [...]
An investigation into the suspected poisoning and resulting deaths of people in a town in Mozambique's northeast Tete province is being assisted by the United Nations health agency. According to reports, at least 70 people died after consuming contaminated beer at a funeral on Saturday. A two-year old child and the woman who brewed the [...]
The UN’s special envoy for Libya said talks are under way to find a solution to the country’s turmoil before warning those determined to carry on fighting that "their time was finished". Bernardino Leon told journalists it was too early to discuss whether the Geneva talks would be successful since some participants had yet to [...]
It is unacceptable that nine out of ten cases of murder of journalists go unpunished, the head of the UN cultural agency (UNESCO) said on Wednesday. Irina Bokova spoke at an event at UNESCO headquarters entitled "Journalism after Charlie-Day of reflection and debate on Freedom of Expression". It has been organized in solidarity with France [...]
Large numbers of Syrian refugees in Jordan are sliding into abject poverty at an alarming rate, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees warned on Wednesday. António Guterres was speaking in Amman, Jordan, at the launch of a new study by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), called "Living in the Shadows". According to the report, two-thirds [...]
The shelling of a bus in eastern Ukraine which resulted in the death of at least 11 civilians has been condemned by the UN Secretary-General. The incident reportedly happened on Tuesday at a government checkpoint south-west of Donetsk which is controlled by pro-Russian rebels. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Ban Ki-moon said the incident [...]
Mobile telephone applications have been used in the past to coordinate disaster management relief and now they're proving their worth in the fight against Ebola. Developed by the International Telecommunications Union, the "Ebola Info" sharing mobile application is a free resource offering up-to-date information and maps. It's aimed at affected communities and health workers who [...]
Experts from around the world are discussing how to better preserve and manage forests ahead of December's Climate Conference in Paris. A debate on the future of forests organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is being held at the UN in New York this week. The platform known as the International Arrangements of [...]
Progress has been made in preserving forests since the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) was established 15 years ago but more still needs to be done. That's the assessment of a forest expert from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) who is attending a week-long meeting which opened in New York on Monday. FAO [...]
Communities in Philippine's remote island of Coron are getting decent work after a typhoon devastated their region, the International Labour Organization (ILO) says. ILO estimates that Typhoon Haiyan killed 8,000 and affected nearly 16 million people across the Philippines. Lives and livelihoods, infrastructure and services were all lost on the vacation island. A year later, [...]
Developing countries should see an uptick in economic growth this year, according to the World Bank, in a report released on Tuesday. The Bank's Global Economic Prospects report is predicting a 4.8 per cent growth in 2015 up from 4.5 per cent in 2014. Ayhan Kose, Director of Development Prospects for the World Bank Group [...]
After a disappointing year in 2014, developing countries should see a boost in growth in the next 12 months, according to a World Bank report. The Global Economic Prospects (GEP) report was released on Tuesday from World Bank headquarters in Washington DC. The report examines growth trends for the global economy and how they affect [...]
The "vicious" attacks against civilians in the Nigerian town of Baga by Boko Haram insurgents has been "deeply deplored" by the UN rights office. Since the beginning of January, there have been reports of renewed mass killings and forced displacement in north-eastern Nigeria. The terrorist group reportedly used a child to carry out a suicide [...]
The slow pace of rebuilding Gaza is leading to frustration among its people. That's what the new Commissioner-General of the UN Relief Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) Pierre Krähenbühl said on Tuesday. He spoke during a visit to the region by Spain's Foreign Minister, José Manuel García-Margallo. Gaza is recovering from the conflict with Israel [...]
Cote d'Ivoire has made important progress towards peace, stability and economic recovery, according to the UN special envoy to the country. Aïchatou Mindaoudou, who is also head of the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), expressed optimism for the West African nation. The post-election unrest in 2011 was sparked when Laurent Gbagbo refused to step [...]
An independent electoral commission has started its work to prepare for elections scheduled for October in Côte d'Ivoire. That's what Aïchatou Mindaoudou, the head of the UN Operation in the country (UNOCI) said during her briefing to the Security Council on Tuesday. She said that during the past six months Côte d'Ivoire has continued to [...]
Winter relief assistance is being delivered by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) to help young people affected by the Syrian conflict. UNICEF says that at least seven million internally displaced and refugee children are in desperate need of assistance as cold weather sweeps through the Middle East. At least six children are reported to have [...]
India has been urged ng urged to play a leading role in securing an international climate change agreement due later this year. The appeal was made by UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday as he wrapped up his visit to India. Speaking at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr Ban applauded India [...]
Boko Haram's use of children to detonate bombs is morally repugnant, the UN's human rights office has said. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned the terrorist group after the latest violence in north-eastern Nigeria. The number of victims in the attacks that began on 3 January cannot be verified [...]
There's a growing sense that only the world's wealthiest portion of the population is reaping the benefits of economic growth. That's according to Economist and Nobel laureate, Michael Spence who participated in a recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) forum on job-rich inclusive growth. And yet, the stability of economies and their ability to function in [...]
Hundreds of Syrian refugee families in Jordan are being affected by winter storms sweeping across the Middle East region, the UN Refugee Agency says. The severe weather has caused damage to shelters and further disrupted life in the Za'atari camp in the North of the country. Many people have been forced to wait out the [...]
The nomination of Ministers and senior civil servants in Afghanistan has been welcomed by the UN as "a milestone" in implementing an agreement to form a government of national unity. The accord, reached in September last year, ended a political crisis following disputed results of the June 2014 presidential run-off elections in the country. Under [...]
The socio-economic impacts of the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Liberia and Sierra Leone are "far-reaching and persistent", according to two new World Bank reports. The reports, issued on Monday, are based on the data collected by mobile phone surveys. They show that the impacts of Ebola in these countries have not been limited to [...]
Eradicating poverty is still a "number one" priority for the United Nations in 2015 and beyond, the UN deputy chief has stressed. Fifteen years ago, the UN announced a global plan to halve extreme poverty and hunger also known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). As the world leaders move to adopt a new set [...]
World leaders have been urged by the UN Secretary-General to work together to face global challenges, including terrorism, poverty and the displacement of people. Ban Ki-moon made the appeal during his keynote address to the Indian Council of World Affairs in New Delhi on Monday. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are living in an era of [...]
The latest report into women in business has found that only five per cent hold a top management position, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). It's calling for an overhaul of corporate culture to help more talented women break through the so-called glass ceiling. The organisation insists that companies need to stop pigeon-holing women [...]
Targeting Muslims for reprisals following last week's terrorist attack on a French satirical newspaper in Paris would only play into the hands of terrorists and contribute to the spiral of violence. This warning has come from the UN Secretary-General in a statement issued after a huge march that took place in Paris on Sunday in [...]
There is a growing recognition that promoting women into senior management positions makes good business sense. That's according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The UN agency says globally more and more women are moving into top management and starting successful enterprises than ever before. Only five percent of the world's Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) [...]
A terrorist attack on a café in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli has been strongly condemned by the UN Security Council. According to media reports, at least seven people were killed and more than two dozen others injured in the suicide bomb attack on Saturday. The Jabhat Al-Nusra terrorist group has claimed responsibility. In [...]
Attacks by terrorists belonging to the Boko Haram group which have reportedly claimed hundreds of lives in Nigeria have been condemned by the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon made the condemnation after more than 20 people were killed by three female suicide bombers, including a ten-year old girl. The Secretary-General said using the young girl to [...]
The number of women in senior and middle management positions has increased globally over the last 20 years, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The ILO's "Women in Business and Management" report looked at 108 countries. It found that the proportion of women managers has increased in 80 of them. The ILO said that [...]
Haiti is stronger and more resilient five years after the earthquake that killed over 200,000 people, the World Food Programme says. WFP and the Haitian Government have been working together to help communities withstand future disasters. In the hours after the quake on 12 January 2010, the agency began distributing emergency food to those survivors [...]
India's efforts to accelerate the development of its solar and wind power are being hailed by the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon made the remarks at a Summit in Ahmedabad town in Gujarat State, western India. "Vibrant Gujarat" is a bi-annual event that brings together political, business leaders, investors, and corporations. He also commended Prime Minister [...]
Armed groups in Mali are being urged by the UN to respect their promise to not attack peacekeepers. In a declaration signed last September during the inter-Malian negotiation process in Algiers, the groups agreed to cooperate with the UN Mission MINUSMA. The call by MINUSMA follows Friday's car bomb attack near the Kidal airstrip in [...]
Some 7300 refugees have arrived in western Chad in the past days, fleeing attacks by insurgents in north-east Nigeria, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). The mass displacement is reportedly the result of attacks on Baga town and neighbouring areas in Borno State by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. A special UN envoy [...]
The UN's special envoy to Libya is urging all parties to cease hostilities for a short period in order to create an environment conducive to holding talks. Bernardino Leon, who is also the head of the UN Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), has been trying to convene a political dialogue to resolve the crisis. The country [...]
Testing is to begin by the end of the month on Ebola vaccines in the three countries in west Africa most affected by the outbreak. More than 8000 have died from the virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the development Friday but cautioned that the “first generation” vaccines [...]
Hundreds of people in South Sudan were reportedly slaughtered by opposition forces in the strategic towns of Bentiu and Bor last April, a UN report says. Human rights investigators with the country's peacekeeping mission, UNMISS released the report on Friday. Government troops battled forces loyal to former deputy president Riek Machar over the oil-rich towns An [...]
More than 350 civilians were slaughtered by opposition forces in the South Sudanese towns of Bentiu and Bor in April last year, according to a UN report released on Friday. Human rights investigators from the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have been probing the two incidents committed during the conflict in the new African [...]
Ebola vaccine testing is a matter of weeks away in the three countries worst affected by the killer virus, the UN's health agency said Friday. The development follows a World Health Organization meeting in Geneva where participants said they wanted to get the new drugs into the field "as quickly as possible". Here's WHO's Professor [...]
The global community needs to be focused on the plight of people in Yemen as deepening insecurity and violence take its toll, a senior UN official has warned. Dozens of people have been killed in the country recently in a succession of bomb attacks. At least 37 people died after a car bomb detonated outside [...]
Tributes have been paid at the United Nations in Geneva to the victims of a terrorist attack in Paris, France in which 12 people were killed. The armed assault on the satirical Charlie Hebdo newspaper on Wednesday has been widely condemned around the world. The paper recently reportedly published a cartoon depicting the leader of [...]
The Rule of law and access to justice must play an important role in development across the world, a senior UN official has said. Helen Clark, Administrator of the UN Development Programme, made the remarks during a recent visit to Uzbekistan. Bobur Komilov asked Ms Clark about some of the positive outcomes achieved by her [...]
The Ebola epidemic in Liberia has put children at high risk of malnutrition because of food shortages and diminished household incomes. That's the view of the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF. An estimated 170,000 people in the West African nation are severely food insecure; by March, the number could reach 300,000. People in Guinea and Sierra [...]
Sierra Leone has "outstripped" Liberia as the worst-affected country by Ebola, according to the head of the World Health Organization. The two West African nations along with Guinea account for the majority of infections. Margaret Chan, the WHO Director-General, says several hundred cases are being reported in Sierra Leone each week. The agency's latest data [...]
Today's generation can be the first to end poverty and the last one that can take steps to avoid the worst impact of climate change, the UN chief has urged. Outlining his priorities for the New Year, the Secretary-General launched a new campaign called "time for global action." It aims to mobilize support for his [...]
The death toll in northern Nigeria as a result of violence caused by the Boko Haram terrorist group has been "staggering", a senior UN envoy has said. Ibn Chambas gave a briefing to the Security Council on Thursday as the recently appointed Secretary-General's Special Representative to West Africa. He presented the activities of the United [...]
A tribute has been paid to staff of the United Nations who lost their lives in the line of duty in the past year. Between October 2013 and November 2014, 100 UN staff members died serving the UN. A remembrance ceremony was held at UN headquarters on Thursday which also commemorated 102 colleagues who died [...]
Food prices dropped in December, according to the monthly report of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released on Thursday. The FAO Food Price Index is a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities. FAO says that large supplies and record stocks, combined with a stronger US [...]
Severe winter conditions are impacting refugee and displaced families in the Middle East, the UN warns. In Syria, several camps for displaced persons in northern Idleb along the border with Turkey have been flooded after days of icy rain and snow. Relief workers have been distributing more emergency aid, including for families located near the [...]
An operation led by Government forces against opposition armed groups in Sudan's North and South Darfur regions has triggered "significant" population movements. That's according to the joint African Union and UN peacekeeping Mission in the country, UNAMID. The humanitarian arm of the UN (OCHA) has also received unverified reports of direct attacks on civilian villages [...]
A movie which highlights the role of the civil rights movement in the United States has been shown as part of a UN campaign to remember the victims of slavery and oppression. The movie "Selma" which has just been released focuses on the courageous efforts of Dr Martin Luther King Jr to empower African Americans [...]
The military offensive against the Rwandan Hutu rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a priority for the UN, a senior envoy has announced. The rebels known as the Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda or FDLR failed to deliver on their promise to disarm and surrender unconditionally by 2 January. The Secretary-General has [...]
A hundred United Nations employees lost their lives in the line of duty in the past year, the Secretary-General deplored during a memorial service on Thursday. Some staff members were directly targeted, Ban Ki-moon said, some were killed while protecting civilians, while others died in accidents or natural disasters. He expressed "sadness" that direct attacks [...]
A new plan to track aircraft that are out of radar contact when flying over oceans is being proposed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The proposal for planes to report their position every 15 minutes comes in the wake of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean in March [...]
Global food prices fell in December after three months of stability, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO Food Price Index measures monthly changes for a basket of food commodities like cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar. The Index dropped by 1.7 percent from November, led down by sugar and palm [...]
The food situation has improved in South Sudan, but there are still concerns that many people do not have enough to eat according to an official of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The new African nation is facing a crisis sparked by fighting that broke out between government and rebel forces in December [...]
Passenger planes should start reporting their position every 15 minutes, according to a proposal by the UN aviation body, ICAO. The new standard would be part of a global tracking initiative in the aftermath of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. The loss of MH370 last March sparked a global drive for a system [...]
Cow dung is changing people's lives in Rwanda by providing renewable and affordable fuel for cooking. That's according to the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). It's working with the Rwandan government to promote the use of clean renewable energy in the country. A new African invention, which uses local materials to create cheap, [...]
An attack against a police academy in Yemen's capital city of Sana'a has been strongly condemned by the United Nations Secretary-General. A bomb detonated on Wednesday morning killing and injuring people who were in line to enrol in the academy. Ban Ki-moon has called for the perpetrators and those who planned for this attack to be brought [...]
The UN Secretary-General has called for "decisive action" against Rwandan Hutu militants operating from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A deadline issued to the rebels known as the Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda or FDLR to fully disarm expired on 2 January. Leaders and members of the FDLR were among the perpetrators of [...]
Explosions and gun fire have been heard in South Sudan's northern oil town of Bentiu in Unity State, according to the UN Mission in the country (UNMISS). The conflict in Africa’s newest nation has forced two million people to flee their homes. 100,000 have sought shelter at the bases of UNMISS. UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric [...]
Cocoa producers in Côte d’Ivoire are reassessing their farming culture as they seek to get their children out of the fields and into the classroom. That's according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The agency says an increasing number of parents are seeing the value of education and are keen to make sure their [...]
There is still a lot to be done in order for Liberia to be declared Ebola free, the new UN Ebola chief announced on Wednesday. Speaking on the last day of his visit to the West African nation, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed of UNMEER, said he had "mixed impressions". On Wednesday, he travelled to Grand [...]
An armed assault on a satirical newspaper in Paris, France in which 12 people reportedly died has been described as a "direct assault" on a cornerstone of democracy by the UN Secretary-General. Media reports said that masked gunmen entered the offices of the Charlie Hebdo paper on Wednesday and shot a number of people. The [...]
The UN human rights chief has strongly condemned the killings by gunmen at the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris. Scores of people died or were injured in Wednesday's attack on the French satirical newspaper. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said it was an "appalling and ruthless" attack on media workers and police officers. He [...]
Around 13,000 Pakistani families living in three of Sindh district's towns will receive cash payments for participating in UN disaster-risk reduction activities. They are the ones bearing the brunt of the drought and flood, the World Food Programme says. WFP is working together with other UN agencies on an integrated programme to assist communities through [...]
Rebels who have been operating in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been told to surrender or face military action. The warning has come from the Force Commander of the UN mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) which is helping to bring stability to the country. The Rwandan Hutu rebels [...]
A group of Syrians refugees has been speaking about the experience of being abandoned on a so-called ghost ship as they crossed the Mediterranean Sea. The Ezadeen, a Sierra Leonean flagged cargo ship, was found adrift in the Mediterranean and taken to Italy at the beginning of January. It had been abandoned by people smugglers [...]
An attack on a French satirical newspaper in Paris in which 12 people reportedly died has been condemned by the head of the UN Cultural Agency, UNESCO. According to local media reports, masked gunmen entered the offices of the Charlie Hebdo paper and shot people. The satirical newspaper is widely known for publishing a caricature [...]
Cold-weather supplies are being distributed to the most vulnerable residents of Afghanistan's capital Kabul, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has announced. Parts of the country are often hit by severe winter weather including rain, snow and sub-zero temperatures. Afghanistan has been working to restore stability after years of internal conflict. UNHCR, the Afghan Ministry of [...]
There's an enormous human cost when the international community does not end conflicts, the Spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency has warned. A new report by UNHCR released on Wednesday shows that an estimated 5.5 million people became newly uprooted during the first six months of 2014. 1.4 of the 5 million fled across international [...]
There is more work to be done to get to zero Ebola cases in Liberia and the region, according to the UN emergency health mission chief. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed of UNMEER arrived in Monrovia on Tuesday, the first leg of his tour of the worst hit West African nations. In each country, he will [...]
Peacekeepers from the joint United Nations and African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) came under two separate attacks on Tuesday while on patrol. The first attack by unidentified armed men took place in the Burumburum area in South Darfur. The peacekeepers were unharmed however two attackers were killed in the firefight. Stéphane Dujarric is the [...]
The multiplication of new crises and the old crises that never seem to die are behind the worst displacement situation since World War II. That's what the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said on Tuesday during an annual get-together of Turkish Ambassadors serving abroad. António Guterres is in Turkey on an official visit where he [...]
Operations launched against a Burundian armed group based in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been "successful", the head of MONUSCO, the UN Mission in the country has announced. The FNL or the National Liberation Forces is a rebel group active in Uvira territory in South Kivu province near the border with Burundi. [...]
The trend for so-called "ghost ships" taking migrants across the Mediterranean for up to $6,000 at a time shows no sign of letting up, according to the International Organization for Migration. Joel Millman, who is Spokesman for the agency in Geneva, said that IOM staff have now spoken to migrants rescued from two smugglers' ships [...]
There is a new disturbing trend of ships carrying migrants and desperate people escaping conflict that are abandoned by their pilots on the Mediterranean Sea, according to a UN partner agency. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that smugglers who are based in Turkey take money from people who are mainly from Syria and [...]
The deadly Ebola virus has not been found in Iraq, an investigation by the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed. Local media had reported a rumour of Ebola cases in Mosul, Ninewa province. Mosul has been under the control of the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) since June 2014. The disease [...]
Attacks on schools in Syria killed at least 160 children in 2014 and injured another 343, according to UNICEF. As the conflict approaches its fifth year, the UN Children's Fund spokesperson Christophe Boulierac said that the numbers were "probably underestimated" owing to the difficulty of getting accurate data. Teachers have also been killed in the attacks [...]
The displacement of millions of cattle as a result of the ongoing conflict in South Sudan is jeopardizing social stability, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The agency warns that as pastoralists use different migratory routes to avoid violence, tensions have developed between them and farming communities. At the same time, there [...]
Global clothing brands have been urged by the United Nations to contribute to new minimum wage requirements for workers in Cambodia. The new monthly pay of US$128 which came into effect on 1 January could increase the wage bills of garment and footwear factories by 18 per cent according to the UN's International Labour Organization [...]
Preparations have begun for a military offensive against rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the UN Spokesperson. A deadline issued to the Rwandan Hutu rebels known as the Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda or FDLR to fully and unconditionally surrender expired on 2 January. Leaders and members of the [...]
Bomb experts are examining the scene of an attack on United Nations peacekeepers in Mali to determine what kind of explosives was used, a senior UN official has confirmed. Eight Nigerian peacekeepers travelling in the Gao region were wounded in the 4 January incident. The situation in Northern Mali has deteriorated since 2013, with an [...]
Eight United Nations peacekeepers have been injured, three of them seriously, in an attack in Mali. The vehicle of the eight Nigerian soldiers were travelling and ran over an explosive device on Sunday in the Gao region. The UN has been supporting the West African country since a coup d’état in early 2012 which continues [...]
Consultations continue with various Libyan political actors regarding the holding of a second round of peace talks, a UN Spokesperson has confirmed. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has been promoting negotiation as a way to end the political and security crisis in Libya. A political dialogue scheduled for 9 December was cancelled [...]
Diplomatic efforts are continuing to get the warring parties in Libya to talk to each other instead of fighting. The North African country has been embroiled in factional fighting since Muammar al-Qhadafi was overthrown in a popular revolt more than three years ago. The UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL), established in 2011 has been [...]
The world economy would benefit by boosting women's participation in the labour force and business, according to an official of the World Bank. Sarah Iqbal recently participated in a seminar hosted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on this issue. She says that countries around the world should change their laws to enable women to [...]
The traditions of Turkey have shaped diplomacy as we know it today, according to the head of the UN cultural agency, UNESCO. Irina Bokova made the remarks during her speech delivered at the 7th Annual Conference of Ambassadors in the capital city of Ankara on Monday. Ms Bokova also hailed Turkey as an "influential economic [...]
Myanmar's human rights record is about to come under the spotlight again as a UN expert prepares to check for improvements in what she's called "critical conditions" there. Special rapporteur Yanghee Lee's visit begins Wednesday. It comes amid concerns from observers that the situation for internally displaced people has not improved in any way since [...]
The post-2015 global agenda for sustainable development is "on track", according to the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the UN. Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar Patriota says he hopes Member States will adopt a series of targets this year, in addition to those approved in 2014. The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs will replace the anti-poverty [...]
The Liberian government is being helped by the United Nations to build new border posts to cut cross-frontier Ebola infections from Sierra Leone. The UN Development Programme, UNDP, says infections in Liberia's eastern region have spiked recently as cross-border communities spread the disease across the frontier. Forty-nine new cases have been recorded in December in [...]
Five new members of the UN Security Council are expected to appear in the council chamber on Monday for the first time in 2015. Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela are the new non-permanent members and will each serve a two-year term. The Security Council is made up of ten non-permanent and five permanent [...]
The situation of women in Pakistan is "quite alarming" according to the head of the United Nations development office in the country. The UN is working to advocate for women's rights and empowerment, saying ensuring greater equality of women will be critical for Pakistan's development. Marc-Andre Franche is the head of the UN Development Programme's [...]
Elections in Burundi must in the words of the UN special envoy for the East African nation be "dedramatized" and should offer space for people to freely choose their leaders. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga made the remarks following the closing of the UN political office known as BNUB on Wednesday, which he was in charge of. A [...]
Rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo accused of human rights abuses have failed to comply with a deadline to disarm and surrender, according to the United Nations. A six-month grace period for the unconditional surrender of the armed group the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) expired on Friday. Leaders and [...]
The mandate of The Hague-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon has been extended by the UN Secretary-General for a period of three years from 1 March this year. The Tribunal is mandated to hold trials for those accused of carrying out the February 2005 attack in Beirut which killed the former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafiq [...]
Europe can no longer ignore the "worrying" situation regarding the crossing of the Mediterranean by migrants, a Spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned. A "new trend" has emerged where refugees and migrants are being transported on large cargo ships, notes Ariane Rummery. A reported 800 people were abandoned on a ship in [...]
The elimination of all cases of the deadly Ebola disease in West Africa is the "only acceptable outcome", according to the outgoing head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). More than 7900 people have died from Ebola mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Over 20,200 cases of the virus have also [...]
The Palestinian government has confirmed that it will launch court action against Israel at the UN-backed International Criminal Court, ICC. Speaking at United Nations headquarters on Friday, the Ambassador of Palestine said retroactive action had been requested for alleged crimes committed by Israel in Gaza from June to August last year. The 50-day conflict between [...]
The use of larger cargo ships to illegally transport migrants across the Mediterranean Sea is a "worrying situation" that can no longer be ignored according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. On Friday, 450 migrants were left stranded on a vessel off the coast of Italy after its crew abandoned ship. Two days previously almost [...]
An attack on a wedding party in Afghanistan which killed as many as 25 civilians has been condemned in "the strongest terms" by the UN Secretary-General. Forty-five other people were injured, the majority children. Most of those killed were women and young people attending a celebration in a civilian house in Helmand province which was [...]
The United Nations has become what has been described by a senior UN official as a "people centric" organization as it approaches its 70th anniversary. The global celebration of the anniversary kicked off on 26 June 2014, to mark the signing of the UN Charter in San Francisco in the United States in 1945. The [...]
The number of cases of the deadly Ebola disease is declining in affected countries in West Africa but new outbreaks are being reported in areas with little or no transmission. That's according to the World Health Organization's latest situation report on Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. In Guinea, there's been a surge of new cases [...]
The world would be a different place if its nations believed and practiced what's been called "womenomics", a theory linking the advancement of women to increased development rates. The concept, originally defined by the Japanese Prime Minister Abe, was being highlighted by the Executive Director of UN Women, the UN agency for gender equality, Phumzile [...]
A new list of prohibited substances has come into force across the world to fight doping in sport, according to the UN Scientific and Cultural agency, UNESCO. The list also includes several exceptions for therapeutic use agreed by State Parties to the International Convention against Doping in Sport. These countries have pledged to recognize the [...]
Countries are expected to adopt a "new, universal and meaningful" climate agreement next year, according to a senior UN official. Selwin Hart, the Director of the UN Secretary-General's Climate Support Team made the observation ahead of the Paris Climate Summit scheduled in 2015. World leaders are expected to make new commitments and pledges to keep [...]
A new global agenda aiming to end poverty, transform lives and protect the planet by 2030 represents the views of "everyday people". That's according to Nikhil Chandavarkar, Chief of Communication and Outreach in the Division for Sustainable Development at UNDESA. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are set to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) this [...]
