The "brutal killing" of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov in Moscow on Friday has been denounced by the UN Chief. Ban Ki-moon released a statement expressing "shock" over the slaying. According to media reports, the politician was gunned down by an unidentified attacker in a car. Jocelyne Sambira has more. Boris Nemtsov, a former deputy [...]
Now is the time to take a stand, remove the obstacles and close the gender equality gap, the UN Secretary-General has urged. Ban Ki-moon made the remarks in Chile at the end of a two-day event on women in power and decision-making on Saturday. Leaders at the conference called for "intense measures" to accelerate women's [...]
The "ongoing barbaric terrorist acts" by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have stiffened the resolve of the UN Security Council to defeat the group. The militants recently carried out a number of violent actions like the recent abduction of 100 Sunni tribesmen from outside Tikrit and the immolation of 45 people [...]
Women in South Sudan are turning the challenges they face on a daily basis into "opportunities." That's according to UN Women which has been supporting peace efforts through women groups in the African country. The organization has worked with a number of groups to develop a document known as the Women's Agenda for Peace and [...]
Mine clearance takes time and money and the UN agency that's leading global efforts against the deadly ordnance says it needs nearly $300 million to carry on with its work. UNMAS has identified 23 countries and territories which require its help urgently with 175 ongoing projects. UNMAS director Agnès Marcaillou tells Daniel Johnson that countries [...]
Boko Haram use of children as suicide bombers "abhorrent" The abduction and use of children, including as suicide bombers by the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram is abhorrent, the UN Chief said. Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the indiscriminate and horrific attacks by the Islamist militant group against people in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. An [...]
A package of measures recently agreed upon to end the conflict in Ukraine needs to be fully implemented, the UN Security Council was told on Friday. The 15-member Council was briefed on the situation in the East European country where conflict has raged between government forces and pro-Russian separatists. The report came from senior officials [...]
Release of hostages held by Somali pirates welcomed The UN special envoy to Somalia, Nicholas Kay, has welcomed the release of the four remaining crewmen of a Thai fishing vessel. The hostages were taken at sea by Somali pirates five years ago. The mission to recover them was led by the UN Office on Drugs [...]
Over the past two decades important progress has been made regarding gender equality, but it has been slow and uneven. That's what the UN Secretary-General told a high-level panel during a "Women in power and decision-making" event held in Chile on Friday. The aim is to renew political will and commitment to the cause. Stephanie [...]
A plan to improve the quality of life in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is being supported by the World Bank. The city has grown quickly following an oil boom in the country, and now efforts are being made to bring some order to that development. The Bank is helping the city to develop a [...]
Warring parties are being urged by the UN to work to break the deadlock in a peaceful manner before the situation spirals out of control. The remarks were made on Friday by the Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasani. The political dialogue is faltering and the situation on [...]
Economic growth can be encouraged around the world if more women were to run small and medium sized enterprises. That's according to the International Monetary Fund. The Fund says that small loans to women who want to start businesses are particularly effective in emerging economies. Jocelyn Frank has been talking to Melanne Vervee, the Executive [...]
Malnutrition and food insecurity threaten 1.5 million people in Mali and $377 million must be found to help them in 2015, the UN said Friday. Launching the appeal in Geneva, UN humanitarian coordinating agency OCHA said that people in the African nation face a series of life-threatening challenges. Chief among these is malnutrition, with an [...]
A cholera outbreak in Malawi has sparked an alert from UNICEF amid fears that it could become as serious as in neighbouring Mozambique. Efforts to contain the disease, which can kill in a matter of hours, have been hampered by the aftermath of January's flooding in the landlocked south African country. Daniel Johnson has the [...]
At least 1.1 billion young people are at risk of irreversible hearing loss from the unsafe use of personal audio devices and an increasing noisy environment, the UN said Friday. Raising the alarm, World Health Organization experts said many people don't realise that once they lose their hearing, it won't come back. Ahead of International [...]
A new fish-drying technology pioneered in West African fishing villages by the Food and Agriculture Agency, (FAO) is helping to improve health and boost livelihoods. Smoked fish is a vital source of food and income for many African coastal communities. In the small the fishing village of Abobodoumé, in Côte d'Ivoire, most of the locally [...]
Most of the 1.8 million residents of Gaza have no hope for the future according to the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF. Children have been left deeply affected by the violence of a 50-day conflict that started last July between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups. The fighting killed 539 children and injured almost 3000, leaving [...]
Ten years after a UN-led agreement was signed to curb global tobacco use, World Health Organization (WHO) experts say it faces unprecedented pressure from the industry's major producers. Describing tobacco companies as increasingly "aggressive" in promoting their products, WHO's Dr Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva said this was proof that the convention was working. [...]
The Syria refugee crisis has overwhelmed the capacity of the international community to respond, according to the head of the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. There are presently 3.8 million refugees registered in places like Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Host communities are overstretched and international support cannot keep up with the magnitude of the needs. Jocelyne [...]
As a founding member of the United Nations, Paraguay is making a difference around the world across a range of work with the organization. That's what the Secretary-General said on day two of his visit to the country. A lot has changed in the South American nation since the last visit by a Secretary-General in1959. [...]
• The future of up to 750,000 people in West Africa who are stateless has come under the spotlight at a meeting organized by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Côte d’Ivoire. It’s part of the agency’s bid to end statelessness across the world within 10 years. A stateless person is somebody who does not have [...]
Authorities in Afghanistan need to do more to end torture and ill-treatment of conflict-related detainees, says a UN report released this week. The report, by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is based on interviews with 790 people who are detained. It says that there has been some progress in ending torture in detention [...]
Afghanistan avalanche survivors receive assistance People displaced by recent disasters in Afghanistan are receiving the support of the UN and its humanitarian partners. Avalanches, landslides and floods hit the four provinces in the north east of the country on Thursday, including Kabul. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was saddened by the loss of [...]
Venezuela reports violence, loss of life cause for concern The UN Secretary-General has expressed concern over new reports of violence and loss of life in Venezuela. Media reports say the crisis in the South American country escalated after the killing of a young boy during anti-government protests. Ban Ki-moon commended the Government for promising to [...]
Palestinians have suffered inordinately and the global community has failed Gaza, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. In a joint statement, 30 international aid organizations including UNRWA say they are alarmed at the limited progress in rebuilding the lives of those affected by conflict in the coastal enclave. Six months have passed since [...]
All parties in Yemen, including the separatist Houthi rebels, have been urged by the UN Security Council to resolve their differences through dialogue and reject violence. In a statement, the 15-member body also asked them to refrain from provocation and all unilateral actions to undermine the political transition. Despite the formation of a new Government [...]
Proper victim identification is crucial in fighting modern slavery, according to a UN human rights expert. Special Rapporteur Urmila Boolah made the remarks at the end of an official visit to Belgium on Thursday. The European nation has set up specialized units including police, social and labour inspectors to investigate claims these crimes. Jocelyne Sambira [...]
The members of the UN Security Council have called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of all hostages in the hands of ISIL, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. In a statement released on Wednesday they denounced the abduction of 100 Assyrian Christians by the terrorist group on 23 February in the North-East of [...]
Vulnerable communities across Africa are to be supported by a new programme on land governance aimed at promoting sustainable development and protecting legitimate tenure rights. The launch is taking place this week in Niamey, Niger, organized by The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the African-led Land Policy Initiative. Ten countries will implement new [...]
The importance of forests in supporting life is being highlighted in 2015 which the UN has designated as the year for global action for sustainable development. Forests are connected to water, energy, food security and climate, contain 80 per cent of the land's biodiversity and about 20 per cent of the world's population depend on [...]
Illicit drugs undermine development but so do poverty and low standards of living, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) warns. These factors provide fertile grounds for transnational organized crimes, he says. A high-level debate on crime prevention is being held in New York ahead of the UN's 13th Crime Congress [...]
Call for investigation into murder of two Libyan activists The murder of two female activists in Libya has been condemned by the UN in the North African country, (UNSMIL). UNSMIL is calling for a thorough investigation into the killing of Entissar Al-Hasaeri and Amal Al-Mizdawi who were found dead in a car in the capital [...]
Paraguay has been hailed for its "impressive achievements" in trying to meet the UN's anti-poverty goals also known as the MDGs. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his appreciation to President Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara on Wednesday in the country's capital Asuncion. The country's leadership has made progress in reducing poverty and inequality, as well as [...]
New trials show antiretroviral drugs prevent new HIV infections Recent scientific trials show further proof that antiretroviral drugs prevent new HIV infections among men who have sex with men, the UN says. One of the studies demonstrated a 96 per cent efficacy in preventing infections where one partner is living with HIV and the other [...]
Providing affordable housing remains a major challenge for poor and wealthy countries with latest UN statistics showing 3.5 million illegal settlements in just five south-east European countries. While there are no slums in the countries identified in a new report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), people living in Illegal settlements face [...]
The immense contributions of the late Kenyan intellectual, Professor Ali Mazrui, made to the UN cultural agency (UNESCO) were recognized at an event held at UN headquarters on Tuesday. The event was organized by the permanent mission of Kenya to the United Nations in collaboration with UNESCO's on 24th February, the birthday of the Pan [...]
Authorities in Afghanistan need to do more to end torture and ill-treatment of conflict-related detainees, says a UN report released on Wednesday. The report, by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is based on interviews with 790 detainees. It says that there has been some progress in ending torture in detention facilities and the [...]
Europe is being urged by the World Health Organization to step up vaccinations against measles for all age groups and people at risk. Policy-makers, health care workers and parents in the region are being asked to do their part to put an end to the outbreaks occurring in their countries. Seven countries have reported over [...]
Myanmar's reform seems headed in the wrong direction and needs urgently to get back on track, the UN human rights chief has warned. 2015 is a crucial year for the country's democratic transition and long-term reconciliation, said Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein. General elections are expected to be held in Myanmar towards the end of 2015. [...]
Representatives of East African nations are meeting in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to share best practices on fighting poverty and inequality. The forum of Ministers of Social Development organized by the UN education and cultural agency UNESCO is the first of its kind. Fifteen countries from the region are expected to attend. Jocelyne Sambira [...]
The future of up to 750,000 people in West Africa who are stateless is coming under the spotlight at a meeting organised by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Côte d'Ivoire. It's part of the agency's bid to end statelessness across the world within 10 years. A stateless person is somebody who has does not [...]
Economic growth can be encouraged around the world if more women were to run small and medium sized enterprises. That's according to the International Monetary Fund. The Fund says that small loans to women who want to start businesses are particularly effective in emerging economies. Jocelyn Frank has been talking to Melanne Vervee, the Executive [...]
Warring factions in the South Sudan conflict should be urged to "cease military operations or face the consequences", a senior UN official has said. The head of peacekeeping operations Hervé Ladsous asked members of the Security Council on Tuesday to issue a statement to that effect. A new round of peace talks between the parties [...]
Yemen sanctions renewed for a year Sanctions against Yemen have been renewed by the UN Security Council for the next year. The measure includes an assets freeze and travel bans on individuals or entities that threaten peace and stability in the Middle Eastern nation. Secessionist Houthi militants now control the capital Sana'a while President Abdrabuh [...]
Iraq is one of four countries that urgently needs money to help millions of people suffering from illness and disease, the World Health Organization has said. Dr Jaffer Hussain, WHO's representative for Iraq, says that almost all of the country's health facilities have been damaged following years of instability and intensifying conflict. Many health professionals [...]
Upsurge in CAR violence displaces close to 50,000 people An upsurge in violence in the Central African Republic has forced the displacement of almost 50,000 people since the start of the year. That's according to a report released by the UN refugee agency on Tuesday. This includes an estimated 30,000 who have sought refuge in [...]
The ongoing crisis in the Central African Republic is worsening an already poor healthcare system in the country, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The country has been mired in sectarian violence between the Muslim and Christian militias for the past two years. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their [...]
The sheer scale of humanitarian needs has stretched the UN's aid system to the limit, World Health Organization says. It's calling for $1 billion to help four countries: Iraq, Central African Republic, Syria and South Sudan. An estimated 21 million people affected by conflict urgently need the cash , as Daniel Johnson reports. One billion [...]
Ukraine has agreed on the need for the "urgent and immediate" withdrawal of heavy weaponry in the east of the country, according to the UN. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Foreign Affairs Minister of the eastern European nation, Pavlo Klimkin on Tuesday. The accord is part of the Minsk ceasefire agreement signed by Government [...]
An agreement has been reached to resolve "all outstanding issues" related to Iran's nuclear programme, the UN nuclear agency has announced. Director General Yukiya Amano of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) met with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister S. Abbas Araghchi in Vienna on Tuesday. The Agency has extended its monitoring and verification activities in [...]
The humanitarian crisis in South Sudan and protection of civilians are expected to be discussed by the Security Council on Tuesday. Africa's newest nation has been rocked by instability since last December following an internal power struggle that has escalated into a civil war. Over two million people remain displaced by the conflict in South [...]
Peacekeeping missions need to have improved technology if they are to respond adequately to their mandates. A new UN report makes 120 recommendations to help UN peacekeeping close the so-called "technology gap". This includes the increased use of drones. Assistant Secretary-General Jane Holl Lute is Chair of a panel of experts looking at how to [...]
One of the casualties of the Ebola in Liberia has been its health care infrastructure, including its second largest referral hospital. Liberia is one of the three West African countries that have been hardest hit by Ebola which has claimed over 9,300 lives in the region. Redemption Hospital, located in a town just outside the [...]
Special Envoy for Libya working to kick-start peace talks The UN's Special Envoy for Libya, Bernadino Leon, is "hard at work" talking to the country's political leaders in an attempt to kick-start peace talks, the UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has said. Reports by the media say that parliamentarians in the North African country have decided [...]
The UN has urged for fairness and transparency in regards to the legal proceedings against the former Maldives President. Mohamed Nasheed, now the leader of the opposition, was seized on Sunday. Media reports say he is facing charges of terrorism. Jocelyne Sambira has more. Pictures of Mohamed Nasheed being pushed on the ground and dragged [...]
The use of the same syringe or needle on more than one person can cause the spread of deadly infectious diseases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The UN agency says both patients and health workers and are at risk of being accidentally infected during procedures with injections. The agency on Monday launched a [...]
New child abductions by armed groups in South Sudan The kidnapping of scores of young boys by an armed group near Malakal, north of South Sudan has been strongly condemned by the UN Children's Fund UNICEF. The agency's education team report that 89 children were forcibly taken while doing their exams. The actual number could [...]
The past seven decades would have been bloodier without the existence of the United Nations. That's what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told delegates during a Security Council debate on Monday. Organized by China, the discussions focused on reaffirming the world's commitment to the UN Charter signed in San Francisco back in 1945. Stephanie Castro has [...]
Civilians in at least one-third of Iraq have become victims of systematic and gross human rights abuses by Islamic State (IS) fighters, according to a new UN report. It highlights the abduction, rape and trafficking of women and the use of children to shield jihadi fighters on the front line, among many other violations. Francesco [...]
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is calling for the immediate release of dozens of young boys and six teachers who were abducted in South Sudan. Eighty-nine boys, the youngest of whom were 13, were taken by an unknown group of armed men while they studied for exams in Wau Shilluk near Malakal in Upper Nile [...]
Human rights violations in Iraq are widespread and of an increasingly sectarian nature, a new UN report has found. Released on Monday, it documents serious violations of international humanitarian law and gross abuses of human rights perpetrated over a three month period by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The report also [...]
The fight against cholera in Haiti has been overshadowed by other health crises around the world according to the UN's top envoy on the disease for the Caribbean island. A cholera outbreak which began in 2010 has led to the deaths of over 8600 people. Recently there has been a surge in cases. Pedro Medrano [...]
Victims of human trafficking in Malaysia will be given the opportunity to make their voices heard, according to a UN Special Rapporteur. Maria Grazia Giammarinaro will start a six-day mission on Monday in Malaysia to assess the trafficking of persons in the country, especially women and children. She said the government needs to hear first-hand [...]
Japan has been praised by the UN's atomic energy agency, for the progress it has made in shutting down a nuclear reactor which was damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011. High levels of radiation were recorded around the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in the north of the country following the tsunami. An expert [...]
More young people need to be involved in radio production, according to several students from the National University of Samoa. Tutuila Farao, a student of Journalism at the University interviewed his fellow classmates in a special feature on Campus Radio as part of an initiative by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to highlight youth unemployment [...]
The major global companies are increasingly focusing on the importance of human rights issues in the workplace. That's according to a senior executive at the Coca Cola Company who's been at the UN to speak about the private sector's role in ending human trafficking and forced labour. The International labour Organisation (ILO) estimates there are [...]
Car bomb attacks in Mogadishu condemned by UN envoy An attack on a hotel in the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Friday has been strongly condemned by the top UN envoy in the country. At least 20 people, including senior members of the government are reported to have been killed in the attack which involved two [...]
The model of agricultural production that predominates today is not suitable for the new food security challenges of the 21st century. That's what José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) told a meeting in the French capital, Paris on Friday. The International Forum on Agriculture and Climate Change, organized [...]
Authorities in Nigeria have been urged by the UN Secretary-General to ensure that rearranged general elections take place as planned. The elections were originally scheduled to be held in February but were reportedly postponed to March and April because of security concerns. The most populous nation in Africa continues to face the threat of Boko [...]
Unthinkable crimes continue to occur daily in Syria as conflict now approaches its fifth year, a group of independent human rights experts has warned. On Friday, they were presenting their latest report on Syria to the UN Security Council. It charts out the human rights violations that occurred over the course of the conflict from [...]
Russian authorities urged to release Ukrainian pilot Russian authorities have been urged by the UN human rights office to release a Ukrainian pilot who has been detained in Moscow since July last year. Nadiia Savchenko was captured by pro-Russian separatists who have been battling for control of eastern Ukraine. Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN [...]
A new test kit to identify the deadly Ebola infection in just 15 minutes has raised hope that new advances can be made fighting the disease. Ebola has killed almost 9,500 people in West Africa, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The test been described as a "breakthrough" by the World Health Organization. It [...]
The fate of captured Ukrainian soldiers and civilians trapped in the conflict in the Debaltseve area has caused concern for the UN human rights office in Geneva. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says it regrets that monitors of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have not been [...]
Chelsea football fans aren't the only ones responsible for racist slurs which happen all the time in Europe, the UN High Commissioner's office has said. It says it wants action against racism which escapes unnoticed because it hasn't been filmed like the incident in the Paris underground on Tuesday, as Daniel Johnson reports. Racist chants [...]
A short-term approach to global development has resulted in social injustice and terrorism, according to a leading UN human rights expert. Speaking on The World Day of Social Justice, Special Rapporteur Alfred de Zayas has criticised governments for a "Band-Aid" approach to terrorism. In an interview with Daniel Johnson, the human rights expert pins part [...]
Sharks may be able to swim the world's oceans more safely one day thanks to a new digital technique developed by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. An increasing number of shark species are endangered as many are being fished just for the fin. The carcasses are then often discarded. The carcasses of the fish [...]
Over 41,000 people displaced by conflict in Darfur this year More than 41,000 people have been displaced by conflict in Sudan's North and Central Darfur region since the beginning of the year, according to the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA). OCHA points out that the number of newly displaced people in need of assistance and protection [...]
• The abduction and presumed murder of an albino baby in Tanzania has been condemned by the United Nations. One year old Yohana Bahati who lived with albinism was taken from his home in the north of the East African country on Sunday. His body was found three days later with arms and legs removed. [...]
A 22 per cent rise in conflict-related deaths and injuries of Afghan civilians in 2014, has been reported by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Nearly 4000 people died during the year. On Wednesday, UNAMA released its annual briefing on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, prepared in coordination with the Office of [...]
Women have died in large numbers in West Africa due to the role they have played as caregivers to people infected by the deadly Ebola virus; that's according to the head of UN Women. More than 9,000 people have died from Ebola in the three worst affected countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Executive Director [...]
The emergence of a new generation of transnational terrorist groups is a grave threat to international peace and security, the UN Secretary-General warned on Thursday. Ban Ki-moon addressed a Summit on Countering Violent extremism convened by US President Barack Obama in Washington D.C. He said addressing the growth of extremism may be the greatest test [...]
United Arab Emirates helps feed Palestinian refugees in Syria More than 90,000 Palestinian refugee families in Syria are getting food assistance thanks to a donation from the United Arab Emirates. The UN Refugee Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) announced a contribution of $15 million from the UAE to help Palestinian refugee families during what it [...]
A new guide to help reduce the marketing of unhealthy foods to children across Europe has been launched by the UN's health agency. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that foods high in energy, fats, sugars or salt leads to unhealthy diets and contributes to obesity in children. The agency has developed its nutrient profile [...]
The humanitarian situation of people in Ukraine affected by the ongoing conflict in the country has been described as "precarious" by the UN's World Food Programme (WFP). The food agency is scaling up its emergency operation in eastern Ukraine to feed close to 190,000 vulnerable people displaced by fighting. It's also trying to reach civilians [...]
The government of Syria has been urged by the UN human rights chief to release all the people who have been held by its forces and militias. In a statement issued on Thursday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said perhaps hundreds of thousands of people have been detained since the [...]
While some progress has been made to combat Neglected Tropical Diseases, more people need access to preventative care and treatments, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). These diseases include leprosy, river blindness, and elephantiasis, and thrive mainly among the poorest populations. WHO is launching a new report on Thursday which makes the case for [...]
Four women and nine children have been released by rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and are returning to their families in South Sudan, Congo and Uganda. One woman was only 12 years old when she was captured and taken to the Democratic Republic of the Congo by LRA rebels. She bore three children [...]
Mine clearance takes time and money and the UN agency that's leading global efforts against the deadly ordnance says it needs nearly $300 million to carry on with its work. UNMAS has identified 23 countries and territories which require its help urgently with 175 ongoing projects. UNMAS director Agnès Marcaillou tells Daniel Johnson that countries [...]
Threat to shut down UN radio operation in South Sudan causes concern A threat to shut down the United Nations radio operation in South Sudan has caused concern for the UN Mission in the country (UNMISS). The threat has reportedly been made by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting after Radio Miraya aired an interview [...]
ISIL and other terrorist groups are posing an imminent danger to the people of Libya and the wider region. This warning has come from the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Libya, Bernardino León who briefed the Security Council on Wednesday. Stephanie Castro reports. In his briefing to the Security Council by video conference, Bernardino León [...]
There are now ten times fewer people diagnosed with Ebola each week than there were in September last year, according to the UN Special Envoy. David Nabarro was on Wednesday giving an update on the response to the Ebola virus disease to members of the General Assembly in New York. Over 9,300 people have died [...]
Africa is not well equipped to forecast weather conditions and respond to disasters, according to a senior official from Malawi. This issue was discussed by African government Ministers responsible for meteorological at a meeting, organized by the UN weather agency and the African Union which took place in Cape Verde. The ministers shared ideas on [...]
Iran urged to stop execution of juvenile offender Authorities in Iran have been urged by UN independent human rights experts to immediately halt the execution of a juvenile offender. According to reports, Saman Nassem was 17 years old when he was arrested and sentenced to death in 2012 for so-called crimes against God. He is [...]
The abduction and presumed murder of an albino baby in Tanzania has been condemned by the United Nations. One year old Yohana Bahati who lived with albinism was taken from his home in the north of the East African country on Sunday. His body was found three days later with arms and legs removed. Other [...]
A 22 per cent rise in conflict-related deaths and injuries of Afghan civilians in 2014, has been reported by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Nearly 4000 people died during the year. On Wednesday, UNAMA released its annual briefing on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, prepared in coordination with the Office of [...]
Israel has been urged once again to reverse its decision to withhold the transfer of revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. The call was made by the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, during his briefing to the Security Council on Wednesday. Jeffrey Feltman warned that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians [...]
The Syrian government has indicated its willingness to halt all aerial bombing and artillery shelling for a period of six weeks in the city of Aleppo. That's what the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura has told reporters in New York. Syria continues to be embroiled in the conflict which started as [...]
The government and opposition forces in South Sudan have been urged to release all child soldiers who are still in their ranks and to, once and for all, stop recruiting children. The UN Special Representative of the Secretary General on Children in Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougi has presented a new report investigating the treatment of [...]
The Security Council has endorsed as so-called "package of measures" adopted and signed in Minsk last week to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. A resolution, tabled by Russia was unanimously adopted by the 15-member Council on Tuesday. Fighting has continued in the eastern part of Ukraine, despite a ceasefire agreed on last year. Derrick Mbatha [...]
Migrant rescue programme "woefully inadequate" Many more migrants will die crossing the Mediterranean Sea unless European governments step up search-and-rescue operations. That's according to the UN Refugee Agency chief, António Guterres, who made the comment following the deaths at sea last week of at least 300 people who had fled from Libya. He said the [...]
Adolescents need to be better prepared in order to engage in safe sexual relations, according to the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS. The agency reports that new HIV infections among adolescents are not declining as quickly as among other age groups. The Deputy Executive Director of UNAIDS, Louis Loures, says this is due to [...]
Winning back territory taken by the Islamic State terrorist group, or ISIL, is Iraq's most pressing goal, according to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the country. Nickolay Mladenov was on Tuesday in New York briefing the Security Council on the latest developments in Iraq. Armed conflict and acts of terrorism continue to [...]
Continued shelling in Ukraine alarms UN human rights office Reports of continued shelling in the Debaltseve area of eastern Ukraine have caused alarm at the United Nations human rights office in Geneva. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights says it is particularly concerned about the civilians trapped in the area where a [...]
The outgoing head of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) has described himself as "a paranoid optimist" about the country. Nickolay Mladenov on Tuesday briefed the Security Council for the last time as the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Iraq. Iraq has been facing a long-term security crisis, exacerbated by the emergence of the [...]
The Ukrainian government has called for "concrete deeds" from separatist fighters to respect the days-old ceasefire agreement. Amid continuing fighting in the south-east of the country, Ukraine's ambassador to the UN said Russian-backed militants had not pulled back their troops from the front line. The ambassador said any attempt to move away from the Minsk [...]
The production of rice has fallen by over eight per cent in some parts of Guinea in West Africa as a result of the Ebola crisis, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The deadly virus which has left more than 9,000 people dead mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has disrupted [...]
A new platform of action to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic among adolescents was launched in Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday. UNAIDS, and the UN children's agency (UNICEF) are partnering with several UN and other agencies as well as youth movements in the new effort against AIDS. President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya launched the platform known as [...]
The "brutal" mass beheading of 21 Christians in Libya must not be allowed to make the security situation any worse, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned. In his statement Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein calls on Libyans to resist extremism. The UN refugee agency meanwhile has said that people smuggling gangs have profited [...]
A new programme to involve men and boys in combating violence against women in Egypt has been unveiled by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). According to a United Nations study conducted in 2013, 99% of Egyptian women have experienced some form of sexual harassment. The initiative, was launched in partnership with the National Council for [...]
The growing influence of and possible intervention against the ISIL terrorist group in Libya is due to be discussed by the UN Security Council on Wednesday. It follows the apparent murder by ISIL in Libya of 21 Egyptian Christians earlier this week. The 15-member Council is meeting at the request of Jordan Daniel Dickinson reports. [...]
Start of ceasefire in Ukraine welcomed by UN chief The start of a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine has been welcomed by the UN Secretary-General. On 12 February, diplomatic efforts between Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany led to a decision to cease all hostilities by midnight on 15 February. Ban Ki-moon said that the ceasefire appears [...]
The apparent murder of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya by an affiliate of the terrorist group the Islamic State (ISIL) has been condemned by the United Nations. Media outlets have reported a video showing militants forcing a group of men to the ground and decapitating them. ISIL is trying to impose its interpretation of [...]
Human suffering continues in the Central African Republic (CAR) and greater access is needed to protect vulnerable communities. Those are the findings of top UN and European Union relief officials, who on Monday wrapped up a five-day mission to the country. More than two years of civil war and sectarian violence have displaced over half [...]
The use of fertilizers to boost agricultural production around the world is expected to reach record levels above 200 million tonnes by 2018, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In a new report, FAO says that is an increase of 25 per cent over 2008 levels. As the world strives to feed [...]
Children in the Kapuri community in South Sudan's Central Equatoria State are celebrating the opening of a school built by UN peacekeepers from Rwanda (UNMISS) The project was born following a routine patrol last year in which the soldiers found pupils in the town studying under trees in make-shift classrooms with no sanitation facilities. The newly [...]
Rural transformation is coming under the spotlight at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome on Monday. The agency is convening the 38th session of the IFAD Governing Council and is focusing on how rural development is key to sustainable development. Stephanie Coutrix reports. While an estimated 70 per cent of the world's [...]
Veterinary services in Africa are not equipped to detect or respond quickly to an outbreak of the Ebola virus in animals, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned. Chimpanzees, gorillas and apes continue to be infected and harmed by the Ebola virus. Ebola first appeared in 1976 in a village near the Ebola River [...]
The outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa has shown how difficult it is to prevent an infectious disease from spreading into other countries. This is even more so when it starts in a poor country with weak public health infrastructure. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says that in addition to causing catastrophic [...]
Women in Kosovo are being encouraged by the United Nations to exercise their legal right to claim property. Men and women in the territory have equal inheritance rights, but when the issue comes up in courts, women frequently decide to give their share of family property to their male relatives. The UN in Kosovo is [...]
The Security Council on Sunday demanded that the Houthis in Yemen relinquish control of government institutions in the country. The 15-member Council unanimously adopted a resolution which strongly deplores actions taken by the Houthis to dissolve parliament and take over Yemen's government institutions. There has been political instability and violence in Yemen following protests that [...]
Two deadly shooting attacks in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark this weekend have been strongly condemned by the UN Secretary-General. According to media reports, a man opened fire at a freedom of expression event on Saturday and near a synagogue on Sunday. Derrick Mbatha reports. One person was reportedly killed and three police officers injured [...]
Japan has said it will stand alongside the international community as it faces up to battling terrorism in the Middle East. It follows the execution in Syria in January of two Japanese nationals by the militant terrorist group Islamic State, also known as ISIL. Daniel Dickinson has more details. Duration: 2’23″
A decade after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, the message remains that impunity will not be tolerated. That's what UN Secretary-General says in a statement issued on the tenth anniversary of the assassination of the Lebanese leader. Derrick Mbatha reports. Former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri was killed in a massive [...]
Attacks by the Nigerian Boko Haram terrorist group in neighbouring countries have been strongly condemned by the Security Council. In an attack on Ngouboua in Chad on Friday, the terrorists killed many civilians, including the local traditional leaders and injured several others. On 8 February, Boko Haram terrorists attacked Kerawa in Cameroon, and two days [...]
Brave, empowered and smart describes the lead character in a six-part television mini-series detailing the journey of a female slave in the 18th Century. A pre-screening of the "Book of Negroes" was held at the UN in Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Aunjanue Ellis plays Aminata Diallo from Mali [...]
Food support for communities recovering from Ebola Communities in West Africa that are recovering from the Ebola outbreak are receiving three months of food assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP). The UN agency says Ebola-free communities need continued support to help people restart their lives. A new partnership between WFP and the World Health [...]
Ukraine has welcomed a new ceasefire agreement which was signed on Thursday in Minsk, Belarus, to bring conflict in the country to an end. Government forces have been battling pro-Russian separatists over control of key towns in the eastern part of the country since April last year. The UN human rights office recently described the [...]
Decision to release on bail journalists in Egypt welcomed by UN The decision by the Egyptian authorities to release on bail two Al Jazeera journalists has been welcomed by the United Nations. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he hopes the cases of Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, as well as those of other journalists in [...]
As violence spills into countries neighbouring Nigeria, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is calling for urgent humanitarian access to displaced people. UNHCR says the situation is becoming increasingly terrifying for refugees, locals and aid workers. Nigeria has been battling Boko Haram in the north of the country for a number of years. Thousands of people [...]
A "Place to call Home" is a poem read by Sebila Aburu from Confident Children out of Conflict, a South Sudanese NGO that supports orphans and street children. It is written by Clement who is part of a community radio project called Conn@ctFriends which connects young people in South Sudan through the medium of radio. [...]
Progress made in addressing malnutrition and preventable disease in Yemen could be undone if the political crisis continues there, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF has warned. The agency's humanitarian work continues despite a precarious security situation, amid a funding shortfall and fears that government funding could dry up. Daniel Johnson reports. Duration: 1’58″
Read by 15 year old Madol, "The Lion and the Rat" is a traditional African story about friendship and the importance of accepting difference. Madol lives on a United Nations civilian compound in Juba, South Sudan for people who have been forced to flee their homes by the ongoing conflict in the country. He's involved [...]
Young people living in rural Africa are actively engaging in their own development because of radio, says the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). A communication project supported by FAO called Dimitra is being used as a platform to disseminate information and share experiences on farming and food security. Working with local and community stations, the [...]
Key climate change talks in Geneva have "primed the pump" for agreeing new global targets that could protect the planet, the UN said on Friday. The discussions in the Swiss city represent one of the last opportunities to craft a document that can be used to ink a legally binding agreement in Paris in December. [...]
World Radio Day message from United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Duration: 0′ 38″
Radio can help to create a more inclusive and prosperous society especially if young people are more represented in the medium. That's according to UN cultural agency, UNESCO, on the fourth annual World Radio Day. It says too few programmes are devoted to, or designed, by young people. Stephanie Coutrix reports. Radio reaches more people [...]
Radio remains a powerful tool for communication in Kenya and is helping young people get ahead in life. That's the message from the International Labour Organization (ILO) on World Radio Day, celebrated annually on 13th February. The ILO has been supporting radio programmes for young people in the East African country. Carla Drysdale reports about [...]
Niger has faced a continuous influx of people crossing the border since fighting broke out in Northern Nigeria, according to the World Food Programme (WFP). Neighbouring countries like Cameroon and Chad are also forced to host these refugees, straining what little resources they had in their communities. The nutritional state of the children is of [...]
Young people around the world are increasingly using radio to express their views and discuss issues they are concerned about. In recognition of the power of the medium, the theme for this year's World Radio Day, which is observed on 13 February each year is "Youth and Radio". The UN cultural agency (UNESCO) says it [...]
Radio is an invaluable resource to peacekeeping, the head of a recently-launched UN Radio in the West African nation of Mali has said. Helene Papper made the remarks ahead of World Radio Day (WRD) observed annually on 13 February. The Day is a global celebration of radio as a medium and this year's goal is [...]
A Tanzanian youth radio programme is giving a platform to young people to talk about the issues that are affecting their lives, according to Shaban Ramadhani Maganga. The Young Reporters Network (YRN) of Tanzania is a UN Children's Fund-led initiative in which children aged 10 to 17 produce radio programmes on subjects which are important [...]
Brave, empowered and smart describes the lead character in a six-part television mini-series detailing the journey of a female slave in the 18th Century. A pre-screening of the mini-series "Book of Negroes" was held at the UN in Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Aunjanue Ellis plays Aminata Diallo from [...]
"Genuine and lasting" ceasefire in Ukraine needs to be ensured, says UN chief The ceasefire in Ukraine which is due to begin on 15 February needs to be "genuine and lasting", the UN Secretary-General has stressed. Ban Ki-moon said he closely followed the intensive diplomatic efforts of the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany [...]
• Violence linked to Boko Haram terrorists in northern Nigeria has spilled over into neighbouring countries Niger, Chad and Cameroon, hampering humanitarian aid deliveries. Worst-hit is Niger, according to the World Food Programme, which says the country has 125,000 refugees and returnees scattered over more than 140 locations. WFP says in Diffa region the population [...]
Japan has said it will stand alongside the international community as it faces up to battling terrorism in the Middle East. It follows the execution in Syria in January of two Japanese nationals by the militant terrorist group Islamic State, also known as ISIL. Daniel Dickinson has more details. Over 9 million Afghan children in [...]
Radio is hugely important for remote communities in Niger and now it's being used to tackle prejudice and inequality for the benefit of all listeners. In a bid to end damaging stereotypes, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has come up with a guide for radio stations to promote gender equality. FAO officer Alice [...]
Aid agencies requesting US$ 705 million for Palestine Aid agencies are requesting US$ 705 million to address humanitarian needs in Palestine during 2015. On Thursday the Deputy Prime Minister of the State of Palestine and the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the territory released the Strategic Response Plan for this year. It aims to address the [...]
Up to US$ 15 million in emergency financing for farmers in West Africa has been provided by the World Bank. This will provide 10,500 tons of maize and rice seeds to more than 200,000 farmers in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone who have been affected by the Ebola disease outbreak. More than 9,100 people have [...]
Tougher measures to stop ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq from accessing funds to finance their activities have been imposed by the UN Security Council. On Thursday the Council unanimously adopted a resolution aimed at blocking money that flows to the terrorists through the sale of oil, trafficking in antiquities and ransom payments. The resolution [...]
Close to US$2 billion are needed to address the food and malnutrition crisis in the Sahel region of West Africa, according to the UN. 20 million people in the Sahel are currently food insecure, the humanitarian envoy for the region has warned on Thursday. The Sahel runs through south of Africa's Sahara Desert, which is [...]
Yemen is collapsing before our eyes and the global community cannot stand by and watch, according to the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon on Thursday was briefing the UN Security Council on recent developments in the country. He said a dangerous political crisis continues in the capital, Sana'a. Stephanie Coutrix reports. Developments in Yemen threaten regional [...]
The sources of funding of terrorist groups affiliated to al-Qaeda, including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL have been targeted by a UN Security Council resolution. ISIL is trying to impose its interpretation of Islam by terrorising people in the territories they control in the Middle East. On Thursday, the 15-member body voted [...]
Survivors of the Mediterranean Sea tragedy that cost at least 300 lives at the weekend had to cling to ropes after being pitched into the water by storm waves, the UN has said. Details of their ordeal have emerged after 84 people were rescued by the Italian coastguard at the weekend 100 miles from land. [...]
Children are increasingly vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups as conflicts around the world become more brutal, intense and widespread, according to the United Nations. On the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers marked on Thursday, the organization is calling for urgent action to end what it called these "grave violations". Stephanie Coutrix [...]
Hundreds more children released from armed group in South Sudan Three hundred children have been released from an armed group in South Sudan, according to the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF. The children surrendered their weapons in Pibor, Jonglei State, and will spend their first night in an interim care centre, where they will have access [...]
A new report on mass rape in Darfur produced by the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch has been welcomed by the United Nations. The report says that Sudanese army forces raped more than 200 women and girls in an organized attack on the north Darfur town of Tabit in October 2014. It also states that [...]
Peace talks in Libya reconvened in the city of Ghadames on Wednesday, facilitated by the UN Support Mission in the country, UNSMIL. For the first time, all invited participants reportedly attended the talks, which UNSMIL said were conducted in a constructive and positive atmosphere. Libya has been plagued by factional fighting since Muammar al-Qhadafi was [...]
Audio Message of Irina Bokova, Director-General of the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) Duration: 1'24″
"Intensive" discussions between UN and Syrian Government "Intensive" discussions have been taking place in the Syrian capital Damascus between the UN Special Envoy for the country and the Syrian Government. Staffan De Mistura said his focus is on the importance of reducing the violence of the conflict and increasing the access of humanitarian assistance to [...]
The subject of women's health has not been discussed as fully as possible around the world, according to a women and development expert. Dr Nisreen El-Hashemite, who is the Executive Director of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust, gave opening remarks at a high level forum at the UN in New York on women's [...]
An incident in which 300 people reportedly went missing while crossing the Mediterranean Sea has been described as a "major tragedy" by the UN Refugee Agency, UNCHR. The migrants and refugees mainly from sub-Saharan Africa were attempting to travel by boat from Libya to Italy. Last year, 600 people died in two tragedies off the [...]
What world do young people want to see in fifteen years? That's one of the questions United Nations Ambassadors asked at a youth assembly taking place at the United Nations in New York. The main theme of the two-day event is "bridging the gap between youth unemployment and global development". Stephanie Castro reports. Never before [...]
Economic transformation is fundamental to achieving social goals, according to the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development UNCTAD. Mukhisa Kituyi spoke after UNCTAD held an event in New York on making sustainable development goals work. Grece Kaneiya asked Mr. Kituyi about the Sustainable Development Goals that will replace the Millennium Development Goals [...]
The global financial crisis witnessed in the past years would not have happened, with the same intensity, had women been in higher positions of power, according to a UN labour expert. Raymond Torres, Director of the International Labour Organization's research department, says that women should be given a more equal role in the world of [...]
Police officers have been working to maintain law and order with displaced people at a UN base in South Sudan's oil town of Malakal. The Protection of Civilian (POC) site hosts up to 20,000 people who have been uprooted by fighting between government and opposition forces that erupted in 2013. A Police State Advisor with [...]
Public building in CAR retaken by UN from ex-Seleka members A public building in the Central African Republic city of Bria has been retaken from the hands of the ex-Seleka militia by the UN Mission in the country (MINUSCA). The operation, conducted with the support of French forces, took place after the repeated refusal of [...]
Women died in large numbers due to the role they play as caregivers, according to the head of UN Women. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, says women were the first to respond to the Ebola crisis and that their instinct to touch those who were sick resulted in further infection. Stephanie Castro has [...]
The people of Gaza and health care professionals are facing what has been described as "incredibly difficult" circumstances by the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory. James Rawley was speaking in Gaza, calling for an end to a blockade of goods and services which has been ongoing for more than seven years. Stephanie [...]
World Radio Day message from Peter Horrocks, former Director of BBC World Service Group, United Kingdom. Duration: 1'54″
UN-brokered talks are set to get underway this week to end Libya's political and security crisis. The North African country has suffered widespread political instability and violence following the overthrow of former leader Muammar al-Qhadafi in 2011. The talks, the time and location for which have not been released for security reasons, come against a [...]
World Radio Day Message from John Matherly, founder and CEO, Shodan, and winner of 2014 NETEXPLO Award, USA Duration: 2’32″
World Radio Day message from Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, Philippines, Director of "Earthsavers", UNESCO Artists for Peace. Duration: 3’57″
Mission to CAR to assess humanitarian situation and protection needs A mission to the Central African Republic (CAR) is underway by the UN and European Union to assess the humanitarian situation and protection needs of civilians. Conditions have been deteriorating since the end of 2013, when the capital Bangui was taken over by a Christian [...]
World Radio Day message from Ana P. Santos, multimedia journalist, Philippines, winner of the Pulitzer Center's 2014 Persephone Miel Fellowship. Duration: 4’09′
Increased turmoil and lawlessness is spreading across Libya due to the broadening political crisis, according to the UN Human Right Office, OHCHR. A new report to be presented to the UN Human Right Council in March documents numerous incidents of targeted violence against civilians, including children. Unlawful killings have reportedly been commonplace. Stephanie Coutrix reports. [...]
Violence linked to Boko Haram insurgents in northern Nigeria has spilled over into neighbouring countries Niger, Chad and Cameroon, hampering humanitarian aid deliveries. Worst-hit is Niger, according to World Food Programme, which says the country has 125,000 refugees and returnees scattered over more than 140 locations. In Diffa region the population has almost doubled since [...]
The deaths from hypothermia of 29 refugees who were travelling on a boat off the Italian coast on Monday have prompted warnings from UN and partner refugee agencies that there's worse to come. Despite severe winter conditions, desperate families are still attempting the journey and according to UNHCR the number of people crossing is higher [...]
The enemy was invisible—that's how United Nations photographer Martine Perret described Ebola, the deadly virus which has killed nearly 9,000 people in West Africa. Last December, she joined the UN's first health mission, UNMEER, to document the effects of the outbreak on millions of people in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, as well as the [...]
South Sudan is once again on the brink of a major hunger crisis, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned. The country is plagued by a conflict that broke out in December 2013 between government and opposition forces. The agency estimates that about one fifth of the population or 2.5 million people is in [...]
Efforts are being stepped up by the European Union and the UN to prepare for any possible outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease or FMD in Europe. FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects only animals with cloven or divided hooves such as cattle, buffaloes, pigs, sheep, goats and deer. According to the Food [...]
New options for the survival of the planet. That's what scientists, civil society, entrepreneurs, and artists are discussing at a conference on the links between biodiversity and climate change. The UN's scientific organization, UNESCO, is on Tuesday wrapping up a two-day meeting in Paris, France, looking at new approaches to fighting climate change. Stephanie Coutrix has [...]
$US 529 new funds raised at donor conference for South Sudan $US 529 million has been raised at a donor conference for humanitarian aid to millions of South Sudanese people. UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos made the announcement after she and American actor Forest Whitaker completed a three-day visit to the civil war-torn country. The [...]
The government of South Sudan has urged donor countries to help people displaced by the ongoing conflict in the country. The fighting which broke out between government and opposition forces in December 2013 has forced two million people to flee their homes. The Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Clement Taban, attended a UN [...]
If conflict does not stop in South Sudan, there will be a lost generation of children without education, access to health services and facing the threat of hunger. The warning has come from the United Nations humanitarian chief who has been visiting the new African nation. South Sudan has been embroiled in a conflict which [...]
Attacks against girls seeking an education persist and even appear to be on the rise in some countries, a new study by the UN Human Rights Office has found. An estimated 3,600 separate attacks against educational institutions, teachers and students were recorded in 2012 alone, the report says. In addition, attacks on schools have taken [...]
"Final stretch of historic journey" to set post-2015 development goals Member States of the UN are in the final stretch of what has been described as an "historic journey" to define the world's post-2015 development goals. Speaking at a high-level event in New York, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said the global community must answer [...]
Leaders around the world must listen to their people, particularly women who for too long have not had an equal voice, according to the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon made the comment at an annual international gathering of heads of state in the United Arab Emirates. The event reportedly brought together representatives of more than 90 [...]
The shooting of Malala Yousafzai by the Taliban in 2012 masks the extent of attacks and discrimination against schoolgirls – and the trend is growing, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) says. In a new report, the High Commissioner's office shows how fragile gains in promoting girls' access to education have been put at risk [...]
The goal is to trim down a 37-page blueprint negotiated in Lima last year which many view as unworkable. At the end of this week's negotiations, the aim is to come up with a document that UN member states can sign at the next Conference of Parties in Paris in December, as Daniel Johnson reports. [...]
Over 9 million children in rural Afghanistan have access to education because of the introduction of community-based schools the UN says. An estimated 3.6 million of them are girls. These alternatives schools were built by the Government with the help of the UN Children's Fund to help students in hard-to-reach and volatile areas. Parents used [...]
Saudi Arabia has been hailed by the UN Secretary-General for its in "outstanding generosity" in helping to relieve the suffering of people in Syria. Ban Ki-moon's comments came as he met the King of the Middle Eastern Country. Daniel Dickinson reports Mr Ban met Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz in Riyadh. They discussed a [...]
The UN Secretary-General has called for peaceful elections in Nigeria after the authorities in the West African country announced they would be delayed until March. Nigeria's Electoral Commission reportedly said it delayed the vote because troops that were to oversee polling stations were need to fight the terrorist group, Boko Haram. Daniel Dickinson has more [...]
The American Hollywood star, Angelina Jolie, cannot imagine a greater horror than having a child kidnapped by a terrorist group. That's what she said during her recent visit to a refugee camp in the Kurdish region of Iraq, where she met with Syrian refugees and displaced Iraqi citizens. Many shared with her their personal stories. [...]
Political factions in Yemen have agreed to resume UN-brokered talks aimed at resolving the country's political crisis. The talks were due to begin on Monday and will include the Houthi rebels who recently took control of the country. Daniel Dickinson reports Yemen has experienced deepening instability and widespread violence following the political turmoil that started [...]
Cancer patients in poor countries have few diagnostic options and even fewer treatment possibilities, the UN nuclear agency, IAEA has warned. The disease is now killing more people in the developing world than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. A program of action for cancer therapy called PACT spearheaded by IAEA helps countries develop national cancer [...]
The efforts Kazakhstan has made to turn the country around economically need to be applied to human rights and democracy issues as well. That's according to UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai who recently completed an official visit to the central Asian country. He said the Government's approach to regulating peaceful assemblies was one of the [...]
Murder of Jordanian pilot condemned by UN officials The murder of a Jordanian pilot by terrorists of the Islamic State or ISIL has been condemned by two senior United Nations officials. The terrorists recently released a video of Moaz al-Kasasbeh being burned alive. The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, and the [...]
American actor Forest Whitaker is helping to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan. Mr Whitaker who is a UN Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, arrived on Friday in the civil war-torn country with the UN's top humanitarian official, Valerie Amos. Together they will assess the situation on the ground and highlight [...]
Kosovo is at what has been described by the top UN envoy in the territory as "a key juncture" in its history. Ambassador Farid Zarif the head of the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) briefed the Security Council on Friday. Jocelyne Sambira reports. In his briefing to the Security Council, Ambassador Farid Zarif pointed out [...]
Rape in some parts of South Sudan was so widespread in August last year that some local people were calling it a "month of rape"; that's according to a top UN humanitarian official. As Ivan Simonovic wound up his six day visit to South Sudan on Friday, he said these crimes are "intolerable" and justice [...]
Donors have been urged to honour the commitments they made last year to provide funds for the reconstruction of Gaza following a 50-day conflict between Israel and Hamas which began in July 2014. The appeal was made on Friday by the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the League of Arab States that expressed their [...]
Somali government urged to move political process forward Political leaders in Somalia have been urged by the UN Security Council to make greater efforts to quickly establish an inclusive and representative government. The members of the Council have expressed their concern at the ongoing political crisis in the Horn of Africa country. They urged the [...]
Relief workers in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region are scrambling to deliver urgent aid to people displaced by heavy fighting in the area. That's according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, which has teams on the ground assisting local populations in areas close to the frontline. Government forces have been battling pro-Russian separatists over control of [...]
The government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been urged to release people who have been arrested during recent protests in the country. The appeal has come from the UN human rights office in Geneva which says the people are being "illegally" detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression. Stephanie Coutrix [...]
The vast majority of children who have lost parents to the Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa have been taken in by families, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). The agency says that 16,600 children have been orphaned by the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the three countries worst hit by [...]
An increasing number of young people in China are growing up without their parents according to the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF. The so-called "left-behind" children often live with little family support when parents migrate to cities in search of work. Shantha Bloemen works for UNICEF in China. Daniel Dickinson asked her what it's like to [...]
The arrest of a radio journalist in Burundi raises serious concern about freedom of expression in Burundi ahead of upcoming elections, the UN human rights office said on Friday. Bob Rugurika, the director of the independent Radio Public Africaine (RPA) was arrested on 20 January following a broadcast of a report about the killing of [...]
Health workers around the world are being urged by the United Nations to mobilize against female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C). UNICEF and the UN Population Fund UNFPA made the call on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM observed every year on 6 February. FGM is illegal in many countries and medical providers [...]
The recent upsurge in fighting in Ukraine has pushed the number of internally displaced to 980,000, latest UN figures show. UN refugee agency UNHCR says around 3,000 civilians have been evacuated from conflict zones in the east of the country in areas still controlled by the government, while others remain trapped in rebel-held areas. Ahead [...]
Health workers around the world are being urged to mobilize against female genital cutting or mutilation (FGM/C), the UN has urged. Around one in five girls have been cut by a trained health-care provider and in some countries this can reach as high as three in four girls. UNICEF and the UN Population Fund UNFPA [...]
Female genital mutilation doesn't make any sense, according to a West African singer called the "Golden Voice from Mali". The procedure known as FGM is carried out on 3million girls each year across the world. It can lead to serious health problems and even death. Stephanie Castro has been speaking to singer Awa Sangho ahead [...]
Political leaders in Yemen urged to overcome impasse Political leaders in Yemen have been urged by the UN Secretary-General to overcome the current political impasse so that the peaceful democratic transition launched in 2011 can be fulfilled. The country has been plunged into a crisis following the recent resignations of the President, Prime Minister and [...]
Three West African countries that have been worst affected by the deadly Ebola virus are to receive $100 million in debt relief from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Close to 9,000 people have died from the disease mainly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The pandemic has badly disrupted the economies of the three countries. [...]
• 2015 will be decisive in whether and how Somalia can become a unified, peaceful and federal state, a UN special envoy said on Wednesday. Members of the Security Council heard a briefing regarding recent developments on the ground. The Horn of Africa country remains one of the most dangerous places on the globe as [...]
Despite progress that has been made in fighting Ebola in the three West African countries worst affected by the virus, there is no room for complacency as new cases have shown. That's what John Ging, Operations Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs told reporters on Thursday. Derrick Mbatha reports. Mr. Ging [...]
Europe should accept migrants through official channels in an effort to stop smuggling and control their borders, a UN human rights expert has urged. An estimated 150,000 migrants and asylum seekers arrived by sea without official papers in Europe in 2014, compared with 80,000 in 2013. Sweden has accepted 30,000 Syrian and Eritrean migrants while [...]
Leaders around the world should be guided by dignity in all their efforts to end poverty, transform lives and protect the planet. That's the message that was delivered by UN Secretary-General at a meeting on Thursday to mark the 20th anniversary of the World Summit for Social Development. Stephanie Castro reports. In his address, the [...]
African countries in Great Lakes Region urged to united against rebels Countries in the Great Lakes Region of Africa have been urged to remain united in their efforts to neatralize armed rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The appeal came from from the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the region, Said Djinnit [...]
The European Union needs to "bank on" more migrants reaching its borders in coming years and should provide more help for them to do so, according to a UN investigator. François Crépeau, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, notes the EU's "toxic political environment" along with dangerous sea crossings undertaken by desperate migrants. [...]
The new government of Guinea Bissau is making progress in building a democratic system in the country. That's what Ambassador Antonio Patriota of Brazil, Chair of the Guinea-Bissau Configuration told the Security Council on Thursday as it met to discuss the situation in the West African country. Stephanie Castro reports. Ambassador Patriota said there had [...]
The cost of food on world commodity markets is declining according to the latest figures released by the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO. The UN agency's Food Price Index for January, was 1.9 per cent below its December 2014 level. Abundant supplies and the low cost of oil have been driving the price decreases. Sandra [...]
The Indiscriminate shelling of civilians in urban areas of eastern Ukraine has been strongly condemned by the UN Secretary-General. Reports say civilians are running for their lives as pro-Russian separatists pound government-held towns in and around Donetsk. Derrick Mbatha reports. In a statement the UN Secretary-General expressed his concern over the situation in eastern Ukraine, [...]
Making people accountable for their actions is a pre-condition for reconciliation in South Sudan, according to a top UN Human Rights official. Currently on a six day visit to the civil war-torn country, Ivan Simonovic said justice must be implemented alongside peace to prevent people from escaping the consequences of crimes they have committed. The [...]
Murders of civilians in eastern DR Congo condemned by UN envoy New murders of civilians around Beni in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been strongly condemned by the top UN envoy in the country. Martin Kobler, the head of the UN Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) said nothing [...]
Authorities in Australia are obliged under international law to protect asylum seekers. That's according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) which issued a statement in Geneva on Wednesday following a court ruling on Sri Lankans detained at sea. Stephanie Castro reports. The High Court of Australia ruled on 28 January that the detention of 157 [...]
It has been confirmed by the UN Mission in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) that six of its peacekeepers died in a road accident on Tuesday. In a statement issued on Wednesday, UNOCI says the accident occurred on the motorway between the capital Yamoussoukro and the commercial hub, Abidjan. Derrick Mbatha reports. UNOCI says the deceased peacekeepers [...]
WFP alarmed by images of ISIS distributing its food in Syria. The World Food Programme (WFP) says it is alarmed by images circulating on social media showing its food boxes bearing labels of the Islamic State (ISIL) terrorists. The UN food agency says it is trying to verify the authenticity of the photographs, where they [...]
2015 will be decisive in whether and how Somalia can become a unified, peaceful and federal state, a UN special envoy for the country has said. Members of the Security Council heard a briefing on Wednesday regarding recent developments on the ground. The Horn of Africa country remains one of the most dangerous places on [...]
The situation for families in Gaza which are dependent on aid will be catastrophic, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Due to a lack of funds, UNRWA has been forced to suspend cash assistance for repairs to damaged and destroyed homes in the Gaza Strip. A 50-day conflict which started last July [...]
The UN cultural agency says it is committed to strengthening the links between culture and tourism. That's the message delivered by the head of UNESCO at the World Conference on Tourism and Culture, which opened in Seam Reap, Cambodia on Wednesday. Stephanie Castro reports. The Conference, which has for the first time brought together Ministers [...]
Published on Wednesday as part of its review of 12 countries, the report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) cites "systematic killings" by IS fighters. The investigators also detail "homemade" problems such as discrimination against girls, rape and forced marriage, which they urge the authorities to remedy, as Daniel Johnson [...]
The destruction of books by terrorists in northern Iraq has been described by the head of the UN cultural agency as "cultural cleansing". According to reports, Islamic State or ISIL terrorists have over the past several weeks ransacked libraries and burned thousands of books in the city of Mosul. Stephanie Coutrix reports. The books reportedly [...]
The appointment of a new chairperson to lead the UN probe into possible war crimes in Gaza was announced on Wednesday after the previous incumbent resigned amid Israeli allegations of bias. The new chairperson is one of two remaining human rights investigators. She is tasked with looking into alleged war crimes during a conflict in [...]
Cancer has a major impact on global health being the second leading cause of death, a senior official with the World Health Organization has said. According to the agency, early detection of the disease can help reduce the number of cases. Furthermore, the burden can be reduced if people lived healthier lives by fighting obesity, [...]
The international community is capable of coming together to tackle cancer which is taking its toll in developing countries. That's the message on World Cancer Day, which is observed on 4 February each year to put a spotlight on the disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 70 per cent of close to 8 [...]
International peace and security is coming under the spotlight this month in the UN Security Council. China is presiding over the 15-member Council in February. Stephanie Coutrix reports. The Chinese Ambassador Jieyi Liu said a ministerial-level debate on the maintenance of international peace and security will be an occasion to reflect on history, and reaffirm [...]
An increasing number of young people in China are growing up without their parents according to the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF. The so-called "left-behind" children often live with little family support when parents migrate to cities in search of work. Shantha Bloemen works for UNICEF in China. Daniel Dickinson asked her what it's like to [...]
Leaders of South Sudan have been urged to place the interests of citizens above their own. The appeal was made by the UN Secretary-General on Tuesday following the signing of an agreement by South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and former Vice-President Dr Riek Marchar on Monday. Stephanie Castro reports. The two South Sudanese leaders have [...]
Claims of genocide by Serbia and Croatia against each other during the Croatian war of secession from Yugoslavia have been rejected by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). On Friday, the UN's principal judicial organ agreed that both countries had committed acts of genocide in the early 1990s, but it did not find sufficient intent [...]
Senegal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nicaragua. Those are some of the low income developing countries the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says have economies that typically rely more on agriculture and foreign aid. They also have higher poverty and infant mortality rates, and lower levels of education. The Fund has been closely tracking and reporting on the [...]
It is critical for children in Liberia to go back to school in order to improve their protection, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). The Ebola outbreak which has killed almost 9,000 people mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, also led to school closures across the three countries. UNICEF says that following the [...]
A protracted conflict in eastern Ukraine could make daily life "untenable" for people in the area, according to the UN human rights office, OHCHR. More than 5,000 people have died since mid-April because of the indiscriminate shelling of residential neighbourhoods. The internal political crisis in the eastern European country in 2013 sparked mass protests and [...]
The resignation of the head of an inquiry into possible war crimes during the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict will not affect the outcome of the investigation according to the Human Rights Council (HRC). In the wake of the decision to quit by Professor William Schabas, HRC president Joachim Ruecker has said the inquiry's work would not [...]
The warring parties in Ukraine have been urged to lay down their arms amid a fresh escalation in the fighting. The UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein's appeal follows the death of over 220 civilians killed in the past three weeks. Any further escalation will prove catastrophic for the 5.2 million [...]
The continued escalation of attacks by Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria and Cameroon have been strongly condemned by the Security Council. The latest attack on Sunday was on Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State which the terrorists tried to capture. There have also been increasing attacks in the Lake Chad Basin, including against the Chadian [...]
International experts are gathering in Budapest, Hungary on Tuesday to discuss how to better respond to future humanitarian crises. The regional consultation, which is attended by the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, (OCHA) is in preparation for the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit. Derrick Mbatha reports The first ever World [...]
The decision of the Egyptian authorities to release a detained journalist has been welcomed by the United Nations Secretary-General. Peter Greste, an Australian national was arrested in December 2013 and charged with his two colleagues of working with the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Derrick Mbatha reports. The arrest of Peter Greste and his two colleagues from [...]
What can help prevent human rights violations in South Sudan? That's what the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Simonovic, says he is seeking to answer during his second trip to the country. The five day visit will include meeting a number of government officials as well as civil society actors in Juba, South [...]
Young people should be consulted on the major issues that face the world, according to a youth delegate at a UN conference on the post-2015 development agenda. The international community is currently defining new targets which will replace the Millennium Development goals or MDGs at the end of this year. Twenty-three year old Mahishaa Balraj, [...]
The late King of Saudi Arabia has been hailed as "a champion against global hunger" by the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon spoke at a meeting at the United Nations on Monday in memory of King Abdullah who passed away two weeks ago. Representatives of regional groupings at the UN paid tribute to the King. Stephanie [...]
Six Bulgarian crew members of a UN food agency's helicopter who disappeared in Sudan last week have been handed over to the United Nations. The helicopter, which was flying from South Sudan to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan for regular maintenance was forced to land by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLM-N) in Sudan's South [...]
Mexico's human rights record is under the spotlight as the country presents its long-awaited report on enforced disappearances to the UN. The dossier has been more than two years in the making but the issue has sparked renewed international interest after 43 students were kidnapped in the state of Guerrero and reportedly killed last September. [...]
The assassination of a Mexican journalist found dead three weeks after he had been kidnapped, has been condemned by the head of the UN cultural agency. Moisés Sánchez Cerezo," was reportedly abducted from his home on 2 January by armed men who took away his computer, camera and mobile phone. Derrick Mbatha reports. Moisés Sánchez [...]
The murder of Japanese citizen Kenji Goto by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorist group has been strongly condemned by the UN. The UN Security Council deplored the "heinous and cowardly" crime in a statement to the press on Sunday. The journalists' death comes despite demands for his immediate release. Jocelyne [...]
