Trial of Gaddafi regime a 'missed opportunity for justice' – UN human rights chief
Feb 22, 2017, at 02:57 pm
New York, Feb 22 (Just Earth News): Pointing out that the recent trial in Libya of members of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's regime fell short of international fair-trial standards, the United Nations human rights wing and the UN mission in the North African country called on authorities to address flaws identified in a new report.
Multilingual education is 'absolutely essential,' UNESCO chief says on Mother Language Day
Feb 22, 2017, at 02:56 pm
New York, Feb 22 (Just Earth News): Learning languages is a promise of peace, innovation and creativity, and will contribute to the achievement of global development goals, the head of the United Nations agency for culture and education has said, marking International Mother Language Day.
UN refugee agency focuses on sheltering displaced as Iraqi offensive moves to west Mosul
Feb 22, 2017, at 07:47 am
New York, Feb 22 (Just Earth News): The United Nations refugee agency is focusing efforts on camp construction in and around the Iraqi city of Mosul, where renewed fighting could displace up to 250,000 people.
'Time running out' for 1.4 million children in 'man-made' crises in Africa, Yemen – UNICEF
Feb 22, 2017, at 07:46 am
New York, Feb 22 (Just Earth News): Almost 1.4 million children are at imminent risk of death due to severe acute malnutrition this year, as famine threatens in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, warned the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), urging prompt action to save them.
Feb 22, 2017, at 07:44 am
New York, Feb 22 (Just Earth News): The complex crisis in Yemen continues to deepen, with United Nations agencies reporting on Tuesday that perhaps one million people who had fled for safety are returning to their homes mainly due to a lack of access to income and basic services in the areas of displacement, warning that returnees often find the situation just as bad.
'Time lost means lives lost,' warns UN aid chief, releasing funds to tackle drought in Ethiopia
Feb 22, 2017, at 07:39 am
New York, Feb 22 (Just Earth News): The top United Nations humanitarian official on Tuesday released $18.5 million from the organization's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to enable critical aid for more than 785,000 people suffering from hunger, malnutrition and severe water shortages in Ethiopia's Somali region – the worst drought-stricken part of the country.
At Security Council, UN chief Guterres highlights global significance of a peaceful Europe
Feb 22, 2017, at 07:38 am
New York, Feb 22 (Just Earth News): Noting that recent crises in Europe show that the continent remains at risk from new outbreaks of conflict, United Nations Secretary-General called for reinforcing mutual trust and respect to strengthen stability and cooperation both within Europe and beyond.
'We cannot give up the fight' to end child recruitment, says UNICEF chief
Feb 22, 2017, at 07:35 am
New York, Feb 22 (Just Earth News): Even though over the past 10 years, more than 65,000 children have been released from armed forces and armed groups, tens of thousands of boys and girls under the age of 18 continue to be used in conflicts around the world, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
Five feared dead as plane crashes into shopping mall in Melbourne
Feb 21, 2017, at 06:18 pm
Melbourne, Feb 21 (IBNS): Five people, including the pilot, are feared dead after a charter plane crashed into a shopping outlet on Tuesday in Melbourne, Australia, according to media reports.
DR Congo: UN rights chief calls on Government to halt violence by security forces
Feb 21, 2017, at 02:23 pm
New York, Feb 21 (Just Earth News): The United Nations human rights chief on Monday called on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to take immediate steps to halt widespread human rights violations, including apparent summary executions, by the country's armed forces.
UN Security Council condemns latest terrorist attack in Mogadishu
Feb 21, 2017, at 02:22 pm
New York, Feb 21 (Just Earth News): Strongly condemning the latest deadly terrorist attack in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, the United Nations Security Council on Monday reiterated that its determination to support peace, security and development in the long-troubled country would not be swayed by this, or any other such attack.
Long-time Russian Ambassador to UN, Vitaly Churkin, dies suddenly in New York
Feb 21, 2017, at 02:21 pm
New York, Feb 21 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly on Monday mourned the passing of the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, who died suddenly this morning in New York.
Critical food aid shortages hit Africa's refugees hard, UN warns
Feb 21, 2017, at 07:11 am
New York, Feb 21 (Just Earth News): Across Africa, some two million refugees are facing critical shortages in food assistance, the United Nations warned on Monday.
'Historic' day as last FARC-EP members gather to turn in arms – UN mission in Colombia
Feb 21, 2017, at 07:10 am
New York, Feb 21 (Just Earth News): About 300 members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) on Monday arrived in central Colombia's Agua Bonita zone, bringing the number to close to 6,900, to lay down their arms under United Nations verification, and to begin a transition to social, economic and political life, the UN Mission in the country said on Monday.
Amid global paradox, solutions that unify economic and social progress needed – UN labour chief
Feb 21, 2017, at 07:08 am
New York, Feb 21 (Just Earth News): Highlighting that many around the world are left out from being able to benefit from global prosperity dividends and that even flourishing societies are seeing inequalities widen, the head of the United Nations labour agency on Monday called for solutions that can bring economic growth combined with social progress.
Famine declared in region of South Sudan – UN
Feb 21, 2017, at 07:07 am
New York, Feb 21 (Just Earth News): Famine has been formally declared in parts of South Sudan, the United Nations said on Monday, warning that war and a collapsing economy have left some 100,000 people facing starvation there and a further 1 million people are classified as being on the brink of famine.
Cambodian Parliament amends law to stop anyone convicted from running for office
Feb 20, 2017, at 09:42 pm
Phnom Penh, Feb 20 (IBNS): The Cambodian Parliament on Monday amended a law to stop anyone convicted of offense from running for office, according to media reports.
At least 39 killed, 50 injured in Mogadishu car blast
Feb 20, 2017, at 05:20 pm
Mogadishu, Feb 20 (IBNS) : At least 39 people were killed and more than 50 injured when a car bomb exploded near a busy market in the Somali capital Mogadishu, Aljazeera reported.
UN, international organizations condemn attacks on civilians in parts of Central African Republic
Feb 20, 2017, at 02:10 pm
New York, Feb 20 (Just Earth News): Voicing deep concern over the security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), in particular in the Ouaka and Hautte-Kotto prefectures, the United Nations together with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the African Union (AU), the Organization of La Francophonie (IOF) and the European Union (EU) have condemned the acts of violence by armed groups that have exasperated an already alarming humanitarian situation.
Attack in Somali capital a reminder of extremists' indifference towards human life – UN envoy
Feb 20, 2017, at 02:09 pm
New York, Feb 20 (Just Earth News): Strongly condemning on Sunday's terrorist attack at a marketplace in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, which reportedly killed at least 25 people and injured dozens more, the United Nations envoy in the country stressed that incident is a brutal reminder of the retrograde tactics employed by violent extremists.
Feb 20, 2017, at 05:30 am
New York, Feb 20 (Just Earth News): With military operations to retake western Mosul starting, United Nations humanitarian agencies in Iraq are rushing to prepare for the humanitarian impact of the fighting amid grave concerns that tens of thousands of families are at extreme risks.
Feb 19, 2017, at 08:14 am
New York, Feb 19 (Just Earth News): Highlighting the complex and interlinked challenges confronting the global community that also compound the suffering of the most vulnerable, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for a boost in preventive diplomacy and mediation efforts, as well as for a strategy to address root causes of such conflicts in the world.
Venezuela again delays withdrawal of 100 bolivar notes
Feb 18, 2017, at 09:15 pm
Caracas, Feb 18 (IBNS): Venezuela, for the second time, decided to delay the withdrawal of its 100 bolivar banknotes from circulation, according to media reports on Saturday.
A decade on, UN urges all Governments to endorse convention on enforced disappearance
Feb 18, 2017, at 05:44 pm
New York, Feb 18 (Just Earth News): Marking the tenth anniversary of an historic treaty to keep people from suffering enforced disappearance or secret detentions, the United Nations on Friday urged all Governments that have not done so to ratify it, as the world body honoured victims separated from their loved ones.
Atrocities will end in South Sudan only when perpetrators 'face consequences' – UN rights official
Feb 18, 2017, at 05:42 pm
New York, Feb 18 (Just Earth News): A senior United Nations human rights official on Friday called for holding accountable those committing atrocity crimes in conflict-torn South Sudan.
Central African Republic: UN mission reinforces presence in restive Bambari
Feb 18, 2017, at 05:34 pm
New York, Feb 18 (Just Earth News): Amid ongoing rebel activity in and around Bambari in strife-torn Central African Republic, the United Nations mission – known as MINUSCA – said on Friday that it has reinforced its presence in the city with the arrival of additional troops, including a quick reaction unit and Special Forces.
One million Ukrainian children now need aid as number doubles over past year – UNICEF
Feb 18, 2017, at 05:29 pm
New York, Feb 18 (Just Earth News): As the volatile conflict in eastern Ukraine enters its fourth year, one million children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance – nearly double the number this time last year, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported on Friday.
Feb 18, 2017, at 05:23 pm
New York, Feb 18 (Just Earth News): Despite progress in the realization of children’s rights, as set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which entered into force on 2 September 1990, too many commitments remain unfulfilled. This is particularly true for children deprived of liberty, who often remain invisible and forgotten.
'No time to lose' as humanitarian catastrophe looms in Somalia – UN agencies
Feb 18, 2017, at 05:22 pm
New York, Feb 18 (Just Earth News): Amid worsening of an already devastating drought in Somalia, United Nations agencies have underlined that only a massive and immediate scale-up of humanitarian assistance can help the country avoid falling into another catastrophe.
Global heat melts Arctic and Antarctic sea ice to record lows – UN agency
Feb 18, 2017, at 05:15 pm
New York, Feb 18 (Just Earth News): It should be winter on the Arctic pole – the northern most point in the world – but the equivalent of heatwaves have passed over the region this season melting the sea ice volume to a record low in January, the United Nations meteorological agency said.