UN Human Rights Council discusses situations in DR Congo, Libya, Ukraine and Burundi
Sep 28, 2016, at 01:14 pm
New York, Sept 28 (Just Earth News): At interactive dialogues on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Libya Ukraine, and Burundi, senior UN human rights officials and independent experts on Tuesday urged the governments to take immediate steps to ensure protection of human rights in their respective countries.
Accessible tourism will benefit everyone, say senior UN officials on World Day
Sep 28, 2016, at 01:13 pm
New York, Sept 28 (Just Earth News): Noting the obstacles that persons with disabilities or those with other access requirements face in taking advantage of fundamental aspects of travel, senior United Nations officials on Tuesday urged policy-makers, travel planners and companies that work with persons with disabilities to work together to make travel more accessible.
Repealing anti-abortion laws would save the lives of nearly 50,000 women a year – UN experts
Sep 28, 2016, at 01:11 pm
New York, Sept 28 (Just Earth News): Warning that unsafe abortions kill nearly 50,000 women each year, United Nations human rights experts on Tuesday called on States across the world to repeal restrictive abortion laws and policies, and all punitive measures and discriminatory barriers to access safe reproductive health services.
Latest Somali election delay raises risks of manipulation, more delays – senior UN official
Sep 28, 2016, at 01:09 pm
New York, Sept 28 (Just Earth News): A new delay in Somalia’s elections is a matter of “immediate concern,†raising fears that the process is being politically manipulated and that the latest postponement may only be one of yet further rolling delays, the top United Nations official in the long-troubled East African country warned on Tuesday.
Mali: UN food relief agency warns funding gap may jeopardize school meals programme
Sep 28, 2016, at 01:09 pm
New York, Sept 28 (Just Earth News): The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Tuesday cautioned that unless it receives $3 million in urgent funding, it will have to suspend its school meals programme in Mali, affecting nearly 180,000 children in about 1,000 schools.
Vast majority of world – 6.76 billion people – living with excessive air pollution – UN report
Sep 28, 2016, at 01:08 pm
New York, Sept 28 (Just Earth News): With some 6.5 million people dying annually from air pollution and 92 per cent of the world’s population living in places where levels exceed recommended limits, the United Nations on Tuesday rolled out its most detailed profile of the scourge ever in a bid to slash the deadly toll.
ICC finds Malian extremist guilty of war crime in destroying historic sites in Timbuktu
Sep 28, 2016, at 01:07 pm
New York, Sept 28 (Just Earth News): The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday found a Malian Islamist accused of destroying historical and religious monuments in the fabled city of Timbuktu guilty in the first-ever prosecution of the destruction of cultural heritage as a war crime.
UN humanitarian wing condemns attacks on relief workers in Central African Republic
Sep 28, 2016, at 01:06 pm
New York, Sept 28 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has condemned ‘in the strongest terms’ recent attacks involving humanitarian workers in the northern town of Kaga Bandoro located in the Nana Gribizi prefecture of the Central African Republic (CAR).
UNESCO chief condemns killing of Mexican community radio host
Sep 28, 2016, at 12:20 pm
New York, Sept 28 (Just Earth News): The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom on Tuesday expressed indignation at the killing of community radio host Agustin Pavia Pavia in the Mexican state of Oaxaca on 13 September.
Clinton-Trump face-off: Charges and retaliations take centre stage at first debate
Sep 27, 2016, at 09:20 pm
New York, Sep 27 (IBNS): The first Presidential election debate between the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and the Republican nominee Donald Trump found both sides in a virtual war of words, which was not quite unexpected, according to media reports.
NATO Secretary General to attend the informal meeting of the European Union Defence Ministers
Sep 27, 2016, at 06:28 pm
Brussels, Sept 27 (IBNS): NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will participate in the informal meeting of the European Union Defence Ministers in Bratislava on Tuesday, Sept 27, 2016, an official release stated.
UN highlights agriculture's potential to help address climate change and antimicrobial resistance
Sep 27, 2016, at 02:07 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): The role of agriculture should go beyond just generating food to help address global challenges such as climate change and antimicrobial resistance, the head of United Nations agriculture agency stressed on Monday.
UNESCO chief condemns murder of Jordanian writer
Sep 27, 2016, at 02:06 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom on Monday expressed indignation at the killing of Jordanian writer Nahed Hattar.
UNESCO unveils video on comprehensive sexuality education for young people
Sep 27, 2016, at 02:05 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): The United Nations cultural agency on Monday released a new video that outlines how comprehensive sexuality education helps young people develop the knowledge and skills to make conscious, healthy and responsible choices about relationships and sexuality.
World leaders spotlight 2030 Agenda, climate action at UN General Assembly’s annual debate
Sep 27, 2016, at 02:04 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): Speaking on behalf of Peter Thomson, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, one of the 193-member body’s Vice-Presidents, Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Ambassador of Nepal, said he was encouraged by the fact that many UN Member States have already embedded the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their national plans and policies.
Togo, at UN, calls for enhancing efforts of small countries to combat spread of terrorism
Sep 27, 2016, at 02:02 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): Addressing the General Assembly on Monday, Kokou Kpayedo, the Permanent Representative of Togo to the United Nations, reiterated his country’s voluntary commitment in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and stressed that enhanced cooperation in responding to security threats and ensuring reform of the Security Council are needed to secure their wide implementation.
Syria: Joint UN-Red Crescent relief convoy reaches besieged cities for first time in five months
Sep 27, 2016, at 02:01 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): The United Nations and Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) have delivered life-saving food aid to 60,000 people under siege in four Syrian towns, their first supplies since April, but extreme concern persists for 250,000 people trapped in Aleppo, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) reported on Monday.
Sep 27, 2016, at 02:00 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): There is a feeling among people on Monday that the world is not “developing within the framework of rational order and common sense†as conflicts and an increasing number of transnational conflicts give rise to a feeling of chaos, the Deputy Vice Minister of Belarus told delegations in the United Nations on Monday adding that such chaos exists side by side with unprecedented interconnectedness and technological progress.
As Colombians bid farewell to ‘decades of flames,’ Ban pledges UN support to historic peace deal
Sep 27, 2016, at 01:59 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News):Colombians are “bidding farewell to decades of flames and sending up a bright flare of hope that illuminates the world,†United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday in Cartagena, welcoming the signing by the Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army (FARC-EP) of a peace deal ending more than 50 years of conflict.
In General Assembly, Denmark calls for greater UN efficiency and transparency
Sep 27, 2016, at 01:58 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): Confronting the daunting challenges that face the world, the United Nations must improve its performance to transform its ambitious agendas on sustainable development and climate change into “real change†that benefits all people, Denmark told the General Assembly on Monday.
Caribbean leaders, at UN Assembly, decry new financial rules; stress UN role in development
Sep 27, 2016, at 01:54 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): Declaring that Caribbean countries are being treated “as if they are hell on earth†due to new financial rules against tax havens, Bahamian Foreign Minister Frederick Mitchell mounted the podium of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday to denounce the “immoral†withdrawal of normal banking services that inflict hardship on ordinary citizens.
Onus is on ‘us’ to ensure implementation of 2030 Agenda, Tanzanian Minister tells UN
Sep 27, 2016, at 01:53 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): Highlighting at the United Nations on Monday his country’s initiatives to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation of Tanzania emphasized the importance of collective efforts at local, national and international levels to achieve the goals in a timely manner.
Palau has already made the choice for a better future, Permanent Representative tells UN debate
Sep 27, 2016, at 01:46 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): Addressing the General Assembly, Palau’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations underlined on Monday the urgency of addressing challenges such as threats from climate change, global conflict, issues of migrants and refugees, violent extremism, antimicrobial resistance and nuclear weapons.
Sep 27, 2016, at 01:45 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, two small island nations in Africa on Monday stressed that among the many challenges they face, harnessing the transformative power of the seas and building the ocean-based economy is of fundamental importance for their countries’ survival and sustainable growth.
UN-backed programme found to improve working conditions in global garment factories
Sep 27, 2016, at 01:43 pm
New York, Sept 27 (Just Earth News): A new study has found that a United Nations-backed programme aiming to promote competitiveness and improve the working conditions of more than one million workers in garment factories across seven developing countries has shown significant gains in both quality of life for workers and profitability for businesses.
On International Day, UN renews call for global elimination of nuclear weapons
Sep 27, 2016, at 04:41 am
New York, Sept 26 (Just Earth News): The world faces growing nuclear dangers and tensions, yet progress in multilateral nuclear disarmament has come to a “standstill,†United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared on Monday, reiterating a call for complete global nuclear disarmament as the international community marks the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
At UN, Gulf State Ministers stress importance of ‘good neighbourliness’ in Middle East
Sep 27, 2016, at 04:38 am
New York, Sept 26 (Just Earth News): Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, the Foreign Ministers of Bahrain and Oman on Monday expressed concerns about instability in the Middle East region, citing the links between peace and development, and emphasizing the importance of being good neighbours to each other.
Sep 27, 2016, at 04:36 am
New York, Sept 26 (Just Earth News): Telling the United Nations General Assembly that over the 25 years of Eritrea’s independence it has faced a “concerted onslaught†of difficulties – incessant hostility, occupation, and sanctions – the country’s Foreign Minister on Monday said that resilient Eritrea and Eritreans, at home and abroad, were nevertheless able to fend off the attacks on their nation and protect their hard-won freedom.
UN vital for survival of small States in volatile world, Singapore tells General Assembly
Sep 27, 2016, at 04:35 am
New York, Sept 26 (Just Earth News): In a world of increased uncertainty and volatility, with sluggish growth, growing xenophobia and rising nationalism and protectionism, the United Nations is essential for the survival and prosperity of small states, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told the General Assembly on Monday.
Prince William and Kate to tour the Central Coast region
Sep 27, 2016, at 04:32 am
Bella Bella, B.C., Sept 26 (IBNS): Prince William and his wife Kate will be enjoying the natural beauty and indigenous culture of British Columbia on Monday, as they tour down the pristine rainforest in the Central Coast region.