'Swift, courageous' action needed to stem tide of illegal migration: UNICEF
Apr 22, 2015, at 03:01 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged the international community to commit to “swift, collective and courageous action†and address the surge in illegal migration across the Mediterranean Sea which has resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives.
Security Council: UN chief urges negotiations between Israel and Palestine
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:55 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): The prospects of a two-State solution in the Middle East are getting dimmer with potentially explosive consequences for the entire region, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on Tuesday as he urged the international community to boost efforts at bringing both Israeli and Palestinian delegations back to the negotiating table.
Displaced Iraqis face mounting difficulties as fighting continues
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:53 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday warned about the difficulties facing thousands of Iraqi civilians fleeing violence, including dwindling resources, checkpoints, entry restrictions and security procedures to navigate on their journeys to safety.
Yemen: UN warns of deteriorating health situation amid ongoing fighting
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:49 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): The health situation in Yemen is steadily deteriorating as escalating hostilities impede civilian access to critical health services, according to a spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO).
UN rights official cites Afghanistan’s ‘paradox’ of new opportunities for peace
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:47 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): At the end of a seven-day mission to Afghanistan, a senior United Nations’ human rights official on Tuesday described the “paradoxical situation†in which the country finds itself.
Ban urges ridding the world of chemical weapons ‘once and for all’
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:46 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has reminded the international community on the anniversary of the first use of chemical weapons in a Belgian battlefield 100 years ago on Tuesday and amid allegations of their continued use, the only fitting tribute is to rid the world of these indiscriminate arms “once and for all.â€
Respect for UN flag disappearing: UN relief chief
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:45 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): "Horrific†attack on the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) staff in Somalia, on Monday is a reminder of the dangers many aid workers face on a daily basis, the top UN humanitarian official said on Tuesday, urging that those who perpetrated the attacks be held accountable.
Ban and Ukraine President discuss peace efforts amid ongoing conflict
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:43 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has spoken with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine and continuing international efforts to mediate a peace in the war-torn region, a United Nations spokesperson has confirmed.
UN partnership puts marmalade from Ethiopian village on ‘Eataly’ stores
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:42 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): Who could have imagined that a small group of women farmers from a remote village could get their marmalade made from prickly cactus pears to a major European market like Eataly in Rome?
Bogotá: UN deputy rights chief says ‘peace is the only option’ for Colombia
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:40 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): The road to peace is a complex and winding one, the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday during her visit to Colombia, a country with a “unique opportunity to evolve into a society†where everyone enjoys rights equally and without discrimination.
Maglev train breaks own records at 603 kmph
Apr 22, 2015, at 04:57 am
Tokyo, Apr 21 (IBNS) Fastest passenger train in the world has broken its own speed record by travelling at 603 kmph at a test run.
ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi 'seriously wounded' in Coalition air strike
Apr 22, 2015, at 04:38 am
Baghdad, Apr 21 (IBNS): ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been seriously injured in an air strike, media reports said.
Vanuatu: UNICEF launches birth registration campaign
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:35 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Thousands of children affected by the devastation of last month’s Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu are slated to receive new birth certificates through a United Nations-supported campaign, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Monday.
UN official stresses link between healthy soils, sustainable development
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:34 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): As Global Soil Week began in Berlin on Monday, a United Nations agricultural agency official used his opening address to stress the significance of healthy soils to global food production and the importance of prioritizing soil health in public policy.
UN official stresses link between healthy soils, sustainable development
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:34 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): As Global Soil Week began in Berlin on Monday, a United Nations agricultural agency official used his opening address to stress the significance of healthy soils to global food production and the importance of prioritizing soil health in public policy.
Renewed global development partnership vital to post-2015 agenda: Ban
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:32 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Kicking off a high-level meeting with global financial institutions and development agencies at United Nations Headquarters this morning, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on governments, the business sector and civil society to work closely together to push forward the post-2015 development agenda.
UN chief deplores ‘barbaric’ killing of Ethiopian nationals in Libya
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:31 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned in the strongest terms the killing of a number of Ethiopian nationals in Libya by extremists affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), according to a United Nations spokesperson.
Deputy UN chief says 2015 a ‘critical year’ for world’s indigenous people
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:30 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): With the deadline of a post-2015 development agenda looming on the horizon, 2015 is set to be an important year for the security and prosperity of the world’s indigenous peoples, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson affirmed today in remarks delivered to the opening of the fourteenth session of the Organization’s Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Security Council concerned about situations for refugees in Yarmouk camp
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:28 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council has on Monday expressed deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in Yarmouk refugee camp, located on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Callous EU politics on migrants costing lives: UN rights chief
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:27 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Following the loss of some 700 lives after a boat carrying migrants capsized and sank over the weekend, the UN human rights chief has urged European Union (EU) governments to take a “more sophisticated, more courageous and less callous approach†to coping with the flows of migrants towards Europe.
World Malaria Day: UN officials urge investment in fight against the disease
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:24 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Although more investment and stronger coordination have helped the international community make significant inroads in the global fight against malaria, continued investment for malaria control and elimination targets remains essential for a post-2015 future, top United Nations officials declared on Monday.
UN member States set for talks in New York on tolerance and fostering peace
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:23 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): The United Nations is set to host at its New York Headquarters a meeting bringing together the Organization’s Member States with faith leaders to discuss ways to promote tolerance and reconciliation, as well as to address the challenges of countering radicalization and extremism.
Ban urges changes to aid action as States prepare for World Humanitarian Summit
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:22 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Looking ahead to the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul next year, the United Nations Secretary-General on Monday stressed how news stories were serving to compel the international community into agreeing to align major global commitments to support the world’s most vulnerable people.
UN condemns 'horrific' attack that killed four UNICEF staff in Somalia
Apr 21, 2015, at 03:58 am
New York, Apr 20 (IBNS): The United Nations has strongly condemned this morning's attack on a UN vehicle in north-eastern Somalia, which killed four UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) workers and seriously injured four others when a roadside bomb exploded alongside the minibus in which they were riding.
UN urges robust rescue operations after migrant catastrophe in Mediterranean
Apr 20, 2015, at 01:39 pm
New York, Apr 20 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has expressed shock at the news of the latest boat capsizing in the Mediterranean Sea in which hundreds of people are feared lost, adding that such a catastrophic event provides yet another indication of the need for a “robust†rescue-at-sea mechanism aimed at preventing future tragedies.
Doha: UN conference ends with call for action on crime prevention
Apr 20, 2015, at 01:38 pm
New York, Apr 20 (IBNS): As the 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice ground down to a close on Sunday in Doha, Qatar, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) called on Member States to implement the Doha Declaration and take definitive action on comprehensive crime prevention and criminal justice policies and strategies.
UN humanitarian agencies mobilize assistance amid fighting in Iraq
Apr 20, 2015, at 01:37 pm
New York, Apr 20 (IBNS): The United Nations' humanitarian agencies are rushing support to thousands of Iraqis fleeing a flare-up in hostilities throughout the country's Anbar Governate, the Organization confirmed on Sunday.
Earth Day concert: UN chief says, make global goals a global reality
Apr 20, 2015, at 01:35 pm
New York, Apr 20 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has declared 2015 a year for global action on climate, gender and development issues, warning revellers attending the 2015 edition of the Global Citizen Earth Day concert that there is “no Plan B because there is no Planet B.â€
As Yemen fighting surges, UN issues urgent appeal for country’s civilians
Apr 18, 2015, at 02:38 pm
New York, Apr 18 (IBNS): The United Nations has launched an urgent appeal for over two hundred million dollars to help Yemen’s civilians with critical aid amid the country’s intensifying conflict, the Organization’s humanitarian wing confirmed on Friday.
Dire human rights situation in Ukraine likely to deteriorate further: UN
Apr 18, 2015, at 02:35 pm
New York, Apr 18 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights office said on Friday that it is increasingly worried that the dire situation in parts of the east of Ukraine is likely to deteriorate further due to breaches of the ceasefire and violations of the Minsk Agreement.