Literacy for all must stand at the heart of development agenda: UNESCO chief
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:22 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): Urging governments and partners to join forces for universal literacy as a key component of “the future we want,†the United Nations is emphasizing that literacy is essential to reach the newly-proposed Sustainable Development Goal on promoting inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all.
Close to 8,000 people killed in eastern Ukraine: UN report
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:21 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): Close to 8,000 people have lost their lives in eastern Ukraine since mid-April 2014, according to the latest report by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in the country which was released on Tuesday.
Refugees have to be dealt with as human beings, stresses UN official
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:19 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): Refugees have to be dealt with as human beings, and the broader migrant community, including economic migrants, cannot be dismissed "with a wave of the hand," the top United Nations official dealing with migration said on Tuesday.
UN envoy says it is now time to have 'a real discussion' to end Syrian conflict
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:17 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy on Syria on Tuesday said the images of the drowned Syrian toddler wearing a red shirt and blue shorts lying face down on a Turkish beach should be a wake-up call to the world that "there is no more time for long political processes," and it is now time to have "a real discussion" to end the conflict.
Ten years on, responsibility to protect must be more than words: UN officials
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:15 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): Citing numerous crises around the world, including in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan, United Nations officials on Tuesday stressed that the principle of ‘responsibility to protect’ endorsed by leaders a decade ago must be translated into action and more done to provide real protection for people in dire need.
UN human rights chief deplores continuing civil society crackdown in Azerbaijan
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:13 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): Condemning the recent imprisonment of journalist and human rights activist Khadija Ismayilova, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights voiced his concern on Tuesday over the ongoing targeting and suppression of civil society and independent voices in Azerbaijan.
UN peacekeeping chief announces weapons-free zone in Central African town
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:12 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): The United Nations has established a weapons-free zone in the town of Bambari in the Central African Republic (CAR), the world body’s peacekeeping chief announced on Tuesday at the end of a four-day visit to the country.
Mostly female anti-poaching unit from South Africa wins UN environmental prize
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:11 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): The Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit, a South African ranger group consisting mostly of women, has been named as one of the winners of the top United Nations environmental prize.
Israeli demolition orders boost vulnerability of West Bank Palestinians: UN
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:09 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): A new United Nations report shows that, according to official data released by the Israeli authorities, more than 11,000 demolition orders are currently outstanding in the 60 per cent of the West Bank over which Israel still retains direct control – known as Area C.
UN human rights expert condemns executions of 10 people in Chad
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:06 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): An independent United Nations human rights expert has condemned the recent executions of 10 people in Chad who were suspected of being members of the terrorist group Boko Haram following a swift process that may not have met international standards.
Ban urges immediate de-escalation of tensions after recent attacks in Turkey
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:04 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday condemned the recent attacks against Turkish security personnel that have resulted in dozens of casualties, and urged an immediate de-escalation of tensions.
UN atomic energy chief spotlights sustainable development, Iran nuclear deal
Sep 08, 2015, at 02:35 pm
New York, Sep 8 (IBNS): Supporting the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be a key focus for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in years to come, Director General Yukiya Amano told a meeting of the Agency's Board of Governors in Vienna on Monday, where he also provided an update on the application of nuclear safeguards in Iran, Democratic Republic of Korea and Syria.
UNWFP chief and U2's Bono urge to address hunger needs of people fleeing conflict
Sep 08, 2015, at 02:33 pm
New York, Sep 8 (IBNS): As the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) continues to face challenges in funding its emergency response in Syria, the agency's Executive Director Ertharin Cousin has thanked U2 lead singer and ONE co-founder Bono, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Ireland's Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney for their efforts to give voice and support to the world's hungry poor.
Deforestation slows, 'but we need to do better': UN agriculture chief
Sep 08, 2015, at 02:31 pm
New York, Sep 8 (IBNS): While the world's forests continue to shrink as populations increase and woodlands are converted to agriculture and other uses, over the past 25 years, the rate of net global deforestation has slowed down by more than 50 per cent, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report published on Monday.
After terrorist attack on West Bank, UN envoy urges end to extremist violence
Sep 08, 2015, at 02:30 pm
New York, Sep 8 (IBNS): The United Nations special envoy on the Middle East on Monday expressed deep sadness that Reham Dawabsha has succumb to the wounds she received in a terrorist attack in a West Bank village in late July that also killed her husband and infant son, calling the tragedy "a shocking example of the destructive nature of extremism."
Safeguarding cultural heritage of Syria and Iraq is essential: UN officials
Sep 08, 2015, at 02:28 pm
New York, Sep 8 (IBNS): Denouncing the systematic cultural cleansing afflicting societies in Syria and Iraq as "crimes against all of humanity," United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson and the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, met in Paris on Monday to discuss the destruction of cultural heritage and possible measures to counter the rise of violent extremism.
Ban urges European leaders to 'be voice of those in need of protection'
Sep 07, 2015, at 01:28 pm
New York, Sep 7 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed to European leaders "to be the voice of those in need of protection" and to quickly find a joint approach to the refugee and migration crisis that shares responsibilities equitably, as Germany and Austria continue to welcome thousands of people fleeing their war-torn homelands.
Ukraine: UN agencies call for urgent action to stop spread of polio virus
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:53 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) called on Friday on parents in Ukraine to vaccinate their children following a confirmed polio outbreak in the country.
UN urges Europe to admit 200,000 refugees from Syria, Iraq and other war zones
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:51 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): Declaring that Europe is facing "a moment of truth" with hundreds of thousands of people risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean Sea, the head of the United Nations refugee agency on Friday urged the European Union (EU) to admit up to 200,000 asylum-seekers fleeing conflict zones like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
G20 nations weighed down by weak economic growth and lack of jobs: UN report
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:49 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): In advance of the Group of 20 (G20) meetings taking place this week in Ankara, Turkey, a United Nations-backed inter-agency report has warned that growth among the economies of those countries has slowed considerably over the last three years and unemployment rates remain unacceptably high.
Yemen: UN emergency fund releases $15 million for critical aid operations
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:48 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations humanitarian wing on Friday released an emergency allocation of $15 million to help alleviate the "almost incomprehensible" scale of human suffering in Yemen where a "shocking" four out of every five Yemenis are lacking in such basic items for survival as clean water, food, fuel, and medicines.
UN human rights chief warns Central Africa still 'gripped by fear'
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:46 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): The human rights situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is far better than it was at the height of the conflict in late 2013 and early 2014, but is still a cause of anxiety for both the country's own inhabitants and the United Nations, the world body’s human rights chief said on Friday.
Aid service in need of funds to continue life-saving work in Sudan: UNWFP
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:44 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): A lack of funding in Sudan could have serious repercussions on the ground, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday, warning that the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service, which serves as a vital aid link in the country, needs nearly $10 million to remain operational.
Ban condemns terrorist attack on Yemeni mosque that leaves more than 30 dead
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:43 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the members of the United Nations Security Council on Friday strongly condemned the suicide attack against a mosque in the northern Jarraf district of Sana'a in Yemen.
Celebrities join UNICEF to launch 'World's Largest Lesson' on sustainable development
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:41 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Global Goals campaign on Friday launched the World's Largest Lesson, an initiative to teach children in more than 100 countries about the new Sustainable Development Goals that will be adopted by the UN General Assembly later this month.
Musicians release love song to Earth to inspire action at UN climate conference
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:39 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): Internationally renowned artists have released a song urging world leaders to reach a global agreement during the United Nations climate conference in December to limit the impacts of climate change.
DR Congo humanitarian crisis must not fall off world's radar: UN official
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:06 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): Wrapping up a four-day mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Kyung-wha Kang, called strongly on Friday for creative ways to reignite donor engagement and ensure that one of the world's most protracted crises does not "fall off the humanitarian radar."
We are making progress on Libya political agreement: UN envoy
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:03 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): The United Nations envoy facilitating efforts to restore peace in Libya said on Friday that real progress was being made as the participants wrapped-up the latest round of the political dialogue process, which has been taking place in Geneva.
My children slipped through my fingers, says father of Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi
Sep 04, 2015, at 08:41 pm
Ankara, Sept 4 (IBNS): The father of a toddler, the picture of whose lifeless body has touched hearts of millions of people across the globe, has said his child slipped through his fingers, fallen overboard to the sea and drowned.
Millions of children out of school in Middle East and North Africa: UNICEF report
Sep 04, 2015, at 02:47 pm
New York, Sep 4 (IBNS): More than 13 million – that is the number of children who are prevented from attending school by surging conflict and political upheaval across the Middle East and North Africa, according to a new report released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday.