UN envoys welcome conviction of Congolese army officer for crimes against humanity
Dec 17, 2014, at 03:07 pm
New York, Dec 17 (IBNS) United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Hawa Bangura welcomed on Tuesday the conviction of a senior army officer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for crimes against humanity, saying the verdict sends a "very clear message to perpetrators of sexual violence in DRC that they cannot hide behind a badge or evade justice with a uniform."
UN Asia-Pacific forum begins registration, statistics partnership to improve data, policies
Dec 17, 2014, at 03:06 pm
New York, Dec 17 (IBNS) The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has announced its involvement in an international partnership to improve civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems in the Asia-Pacific region.
Dec 17, 2014, at 03:05 pm
New York, Dec 17 (IBNS) In the Netherlands, assisting migrants living on the streets is not a matter of charity but rather an obligation of the Government, a group of United Nations human rights experts said on Tuesday as they urged Dutch authorities to immediately provide irregular migrants with "bed, bath and bread".
Pakistan school siege ends: Reports
Dec 17, 2014, at 03:01 am
Peshawar, Dec 16 (IBNS): After a day-long brutality where 132 people, including school children, were killed at the Army Public School and College in Peshawar city by militants, the country's officials have said the siege at the educational institution is over, media reports said.
-1418672200.jpg "Sydney cafe siege: 3 killed, 2 Indian nationals safe")
Sydney cafe siege: 3 killed, 2 Indian nationals safe
Dec 16, 2014, at 06:37 am
Sydney, Dec 15 (IBNS) A 17-hour-long siege at a cafe in Australia's Sydney city came to an end with the death of three people, including the gunman who had held seventeen hostages on Monday, officials said.
-1418659885.jpg "Sydney cafe siege ends")
Dec 16, 2014, at 03:11 am
Sydney, Dec 15 (IBNS) The Australian Police on Monday confirmed that the siege at the Lindt Cafe in Australia's Sydney city has ended.
Gas explosion at NE China coal mine
Dec 15, 2014, at 03:55 am
Harbin, Dec 14 (IBNS) A gas explosion at a coal mine in Jixi City in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has left at least 10 people trapped underground, media reports said on Sunday.
In Peru, Ban commends development advances, says challenges remain
Dec 14, 2014, at 04:05 am
New York, Dec 13 (IBNS) Addressing the Congress of Peru on Friday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that despite impressive development achievements, big challenges remain – to address inequality and insecurity, deepen democracy, improve the quality of education, and protect the rights of all people regardless of gender, ethnicity, culture, religion or sexual orientation.
UN political chief welcomes commitment of Burundi’s Government to dialogue, elections
Dec 14, 2014, at 04:04 am
New York, Dec 13 (IBNS) As Under-Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman wrapped up his visit to Burundi, he met on Friday with President, Pierre Nkurunziza, to discuss issues related to the drawdown of the United Nations Office in Burundi (BNUB), and establishment of the UN Electoral Observation Mission (MENUB).
Israel must curb 'continuous stream' of protest fatalities in Occupied Palestinian Territory-UN
Dec 14, 2014, at 04:02 am
New York, Dec 13 (IBNS) Reports of excessive use of force by Israeli security forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territory have risen sharply, said the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as he urged Israel to take steps to halt this “continuous stream of fatal incidents†and to launch a quick and “utterly transparent†investigation into the matter.
Security Council inaction on Darfur 'can only embolden perpetrators'-ICC prosecutor
Dec 14, 2014, at 03:57 am
New York, Dec 13 (IBNS) The Security Council must rethink its approach to the deteriorating crisis in Darfur and fully pursue those individuals deemed responsible for atrocities, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) told the body on Friday as she firmly criticized its lack of action on crimes committed in the war-torn region.
Central America drought turning into humanitarian crisis, UN warns
Dec 14, 2014, at 03:56 am
New York, Dec 13 (IBNS): A prolonged drought in Central America is turning into a humanitarian crisis for nearly two and a half million people affected by food insecurity in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Friday.
Year of conflict in South Sudan has stolen future of a generation of children-UNICEF
Dec 14, 2014, at 03:54 am
New York, Dec 13 (IBNS) The scale of the crisis facing children in South Sudan is “staggering†according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which warned on Friday that the future of an entire generation of the country’s children was being “stolen†by the year-long conflict.
Sudan: UN rights office laments crackdown on rights activists
Dec 14, 2014, at 03:53 am
New York, Dec 13 (IBNS) The United Nations human rights office expressed deep concern on Fridayover a spate of detentions and prosecutions in Sudan which, it said, appeared aimed at “silencing political opposition and criticism†of the governing political party.
Security Council welcomes talks between leaders of Sudan, South Sudan
Dec 14, 2014, at 03:03 am
New York, Dec 12 (IBNS) Welcoming recent talks between Presidents of Sudan and South Sudan, the United Nations Security Council on Thursday called on both governments to hold a high-level security meeting as soon as possible and urged all parties to refrain from violence against civilians and to expedite humanitarian access for the timely delivery of aid to all civilians in need of assistance.
Middle East: UN-backed reconstruction efforts continue in Gaza amid ‘dire’ conditions
Dec 14, 2014, at 03:02 am
New York, Dec 12 (IBNS) Reconstruction efforts in Gaza are continuing as thousands of people will soon have access to building materials for urgent repairs to their homes following last summer’s conflict in the war-ravaged enclave, the United Nations special envoy in the region has announced.
UN launches new tool to help to stop atrocity crimes 'before tensions escalate'
Dec 14, 2014, at 03:00 am
New York, Dec 12 (IBNS): With much more needing to be done to prevent crises and protect populations at risk of genocide, the Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes offered a route to reaching that vitally important goal, the Deputy-Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said on Thursday at the tool’s official launch.
'The more we delay, the more we will pay,' says Ban, urginig action on climate
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:59 am
New York, Dec 12 (IBNS): The more action that is taken on Thursday on climate change, the more likely countries will push for stronger agreements on Friday, United Nations Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon told a high-level meeting on Thursday at the UN Climate Change Conference, known also as the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 20).
UN agency reports record cereal crop as Ebola, conflict threaten food security
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:58 am
New York, Dec 12 (IBNS): Despite world cereal production likely to reach an all-time record of more than 2.5 billion tonnes in 2014, a total of 38 countries are at risk of food insecurity, including 29 in Africa, with food insecurity worsening in several countries due to civil conflicts, adverse weather and the Ebola outbreak, according to a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report released on Thursday.
As Sahel faces mounting threats, UN envoy urges Security Council to remain engaged in region
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:57 am
New York, Dec 12 (IBNS):Amid a proliferation of militant groups and “disquieting†levels of food insecurity, the situation in the Sahel has become increasingly fragile, a United Nations special envoy told the Security Council on Thursday, as she urged the international community to ramp up its efforts towards helping the diverse and troubled region.
Iran: UN atomic agency chief appeals for funds to extend monitoring mission until June 2015
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:56 am
New York, Dec 12 (IBNS): The United Nations atomic agency has made an appeal on Thursday for 4.6 million euros so that it can continue to undertake its monitoring and verification activities in Iran until June 2015 under the Joint Plan of Action with Iran agreed to by China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States last December.
UN envoy says international patience ‘wearing thin’ with warring parties in South Sudan
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:55 am
New York, Dec 12 (IBNS): Leaders on both sides of the conflict in South Sudan must inject “a new sense of urgency†into the peace process in order to reach a comprehensive peace agreement as soon as possible, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General said during a press conference in Juba on Thursday.
After CIA torture revelations, US must now recover moral high ground-UN expert
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:53 am
New York, Dec 12 (IBNS): The United States' use of torture when interrogating prisoners captured in its “War on Terror†has damaged the country's moral high ground and created a set-back in the global fight against the condemnable practice, a United Nations human rights expert has declared.
Amid warm welcome by PM Modi, President Putin visits India
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:41 am
New Delhi, Dec 11 (IBNS): Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Delhi on Wednesday night for a 22-hour visit.
Security Council condemns actions of LRA in Central Africa, demands end to all attacks
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:28 am
New York, Dec 11 (IBNS): The Security Council on Wednesdayexpressed its concern at the grave security situation in parts of Central Africa, particularly the ongoing crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) and its regional impact, the continuing threat of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), and the expansion of Boko Haram terrorist activities into countries in the sub-region.
Somalia: Security Council calls for unity amid political crisis
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:27 am
New York, Dec 11 (IBNS)The United Nations Security Council announced on Wednesdaythat it has taken note of a recent parliamentary vote of “no confidence†resulting in the political ouster of Somalia’s Prime Minister amid a surge of political instability and extremist violence in the East African country.
Spotlighting racism, stigma, UN launches International Decade of People of African Descent
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:26 am
New York, Dec 11 (IBNS) People of African descent still face racism in every country, region and continent of the world, said United Nations General Assembly President Sam Kutesa as the word body on Wednesdaykicked off its International Decade of People of African Descent.
On Human Rights Day, UN official calls for Member States to 'stamp out torture'
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:25 am
New York, Dec 11 (IBNS) Governments must ramp up their efforts in eradicating the practice of torture and compensate the victims of this “most vicious of crimes,†the top United Nations human rights official has urged, as he marked the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention against Torture.
Central African Republic: UN mission captures rebel leader
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:23 am
New York, Dec 11 (IBNS) The Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has announced on Wednesdaythe arrest of Chadian rebel leader and former CAR official, Mahamat Abdul Kadre.
Ban 'deeply saddened' by death of Ziad Abu Ein, urges Israel to investigate
Dec 14, 2014, at 02:17 am
New York, Dec 11 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesdaythat he is “deeply saddened†by the death of Palestinian Minister Ziad Abu Ein, which occurred after a demonstration near Ramallah that resulted in clashes with Israeli security forces.