Human rights expert group concludes first visit to South Sudan
Sep 17, 2016, at 01:31 pm
New York, Sept 17 (Just Earth News): Concluding its first visit to South Sudan, a United Nations-mandated human rights mission on Friday expressed deep concern over rights violations and the slow implementation of the August 2015 peace agreement between rival political factions.
Number of South Sudan refugees passes one million – UN
Sep 17, 2016, at 04:03 am
New York, Sept 16 (Just Earth News): As instability and violence persist in the world’s newest country, the number of South Sudanese seeking safety and shelter in neighbouring countries has crossed the one million mark, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday.
Niger: After 4-day visit, senior UN aid official calls for greater global support for displaced
Sep 17, 2016, at 04:01 am
New York, Sept 16 (Just Earth News): Wrapping up a four-day mission in Niger, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Africa’s Sahel region has called on the international community to show increased support for the people of Diffa and the rest of the Lake Chad Basin who have been displaced from their homes amid the violence of Boko Haram’s insurgency.
Ahead of World Peace Day, UN chief says Global Goals are 'building blocks for peace'
Sep 17, 2016, at 03:59 am
New York, Sept 16 (Just Earth News): Ahead of the International Day of Peace, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed that each of the new global Sustainable Development Goals adopted a year ago by 193 countries are the “building blocks†for peace.
Nearly 47 per cent of global population now online – UN report
Sep 16, 2016, at 01:35 pm
New York, Sept 16 (Just Earth News): Even though China and India are now the largest Internet markets on the planet, they are also among the six countries that together account for 55 per cent of the global ‘offline’ population, according to a new report of a United Nations commission.
Belarus: Smooth-looking polls ‘lipstick measures on face of violations,’ says UN rights expert
Sep 16, 2016, at 01:32 pm
New York, Sept 16 (Just Earth News): A United Nations expert on the human rights situation in Belarus said on Thursday that Sunday’s parliamentary elections were no different from all the previous ones because citizens’ right to a free and fair election continued to be abused in the grip of entrenched repressive laws and institutions.
Sep 16, 2016, at 01:30 pm
New York, Sept 16 (Just Earth News): Ahead of a United Nations high-level event on antimicrobial resistance to be held next week, a senior UN health official on Thursday underlined the need for strong commitment from all sectors to address this urgent global threat which has the potential to undermine sustainable development.
Syria: UN says aid convoys unable to reach besieged areas despite US-Russia deal on ceasefire
Sep 16, 2016, at 01:28 pm
New York, Sept 16 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria on Thursday said the ceasefire following last Friday’s Russia-United States agreement is largely holding but that desperately-awaited humanitarian convoys are unable to move due to a delay in getting permits from the Syrian Government.
New UN report reveals millions of refugee children ‘missing out’ on education
Sep 16, 2016, at 01:27 pm
New York, Sept 16 (Just Earth News): In a new report, the United Nations refugee agency said that more than some six million school-age children under its mandate have no school go to and that refugees are five times more likely to be out of school than the global average.
Sep 16, 2016, at 01:26 pm
New York, Sept 16 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called for intensified efforts to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to take the difficult steps required to change the current destructive trajectory of the conflict, which is heading towards a “one-state reality†rather than a peaceful resolution.
Civilian casualties up 66 per cent in eastern Ukraine during summer – UN report
Sep 16, 2016, at 04:08 am
New York, Sept 15 (Just Earth News): A new United Nations report released on Thursday shows a 66 per cent increase in the number of conflict-related civilian casualties in eastern Ukraine and describes the deterioration of the human rights situation there, as a result of escalating hostilities between the Government and non-Government forces from June to August.
Avenues for peace in Afghanistan must be explored with ‘utmost urgency’ – UN envoy
Sep 15, 2016, at 01:28 pm
New York, Sept 15 (Just Earth News): Highlighting the challenges facing Afghanistan due to decades-long violence and instability, the United Nations envoy to the country stressed on Wednesday that avenues for peace there must be explored with utmost urgency and seriousness.
Refugees see mobile connectivity as critical lifeline – new UN report
Sep 15, 2016, at 01:24 pm
New York, Sept 15 (Just Earth News): Many refugees view access to a mobile phone and the Internet as being as critical to their safety and security as food, water and shelter, according to a new report out on Wednesday from the United Nations refugee agency and a technology consulting company.
Inclusive rural transformation requires investment; it will not happen automatically – UN report
Sep 15, 2016, at 04:12 am
New York, Sept 14 (Just Earth News): Economic growth is not enough to save those threatened daily with starvation and governments need to tailor policies and investments to transform rural areas in developing countries if they want to eliminate poverty – those are some of the key findings from a new report by the United Nations rural poverty agency.
Sep 14, 2016, at 01:01 pm
New York, Sept 14 (Just Earth News): Although political space has opened in Libya and there is progress in the fight against terrorism, the political divisions underpinning the North African country’s conflict are deepening, a United Nations envoy warned on Tuesday.
Sep 14, 2016, at 01:00 pm
New York, Sept 14 (Just Earth News): The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday opened its 71st session, with an emphasis on ensuring that implementation of the new global development goals, adopted by its 193 Member States last year, is well underway.
Almost 300,000 migrants and refugees reached Europe over past 8 months – UN partner agency
Sep 14, 2016, at 12:57 pm
New York, Sept 14 (Just Earth News): Close to 300,000 migrants and refugees have reached Europe between the start of this year and mid-September, with most of them entering through Greece and Italy, according to an update from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday.
More has to be done to deliver on European commitments for asylum seekers – UN refugee agency
Sep 14, 2016, at 12:56 pm
New York, Sept 14 (Just Earth News): Highlighting that the number of pledges to relocate asylum-seekers continues to be woefully low and its implementation slow and challenging, the United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday called on European countries to do more to deliver significantly on the commitments they have made.
Sep 14, 2016, at 12:54 pm
New York, Sept 14 (Just Earth News): Addressing the 33rd session of the world body’s Human Rights Council, the United Nations rights chief on Tuesday highlighted the challenges confronting the international community and expressed particular concern over attempts by countries to block human rights scrutiny.
UN humanitarian official "deeply disturbed" by unrelenting attacks on civilians in Yemen
Sep 14, 2016, at 07:49 am
New York, Sept 14 (Just Earth News): The top United Nations humanitarian official in Yemen has voiced apprehension over a series of deadly air strikes on a water well which killed and wounded dozens of people in the country’s centre.
Trade agreements should mainstream human rights – UN expert urges
Sep 14, 2016, at 04:05 am
New York, Sept 13 (Just Earth News): A United Nations independent expert on Tuesday called on States and Parliaments to ensure that all future trade agreements stipulate the primacy of human rights and to align existing treaties with the duty of States to fulfill binding human rights treaties and meet environmental and health goals.
Libya: UN envoy calls for immediate cessation of hostilities in Oil Crescent area
Sep 13, 2016, at 12:52 pm
New York, Sept 13 (Just Earth News): Expressing grave concerns over recent fighting in Libya's Oil Crescent area, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the country and the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Martin Kobler called on military forces that moved into the area to immediately stop fighting and refrain from any further military escalation.
Sep 13, 2016, at 03:56 am
New York, Sept 12 (Just Earth News): Senior United Nations officials, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Guy Ryder on Monday highlighted the importance of South-South Cooperation in their respective messages on the occasion of the UN Day for South-South Cooperation.
DRC: UN mission extracts hundreds from national park on humanitarian grounds
Sep 12, 2016, at 04:45 am
New York, Sept 9 (Just Earth News): Acting on humanitarian grounds and at the request of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations mission in the country has extracted hundreds of individuals, including the former Vice-President of South Sudan, Riek Machar, members of his family and aides, as well as a number civilians from a national park in the DRC.
Security Council urges warring parties in Yemen to resume talks with UN envoy
Sep 09, 2016, at 02:11 pm
New York, Sept 9 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Security Council on Thursday urged the parties to the conflict in Yemen to immediately resume talks with the UN envoy for that country and discuss his proposal for a comprehensive agreement covering both security and political issues.
Improved cereal production expected but staple food prices also rise – UN agricultural agency
Sep 09, 2016, at 02:06 pm
New York, Sept 9 (Just Earth News): Despite a fall in global grain prices and the expectation of improved cereal production, global staple food prices have risen in August, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said on Thursday.
Sep 09, 2016, at 02:05 pm
New York, Sept 9 (Just Earth News): Noting greater vulnerability of the health of migrant populations, including heightened risks of infectious diseases, malnutrition, substance abuse and maternal and neonatal mortality, the United Nations health agency has urged a regional meeting of health officials in south-east Asia for an increased focus on their health needs.
Sep 09, 2016, at 02:04 pm
New York, Sept 9 (Just Earth News): A United Nations envoy continued on Thursday his consultations with Gabon’s political parties and diplomatic community as part of efforts to ease tensions which have arisen since the announcement of results of the country’s presidential election held on 27 August.
South Sudan: UN mission concerned at reports of intimidation of civil society members
Sep 09, 2016, at 04:07 am
New York, Sept 8 (Just Earth News): Expressing concern at reports of harassment and intimidation against some civil society members who met with a United Nations Security Council delegation during the latter's most recent visit to the country, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has stressed that any attempt to suppress fundamental human rights must be condemned in no uncertain terms.
Afghanistan: UN aid chief calls for scaled-up support to one million people on the move
Sep 08, 2016, at 11:35 am
New York, Sept 8 (Just Earth News): Seeking $150 million for aid efforts in Afghanistan, the top United Nations relief official on Wednesday called on the international community to urgently scale up its support for the war-torn country so that it can meet the rising humanitarian needs of more than one million people who are on the move, either internally displaced or returning from neighbouring countries.