FEATURE SERIES: What is UN peacebuilding and its role in preventing conflicts?
Jul 28, 2016, at 01:26 pm
New York, July 28 (Just Earth News): In conflicts, the United Nations is commonly associated with peacekeeping and UN ‘blue helmets,’ but increasingly the international community’s focus is on “peacebuilding†– the idea of supporting a country throughout all stages of a conflict, including post-conflict recovery and socio-economic development, and on preventing the outbreak of fighting.
Concerned by amended child labour bill in India, UN agency urges stronger legal framework
Jul 28, 2016, at 04:40 am
New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): Voicing concern over the amended Child Labour Bill in India which could legitimize family work and further disadvantage children from poor families, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged the removal of certain provisions and establishing a robust monitoring mechanism with a thorough list of hazardous occupations for a stronger child protection framework.
Yemen: Amid rising tensions in Taiz, senior UN official calls for humanitarian pause
Jul 28, 2016, at 04:39 am
New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): Extremely concerned by reports of rising tensions in Yemen’s Taizz governorate, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the crisis-gripped country has called for a “humanitarian pause†to protect civilians.
Indonesia: UN rights chief urges region's 'most prolific executioner' to end practice
Jul 28, 2016, at 04:35 am
New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): The United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday expressed alarm at reports that up to 14 people face imminent execution in Indonesia, most of them for drug-related offences, calling on the authorities of “the most prolific executioner†in Southeast Asia to immediately reinstate a moratorium on the death penalty.
Syria: UN envoy aims for peace talks to resume in late August
Jul 27, 2016, at 11:47 am
New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): The United Nations envoy mediating a resolution to the five-year crisis in Syria said on Tuesday he aims to convene a new round of intra-Syrian peace talks towards the end of August, and expressed hope that the United States and Russia would make “concrete progress†in order to improve the atmosphere for the resumption of the discussions.
Temperature in Kuwait hits 54 Celsius, sets possible record amid Middle East heatwave – UN
Jul 27, 2016, at 11:44 am
New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a United Nations specialized agency, will set up a committee to examine whether a 54 degrees Celsius temperature recently recorded in Kuwait, has set the new highest temperature for Asia, as well as for the entire Eastern hemisphere.
Afghan civilian casualties hit half-year record, with 5,166 dead or maimed – UN
Jul 26, 2016, at 02:59 am
New York, July 25 (Just Earth News): In the first six months of this year, 5,166 civilians were either killed or maimed in Afghanistan, a half-year record since counting began in 2009, a United Nations report published on Monday shows.
Somalia: UN envoy calls for better protection of children affected by armed conflict
Jul 23, 2016, at 01:47 pm
New York, July 23 (Just Earth News): Concluding a six-day visit to Somalia, a United Nations child rights envoy has called for better protection of children caught up in armed conflict, urging the country's authorities to treat former child soldiers as victims in need of protection rather than as criminals.
Partnerships and coherence vital to development cooperation, UN deputy chief tells Forum
Jul 22, 2016, at 01:42 pm
New York, July 22 (Just Earth News): The United Nations deputy chief on Thursday stressed the importance of partnerships and coherent policy and action in tackling global challenges, including inequalities, conflicts, terrorism and climate change, and achieving the new international development goals.
Children starving in parts of Nigeria held by Boko Haram, UN children’s agency warns
Jul 20, 2016, at 01:19 pm
New York, July 20 (Just Earth News): About a quarter of a million children in Borno state, north-eastern Nigeria, are suffering from severe malnutrition, the United Nations children’s agency on Tuesday announced. Of those, about one in five will die if they do not receive treatment.
On Nelson Mandela Day, UN urges action that inspires change for a better world
Jul 19, 2016, at 12:19 pm
New York, July 19 (Just Earth News): As the world marks Nelson Mandela International Day, United Nations officials and UN Peace Ambassador Stevie Wonder on Monday paid tribute to the South African activist and peacemaker's tireless efforts to end intolerance and injustice, calling on the international community to follow his guiding example in efforts to build a better world for all.
On anniversary of Iran deal, UN calls for implementation of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
Jul 19, 2016, at 12:17 pm
New York, July 19 (Just Earth News): The top United Nations political official on Monday called for implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under which Iran reaffirmed that it would not seek, develop or acquire nuclear weapons.
Jul 16, 2016, at 12:46 pm
New York, July 16 (Just Earth News): The United Nations human rights chief on Friday urged the forces advancing on Aleppo and two other cities in Syria to not harm the hundreds of thousands of civilians surrounded by fighting between the Government forces and the opposition.
Thousands of civilians in Aleppo city at risk, says UN humanitarian wing
Jul 13, 2016, at 02:15 pm
New York, July 12 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Wednesday that the lives of thousands of civilians in the Syrian city of Aleppo are at risk following spread of hostilities and reports of continued aerial bombardment and shelling on civilian locations in both western and eastern parts of the city.
Stand up for and invest in teenage girls, UN says on World Population Day
Jul 12, 2016, at 04:41 am
New York, July 11 (Just Earth News): Leaders and communities must focus on and stand up for the rights of teenage girls, particularly those who are poor, out of school, exploited, or subjected to harmful traditional practices, the United Nations has said, marking World Population Day with a call to bolster the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by investing in better opportunities for teen girls.
As global per-capita fish consumption hits all-time high, UN warns on overharvesting
Jul 08, 2016, at 04:29 am
New York, July 7 (Just Earth News): A new report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that while growth in aquaculture has helped drive global per capita fish consumption above 20 kilograms a year for the first time, almost a third of commercial fish stocks are now overharvested at biologically unsustainable levels.
UN humanitarian coordinator alarmed at deteriorating conditions in besieged Syrian towns
Jul 06, 2016, at 02:04 pm
New York, July 6 (Just Earth News): The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Syria has expressed alarm over reports of deteriorating humanitarian conditions and urgent medical evacuation needs in the towns of Madaya, Foah, Zabadani and Kefraya, where more than 62,000 people are besieged.
Jul 06, 2016, at 02:00 pm
New York, July 6 (Just Earth News): The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative for Haiti, Jean-Luc Poncelet on Tuesday stressed that vaccines along with water chlorination programmes, and longer-term efforts to improve water and the overall health system are vital to fight the prevalence of cholera in the country.
UN and partners warn of growing poverty for Syrian refugees
Jul 06, 2016, at 04:38 am
New York, July 5 (Just Earth News): While significant progress has been made in providing assistance, the number of Syrian refugees living in poverty continues to rise in host countries in the region and access to basic services remains a critical challenge, a new United Nations report warned on Tuesday.
UN rights chief warns of violence re-escalating in Central African Republic
Jul 05, 2016, at 02:41 pm
New York, July 5 (Just Earth News): The United Nations human rights chief on Monday warned that the security and human rights situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) may be starting to deteriorate again, after a series a major incidents in the capital of Bangui and rural areas.
Syria: UN envoy urges ‘well prepared’ peace talks for concrete political transition
Jun 30, 2016, at 12:06 pm
New York, June 30 (Just Earth News):The United Nations envoy mediating a resolution to the crisis in Syria on Wednesday said that the next round of the intra-Syrian talks must be well prepared to ensure the possibility of moving forward with the decisive outcome of a political transition in August.
‘Strong collaboration’ needed to help end violence against children in Viet Nam, says UN envoy
Jun 24, 2016, at 03:16 pm
New York, June 24 (Just Earth News):Concluding a three-day visit to Viet Nam, a United Nations envoy has called on the government, civil society and all stakeholders to take united action to eliminate violence against children.
Latin American labour market policies must be reoriented to address output gaps – UN report
Jun 24, 2016, at 04:53 am
New York, June 23 (Just Earth News): Countries in the Latin America region should carry out a strategic reorientation of their labour market policies in order to increase productivity and address rising unemployment resulting from an economic slowdown, a new report by the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) has urged on Thursday.
South Sudan: Special investigation into Malakal violence completed, says UN
Jun 22, 2016, at 02:23 pm
New York, June 22 (Just Earth News):A United Nations independent high-level board of inquiry has completed a special in-depth investigation into how the UN responded this past February to deadly violence in a protection of civilians site in the town of Malakal, in northern South Sudan.
‘Credibility of international community at risk’ as Syria war grinds on – senior UN officials
Jun 22, 2016, at 02:15 pm
New York, June 22 (Just Earth News):With the conflict in Syria now well into its fifth year, and the country dealing with a grinding crisis that has brought death, displacement and regional instability, the international community must not lose momentum in attaining a comprehensive and concrete political solution, senior United Nations officials emphasized on Tuesday.
Jun 22, 2016, at 02:11 pm
New York, June 22 (Just Earth News):A senior United Nations expert on human rights in Belarus warned on Tuesday that several generations have grown up in the country “with no experience of what the words ‘pluralism,’ ‘labour rights,’ ‘free enterprise,’ ‘free artistic creation’ or ‘free media’ mean in reality.â€
UN agencies warn of alleged rights violations, funding shortfall in embattled Fallujah
Jun 22, 2016, at 04:38 am
New York, June 21 (Just Earth News):Amid ongoing fighting in the embattled Iraqi city of Fallujah, the United Nations human rights office on Tuesday warned of continuing allegations of serious rights violations, as the Organization’s refugee agency reported a funding crunch to meet the immediate needs of the thousands of civilians who continue to flee the area.
Feature: From Lesvos to Berlin – a photographer’s journey reveals the people behind the numbers
Jun 18, 2016, at 12:37 pm
New York, June 18 (Just Earth News):Renowned photographer Giles Duley, who barely survived a 2011 explosion in Afghanistan in which he lost both legs and part of his left arm, now reports for the United Nations refugee agency, and feels that his lasting wounds have allowed him to better connect with people and capture their stories.
Much-needed aid reached some 87,500 people in Syria’s besieged cities, UN reports
Jun 18, 2016, at 04:48 am
New York, June 17 (Just Earth News):Over the past two days, humanitarian convoys have delivered aid to thousands of beneficiaries in several besieged areas of war-torn Syria, including some 50,000 beneficiaries in Afrin, in the country’s north, and an estimated 37,500 residents of Al-Waer, near Homs, according to the United Nations relief wing.
On Day to Combat Desertification, UN calls for action to restore land resources
Jun 18, 2016, at 04:43 am
New York, June 17 (Just Earth News):Nearly 800 million people are chronically undernourished as a direct consequence of land degradation, declining soil, fertility, unsustainable water use, drought and biodiversity loss, requiring long-term solutions to help communities increase resilience to climate change, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared on Friday.