Syria: UN focuses on removal of remaining chemicals
Jun 05, 2014, at 05:21 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): Given that the Jun 30, 2014 deadline for the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme will not be met, the focus now is on the immediate removal of the remaining materials, the head of the Joint Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations (OPCW-UN) said on Wednesday.
UN seeks support for Colombians affected by conflict
Jun 05, 2014, at 05:14 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): Thousands of people are forcibly displaced and hundreds killed every month in Colombia, a senior United Nations humanitarian official on Wednesday said, calling for more support for people affected by five decades of armed conflict and natural disasters in the country.
Somalia: UN urges emergency funding through summer
Jun 05, 2014, at 05:12 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): The United Nations humanitarian chief on Wednesday called for USD 60 million for the next three months to prevent Somalia "from slipping back into a major humanitarian crisis" as it did during the 2011 famine.
China: UN urges release of detained social activists
Jun 04, 2014, at 05:29 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights chief on Tuesday voiced concern about the detention of civil society activists, lawyers and journalists in China ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests, while also stressing the need to establish the facts surrounding what transpired between 3 and 4 June 1989.
UN concerned over destruction as floods strike Afghanistan
Jun 04, 2014, at 05:18 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): New flash floods in northern Afghanistan over the weekend have affected thousands of homes and washed away agricultural land and roads, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Tuesday, noting that the number of people affected by flooding nationwide now stands at 140,000.
Ban praises contributions of Spain to UN
Jun 04, 2014, at 05:09 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Spain's Queen Sofia on Tuesday highlighted the continued need for girls' education, addressing the livelihood challenges faced by today's youth and continuing to combat intolerance, while the United Nations chief also recognized the contributions rendered by King Juan Carlos during his reign.
Pakistan: UN calls for measures to protect religious minorities
Jun 03, 2014, at 04:58 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): Independent United Nations human rights experts on Monday called on Pakistan to adopt urgent measures to stop faith-based killings and ensure the security of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, whose faith is outlawed in the country.
Iraq: UN confirms reports of 2,200 killed, injured in May
Jun 03, 2014, at 04:52 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): Nearly 800 people were killed in Iraq during the month of May, the majority of them civilians, the United Nations mission in the country has confirmed, urging political leaders to form an inclusive government within the constitutionally mandated time frame and to find a sustainable solution to the situation in Anbar.
UN, China open door to carbon financing for herders
May 31, 2014, at 05:30 pm
New York, May 31 (IBNS): The United Nations agricultural agency on Friday announced that with Chinese partners, it has developed a new methodology which relies on soil sampling or computer modeling to measure the impact that restored grasslands have in mitigating climate change, and to help farmers tap into carbon markets.
UN honours blue helmets, seeks adaptive peacekeeping force
May 30, 2014, at 05:47 pm
New York, May 30 (IBNS): Hailing the "long and proud" history of United Nations peacekeeping - with over one million "blue helmets" having served in more than 70 operations on four continents since 1948 - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon led the Organization on Thursday in honouring those men and women who lost their lives in the past year, while looking to the future, envisioning a modern, global force that can effectively tackle emerging peace and security challenges.
UN urges Morocco to expedite pending laws
May 30, 2014, at 05:39 pm
New York, May 30 (IBNS): Morocco has made great strides towards the better promotion and protection of human rights, United Nations High Commissioner Navi Pillay said at the end of her first official visit to the country, but urged officials to approve pending draft laws and more robustly implement and enforce new legislation.
Troop contributions from non-traditional countries on rise: UN
May 30, 2014, at 05:30 pm
New York, May 30 (IBNS): The United Nations keeps the peace in some of the world's most violent places, and increasingly its peacekeepers are from Member States that are first-time contributors to UN peacekeeping operations with military personnel or civilian staff.
Syria blighted by joblessness, desperation: UN
May 29, 2014, at 05:06 pm
New York, May 29 (IBNS): Even as the death toll from Syria's three-year civil war continues to rise, the country's human development has also suffered immense collateral damage - the economy has been gutted, the healthcare system is in ruins, and education facilities are "teetering" - according to a new joint United Nations report out on Wednesday.
Syria: UN to create safeguard observatory of cultural heritage
May 29, 2014, at 05:03 pm
New York, May 29 (IBNS): In hopes of ebbing the 'cultural haemorrhage' in Syria, the United Nations cultural agency on Wednesday announced that it will establish an observatory to monitor and access the state of Syria's cultural heritage which is 'reaching the point of no return.'
Azerbaijan: UN seeks peace to resolve protracted displacement
May 28, 2014, at 05:56 pm
New York, May 28 (IBNS): The United Nations independent expert on the human rights of internally displaced persons ended his official visit to Azerbaijan with an urgent appeal on Tuesday for a peaceful settlement to restore the human rights of some 600,000 people who have been displaced for more than two decades.
UN concerned over lack of consultation on Cambodian laws
May 28, 2014, at 05:48 pm
New York, May 28 (IBNS): The lack of consultative process on three draft laws has set a worrying precedent for future key legislation, according to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Surya P. Subedi.
Syria: UN condemns attack during aid distribution
May 26, 2014, at 04:50 pm
New York, May 26 (IBNS): The United Nations humanitarian chief on Sunday expressed outrage at a deliberate attack on a humanitarian warehouse in the Damascus province of Syria, which occurred as aid workers were preparing to distribute urgently needed supplies to hundreds of families in the besieged city.
Central African children fleeing to Cameroon: UN
May 24, 2014, at 08:21 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): Nearly 30 children - the youngest a baby - died in the past month fleeing violence in the Central African Republic (CAR), the United Nations refugee agency on Friday confirmed, renewing its appeal for USD 22 million in urgently-needed funds to help the growing number of people taking "a journey of starvation and death" in search of safety in Cameroon.
Mali: UN heads north to push for ceasefire
May 24, 2014, at 08:15 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): Deadly clashes between Tuareg rebels and Government forces in northern Mali have sent a "small but growing" number of terrified civilians fleeing southward and into neighbouring countries, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday, while senior UN and African Union officials are in Kidal to push for a ceasefire.
Landslides, disease poses threats in Balkans: UN
May 24, 2014, at 08:10 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): United Nations humanitarian agencies on Friday raised concerns about landslides and possible water-borne diseases from the worst flooding in Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in more than a century, which may have disturbed minefields from the Bosnian war.
South Sudan: UN meets rebel leader to discuss peace efforts
May 24, 2014, at 08:06 pm
New York, May 24 (IBNS): The top United Nations official in South Sudan has met with rebel leader David Yau Yau to discuss peace efforts in Greater Pibor County, Jonglei state, which was once the epicentre of instability in the country.
Somalia nearing danger zone in critical areas: UN
May 23, 2014, at 04:32 pm
New York, May 23 (IBNS): While Somalia has made political, economic and security progress in the last 12 months, the country is approaching a "danger zone" in a number of areas, the top United Nations official warned on Thursday.
World conference to dominate 2014 session on indigenous issues
May 23, 2014, at 04:16 pm
New York, May 23 (IBNS): Calls for the full, equal and effective participation by the world's 370 million indigenous peoples in the upcoming, first-ever World Conference devoted to the realization of their rights gained momentum during a two-week annual forum at United Nations Headquarters.
Syria: UN denounces hardship wrought on Aleppo's residents
May 22, 2014, at 05:36 pm
New York, May 22 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday condemned the "flagrant disregard" for international human rights and humanitarian law - both by the Syrian Government and by some armed groups - that has led to tremendous suffering for civilians in Aleppo.
UN cites worsening human rights situation in Ukraine
May 22, 2014, at 05:19 pm
New York, May 22 (IBNS): The southern and eastern regions of crisis-racked Ukraine are now awash in weapons and the scene of numerous cases of illegal detentions and abductions, a senior United Nations human rights official warned on Wednesday, noting that he had discussed with the parties some rights-based and humanitarian de-escalation measures.
South Sudan: UN calls for protection of aid workers
May 22, 2014, at 05:11 pm
New York, May 22 (IBNS): The United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan on Wednesday demanded unhindered freedom of movement for aid workers after alleged members of South Sudan's security forces assaulted and illegally detained two UN staff.
Ukraine: UN concerned over peoples affected by displacement
May 21, 2014, at 05:52 pm
New York, May 21 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency estimated on Tuesday that 10,000 people, most ethnic Tatars, but also Ukrainians, Russians and mixed families, have fled Crimea and restive eastern Ukraine to other parts of the country, out of fear of insecurity or persecution.
Afghanistan: UN welcomes preliminary results of provincial polls
May 21, 2014, at 05:21 pm
New York, May 21 (IBNS): The top United Nations official in Afghanistan on Tuesday welcomed the release of preliminary results in the country's provincial council election and lauded the "real community engagement" seen in the polls.
UN rallies support for flood-hit Balkan regions
May 20, 2014, at 05:38 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): Deeply concerned by the devastating floods in the Balkans - days of rainfall have reportedly submerged entire villages and triggered landslides across the region - the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator is rallying the international community to provide speedy assistance that can help save lives and put people on the road to recovery.
Libya: UN urges peaceful settlement of differences
May 20, 2014, at 05:14 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): The United Nations mission in Libya on Monday voiced deep concern over the recent violence in the country, and called on all sides to address differences through political means and on authorities to quickly address the lawlessness.