Youth 2015: UN forum to shape future development agenda
Jun 03, 2014, at 04:57 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): Young people from more than 1,000 youth organizations have gathered on Monday at United Nations Headquarters to add their voices to the ongoing discussion about a new global agenda that will succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
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 envoy in South Sudan to step down after three years
May 31, 2014, at 05:45 pm
New York, May 31 (IBNS): The top United Nations envoy in South Sudan announced on Friday that she is stepping down from her post in July after leading the world body's efforts in the country for nearly three years.
CAR: UNSC condemns latest wave of violence
May 31, 2014, at 05:43 pm
New York, May 31 (IBNS): Strongly condemning the latest wave of fighting in the Central African Republic, including Wednesday's deadly attack in the capital, Bangui, on a church that was sheltering thousands of people, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday demanded that all armed groups put aside their weapons and take immediate steps "to end the cycle of violence and retaliation."
Toronto: Ban urges investment on health of women, children
May 31, 2014, at 05:41 pm
New York, May 31 (IBNS): Despite major global progress in improving the health of children and their mothers, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged participants at a summit in Toronto to show the leadership, build the key partnerships, generate the financing and devise the creative solutions needed to deliver a world of health, safety and possibility for every woman and every child.
UN warns of failure to refer Syria to international court
May 31, 2014, at 05:39 pm
New York, May 31 (IBNS): A group of independent United Nations human rights experts on Friday emphasized that the United Nations Security Council's inability to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) leaves the door wide open for new atrocities in the ongoing conflict.
UN advocates for higher tobacco taxes to save millions
May 31, 2014, at 05:32 pm
New York, May 31 (IBNS): Ahead of World No Tobacco Day, the United Nations health agency is calling on countries to raise taxes on tobacco to encourage users to stop and prevent other people from becoming addicted to tobacco.
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.
UNSC condemns attack at Jewish Museum in Brussels
May 30, 2014, at 05:43 pm
New York, May 30 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has condemned "in the strongest terms" the recent terrorist attack against the Jewish Museum in Brussels, which resulted in loss of life and injuries and may have had a possible anti-Semitic motivation behind it.
Ban condoles death of celebrated African-American poet
May 30, 2014, at 05:41 pm
New York, May 30 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon mourned the death of celebrated African-American poet and author Maya Angelou, saying the United Nations owed her a particular debt of gratitude for the moving poem she wrote for the world body's 50th anniversary.
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.
CAR: Ban deplores recent attacks, urges end to violence
May 30, 2014, at 05:36 pm
New York, May 30 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday strongly condemned the recent attacks in the Central African Republic (CAR) and encouraged the country's Transitional Authority to do everything within its means to prevent further violence and to hold the perpetrators to account.
UNSC extends missions in Abyei, Guinea-Bissau, Somalia
May 30, 2014, at 05:33 pm
New York, May 30 (IBNS): The UN Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday extended the United Nations peacekeeping force in Abyei - an area contested by Sudan and South Sudan - as well as the missions assisting Guinea-Bissau and Somalia with their efforts to advance stability, security and development.
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.
UN welcomes African campaign to end child marriage
May 30, 2014, at 05:27 pm
New York, May 30 (IBNS): Two United Nations agencies on Thursday welcomed the first campaign by the African Union to end child marriage, a practice that robs over 17 million girls - 1 in 3 - across the continent of their youth.
Lebanon: UNSC urges election amid presidential vacuum
May 30, 2014, at 05:21 pm
New York, May 30 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday voiced its disappointment and concern that the election for a new Lebanese President has not taken place within the constitutional timeframe.
UN concerned over ignored aid access in Syria
May 30, 2014, at 05:17 pm
New York, May 30 (IBNS): Three months after the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution aiming to boost humanitarian aid access in Syria, a senior United Nations official is once again appealing for rapid, unhindered and safe access to besieged Syrians.
UN urges partners to break silence on open defecation
May 29, 2014, at 05:10 pm
New York, May 29 (IBNS): It is time to talk about open defecation, the United Nations declared on Wednesday, launching a new campaign to end the practice and improve access to toilets and latrines for the 2.5 billion people worldwide without basic sanitation.
UNESCO concerned by killing of news editor in Libya
May 29, 2014, at 05:08 pm
New York, May 29 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom on Wednesday voiced deep concern over the killing of newspaper editor Meftah Bouzid in Libya earlier this week.
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.'
UNSC concerned over deadly fighting in eastern Ukraine
May 29, 2014, at 04:58 pm
New York, May 29 (IBNS): In the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) first meeting on Ukraine since the presidential election there, United Nations political chief Jeffrey Feltman said violence in the country's east has dramatically increased and reiterated Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's call on President-elect Petro Poroshenko to steer the country away from instability.
UN concerned over South Sudanese people fleeing fighting
May 28, 2014, at 06:20 pm
New York, May 28 (IBNS): Some 70,000 more people have fled their homes in South Sudan since a May 9 agreement was signed to end the fighting that has ravaged the world's youngest nation for over six months, the United Nations refugee agency said on Tuesday.
UN convenes major event on sustainable cities
May 28, 2014, at 06:18 pm
New York, May 28 (IBNS): With 6.3 billion people expected to live in urban areas by 2050, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Tuesday kicked off a three-day event to look at challenges and opportunities for the sustainable future of cities.
UN urges protections for Sri Lankans migrating for work
May 28, 2014, at 06:16 pm
New York, May 28 (IBNS): A United Nations human rights expert called on Tuesday on the Government of Sri Lanka to increase its attention and efforts to prevent exploitation of its nationals working abroad, including by shoring up protections at all levels.
UN agencies scale up relief measures in Mali
May 28, 2014, at 06:09 pm
New York, May 28 (IBNS): A ceasefire agreed between the Government and three rebel groups in restive northern Mali appears to be holding, the United Nations reported on Tuesday, warning however that recent deadly violence in the flashpoint city of Kidal has displaced some 4,000 people who now desperately need food, water and other necessities.
UN calls for resolution of Somalia political crisis
May 28, 2014, at 06:02 pm
New York, May 28 (IBNS): The United Nations, the European Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Tuesday issued a joint appeal for a resolution of the political crisis in Somalia, adding that they stand ready to hold to account anyone who poses an obstacle to progress in the Horn of Africa nation.
Ban welcomes peaceful polls in Ukraine
May 28, 2014, at 05:59 pm
New York, May 28 (IBNS): While welcoming the 'generally peaceful' nature of Ukraine's weekend presidential elections, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday expressed concern that eligible voters in some parts of the county's crisis torn eastern region were not allowed to participate in the national poll.
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.