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 condemns killing of pregnant Pakistani woman
May 29, 2014, at 05:12 pm
New York, May 29 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday strongly condemned the killing of a 25-year-old pregnant woman, who was stoned to death by her family as she approached a Pakistani court on Tuesday, and urged the Government to do much more to prevent such killings.
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.
Polo ground reference case: Zardari acquitted
May 29, 2014, at 04:03 am
Islamabad, May 28 (IBNS) Former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari was acquitted by an accountability court here in connection with the polo ground reference case on Wednesday, media reports said.
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.
UNSC extends UN mission in South Sudan
May 28, 2014, at 05:53 pm
New York, May 28 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday extended the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and revised its mandate to give priority to the task of protecting civilians and to address the security, humanitarian and political crisis that has gripped the nation for the past six months.
Malaysia: UN convenes meeting on flight data monitoring
May 28, 2014, at 05:50 pm
New York, May 28 (IBNS): Some two months after a Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished shortly after take-off from Kuala Lumpur, the Government-led, United Nations-supported effort to secure reforms in the way all commercial jetliners are tracked gathered industry leaders and aviation experts met recently in the Malaysian capital to weigh options on real-time tracking measures.
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.
UN welcomes Pristina, Belgrade peace efforts
May 28, 2014, at 05:42 pm
New York, May 28 (IBNS): Despite a slower pace recently on implanting the aims of the European Union-led political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Tuesday the two sides have "narrowed their remaining differences," and that he hopes once elections are complete in Kosovo, the dialogue will resume without delay.
Pakistan: Girl stoned to death in Lahore
May 28, 2014, at 04:06 am
Lahore, May 27 (IBNS): In an apparent case of 'honour killing', a woman was stoned to death by her father and brothers outside the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday, media reports said.
MH370: Raw satellite data released
May 28, 2014, at 03:17 am
Kuala Lumpur, May 27 (IBNS) The Malaysian government on Tuesday released the raw data used that was used to trace the flight pattern of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 which went missing in March.
UN urges Brazzaville to halt expulsion of DR Congo refugees
May 27, 2014, at 04:58 pm
New York, May 27 (IBNS): Senior United Nations officials on Monday demanded that Republic of the Congo immediately stops expelling citizens from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and called for an investigation into allegations of sexual violence and other human rights violations.
Ban urges Lebanon to elect president without delay
May 26, 2014, at 04:58 pm
New York, May 26 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday regretted that the Lebanese Parliament was unable to elect a new president within the timeframe set by the constitution and called on the country's leaders to select a new one "without delay".
Ban urges efforts to unleash Africa's potential in agriculture
May 26, 2014, at 04:53 pm
New York, May 26 (IBNS): The world must do more to unleash Africa's full potential in agriculture, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday said while also urging the continent's leaders and development partners to combat growing social and economic inequalities.
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.