‘Rapid deterioration’ in global investment flows as Coronavirus spreads: UN trade body
Mar 27, 2020, at 11:54 am
New York/IBNS: Foreign direct investment flows are liable to drop by 30 to 40 per cent during 2020, into next year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting a far more severe economic blow that initially projected, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said on Thursday in its latest Investment Trends Monitor report.
Mar 27, 2020, at 11:49 am
New York/IBNS: Dozens of independent UN human rights experts stressed on Thursday that in addition to public health and emergency measures, battling the COVID-19 pandemic, must respect the fundamental human rights of every individual.
UN chief calls for ceasefire as Yemen braces for possible COVID-19 outbreak
Mar 26, 2020, at 01:40 pm
New York/IBNS: Echoing his 23 March appeal to warring parties across the globe for an immediate ceasefire, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on those fighting in Yemen to end hostilities and ramp up efforts to counter a potential outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Enable ‘all out effort’ to counter COVID-19 in war-ravaged Syria, urges top UN envoy
Mar 25, 2020, at 11:33 am
New York/IBNS: The top United Nations envoy in Syria called on Tuesday for an immediate country-wide truce, allowing citizens to save lives and tackle the common threat presented by the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Ease sanctions against countries fighting COVID-19: UN human rights chief
Mar 25, 2020, at 10:55 am
New York/IBNS: As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday called for an easing of sanctions against countries such as Iran to allow their medical systems to fight the disease and limit its global spread.
UN welcomes response by Libyan parties to calls for humanitarian pause
Mar 22, 2020, at 06:43 pm
New York/IBNS: The United Nations on Saturday welcomed the “positive responses” of Libya’s Tripoli-based government and the Libyan National Army (LNA) to calls for a pause to stop the fighting, in the hopes that this would allow humanitarian access throughout the crisis-torn country and head off the potential threat of COVID-19.
UNHCR delivers much-needed aid to Sudanese refugees in Chad
Mar 21, 2020, at 10:10 am
New York/IBNS: Nearly 94 tonnes of emergency aid has been airlifted into Chad to support thousands of people who have fled ongoing violence in Sudan’s West Darfur state, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, reported on Friday.
UN official applauds move by Central African Republic to prevent child recruitment
Mar 20, 2020, at 08:30 am
New York/IBNS: A senior United Nations official has welcomed the move by lawmakers in the Central African Republic (CAR) to criminalize child recruitment.
UN agriculture agency staff continue to strive for a better world amid Italy COVID-19 lockdown
Mar 19, 2020, at 01:03 pm
New York/IBNS: Italy has been hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak, with nearly 28,000 confirmed cases of the disease and 2,503 deaths, according to latest statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO). While a national quarantine has the country in lockdown, it has not halted the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), based in the capital, Rome.
Mar 15, 2020, at 04:12 pm
New York/IBNS: Following the unveiling of a new unity cabinet in South Sudan on Thursday, the UN Secretary-General has commended the “spirit of compromise and collaboration” shown by President Salva Kiir and rival-turned-top deputy, Riek Machar, on what has been a rocky road towards forging lasting peace.
UN human rights chief: racism and xenophobia are ‘contagious killers’ too
Mar 14, 2020, at 08:25 am
New York/IBNS: The coronavirus outbreak may have forced millions around the world already into “social distancing”, keeping a metre apart to prevent its spread, but it will not stop them from uniting to combat racism, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights declared in Geneva on Friday.
UN programme to help spare millions from child marriage, extended to 2023
Mar 11, 2020, at 04:51 pm
New York/IBNS: Millions of girls have been able to avoid “an unwanted marriage and an unwelcome end to their childhood”, since the launch four years ago, of a joint UN agency programme, the head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
UN condemns deadly attack in Afghan capital
Mar 08, 2020, at 06:52 pm
New York/IBNS: The United Nations has underscored its solidarity with Afghanistan following a deadly attack in the capital, Kabul, on Friday.
Yemen: UN envoy calls for 'immediate and unconditional' freeze on military activities
Mar 08, 2020, at 06:37 pm
New York/IBNS: In a visit to northern Yemen on Saturday, UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths repeated his call for an immediate freeze on military activities and for warring parties to work towards a de-escalation in fighting.
International Women's Day: progress on gender equality remains slow
Mar 06, 2020, at 10:08 am
New York/IBNS: Despite decades of progress in closing the gender equality gap, close to nine out of 10 men and women around the world, hold some sort of bias against women, according to new findings published on Thursday from the UN Development Programmme (UNDP).
UN mourns passing of former Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuéllar
Mar 05, 2020, at 02:35 pm
New York/IBNS: Javier Perez de Cuéllar, the fifth United Nations Secretary-General, praised for his ability to foster dialogue and for leading the Organization through a turbulent decade, has passed away at the age of 100.
UN urges for USD 877 mln for Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh
Mar 03, 2020, at 05:01 pm
United Nations/UNI: Launching a 2020 Joint Response Plan (JRP) for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, the UN refugee agency -- UNHCR -- on Tuesday appealed to raise US$877 million to cater to the needs of more than one million Rohingya refugees.
Coronavirus Scare: Sri Lanka to quarantine passengers from Italy, Iran, S Korea
Mar 03, 2020, at 04:57 pm
Colombo/UNI: Sri Lanka's Health Ministry on Tuesday said that all passengers arriving from Italy, Iran and South Korea would have to undergo a 14-day quarantine period to prevent the COVID-19 from entering the island country.
Mar 03, 2020, at 04:20 pm
New York/IBNS: After serving more than two years as the UN’s Special Representative in charge of finding a way to a lasting peace in war-torn Libya, Ghassan Salamé - who also heads up the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) - handed in his resignation on Monday, citing failing health caused by the immense stress of the job.
New UN initiative to support financial systems that ‘work better for everyone, everywhere’
Mar 03, 2020, at 09:33 am
New York/IBNS: From developed to developing countries, no nation is immune from financial “gaps and vulnerabilities”, the President of the UN General Assembly said on Monday.
Use of religious beliefs to justify rights violations must be outlawed says UN expert
Mar 03, 2020, at 09:22 am
New York/IBNS: Laws underpinned by religious conviction that discriminate against women and the LGBT+ community should be repealed, and gender-based violence carried out in the name of religion by non-State groups must be addressed, an independent UN expert said on Monday in a report presented to the Human Rights Council.
Trump to discuss arms control with Russia, China within UN in NY
Mar 01, 2020, at 09:50 am
Washington/Sputnik: US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would take part in arms control talks with Russia and China within the United States in New York.
Feb 29, 2020, at 11:12 am
New York/IBNS: With the Security Council meeting in emergency session on Syria following the death on the battlefield of dozens of Turkish troops, the UN strongly urged Russia and Turkey on Friday “to build on previous agreements to secure a fresh ceasefire” across the war-torn northwest.
Feb 29, 2020, at 10:15 am
New York/IBNS: The “excessive use” of solitary confinement by the prison service in the US state of Connecticut, prompted an independent UN human rights expert to voice alarm on Friday.
UN disarmament chief hopes upcoming conference will address current nuclear challenges
Feb 27, 2020, at 02:39 pm
New York/IBNS: With division and distrust rife among countries that possess nuclear arsenals, the UN disarmament chief is hopeful that the issue will be addressed during an upcoming conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
We need to give voice to ‘We the Peoples’, says UN chief
Feb 26, 2020, at 09:43 am
New York/IBNS: For an Organization that is seen as all too ready to give advice, the United Nations welcomed a major role reversal on Tuesday: young people from all over the world were gathered in Switzerland to voice their concerns, outline their vision for a better future, and give Secretary-General António Guterres their advice on steering the world body through todays’ turbulent waters.
UN human rights chief warns of women’s rights complacency
Feb 26, 2020, at 09:21 am
New York/IBNS: Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has warned against complacency on women’s rights at an event marking the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, a landmark agenda for the empowerment of women.
UN panel to rally global political will to tackle internal displacement crisis
Feb 26, 2020, at 09:15 am
New York/IBNS: Forty-one million people around the world are internally displaced – and hundreds of thousands more have been forced from their homes since the beginning of the year – an “unacceptable” situation for which solutions can be found, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told a delegation established to address this global challenge.
UN chief welcomes South Sudan’s Unity government, lauds parties for ‘significant achievement’
Feb 23, 2020, at 06:15 pm
New York/IBNS: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed on Saturday the establishment of the Transitional Government of National Unity (TGoNU) in South Sudan.
Civilian casualties in Afghanistan exceed 10,000 for 6th straight year: UN report
Feb 23, 2020, at 09:28 am
United Nations/Xinhua: More than 10,000 civilians in Afghanistan were killed or injured last year, UN News reported Saturday, citing a United Nations report that details record-high levels of civilian harm in the ongoing conflict.