UN ombudsperson solves problems in a 'cloak of confidentiality'
Apr 20, 2018, at 01:42 pm
New York, Apr 20 (IBNS): Sometimes sparks can fly in the crossroads between creativity and conflict. For this reason, the United Nations has an Ombudsperson, who helps guide friction into productive solutions.
In annual memorial, UN pays tribute to 140 fallen staff members
Apr 20, 2018, at 01:35 pm
New York, Apr 20 (IBNS): Were it not for the sacrifices of United Nations peacekeepers, humanitarians and other personnel, the people who needed urgent support in the most difficult and dangerous environments would have experienced greater suffering, the top UN official said Thursday in an annual memorial service for fallen colleagues.
UN rights experts urge Iran to annul death sentence against prisoner
Apr 20, 2018, at 01:29 pm
New York, Apr 20 (IBNS): A group of United Nations human rights experts have called on Iran to annul the death sentence against a prisoner citing serious concerns that he was tortured in detention and did not receive a fair trial.
UN official calls on Israel to halt plans to relocate Palestinian Bedouin communities in West Bank
Apr 19, 2018, at 02:24 pm
New York, Apr 19 (IBNS): A senior United Nations humanitarian official on Wednesday called on Israeli authorities to halt plans to demolish Palestinian-owned structures and cease plans for the relocation of Palestinian Bedouin communities in the West Bank.
Apr 19, 2018, at 02:18 pm
New York, Apr 19 (IBNS): Those who committed the most serious crimes in Syria must be identified, and criminal case files must be built as the basis for prosecutions, the head of a United Nations body assisting these efforts said Wednesday.
Mediator seeks ‘relaunch’ of UN-led Syrian talks
Apr 19, 2018, at 02:12 pm
New York, Apr 19 (IBNS): A renewed United Nations-led diplomatic push is under way for a “meaningful relaunch” of intra-Syrian talks by the Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, his office has announced.
UN launches global plan to strengthen protection of internally displaced persons
Apr 19, 2018, at 02:09 pm
New York, Apr 19 (IBNS): With multiple crises forcing millions of people away from their homes, United Nations agencies, Governments and partners have launched a set of measures to strengthen protection of internally displaced persons as well as find solutions to address their problems.
Protect indigenous people’s land rights and the whole world will benefit, UN forum declares
Apr 17, 2018, at 01:52 pm
New York, Apr 17 (IBNS): Protecting the land and resource rights of indigenous peoples will not only provide security for historically exploited groups but also help the global fights against climate change and biodiversity loss, said speakers on Monday at the annual United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Apr 17, 2018, at 01:45 pm
New York, Apr 17 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council has failed to prevent the Rohingya refugee crisis, and the 15-member body must refer sexual violence and other crimes against the ethnic group to the world’s top criminal court, a Rohingya lawyer said on Monday.
UN chief, Security Council condemn deadly attack on peacekeepers in Mali
Apr 16, 2018, at 02:51 pm
New York, Apr 16 (IBNS): The United Nations Secretary-General is calling on political leaders in Mali to ensure those responsible for a deadly assault on peacekeepers serving in the north are brought to justice.
Security Council rejects Russian request to condemn airstrikes in Syria
Apr 15, 2018, at 09:47 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): In an address to an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Saturday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned against the crisis in Syria “spiraling out of control."
UN envoy tells Somali refugees in Kenya ‘things are gradually getting better’ back home
Apr 14, 2018, at 12:54 pm
new York, Apr 14 (IBNS): Meeting residents of the world’s largest camp for Somali refugees – sprawling Dadaab, located in north-eastern Kenya – the top United Nations official for Somalia expressed his solidarity with their situation and highlighted the gradual progress made in their home country.
Winnie Mandela left an ‘indelible mark on the history of the 20th century,’ says UN chief
Apr 14, 2018, at 12:51 pm
New York, Apr 14 (IBNS): “‘Mama Winnie’ – as she was affectionately known – was a towering figure in the struggle against apartheid,” said Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, during a tribute held at United Nations Headquarters in honour of the late Winfred ‘Winnie’ Nomzamo Madikizela-Mandela.
Apr 14, 2018, at 12:48 pm
New York, Apr 14 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urged the world to reflect on the suffering of those who perished, as well as survived, the Rwandan genocide, and resolve to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again.
Apr 14, 2018, at 12:41 pm
New York, Apr 14 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday again called for the creation of an independent panel that could determine who used chemical weapons in Syria, as the absence of such a body increases the risks of a military escalation in a country already riven by “confrontations and proxy wars.”
Global youth must be empowered to combat terrorism, UN forum declares
Apr 13, 2018, at 02:07 pm
New York, Apr 13 (IBNS): Young people are prime targets of extremist recruiters but they can also play leadership roles in fighting terrorism and creating greater opportunities for all, said speakers at a United Nations forum on Thursday called ‘Investing in Youth to Counter Terrorism.’
Apr 13, 2018, at 01:42 pm
New York, Apr 13 (IBNS): The United Nations migration agency and its partners are set to begin a second round of an oral cholera vaccination campaign in Malakal and Wau, South Sudan, after the initial round reached more than 60,400 people in March of this year.
UN launches initiative to improve road safety worldwide
Apr 13, 2018, at 01:33 pm
New York, Apr 13 (IBNS): With some 1.3 million drivers, passengers and pedestrians dying each year on the world’s roads, the United Nations took a major step to address this tragedy by launching on Thursday a trust fund to spur action that could save lives and prevent the loss of opportunity associated with road accidents.
DPR Korea: UN says $111 million needed to provide life-saving aid, tackle malnutrition
Apr 13, 2018, at 01:29 pm
New York, Apr 13 (IBNS): The United Nations and its partners are urgently requesting $111 million in humanitarian funding to assist millions of people in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), including children whose growth has been stunted because they are not getting enough to eat.
Returning home, Afghans continue to face challenges in rebuilding their lives – UN agencies
Apr 13, 2018, at 01:27 pm
New York, Apr 13 (IBNS): In 2017, about 58,000 Afghan refugees voluntarily returned to their country after decades aboard only to be met with protection risks and “significant” barriers to long-term reintegration into society, two United Nations agencies working in the Asian country reported on Thursday.
UN human rights experts urge Viet Nam not to stifle dissenting voices
Apr 13, 2018, at 01:24 pm
New York, Apr 13 (IBNS): United Nations experts have urged Viet Nam not to crackdown on civil society or stifle dissent, after the authorities jailed several human rights defenders for “conducting activities to overthrow the people’s government” – a charge that carries the possibility of the death sentence or life imprisonment.
Apr 13, 2018, at 01:20 pm
New York, Apr 13 (IBNS): Amid the risks of the situation in Syria “spiraling out of control,” the United Nations chief has appealed to the five permanent members of the Security Council to break the current deadlock on reported use of chemical weapons in the war-torn country.
‘Time to move from promises to action;’ UN envoy urges Malian parties to peace accord
Apr 12, 2018, at 02:11 pm
New York, Apr 12 (IBNS): While Malians must ensure the successful holding of elections this year, their priority should be the implementation of the 2015 peace agreement, a senior United Nations official said Wednesday.
Despite drop in numbers, desperate migrants to Europe face greater perils, UN refugee agency reports
Apr 12, 2018, at 01:58 pm
New York, Apr 12 (IBNS): While the number of migrants and refugees reaching Europe declined last year, the dangers they faced along the journey in many cases increased, according to a new report from the United Nations refugee agency.
UN chief condemns attacks against peacekeepers in Central African Republic
Apr 12, 2018, at 01:50 pm
New York, Apr 12 (IBNS): The United Nations chief has condemned the latest killing and wounding of the world body’s peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR) during an exchange of fire with armed groups on 10 April.
Security Council fails to adopt three resolutions on chemical weapons use in Syria
Apr 11, 2018, at 02:49 pm
New York, Apr 11 (IBNS): Days after alleged chemical weapons attack in the Damascus suburb of Douma, the United Nations Security Council failed to adopt two competing resolutions that would have established a mechanism to investigate use of such weapons in Syria, as well as another concerning a fact-finding mission in the war-torn country.
UN report documents horrors faced by thousands held in arbitrary detention in Libya
Apr 11, 2018, at 02:44 pm
New York, Apr 11 (IBNS): Armed groups in Libya are holding thousands of people in detention where they are being submitted to torture and other human rights violations, according to a United Nations report published on Tuesday.
UN Security Council urges an end to recurring cycles of instability in Africa’s Great Lakes region
Apr 11, 2018, at 02:41 pm
New York, Apr 11 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday called for an end to the recurring cycles of violence and instability in Africa’s Great Lakes region, as a senior UN official reported that some armed groups are continuing attacks on civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
UN-backed campaign to protect nearly a billion people in Africa from yellow fever by 2026
Apr 11, 2018, at 02:38 pm
New York, Apr 11 (IBNS): Amid a resurgence of yellow fever outbreaks, the United Nations together with partners, has begun an ambitious campaign to vaccinate close to one billion people against the deadly disease across 27 high-risk African countries.
At Asian forum, UN chief calls for more equitable globalization, urgent action on climate change
Apr 11, 2018, at 02:34 pm
New York, Apr 11 (IBNS): The world must act to spread the benefits of globalization more fairly while avoiding the perils of protectionism, the United Nations chief said on Tuesday.