Philippines: UN seeks debt relief to support typhoon recovery
Apr 08, 2014, at 06:33 pm
New York, Apr 8 (IBNS): Voicing concern that the Philippines' post-typhoon reconstruction and recovery efforts could be undermined by its heavy debt load, a United Nations independent human rights expert on Monday issued a strong call on international creditors to cancel the country's debt and to provide unrestricted grant aid instead of new loans.
Cambodia: UN concerned over curbs affecting human rights
Apr 08, 2014, at 06:29 pm
New York, Apr 8 (IBNS): The United Nations independent expert on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, expressed concern on Monday that the country's National Assembly held its second session last week without the opposition representatives taking up their seat, and urged the legislature to upkeep the key principles of any law-making process: transparency, accountability and participation.
Pistorius apologises to girlfriend's family
Apr 08, 2014, at 06:09 am
Pretoria, Apr 7 (IBNS): Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius on Monday apologised to the family of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp who was shot dead last year.
MH 370: Malaysia hopeful after new lead
Apr 08, 2014, at 05:37 am
Kuala Lumpur, Apr 7 (IBNS) Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Monday said he feels that the detection of pulse signals in the southern Indian Ocean might lead to 'positive development' in the search for the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370 aircraft which went missing last month.
Rwanda: Ban urges global support to prevent future atrocities
Apr 07, 2014, at 05:08 pm
New York, Apr 7 (IBNS): As Rwandans commemorate the genocide that took place 20 years ago, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed during a visit to Kigali on Sunday the need for the international community to learn from such atrocities and to ensure that the words 'never again' are translated into action.
MH370: Chinese ship discovers pulse signal
Apr 06, 2014, at 04:41 am
Beijing, Apr 5 (IBNS): A Chinese ship, which is searching for the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, on Saturday detected a pulse signal in the southern Indian Ocean waters, media reports said.
Ban hails role of women in achieving world free of landmines
Apr 05, 2014, at 06:10 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for greater measures to involve more women at higher levels in mine action, stressing their vital role in advancing the vision of a world free of landmines.
Somalia: UN calls for moratorium after execution of murderer
Apr 05, 2014, at 06:03 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights office Friday voiced its concern at the "hasty" judicial process in the Somali town of Kismayo that led to the execution of man nine days after he allegedly murdered an elder, and called on authorities to impose a moratorium on the death penalty.
Prague: Ban urges shared global responsibility for better future
Apr 05, 2014, at 05:59 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): From reducing poverty and hunger to addressing climate change, the world faces big challenges that cannot be tackled alone, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday, highlighting the importance of shared global responsibility in an address to students in the Czech Republic.
UNSC seeks peaceful, credible polls in Guinea-Bissau
Apr 05, 2014, at 05:54 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has urged all national stakeholders in Guinea-Bissau to facilitate the conduct of peaceful and credible elections on Apr 13, when citizens of the West African nation will participate in long-delayed president and legislative elections.
UN urges Kazakhstan to end registration of religious communities
Apr 05, 2014, at 05:49 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): The United Nations expert on religious freedom called on Friday on the Kazakhstan Government to halt the mandatory registration of religious communities, which notably affects small groups.
Chadian soldiers responsible for Bangui attack: UN
Apr 05, 2014, at 05:45 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): A preliminary investigation by the United Nations human rights office into the deadly events that took place on Mar 29 in a suburb of Bangui, the crisis-riven capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), has found that Chadian soldiers killed some 30 civilians and seriously wounded more than 300 in an indiscriminate attack on a crowded market.
UN concerned over thousands of IDPs in Philippines
Apr 05, 2014, at 05:38 pm
New York, Apr 5 (IBNS): The United Nations on Friday sounded the alarm on behalf of some 64,600 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in southern Philippines still living in evacuation centres, transition sites and with host communities, six months after deadly fighting broke out between the rebel Moro National Liberation Front and Government forces in Zamboanga City.
Syrian refugees in Lebanon cross one million mark: UN
Apr 04, 2014, at 05:41 pm
New York, Apr 4 (IBNS): Now in its fourth year, the Syrian conflict hit yet another bleak milestone on Thursday, as the United Nations refugee agency reported that the number of displaced seeking refuge in neighbouring Lebanon has passed the one million mark, putting more pressure on a host community that is already stretched to the breaking point.
UN seeks effort to prevent catastrophe in South Sudan
Apr 04, 2014, at 05:33 pm
New York, Apr 4 (IBNS): With no political solution to the conflict that has torn South Sudan apart in sight, senior United Nations officials working in the country stressed on Thursday that they are in a "race against time" ahead of the rainy season to help prevent a health and hunger catastrophe.
UNSC concerned at deteriorating security situation in Darfur
Apr 04, 2014, at 05:28 pm
New York, Apr 4 (IBNS): Deeply concerned at the "considerable deterioration" of the security situation in Darfur over the past year, marked by ongoing clashes between the Sudanese Government and rebels, and an upsurge in inter-communal violence, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday endorsed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's revised strategic priorities for the joint African Union-UN mission in the long-restive western region of Sudan.
Ban calls on States to join treaty regulating arms trade
Apr 03, 2014, at 06:14 pm
New York, Apr 3 (IBNS): Marking the first anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called on all States that have not yet done so to sign and/or ratify the instrument without delay to facilitate its entry into force.
UN launches study to assess status of cybersecurity
Apr 03, 2014, at 06:05 pm
New York, Apr 3 (IBNS): The United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU) launched on Wednesday a unique initiative to measure the levels of cybersecurity in countries, underlining the agency's commitment to building Internet safety capacity at the national level, particularly in developing countries.
Brussels: Ban spotlights crisis in Central African Republic
Apr 03, 2014, at 05:55 pm
New York, Apr 3 (IBNS): Stating that the world failed to stop the Central African Republic's slide "into a grave political, economic and humanitarian crisis," United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged African and European leaders meeting in Brussels to act quickly to end the killing, protect civilians and prevent further inter-communal strife, including through the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force.
Palestine presents applications to join global conventions
Apr 03, 2014, at 05:50 pm
New York, Apr 3 (IBNS): The United Nations confirmed on Wednesday that Palestinian Authority officials have presented letters for accession to 15 international conventions and treaties.
Actress Connie Britton appointed UN goodwill ambassador
Apr 03, 2014, at 05:47 pm
New York, Apr 3 (IBNS): United States actress Connie Britton was appointed on Wednesday Goodwill Ambassador by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with a special focus on poverty eradication and women's empowerment worldwide.
UN agency denounces murder of Egyptian journalist
Apr 02, 2014, at 06:53 pm
New York, Apr 2 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Tuesday denounced the recent murder of Egyptian journalist Mayada Ashraf and called on the Government to bring the perpetrators to justice.
UN seeks more peacekeepers following attacks in CAR
Apr 02, 2014, at 06:43 pm
New York, Apr 2 (IBNS): With the Central African Republic (CAR) capital of Bangui having relapsed into wider violence, the United Nations human rights office on Tuesday urged States to support the world body's appeal for thousands more peacekeepers and police.
Ban marks genocide prevention as global responsibility
Apr 02, 2014, at 06:38 pm
New York, Apr 2 (IBNS): Addressing the International Conference on Genocide Prevention in Brussels, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday declared that defending human rights is a global responsibility, and called on all Governments to renew their commitment to vigilance and political will to prevent any mass atrocities from ever occurring again.
UN concerned over nutritional deficits in some countries
Apr 02, 2014, at 06:33 pm
New York, Apr 2 (IBNS): The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) paints a picture of persistent nutrition problems due to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and stunted growth in its latest snapshot of the Europe and Central Asia.
UN seeks real-time flight data on Malaysian airline
Apr 02, 2014, at 06:22 pm
New York, Apr 2 (IBNS): In the wake of the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and the ongoing hunt for the plane, the head of the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU) on Tuesday committed the agency to the search for a real-time inflight communications system, drawing on new technology to help improve on the 50-year-old "black box" model.
Guinea-Bissau: UN stresses need for free, fair polls
Apr 02, 2014, at 06:17 pm
New York, Apr 2 (IBNS): The United Nations panel dealing with peacebuilding efforts in Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday welcomed the successful preparations for the country's upcoming legislative and presidential elections and called on all stakeholders to cooperate in ensuring that the polls are free and fair.
South Sudan: UN concerned over harassment of staff
Apr 02, 2014, at 06:03 pm
New York, Apr 2 (IBNS): Amid growing humanitarian aid needs and despite recent assurances from the Government, the United Nations mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) continues to report increasingly difficult working conditions due to movement restrictions and other harassments against its personnel and partners.
MH 370: Malaysia releases transcript
Apr 02, 2014, at 06:06 am
Kuala Lumpur, Apr 1 (IBNS):Malaysia on Tuesday released a transcript of the communications between the cockpit of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370, which was declared lost forever last month, and air traffic controllers and said there was no indication of anything 'abnormal' in it.
Russia's intervention in Ukraine condemned
Apr 02, 2014, at 04:31 am
Brussels, Apr 1 (IBNS): The Foreign Ministers of the NATO-Ukraine Commission on Tuesday condemned Russia's intervention in Ukraine."We, the Foreign Ministers of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, are united in our condemnation of Russia's illegal military intervention in Ukraine, and Russia's violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We do not recognize Russia's illegal and illegitimate 'annexation' of Crimea. We will continue to work together to reach a political and diplomatic solution which respects international law and Ukraine's internationally recognized borders," the NATO said in a statement on Tuesday.