Sep 09, 2016, at 01:57 pm
New York, Sept 9 (Just Earth News): On 15 June 2015, the United Nations General Assembly elected Mogens Lykketoft – a Danish national – to serve as the President of its seventieth session. At the time of his election, Lykketoft was the Speaker (President) of the Danish Parliament, a position he had held since 2011. Born on 9 January 1946, it was a fitting coincidence that he would turn 70 during his term as President of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly– a personal fact he highlighted during his acceptance speech to the world body upon his election.
UN Secretary-General pays tribute to veteran official and gender pioneer Margaret Anstee
Sep 09, 2016, at 01:56 pm
New York, Sept 9 (Just Earth News): The United Nations chief on Thursday paid tribute to Margaret Anstee, a long-serving official who was the first woman to be appointed to the highest ranks of the world body, and who passed away recently.
UNESCO marks Literacy Day with anniversary event on literacy's power to realise global goals
Sep 09, 2016, at 01:53 pm
New York, Sept 9 (Just Earth News): The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Thursday kicked off a two-day event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day with a reminder of literacy's power to realise the goals of the new global agenda.
UNESCO study informs policymakers on benefits of adult learning and education
Sep 09, 2016, at 04:08 am
New York, Sept 8 (Just Earth News): Adult learning and education can improve health and well-being, employment opportunities and develop local communities, according to a new report from the United Nations culture and education agency.
South Sudan: UN mission concerned at reports of intimidation of civil society members
Sep 09, 2016, at 04:07 am
New York, Sept 8 (Just Earth News): Expressing concern at reports of harassment and intimidation against some civil society members who met with a United Nations Security Council delegation during the latter's most recent visit to the country, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has stressed that any attempt to suppress fundamental human rights must be condemned in no uncertain terms.
Taliban captures 11 passengers in Afghanistan
Sep 08, 2016, at 10:07 pm
Kabul, Sept 8(IBNS}: In a major development, Taliban have kidnapped 11 passengers in the Bala Balok district of western Farah province of Afghanistan, media reports said on Thursday.
Nigerien peacekeeper presented with inaugural UN Military Gender Advocate Award for her work in Mali
Sep 08, 2016, at 11:39 am
New York, Sept 8 (Just Earth News): A former United Nations peacekeeper from Niger has been presented with the inaugural UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award for her work in integrating gender perspectives into peacekeeping activities while serving in Mali.
Sep 08, 2016, at 11:37 am
New York, Sept 8 (Just Earth News): Speaking at a gathering of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations on Wednesday , Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the focus of cooperation between the two organizations on a range of sectors, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Sep 08, 2016, at 11:36 am
New York, Sept 8 (Just Earth News): The United Nations agricultural agency on Wednesday signed a $15 million agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to boosting the capacity of developing countries to track key agricultural data – information considered essential to good policy-making and that will help track progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Afghanistan: UN aid chief calls for scaled-up support to one million people on the move
Sep 08, 2016, at 11:35 am
New York, Sept 8 (Just Earth News): Seeking $150 million for aid efforts in Afghanistan, the top United Nations relief official on Wednesday called on the international community to urgently scale up its support for the war-torn country so that it can meet the rising humanitarian needs of more than one million people who are on the move, either internally displaced or returning from neighbouring countries.
On eve of Literacy Day, UN Secretary-General highlights literacy's role in 2030 Agenda
Sep 08, 2016, at 11:34 am
New York, Sept 8 (Just Earth News): On the eve of International Literacy Day, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on governments and their partners, including in the private sector, to join forces for universal literacy and build peaceful, just, inclusive and sustainable societies – a vision set out in the new global development agenda.
State Parties to UN-backed treaty agree to aim for clearance of cluster bombs by 2030
Sep 08, 2016, at 11:33 am
New York, Sept 8 (Just Earth News): An annual meeting of State Parties to the United Nations-backed pact banning cluster bombs ended on Wednesday in Geneva, with an agreement on a target to complete by 2030 clearance of these explosive remnants of war that kill large numbers of civilians.
Multisectoral approach needed to address different facets of malnutrition – UN health agency
Sep 08, 2016, at 02:43 am
New York, Sept 7 (Just Earth News): The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has stressed the importance of a multipronged approach to address the challenges brought on by occurrence of both under nutrition, and overweight and obesity, often within the same communities, and even in the same households in several south-east Asian countries.
Three Afghan teenagers jailed in Austria for sodomising compatriot
Sep 07, 2016, at 05:10 pm
Salzburg, Austria, Sept 7 (IBNS): Three Afghan asylum seekers were jailed in Austria's Salzburg city after they were found guilty of sodomising another Afghan boy, reports said.
Sep 07, 2016, at 01:05 pm
New York, Sept 7 (Just Earth News): The United Nations deputy chief said on Tuesday that collective global action is needed to overcome barriers to implementation of States’ legal commitments to protect populations from atrocity crimes – the principle known as “responsibility to protect†or R2P.
Manufacturing growth expected to remain low in 2016 – UN report
Sep 07, 2016, at 01:03 pm
New York, Sept 7 (Just Earth News): A new United Nations report has indicated that global manufacturing growth is expected to remain low in 2016 due to weakened financial support for productive activities.
In hard-hitting speech, UN human rights chief warns against populists and demagogues
Sep 07, 2016, at 01:02 pm
New York, Sept 7 (Just Earth News): In a hard-hitting speech, the United Nations human rights chief has strongly warned against the impact that populists and demagogues are having on society, and called for more effort to safeguard human rights law.
UN and south-east Asian health officials re-affirm commitment to ending neglected tropical diseases
Sep 07, 2016, at 01:01 pm
New York, Sept 7 (Just Earth News): Health ministers in south-east Asia on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to achieve the target of controlling, eliminating and eradicating neglected tropical diseases (NTDS), with the United Nations health agency voicing its support for their efforts.
UN-backed report finds urgent need for greater headway to achieve world education goals
Sep 07, 2016, at 12:59 pm
New York, Sept 7 (Just Earth News): There is an urgent need for greater headway in education without which, on current trends, the world will be half a century late for achieving the education-related goals contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, according to a new United Nations-backed independent report.
Sep 07, 2016, at 12:58 pm
New York, Sept 7 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday condemned the ballistic missile launches conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday, 5 September.
UNICEF deeply concerned about impact of unrest in southern Thai provinces on children
Sep 07, 2016, at 12:57 pm
New York, Sept 7 (Just Earth News): The top United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official in Thailand has expressed deep concerns over the continuing violence in the country’s restive southernmost provinces and its impact on children, including an explosion that killed a four-year-old girl and her father on Tuesday.
Sep 07, 2016, at 12:55 pm
New York, Sept 7 (Just Earth News): The economy of the Occupied Palestinian Territory could easily produce twice the gross domestic product (GDP) it generates now, while unemployment and poverty could recede significantly, according a new United Nations report.
As peace talks stall, violence soars once again in Syria – new UN report warns
Sep 07, 2016, at 12:54 pm
New York, Sept 7 (Just Earth News): Although February’s ceasefire agreement created an all-too-brief respite in fighting, there has been a tragic increase in violence targeting Syrian civilians, crushing hopes of peace in the war-torn country, a group of United Nations experts warned on Tuesday.
Greek volunteers awarded top UN humanitarian honour for efforts with migrants and refugees
Sep 07, 2016, at 12:53 pm
New York, Sept 7 (Just Earth News): A Greek human rights activist and a Greek volunteer rescue team – Efi Latsoudi and the Hellenic Rescue Team (HRT) – have been jointly awarded this year’s Nansen Refugee Award for their efforts to aid refugees arriving in Greece during 2015.
Sep 07, 2016, at 04:20 am
New York, Sept 6 (Just Earth News): The head of the United Nations agency charged with eradicating rural poverty has been awarded the inaugural Africa Food Prize – and dedicated it to “the millions of African women who silently toil to feed their families.â€
Iraq: UN food relief agency’s supplies reach Qayyarah’s 30,000 people under 2-year siege
Sep 07, 2016, at 04:19 am
New York, Sept 6 (Just Earth News): The United Nations food relief agency has delivered urgently-needed aid to more than 30,000 people in and around the northern Iraqi town of Qayyarah in the past week, reaching an area that has been under siege and inaccessible for more than two years.
UN human rights office 'deeply worried' about situation in Cambodia
Sep 07, 2016, at 04:18 am
New York, Sept 6 (Just Earth News): Expressing concern over recent incidents of intimidation of opposition politicians and their supporters, civil society, and peaceful demonstrators in Cambodia, the United Nations human rights arm has called on the authorities to create an environment that is conducive the enjoyment of human rights.
Half-Indian Priyanka Yoshikawa crowned Miss World Japan
Sep 07, 2016, at 02:06 am
Tokyo, Sept 6 (IBNS): Half-Indian Priyanka Yoshikawa has been crowned Miss World Japan recently.
Afghanistan: Guest house attack ends, 5 killed
Sep 06, 2016, at 09:48 pm
Kabul, Sept 6 (IBNS): At least five people, including four attackers and a civilian, were killed as a guest house in Shahr-i-Naw neighbourhood of Afghanistan's Kabul city was attacked on Tuesday, media reports said.
President Obama cancels meeting with Filipono counterpart following insult
Sep 06, 2016, at 06:56 pm
Vientiane, Sep 6 (IBNS): U.S. President Barack Obama, who arrived in the capital of Laos on Monday midnight from China, has cancelled his meeting with Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, the media reported on Tuesday quoting White House sources.