Peace 'a distant dream' without development, UN high-level forum told
Sep 10, 2015, at 02:18 pm
New York, Sep 10 (IBNS): United Nations officials on Wednesday shared a common message that building a culture of peace means not just ending conflict but building inclusive societies that are able to develop and thrive in the absence of discrimination.
UN envoy urges constructive steps for Palestinian unity
Sep 10, 2015, at 02:17 pm
New York, Sep 10 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process urged all Palestinian leaders and factions to use the opportunity provided by the postponement of the meeting of the Palestine National Council to take constructive steps towards achieving unity.
Women must be empowered to counter terrorism and extremism: UN official
Sep 10, 2015, at 02:15 pm
New York, Sep 10 (IBNS): Increased attention needs to be given to women so they can be empowered to actively help counter terrorism and violent extremism around the world, a senior United Nations counter-terrorism official told a news conference in New York on Wednesday.
Mexico: UN experts welcome report on disappeared, executed and tortured students
Sep 10, 2015, at 02:14 pm
New York, Sep 10 (IBNS): A group of United Nations human rights experts on Wednesday welcomed a new report on the enforced disappearances, executions and torture of students from Ayotzinapa in the Mexican state of Guerrero in September 2014, and stressed the need for the national Government to implement its recommendations.
WHO warns Ebola outbreak in West Africa has 'a very nasty sting in its tail'
Sep 10, 2015, at 02:12 pm
New York, Sep 10 (IBNS):The United Nations health agency's special envoy on Ebola response on Tuesday said the outbreak in West Africa has a "very nasty sting in its tail," but projected that the goal of zero transmission in the human population remains "very possible within 2015."
Secretary-General discusses refugee, migrant crisis with UK Prime Minister
Sep 10, 2015, at 02:10 pm
New York, Sep 10 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday discussed the refugee and migrant crisis with Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom, as he continued to confer with European leaders on what has become the biggest influx of people into the continent in decades.
Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain's longest-reigning monarch
Sep 10, 2015, at 12:28 am
London, Sept 9 (IBNS): Queen Elizabeth II has become the longest serving Monarch of Britain.
Literacy for all must stand at the heart of development agenda: UNESCO chief
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:22 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): Urging governments and partners to join forces for universal literacy as a key component of “the future we want,†the United Nations is emphasizing that literacy is essential to reach the newly-proposed Sustainable Development Goal on promoting inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all.
Close to 8,000 people killed in eastern Ukraine: UN report
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:21 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): Close to 8,000 people have lost their lives in eastern Ukraine since mid-April 2014, according to the latest report by the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in the country which was released on Tuesday.
Refugees have to be dealt with as human beings, stresses UN official
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:19 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): Refugees have to be dealt with as human beings, and the broader migrant community, including economic migrants, cannot be dismissed "with a wave of the hand," the top United Nations official dealing with migration said on Tuesday.
UN envoy says it is now time to have 'a real discussion' to end Syrian conflict
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:17 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy on Syria on Tuesday said the images of the drowned Syrian toddler wearing a red shirt and blue shorts lying face down on a Turkish beach should be a wake-up call to the world that "there is no more time for long political processes," and it is now time to have "a real discussion" to end the conflict.
Ten years on, responsibility to protect must be more than words: UN officials
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:15 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): Citing numerous crises around the world, including in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan, United Nations officials on Tuesday stressed that the principle of ‘responsibility to protect’ endorsed by leaders a decade ago must be translated into action and more done to provide real protection for people in dire need.
UN human rights chief deplores continuing civil society crackdown in Azerbaijan
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:13 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): Condemning the recent imprisonment of journalist and human rights activist Khadija Ismayilova, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights voiced his concern on Tuesday over the ongoing targeting and suppression of civil society and independent voices in Azerbaijan.
UN peacekeeping chief announces weapons-free zone in Central African town
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:12 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): The United Nations has established a weapons-free zone in the town of Bambari in the Central African Republic (CAR), the world body’s peacekeeping chief announced on Tuesday at the end of a four-day visit to the country.
Mostly female anti-poaching unit from South Africa wins UN environmental prize
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:11 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): The Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit, a South African ranger group consisting mostly of women, has been named as one of the winners of the top United Nations environmental prize.
Israeli demolition orders boost vulnerability of West Bank Palestinians: UN
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:09 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): A new United Nations report shows that, according to official data released by the Israeli authorities, more than 11,000 demolition orders are currently outstanding in the 60 per cent of the West Bank over which Israel still retains direct control – known as Area C.
UN human rights expert condemns executions of 10 people in Chad
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:06 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): An independent United Nations human rights expert has condemned the recent executions of 10 people in Chad who were suspected of being members of the terrorist group Boko Haram following a swift process that may not have met international standards.
Ban urges immediate de-escalation of tensions after recent attacks in Turkey
Sep 09, 2015, at 03:04 pm
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday condemned the recent attacks against Turkish security personnel that have resulted in dozens of casualties, and urged an immediate de-escalation of tensions.
UN atomic energy chief spotlights sustainable development, Iran nuclear deal
Sep 08, 2015, at 02:35 pm
New York, Sep 8 (IBNS): Supporting the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be a key focus for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in years to come, Director General Yukiya Amano told a meeting of the Agency's Board of Governors in Vienna on Monday, where he also provided an update on the application of nuclear safeguards in Iran, Democratic Republic of Korea and Syria.
UNWFP chief and U2's Bono urge to address hunger needs of people fleeing conflict
Sep 08, 2015, at 02:33 pm
New York, Sep 8 (IBNS): As the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) continues to face challenges in funding its emergency response in Syria, the agency's Executive Director Ertharin Cousin has thanked U2 lead singer and ONE co-founder Bono, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Ireland's Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney for their efforts to give voice and support to the world's hungry poor.
Deforestation slows, 'but we need to do better': UN agriculture chief
Sep 08, 2015, at 02:31 pm
New York, Sep 8 (IBNS): While the world's forests continue to shrink as populations increase and woodlands are converted to agriculture and other uses, over the past 25 years, the rate of net global deforestation has slowed down by more than 50 per cent, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report published on Monday.
After terrorist attack on West Bank, UN envoy urges end to extremist violence
Sep 08, 2015, at 02:30 pm
New York, Sep 8 (IBNS): The United Nations special envoy on the Middle East on Monday expressed deep sadness that Reham Dawabsha has succumb to the wounds she received in a terrorist attack in a West Bank village in late July that also killed her husband and infant son, calling the tragedy "a shocking example of the destructive nature of extremism."
Safeguarding cultural heritage of Syria and Iraq is essential: UN officials
Sep 08, 2015, at 02:28 pm
New York, Sep 8 (IBNS): Denouncing the systematic cultural cleansing afflicting societies in Syria and Iraq as "crimes against all of humanity," United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson and the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, met in Paris on Monday to discuss the destruction of cultural heritage and possible measures to counter the rise of violent extremism.
Kashmir is the unfinished agenda of the partition in sub continent: Pakistan Army Chief
Sep 07, 2015, at 09:59 pm
Rawalpindi, Sept 7 (IBNS) Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif has said that the issue of Kashmir is the unfinished agenda of the partition in the sub continent.
Ban urges European leaders to 'be voice of those in need of protection'
Sep 07, 2015, at 01:28 pm
New York, Sep 7 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed to European leaders "to be the voice of those in need of protection" and to quickly find a joint approach to the refugee and migration crisis that shares responsibilities equitably, as Germany and Austria continue to welcome thousands of people fleeing their war-torn homelands.
Bangladesh: Ban on release, screening of Rana Plaza movie lifted
Sep 06, 2015, at 10:44 pm
Dhaka, Sept 6 (IBNS): Giving relief to the makers of the film, Bangladesh on Friday lifted a ban imposed on release and screening of a movie Rana Plaza.
8 injured in Afghanistan suicide attack
Sep 06, 2015, at 12:11 am
Kabul, Sept 5 (IBNS): At least eight people were injured as a suicide car bomber struck in the middle of a bazaar at Pul-i-Alam in Afghanistan's Logar province on Saturday, media reports said.
Ukraine: UN agencies call for urgent action to stop spread of polio virus
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:53 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) called on Friday on parents in Ukraine to vaccinate their children following a confirmed polio outbreak in the country.
UN urges Europe to admit 200,000 refugees from Syria, Iraq and other war zones
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:51 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): Declaring that Europe is facing "a moment of truth" with hundreds of thousands of people risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean Sea, the head of the United Nations refugee agency on Friday urged the European Union (EU) to admit up to 200,000 asylum-seekers fleeing conflict zones like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
G20 nations weighed down by weak economic growth and lack of jobs: UN report
Sep 05, 2015, at 03:49 pm
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): In advance of the Group of 20 (G20) meetings taking place this week in Ankara, Turkey, a United Nations-backed inter-agency report has warned that growth among the economies of those countries has slowed considerably over the last three years and unemployment rates remain unacceptably high.