Germany: Ban rallies support for 'once-in-a-generation' UN sustainability agenda
Jun 08, 2015, at 01:48 pm
New York, Jun 8 (IBNS): The world has before it a unique opportunity to build a better future for all,Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared on Sunday in Bonn, Germany.
Afghanistan: Taliban shadow district governor killed
Jun 07, 2015, at 09:26 pm
Kabul, June 7 (IBNS) A shadow district governor of Taliban in Afghanistan's Paktika province has been killed by the security forces, media reports said on Sunday.
Libyan political dialogue round set for Monday in Morocco: UN mission
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:35 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) announced on Friday that the next round of Libyan political dialogue sessions in Skhirat, Morocco, will commence on Monday, 8 June.
Nigeria: Citing ‘horrifying acts of cruelty', UN rights chief urges justice for victims
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:34 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The human rights situation in Boko Haram-held areas of northern Nigeria is one of “absolute terror†and “grave†violations, the top United Nations human rights official said today amid a wider call for Nigerian authorities to thoroughly investigate reports of abuses committed by the country’s armed forces.
UN invites people to become agents of change on World Environment Day
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:31 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): With many of the earth’s ecosystems nearing “critical tipping points,†the United Nations invited each of the seven billion people on the planet to mark this year’s World Environment Day by making one change towards a more responsible consumption of resources – “be it refusing to buy single-use plastic bags or riding a bike to work.â€
UN agency boosting presence on Greek islands to deal with spike in refugee arrivals
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:30 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency on Friday announced that it is stepping up its presence in the eastern Aegean islands of Greece where in recent weeks, sea arrivals have been averaging some 600 people a day from countries like Syria, Afghanistan Iraq and Turkey, severely straining local reception capacities.
Crackdown on journalist and activists jeopardize human rights in Iran: UN expert
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:28 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The arbitrary and unlawful arrest and prosecution of journalists and activists in Iran weakens the protection of human rights of all in Iran, a United Nations expert said on Friday.
Security Council: UN official urges for political efforts to resolve Ukraine conflict
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:27 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The tremendous human cost of the Ukraine conflict must be first addressed through mutual respect of the Minsk ceasefire agreement and the fulfilment of its political, economic, social and humanitarian provisions, the top United Nations political official affirmed today as he briefed the Security Council on the situation in the conflict-torn Eastern European country.
UN refugee agency seeks $13 million to protect for boat arrivals in Southeast Asia
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:25 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency on Friday announced that it is seeking $13 million to help with the needs of new boat arrivals to countries in Southeast Asia, where thousands of refugees and migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh have been risking their lives by crossing the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.
Volunteers can contribute to the new global development agenda’s success: UN report
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:22 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): Volunteers are playing a vital role in making governments worldwide more accountable and responsive to their citizens, but their potential is seriously under-valued, a new report from the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme finds.
Liberia: UNICEF distributes thousands of learning kits after Ebola outbreak
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:20 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has begun distributing the first batches of 700,000 teaching and learning kits to thousands of schools across Liberia, where last year’s Ebola outbreak disrupted the education of over one million children.
WHO dispatches team to Seoul after fourth death reported from MERS
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:17 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday announced that in light of the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS-CoV, resulting in four deaths in the Republic of Korea, it will send a team to Seoul to conduct a joint mission to look into the situation and assess public health response efforts.
Pakistan: UN experts urge halt to execution of child offender
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:14 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The Government of Pakistan must halt the execution of a man convicted of a crime committed as a child and reinstate the country’s moratorium on the death penalty, three United Nations human rights experts have urged.
UN concerned by abduction of Eritrean asylum-seekers in eastern Sudan
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:06 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): An armed group opened fire on a convoy transporting Eritrean asylum-seekers in eastern Sudan and kidnapped 14 of them, including six boys and one girl, the United Nations refugee agency reported on Friday and urged the Sudanese Government to spare no effort in apprehending those responsible and bringing them to account.
Syria: Security Council ‘outraged’ by intensifying attacks against civilians
Jun 06, 2015, at 03:01 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): Amid surging violence in Aleppo, the United Nations Security Council on Friday expressed “outrage†at all attacks against civilians in Syria, as well as indiscriminate attacks.
Reformulation of HIV treatment will save more children’s lives: UN
Jun 06, 2015, at 02:55 pm
New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new antiretroviral formulation that can be mixed with food, making it easier for children living with HIV to take their life-saving medicines, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AID (UNAIDS) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Friday.
UN chief condemns rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza
Jun 05, 2015, at 03:03 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday has condemned the firing of rockets by militants from Gaza towards Israel which occurred on Wednesday.
UN official calls for global movement to end hunger once and for all
Jun 05, 2015, at 03:02 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday called for a global movement to eradicate hunger as countries look ahead to the new set of development goals that will be adopted in September.
Zambia: UN forum urges faster development action for landlocked developing nations
Jun 05, 2015, at 03:00 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): A United Nations-backed conference aimed at accelerating an ambitious development plan for the world’s 32 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) concluded on Thursday in Zambia with a global ‘Call to Action’ intended to streamline their path towards sustainable, inclusive and economic progress.
UN official stresses need for renewed momentum towards achieving climate accord
Jun 05, 2015, at 02:59 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): “The clock is ticking faster and faster†before an agreement must be reached in Paris in December, but “so much has happened over the past few weeks,†a senior United Nations climate change official said on Thursday.
Burundi: Concerned over potential violence, Ban urges resumption of dialogue
Jun 05, 2015, at 02:58 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon remains concerned about the potential for escalating violence in Burundi and has reiterated his call for calm and restraint amid the African country’s simmering political tensions.
UN mission in Central Africa opens investigation into sexual abuse claims
Jun 05, 2015, at 02:57 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) has launched an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against an underage person involving one of its personnel, it was announced on Thursday.
UN envoy ‘mustering’ required support for consultations to resolve Yemen conflict
Jun 05, 2015, at 02:54 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, is working intensively to bring the parties to the conflict together as soon as possible in Geneva, a spokesperson for the world body said on Thursday.
DR Congo: UN voices support for Government offensive against militia
Jun 05, 2015, at 02:53 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has welcomed the latest military operation by the country’s armed forces against members of an independent militia group following the collapse of political negotiations.
Benefits of mammograms outweigh adverse effects for older women: WHO
Jun 05, 2015, at 02:51 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): A group of 29 independent experts from 16 countries, convened by the specialized cancer agency of the United Nations, has concluded that there is sufficient evidence that mammography screening is effective in reducing breast cancer-related deaths for women aged 50–69 years.
Ban commends leaders’ commitment to settle Cyprus issue
Jun 05, 2015, at 02:50 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday commended the commitment of the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, and the Greek Cypriot leader, Nicos Anastasiades, to reach a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus issue.
FAO and IKEA join forces for sustainable forest management
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:50 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has teamed up with big-box retailer IKEA to launch a new initiative aimed at promoting the sustainable management of forest plantations and empowering forest-reliant communities in Viet Nam.
Philippines: UN experts urge country to tackle ‘chronic’ prison overcrowding
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:49 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The United Nations torture prevention body is urging the Philippines to deal urgently with prison overcrowding and improve independent monitoring of places of detention as part of efforts to protect people deprived of their liberty against torture and cruel treatment.
Child victims in Eastern Europe and Central Asia rarely get justice: UN report
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:45 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): Most child victims of violence in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia find themselves unable to speak up and file charges in court, according to a new United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) regional report launched on Wednesday.
UN rights office calls on Myanmar to release jailed columnist
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:44 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): Appalled at the two-year prison sentence handed down to U Htin Lin Oo on charges of insulting religion, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Wednesday urged the Myanmar authorities to release the columnist and guarantee freedom of expression and opinion in the country.