Oct 12, 2016, at 02:59 pm
New York, Oct 12 (Just Earth News): Warning of an extremely fragile political situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where “actors on all sides appear more and more willing to resort to violence to achieve their ends,†the top United Nations official in the country called on Tuesday on the Security Council to urge the parties to return to dialogue, guarantee the right to peaceful opposition and to end impunity for violence.
Taxing sugary drinks can curb global epidemic of obesity and diabetes – UN health agency
Oct 12, 2016, at 02:57 pm
New York, Oct 12 (Just Earth News): Unhealthy diet accounts for more than 11 million deaths annually, with four million deaths due to obesity, the United Nations health agency said on Tuesday, launching a new report that says taxing sugary drinks can yield major health benefits, such as reducing obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay.
Oct 12, 2016, at 02:56 pm
New York, Oct 12 (Just Earth News): Girls are the sometimes-hidden change-makers of the present and future, and to make sure their voices are heard, the United Nations is marking the International Day of the Girl Child by calling on governments, civil society groups, and communities to provide more and better gender data to so that in the sustainable development era, no girls are left behind.
Haiti: Seeking to fend off cholera threat, UN agencies deliver aid, call for risk reduction
Oct 12, 2016, at 02:53 pm
New York, Oct 12 (Just Earth News): One week after Hurricane Matthew slammed into Haiti, United Nations agencies are continuing the massive relief effort under way on the ground, scrambling to fend off the threat of cholera, delivering life-saving supplies and rehabilitating damaged infrastructure, such as schools.
Oct 11, 2016, at 01:47 pm
New York, Oct 11 (Just Earth News): Marking World Mental Health Day 2016, the United Nations has highlighted the importance of making mental healthcare available to everyone who needs it – with a focus this year on providing immediate support to those in psychological distress after a crisis.
Oct 11, 2016, at 01:43 pm
New York, Oct 11 (Just Earth News): Recent unrest in the Central African Republic (CAR) demonstrates that the situation there remains fragile, and “spoilers are still active, on both sides,†the United Nations peacekeeping chief said on Monday, telling the Security Council that the international community must stand firm and support the Government’s efforts to ensure lasting peace.
In Malawi, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson spotlights efforts to end child marriage
Oct 11, 2016, at 01:42 pm
New York, Oct 11 (Just Earth News): Thanks to growing implementation of a law passed last year, child marriage may soon be a relic of Malawi’s past, and on the eve of the International Day of the Girl Child, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson visited the country to celebrate the achievements of UN Women, the Malawian Government, local chiefs and girls who have returned to school after having their marriages annulled.
UN experts call on Ethiopia to allow international panel to help probe violence against protesters
Oct 11, 2016, at 01:38 pm
New York, Oct 11 (Just Earth News): Urging Ethiopian authorities to end their violent crackdown on peaceful protests, which has reportedly led to the death of over 600 people since November 2015, two United Nations human rights experts on Monday further called on the Government to allow an international commission of inquiry to investigate the protests and the violence used against peaceful demonstrators.
UN appeals for $120 million to launch ‘massive response’ in storm-ravaged Haiti
Oct 11, 2016, at 01:34 pm
New York, Oct 11 (Just Earth News): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday announced the launch of a near $120 million appeal to fund United Nations aid activities in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, where the rising death toll coupled with the start of the rainy season has prompted the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to sound the alarm on the threat of waterborne diseases to children living in the worst-affected areas.
New UN manual gives more say to indigenous peoples in development projects that affect them
Oct 11, 2016, at 01:33 pm
New York, Oct 11 (Just Earth News): The United Nations agricultural agency on Monday unveiled a new manual that seeks to ensure that indigenous peoples, custodians of more than 80 per cent of global biodiversity, are able to freely give or deny their consent in development interventions that affect their natural resources or their way of life.
On World Day against Death Penalty, Ban says practice 'has no place in the 21st century'
Oct 11, 2016, at 01:28 pm
New York, Oct 11 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called the death penalty a cruel and inhumane practice – one that 65 countries globally retain for terrorism-related offenses – which is the focus of this year's World Day against the Death Penalty.
South Sudan: Alarmed by violence in Yei, UN mission calls for immediate end to hostilities
Oct 11, 2016, at 01:25 pm
New York, Oct 11 (Just Earth News): Extremely concerned by the continuing deterioration of the security situation in the South Sudanese town of Yei, where an estimated 100,000 people are trapped, the United Nations mission in the African country on Monday called on warring factions to immediately end all hostilities.
Oct 11, 2016, at 01:23 pm
New York, Oct 11 (Just Earth News): Announcing the launch on Monday of a new platform for scaling up innovative finance solutions to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the initiative can help in identifying and piloting innovative finance instruments that can drive investment and support well thought-out SDG interventions.
Police nabs IS suspect in Germany
Oct 10, 2016, at 11:56 pm
Leipzig, Oct 10 (IBNS): A Syrian man arrested by German police following a two-day manhunt, had a probable IS link, BBC reported.
Oct 10, 2016, at 06:38 am
New York, Oct 10 (Just Earth News): Senior United Nations officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, have condemned an attack in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, that killed more than 140 people and injured at least five hundred more. They also called for swift and impartial investigations into the incident.
Oct 10, 2016, at 06:36 am
New York, Oct 10 (Just Earth News): Marking World Post Day, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) has stressed that putting customers at the heart of its service and adjusting to rapid technological modernization remains the top priority of the postal services worldwide.
Security Council fails to adopt resolutions on ending violence in war-torn Syria's eastern Aleppo
Oct 09, 2016, at 12:21 pm
New York, Oct 9(Just Earth News): The United Nations Security Council on Saturday failed to adopt two resolutions to end the bloodshed in Syria's besieged eastern Aleppo.
In Iceland, UN chief highlights that fate of Arctic and that of the world are intertwined
Oct 09, 2016, at 12:18 pm
ew York, Oct 9 (Just Earth News): Drawing attention to the melting of the Arctic ice cap, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday underlined the urgency of implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change and the need to help developing countries in their efforts to combat climate change.
Oct 08, 2016, at 07:04 pm
New York, Oct 8(Just Earth News): Welcoming a recent draft bill to the Guatemalan Congress on constitutional justice reform, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) On Friday urged a rapid approval by the Government while voicing concern over the growing threats against judicial authorities.
Labour disparity between girls and boys perpetuates gender stereotypes, UNICEF report shows
Oct 08, 2016, at 06:56 pm
New York, Oct 8(Just Earth News): Ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) On Friday released a report warning that the worldwide disparity between unpaid household chores assumed by girls aged five through 14 as compared to their male counterparts, amounts to 40 per cent more time – or 160 million more hours a day.
Colombian Government and FARC-EP request UN to authorize Mission to continue supporting ceasefire
Oct 08, 2016, at 06:46 pm
New York, Oct 8(Just Earth News): The Colombian Government and the country’s largest rebel group announced On Friday that they are willing to press ahead on the goals of the historic peace accord that was rejected by voters this past weekend, while the two sides also requested that the United Nations Mission in the country continue its work, particularly relating to monitoring the ceasefire.
UN chief welcomes decision by global aviation body to cut global greenhouse gases
Oct 08, 2016, at 06:34 pm
New York, Oct 8(Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon On Friday welcomed the yesterday’s decision of the member States of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to adopt a new emissions standard to control global greenhouse gas emissions from international airline flights.
UN condemns deadly attack on ‘refugee hosting area’ in western Niger
Oct 08, 2016, at 10:48 am
New York, Oct 8(Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the attack against a security post at a refugee hosting area in Tazalit, in the Tahoua region of Niger, bordering Mali, on 6 October, in which at least 22 members of Niger’s security forces were killed and several others were injured.
Oct 08, 2016, at 10:47 am
New York, Oct 8(Just Earth News): Most civilians living in areas of northern Nigeria recaptured by the armed forces from Boko Haram since the start of the year still face serious protection problems and lack the most basic assistance, with women particularly at risk, the United Nations refugee agency warned On Friday.
Oct 08, 2016, at 10:44 am
New York, Oct 8(Just Earth News): After two months of intense flooding, the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) is now facing another looming danger as a severe winter is closing with thousands of children still in need of urgent assistance, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partner agency Save the Children.
UN rights office calls for independent inquiry following numerous deaths at an Ethiopian festival
Oct 08, 2016, at 10:43 am
New York, Oct 8(Just Earth News): Expressing concern at increasing unrest in several Ethiopian towns following deaths of a number of people in unclear circumstances in the country’s Bishoftu town, the United Nations human rights arm has called on protesters to exercise restraint and on security forces to conduct themselves in line with international human rights laws and standards.
Reports that Yahoo aided US e-mail surveillance draw concern of UN human rights expert
Oct 08, 2016, at 10:41 am
New York, Oct 8(Just Earth News): The top United Nations expert of free expression said On Friday that reports that Yahoo complied with United States intelligence demands by searching the e-mails of hundreds of millions of customers “raise serious human rights concerns.â€
Oct 07, 2016, at 02:34 pm
New York, Oct 7(Just Earth News): The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) on Thursday announced a new partnership with the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM), aiming at adopting sustainable water bird hunting management to protect wetland resources in Africa’s Sahel region which are crucial for food security and economic development.
UN agencies ramp up response in Caribbean as relief teams assess damage by Hurricane Matthew
Oct 07, 2016, at 02:33 pm
New York, Oct 7(Just Earth News): After deploying field teams to Caribbean countries affected by Hurricane Matthew, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) are on Thursday heading to Haiti, where they are preparing for a major upsurge in cholera.
Eastern Aleppo may be ‘totally destroyed’ by end of year, warns UN envoy
Oct 07, 2016, at 02:32 pm
New York, Oct 7(Just Earth News): Detailing the bloodshed in eastern Aleppo, where in the last two weeks, 376 people – half of them children – have been killed, 1,266 injured, hospitals destroyed, and “all sorts of ammunitions†and weapons used, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria underscored on Thursday that this part of the iconic city may be totally destroyed in two months, leaving thousands dead and forcing countless more to flee.