UN relief wing says 1.2 million Ukrainians uprooted by conflict
Apr 16, 2015, at 02:43 pm
New York, Apr 16 (IBNS): The United Nations humanitarian office has reported that 1.2 million people in Ukraine have now been internally displaced because of conflict in the country.
Mali: UN mission condemns ‘cowardly and heinous’ attack on compound
Apr 16, 2015, at 02:42 pm
New York, Apr 16 (IBNS): The United Nations in Mali condemned Wednesday’s deadly attack on its Gao area compound that injured nine peacekeepers, killed at least three civilians and injured seven others, calling it a “cowardly and heinous†act.
Doha: UN anti-crime agency unveils new partnership to tackle match-fixing
Apr 16, 2015, at 02:41 pm
New York, Apr 16 (IBNS): The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced on Wednesday a new partnership with the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) to help strengthen cross-border investigations into match-fixing and manipulation of sports competitions, as well as bolstering measures to prosecute offenders.
UN envoy on Middle East peace meets Palestinian Prime Minister
Apr 16, 2015, at 02:39 pm
New York, Apr 16 ((IBNS): The United Nations official charged with coordinating the Middle East peace process said on Wednesday that he is pleased by commitment made by the Palestinian Government to assume its rightful responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.
World must do more to help support Syrian refugees in Lebanon: UN
Apr 16, 2015, at 02:38 pm
New York, Apr 16 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee chief called on Wednesday on the international community to step-up its efforts to ease the plight of Syrian refugees who continue to live in harsh conditions in informal settlements in southern Lebanon.
Ban calls on world’s athletes to help bolster UN sustainability agenda
Apr 16, 2015, at 02:37 pm
New York, Apr 16 (IBNS): Hailing the immense power of sport to make the world a better, more tolerant place for all, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday encouraged all sportsmen and women to throw their energy into advocating the new sustainable development agenda currently being crafted by United Nations Member States.
At a conference, Ban calls for investment to achieve sustainable energy
Apr 16, 2015, at 02:36 pm
New York, Apr 16 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called on business leaders to expand investment in low-carbon growth and opportunities to advance sustainable energy for all and tackle climate change, in a statement to The Future of Energy Summit 2015, organized by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Need to get 21 million children into school in Middle East, North Africa: UNICEF
Apr 16, 2015, at 02:35 pm
New York, Apr 16 (IBNS): Despite impressive progress in raising school enrolment over the past decade, one in four children and young adolescents in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are either out of school or at risk of dropping out, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
UN official says innovation key for future of global postal sector
Apr 16, 2015, at 02:33 pm
New York, Apr 16 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations Universal Postal Union (UPU) has urged the international community to build over the next five years a postal world where innovation is “shared, promoted and driven for all†while helping to boost global efforts in achieving the sustainable development goals.
Libyan parties open new round of UN-backed political talks
Apr 16, 2015, at 02:32 pm
New York, Apr 16 (IBNS): A new round of political dialogue on Libya, hosted by Morocco and facilitated by the United Nations Support Mission (UNSMIL) in the country began in Skhirat, Morocco, today, aiming to end the crisis in the country.
UN warns of 2050 deadline for dwindling water supplies
Apr 15, 2015, at 06:26 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): Although the world’s water supplies are expected to remain sufficient for a global population of nine billion in 2050, continuing overconsumption and the impact of climate change will diminish their availability in many of the planet’s neediest regions, according to a new United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report.
Security Council imposes arms embargo on Yemen rebels
Apr 15, 2015, at 06:24 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): Alarmed at the military escalation by Houthis in many parts of Yemen and the “significant and rapidly deteriorating’ humanitarian situation, the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday approved an arms embargo against the rebel group’s leadership and demanded that all parties refrain from unilateral actions that could undermine the country’s UN-facilitated political transition.
UN urges Kenya to reconsider Dadaab camp closure
Apr 15, 2015, at 06:22 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday urged Kenyan authorities to reconsider their decision to shut down within the next three months Dadaab refugee camps, a decision that would require some 350,000 Somalis to return to their country and would cause “extreme†humanitarian consequences.
Doha Crime Congress: Experts cite shift as States refrain from death penalty
Apr 15, 2015, at 06:10 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): As the 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice continued its work in Doha, Qatar on Tuesday, high-level UN, academic and Government experts at a panel discussion on death penalty advocated moving away from the punishment as there is no empirical evidence that it deters crime.
Ban urges to 'never forget' Nigerian girls on anniversary of abduction
Apr 15, 2015, at 06:01 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): On the one-year anniversary of their abduction by the extremist group Boko Haram, the kidnapped girls of Chibok, Nigeria must not be forgotten, United NationsSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared on Tuesday as he reiterated his call for their immediate release and safe return to their families.
Global advocate Daniel Craig to boost UN's incredible work on mine action
Apr 15, 2015, at 05:55 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): After designating the renowned actor Daniel Craig as the first United Nations Global Advocate for the Elimination of Mines and Explosive Hazards at Headquarters on Tuesday,Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon thanked the current James Bond for his commitment to supporting the UN’s vision of a world free from the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war.
Security Council: UN official says Central Africa's transition at critical stage
Apr 15, 2015, at 05:43 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): Amidst a tentative political transition, the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) remains tenuous as sectarian tensions continue to simmer and the severity of the country's humanitarian crisis increases, the top United Nations official in the African country warned on Tuesday.
UN condemns killing of Chilean peacekeeper in Haiti
Apr 15, 2015, at 05:32 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): The United Nations called for a swift investigation into the shooting death of a Chilean peacekeeper in Haiti whose killing prompted strong condemnations from the UN mission on the ground as well as the Secretary-General and Security Council at the world body's Headquarters.
Emerging threats demand renewed fight against sexual violence: UN envoy
Apr 15, 2015, at 05:26 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): Those who use rape as a weapon of war are becoming increasingly “brutal and ruthless,†the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) on Sexual Violence in Conflict said on Tuesday, warning against a lax attitude that would allow emerging armed groups to gain further ground and continue committing such atrocious crimes.
Doha: UN conference urges boosting assistance to trafficking victims
Apr 15, 2015, at 05:22 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): With human trafficking now a global criminal enterprise generating billions of dollars every year, United Nations officials stressed on Tuesday during a high-level event at the UN Crime Congress in Doha, Qatar, that victims of the crime need broad based assistance for their recovery.
UN rights experts welcome Blackwater sentence
Apr 15, 2015, at 05:17 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): The outsourcing of national security to private firms creates risks for human rights and accountability, the United Nations working group on the use of mercenaries confirmed on Tuesday as it welcomed the sentencing of four former Blackwater Worldwide personnel for the 2007 killing of 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians.
UN delivers much needed humanitarian supplies to vulnerable groups Syria
Apr 15, 2015, at 05:13 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): Despite huge challenges in getting access, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has managed to deliver much-needed humanitarian supplies to Qamishli in north-east Syria, a spokesperson for the agency said on Tuesday.
UN Syria Envoy to hold consultations on re-start of peace talks
Apr 15, 2015, at 04:58 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): The United Nations announced on Tuesday that the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Syria will proceed with a series of in-depth, separate consultations with Syrian stakeholders and regional and international actors to take stock of their views on reopening peace talks based on the 2012 so-called Geneva Communique.
Libyan political parties, activists conclude second round of UN-backed talks
Apr 15, 2015, at 04:19 pm
New York, Apr 15 (IBNS): A second meeting of Libyan political parties and activists, facilitated by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), concluded its deliberations on Tuesday in the Algerian capital by reiterating the commitment to the political dialogue as the only option to resolve the crisis in Libya.
Yarmouk crisis, international community has compelling imperative to act: UN
Apr 14, 2015, at 03:10 pm
New York, Apr 14 (IBNS): The thousands of Palestinian and Syrian refugees trapped in the Yarmouk refugee camp have suffered “untold indignities†amid intensifying hostilities between armed groups in the area, the United Nations agency concerned with the well-being of Palestinian refugees declared on Monday.
Nearly 800,000 children forced to flee violence in Nigeria: UNICEF
Apr 14, 2015, at 03:09 pm
New York, Apr 14 (IBNS): A new report released by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that least 800,000 children have been forced to flee their homes as a result of the conflict in northeast Nigeria between Boko Haram, military forces and civilian self-defence groups.
UNESCO condemns destruction at Iraq’s Nimrud site
Apr 14, 2015, at 03:08 pm
New York, Apr 14 (IBNS): The United Nations agency mandated with protecting heritage sites worldwide on Monday denounced further destruction at the archaeological site of Nimrud in Iraq, calling the deliberate damage of culture a "war crime" and pledging to do everything possible to fight it.
Algeria: UN envoy opens latest round of talks between Libyan leaders
Apr 14, 2015, at 03:07 pm
New York, Apr 14 (IBNS): Libyan stakeholders must give the country’s United Nations-facilitated peace process a chance in order for a political solution to take hold and end the ongoing fighting in the North African nation, the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has declared.
Doha: UN spotlights equal access to justice in promoting economic development
Apr 14, 2015, at 02:57 pm
New York, Apr 14 (IBNS): The role fair, transparent and accessible legal frameworks play in poverty eradication – and in promoting sustainable development – was highlighted on Monday by General Assembly President Sam Kutesa and other top United Nations officials told the UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, in Doha, Qatar on Monday.
Official stresses link between demographic shifts and UN development
Apr 14, 2015, at 02:56 pm
New York, Apr 14 (IBNS): As United Nations Member States met on Monday in New York to begin the 48th session of the Commission on Population and Development, the head of the UN office dealing with economic and social affairs underlined the importance of the link between population changes and the Organization’s current development priorities.