Cooperation vital to combating wildlife crime: UN Assembly President

Mar 05, 2015, at 04:12 pm

New York, Mar 5 (IBNS): The President of the United Nations General Assembly called on Wednesday for a coordinated international response to the trafficking of wildlife that took aim at the both the supply and demand side of poaching and the illegal trade in animals.

WHO's solid evidence backing its call to reduce sugar intake

Mar 05, 2015, at 04:08 pm

New York, Mar 5 (IBNS): New guidelines released by the United Nations health agency on Wednesday recommended that adults and children worldwide reduce their daily sugar intake to boost health and stave off non-communicable diseases.

UN joins demands for release of child soldiers: South Sudan

Mar 05, 2015, at 04:06 pm

New York, Mar 5 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, on Wednesday demanded the release of hundreds of child soldiers forcibly recruited by militias and groups aligned with the warring factions or the South Sudan Government, saying “there needs to be accountability for child recruiters and those who commit grave violations against children.”

Sustainability starts in Sendai: Ban

Mar 05, 2015, at 03:59 pm

New York, Mar 5 (IBNS): A new United Nations report urging greater investment in risk prevention has underscored disaster risk reduction as a building block for future sustainable development, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon affirmed on Wednesday as the Organization prepares for a pivotal upcoming global conference on the issue.

No evidence death penalty deters any crime: UN official

Mar 05, 2015, at 03:57 pm

New York, Mar 5 (IBNS): Despite progress in recent years to universally abolish the death penalty, major challenges persist, the United Nations human rights official said on Wednesday at a high-level debate in Geneva, expressing concern that the death penalty, in practice, is “too often applied to the poor and marginalized foot soldiers” rather than the powerful organizers of the drug business.

Move to repeal state law in Australia welcomed by UN

Mar 05, 2015, at 03:55 pm

New York, Mar 5 (IBNS): A United Nations rights expert praised on Wednesday the move made in Australia to repeal restrictive laws that regulate protests, and encouraged the reversal of any legislation that curtails the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly.

Libya crisis festering: UN envoy

Mar 05, 2015, at 03:53 pm

New York, Mar 5 (IBNS): The overall situation in Libya is “deteriorating rapidly” amid a growing terrorist threat and continuing violence, the United Nations envoy to the country warned the Security Council on Wednesday, as he urged national stakeholders to move firmly in defining the country’s future.

WHO notes threat of polio spread in conflict-affected countries

Mar 05, 2015, at 03:52 pm

New York, Mar 5 (IBNS): An emergency meeting convened by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) noted on Wednesday that Pakistan had become the 10th country to be ‘infected’ by polio and that “the possibility of international spread still remains a global threat worsened by the expansion of conflict-affected areas, particularly in the Middle East and Central Africa.”

UN envoy meets President of Yemen

Mar 05, 2015, at 03:50 pm

New York, Mar 5 (IBNS):United Nations Special Adviser on Yemen, Jamal Benomar, met with the country’s President, Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi, in Aden, according to an announcement made by the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.

Lebanon: UN envoy discusses country’s security

Mar 05, 2015, at 03:48 pm

New York, Mar 5 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Sigrid Kaag, met on Wednesday with the country’s Defence Minister, Samir Moqbel, in Beirut to discuss the security situation, with a particular focus on Lebanon’s eastern border.

UN envoy talks about eradicating sexual violence in Colombia

Mar 05, 2015, at 03:47 pm

New York, Mar 5 (IBNS): In eradicating sexual violence related to Colombia’s internal armed conflict, the main challenge now is translating resolve into tangible solutions in communities where the crime continues to occur, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Sexual Violence said at the conclusion of her trip to the Latin American country.

Invest in disaster resilience for sustainable development: UN official

Mar 05, 2015, at 03:45 pm

New York, Mar 5 (IBNS): Reducing poverty, improving health and education for all, achieving of sustainable and equitable economic growth and protecting the health of our planet now depend on the management of disaster risks in the day-to-day decisions of governments, companies, investors, civil society organizations, households and individuals, according to a new United Nations report out on Wednesday.

Boko Haram violence goes on, crisis for Nigerian refugee

Mar 04, 2015, at 03:33 pm

New York, Mar 4 (IBNS): The exodus of Nigerians fleeing violence in the country's north-eastern regions continues amid an influx of sixteen thousand refugees into neighbouring Cameroon, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported.

UN supports Government's projects for people: South Sudan

Mar 04, 2015, at 03:32 pm

New York, Mar 4 (IBNS): Under a United Nations-backed initiative, South Sudanese people living in Sudan are being registered by the Government of Sudan and issued identity cards that give them the right to work and access to basic services.

UN-backed Libyan peace talks set to resume

Mar 04, 2015, at 03:32 pm

New York, Mar 4 (IBNS): A new round of United Nations-facilitated talks aimed at resolving Libya’s political crisis will kick-off later this week as stakeholders from the North African country prepare to gather in Morocco, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has announced.

We face a critical turning point: UN chief

Mar 04, 2015, at 03:31 pm

New York, Mar 4 (IBNS): The international community is now faced with "a critical turning point" in defeating Ebola, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at a United Nations Headquarters event on Monday, as he urged support to the affected countries to build back stronger.

South Sudan: Security Council to impose targeted sanctions

Mar 04, 2015, at 03:28 pm

New York, Mar 4 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Tuesday creating a system by which it would to impose sanctions on those blocking peace in South Sudan, the 15-member body’s latest step towards ending a conflict that has killed thousands in the world's newest country.

UNESCO condemns killing of Colombian journalist

Mar 04, 2015, at 03:21 pm

New York, Mar 4 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations agency mandated to defend press freedom today denounced the killing of Colombian journalist Luis Carlos Peralta Cuellar in the "strongest possible terms" and urged local authorities to do their "utmost" to bring the perpetrators to justice.

UN humanitarian chief urges for ideas on emergency responses

Mar 04, 2015, at 03:19 pm

New York, Mar 4 (IBNS): In her remarks to open the Middle East and North Africa regional consultation session in preparation for the May 2016 World Humanitarian Summit, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs on Tuesday underlined the importance of grassroots involvement in humanitarian affairs and of putting people "front and centre" in response of efforts.

Gaza crisis resolution key to achieving regional peace: UN

Mar 03, 2015, at 03:14 pm

New York, Mar 3 (IBNS): Peace in the Middle East hinges on resolving the ongoing crisis in Gaza, where reconstruction efforts are faltering and the blockade continues, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process, Robert Serry, said on Monday during his final visit to the war-ravaged enclave.

UNICEF fears kidnapped children sent to front lines: South Sudan

Mar 03, 2015, at 03:12 pm

New York, Mar 3 (IBNS): Hundreds of children seized by armed men from a village in South Sudan have generated fears that “they are going from the classroom to the front line,” says the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in that country who demanded their immediate release.

UN agency stresses role of nuclear energy in development

Mar 03, 2015, at 03:11 pm

New York, Mar 3 (IBNS): In his introductory statement to the Agency’s Board of Governors, the head of the United Nations atomic energy watchdog said he remains “seriously concerned” about nuclear programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and that he is not yet in a position to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is used for peaceful purposes.

Political consensus urgent to protect human rights: Ban

Mar 03, 2015, at 03:09 pm

New York, Mar 3 (IBNS): The United Nations has the mandates and tools it needs to prevent human rights violations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told delegations gathered in Geneva on Monday for the opening of the current session of the world body’s Human Rights Council, while he warned that the biggest challenge to using these tools is lack of political consensus among Member States.

UN welcomes steps taken to draft agreement on peace: Mali

Mar 03, 2015, at 03:08 pm

New York, Mar 3 (IBNS): The United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) congratulated the parties involved in reaching a draft agreement on peace and reconciliation, which was initialled in Algiers on Sunday, according to the UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson on Monday in New York.

Malaysia: UN urges to help victims of human trafficking

Mar 03, 2015, at 03:06 pm

New York, Mar 3 (IBNS): The Government of Malaysia must increase its efforts in addressing all forms of human trafficking while also protecting the rights of its victims, a United Nations human rights expert said on Monday.

UNESCO lauds reopening of National Museum in Baghdad

Mar 03, 2015, at 03:04 pm

New York, Mar 3 (IBNS): The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has congratulated Iraqi authorities for the 12-year effort to re-open the Baghdad Museum, containing artefacts dating back 7,000 years as having “tremendous significance as a response to the deliberate destruction of the country’s other priceless pieces conserved in the Mosul Museum and those in the region of Nineveh.”

China road mishap kills 20

Mar 03, 2015, at 02:11 pm

Beijing, Mar 3 (IBNS) At least 20 people were killed in a road mishap at Linzhou City in Central China's Henan Province on Tuesday, media reports said.

North Korea fires 2 short-range missiles into East Sea

Mar 03, 2015, at 03:11 am

Pyongyang, Mar 2 (IBNS): North Korea on Monday fired two short-range missiles into the East Sea, media reports said.

European Parliament expresses concern over funneling of EU aid to terrorist organizations

Mar 03, 2015, at 02:42 am

Luxembourg, Mar 2 (IBNS): In a supposed jibe at Pakistan, the European Parliament has issued a declaration explicitly expressing its concern over the misuse of European Union funds in the name of counter terror measures and misusing the same to aid the terror outfits.

Zero Discrimination Day: UN urges tolerance for diversity

Mar 02, 2015, at 02:35 pm

New York, Mar 2 (IBNS):The United Nations agency leading the world's HIV/AIDS response has kicked off the 2015 global edition of Zero Discrimination Day as part of the Organization's wider effort to spur solidarity towards ending discrimination.