Human rights challenges in Libya ‘massive, but not insurmountable,’ UN rights chief says after visit

Oct 13, 2017, at 02:05 pm

New York, Oct 13(Just Earth News): After a brief mission to Libya, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Thursday said the Government “can and should” lead efforts to urgently address arbitrary detention, torture and other grave violations that must be brought to an end in the crisis-torn North African country.

In Geneva, UN Member States and experts discuss demographic, economic dimensions of migration

Oct 13, 2017, at 02:04 pm

New York, Oct 13(Just Earth News): United Nations Member States began Thursday in Geneva the sixth thematic session of discussions on the proposed Global Compact on Migration, during which delegates and experts will examine the issue of labour mobility of migrants.

Relief aid is saving lives, but world must tackle root cause of famine: conflict – UN chief

Oct 13, 2017, at 02:03 pm

New York, Oct 13(Just Earth News): Until fighting stops and development takes root, communities and entire regions will continue to face hunger, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Thursday, underscoring the link between conflict and famine.

UN and partners launch plan to stop transmission of bovine tuberculosis to humans

Oct 13, 2017, at 02:02 pm

New York, Oct 13(Just Earth News): Stressing the damaging impact on poor rural communities in Africa and South-East Asia of animal tuberculosis’ (bovine TB) transmission to humans, United Nations health experts launched the first-ever roadmap to combat the so-called zoonotic TB.

Silencing opposition voices threatens Cambodian democracy – UN rights expert

Oct 13, 2017, at 02:00 pm

New York, Oct 13(Just Earth News): Civil and political rights in Cambodia are “under threat” as the main opposition party is being dissolved in the parliament, a United Nations human rights expert warned Thursday, also voicing concern that the dissolution may affect upcoming elections in the country.

INTERVIEW: Few global issues as urgent as tackling climate and disaster risks – UN official

Oct 13, 2017, at 01:57 pm

New York, Oct 13(Just Earth News): Recent devastating natural events – from hurricanes in the Caribbean to floods in South Asia and earthquakes in Mexico – have again shone a spotlight on the importance of efforts to reduce disaster risk, and how impossible it is to achieve global development goals without addressing such hazards.

In phone call, UN chief offers congratulations and support to Palestinian President

Oct 13, 2017, at 01:55 pm

New York, Oct 13(Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has congratulated by phone Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, on the intra-Palestinian agreement, signed earlier Thursday in Cairo.

Ahead of UN mission's closure, envoy reports greater stability, security in Haiti

Oct 13, 2017, at 01:54 pm

New York, Oct 13(Just Earth News): Haiti has seen a significant turnaround from profound instability, widespread political violence, and a climate of lawlessness that in 2004 impacted the every-day lives of millions of Haitians, the head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean islands country told the Security Council on Thursday.

Disease outbreak ‘real and present danger’ UNICEF warns, launching latrine-building plan in Cox’s Bazar

Oct 13, 2017, at 05:10 am

New York, Oct 12(Just Earth News): New latrines will be constructed in the Rohingya camps and settlements of Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district to provide sanitation coverage to some 250,000 people, averting a major disease outbreak, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported Thursday.

Latin America and Caribbean falling off ‘zero hunger’ path towards 2030 – UN report

Oct 13, 2017, at 05:09 am

New York, Oct 12(Just Earth News): The total number of persons that suffer from hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean has increased, reversing decades of progress, even as overweight and obesity emerged as a major problem in all countries in the region of the Americas, a United Nations-backed report shows.

US withdrawal from UNESCO 'loss for multilateralism,' says cultural agency's chief

Oct 13, 2017, at 05:08 am

New York, Oct 12(Just Earth News): The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voiced “profound regret” on Thursday over the United States' decision to withdraw from the agency.

UN chief Guterres welcomes peaceful elections in Liberia

Oct 13, 2017, at 05:00 am

New York, Oct 12(Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed Tuesday's peaceful holding of the presidential and House of Representatives elections in Liberia and reiterated the continued support of the UN to the consolidation of peace and democracy in the West African country.

Canada-U.S. deal possible, says Donald Trump after meeting Justin Trudeau

Oct 13, 2017, at 03:42 am

Washington, Oct 12 (IBNS): After meeting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of a bilateral deal between the two countries, media reports said.

Kidnapped Canadian couple in Pakistan released after five years

Oct 13, 2017, at 03:40 am

Ottawa, Islamabad, Oct 12 (IBNS): A Canadian couple, who were kidnapped in 2012 during backpacking through Central Asia, have been released after five years, media reports said.

Seal meat dish: Toronto restaurant faces flak from animal rights activists

Oct 12, 2017, at 06:43 pm

Toronto, Oct 12 (IBNS): A restaurant in Toronto is engaged in a bitter battle with animal rights advocates after the latter objected to one of its dishes on the menu, reports said.

At least 23 people die as northern California firestorm grows

Oct 12, 2017, at 03:24 pm

Napa, Oct 12 (IBNS): The death toll in the California firestorm incident has risen to 23 as the wildfire spread rapidly through the northern part of the state, forcing new evacuations, reports said.

New allegation of sexual abuse surfaces at UN mission in Central African Republic

Oct 12, 2017, at 02:27 pm

New York, Oct 12(Just Earth News): United Nations Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Wednesday that the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) reported it had received an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor that took place in Bambari by UN peacekeepers.

Despite progress on voter registration, DR Congo faces challenges on election timeline – UN envoy

Oct 12, 2017, at 02:26 pm

New York, Oct 12(Just Earth News): The notion that elections would most probably not be held before the end of 2017 has regrettably led to the re-emergence of a climate of political uncertainty and tensions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a United Nations envoy for that country told the Security Council on Wednesday.

FEATURE: A woman’s strength is unlimited, says award-winning UN peacekeeper

Oct 12, 2017, at 02:24 pm

New York, Oct 12(Just Earth News): “Being a girl child, I dreamt of occupying a powerful position to influence and create change in the community. It was the segregation of women that I experienced in my childhood that gave me the strength to add my voice in everything I did.”

UN chief proposes $5.4 billion budget for 2018-2019

Oct 12, 2017, at 02:22 pm

New York, Oct 12(Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday presented the Organization’s proposed programme budget for the 2018-2019 biennium, amounting to just under $5.4 billion, to the UN General Assembly’s main administrative and budget committee.

At UN, robot Sophia joins meeting on artificial intelligence and sustainable development

Oct 12, 2017, at 02:21 pm

New York, Oct 12(Just Earth News): Artificial intelligence has the potential to accelerate progress on global development goals, but also poses a range of complex challenges, including ethical questions, human rights issues and security risks, speakers told a United Nations event on Wednesday that featured a robot as one of the panellists.

Cutting greenhouse gases, reducing disaster risk, vital for sustainable development – UN envoy

Oct 12, 2017, at 02:20 pm

New York, Oct 12(Just Earth News): A new United Nations report has underscored the importance of a “risk-informed” approach to sustainable development and called for integrating global agreements on disaster risk reduction and climate change into national socio-economic planning.

‘EmPOWER’ girls before, during and after crises, UN says on International Day of the Girl Child

Oct 12, 2017, at 04:45 am

New York, Oct 11(Just Earth News): The world’s 1.1 billion girls are a source of power, energy, and creativity – and the millions of girls in emergencies are no exception, the United Nations said on the International Day of the Girl Child, which kicks off a year-long effort to draw global attention to and action on the challenges and opportunities girls face before, during, and after crises.

UN launches innovative plan to significantly cut new HIV infections

Oct 12, 2017, at 04:44 am

New York, Oct 11(Just Earth News): Despite a 50 per cent drop in AIDS-related deaths since the peak of the epidemic, new HIV infection declines among adults are lagging, prompting the United Nations to launch a 10-point plan that lays out immediate, concrete steps countries can take to accelerate progress.

Attacks against Rohingya ‘a ploy’ to drive them away; prevent their return – UN rights chief

Oct 12, 2017, at 04:43 am

New York, Oct 11(Just Earth News): Brutal, well-organized, coordinated and systematic attacks have been carried out against the minority Muslim Rohingya community in Myanmar, with the intention of not just driving them away but also preventing their return, a new United Nations human rights report has revealed.

Youth obesity increases 10-fold in four decades, UN-backed study reveals

Oct 12, 2017, at 04:42 am

New York, Oct 11(Just Earth News): The number of obese children and adolescents aged five to 19 years worldwide has risen tenfold in the past four decades, and if current trends continue, there will be more obese children and adolescents than those moderately or severely underweight by 2022, a United Nations-backed study shows.

Important to retain female politicians than recruiting: Justin Trudeau at Washington Summit

Oct 12, 2017, at 04:28 am

Washington, Oct 11 (IBNS): Addressing a gathering at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, said it is important to retain female politicians than merely recruiting them, media reports said.

US flies two supersonic bombers over Korean peninsula in show of force against North Korea

Oct 11, 2017, at 09:32 pm

Washington DC, Oct 11 (IBNS): The United States, in a 'show of force' against North Korea, flew two supersonic heavy bombers over the Korean peninsula, according to media reports on Wednesday.

California fires: Death toll touches 15, over 150 missing

Oct 11, 2017, at 04:34 pm

Napa, Oct 11 (IBNS): The death toll in the deadly California fires has increased to 15, while scores of people are still missing, reports said.

Security Council condemns attack on UN mission base in DR Congo

Oct 11, 2017, at 01:29 pm

New York, Oct 11(Just Earth News): The United Nations Security Council has called on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to investigate into, and bring to justice those behind Monday’s attack on a peacekeeping mission base in North Kivu that resulted in the deaths of two “blue helmets.”