At Security Council, Ban cites shared responsibility to ‘nurture seeds of peace and prosperity’ in Africa

Jul 29, 2016, at 01:41 pm

New York, July 29 (Just Earth News): Citing persisting instability in number of African countries – from South Sudan to Mali and Libya, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday stressed that building peace and restoring institutions in post-conflict settings are long-term processes that must be rooted in a country’s historical, political, social, cultural and economic contexts.

UN appeals for halting imminent execution of prisoners in Indonesia

Jul 29, 2016, at 01:40 pm

New York, July 29 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and a group of UN rights experts on Thursday appealed to the Government of Indonesia to stop the reportedly imminent execution of a number of prisoners for alleged drug-related crimes.

Proposed humanitarian corridors in Aleppo must be guaranteed by all sides, says UN relief chief

Jul 29, 2016, at 01:37 pm

New York, July 29 (Just Earth News): Amid reports that Aleppo is ‘de facto besieged,’ as the war-battered city is now almost completely encircled by Syrian troops, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator on Thursday reiterated his demand for safe, regular and sustained access to the quarter of a million people trapped behind the front lines, and stressed that “all options must be considered.”

With planting season weeks away, millions in drought-hit southern Africa need support – UN

Jul 29, 2016, at 04:19 am

New York, July 28 (Just Earth News): Some 23 million people in southern Africa are in need of urgent support to be able to produce enough food to feed themselves and avoid being dependent on humanitarian assistance until mid-2018, the United Nations agricultural agency has warned.

Despite positive trends, poaching of African elephants still 'unacceptably high' – UN-backed treaty

Jul 29, 2016, at 04:17 am

New York, July 28 (Just Earth News): Many African elephants continued to face serious threats to their survival in 2015 from the illegal trade in ivory and unacceptably high levels of poaching, although the sharp upward trends in poaching since 2006 have started to level off, according to the Secretariat of the United Nations-backed treaty regulating wildlife trade.

UN warns of more heatwave deaths as climate change pushes up temperatures

Jul 29, 2016, at 04:12 am

New York, July 28 (Just Earth News): Warning of a possible rise in heatwave deaths due to climate change, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) on Thursday called for measures to reduce mortality from this natural hazard.

Syria: Militant attack kills 44

Jul 28, 2016, at 09:04 pm

Qamishli, July 28 (IBNS): A militant attack at al-Qameshli city of northeastern Syria killed at least 44 people on Wednesday, media reports said on Thursday.

French church attack: Another suspect identified

Jul 28, 2016, at 08:34 pm

Berlin, July 28 (IBNS): The second suspect at a church in French city Normandy has been identified, media reports said.

I am even more optimistic about the future: Obama

Jul 28, 2016, at 02:36 pm

Washington, July 28 (IBNS): Endorsing Hillary Clinton, US President Barack Obama on Thursday aid while addressing at the Democratic National Convention at Philadelphia that he is optimistic about the future of the nation.

Root causes of Boko Haram threat in Lake Chad Basin must be tackled – UN political chief

Jul 28, 2016, at 01:29 pm

New York, July 28 (Just Earth News): To bring an end to the Boko Haram threat in the Lake Chad Basin region, affected countries must address the root causes that contributed to the emergence of the group, including the social, economic and political grievances of marginalized communities, the top United Nations political affairs official said on Wednesday.

UN deputy aid chief calls for strengthened response to upcoming La Niña weather event

Jul 28, 2016, at 01:28 pm

New York, July 28 (Just Earth News): Following a week-long visit to southern Africa, the United Nations deputy humanitarian chief has called for increased efforts to help mitigate the impact of the La Niña weather phenomenon occurring towards the end of the year.

FEATURE SERIES: What is UN peacebuilding and its role in preventing conflicts?

Jul 28, 2016, at 01:26 pm

New York, July 28 (Just Earth News): In conflicts, the United Nations is commonly associated with peacekeeping and UN ‘blue helmets,’ but increasingly the international community’s focus is on “peacebuilding” – the idea of supporting a country throughout all stages of a conflict, including post-conflict recovery and socio-economic development, and on preventing the outbreak of fighting.

Turkey: In call with Foreign Minister, Ban seeks update on current probe into attempted coup

Jul 28, 2016, at 01:25 pm

New York, July 28 (Just Earth News): In a telephone call with the Turkish Foreign Minister on Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sought an update on current investigations and measures to hold those responsible for the attempted coup to account, and reiterated his expectation that Turkey adhere to its international human rights obligations.

Explosion occurs near Germany's migration office: Reports

Jul 28, 2016, at 05:18 am

Berlin, July 27 (IBNS): An explosion took off near an office for migration in the town of Zirndorf close to Nuremberg in Germany on Wednesday, media reports said.

UN experts urge Dominican Republic to protect women’s rights to reproductive health

Jul 28, 2016, at 04:43 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): Expressing serious concern over the proposed penal code amendment that would criminalize abortions, United Nations human rights experts on Wednesday urged the Dominican Republic’s President and legislators to protect women’s rights to sexual and reproductive health in the Caribbean country.

UN anti-crime chief calls for greater prevention efforts, youth advocacy to fight terrorism

Jul 28, 2016, at 04:42 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): The threat of terrorism has expanded and become increasingly decentralized and diffuse throughout the past 10 years, the top United Nations anti-crime official said on Wednesday, calling for greater efforts to tackle links between crime and terrorism and for increased advocacy among youth.

Concerned by amended child labour bill in India, UN agency urges stronger legal framework

Jul 28, 2016, at 04:40 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): Voicing concern over the amended Child Labour Bill in India which could legitimize family work and further disadvantage children from poor families, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged the removal of certain provisions and establishing a robust monitoring mechanism with a thorough list of hazardous occupations for a stronger child protection framework.

Yemen: Amid rising tensions in Taiz, senior UN official calls for humanitarian pause

Jul 28, 2016, at 04:39 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): Extremely concerned by reports of rising tensions in Yemen’s Taizz governorate, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the crisis-gripped country has called for a “humanitarian pause” to protect civilians.

FEATURE: Tackling cholera in Haiti by building sanitary cordons

Jul 28, 2016, at 04:37 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): “Wash my hands before eating and nursing the baby, wash my hands after relieving myself, use Aquatabs to purify the water…” and so, Sherline Deus lists the steps she must take to protect herself and her children from cholera in the town of Grand Bois, located in in north-eastern Haiti, near the country's border with the Dominican Republic.

UN rushes to ramp up support for South Sudan's battle against cholera outbreak

Jul 28, 2016, at 04:36 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): The United Nations and its partners are rushing to ramp up support for South Sudan's fight to contain a cholera outbreak through measures, including an oral vaccination campaign to reach over 14,000 people and the creation of treatment and rehydration centres.

Indonesia: UN rights chief urges region's 'most prolific executioner' to end practice

Jul 28, 2016, at 04:35 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): The United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday expressed alarm at reports that up to 14 people face imminent execution in Indonesia, most of them for drug-related offences, calling on the authorities of “the most prolific executioner” in Southeast Asia to immediately reinstate a moratorium on the death penalty.

Hillary Clinton nominated for US president

Jul 27, 2016, at 03:05 pm

Washington, July 27 (IBNS): Making history, Hillary Clinton on Tuesday secured the Democratic Party's U.S. presidential nomination for the US Presidential polls.

FEATURE: 'We all have to do what we can' to prevent

Jul 27, 2016, at 11:48 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): The United Nations has a “zero tolerance” policy towards sexual abuse by anyone working under the blue flag.

Syria: UN envoy aims for peace talks to resume in late August

Jul 27, 2016, at 11:47 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): The United Nations envoy mediating a resolution to the five-year crisis in Syria said on Tuesday he aims to convene a new round of intra-Syrian peace talks towards the end of August, and expressed hope that the United States and Russia would make “concrete progress” in order to improve the atmosphere for the resumption of the discussions.

UN agency appeals for added funds for return of Somali refugees from Dadaab camp

Jul 27, 2016, at 11:46 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): The United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday appealed to donors for an additional $115.4 million to fund the voluntary return and reintegration of Somali refugees from Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp.

Temperature in Kuwait hits 54 Celsius, sets possible record amid Middle East heatwave – UN

Jul 27, 2016, at 11:44 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a United Nations specialized agency, will set up a committee to examine whether a 54 degrees Celsius temperature recently recorded in Kuwait, has set the new highest temperature for Asia, as well as for the entire Eastern hemisphere.

Gender equality, women's empowerment central to Colombian peace process – UN officials

Jul 27, 2016, at 11:42 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): Two senior United Nations officials on Tuesday underscored that the centrality of women to the Colombian peace process, as shown by the 'historic commitment' by the Government and Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) at the Havana Peace Talks Table, must be reinforced in the final agreement and, more importantly, during the implementation phase.

Recent attacks on hospitals in Aleppo 'can amount to war crimes' – UNICEF

Jul 27, 2016, at 11:41 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reiterated on Tuesday that attacks on health facilities are a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and can amount to war crimes, in response to the recent airstrikes on four hospitals and a blood bank in eastern Aleppo city in Syria.

On first International Day, UNESCO calls for protection of mangrove ecosystems

Jul 27, 2016, at 11:40 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News): Mangroves are rare and vital ecosystems that help to protect coastlines and mitigate the effects of climate change, but their survival is being jeopardized, the United Nations cultural agency said on Tuesday, calling for greater preservation efforts as the international community marks the first ever International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.

Security Council extends UN Central African Republic Mission through 2017

Jul 27, 2016, at 11:38 am

New York, July 27 (Just Earth News):The Security Council on Tuesday extended the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic (CAR) until 15 November 2017, keeping an authorized troop ceiling of 10,750 military personnel intact and providing time for the mission to assess the post-transition process in the country.