Prince George to attend nursery from next year
Dec 18, 2015, at 11:59 pm
London, Dec 18 (IBNS): Prince George is all set to join nursey school next year, media reports said.
Dec 18, 2015, at 03:36 pm
New York, Dec 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS) After two days of meetings in Jerusalem and Ramallah with Israeli and Palestinian officials, the United Nations and its partners in the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East peace process strongly condemned on Thursday all acts of terror and stressed the importance of opposing unequivocally incitement and violence and de-escalate the situation.
Ban hails commitment by Costa Rica, Nicaragua to abide by UN court's ruling on border dispute
Dec 18, 2015, at 03:35 pm
New York, Dec 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday welcomed the commitment by Costa Rica and Nicaragua to abide by the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on their border dispute.
Dec 18, 2015, at 03:33 pm
New York, Dec 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Stressing the need for States to work with the private sector to devise ways to prevent terrorists from exploiting the Internet while respecting human rights, the top United Nations political official on Thursday said curtailing the influence of terrorists and violent extremist groups must not come at the expense of curbing legitimate political discourse on the Internet or social media.
Security Council moves to cut off all funding sources for ISIL and other terrorist groups
Dec 18, 2015, at 03:32 pm
New York, Dec 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS) At its first ever meeting at Finance Ministers’ level, the United Nations Security Council on Thursday stepped up its efforts to cut off all sources of funding for the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIL) and other terrorist groups, including ransom payments, no matter by whom.
UN officials hail Colombian accord on conflict victims for acknowledging violence suffered by women
Dec 18, 2015, at 03:27 pm
New York, Dec 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The “breakthrough†agreement signed this week by the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP) on victims of the decades-long conflict also acknowledges the various forms of violence that women have suffered and removes amnesties for the most serious crimes such as sexual violence, two senior United Nations officials said today.
Yemen: Parties at UN-facilitated talks agree on delivery of humanitarian aid in Taiz
Dec 18, 2015, at 03:26 pm
New York, Dec 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS) On the third day of the United Nations-sponsored negotiations on ending the crisis in Yemen, the participants, meeting in Switzerland, have reached an agreement which allows for a full and immediate resumption of humanitarian assistance to the central city of Taiz.
UN welcomes 'historic' signing of Libyan Political Agreement
Dec 18, 2015, at 03:25 pm
New York, Dec 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Representatives from a broad range of Libyan society on Thursday signed a United Nations-brokered agreement on forming a national unity government, a move welcomed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his top envoy for the country as among the "essential building blocks towards a peaceful, secure and prosperous Libya," but also as "the beginning of a difficult journey" along that path.
'Robust, decisive' action needed now to avert civil war in Burundi, UN rights chief warns
Dec 18, 2015, at 03:21 pm
New York, Dec 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The top United Nations human rights official on Thursday urged the international community to take "robust, decisive" action instead of "fiddling around the edges" to avert a civil war in Burundi that could have serious ethnic overtones and alarming regional consequences.
Dec 18, 2015, at 03:20 pm
New York, Dec 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday pledged to urgently review the recommendations made by an independent panel that found that the United Nations did not act with the “speed, care or sensitivity required,†when it uncovered information about crimes committed against children by soldiers – not under UN command – sent to the Central African Republic (CAR) to protect civilians.
Every two seconds, a baby is born in a conflict zone - UNICEF
Dec 18, 2015, at 03:17 pm
New York, Dec 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS) More than 16 million babies in 2015 were born in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen or on perilous journeys to escape fighting, which translates to 1 in 8 of all births worldwide, or one newborn every two seconds, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday.
UN's rapid response humanitarian fund marks 10th anniversary with plans to upgrade
Dec 18, 2015, at 03:13 pm
New York, Dec 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The United Nations rapid response funding mechanism for saving tens of thousands of lives in both sudden disasters and long-festering crises marked its 10th anniversary on Thursday with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon laying out plans to strengthen it in the face of mounting challenges.
New bill in Finland threatens Sami peoples' right to traditional lands, livelihoods, UN expert warns
Dec 18, 2015, at 03:12 pm
New York, Dec 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS) A United Nations human rights expert expressed deep concern on Thursday at the lack of consultation and the reduced protections to the Sami indigenous people in the current draft law on the Finnish Forest and Parks Service (Metsähallitus) to regulate the management of State-owned lands.
Pakistan asked to halt executions
Dec 17, 2015, at 08:23 pm
New York, Dec 17 (IBNS): Pakistan’s government should immediately halt executions, reinstate the moratorium on the death penalty, and move toward abolition, Human Rights Watch has said in a joint letter with Amnesty International to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Dec 17, 2015, at 02:32 pm
New York, Dec 17 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The Security Council on Wednesday called on all United Nations Member States to do everything in their power to combat human trafficking, especially for sexual purposes, citing the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and Boko Haram as prime perpetrators.
Some 150 million migrants now participating in global workforce - new UN labour agency report
Dec 17, 2015, at 02:31 pm
New York, Dec 17 (Just Earth News/IBNS) A new statistical study conducted by the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) has revealed that migrant workers account for 150.3 million of the world’s approximately 232 million international migrants, which amounts to a total of 72.7 per cent of working age migrant population.
Opium production in Myanmar and Laos are stable at high levels, new UN report shows
Dec 17, 2015, at 02:31 pm
New York, Dec 17 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Opium poppy cultivation has stabilized at high levels in Myanmar and Lao People's Democratic Republic, but "the region’s demand for heroin remains at unacceptably high levels and transnational organized crime groups are making huge profits," according to a new survey released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
'Show unprecedented vision to make peace,' senior UN official tells Israeli, Palestinian leaders
Dec 17, 2015, at 02:28 pm
New York, Dec 17 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Citing Palestinian attacks against Israelis, perceived impunity for settler violence against Palestinians and the impression of an endless occupation, a senior United Nations political official on Wednesday called for “unprecedented vision†by both sides to take the bold steps necessary for peace.
Dec 17, 2015, at 02:27 pm
New York, Dec 17 (Just Earth News/IBNS) As 2015 draws to a close, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon summed up the "pivotal year" in which the Organization marked its 70th anniversary by highlighting landmark steps taken to advance sustainable development, climate action, conflict resolution and provision of humanitarian assistance.
Dec 16, 2015, at 05:31 pm
New York, Dec 16 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The 193 Member States of the United Nations will for the first time be included "totally" in the selection of the next UN Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly said on Tuesday, pledging to make the process as transparent and inclusive as possible.
Dec 16, 2015, at 05:29 pm
New York, Dec 16 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Amid rising levels of violence in Afghanistan that has now spread across a large part of the country, the United Nations Deputy Special Representative there, reported on Tuesday overall progress in the ability to provide relief aid to those in need, as all parties to the conflict have shown an increase respect for humanitarian laws.
Security Council renews UN peacekeeping force in Abyei for another five months
Dec 16, 2015, at 04:54 pm
New York, Dec 16 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday extended for another five months its interim peacekeeping force in Abyei, a resource-rich area contested by Sudan and South Sudan, calling on both sides to swiftly resume regular meetings to resolve the oil-rich territory’s final status.
Amid escalating hate speech against Muslims, UN rights officials denounce intolerance, incitement
Dec 16, 2015, at 04:52 pm
New York, Dec 16 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Expressing “grave concern†at the outpouring of intolerance and hate speech in public discourse and in the media in recent weeks, which focused particularly on Muslims, senior United Nations human rights officials have urgently called on those in positions of authority and political leadership to act responsibly and with respect for both international and national laws.
Despite progressive laws, gender-based violence ‘pervasive’ in South Africa, UN expert warns
Dec 16, 2015, at 04:00 pm
New York, Dec 16 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Warning that deeply entrenched patriarchal attitudes make violence against women “an almost acceptable phenomenon†in South Africa, a United Nations human rights expert on Tuesday urged the Government to strengthen its fight against gender-based violence through awareness and education at all levels of society.
Two-year conflict has led to ‘unrelenting crisis’ for South Sudan’s children, UN agencies warn
Dec 16, 2015, at 03:37 pm
New York, Dec 16 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The children of South Sudan are among the most vulnerable on the planet, two leading United Nations humanitarian agencies said on Tuesday, with a senior UN refugee official warning that the world’s newest nation cannot afford to lose a generation of children, “as in them lies the future and hope of the young nation.â€
Dec 16, 2015, at 03:23 pm
New York, Dec 16 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday chided the United Nations Security Council for its “empty promises†to bring Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir to trial for atrocities in Darfur, even as his victims cry out for justice amid indiscriminate killings and mass rape.
UN rights chief urges Cuba to halt harassment of activists and respect human rights
Dec 16, 2015, at 03:20 pm
New York, Dec 16 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The top United Nations human rights official expressed concern today over the extremely high number of arbitrary arrests and short-term detentions of individuals, including human rights defenders and dissidents, in Cuba in recent weeks.
Dec 16, 2015, at 03:18 pm
New York, Dec 16 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The United Nations nuclear watchdog on Tuesday closed the book on the possible military aspects of Iran’s nuclear programme, finding that they were limited to feasibility and scientific studies and did not proceed beyond 2009, bringing an international nuclear accord with Iran a step closer to implementation.
Yemen: UN-sponsored peace talks kick off as ceasefire goes into effect
Dec 16, 2015, at 03:16 pm
New York, Dec 16 (Just Earth News/IBNS) After months of relentless violence in Yemen, consultations facilitated by the United Nations began on Tuesday in Switzerland aimed at finding a durable settlement to the crisis, including establishing a permanent ceasefire, securing improvements to the humanitarian situation and a returning to a peaceful and orderly political transition.
Dec 16, 2015, at 03:13 pm
New York, Dec 16 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Although international attention has waned regarding the crisis in Israel and the Occupied Palestine Territory, the United Nations human rights office on Tuesday warned that the region is still rife with violence and the recent escalation in the fighting has claimed 117 Palestinian lives, along with two foreign nationals and injured thousands more.