Hurricane Katrina's 'true legacy' was to spur disaster risk management: UN official
Aug 29, 2015, at 03:12 pm
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): The top United Nations disaster resilience official on Friday said on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina that the 'true legacy' of the costliest United States hurricane disaster, which devastated New Orleans and claimed more than 1,800 lives, was to raise the bar for disaster risk management worldwide.
Ban urges all parties in Burundi to 'look beyond political differences'
Aug 29, 2015, at 03:10 pm
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): Fifteen years after the signing of a landmark Burundi peace accord, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday called on all the country's political leaders, including those in exile, to find common cause and commit to build on the stability that was ushered in by the Arusha Agreement.
UNICEF announces release of 163 more children by armed group in Central Africa
Aug 29, 2015, at 03:08 pm
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced on Friday that 163 children have been released by an armed group in the Central African Republic, where thousands of other boys and girls are still serving as combatants, cooks and messengers for the country's militant factions.
More than 300,000 make perilous Mediterranean crossing in 2015: UNHCR
Aug 29, 2015, at 03:06 pm
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency said on Friday that the number of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe has surpassed 300,000 this year, up from 219,000 during the whole of 2014.
Security Council: Officials warn political turbulence in Guinea-Bissau
Aug 29, 2015, at 03:04 pm
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): With Guinea-Bissau facing political turbulence barely a year after the re-establishment of constitutional order, the top United Nations official there expressed hope on Friday that political leaders would rise to their "historic responsibility" to preserve the gains made so far in the interest of the country and people.
UN experts urge Sudan to overturn 'outrageous conviction' for indecent dressing
Aug 29, 2015, at 03:03 pm
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): A group of independent United Nations human rights experts have voiced alarm after a female Sudanese student was sentenced to public flogging and a heavy fine for charges of "indecent dressing," while another received a hefty fine for the same charges, and urged that the convictions be overturned immediately.
Ban urges expansion of safe, legal channels of migration
Aug 29, 2015, at 03:01 pm
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): In the wake of the grim discovery of the bodies of more than 70 people inside a truck abandoned near Austria’s border with Hungary, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged the world to come together to provide comprehensive responses to migration issues, including tackling smugglers and resolving ongoing conflicts, among other root causes.
Fresh peace deal 'first step' in resolving South Sudan crisis: Security Council
Aug 29, 2015, at 03:00 pm
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): Welcoming the recent signature by President Salva Kiir, SPLM/SPLA-IO Chairman Riek Machar and others of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, the Security Council on Friday called on all the parties, with the help of the United Nations, to implement the accord and adhere to the permanent ceasefire.
Security Council condemns use of sexual violence in Iraq and Syria
Aug 29, 2015, at 02:57 pm
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Friday condemned the use of sexual violence, in particular sexual enslavement and sexual violence “related to or resulting from forced marriage, committee, including as a tactic of war, in Syria and Iraq,†and urged all parties to armed conflict to take all feasible steps to protect civilians from such “abhorrent†acts.
Websites attack: Six arrested in Britain
Aug 29, 2015, at 02:43 pm
London, Aug 29 (IBNS): British authorities have arrested six people as part of an operation targeting users of hacking group Lizard Squad's Lizard Stresser tool, software that allowed users to pay to take websites offline for up to eight hours at a time, country's National Crime Agency (NCA) has said.
Clashes in Central African Republic force thousands to seek refuge at UN peacekeeping base
Aug 28, 2015, at 06:42 pm
New York, Aug 27 (IBNS): Clashes between rival militias in the past few days have forced several thousand people to flee their homes in the Central African Republic (CAR) town of Bambari and seek shelter at a former cotton factory inside the compound of the United Nations peacekeeping mission, the UN refugee agency said today.
Ancient crops to be deposited in Norway's Arctic seed vault for future generations - UN
Aug 28, 2015, at 06:35 pm
New York, Aug 28 (IBNS): As a significant step towards preserving the world's most important ancient crops for future generations, the head of the United Nations agriculture agency, together with scientists and delegations from Peru, Costa Rica and Norway, Thursday witnessed a ceremony during which potato seeds were deposited to the "safety box" in Arctic seed vault.
Urging end to 'delaying' tactics, UN rights experts call for fairness in Guatemala's genocide trial
Aug 28, 2015, at 06:31 pm
New York, Aug 28 (IBNS): United Nations experts on genocide prevention and transitional justice Thursday called on Guatemalan judicial authorities to "prevent any further attempt at interference, obstruction of justice or manipulation of the law," when the genocide trial against the country's former de facto Head of State, and the former chief of intelligence resumes in January 2016.
Aid community must scale up support to troubled Lake Chad region, urges senior UN official
Aug 28, 2015, at 06:26 pm
New York, Aug 28 (IBNS): A senior United Nations relief official Thursday called on the international community to ramp up its support in response to the multifaceted humanitarian challenges affecting Chad, the seventh largest refugee-hosting country in the world.
Aug 28, 2015, at 06:23 pm
New York, Aug 28 (IBNS) The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has announced that a round of Libyan political dialogue began today in Skhirat, Morocco, with discussions expected to focus on expediting the process towards finalizing the Libyan Political Agreement, including reaching agreement on a Government of National Accord.
UN humanitarian agencies reach thousands of South Sudanese cut off for months
Aug 28, 2015, at 06:20 pm
New York, Aug 28 (IBNS): Emergency relief teams from the United Nations have managed to reach more than 27,000 people in a town in South Sudan cut off by insecurity since March where "there were only some fish and a few tomatoes for sale in the market, and almost nobody had the means to buy them."
Ban welcomes South Sudanese leader Kiir's signature of agreement to resolve conflict
Aug 28, 2015, at 06:17 pm
New York, Aug 28 (IBNS): Welcoming President Salva Kiir's signing of the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the move is "a critical and necessary step towards ending the 20 month-long conflict that has devastated [the country] and subjected its people to unspeakable suffering."
Ban strongly condemns use of chemical weapons and toxic chemicals as weapons in Syria conflict
Aug 28, 2015, at 06:15 pm
New York, Aug 28 (IBNS): Deeply disturbed by continuing reports of the use of chemical weapons, as well as the use of toxic chemicals as a weapon in Syria, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Thursday strongly condemned any such use by any party to the conflict and stressed that the entire international community has the responsibility to hold the perpetrators to account.
UN humanitarian chief urges Security Council action to end 'immense suffering' of Syrians
Aug 28, 2015, at 06:09 pm
New York, Aug 28 (IBNS): The United Nations humanitarian chief Thursday urged the Security Council to do everything in its power to push for a political solution to end the conflict in Syria, as he described the immense suffering and destruction he witnessed for himself during a recent visit.
Afghan militants foil Taliban's plan
Aug 28, 2015, at 03:36 am
Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Aug 27 (IBNS) Afghan military officials on Thursday said that they were successful in foiling the Taliban’s plan of making inroads in the Hesarak district of eastern Nangarhar province of the country.
UN refugee agency chief urges Europe to formulate collective response to migrant crisis
Aug 27, 2015, at 04:21 pm
New York, Aug 27 (IBNS) With the number of migrants fleeing to Europe the violence in their countries of origin continuing to increase, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, on Wednesday urged the European Union to speed up the formulation of an adequate collective response to this unprecedented crisis.
At Security Council, UN envoy says Libyan parties must come together, make 'final push' for peace
Aug 27, 2015, at 04:00 pm
New York, Aug 27 (IBNS) With the United Nations-supported political dialogue process in Libya nearing its last stages, "time is running out" for leaders on all sides and at all levels to make the "final push," the head of the UN Mission in the country (UNSMIL) told the Security Council today.
As momentum builds for December climate talks in Paris, Ban looks ahead to 'bold' outcome
Aug 27, 2015, at 03:56 pm
New York, Aug 27 (IBNS) Commending France's "exemplary leadership" on efforts to tackle climate change, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday affirmed that the international community is now at a stage where the final elements of the new climate agreement are being negotiated.
Aug 27, 2015, at 03:42 pm
New York, Aug 27 (IBNS) Near Gevgelija, a southeast town bordering Greece, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has established a child-friendly space with a mobile team to support women and children fleeing violence in their home countries and moving through the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
UN food relief now reaching more than 400,000 flood victims in Myanmar
Aug 27, 2015, at 03:38 pm
New York, Aug 27 (IBNS) The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is now delivering rice, beans, cooking oil and salt to more than 400,000 people affected by flooding in Myanmar and "reachable only on foot, after floods and landslides destroyed roads across the country," the agency said today.
UNICEF demands that water not be used to achieve 'military and political gains' in Syria
Aug 27, 2015, at 03:36 pm
New York, Aug 27 (IBNS) Amid the unremitting brutality of the war in Syria and a scorching summer heat wave, there is increasing evidence that parties to the conflict are using water to achieve military and political gains, warned the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
US: Two journalists shot dead during live broadcast
Aug 27, 2015, at 02:06 am
Virginia, Aug 26 (IBNS): Two TV journalists were shot dead during a live TV report at Bridgewater Plaza area in US Virginia state, their employer confirmed on Wednesday.
Experienced official from Netherlands appointed Deputy UN Special Representative for Mali
Aug 26, 2015, at 03:23 pm
New York, Aug 26 (IBNS):United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday announced the appointment of Koen Davidse, of the Netherlands, as his Deputy Special Representative in the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). He will succeed Arnauld Akodjènou, of Benin, in September 2015.
Senior UN climate change official envisages 'good agreement' at upcoming Pairs conference
Aug 26, 2015, at 03:20 pm
New York, Aug 26 (IBNS): The climate change agreement world leaders are expected to sign in December "has to take us to a less than 2 degree global warming path because that is the ultimate test of the whole package that will come out of Paris," according to Janos Pasztor, a senior United Nations official dealing with the issue.
Aug 26, 2015, at 03:16 pm
New York, Aug 26 (IBNS) Voicing concern over continuing political violence and killing of protestors in Nepal, the United Nations human rights office on Tuesday called on the authorities to respect dissenting voices and seek a peaceful solution with demonstrators.