Global film industry perpetuates discrimination against women – UN-backed study
Sep 23, 2014, at 06:07 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) Nowhere to be “scene,†women protagonists have less than one-third of all speaking roles in film and are largely absent from powerful positions, according to a United Nations-backed survey released on Monday which argues for the involvement of more female film-makers in the industry, and for greater sensitivity to gender imbalance on screen.
New UN-Arab League pact aims to better protect children affected by armed conflict
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:58 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) The United Nations and the League of Arab States on Monday signed an agreement to strengthen the protection of children affected by armed conflict in the Arab world.
Absence of 'credible political solution' causing severe consequences in Middle East: UN chief
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:55 pm
New York , Sept 23 (IBNS) The absence of a credible political solution is having "severe consequences" on the Middle East, said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on0 Monday as he urged all parties to reverse the negative trend toward hostilities and return to peace talks that tackle the root causes of the crisis.
Ban welcomes release of Turkish hostages seized three months ago in Iraq
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:36 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the release of a group of Turkish nations held since June by the group, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Accountability for Israeli, Palestinian rights violations vital for peace – UN official
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:32 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) A senior United Nations official on Monday urged both the Israeli and Palestinian sides to carry out their own investigations into the recent conflict and take steps to ensure accountability for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law that were committed.
Cairo+20: General Assembly reaffirms UN goals on population, development
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:28 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) The international community must renew its pledge to protect women and girls as it strives to improve the dignity of all people and secure the future of the planet, senior United Nations officials told General Assembly on Monday, marking 20 years since a landmark conference that reinforced the principle that people should be at the centre of development.
Success of Indigenous Peoples World Conference 'integral to humanity's progress'-Ban
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:21 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) Opening on Monday the first-ever World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that deliberations and decisions made during the two-day event will reverberate across the world, with concrete impacts on the lives of millions.
PLA must have absolute faith in Communist Party of China: Jinping
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:14 pm
Beijing, Sep 23 (IBNS): Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded “absolute loyalty†from People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s top brass, media reports said.
Yemen: Ban welcomes signing of UN-brokered agreement as step towards peace, stability
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:07 pm
New York, Sept 23(IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for the implementation “in full, without delay†of a newly-agreed peace deal in Yemen which strives to end violence that has killed and displaced hundreds of people in recent weeks.
Rizwan Akhtar appointed as Pakistan's ISI chief
Sep 23, 2014, at 06:01 am
Islamabad, Sept 22 (IBNS) Rizwan Akhtar has been appointed as the new Director General of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), officials said on Monday.
Turkish hostages held by IS released
Sep 21, 2014, at 02:52 am
Istanbul, Sept 20 (IBNS): After three months of captivity, several Turkish hostages, who were abducted by Islamist militants form northern Iraq, were released on Saturday, media reports said.
Pakistan: Bird hits plane,passengers safe
Sep 21, 2014, at 02:50 am
Islamabad, Sept 20 (IBNS) Hit by a bird, a plane was grounded shortly after it took off from Pakistan's Islamabad airport on Saturday, media reports said.
In presidential statement, Security Council condemns attacks against UN Golan force
Sep 20, 2014, at 05:39 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS)Condemning recent hostile acts against United Nations peacekeepers in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) area of operations, the Security Council on Friday demanded that all groups other than UNDOF must abandon all Force positions and the Quneitra crossing point, and return the peacekeepers’ vehicles, weapons and other equipment.
Iraq: Security Council urges international support for Government’s combat against insurgents
Sep 20, 2014, at 05:12 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) The Security Council on Friday strongly condemned attacks by terrorist organizations including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and urged Member States to assist the Iraqi Government’s efforts to combat militants and implement its new political agenda, while the United Nations envoy to the country briefed on the latest developments.
UN human rights office welcomes conditional release of Bahraini rights defender
Sep 20, 2014, at 04:58 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) The United Nations Human Rights Office on Friday welcomed the conditional release of Bahraini human rights defender Maryam Al-Khawaja, who had been in detention since her arrest at Manama airport on 30 August.
Ukraine: UN political chief says adverse security conditions hampering full access to crash site
Sep 20, 2014, at 04:44 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) Two months after the crash of a Malaysia Airlines flight over Ukraine that killed 298 people on board, the top United Nations political official updated the Security Council on developments related to the investigation of the incident.
Mali: Security Council, Ban condemn attack that killed five UN peacekeepers
Sep 20, 2014, at 04:39 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) The Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday condemned in the strongest terms on Thursday ’s attack by an explosive device on a road in Mali, in which five Chadian peacekeepers were killed and three other peacekeepers were severely injured.
Sinking of Mediterranean migrant boat amounts to 'mass murder' - UN rights chief
Sep 20, 2014, at 04:26 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) The UN's top human rights official on Friday urged Egypt and other North African and European States to help bring to justice the people smugglers who allegedly deliberately sank a boat causing the deaths of hundreds of refugees and migrants in last week's "truly horrendous incident" in the Mediterranean.
Marking International Day, UN affirms people's right to 'imagine' world at peace
Sep 20, 2014, at 04:17 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) With John Lennon's iconic song "Imagine" as the backdrop, the United Nations on Friday marked the International Day of Peace underscoring that all people have the right to peace.
Obama welcomes result of Scottish referendum
Sep 20, 2014, at 04:27 am
Washington, Sept 19 (IBNS): US President Barack Obama on Friday 'welcomed' the result of Thursday’s referendum on Scottish independence.
Alex Salmond to resign as Scottish First Minister
Sep 20, 2014, at 02:54 am
Edinburgh , Sept 19 (IBNS) As Scotland rejected vote for independence from United Kingdom, Alex Salmond is to step down as first minister of the country.
Life-saving food aid in jeopardy for millions of Syrians, warns UN agency
Sep 19, 2014, at 09:15 pm
New York, Sept 19 (IBNS) The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday warned that it is running out of funds to provide food for almost 6 million Syrians receiving its life-saving assistance.
Hundreds of Yemeni families in need of aid, UN humanitarian office warns
Sep 19, 2014, at 09:02 pm
New York, Sept 19 (IBNS) Clashes were on Thursday reported in Marib, Yemen, where United Nations humanitarian partners estimate that about 300 families are displaced and cut off from aid.
'No losers, only partners' with Afghan unity government, Security Council told
Sep 19, 2014, at 08:59 pm
New York, Sept 19 (IBNS) There is "quite simply no better way forward" other than a unity government in Afghanistan, United Nations envoy Ján Kubis, told the Security Council from Kabul in his final briefing in that capacity.
Gaps in commitments by developed countries hamper progress on MDGs-UN
Sep 19, 2014, at 08:55 pm
New York, Sept 19 (IBNS) Despite improvements in the lives of millions of people around the world, the United Nations on Thursday reported that persistent gaps between promises made and those delivered by developed countries are holding back greater progress on reaching the eight anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by the end of 2015.
In Uruguay, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson urges women's political participation
Sep 19, 2014, at 08:44 pm
New York, Sept 19 (IBNS) On her first country visit as UN Women's Goodwill Ambassador, acclaimed British actor Emma Watson in Uruguay highlighted the need for women's political participation as the country gears up for elections with a first-ever national quota law guaranteeing 30 per cent women’s representation.
Some 22 million displaced by natural disasters in 2013, UN-backed report reveals
Sep 18, 2014, at 03:19 pm
New York, Sept 18 (IBNS) A new United Nations-backed report launched on Wednesday reveals that 22 million people worldwide were displaced in 2013 by disasters sparked largely by earthquakes or climate- and weather-related events – almost three times more than by conflict in the same year.
UN envoy meets with Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot leaders
Sep 18, 2014, at 03:17 pm
New York, Sept 18 (IBNS) The United Nations Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide on Wednesday met on Wednesday with the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, who reaffirmed their commitment to lead negotiations through a win-win approach and reach a settlement soon.
Voices of indigenous peoples must be heard on issues affecting them, UN rights body told
Sep 18, 2014, at 03:17 pm
New York, Sept 18 (IBNS) The voices of indigenous peoples must be effectively heard and they must be consulted on issues that affect them, including rights to land and resources, the United Nations Human Rights Council heard on Wednesday.
Citing 'official obstruction,' UN body dealing with torture suspends Azerbaijan visit
Sep 18, 2014, at 03:16 pm
New York, Sept 18 (IBNS): A United Nations human rights body on Wednesday announced that it has decided to suspend its visit to Azerbaijan due to obstructions it encountered in carrying out its mandate under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, to which the south Caucasus country is a party.