Sep 18, 2018, at 08:26 am
New York, Sept 18 (IBNS): The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, condemned on Monday the killing of an aid worker who had been held captive by a non-state armed group in north-east Nigeria since March.
Sep 18, 2018, at 08:23 am
New York, Sept 18 (IBNS): If you’re a keen observer of the United Nations General Assembly, you may have noticed the body’s President wields a very unusual looking gavel. It is a gift from Iceland, and there’s a very interesting story behind it.
Human Rights Council hears plea to protect victims of ‘brutal’ sexual violence in South Sudan
Sep 18, 2018, at 08:20 am
New York, Sept 18 (IBNS): The plight of South Sudan’s women and girls “should no longer be ignored”, UN investigators told the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, citing the disturbing testimonies of sexual abuse victims who have been treated by soldiers and militias as the “spoils” of the more than five-year conflict.
Senior UN official calls on Israel to stop demolition of Palestinian village in the West Bank
Sep 18, 2018, at 08:16 am
New York, Sept 18 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, expressed concern on Monday “at the intention of the Israeli authorities to demolish the Bedouin village of Khan Al-Ahmar/Abu Al-Helu” in the West Bank, where 181 Palestinians currently live, more than half of whom are children.
Sep 17, 2018, at 10:04 am
New York, Sept 17 (IBNS): There is a powerful wind of hope blowing across the Horn of Africa region, said UN chief António Guterres on Sunday, in Saudi Arabia to witness the signing of a peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, ending decades of simmering conflict.
Sep 16, 2018, at 04:35 pm
New York, Sept 16 (IBNS): A “lack of command and control” on the part of South Sudan’s government, just days after signing a new peace agreement to end years of brutal civil conflict, is one of the factors which led to the shooting of a United Nations peacekeeper on Saturday, the UN mission chief in the country has said.
Gunmen kill three in Mexico City, 7 injured
Sep 15, 2018, at 03:31 pm
Mexico City, Sept 15 (IBNS): At least three people were killed as gunmen, who were dressed as traditional mariachi musicians, attacked them here on Saturday.
Democracy ‘showing greater strain’ than at any time in decades, UN chief
Sep 15, 2018, at 09:06 am
New York, Sept 15 (IBNS): Tackling economic and political inequality is at the root of strengthening democratic institutions at a time when they are under huge strain, said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday, marking the official International Day of Democracy.
I’ve been listening, and problem-solving ‘all my life’ says new UN Ombudsman
Sep 15, 2018, at 08:56 am
New York, Sept 15 (IBNS): With only eight days on the job so far, Shireen Dodson, the new United Nations Ombudsman, brings with her a wealth of experience dealing with people from all walks of life, including setting up the first-ever Ombudsman office for the US State Department.
‘Shadow’ of persistent inequality is growing, key UN human development report reveals
Sep 15, 2018, at 08:52 am
New York, Sept 15 (IBNS): While health, education, and income levels have improved overall across the globe, “wide inequalities” both among and within countries, are casting a shadow on sustained human development, a new United Nations report shows.
Yemen: Mortar attack on UN food silo ‘could affect vital aid deliveries to millions’
Sep 15, 2018, at 08:37 am
New York, Sept 15 (IBNS): Fighting in the Yemen port city of Hudaydah which has damaged a World Food Programme (WFP) storage facility, threatens to hamper efforts to feed millions of people in the war-torn country, it said on Friday.
Security Council extends mandates of UN peace operations in Libya, Colombia through next September
Sep 14, 2018, at 08:53 am
New York, Sept 14 (IBNS): By unanimous agreement on Thursday, the Security Council extended the mandates of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the Organization’s Verification Mission in Colombia.
Somalia’s destiny lies in the hands of the people, highlights outgoing UN envoy
Sep 14, 2018, at 08:51 am
New York, Sept 14 (IBNS): Despite remarkable achievements in Somalia in the recent past, structural challenges remain and continue to undermine the country’s security and political stability, the United Nations envoy for the country has warned.
Landmark South Sudan deal offers hope, but trust ‘still lacking’ between parties – UN envoy
Sep 14, 2018, at 08:46 am
New York, Sept 14 (IBNS): Rebuilding trust and overcoming suspicion will be key to ensure the success of Thursday’s landmark peace agreement between the South Sudanese Government and main political opposition, the top United Nations official in the country has said.
FROM THE FIELD: Rwanda’s Green Villages benefit poorest
Sep 14, 2018, at 08:43 am
New York, Sept 14 (IBNS): An innovative approach to supporting the poorest and most vulnerable in Rwanda, is helping to address environmental problems and achieve ambitious development goals there, according to the UN Development Programme, UNDP.
Scourge of genocide remains a ‘threat and a reality’ today: UN human rights chief
Sep 14, 2018, at 08:41 am
New York, Sept 14 (IBNS): Genocide remains a “threat and a reality” in the 21st century, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Thursday, in an appeal to States to do more to act on the “warning signs” that often precede grave violations of international law.
Sep 14, 2018, at 08:38 am
New York, Sept 14 (IBNS): Like few today, former United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, could “bring people together, put them at ease, and unite them towards a common goal”, said the current UN chief, António Guterres on Thursday, speaking at his predecessor’s funeral in Ghana.
Sep 14, 2018, at 08:36 am
New York, Sept 14 (IBNS): Economic sanctions must not be allowed to degenerate into blockades which “expose people to the ravages of economic war in peacetime” said the UN independent expert on the effects of sanctions on human rights.
Sep 13, 2018, at 11:31 am
Naypyidaw, Sept 13 (IBNS): Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has finally broken her silence on the Rohingya crackdown and jailing of Reuters journalists.
South-South Cooperation Day focuses in on sustainable development, a ‘new phase of cooperation’
Sep 13, 2018, at 08:22 am
New York, Sept 13 (IBNS): As part of the 40th anniversary of the International Day for South-South Cooperation, the United Nations drew together on Wednesday, more than 100 best-practices developed in the countries of the Global South, which embody the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Sep 13, 2018, at 08:15 am
New York, Sept 13 (IBNS): The Occupied Palestinian Territory now suffers the highest unemployment rate in the world, with incomes and agricultural production going down, the United Nations trade and development agency said on Wednesday, noting that women and young people were worst affected, as the Israeli occupation continues.
‘Collective endeavour’ needed to strengthen peacekeeping further, says top UN official
Sep 13, 2018, at 08:12 am
New York, Sept 13 (IBNS): Highlighting complex and evolving challenges, the head of UN peacekeeping on Wednesday called for heightened vigilance and a more robust response to existential threats against both peacekeepers and those they strive to defend.
A record one million Syrians displaced over six months, during six key battles: UN investigators
Sep 13, 2018, at 08:06 am
New York, Sept 13 (IBNS): All parties to the seven-year Syria conflict and the States that support them should do “everything in their power” to prevent a full-scale military assault on Idlib, a high-level United Nations-appointed panel of investigators said on Wednesday.
Alarming level of reprisals against activists, human rights defenders, and victims – new UN report
Sep 13, 2018, at 08:03 am
New York, Sept 13 (IBNS): An alarming and “shameful” level of harsh reprisals and intimidation against those who cooperate with the United Nations in an effort to uphold human rights, has been revealed by a new UN report launched on Wednesday.
Iraq: Bomb blast kills 2 in Baghdad
Sep 12, 2018, at 07:09 pm
New Delhi, Sept 12 (IBNS): Two Iraqi civilians were injured in a bomb blast in Baghdad city of Iraq on Wednesday, media reports said.
Million gather at Catalonia national day rally in Barcelona
Sep 12, 2018, at 12:49 pm
Barcelona, Sept 12 (IBNS): Around a million people took to the streets in Barcelona to participate in the Catalonia national day rally and demand independence from Spain.
Former Brazilian President Lula pulls out of presidential election
Sep 12, 2018, at 11:06 am
Brasilia, Sept 12 (IBNS): Tainted Brazilian politician and former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has pulled out of next month's presidential election, reports said.
Yemen: UN envoy asks Security Council for more support ‘to move back’ to the negotiating table
Sep 12, 2018, at 09:13 am
New York, Sept 12 (IBNS): United Nations Special Envoy Martin Griffith told the Security Council on Tuesday that he never expected an easy mission when he convened Intra-Yemeni Consultations in Geneva last week, for which the Houthis delegation failed to show up.
‘Vague and over-broad’ laws stifling independent journalism in Myanmar – UN rights report
Sep 12, 2018, at 08:52 am
New York, Sept 12 (IBNS): Describing the conviction in Myanmar of two Reuters journalists last week as a “particularly outrageous” example of judicial harassment against the media there, “vague and over-broad” laws have made it impossible for the press to do its job in the country, without fear or favour, a new United Nations report has found.
Hunger reached ‘alarming’ ten-year high in 2017, according to latest UN report
Sep 12, 2018, at 08:45 am
New York, Sept 12 (IBNS): With food deprivation on the rise due to conflict and climate change, more people went hungry in 2017 than at any time in the previous decade, according to the latest edition of the UN’s annual multi-agency flagship report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.