Kyrgyzstan: Ban celebrates parliaments as beacon of human rights efforts
Jun 12, 2015, at 02:26 pm
New York, Jun 12 (IBNS): The world's parliaments play a "fundamental" role in ensuring human rights protections for the global citizenry and, as a result, must reflect international human rights standards in their legislation, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon affirmed today as he continued on his Central Asian trip with a visit to Kyrgyzstan.
Inaction on climate change now will cost us all in the future: UN labour chief
Jun 12, 2015, at 02:25 pm
New York, Jun 12 (IBNS): The head of the International Labour Organization on Thursday opened a summit meeting devoted to tackling climate change as a unique opportunity for job creation and economic growth, saying that up to 60 million jobs can be created in a greener, low carbon economy if the right policies are adopted.
Gaza: UN envoy welcomes temporary opening of Rafah crossing
Jun 12, 2015, at 02:23 pm
New York, Jun 12 (IBNS): The United Nations special envoy on the Middle East has welcomed the Government of Egypt’s decision to temporarily open a critical border crossing for residents of Gaza as a result of the dialogue between Palestinian and Egyptian authorities.
Decline in Ebola cases stalls in West Africa: UN health agency
Jun 12, 2015, at 02:21 pm
New York, Jun 12 (IBNS): The number of Ebola cases in West Africa has increased for the second straight week, with the number of cases that arose from unknown sources of infection highlighting the challenges still faced in finding and eliminating every chain of transmission, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Central Africa still burdened by multidimensional crisis: Security Council
Jun 12, 2015, at 02:20 pm
New York, Jun 12 (IBNS): The Central Africa region is still facing many challenges, including an economic crisis aggravated by the drop in oil prices, rising youth unemployment, and terrorist activities, as well as the cross-border impact of crises in Central African Republic (CAR) and Burundi, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the sub-region warned on Thursday.
Colombia's peace talks at risk amid renewed clashes: UN refugee agency chief
Jun 12, 2015, at 02:16 pm
New York, Jun 12 (IBNS): Concerned at the recent armed clashes amid the ongoing peace talks on Colombia, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, on Thursday said these incidents have the potential to "derail" a long sought peace process, increasing risks for the civilian population.
UN urges use of advance passenger information to stem flow of terrorist fighters
Jun 12, 2015, at 02:15 pm
New York, Jun 12 (IBNS): A United Nations counter-terrorism body is calling for expanding the use of advance passenger information (API) to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, and recommends a number of measures to help overcome the challenges associated with using this important tool.
Central Africa: UN body urges creation of environment conducive for elections
Jun 12, 2015, at 02:13 pm
New York, Jun 12 (IBNS): The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission has called on all stakeholders in Central African Republic (CAR) to help promote an environment conducive to holding elections ahead of the country’s upcoming parliamentary vote.
Pope Francis and UN agency discuss sustainable future of agriculture
Jun 12, 2015, at 02:12 pm
New York, Jun 11 (IBNS): Addressing over a hundred delegates attending a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) conference in Rome, Pope Francis on Thursday urged Member States to work toward combatting food waste, reducing the volatility of food prices, and creating a sense of global solidarity to ensure food security for all people. New York, Jun 11 (IBNS): Addressing over a hundred delegates attending a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) conference in Rome, Pope Francis on Thursday urged Member States to work toward combatting food waste, reducing the volatility of food prices, and creating a sense of global solidarity to ensure food security for all people.
Migrant arrivals in Europe top 100,000 in 2015: UN refugee agency
Jun 11, 2015, at 02:49 pm
New York, Jun 11 (IBNS): Refugee and migrant arrivals to Europe across the Mediterranean so far in 2015 have moved above 100,000, with record numbers now arriving every day in the Greek islands, the United Nations refugee agency has confirmed.
Geneva: UN envoy meets Syria stakeholders amid ongoing consultations
Jun 11, 2015, at 02:48 pm
New York, Jun 11 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria is continuing a series of critical meetings with Syrian and international stakeholders as part of the ongoing Geneva Consultations and in an effort to find a political solution to the country’s five-year long conflict.
Religious leaders at forefront of fight against intolerance: UN chief
Jun 11, 2015, at 02:41 pm
New York, Jun 11 (IBNS): Religious leaders have a pivotal role to play in times of turmoil, during which they can provide a values-based glue to hold communities together and provide common ground for peace-making and problem solving, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday at a conference in Kazakhstan.
WHO begins review of MERS outbreak in Republic of Korea
Jun 11, 2015, at 02:38 pm
New York, Jun 11 (IBNS): A joint mission by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) and the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare to review the situation regarding the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS CoV), has begun its work in Seoul, the agency confirmed on Wednesday.
Violence in Darfur having 'devastating' impact on civilians: Security Council
Jun 11, 2015, at 02:36 pm
New York, Jun 11 (IBNS): The security situation in Darfur is a very serious one, marked by a "deeply concerning" increase in violent attacks by armed assailants against United Nations peacekeepers and humanitarian personnel, the Assistant Secretary-General for UN peacekeeping operations told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Women in Africa 'being left behind' in fight against HIV/AIDS: UN report
Jun 11, 2015, at 02:33 pm
New York, Jun 11 (IBNS): Despite considerable advances made in the global response to the AIDS epidemic over the last several decades, young women and adolescent girls in Africa "are still being left behind," according to a new joint report from the United Nations and the African Union.
Libya: UN envoy urges parties to make political draft 'a final one'
Jun 11, 2015, at 02:15 pm
New York, Jun 11 (IBNS): Amid "very encouraging signs" in the United Nations-facilitated Libyan political dialogue, the Secretary-General's Special Representative on the North African nation on Wednesday said that "time has come to make an agreement" and if possible, before or at the beginning of Ramadan, which begins on 17 June.
UN committee on space issues renews focus on sustainability and climate change
Jun 11, 2015, at 02:12 pm
New York, Jun 11 (IBNS): The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space opened its annual session in Vienna today with the role of sustainability and climate change in outer space activities taking centre stage, the United Nations space agency has reported.
As refugees flood Greek island, UN agency warns of strained resources
Jun 10, 2015, at 03:00 pm
New York, Jun 10 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) is reporting the arrival of record numbers of refugees on the Greek island of Lesvos, severely straining local reception capacities and the island’s limited resources.
Tajikistan: Ban highlights need for safe water, sanitation and human rights
Jun 10, 2015, at 02:59 pm
New York, Jun 10 (IBNS): Kicking off a high-level event on water in Tajikistan on Tuesday, Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon urged nations in the region and beyond to renew their commitment to safe water and sanitation as the international community forges ahead with the post-2015 development agenda and climate change intensifies the need to act.
Increased militia violence could push Burundi over the edge: UN rights chief
Jun 10, 2015, at 02:58 pm
New York, Jun 10 (IBNS): Deeply worried at the increasingly violent and threatening actions by a pro-government militia in Burundi, the United Nations human rights chief on Tuesday urged the national authorities to take immediate and concrete measures to rein them in.
Ukraine: UN reports uptick in internal displacement as country's conflict grinds on
Jun 10, 2015, at 02:55 pm
New York, Jun 10 (IBNS): The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ukraine has soared to over one million due to the ongoing conflict in the country's eastern regions, the United Nations humanitarian office reported on Tuesday.
UN envoy urges Libyan parties to 'heal rift that has torn your country apart'
Jun 10, 2015, at 02:51 pm
New York, Jun 10 (IBNS): Telling stakeholders in Libya's dialogue that "mothers across [the country] have their eyes on you," the United Nations envoy for Libya presented draft political proposal and said that the time had finally come for the parties to take the difficult decision to make peace and begin the process towards national reconciliation.
UN official urges action to reduce exclusion and discrimination disabled people
Jun 10, 2015, at 02:47 pm
New York, Jun 10 (IBNS): Empowering persons with disabilities and securing their rights will advance society as a whole, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said on Tuesday as he urged strengthening global cooperation and partnership on the matter at the Eighth Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Cote d'Ivoire will need UN support before Presidential elections: Security Council
Jun 10, 2015, at 02:42 pm
New York, Jun 10 (IBNS): For Cote d'Ivoire, the October presidential election represents an important milestone in the consolidation of the hard-won gains of recent years, the United Nations envoy for the West African country on Tuesday told the Security Council on Tuesday, outlining a very different environment from 2010, but nevertheless advocating for a continued UN presence there.
Millions in Iraq need greater humanitarian support: UN relief official
Jun 10, 2015, at 02:29 pm
New York, Jun 10 (IBNS): Millions of people are in need of a greater assistance across Iraq, said Stephen O'Brien, the new Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, following a two-day visit to the strife-torn country.
Uganda: UN-backed investments in small farmers yield impressive outcomes
Jun 10, 2015, at 02:28 pm
New York, Jun 10 (IBNS): Smallholder farmers in Uganda have made impressive progress in grain harvest and storage, thanks to a World Food Programme (WFP) investment plan which aims at improving their agricultural practices and market access.
The way cities are planned, run and managed is crucial for development: UN official
Jun 10, 2015, at 02:27 pm
New York, Jun 10 (IBNS): In his address to the World Cities Summit in New York on Tuesday, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson called on global leaders to adapt to the demographic and cultural shift that is taking place in cities worldwide in order to make them economically viable, environmentally sustainable and socially vibrant.
UN-backed forum: Africa's least developed countries to transform their economies
Jun 10, 2015, at 02:26 pm
New York, Jun 10 (IBNS): Voicing determination to transform the structure of their economies and graduate from their status as some of the world's poorest nations, Ministers from the least developed countries (LDCs) in Africa at a United Nations-supported meeting in Milan have pledged to draw on their countries' great potential to boost growth and lock in sustainable development.
UN envoy condemns continuing use of barrel bombs, killing of civilians in Syria conflict
Jun 09, 2015, at 10:39 pm
New York, Jun 9 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria has condemned the continuing use of barrel bombs in the Middle Eastern country's ongoing conflict and called on all parties to respect the sanctity of civilian life, according to a spokesperson for the Organization.
Iraq: lack of funding for UN-led relief efforts leaves country on 'verge of collapse'
Jun 09, 2015, at 10:37 pm
New York, Jun 9 (IBNS): Crisis-torn Iraq, one of the world's most severe emergencies, is on the verge of collapse because of a lack of funding could force the closure of more than half the relief operations in the country over the coming weeks, the top United Nations humanitarian official there has warned.