Ban commends leaders’ commitment to settle Cyprus issue
Jun 05, 2015, at 02:50 pm
New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday commended the commitment of the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, and the Greek Cypriot leader, Nicos Anastasiades, to reach a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus issue.
FAO and IKEA join forces for sustainable forest management
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:50 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has teamed up with big-box retailer IKEA to launch a new initiative aimed at promoting the sustainable management of forest plantations and empowering forest-reliant communities in Viet Nam.
Philippines: UN experts urge country to tackle ‘chronic’ prison overcrowding
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:49 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The United Nations torture prevention body is urging the Philippines to deal urgently with prison overcrowding and improve independent monitoring of places of detention as part of efforts to protect people deprived of their liberty against torture and cruel treatment.
Child victims in Eastern Europe and Central Asia rarely get justice: UN report
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:45 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): Most child victims of violence in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia find themselves unable to speak up and file charges in court, according to a new United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) regional report launched on Wednesday.
UN rights office calls on Myanmar to release jailed columnist
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:44 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): Appalled at the two-year prison sentence handed down to U Htin Lin Oo on charges of insulting religion, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Wednesday urged the Myanmar authorities to release the columnist and guarantee freedom of expression and opinion in the country.
Libya: UN envoy meets political actors on reaching final agreement to end crisis
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:42 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The only option Libya has, “the only real alternative for the future,†is an agreement, Special Representative and head of the United Nations Support Mission in the country (UNSMIL), Bernardino León said at a meeting in Algeria with Libyan political leaders and activists on Wednesday.
Gaza: UN project to provide hundreds of new housing units to Palestine refugees
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:41 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): Palestinian refugee families living in substandard dwellings and owners of homes demolished in last year’s hostilities in Gaza, are among those gaining access to shelter under a United Nations-backed project to provide close to 450 newly-built housing units, which was stalled for three years due the lack of access to construction materials.
UNICEF and Gucci celebrate education successes across Africa and Asia
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:40 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is celebrating its longstanding partnership with luxury goods brand Gucci and marking a decade of successes in bringing access to quality education to more than seven million children across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, the agency announced.
Central Africa: Ban to launch independent inquiry into sexual abuse case
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:39 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced his intention to establish an independent review panel to investigate the United Nations’ handling of sexual abuse allegations involving foreign troops in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Organization has confirmed.
UN official urges global action against spread of extremism
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:36 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): At a Headquarters forum on the role of media in combating terrorism, senior United Nations officials on Wednesday expressed deep concerns over the impact of foreign terrorist fighters and their use of social media in spreading propaganda and radicalizing and recruit vulnerable young men and women to join their ranks.
South Sudan: Security Council expresses concern over expulsion of UN relief coordinator
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:33 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): Renewing its support to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the vital mandate it is performing to protect civilians there, the Security Council on Wednesday expressed its grave concern over the security and humanitarian situation in the country, which has been torn by “a conflict that is only growing more violent as it nears its 18th month.â€
WHO warns rainy season now hampering Ebola response in West Africa
Jun 04, 2015, at 01:20 pm
New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday reported an increase in the intensity and geographic area of Ebola transmission in Guinea and Sierra Leone, warned that the onset of the rainy season “from now onwards†will make field operations more difficult and noted that community engagement remains a challenge in both countries.
Cost of child maltreatment in Asia-Pacific tops $200 billion annually: UNICEF
Jun 03, 2015, at 02:16 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): Child abuse and violence is costing countries in East Asia and the Pacific around $209 billion a year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Tuesday in the first costing of child maltreatment in the region, revealing that “inaction about violence results in serious economic costs to countries and communities.â€
UN expert urges Somalia to guarantee free expression and to suspend death penalty
Jun 03, 2015, at 02:11 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): Somalia must put in place a legal framework that guarantees freedom of expression in the country, as well as a moratorium on capital punishment, a United Nations independent expert recommended on Tuesday, while commending progress accomplished so far.
UN agency remains ‘stabilizing factor’ for Palestine refugees in Middle East: Ban
Jun 03, 2015, at 02:09 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): Marking 65 years since the inception of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday called it more than just an agency but a “lifeline,†as he paid tribute to its staff especially those who have lost their lives trying to serve others.
Ban to convene international Ebola recovery conference in New York
Jun 03, 2015, at 02:08 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): To help mobilize needed resources “in the last mile of the response†against the Ebola outbreak and to start the affected West African countries on the path of early recovery, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday announced that he will convene an international conference next month.
UN agency aims to reach 2.5 million in Yemen with food aid by July
Jun 03, 2015, at 02:07 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): Amid a worsening crisis and growing number of hungry people in Yemen, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Tuesday that it is scaling-up its operations to get emergency food aid to 2.5 million people by July.
Humanitarian appeal for Iraq vital to meet health needs among displaced: UN
Jun 03, 2015, at 02:05 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): If the upcoming launch of the 2015 humanitarian response plan for Iraq by the United Nations and partners fails to raise the required $500 million, the people of the country, especially those internally displaced by fighting, will face even greater hardship, a World Health Organization (WHO) official warned on Tuesday.
Ban saddened by passenger ship accident in China
Jun 03, 2015, at 02:04 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday expressed his sadness over a ship accident that occurred last night in China, reportedly resulting in major casualties.
UN expert urges Azerbaijan to free rights defenders ahead of Baku Games
Jun 03, 2015, at 02:03 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): United Nations Special Rapporteur Michel Forst on Tuesday criticized the “relentless prosecution and repression of prominent rights activists in Azerbaijan†and called for their immediate release – before the inaugural European Games begin in Baku on 12 June.
Burundi: UN urges return to political dialogue amid ongoing tensions
Jun 03, 2015, at 02:02 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): The United Nations is continuing its efforts to facilitate a dialogue among Burundian stakeholders amid the country’s ongoing political deadlock and a burgeoning humanitarian crisis, a spokesperson for the Organization announced on Tuesday.
Afghanistan: Outgoing official at UN pledges commitment to advancing women’s rights
Jun 03, 2015, at 01:59 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): While the outgoing senior United Nations rights official in Afghanistan said she expected the human rights advances made “will be sustained, will not be rolled back, and will not be sacrificed,†she lamented the high level of violence against women and the need for the Government to do “much more†for women’s rights.
UN expert urges Greece to reach debt deal that respects human rights
Jun 03, 2015, at 01:58 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): Noting that challenges remain to curb Greek debt crisis while addressing human rights, a United Nations expert on Tuesday urged international institutions and Greece to redouble their efforts to “maximum available resources†for financial obligations and ensure the enjoyment of human rights.
Security Council urges Yemeni stakeholders to 'accelerate' political dialogue
Jun 03, 2015, at 01:56 pm
New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): The Security Council on Tuesday voiced deep concern about the “grave situation†in Yemen and urged the country's stakeholders to engage as soon as possible in United Nations-brokered inclusive political consultations.
In Iraq, UN reports insecurity and violence taking 'terrible toll' on civilians from all communities
Jun 02, 2015, at 08:19 pm
New York, Jun 2 (IBNS): At least 1,031 Iraqis were killed in May 2015 and another 1,684 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), which said the actions of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant’s (ISIL) were to blame for the growing number of casualties.
At Geneva jobs summit, UN labour chief urges a global debate on the future of work
Jun 02, 2015, at 08:17 pm
New York, Jun 2 (IBNS): Addressing some 4,000 government, worker and employer representatives, the head of the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) called for a global debate on the future of work at the 104th International Labour Conference in Geneva today.
At first-ever conference, UN takes aim at cyber-threats against nuclear safety
Jun 02, 2015, at 08:14 pm
New York, Jun 2 (IBNS): The international community must intensify efforts to protect the world’s nuclear facilities from cyberattacks, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog declared today as he opened the Organization’s first-ever conference on the issue at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna.
Give young people decent jobs and they will create a better future–UN chief
Jun 02, 2015, at 08:13 pm
New York, Jun 2 (IBNS): When young people have decent jobs, political weight, negotiating muscle and real influence in the world, they will create a better future, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today as he kicked off a Headquarters event on empowering youth through employment.
'Persistent and grave' human rights violations in eastern Ukraine-UN report
Jun 02, 2015, at 08:12 pm
New York, Jun 2 (IBNS): Serious human rights violations and abuses persist in eastern Ukraine, including shelling, executions, arbitrary and illegal detentions, torture, ill-treatment, human trafficking and the lack of justice and accountability, as well as deprivation of economic and social rights, deeply affecting the 5 million people living in the conflict-affected areas, a new United Nations report said today.
Amid reports of fighting, UN ship with vital food aid for Yemen diverted from Aden
Jun 02, 2015, at 08:09 pm
New York, Jun 2 (IBNS): A United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) chartered ship carrying vital food assistance destined for the Yemeni port of Aden was diverted yesterday to the port of Hudaydah following reports of ongoing fighting and security threats.