Service born from sacrifice: Rwanda’s commitment to UN peacekeeping
May 12, 2018, at 12:58 pm
New York, May 12 (IBNS): Over the years, African governments have led the way in contributing troops and police to United Nations operations to help save lives and keep the peace around the world. Today, one of the continent’s smallest countries is also one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping.
May 12, 2018, at 12:50 pm
New York, May 12 (IBNS): Late last year, as violent repression in Myanmar sent Rohingyas fleeing to safety in Bangladesh, women from the mainly Muslim minority were subjected to what a United Nations official called “a frenzy of sexual violence”.
Children ‘are dying’ now in DRC’s Kasai from malnutrition, warns UNICEF
May 12, 2018, at 12:45 pm
New York, May 12 (IBNS): 400,000 children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) “are at risk of death” in the Kasais region from food shortages caused by conflict and displacement, according to a senior UN official who has just returned from the area, expressing shock at what he had witnessed.
US slaps new sanctions on people and companies to stifle Iran
May 11, 2018, at 06:18 pm
Washington, May 11 (IBNS): Days after pulling out of the much debated Iran nuclear deal, Washington has slapped new sanctions on six people and three companies with alleged links to Iran's elite military force, the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
UN chief hails Japan-China-South Korea cooperation to ‘denuclearize’ Peninsula
May 11, 2018, at 02:45 pm
New York, May 11 (IBNS): United Nations chief António Guterres has welcomed the Japan-China-South Korea summit held on Wednesday and their effort to cooperate in ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons.
‘Durable solutions’ needed for durable peace in Darfur, UN envoy tells Security Council
May 11, 2018, at 02:42 pm
New York, May 11 (IBNS): The overall security situation in Sudan’s Darfur region “remains calm”, despite continuing low-level skirmishes, a top United Nations envoy said on Thursday; updating the Security Council on the UN mission’s work on the ground.
Avoid ‘new conflagration’ urges UN chief, in wake of military escalation in Golan
May 11, 2018, at 02:39 pm
New York, May 11 (IBNS): The United Nations chief has called for an immediate halt to all hostile acts and provocative actions to “avoid a new conflagration” in the Middle East, following reported exchanges of artillery fire over the Golan Heights.
UN rights expert welcomes return of detainees from DPRK, urges release of others
May 11, 2018, at 02:37 pm
New York, May 11 (IBNS): The release of three United States nationals by North Korea is “another important building block” towards peace, said a United Nations human rights expert on Thursday, while urging the release of six South Korean nationals who are still being held.
UN chief applauds Malaysians for ‘strong commitment’ to democracy
May 11, 2018, at 02:28 pm
New York, May 11 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulated the people of Malaysia on Thursday, following the peaceful holding of national and provincial elections, and praised voters for their “strong commitment” to the democratic process.
New UN agency guidelines aim to sustain forest benefits for future generations
May 11, 2018, at 02:19 pm
New York, May 11 (IBNS): New guidelines designed to give poor and isolated communities more of a say in how tropical forests are used and preserved around the world were published on Thursday, by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Complex and deadly new threats mean UN missions must adapt, argue Force Commanders
May 10, 2018, at 09:04 pm
New York, May 10 (IBNS): Evolving and increasingly deadly threats, together with deepening humanitarian crises mean that United Nations peacekeeping missions around the world need more support for ‘blue helmets’ on the ground, Force Commanders told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Honouring Second World War victims, UN chief calls neo-Nazism ‘a spreading cancer’
May 10, 2018, at 08:54 pm
New York, May 10 (IBNS): Paying tribute to all victims of the Second World War – on whose ashes the United Nations was founded – Secretary-General António Guterres described this year’s commemoration as more meaningful than any that has gone before.
'Uphold international humanitarian law' UN chief tells parties to Yemen conflict
May 10, 2018, at 08:52 pm
New York, May 10 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern on Wednesday over the “recent and sharp escalation” in the Yemen conflict, calling on all parties to make civilian protection a priority.
Libyans deserve justice, as war crime suspects remain at large: Prosecutor
May 10, 2018, at 08:51 pm
New York, May 10 (IBNS): Despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, a Libyan war crimes suspect remains at large and could have committed further murders, the ICC Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Iran deal represents ‘significant verification gain’ – UN atomic energy chief
May 10, 2018, at 08:47 pm
New York, May 10 (IBNS): Speaking the day after the United States withdrew from an international agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme, the head of the United Nations atomic watchdog agency made it clear that Iran has consistently stuck to its commitments.
‘Gender-sensitive’ trade policies help empower East African women
May 10, 2018, at 08:45 pm
New York, May 10 (IBNS): Trade and employment laws which give women greater access to the economy across East Africa, can pave the way for more inclusive development and prosperity, according to a new report from the United Nations trade body.
State of emergency must be lifted for ‘credible elections’ in Turkey, says UN rights chief
May 10, 2018, at 08:44 pm
New York, May 10 (IBNS): Long-term restrictions on “freedoms of expression, assembly and association” are incompatible with the holding of “credible elections” in Turkey, said the United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday, calling on the Government to lift its extended state of emergency.
Lebanon elections ‘vital step’ in democracy-building: UN chief
May 10, 2018, at 08:43 pm
New York, May 10 (IBNS): Congratulating Lebanon on holding parliamentary elections on Sunday , United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on the country’s political leaders to work in "a spirit of unity".
Malaysia: 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad set to become world's oldest leader
May 10, 2018, at 04:39 pm
Kuala Lumpur, May 10 (IBNS): At 92, Mahathir Mohamad is set to become the oldest leader in the world, after he registered a shock victory against his protege and former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Rival South Sudan leaders still ‘bent on armed confrontation’ – UN peacekeeping chief
May 09, 2018, at 02:34 pm
New York, May 9 (IBNS): The peace process in South Sudan is at a critical juncture while opposing sides allow themselves to get bogged down in arguments over ministerial quotas, the United Nations peacekeeping chief said on Tuesday, as the country prepares for a third round of regionally-backed peace talks.
‘Fabric of society’ at risk in Bosnia and Herzegovina, UN Security Council told
May 09, 2018, at 02:31 pm
New York, May 9 (IBNS): With elections looming, tensions across Bosnia and Herzegovina are rising alongside inflammatory rhetoric against the country’s long-standing peace agreement, a senior figure monitoring its implementation has warned.
UN chief ‘deeply concerned’ by US decision to exit Iran nuclear deal
May 09, 2018, at 02:28 pm
New York, May 9 (IBNS): Following a decision on Tuesday by the United States to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, the United Nations chief said he was “deeply concerned” by the move, and called on all parties to preserve the deal.
Prevent terrorists profiting from cross-border crime, urges UN Security Council
May 09, 2018, at 02:26 pm
New York, May 9 (IBNS): The United Nations Security-Council on Tuesday called on all countries as well as international organizations to do more to stop terrorists enriching themselves through cross-border organized crime.
In Cuba, UN chief stresses Latin America’s courageous ‘development vision’
May 09, 2018, at 02:20 pm
New York, May 9 (IBNS): The United Nations chief on Tuesday highlighted the central role he hopes Latin America and the Caribbean region will play in ensuring “fair globalization” that leaves no one behind.
Smugglers see thousands of migrants in Yemen as ‘a commodity’, UN agency warns
May 09, 2018, at 02:14 pm
New York, May 9 (IBNS): With an estimated 7,000 migrants entering Yemen each month, most of them seeking to reach Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, the United Nations migration agency on Tuesday called for greater efforts to protect them from smugglers and other criminals.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to visit London for health checkup today
May 08, 2018, at 10:06 pm
Abuja, May 8 (IBNS): Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will arrive in London on Tuesday for a health checkup, officials said.
China: Former Communist leader Sun Zhengcai handed life term for taking bribes
May 08, 2018, at 05:31 pm
Beijing, May 8 (IBNS): A former Chinese Communist Party top brass has been given lifer for taking bribes.
May 08, 2018, at 01:46 pm
New York, May 8 (IBNS): Economies in the Asia-Pacific region registered robust growth in 2017 and prospects for this year look promising, the United Nations development arm in the region said, urging countries to take advantage of positive conditions and address underlying vulnerabilities.
UN chief denounces attack on village in north-west Nigeria
May 08, 2018, at 01:44 pm
New York, May 8 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned an attack this weekend on a village in the Nigerian province of Kaduna and underscored the need to hold the perpetrators to account.
‘Silence the guns’ urges UN disarmament chief as global week of action begins
May 08, 2018, at 01:40 pm
New York, May 8 (IBNS): The international community must present a united front against gun violence which kills nearly 250,000 each year and injures many more, said a senior United Nations official on Monday, marking the start of a Global Week of Action Against the scourge.