Lawful civil society groups are not enemies of democracy, but key allies: UN expert

Oct 27, 2015, at 01:58 pm

New York, Oct 27 (IBNS): United Nations human rights expert Ben Emmerson on Monday urged governments across the world to ensure that civil society be included in global, co-ordinated efforts to counter the spread of terrorism.

Afghanistan: Blast kills 2 AIHRC officials killed

Oct 26, 2015, at 11:45 pm

Kabul, Oct 26 (IBNS): A bomb blast in Afghanistan's Jalalabad area left two officials of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), media reports said.

UN special envoy condemns attack against Palestinian politician

Oct 26, 2015, at 01:33 pm

New York, Oct 26 (IBNS): Condemning Sunday's attack in Ramallah against a prominent Palestinian political figure, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov has called for a thorough investigation into the incident and has reiterated the call by top United Nations officials to reduce tensions in the region and avoid actions that would spark further violence.

Tony Blair apologises for Iraq war 'mistakes'

Oct 26, 2015, at 04:41 am

London, Oct 25 (IBNS): Former British PM Tony Blair has apologised for the 'mistakes' committed during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Maldives Vice President Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor detained

Oct 25, 2015, at 04:24 am

Male, Oct 24 (IBNS): The Maldives Police on Saturday arrested the country's Vice President Ahmed Adheeb Abdul Ghafoor in connection with an explosion aboard a boat carrying the Indian Ocean archipelago's president last month, media reports said.

Dhaka: 1 killed in homemade bomb explosions

Oct 24, 2015, at 04:10 pm

Dhaka, Oct 24 (IBNS): At least one person as killed in homemade bomb explosions in old Dhaka on Saturday, media reports said.

ECOSOC President urges curtailing flow of illegal finances that cost Africa billions

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:52 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): In a "timely and necessary" meeting on illicit financial flows and their impact on development in Africa, Oh Joon, President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Friday urged broader efforts to combat such flows, of IFFs from the continent could amount to a staggering $50 billion each year.

Ban condemns terrorist attacks in Pakistan on religious holiday

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:51 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned Friday's bombing of a procession of worshippers marking the Shia religious holiday of Ashura in Jacobabad, and the recent terrorist attacks in the Pakistani provinces of Balochistan and Sindh.

Six months after earthquake, Nepal racing against winter: UN relief official

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:49 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): As winter approaches, the top United Nations humanitarian official for Nepal on Friday stressed that shelter and food remain top priorities six months after the devastating earthquakes that shook the country in April.

Burundi: UN warns of 'rapidly worsening' human rights and security situation

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:48 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday expressed its concern over the "rapidly worsening" security and human rights situation in Burundi, where at least 198 people have been killed since April, including the execution of at least nine civilians ten days ago.

Yemen: UN rights office says civilians paying 'terrible toll'

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:46 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights office said on Friday that the humanitarian situation in Yemen's highland Taiz governorate is deteriorating rapidly in the wake of a recent attack by members of the Popular Committees affiliated with the Houthis which targeted residential areas and left 15 civilians dead, injured 73 others and left homes, shops, a clinic and a school partially destroyed.

UN remains 'beacon for all humanity,' says Ban ahead of 70th anniversary

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:44 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): Marking the 70th anniversary of the Organization ahead of UN Day on 24 October, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said there is only one flag that belongs to everyone – the blue flag of the United Nations.

'Still time to step back from brink,' says Ban, returning from Middle East

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:43 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): Upon his return from an emergency visit to the crisis-torn Middle East where he reported having "long and detailed" discussions with Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said "there is still time to step back from the brink," despite anger and polarization in the region.

Europe: UNHCR appeals for protection against sexual abuse of women and children

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:41 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency on Friday expressed concern over the reported abuse of refugee and migrant women and children on the move in Europe, including "instances of children engaging in survival sex to pay smugglers to continue their journey," appealing to all concerned to take measures to ensure their protection.

As Côte d’Ivoire prepares for presidential polls, Ban urges peaceful process

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:38 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is closely following developments in Côte d’Ivoire ahead of this weekend’s presidential elections and has welcomed the commitment of national stakeholders to participate in the process in a peaceful and transparent manner.

UN and Middle East partners express concern over Israeli-Palestinian tensions

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:35 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): Underscoring the urgent need to restore calm amid escalating Israeli-Palestinians tensions, the United Nations and its Middle East Quartet partners on Friday encouraged Israel to work together with Jordan to uphold the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Security Council extends arms embargoes imposed on Somalia and Eritrea

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:32 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Friday extended the arms embargo on Somalia until 15 November 2016 while reaffirming the country’s sovereignty over its natural resources, while also reaffirming its arms embargo on Eritrea.

Smugglers will adapt as long as there is a market to exploit: UN experts

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:30 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): Two United Nations experts on the human rights of migrants on Friday called on the European Union to open regular and safe channels for migrants, saying "attempting to seal borders and the over-emphasis on the securitisation of borders is not going to reduce irregular migration in the long run."

Children's right to freedom of religion or belief must be protected: UN expert

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:29 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): The United Nations expert on religious freedom is calling on all Governments represented at the UN General Assembly "to respect religious practices by children and their families and support families in fulfilling their role in providing an enabling environment for the realisation of the rights of the child."

Cameroon: UN relief official calls for increased support to families fleeing conflicts

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:26 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): The most senior United Nations relief official on Friday urged the international community to increase their support for the humanitarian response in Cameroon, which is hosting more than 310,000 people who have fled conflicts in neighbouring Central African Republic and Nigeria.

Libya: UN mission condemns terrorist attack against Benghazi demonstration

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:23 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Friday strongly condemned the terrorist attack which targeted a peaceful demonstration in Benghazi, killing and injuring many civilians.

UN agencies boost aid efforts to flood-hit Tindouf refugees, call for urgent funding

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:22 pm

New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency and its partners are scaling up aid efforts after devastating floods widely damaged Sahrawi refugee camps in southwest Algeria, working to provide food and relief supplies, while urgently appealing for emergency funds to fill the 80 per cent gap in order to reach the most vulnerable.

US Army attacks ISIL camp in Iraq, 70 hostages rescued

Oct 24, 2015, at 04:30 am

Washington, Oct 23 (IBNS): A joint force of US Army and Iraqi Peshmerga conducted an operation in a prison of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) near Hawijah in Iraq and rescued at least 70 hostages alive from the camp, a press statement of US Defense Department has said.

Pakistan: Suicide attack kills 12

Oct 24, 2015, at 02:48 am

Jacobabad, Oct 23 (IBNS): At least 12 people were killed in a suicide attack which targeted a Muharram procession near Shershah Haveli in Jacobabad's Lashari Mohalla Friday, media reports said.

Bus-truck collide in France, 40 killed

Oct 23, 2015, at 09:05 pm

Paris, Oct 23 (IBNS): At least 40 people were killed as a bus and a truck collided near Bordeaux in southwestern France on Friday, media reports said.

South Sudan: UN calls for access to conflict-affected areas to prevent catastrophe

Oct 23, 2015, at 02:04 pm

New York, Oct 23 (IBNS): Three United Nations agencies on Thursday warned that extreme hunger is pushing people to the brink of a catastrophe in parts of South Sudan, as a new analysis found that 3.9 million people nationwide now face severe food insecurity.

UN human rights chief urges Czech Republic to halt detention of migrants and refugees

Oct 23, 2015, at 02:03 pm

New York, Oct 23 (IBNS): The top United Nations human rights official on Thursday strongly criticized the detention of migrants and refugees in the Czech Republic, drawing attention to the violations of the rights of children among them and to credible reports that authorities are routinely strip-searching migrants to confiscate the $10 a day they are charged for their own detention.

UN official warns funding shortages could be disastrous for food-insecure Mauritania

Oct 23, 2015, at 02:01 pm

New York, Oct 23 (IBNS): On her two-day visit to Mauritania, Ertharin Cousin, the Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), saw at first hand the challenges faced by nearly 1 million food insecure people amid rising malnutrition in the country.

'Silence is too often the only safe option left,' UN report on sources and whistleblowers

Oct 23, 2015, at 01:59 pm

New York, Oct 23 (IBNS): Governments and international organizations are failing to ensure adequate protections to whistleblowers and sources of information, according to a new report by the UN special rapporteur on freedom of expression.

Ban urges dialogue to ease tensions ahead of constitutional referendum in Congo

Oct 23, 2015, at 01:58 pm

New York, Oct 23 (IBNS): Concerned about tensions between opposition parties and the Government of the Republic of the Congo ahead of the referendum on a new draft constitution in the country, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has encouraged all stakeholders to choose the path of dialogue and to peacefully resolve any disputes that might arise.