UN human rights expert condemns executions of 10 people in Chad
New York, Sep 9 (IBNS): An independent United Nations human rights expert has condemned the recent executions of 10 people in Chad who were suspected of being members of the terrorist group Boko Haram following a swift process that may not have met international standards.
UN atomic energy chief spotlights sustainable development, Iran nuclear deal
New York, Sep 8 (IBNS): Supporting the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be a key focus for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in years to come, Director General Yukiya Amano told a meeting of the Agency's Board of Governors in Vienna on Monday, where he also provided an update on the application of nuclear safeguards in Iran, Democratic Republic of Korea and Syria.
UN urges Europe to admit 200,000 refugees from Syria, Iraq and other war zones
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): Declaring that Europe is facing "a moment of truth" with hundreds of thousands of people risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean Sea, the head of the United Nations refugee agency on Friday urged the European Union (EU) to admit up to 200,000 asylum-seekers fleeing conflict zones like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
UN human rights chief warns Central Africa still 'gripped by fear'
New York, Sep 5 (IBNS): The human rights situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is far better than it was at the height of the conflict in late 2013 and early 2014, but is still a cause of anxiety for both the country's own inhabitants and the United Nations, the world body’s human rights chief said on Friday.
UN-backed summit opens to harnesses global momentum to eliminate viral hepatitis
New York, Sep 3 (IBNS): Delegates from more than 60 countries are gathered in Glasgow for the first-ever World Hepatitis Summit that began on Wednesday aiming to provide "a wake-up call to build momentum to prevent, diagnose, treat – and eventually eliminate – viral hepatitis as a public health problem," the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
UN relief official in Yemen condemns 'despicable' killing of two Red Cross workers
New York, Sep 3 (IBNS): The top United Nations relief official in Yemen, Johannes Van Der Klaauw, has strongly condemned Wednesday’s killing of two staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Amran Governorate of the country.
UN relief official in Yemen condemns 'despicable' killing of two Red Cross workers
New York, Sep 3 (IBNS): The top United Nations relief official in Yemen, Johannes Van Der Klaauw, has strongly condemned Wednesday’s killing of two staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the Amran Governorate of the country.
UN: Commemorative plaque joins 'Tree of Peace and Unity' marking end of WW II
New York, Sep 3 (IBNS): A ceremony to dedicate a commemorative plaque marking the end of the Second World War in Asia and the Pacific was organized at United Nations Headquarters on Wednesday.
UN: Parliamentarians pledge to place democracy at service of sustainable development
New York, Sep 3 (IBNS): Parliamentary leaders from some 140 countries on Wednesday declared that the United Nations must remain the cornerstone of global cooperation as an Organization that embodies the ardent hope of people around the world and pledged to place "democracy at the service of peace and sustainable development for the world the people want."
UN environment agency unveils low-cost device for air quality monitoring
New York, Sep 2 (IBNS): A ground-breaking air quality measuring device expected to cost up to 100 times less than existing solutions has the potential to "revolutionize" air quality measurement in developing countries and help prevent deaths from air pollution that claim 7 million lives each year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
UN hands over draft global sustainability agenda to Member States
New York, Sep 2 (IBNS): The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday approved a resolution sending the draft '2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development' to Member States for adoption later this month, bringing the international community "to the cusp of decisions that can help realize the… dream of a world of peace and dignity for all," according to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
UN relief wing cites major access challenges in eastern Ukraine
New York, Aug 31 (IBNS): Sounding the alarm on behalf of relief agencies working to meet ongoing needs and jump-start critical preparations for winter in strife-riven eastern Ukraine, the United Nations humanitarian wing has reported that aid organizations are facing major challenges in getting access to the most vulnerable of an estimated 5 million people affected by the conflict that began in the region in April 2014.
Prohibition of enforced disappearance is 'absolute,' UN declares
New York, Aug 31 (IBNS): Marking the fourth International Day of Enforced Disappearances, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon denounced the “alarming†number of acts by that are tantamount to enforced disappearances and appealed to all Member States to ratify or accede to the legal instrument prohibiting such acts.
UN calls on Colombia and Venezuela to resolve border situation through dialogue
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): Concerned over the situation at the border between Colombia and Venezuela, particularly reports of human rights violations occurring in the context of deportations of Colombians, the United Nations human rights office called on Friday on the authorities in both countries to ensure the situation is resolved through "calm discussion and dialogue, firmly grounded in their obligations under international human rights law and refugee law."
UN urges all States to sign, ratify Nuclear Test Ban as a step to nuclear-free world
New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): For the fifth International Day against Nuclear Tests, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed voluntary moratoria on testing imposed by nuclear-armed states but stressed that these cannot substitute for a legally-binding treaty.