New York, Apr 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon continued his programme in California on Wednesday, where he received an honorary doctorate from Loyola Marymount University, after addressing yesterday the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, where he gave the audience an overview of United Nations efforts to meet on Wednesday’s global challenges, from humanitarian crises to climate change to sustainable development.
New York, Apr 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Intensified fighting since January has resulted in a rapidly worsening security situation and large-scale displacement in Sudan’s Darfur region, the top United Nations peacekeeping official warned on Wednesday, stressing that it is important that Security Council “impress on all parties to the conflict […] that a political solution remains the only viable option.â€
Prosecutor to appeal UN tribunal's acquittal of Vojislav Šešelj of war crimes in the Balkans
New York, Apr 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The long-serving Prosecutor of the United Nations tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on Wednesday announced that he will appeal The Hague-based court's recent acquittal of Serbian politician Vojislav Šešelj on war crimes charges in connection with actions committed by Serbian forces between August 1991 and September 1993.
Libya: senior UN relief official calls for independent probe into migrant deaths at detention centre
New York, Apr 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Expressing deep regret and concern over the deaths of four migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa in a detention centre in al-Zawiya, Libya, the senior United Nations humanitarian official in that country has called on Wednesday for an independent, impartial and full investigation into their deaths.
UN experts urge Mexico to counter current ‘smear campaign,’ support right defenders
New York, Apr 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Three United Nations human rights experts on Wednesday urged the Government of Mexico to express its full support for the work of human rights defenders and civil society organisations, and actively counter the current stigmatisation campaign to undermine their work.
Sport plays essential role in advancing 2030 development agenda – UN
New York, Apr 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS):Sport has an essential role to play in supporting the achievement of the post-2015 development goals, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said as he observed the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
Fiji: UN warns of flooding as cyclone-battered country braces for another storm
New York, Apr 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Less than two months after Tropical Cyclone Winston cut a path of destruction across Fiji, the country is bracing for the impact of another storm, the United Nations relief aid office said on Wednesday.
World military spending resumes upward course, says SIPRI
Stockholm, Apr 6 (IBNS) World military expenditure totalled almost $1.7 trillion in 2015, an increase of 1 per cent in real terms from 2014, according to new figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
New York, Apr 6 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Briefing the General Assembly on recent disturbing allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations peacekeepers, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Chef de Cabinet reaffirmed the Organization’s determination to tackle the issue head on and indicated that such violations, if verified, would trigger a decision by Ban to repatriate the units in question.
New York, Apr 6 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The role that architecture can play in creating cities that are more sustainable and liveable – a vital element of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, in which economic inclusion, social development and environmental protection converge in a universal roadmap for global action – was in the spotlight at UN Headquarters on Tuesday as this year’s Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate discussed his work and the road to a more inclusive future.
Delays in implementing Mali peace deal mean gains for terrorists – UN peacekeeping chief
New York, Apr 6 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Every day lost in the implementation of Mali’s peace agreement is a day gained for extremist and terrorist groups that have bet heavily that the process will fail, the top United Nations peacekeeping official told the Security Council on Tuesday, stressing that the Government and the armed groups who signed the deal must establish a timeline to resolve all pending issues.
UN deputy chief calls for greater investment and attention on peacebuilding, statebuilding
New York, Apr 6 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Addressing an international forum on peacebuilding and statebuilding, the United Nations deputy chief on Tuesday highlighted the need for a greater investment in those activities and the importance of taking more preventive measures to reduce humanitarian needs.
UN agency to train dozens of experts on nuclear-related techniques to identify Zika
New York, Apr 6 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations atomic energy agency plans to train dozens of participants this month from mostly Latin America and Caribbean countries on how to use nuclear-derived techniques to detect the Zika virus in as short a time as three hours.
Rwanda: chronic malnutrition rates drop but remain ‘stubbornly high,’ UN-backed study reveals
New York, Apr 6 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Chronic malnutrition in Rwanda have fallen significantly in the last three years, but still remain stubbornly high, especially in rural areas, finds a new study conducted over three years by the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture with support from the World Food Programme (WFP).