Gender equality vital for world to fulfill potential: Ban
New York, Mar 9(IBNS): Thousands of people gathered on Sunday in New York to march from United Nations headquarters to Times Square in commemoration of International Women's Day and to demand greater efforts by Governments to achieve gender equality worldwide.
Attack in northeastern Mali condemned by Ban: UN
New York, Mar 9 (IBNS): The United Nations on Sunday condemned in the strongest terms the attack in Mali that killed two Malian children and a Chadian peacekeeper with the UN Mission in the country (MINUSMA) and injured 11 peacekeepers and three civilians, on Sunday.
Bamako, Mar 7 (IBNS): At least five people were killed as a masked gunman attacked a bar in Mali's capital,Bamako city on Saturday, media reports said.
Nigeria: Multiple blasts hit Maiduguri, 50 killed
Maiduguri, Mar 7 (IBNS): At least 50 people were killed and more than 55 others were hurt as at least five blasts rocked Nigeria's Maiduguri city on Saturday, media reports said.
UN kicks off International Women’s Day celebrations
New York, Mar 7 (IBNS): Despite great strides in the advancement of gender parity, women still lag behind men across an array of critical areas, from political representation and wage equality to education, a gender gap that the United Nations is once again tackling head-on as it kicks off its annual observance of International Women’s Day.
Women’s workplace equality may take decades: UN
New York, Mar 7 (IBNS): Women earn on average 77 per cent of what men earn, the United Nations labour organization said on Friday, noting that “without targeted action, pay equity between women and men will not be achieved before 2086, or at least 71 years from now.â€
UN condemns destruction of Nimrud heritage site in northern Iraq
New York, Mar 7 (IBNS): The United Nations agency mandated with protecting cultural heritage around the world today strongly condemned the destruction of the archaeological site of Nimrud in Iraq, deploring such “criminal chaos†as yet another attack against the Iraqi people.
Climate change threatens self-determination of citizens in island States
New York, Mar 7 (IBNS): In the United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday, senior UN officials joined high-level delegates from Pacific Island States that are on the frontline of the global battle against sea-level rise to examine the potentially devastating impact of climate change on human rights.
Palestine suspends security cooperation with Israel, Ban urges restraint
New York, Mar 7 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday expressed concern regarding the 5 March decision by the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Central Council to suspend all forms of security coordination with Israel.
Lebanon: UN to boost funding to ease Syria crisis burden
New York, Mar 7 (IBNS): The continuing influx of refugees fleeing from the Syrian conflict is burdening Lebanon’s infrastructure and economy and threatening the country’s stability, the United Nations humanitarian chief said on Friday.
Asia-Pacific’s least developed countries need to be transformed: UN
New York, Mar 7 (IBNS): Transforming the lives of some 300 million people in the least developed countries in Asia and the Pacific “is not about ticking the boxes on a few variables,†but to ensure that economic growth and development is sustainable to lift the millions above the extreme poverty line, a senior United Nations official in the region said on Friday.
Women farmers pillar of food security: UN
New York, Mar 7 (IBNS): Ahead of International Women’s Day, United Nations food relief agencies gathered to remind the world that women farmers play a central role in achieving food and nutrition security, urging countries to step up efforts to empower rural women who too often do “backbreaking work†to harvest food.
UN review finds vast majority of climate-related disasters
New York, Mar 7 (IBNS): The United Nations office dedicated to disaster risk reduction on Friday appealed to world leaders ahead of a major gathering in northern Japan next week to provide clear, action-oriented guidance to tackle the underlying drivers of risk, such as climate change, which now accounts for 87 per cent of the disasters that have killed some 700,000 people over the past decade.
Ban welcomes important step forward towards Mali peace
New York, Mar 7 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the progress made towards the establishment of an inclusive peace in Mali in an effort to resolve the country's ongoing crisis, the United Nations spokesperson confirmed on Friday.
UN to scale back food aid to Syrian refugees in Turkey
New York, Mar 7 (IBNS): The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday said “a critical shortage of funding†has forced it to reduce the number of Syrian refugees it can assist through an innovative electronic voucher system in Turkey, which hosts the largest number of asylum-seekers fleeing fighting in neighbouring Syria.