UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras
As the year closes out, UN political chief talks the art of diplomacy – and crises to watch in 2019
31 December 2018
Peace and Security
As the world – and the United Nations – continues to grapple with political crises, we look at the political landscape with Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo. We begin by asking her what it’s like to be the top UN political officer.
LATEST NEWS
UN Photo/Cia Pak
UN urges ‘restraint’ in Bangladesh’s post-parliamentary election violence
31 December 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations said on Monday that it is aware of violent incidents and reports of irregularities in Sunday’s general elections in Bangladesh.
Frontex/Francesco Malavolta
UN refugee agency presses States to aid 49 refugees stranded on Mediterranean
31 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), on the last day of 2018, called onUN Member States to urgently offer safe ports of disembarkation for 49 refugees and migrants, including young children, aboard rescue vessels in the Mediterranean Sea.
UNAMA / Mujeeb Rahman
Afghanistan: UN mission welcomes new polling dates following election delays
31 December 2018
Peace and Security
Amid reports that Afghanistan’s 2019 presidential election may be postponed, local electoral authorities confirmed a polling date delay; a decision the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) welcomed for its clarity on Monday.
OCHA/ Charlotte Cans
‘Stealing’ food from hungry Yemenis ‘must stop immediately’, says UN agency
31 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
After uncovering evidence that humanitarian food supplies are being diverted in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital, Sana’a, and other parts of the country, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has demanded an immediate end to the practice.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
In 2019, ‘reasons for hope’ in a world still on ‘red alert’: UN chief Guterres
28 December 2018
Climate Change
Last year, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued “a red alert” over a range of dangers confronting the world, which “still persist” as 2019 looms: “These are anxious times for many, and our world is undergoing a stress test,” the UN chief said on Saturday in his message for the New Year.
UN Photo
Yemen: Committee brings warring parties to the table in Hudaydah, builds on ceasefire
28 December 2018
Peace and Security
Yemen’s warring parties have begun the process this week of implementing a comprehensive ceasefire agreement across the key rebel-held port city of Hudaydah, raising hopes that groundbreaking consultations convened by the UN in Sweden can lead to a lasting peace through further talks next year.
UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti
‘Continue working together’ UN chief urges DR Congo, as country heads to polls
28 December 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on all those playing an active political role in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to “continue working together” to ensure free and fair elections, as the country heads to polls this Sunday.
NASA/Johnson
THE COMMITTEES: From the colonies to the space race - past, present, future converge in Fourth Committee
28 December 2018
UN Affairs
A timeline that stretches from the colonial past, through the present, and into the future for the final frontier in space, defines one of the United Nations General Assembly’s most versatile Main Committees – the Fourth Committee.
© UNICEF/Thomas Nybo
Children suffering ‘atrocities’ as number of countries in conflict hits new peak: UNICEF
28 December 2018
Human Rights
The world “has failed” to sufficiently protect children caught up in conflict and millions more are at risk of harm, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)revealed on Friday, adding that national leaders need to hold perpetrators of violence more accountable.
United Nations
Respond to ‘legitimate grievances’ of Sudanese people, UN human rights experts urge, following protests
28 December 2018
Human Rights
The excessive use of force during large-scale demonstrations against food and fuel shortages in Sudan is alarming, and an infringement on the right of peaceful assembly, said UN independent experts on Friday.
LATEST NEWS
UNICEF/Gilbertson VII Photo
Newly displaced fleeing attacks in northeast Nigeria, top 2,000
27 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
After fleeing terrorist attacks, as well as clashes between Government forces and militia, more than 2,000 newly displaced Nigerians have arrived in an already over-stretched camp known as Teacher’s Village, in Maiduguri, the capital of the country’s Borno State.
UNDP Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau needs ‘genuinely free and fair elections’ to break cycle of instability
27 December 2018
Peace and Security
Unless political actors in Guinea-Bissau demonstrate renewed good faith to hold “genuinely free and fair elections,” the country is set to face a continuous cycle of instability, the United Nations Security Council warned on Thursday.
UNSMIL/Iason Athanasiadis
‘Repeated attacks’ could close down key hospital in eastern Libya, says WHO
27 December 2018
Peace and Security
The World Health Organization (WHO)has strongly condemned an armed attack in Al Jala Hospital in Libya’s second-largest city of Benghazi, which took place on Tuesday, warning that further assaults could shutter the key facility.
World Bank/Scott Wallace
UN calls for ‘peaceful, credible and inclusive’ election in Bangladesh
27 December 2018
Peace and Security
In the run-up to Sunday’s general elections in Bangladesh, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for “an environment free of violence, intimidation and coercion” to allow a “peaceful, credible and inclusive poll.”
UN Photo/Marco Dormino
THE COMMITTEES: General Assembly Third Committee ‘anchored’ in human rights protection
26 December 2018
Human Rights
From drugs control, to indigenous people’s rights and counter-terrorism, the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee is officially known as the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Committee, with the full array of complex issues and challenges to mull over that its title would imply. Here’s the latest in our series of explainers on how the ideas and pledges of world leaders each September, are turned into action by Member States in the weeks after they go home.
WHO Implementing Partner-Dary
Keyhole surgery returns to war-shattered Mosul as WHO prioritizes medical improvements
26 December 2018
Health
In the wake of more than four years of intense conflict in Iraq to dislodge the terrorist group ISIL, the rehabilitation of the health system and improvements to lifesaving medical services in places like formerly-occupied Mosul, remains a top priority, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday.
© UNICEF/Arimacs Wilander
Indonesian tsunami death toll climbs over 400 as Government-led relief efforts are stepped up
26 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Government-led relief efforts are being stepped up at the tip of the Indonesia’s two main islands of Sumatra and Java after a tsunami slammed into densely-populated coastal areas along the Sunda Strait on Saturday night.
UNSMIL
Libya: Attack on foreign ministry, an attack on all Libyans, stresses UN envoy
26 December 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations peace mission in Libya has “strongly” condemned a terrorist attack on the country’s foreign ministry in the capital, Tripoli.
UNAMA/Fardin Waezi
Afghanistan: UN ‘unequivocally condemns’ attack in Kabul
26 December 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, known by its acronym UNAMA, condemned an attack on a government compound in the country’s heavily populated capital city of Kabul on Monday night, which news reports say left more than 40 dead.
UNDP Somalia/Said Isse
CLIMATE CHANGE FOCUS: Fighting drought with Somalia’s sand dams
25 December 2018
Climate Change
The construction of sand dams which retain water above and below sand bars, is improving access to water supplies for people in Somalia as the country continues to weather periods of damaging drought.
LATEST NEWS
UN Photo/Cia Pak
THE COMMITTEES: Setting out to ‘transform the world’ in the General Assembly's Second Committee
25 December 2018
SDGs
How is the UN tackling its most ambitious and far-reaching project: the 2030 Agendato “transform the world”? This is the mammoth responsibility of the UN’s General Assembly’s Second Committee – the body which deals with “economic and financial matters”. Here is the second in our series on what happens at the UN when the world leaders have gone home at the end of September, and the Committees get going on turning pledges and ideas into action.
UN Photo
UN News 2018 Recap: In Case You Missed It
25 December 2018
UN Affairs
At UN News, 2018 kicked off with UNICEF’s “challenge” to all nations to make sure more newborns survive their first days of life by ensuring they are protected from treatable diseases as well as having access to proven, low-cost health solutions in their first months.
© UNICEF
UN ceasefire monitoring chief tours Yemeni port of Hudaydah
24 December 2018
Peace and Security
The head of the UN team which is monitoring and helping implement a ground-breaking ceasefire across Yemen’s crucial port city of Hudaydah, had his first face-to-face meeting with authorities there on Monday.
OCHA/Anthony Burke
Indonesia tsunami: Many still missing as death toll rises
24 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Indonesians are being warned to stay away from beaches along the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Sumatra and Java, following this weekend’s devastating tsunami in the area, which government and humanitarian agency reports indicate has claimed hundreds of lives, with the total likely to rise.
UNICEF/Adriana Zehbrauskas
UN rights expert urges full investigation into death of migrant girl, held in US
24 December 2018
Human Rights
A United Nations rights expert has called for a thorough investigation into the death of a Guatemalan migrant child, while she was in the custody of United States immigration authorities.
UNICEF/Ashley Gilbertson
THE COMMITTEES: Disarmament for a peaceful world, defines work of UN General Assembly's First Committee
24 December 2018
Peace and Security
Every year in September, the United Nations General Assembly makes the headlines as world leaders gather at UN headquarters to set the agenda for the year ahead. But for the nitty-gritty discussions of how to turn decisions into action, Member States break out into six specialized “Main Committees”. For this first in our series of Committee explainers, we'll take you inside the work of the First – tasked with addressing issues of disarmament and international security.
Audio - 7'51" Playlist
UN Somalia (file)
Mogadishu bombings a ‘cowardly assault’ on Somalis’ right to peace – UN envoy
23 December 2018
Peace and Security
The head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) has condemned “in the strongest possible terms” Saturday’s twin bombings in the nation’s capital, Mogadishu, which claimed a number of lives.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
UN ready to support tsunami-hit parts of Indonesia
23 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed “deep sadness” at the loss of life, injuries and damages caused by the tsunami that struck the Indonesian coast late Saturday, local time.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
UN Security Council urges continuous dialogue, transparency in DR Congo
22 December 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations Security Council has called for continuous dialogue and transparency with all political stakeholders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), following the postponement of presidential, parliamentary and provincial elections, until 30 December.
UNDP Viet Nam
CLIMATE CHANGE FOCUS: Profiting from urban waste in Vietnam
21 December 2018
Climate Change
Women in Hoi An city in Viet Nam are profiting from rubbish and other waste while helping to create a more sustainable urban environment, thanks to a project supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
© UNICEF/UN0217535/LeMoyne
Bamboo-boring beetles wreak havoc in Rohingya refugee camps, UN agency races to respond
21 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Beset by millions of bamboo-chomping beetles, almost every shelter in the vast Rohingya refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, in Bangladesh, needs replacing. With just over four months to go until the beginning of the monsoon season, the race is on for IOM, the United Nations migration agency which is managing the camp, to provide families living in the worst-affected temporary dwellings, with new and more durable bamboo.
Audio - 5'1" Playlist
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
Warring parties in Yemen must ‘fully respect’ Hudaydah ceasefire – UN Security Council
21 December 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations Security Council on Friday endorsed the agreement reached between the Government of Yemen and leaders of the opposition Houthi movement, at the recent UN-backed talks in Sweden, and authorized the deployment of an advance team to facilitate the monitoring and implementation of the Stockholm Agreement.
Artículo 66
Nicaragua: UN rights chief ‘alarmed’ by imminent expulsion of key human rights groups
21 December 2018
Human Rights
After the Nicaraguan Government announced that it has asked two key human rights institutions to leave the country, the UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, said on Friday that she was “extremely alarmed” by a decision that means, in effect, there will be “no functioning independent human rights bodies left in Nicaragua”.
© UNHCR/Markel Redondo
Dozens of migrants dead and missing, adds to mounting toll off Spanish coast
21 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
A group of migrant boats stranded at sea, was rescued off the Spanish coast on Thursday, and at least 25 people are believed to be dead or missing, including a pregnant woman, the UN Refugee Agency, UNCHR, has reported.
UN News/Daniel Dickinson
Instability in Africa’s Sahel, spreading outwards, Security Council told
20 December 2018
Peace and Security
Efforts to address the multiple challenges facing Africa’s Sahel region should be driven by local, regional and national leadership, with the support of international partners as required, the United Nations Special Adviser for the region said on Thursday.
ILO/Deloche P
New migration pact highlights key role of business in protecting migrants, say UN experts
20 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
A group of UN experts welcomed a call for Member States and businesses to join forces in protecting the rights of migrants on Thursday, following the recent adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) on 10 December.
@ UN OCHA/Giles Clarke
2018 ‘terrifying’ for Yemenis but ultimately a ‘year for hope’ says UN Special Envoy
20 December 2018
Peace and Security
It has been a “terrifying” year for Yemenis but ultimately one of hope, as December talks in Sweden yielded a ceasefire around a key port city with the promise of further substantive consultations between the warring parties next month, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, told UN News in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
Audio - 13'9" Playlist
UN Photo/Mark Garten
Remain united for Syrians, UN envoy de Mistura urges Security Council
20 December 2018
Peace and Security
Addressing the problems plaguing Syria and bring years of brutal fighting to an end, requires further “genuine effort” on the part of influential countries, to talk to each other and work constructively, the veteran United Nations Special Envoy for Syria has said.
UNICEF/UN052822/Romenzi
UN report sheds light on ‘unimaginable horrors’ faced by migrants and refugees in Libya, and beyond
20 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Migrants and refugees are being subjected to "unimaginable horrors" from the moment they enter Libya, throughout their stay in the country and – if they make it that far – during their attempts to cross the Mediterranean, according to a report released on Thursday, by the United Nations political mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the UN human rights office (OHCHR).
UNMIL Photo/Christopher Herwig
Crime and drugs in West and Central Africa: Security Council highlights 'new alarming trends’
19 December 2018
Law and Crime Prevention
West and Central Africa faces “disruptive and destabilising” new trends regarding drug trafficking, drug use and other crimes, according to Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), who briefedthe UN Security Council on Wednesday.
WFP/Fares Khoailed
UN-led Yemen ceasefire monitoring team gets ready to begin operations
19 December 2018
Peace and Security
A UN-led team tasked with overseeing the ceasefire which came into effect on Tuesday around a number of critical Yemeni ports, has begun planning operations with a conference call to discuss the general outlines of its work, including agreement of a code of conduct, the UN Spokesperson said on Wednesday.
MONUSCO/Alain Likota
DR Congo elections: ‘historic opportunity’ for ‘peaceful transfer of power’ says Security Council
19 December 2018
Peace and Security
As the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) prepare to vote in next week’s long-awaited presidential election, UN Security Council members on Tuesday expressed their conviction that the 23 December vote should be viewed as an “historic opportunity” for the country.
OCHA/Vicky Prekabo
New UN rights report paints bleak picture in eastern DR Congo
19 December 2018
Human Rights
A new United Nations human rights report has documented “hundreds” of extra-judicial killings and cases of torture and sexual violence against civilians over the last two years in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Confirmed ‘Blue Line’ tunnels ‘do not appear’ to surface in Israel – UN peacekeeping chief
19 December 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has confirmed the existence of at least two tunnels crossing the “Blue Line” – the border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel – but they “do not appear thus far” to have exit points leading to the surface on Israeli territory, the United Nations top peacekeeping official told the Security Council on Wednesday.
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
General Assembly officially adopts roadmap for migrants to improve safety, ease suffering
19 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
The United Nations General Assembly officially endorsed the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration on Wednesday, a non-binding agreement adopted in Marrakech on 10 December by 164 Member States, and described by UN chief António Guterres as a “roadmap to prevent suffering and chaos”.
Audio - 10' Playlist
IOM/Konstantin Skomorokh
'Multiplicity’ of rights violations in Ukraine as fifth winter of conflict bites
19 December 2018
Human Rights
Rights violations have continued unabated and unaddressed in Ukraine and people are still dying amid ongoing conflict between Government forces and armed separatists in the east of the country, a top UN rights official said on Wednesday
UNICEF/Pacific
One small flight for a drone, one ‘big leap’ for global health
18 December 2018
Health
On a small island in the remote South Pacific, a one-month-old baby has become the world’s first child to be given a vaccine delivered by a drone, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced.
UN Photo/Isaac Billy
‘Chance for peace’ in South Sudan finally within reach, declares UN Peacekeeping chief
18 December 2018
Peace and Security
The security situation in South Sudan has significantly improved since the recently signed peace deal between the opposing parties in the country’s civil war, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, head of UN Peacekeeping (DPKO), told the Security Council on Tuesday.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Human rights champions from across the world receive top UN prize
18 December 2018
Human Rights
The “clear and profound” guidelines enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “have made it the world’s most widely translated document”, the UN Secretary-General told the General Assembly on Tuesday at an event to commemorate the Declaration’s 70th Anniversary, marked 10 December.
©FAO/Riccardo Gangale
UN rights chief welcomes new text to protect rights of peasants and other rural workers
18 December 2018
Human Rights
As the most basic rights of rural people continue to be trampled on in many parts of the world, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, welcomed Monday the adoption on Monday by the UN General Assembly of a new declaration to help safeguard them.
UN Photo/Violaine Martin
Worth going ‘extra mile’ for a new Syrian constitution, UN envoy urges
18 December 2018
Peace and Security
Efforts to establish a constitutional committee for Syria are worth going the “extra mile” for, UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday, after meeting the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey - guarantors of a fragile ceasefire in the wartorn country – who agreed that it should convene for the first time early next year, in Geneva.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
‘We are nowhere closer’ to Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, than a year ago, Security Council hears
18 December 2018
Peace and Security
Recent violence and rising tensions in the West Bank are fuelling a climate of hatred and fear, “driving both Israelis and Palestinians further away” from a resolution to the conflict, the United Nations envoy for the Middle East Peace Process has said.
UNHCR/Duniya Aslam Khan
South Sudanese refugees need $2.7 billion, as safe return remains elusive
18 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) launched a $2.7 billion appeal on behalf of South Sudanese refugees on Tuesday, to address Africa’s largest displacement crisis, where millions have been uprooted by years of brutal civil war.
IOM/Muse Mohammed (file)
Migrants: ‘A powerful driver’ of economic growth, ‘dynamism and understanding’
18 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Human migration is “a powerful driver of economic growth, dynamism and understanding,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said, in his message commemorating International Migrants Day, marked on 18 December.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Moves to create a Kosovo army have ‘deteriorated relations’ with Serbia: UN peacekeeping chief
17 December 2018
Peace and Security
The decision by Kosovo’s parliament to form a national army was described by the UN Peacekeeping chief on Monday as having “further deteriorated relations between Belgrade and Pristina,” which, he said, have been strained for some time.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Prospect of negotiated peace in Afghanistan ‘never been more real’ – UN mission chief
17 December 2018
Peace and Security
A negotiated end to the 17-year conflict in Afghanistan “has never been more real…than it is now”, the head of the United Nations peace mission in the country has said, highlighting a series of important milestones achieved over recent months.
UNICEF/Nybo
UN affirms ‘historic’ global compact to support world’s refugees
17 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
The United Nations General Assembly affirmed a non-legally binding Global Compact on Refugees on Monday, marking the latest move by Member States to support the rights of over 68.5 million people have been forced to flee worldwide, including more than 25.4 million people who have crossed borders to become refugees.
Audio - 9'48" Playlist
DigitalGlobe WorldView Images/U.S. Department of State; Humanitarian Information Unit; NextView License (©2018 DigitalGlobe)
First full satellite survey of devastated ancient Aleppo raises recovery hopes
17 December 2018
Culture and Education
The first comprehensive survey of the devastation inflicted on the ancient Syrian city of Aleppo by years of urban warfare, has been published thanks to ground-breaking satellite imaging tools, developed by UN agencies – an essential first step towards its eventual reconstruction.
UNICEF/Brown
UN agencies welcome green light for Rohingya projects in northern Myanmar; urge ‘more effective access’
17 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, on Monday announced that they had received the Government go-ahead to develop community projects in Myanmar’s Rakhine province, and called on authorities to provide “more effective access” to the area.
UNRWA/Taghrid Mohammad
UN calls for funds to ease ‘deteriorating’ humanitarian situation in Gaza and West Bank
17 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The need for aid in the occupied Palestinian territory has increased, following a year that has seen a “serious deterioration in the humanitarian situation,” said Jamie McGoldrick, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the region, in a statement on Monday.
Audio - 6'14" Playlist
© UNHCR/Alessio Mamo
Global Compact on Refugees: How is this different from the migrants’ pact and how will it help?
17 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
The terms ‘refugee’ and ‘migrant’ have been used interchangeably to describe the millions of people worldwide that are either fleeing conflict or seeking better living conditions. As the United Nations sets out to secure global compacts to better protect them, it’s critical to understand the differences between the two.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Most ‘precious’ and ‘scarce’ resource of our time is dialogue, UN chief tells Doha policy forum
16 December 2018
SDGs
Following a productive two weeks of global dialogue for the United Nations and its Member States, alongside governments and advocates, Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking in the Qatar capital, Doha, underscored the importance of international cooperation in the “enormous challenges” of our time, drawing the curtain on a job finished at Sunday’s Doha Forum.
UNFCCC/James Dowson
At COP24, countries agree concrete way forward to bring the Paris climate deal to life
15 December 2018
Climate Change
After two weeks of crunch negotiations – with overtime – the almost 200 parties gathered in Katowice, Poland, for the United Nations COP24 two-week climate change conference, adopted on Saturday a “robust” set of implementing guidelines for the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, aimed at keeping global warming well below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels.
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Audio - 8'39" Playlist
UN Tanzania
Peacekeeping chief honours Tanzanian troops in Zanzibar, a year on from deadly DR Congo attacks
14 December 2018
Peace and Security
A year on from the brutal killings of 15 United Nations peacekeepers from Tanzania in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the head of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) paid a visit to some of the victims’ families on Friday, to honour the memory of the soldiers who died in what was the biggest single loss of ‘blue helmets’ in recent history.
UNDP Chad/Jean Damascene Hakuzim
Preparing Africa for ravages of climate change ‘cannot be an afterthought’ – COP24
14 December 2018
Climate Change
Africa is at a “tipping point” as global warming increases, and urgent action needs to be taken across the continent now, to mitigate risks and safeguard a decade of social and economic gains, according to a new report launched on Thursday by the United Nations Development Agency (UNDP) at the COP24 climate conference, in Katowice, Poland.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Security Council welcomes Yemen breakthrough, but lasting peace remains a ‘daunting task’
14 December 2018
Peace and Security
Senior UN officials briefed the Security Council on the details of a UN-brokered ceasefire in Yemen on Friday in and around the key port city of Hudaydah, which is expected to restore a humanitarian lifeline to millions across the country, and kickstart imports of commercial goods.
OCHA/Jacob Zocherman
UN investigates systematic sexual violence across South Sudan
14 December 2018
Human Rights
Widespread and systematic sexual violence across South Sudan, just a few months after the country’s top two politicians signed a renewed commitment to peace, was at the top of the UN Commission on Human Rights in the country’s agenda on Friday, as members ended their first fact-finding mission.
MONUSCO/Force
DR Congo elections: ‘Excessive use of force’ in campaign must be avoided, says Bachelet
14 December 2018
Peace and Security
Deadly pre-election violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) sparked by police reportedly firing live ammunition at opposition supporters, has been condemned by the UN’s top rights official, Michelle Bachelet.
WFP/Marco Frattini
Yemen ceasefire deal: ‘Potential’ now to restore humanitarian lifeline to millions
14 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The freshly agreed Yemen ceasefire deal covering the key Red Sea governorates of Hudaydah and Taiz has been welcomed by the World Food Programme (WFP), which on Friday expressed hope that it would improve access for humanitarians and, just as crucially, commercial shipping.
© UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo
UN agencies launch emergency plan for millions of Venezuelan refugees and migrants
14 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
A new plan to cover the urgent needs of millions of Venezuelan refugees and migrants, coordinated by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), was launched in Geneva on Friday.
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
Civilian death toll continues to mount in Syria, UN relief chief tells Security Council
13 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Although the overall intensity of violence in Syria has decreased, civilians continue to be killed by air and ground-based strikes, Mark Lowcock, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs told the Security Council on Thursday, during a briefing on the current situation in Syria.
Yaye Nabo Sène/OCHA
Rising insecurity in Central Africa Republic threatens wider region, Security Council told
13 December 2018
Peace and Security
Rising violence in the Central African Republic threatens to spill across the border into neighbouring countries, creating further instability, a senior United Nations official warned on Thursday, urging continued and coordinated regional efforts to bolster peace and security.
UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0218/Romenzi
Four million Syrian children have only known war since birth: UNICEF
13 December 2018
Peace and Security
Half of Syria’s children, that’s four million, have grown up only knowing a life of violence, as the war-battered country enters its eighth year of conflict, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday.
Government Offices of Sweden/Ninni Andersson
Yemen talks: Truce agreed over key port city of Hudaydah
13 December 2018
Peace and Security
The announcement of a ceasefire between Yemen’s warring parties in and around the key port of Hudaydah, was hailed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday as a deal which would improve the lives of millions of people.
GAVI Alliance
Better care, stronger laws needed to save 30 million babies on the brink of death
13 December 2018
Health
Nearly 30 million babies each year - nearly a quarter of the total - are born too soon, too small or become sick, requiring specialized care to survive beyond the first month of life, according to a new report by a global coalition that includes the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO).
MINUJUSTH/Leonora Baumann
Haiti: ‘Laden with challenges’ but also hope, Mission chief tells Security Council
12 December 2018
Peace and Security
Haiti is “laden with challenges, but also hope”, the head of the UN Mission in the country told the Security Council on Wednesday, against the backdrop of on-going political unrest in the Caribbean country.
UNICEF/Ashley Gilbertson
‘Fire-fighting approach’ to humanitarian aid ‘not sustainable’: Deputy UN chief
12 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
With around one in every 60 people across the world caught up in a crisis that requires urgent humanitarian assistance, the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a top panel on the issue on Wednesday that maintaining a “fire-fighting approach is not sustainable” in the long term.
USGS/NASA
UN space-based tool opens new horizons to track land-use on Earth’s surface
12 December 2018
Economic Development
Satellite-based tracking to chart how land is being used on the earth’s surface is about to get much easier and more accessible, the UN food agency has announced, launching a new online portal developed in collaboration with the United States Space Agency, NASA.
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
‘Staunch support’ for Iran nuclear deal tempered by concern over missile testing
12 December 2018
Peace and Security
While there is “staunch support” among Member States for the 2016 Iran nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, that is tempered by concerns over some of its other activities, which Iran “should carefully consider and address” according to the latest report on the deal from the UN Secretary-General.
UN Photo/Emmanuel Hungrecker
Prisoner executions in Belarus ‘simply unacceptable’, says UN rights body
12 December 2018
Human Rights
The continued use of the death penalty in Belarus has been condemned by an authoritative UN rights body after three men were reportedly executed there, despite its requests for clemency.
UN Photo/Kibae Park
Easing US-China trade tensions could save millions of jobs: Asia-Pacific UN report
12 December 2018
Economic Development
Millions of jobs in the Asia and Pacific region have been put at risk by conflicts over trade, despite a recent agreement not to escalate tit-for-tat tariffs by the United States and China, according to a new regional UN report.
UNFCCC Secretariat/James Dowson
Failing to agree on climate action would ‘not only be immoral’ but ‘suicidal’, UN chief tells COP24
12 December 2018
Climate Change
With roadblocks continuing at the COP24climate change conference over how to implement the historic 2015 Paris Agreement, United Nations chief António Guterres returned to Poland on Wednesday, to challenge the more than 100 Government leaders gathered in Katowice to find consensus and “finish the job.”
WHO/Yoshi Shimizu
UN pushes for universal health care on International Day
12 December 2018
Health
Universal health care for all, leaving no one behind, by 2030: that’s the call going out on International Universal Health Coverage Day, which this year falls on Wednesday. Why 2030? Because that’s the target date for completion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which (SDG3), calls for the promotion of healthy lives and well-being for all.
UNFCCC Secretariat
COP24: World sports join team UN in race against climate change
12 December 2018
Climate Change
Major organizations from the world of sport are joining an increasing number of private sector businesses in the race to beat global warming. At the United Nations’ COP24 conference in Poland on Wednesday, 17 major players representing sporting bodies, athletes and fans, added their names to the collective scoreboard, with the launch of the Sports Climate Action Framework.
UN should be ‘exemplary’ in defending judicial independence, top Judge tells Security Council
11 December 2018
Law and Crime Prevention
The United Nations should be a role model when it comes to repelling attempts to weaken the rule of law and undermine independent judiciaries around the world, a senior UN judge told the Security Council on Tuesday.
PAHO/WHO Photo
Uzbekistan wins its long fight against malaria, as global rates continue to rise
11 December 2018
Health
Uzbekistan’s success in becoming recognized as a malaria-free country by the World Health Organization (WHO), is an “extraordinary outcome,” said the Executive Director of the Global Fund on Tuesday, a UN-backed partnership to end malaria epidemics.
UNFCCC Secretariat
COP24 negotiations: Why reaching agreement on climate action is so complex
11 December 2018
Climate Change
From Tuesday on, close to 100 Government ministers are due be involved in negotiating a final deal on moving forward with climate action here at the United Nations COP24 conference in Poland. So, what is the goal? To agree a concrete plan to implement the historic 2015 Paris climate deal by mid-century. The stakes are high with numerous different pressure points.
Governments urged to put first ever UN global migration pact in motion, post-Marrakech
11 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
The adoption by more than 160 governments of the first-ever global migration pact is a triumph of multilateralism and highlights the importance of dispelling “myths” and fear-mongering over the issue, said the UN’s senior migration official on Tuesday, bringing the key two-day Marrakech conference to a close.
UN working with both sides, after hidden tunnels confirmed along Lebanon-Israel ‘Blue Line’
11 December 2018
Peace and Security
The head of the United Nations peace mission in Lebanon has urged an end to “rumours and speculations” over tunnels which have been discovered along the UN-drawn “Blue Line” – the border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel.
‘Global sisterhood’ tells perpetrators ‘time is up’ for pandemic of violence
11 December 2018
Women
From #MeToo to #HearMeToo, the fight to end violence against women continues as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Nicole Kidman, joined survivors, activists and other Hollywood celebrities to spotlight the lack of resources that exist to help women push back against violence and abuse.
UNICEF/Romenzi
Bid to raise $5.5 billion for millions of Syrians and their host communities
11 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Some 5.6 million Syrians need help outside the war-torn country and one million of them are children born in exile, UN agencies and partners said on Tuesday, in an appeal for $5.5 billion to cover humanitarian needs for 2019.
Progress made in UN talks to end Yemen war, Envoy lauds ‘positive and serious spirit’
11 December 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations-sponsored political consultations in Sweden, involving the warring parties in the Yemen war, have led to progress “on a number of issues,” said Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy for Yemen, at a press conference on Monday.
UNOCHA/Ghalia Seifo
Major UN aid operation for 650,000 gets underway across Syria-Jordan border
10 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The United Nations began a four-week operation on Sunday, delivering lifesaving assistance to hundreds of thousands of Syrians in desperate need, from across the border in neighbouring Jordan.
UNICEF/Noorani
Iraq: Over 150,000 children endangered by ‘freezing’ temperatures, warns UNICEF
10 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has ramped up efforts to provide warm clothes and life-saving supplies to more than 150,000 displaced children across northern Iraq whose lives are threatened by freezing temperatures.
UN Photo
Worldwide UN family celebrates enduring universal values of human rights
10 December 2018
Human Rights
Across the world, the UN family has been making sure that this year’s Human Rights Day – which falls on Monday, and marks 70 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – succeeds in raising awareness of the principles enshrined in the document, which are as important and relevant today, as they were in 1948.
UN News/Yasmina Guerda
‘Going green’ is good business says private sector at UN’s COP24 climate conference
10 December 2018
Climate Change
Businesses across the world should no longer be viewed solely as greenhouse gas emissions culprits, but more as indispensable partners for climate action, who stand to increase profits from “going green”. That was the key message as the United Nations COP24 climate change conference went into its second week in Katowice, Poland.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
Governments adopt UN global migration pact to help ‘prevent suffering and chaos’
10 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
The Global Compact for Migrationwas adopted on Monday by leading representatives from 164 Governments at an international conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, in an historic move described by UN Chief António Guterres as the creation of a “roadmap to prevent suffering and chaos”.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
In Marrakech, UN chief urges world leaders to ‘breathe life’ into historic global migration pact
9 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Leading Government representatives from more than 150 States have arrived in Marrakech, Morocco, with a view to adopting a ground-breaking UN-led global migration compact which is designed to make the growing phenomenon safer and more dignified for millions on the move.
World Bank/Philip Schuler
The costs of corruption: values, economic development under assault, trillions lost, says Guterres
9 December 2018
SDGs
Every year, trillions of dollars - equivalent to more than five percent of global GDP - are paid in bribes or stolen through corruption, the United Nations reported on the International Day which serves to highlight the pervasive crime, marked this Sunday.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
70 years on, landmark UN human rights document as important as ever
9 December 2018
Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights reaches its 70th anniversary on Monday, a chance to highlight the many important breakthroughs brought about by the landmark UN document, and to remind the world that the human rights of millions are still being violated on a daily basis.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
‘Complacency is still strong’ over stopping genocide, says top UN adviser
9 December 2018
Peace and Security
The current rise in hate speech, racial tensions and identity-based violence is alarming, the UN Special Adviser on preventing genocide said on Friday, highlighting his concern that ‘complacency is still strong’, when it comes to stopping the mass-killing or extinction of national, ethnic, racial or religious groups.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
Ahead of key UN-backed Marrakech migration conference, youth recount harrowing journeys
8 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Paving the way to the key UN migration conference in Marrakech, Morocco, which it is hoped will agree new measures to make life safer and more dignified for people on the move, UN agencies held a series of side events to highlight the different aspects of migration, paying special attention to the most vulnerable, and the challenges they face on their often perilous journeys.
Audio - 10' Playlist
UNICEF/Marco Dormino
COP24 addresses climate change displacement ahead of crunch migration meeting
8 December 2018
Climate Change
As hundreds of decision-makers are gathering in Marrakech to agree new standards for global migration, the United Nations climate change conference ‘COP24’ is looking at concrete ways to help countries tackle large-scale displacement caused by the impacts of climate change, including water scarcity, flooding, storms and rising sea levels.
Source: Video screen shot
Internet milestone reached, as more than 50 per cent go online: UN telecoms agency
7 December 2018
Economic Development
For the first time, more than half of the world’s population of nearly 8 billion will be using the internet by the end of 2018, the United Nations telecommunications agency announced on Friday.
On flight to sustainable development, ‘leave no country behind’, urges aviation agency
7 December 2018
SDGs
Marking International Civil Aviation Day, the United Nations aviation agency, ICAO, is showcasing the socio-economic benefits and “tremendous” opportunities presented by the global journey towards sustainable development.
FAO/IFAD/WFP/Luis Tato
UN emergency relief fund has ‘never been more critical’: Guterres
7 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The mission of the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which enables humanitarian responders to deliver life-saving assistance whenever and wherever crises strike, is more critical than ever, said Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, as a key pledging conference got underway at UN Headquarters in New York.
UN News/Matt Wells
COP24: Huge untapped potential in greener construction, says UN environment agency
7 December 2018
Climate Change
Noting some progress in greening the global construction industry, the United Nations environment agency (UNEP) co-released a report on Friday at the COP24climate conference in Katowice, Poland, sounding the alarm on the need for “dramatic action” to reduce the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions.
UNDP Green Commodities Programme
CLIMATE CHANGE FOCUS: The fruits of sustainability and decent work
7 December 2018
Climate Change
Costa Rica’s is taking the lead in promoting the socially-conscious production of pineapples whilst protecting the environment, thanks to a project supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
© World Bank/Wu Zhiyi
Road injuries leading cause of death for the young, despite safety gains: UN report
7 December 2018
Economic Development
Latest statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO reveal that 1.35 million people die on the roads each year, while road traffic injuries are now the leading cause of death among young people, according to new statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Audio - 26'37" Playlist
WFP/Jonathan Dumont
A safer, more dignified journey for all migrants, tops agenda at global conference in Marrakech
7 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Top politicians and officials from across the world will gather in Marrakech, Morocco this weekend, ahead of a major conference convened by the UN, to formally adopt an all-inclusive, extensive global agreement aimed at making migration safer, and more dignified for all.
Audio - 6'12" Playlist
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
US resolution to condemn activities of Hamas voted down in General Assembly
6 December 2018
Peace and Security
Although a majority of UN Member States voted in favour of a General Assembly resolution put forward by the United States – condemning the activities of Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza – it failed to be adopted on Thursday at UN Headquarters in New York.
MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko
Preventing and resolving conflicts must form ‘backbone’ of collective efforts – UN chief
6 December 2018
Peace and Security
More countries are experiencing violent conflict now than at any time over the past 30 years, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Thursday, underscoring that the world has a responsibility to act “collectively”.
MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko
UN launches new framework to strengthen fight against terrorism
6 December 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres launched a new Organization-wide framework on Thursday to coordinate efforts across the peace and security, humanitarian, human rights and sustainable development sectors.
UN Photo/Martine Perret
Western Sahara: a 'peaceful solution’ to conflict is possible, says UN envoy
6 December 2018
Peace and Security
The first UN-led talks in six years over the disputed Western Sahara-region concluded on a positive note on Thursday in Geneva, where the Organization’s representative Horst Köhler said that further discussions are planned “in the first quarter of 2019”.
Yemen war: UN chief urges good faith as ‘milestone’ talks get underway in Sweden
6 December 2018
Peace and Security
The Yemeni Government and the Houthi opposition have gathered at United Nations-sponsored political talks, close to the Swedish capital, Stockholm, aimed at ending nearly four years of brutal war in the country.
UN News/Yasmina Guerda
Taking fast road to ‘e-mobility’ central to a sustainable future: COP24
6 December 2018
Climate Change
As the transportation sector continues to be a major culprit in the global rise in temperatures, the urgent need for clean solutions – in particular, powered by electricity or “e-mobility” – is being highlighted at the two-week United Nations climate change conference ‘COP24’ in Katowice, Poland.
Audio - 10'30" Playlist
Giles Clarke/UN OCHA
Yemen war: UN-backed talks to silence the guns begin in Sweden
6 December 2018
Peace and Security
Highly anticipated UN-brokered consultations about substantive talks which could lead to an end to more than three years of brutal conflict across Yemen, have begun in Sweden. Brutal fighting has left the Middle East nation divided between Government and rebel forces, with millions on the brink of famine, and the economy and society in ruins.
UNOG
More than 17,000 children worldwide paint a picture of human rights
5 December 2018
Human Rights
More than 17,000 children from around the globe have drawn pictures depicting their passion for human rights in an international art competition honoring the upcoming 70th anniversary of the ground-breaking Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
UN Photo/Patricia Esteve
Sustainability, peace, security ‘best guarantee against instability’ Guterres to Security Council
5 December 2018
Peace and Security
“Peace and development are indivisible,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Wednesday, encouraging a stronger push along what he dubbed “the peace continuum” as the “best guarantee against instability and insecurity.”
UNDP Tunisia
CLIMATE CHANGE FOCUS: Tunisia coastline in need of climate cash boost
5 December 2018
Climate Change
Efforts to mobilize the cash needed to ensure that climate change does not lead to the irreversible damage of Tunisia’s coastline are being undertaken by the North African country’s government, with the support of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
UN Photo/Martine Perret
First Western Sahara talks at UN in six years, begin in Geneva
5 December 2018
Peace and Security
Talks have begun at the UN on the future of Western Sahara – the first in years – the Organization announced on Wednesday.
FAO/Hkun Lat
Soil pollution ‘jeopardizing’ life on Earth, UN agency warns on World Day
5 December 2018
SDGs
Soil is a “treasure beneath our feet,” essential to human lives and well-being, a senior United Nations official has highlighted, warning, however, that this invaluable resource is under constant threat from the little-understood phenomenon of soil pollution.
WMO/Alfred Lee
COP24: A million lives could be saved by 2050 through climate action, UN health agency reveals
5 December 2018
Climate Change
Taking bold climate action now, could help save a million lives and a lot of money by the middle of the century, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday, launching a special report as part of the ongoing COP24 climate conference in Katowice, Poland.
ILO/Marcel Crozet
Millions more migrant workers, means countries lose ‘most productive part’ of workforce
5 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
A new study launched on Wednesday by the International Labour Organization (ILO) reveals that the number of migrant workers has jumped by millions, leaving some countries without “the most productive part of their workforce.”
UN Photo/Laura Jarriel
Syrian civilians must be protected amid ISIL executions and airstrikes: Bachelet
5 December 2018
Human Rights
Reports that violent extremists in Syria have executed civilians in the east of the war-torn country have been condemned by the UN’s top rights official, Michelle Bachelet.
Mobile Film Festival
Human rights on film: International festival celebrates mobile phone films for a cause
4 December 2018
Human Rights
In honor of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, marked 10 December, the United Nations has allied with the Mobile Film Festival to host a special edition of its annual international film competition, now in its 14th year.
Audio - 6'21" Playlist
Giles Clarke/ Getty Images Reportage
Trust and support of Iraqis essential for success of UN’s Da’esh terror investigation
4 December 2018
Peace and Security
Delivering a summary of his first report to the Security Council, Special Adviser and head of the UN Investigative Team for Accountability of Da’esh – the Arabic name for the extremist group ISIL which recently held sway over large parts of Iraq and Syria - said that the team can only be effective if it gains the trust of Iraqi society.
World Bank/Kim Eun Yeul
UN expert ‘shocked’ by Egyptian reprisals against human rights defenders she met
4 December 2018
Human Rights
A United Nations independent rights expert has condemned Egyptian Government reprisals, which included housing demolitions and arbitrary arrests, against human rights defenders and others she encountered while visiting the country just over a month ago.
UNEP/Cyril Villemain
Assembly President launches new initiative to purge plastics and purify oceans
4 December 2018
SDGs
The President of the UN General Assembly launched a new global call to action on Tuesday, to help end the scourge of plastic pollution in the ocean.
UNICEF/Aylar Rezayee
Women ‘vital’ to peace efforts and ensuring long-lasting stability in Afghanistan
4 December 2018
Women
As gender-equality advocates discuss how a lasting peace can be secured in Afghanistan, the top UN official in the country has underscored the importance of women’s participation as “vital to ending the conflict and ensuring long-lasting stability.”
IOC/Greg Martin
UN recognises role of sport in achieving sustainable development
4 December 2018
Peace and Security
The power of sport to help make sustainable development a reality and, in particular, the 2030 Agenda – the United Nations’ blueprint to transform the world for the benefit of all – has been explicitly recognized by a General Assembly resolution, adopted at UN Headquarters on Monday.
MDF/M. Hudair
Global aid appeal targets more than 93 million most in need next year
4 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Conflict has pushed tens of millions of people into a situation where they are in urgent need of help, the UN’s relief chief said on Tuesday, in an appeal for funds that could top $25 billion to support life-saving aid projects in over 40 countries next year.
UNFCC Secretariat/James Dowson
Ambition, transformation, active citizenship: COP24 looks to next year’s big UN Climate Change Summit
4 December 2018
Climate Change
With thousands gathered in Katowice, Poland, for the ‘COP24’ meeting to chart the way forward for climate action, United Nations chief António Guterres presentedhis longer-term vision on Tuesday for the 2019 Climate Change Summit.
Audio - 10'30" Playlist
UN News/Desmond Ingham-Brown
‘We need to do more’ to transform the world, deputy UN chief tells African audiences
3 December 2018
SDGs
During her current trip to South Africa, Deputy-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has spoken at several events in Johannesburg, on the importance of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development - the UN’s blueprint to end extreme poverty, fight injustice, and protect the planet, ensuring that no one is left behind.
UN launches Facebook Messenger-powered bot to take on climate change
3 December 2018
Climate Change
As world leaders and decision-makers get to work on mitigating climate change at the COP24 conference in Katowice, Poland, renowned broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough launched a new UN campaign to give individuals their say on the key global issue, via social media.
Giles Clarke/UN OCHA
Evacuation of wounded Yemenis from rebel-held capital may bolster fresh peace talks
3 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
A United Nations chartered aircraft has transported some fifty badly injured Yemenis from the capital Sana’a to hospitals in Muscat, the capital of Oman, for treatment, the UN envoy for the war-torn country has announced.
© UNDP SGP Ukraine/2017
FROM THE FIELD: Persons with disabilities bike towards sustainability
3 December 2018
SDGs
People with disabilities in Ukraine are contributing to the development of a network of environmentally friendly bicycle routes which are helping to protect unique local landscapes.
World Bank/Curt Carnemark
UN agriculture chief urges ‘transformative changes’ to how we eat
3 December 2018
Health
Obesity affects millions of people, and several billion suffer from diseases caused by vitamin- or mineral-deficient diets, known as micronutrient deficiencies, according to the UN agriculture chief, who called on Monday for “transformative changes” to our food systems.
UNMISS Photo
South Sudan: UN condemns ‘brutal’ sexual assaults on roads to Bentiu
3 December 2018
Peace and Security
Senior United Nations officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres have condemned a series of brutal sexual assaults on women and girls, travelling on the road to Bentiu, a town in the north of South Sudan.
UNFCCC Secretariat
Four things the UN chief wants world leaders to know, at key COP24 climate conference opening
3 December 2018
Climate Change
During the UN COP24 Climate Change Conference grand opening on Monday, Secretary-General António Guterres told over 150 world leaders gathered for climate action that “we are in deep trouble” and asked decision-makers to focus on four key things: stepping up climate action, according to a solid plan, with more funding, as a smart investment in the future of the planet.
CCBRT/Dieter Telemans
First-ever UN report on disability and development, illustrates inclusion gaps
3 December 2018
SDGs
The United Nations launched its first-ever flagship report on disability and development on Monday; published by, for, and with, persons with disabilities, in the hopes of fostering more accessible, and disability-inclusive societies.
UN Women Twitter
Black Panther’s ‘General Okoye’ joins the fight against gender-based violence
2 December 2018
Women
Danai Gurira, one of the stars of hit movies “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” in her role as General Okoye, has been named a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women, lending her name and dedicating her support to gender equality and women’s rights.
UN News/Daniela Gross
Over 40 million people still victims of slavery
2 December 2018
Human Rights
Slavery is still a very real and widespread phenomenon, affecting more than 40 million people worldwide, says the International Labour Organization (ILO), with children making up a quarter of the victims , despite the entry into force of the landmark Forced Labour protocol in 2016.
UNFCCC Secretariat
COP24: green, gender focus, as UN's crucial climate change conference gets underway
2 December 2018
Climate Change
COP24, the two-week 24th conference of the parties of the United Nations Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC), started on Sunday in Katowice, Poland, with a special focus on carbon neutrality and gender equality.
UN chief welcomes G20 commitment to fight climate change
2 December 2018
Economic Development
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has welcomed the declaration released on Saturday at the conclusion of the 2018 G20 meeting of the world’s leading economies, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which reaffirms a commitment to raise ambition in the fight against climate change.
OCHA/Ammar Al-Hajj
Conditions deteriorating alarmingly in Yemen, warns senior UN official
1 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Conditions in Yemen have deteriorated alarmingly, and the country is on the “brink of a major catastrophe” said Mark Lowcock – Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator – on returning from his mission to Yemen on Saturday.
UN Photo/Yutaka Nagata
UN chief saddened at news of death of former US President George H.W. Bush
1 December 2018
UN Affairs
In a statement released on Saturday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed his sadness at the news of the death of former US President George Herbert Walker Bush, who died on Friday.
