UN Photo/Eric Kanalstein
Parliaments can be pillars of democracy and defenders of human rights, says UN chief on International Day
30 June 2018
SDGs
United Nations Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres has underscored the “pivotal role” played by parliaments and their importance to “advance the aspirations” of the citizens they represent.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
UN chief ‘deeply alarmed’ over military offensive in south-west Syria
30 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Expressing “deep alarm” over increased hostilities in southwestern Syria and its “devastating” toll on civilians, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate cessation of the military operations.
MINUSMA Photo
UN condemns deadly attack against G5 Sahel force headquarters in Mali
30 June 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres has strongly condemned the attack against the G5 Sahel joint force Headquarters in Mali’s restive Mopti region.
UN Photo/Gernot Maier
Security Council renews mandates of UN force monitoring separation area between Israel and Syria; AU-UN hybrid mission in Darfur
30 June 2018
Peace and Security
Adopting separate resolutions, the United Nations Security Council has extended the mandates of the Organization’s Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and the African Union-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
WFP/Justin Smith
UN launches plan to promote peace, inclusive growth in Africa’s Sahel
30 June 2018
SDGs
The United Nations has launched a major support plan to promote sustainable peace and inclusive growth as well as empower women and youth in Africa's vast Sahel region.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
‘We must fight terrorism together’ without sacrificing legal and human rights, declares UN chief
29 June 2018
Peace and Security
With new solutions proposed, and new partnerships established, the United Nations Secretary-General told delegates from Member States attending the first ever High-Level Conference on Counter-Terrorism, that he was committed to meeting the challenge of “keeping your citizens safe”.
UNHCR/Roger Arnold
UN chief heads to Bangladesh to spotlight continuing perils facing Rohingya refugees
29 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The continuing plight of nearly one million Rohingya refugees driven from their homes in Myanmar will be the focus of the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres when he travels to Bangladesh this weekend – the country where they have found safe-haven.
MINUSMA/Marco Dormino
Mine action is at ‘the nexus’ of peace, security and development: UN official
29 June 2018
Peace and Security
Despite international efforts, the number of people killed or injured by landmines and other explosive hazards has risen following years of decline, the Security Council heard on Friday.
UNRWA
‘Bleakest period yet’ in Occupied Palestinian Territory: UN human rights expert
29 June 2018
Peace and Security
Reports of the indignities faced by people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory have “painted the bleakest picture yet” of the human rights situation there, a United Nations expert has said.
ABAD/Elkhan Ganiyev
FROM THE FIELD: Weaving profits in Azerbaijan
29 June 2018
Economic Development
Artisans in Azerbaijan who practice the traditional art of carpet making are being provided with new business opportunities thanks to a project supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
IOM
Veteran public official from Portugal elected to lead UN migration agency
29 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
A lawyer and politician from Portugal, with an extensive career in public service, has been elected to head the United Nations migration agency.
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Naomi Frerotte
Africa’s Sahel must be a top priority for UN peacebuilding efforts, says commission
29 June 2018
Peace and Security
The vast Sahel region of Africa, which is facing multiple threats and challenges – including destructive climate change, drought, terrorism and organized crime – must continue to be a top priority for United Nations peacebuilding efforts, the Security Council heard on Friday.
UNICEF/Tomislav Georgiev
EU migration deal welcomed by UN agencies
29 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
UN humanitarian agencies on Friday broadly welcomed a freshly-inked deal on migration by European Union leaders which calls for more Member States to take responsibility within their borders for those in need of protection, amid a hardening stance by some since 2015.
UN OCHA/Giles Clarke
De-escalation of fighting in Hodeida is key to ‘long-overdue’ restart of Yemen peace talks: UN envoy
28 June 2018
Peace and Security
“Events on the battlefield” are the main spoiler to the peace process in Yemen, but political negotiations are the top overall priority for resolving the conflict, according to the UN’s envoy for the country, speaking exclusively to UN News.
UNMISS Photo
South Sudan ‘revitalized’ peace deal must be inclusive, Security Council hears
28 June 2018
Peace and Security
Although recent engagement between the main political rivals in South Sudan is a welcome development, ending the country’s long-standing conflict will only be achieved by addressing its root causes and ensuring women, youth and other sectors contribute to peace efforts.
World Bank/Curt Carnemark
Iran: UN rights chief ‘deeply disturbed’ by continuing executions of juvenile offenders
28 June 2018
Human Rights
Following the execution of a 15-year-old in Iran on Wednesday – the fourth juvenile to be put to death in the country this year – the United Nations rights chief condemned the practice, citing the strict prohibition of such executions under international law.
RCO/Mia Paukovic
INTERVIEW: UN’s top official in North Korea foresees ‘surge’ in humanitarian aid
28 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Following the recent positive political developments on the Korean Peninsula, the top United Nations official in North Korea envisages a surge in global humanitarian support for the millions there who are fighting malnutrition and living in poverty.
UN Photo/Violaine Martin
Hostilities in Syria’s southwest, mean cuts in vital aid across Jordanian border: Senior UN official
28 June 2018
Peace and Security
Escalating conflict in Syria’s southwest has cut vital cross-border aid deliveries from neighbouring Jordan, a senior United Nations official said on Thursday, in an appeal to warring parties to halt the fighting immediately.
UNICEF/Mulugeta Ayene
UN chief welcomes ‘first concrete step’ in normalizing Eritrea-Ethiopia relationship
28 June 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the high-level visit of a delegation from Eritrea to neighbouring Ethiopia which began on Tuesday, as “a first concrete step” in the process of normalizing relations between the two countries.
UN Photo/Stuart Price
‘Agile’, multilateral response vital to combat terrorism – UN chief Guterres
28 June 2018
Peace and Security
The complex and evolving nature of terrorism necessitates a response that is as agile and multifaceted as the threat itself, the United Nations Secretary-General said on Thursday.
Audio - 8'39" Playlist
UNICEF/Fati Abubakar
Action needed to end deadly clashes between African herders and farmers: UN chief
28 June 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations stands ready to support efforts to resolve deadly clashes between farmers and nomadic herders in areas of West and Central Africa, the head of the global organization said on Thursday.
World Bank/Dominic Chavez
‘Global care crisis’ set to affect 2.3 billion people warns UN labour agency
28 June 2018
Economic Development
A “global care crisis” is looming which could affect 2.3 billion people by 2030, United Nations work experts warned on Thursday, highlighting the potential for greater inequality in a sector where women already perform “more than three-quarters” of all unpaid work.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Top UN political official updates Security Council on Iran nuclear deal
27 June 2018
Peace and Security
Notwithstanding “the continued adherence by Iran” to its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the agreement is “at a crossroads” the United Nations top political official said on Wednesday.
OPCW
UN chemical weapons watchdog adds new powers to assign blame, following attacks
27 June 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations chemical weapons watchdog voted in favour of a United Kingdom-led proposal on Wednesday, allocating itself new powers to assign blame for attacks.
UNICEF/Ilvy Njiokiktjien
WHO study reveals ‘game-changer’ drug with potential to save thousands of women’s lives in childbirth
27 June 2018
Health
A stand-by drug used to prevent potentially-fatal bleeding after childbirth has some new competition – with improved benefits, according a United Nations health agency-led report.
UN/Jean-Marc Ferré
Opponents of constitutional change in Burundi face torture and execution: UN investigators
27 June 2018
Human Rights
In Burundi, opponents of constitutional reform supported by the Government have faced torture and execution amid a “continuing environment of threats and intimidation”, senior UN investigators said on Wednesday.
UN Photo
New book honours UN women who made HERstory
27 June 2018
Women
Raising awareness of women’s contributions is critical to correcting historical imbalances that have undervalued their presence, the United Nations Secretary-General said on Wednesday.
UNHCR/Susan Schulman
We must stop a devastating ‘battle to the end’ in southwest Syria, declares UN envoy
27 June 2018
Peace and Security
A “full-scale” ground and aerial offensive in southwest Syria could inflict an even heavier toll on civilians than the suffering caused by previous devastating battles in the war-ravaged country, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria has warned.
UNICEF/Ahmed Abdulhaleem
Rise in number of children killed, maimed and recruited in conflict: UN report
27 June 2018
Peace and Security
More than 10,000 children were killed or maimed in conflict last year while more than 8,000 youngsters were recruited or used as combatants, the United Nations reported on Wednesday.
Audio - 15'46" Playlist
UN Photo/Antonio Fiorente
UN chief welcomes agreement by rival leaders in South Sudan, as a step towards ‘inclusive and implementable’ peace
27 June 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations Secretary-General has welcomed an agreement signed on Wednesday by the President of South Sudan and his former Vice President, which it is hoped will lead to an “inclusive and implementable” peace deal to end years of civil conflict in the world’s youngest nation.
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre
UN rights expert ‘strongly recommends’ probe by International Criminal Court into ‘decades of crimes’ in Myanmar
27 June 2018
Human Rights
The United Nations rights expert on Myanmar is “strongly” recommending that the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate and prosecute those allegedly responsible for “decades of crimes” in the form a grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law inside the country.
UN Photo/Elma Okic
Saudi Arabia: UN experts push for prompt release of women human rights defenders
27 June 2018
Human Rights
A ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia may have officially ended at the weekend, but on Wednesday, nine United Nations experts called for the immediate release of a number of women’s rights defenders who were imprisoned following a government crackdown which began in mid-May.
UN Photo/Marco Dormino
Guterres condemns killing of Bangladeshi peacekeeper in South Sudan, during armed attack on UN convoy
26 June 2018
Peace and Security
The UN chief on Tuesday condemned the killing of a peacekeeper from Bangladesh, who was supporting the delivery of humanitarian aid to vulnerable civilians in South Sudan.
UNDP/Nicolas Meulders
Mali: UN chief calls for calm as clashes leave over 20 dead in Mopti
26 June 2018
Human Rights
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appealed for calm and restraint in the Mopti region of central Mali, where over 20 people are reported to have been killed in intercommunal clashes over the weekend.
UNICEF/Vincent Tremeau
‘Crimes against humanity,’ ‘war crimes’ and risk of new ethnic violence in DR Congo, warn UN experts
26 June 2018
Peace and Security
Defence and security forces along with the Kamuina Nsapu and Bana Mura militias have committed “crimes against humanity and war crimes” in the of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Kasai region, United Nations experts said on Tuesday following an investigation.
UNAMA/Fardin Waezi
UN official sees ‘unprecedented opportunities’ to make progress on peace in Afghanistan
26 June 2018
Peace and Security
The coming months will present critical opportunities for the international community to review assistance to Afghanistan, as the country works towards a lasting peace, stable democracy and self-reliance, the top United Nations official there told the Security Council in New York on Tuesday.
Audio - 8'36" Playlist
UNICEF/UN0201091/Herwig
At Ministerial session, UN regional office in Beirut to focus on technology for sustainable development
26 June 2018
SDGs
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is set to hold its 30th Ministerial Session in Beirut, Lebanon on 27 and 28 June with a focus on technology for sustainable development.
UNHCR/Ivor Prickett
UN global counter-terrorism strategy review an ‘overarching vision for the future’: Assembly President
26 June 2018
Peace and Security
While there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to address the challenges posed by terrorism worldwide, international cooperation is key to counter the scourge, the President of the United Nations General Assembly said on Tuesday, as the body adopted a review of the UN’s global counter-terrorism strategy.
UNICEF/Mark Naftalin
Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic Congo is ‘largely contained’: WHO
26 June 2018
Health
Almost two months after the start of the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), United Nations health experts announced on Tuesday that the deadly disease has “largely been contained”.
UN Photo/Tobin Jones
Torture is unacceptable and unjustified ‘at all times’ underscore top UN officials
26 June 2018
Human Rights
Torture in any form, is absolutely unacceptable and can never be justified, top United Nations officials said on Tuesday, urging great support for victims worldwide.
Audio - 4'13" Playlist
World Bank/Trinn Suwannapha
Cocaine and opium production worldwide hit ‘absolute record highs’ - major threat to public health says UN study
26 June 2018
Health
The scourge of opium-based drugs and cocaine are a bigger global threat to public health and law enforcement than ever before, according to the latest World Drug Report, released on Tuesday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
LATEST NEWS
UNHCR/Bassam Diab
Aid teams respond to escalating southwest Syria conflict: 750,000 civilians are at risk
26 June 2018
Peace and Security
Vital humanitarian relief continues to reach Dera’a in south-west Syria, where 750,000 people are at risk and at least 45,000 people have been displaced amid a government-led offensive to regain opposition-held areas, UN aid teams said on Tuesday.
International Maritime Organization
UN spotlights wellbeing of seafarers on International Day
25 June 2018
Economic Development
Highlighting the challenges – both physical and mental – faced by seafarers on their voyages, the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) has called for greater attention to ensuring their wellbeing.
UNRWA
Easing funding woes for UN agency assisting Palestine refugees a ‘wise investment for today and the future’
25 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
A pledging conference on Monday for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) aimed to address the body’s chronic funding shortfall and also examine long-term priorities.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
‘All atrocity crimes are preventable’ and can never be justified – UN chief
25 June 2018
Human Rights
Atrocity crimes – genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing – are not “inevitable”, the United Nations Secretary-General said on Monday, stressing that the international community must do more to end violence against innocent people.
UNHCR/Phil Moore
Security Council urged to act with ‘one strong voice’ on raft of ills plaguing Middle East and North Africa
25 June 2018
Peace and Security
Ambassadors in the Security Council have been urged by the United Nations Secretary-General to find ‘much-needed consensus’ to resolve the myriad challenges in the Middle East and North Africa.
FAOLesotho/Lechoko Noko
New UN-supported farming app is cream of crop in tackling Sahel pest
25 June 2018
Economic Development
Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa have a new digital weapon in their agricultural armoury to take on the Fall Armyworm – a crop pest that’s threatening the food security of 300 million people – the United Nations said on Monday.
Audio - 5'46" Playlist
UNHCR/Gordon Welters
Resettlement needs set to rise to 1.4 million people in 2019, UN refugee agency reports
25 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Close to 1.4 million people will need resettlement in countries free from war and persecution in 2019, the UN refugee agency, said on Monday, citing growing forced displacement across the globe.
Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs
As Saudi women take the wheel, UN chief hopes end of driving ban creates more opportunities for kingdom’s women and girls
24 June 2018
Women
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the lifting on Sunday of the driving ban for women in Saudi Arabia and expressed his hope that ending the prohibition will generate more new opportunities for women in the Kingdom.
WFP/R. Lee
UN chief condemns explosion at election rally in Zimbabwe that injured dozens, including senior politicians
24 June 2018
Peace and Security
The UN Secretary-General has condemned an explosion which took place at an election rally in Zimbabwe on Saturday, not long after President Emmerson Mnangagwa left the stage after addressing the crowd, according to news reports.
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
Guterres expresses ‘grave concern’ following explosion at large political rally for reform-minded Ethiopian Prime Minister
23 June 2018
Peace and Security
One person has reportedly died, and dozens were injured after an explosion ripped through a large crowd at a rally for the new Prime Minister of Ethiopia on Saturday, which the UN chief described as a matter of “grave concern”.
LATEST NEWS
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
UN chief calls for ‘immediate end’ to escalation of fighting in southwestern Syria, as thousands are displaced
22 June 2018
Peace and Security
The UN Secretary-General on Friday expressed his grave concern for thousands of civilians caught up in an escalation of fighting across southwestern Syria, close to the border with Jordan.
UN Women/Ryan Brown
Stigmatized, shunned and shamed, International Widows’ Day draws attention to their unique needs
22 June 2018
Women
The loss of a spouse or partner is often devastating, but for many women it is magnified by a “long-term struggle” for basic needs, human rights and dignity, according to UN Women, in a message to mark International Widows’ Day.
UN Women/Bruno Spada
Women's rights face global pushback from conservativism, fundamentalism – UN experts warn
22 June 2018
Women
Women’s rights are under threat from a “backlash” of conservatism and fundamentalism around the world, a United Nation panel warned on Friday.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Japanese law professor elected new judge at the International Court of Justice
22 June 2018
Law and Crime Prevention
An international law professor from Japan has been elected to serve with the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, following the resignation of a sitting judge, earlier this month.
UNHCR/Markel Redondo
US migrant children policy reversal, still ‘fails’ thousands of detained youngsters: UN rights experts
22 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
The United States government decision to end its border policy of forcibly separating migrant children from their parents, does not help thousands of youngsters already in detention, who should be released and reunited with their families, a group of UN rights experts said on Friday.
UNHCR/Reynesson Damasceno
Human rights chief calls for international probe on Venezuela, following ‘shocking accounts of extrajudicial killings’
22 June 2018
Human Rights
In Venezuela, “credible, shocking accounts of extrajudicial killings” and impunity for perpetrators, indicate that the rule of law “is virtually absent”, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Friday, in a call for an international inquiry into the alleged violations.
UN OCHA/Giles Clarke
UN Envoy ‘confident’ deal can be reached to avert further violence around key Yemeni port city
21 June 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations envoy for Yemen expressed confidence on Thursday that a solution can be found to prevent further violence in and around the port city of Hodeida.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russia Federation
Strong multilateral institutions key to tackling world’s dramatic challenges, UN chief says In Moscow
21 June 2018
UN Affairs
In Moscow on Thursday, Secretary-General António Guterres said multilateralism was vital to tackling climate change, terrorism and other dramatic challenges, and that the United Nations and Russia would continue working together to make global institutions stronger and better able to serve the public good.
IRIN
Myanmar: New UN envoy offers to serve ‘as a bridge’, recognizes ‘positive steps’ over Rakhine state
21 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Focussing on “listening to all sides” the new United Nations Special Envoy on Myanmar praised “recent positive steps” taken by the government and United Nations to try and ensure the eventual voluntary, safe and dignified return of Rohingya refugees, to their homes in Rakhine state.
UNHCR/Ivor Prickett
First-ever global conference of national counter-terrorism chiefs will strengthen cooperation, build ‘resilient’ States, says top UN official
21 June 2018
Peace and Security
Heads of counter-terrorism agencies from across the world will be meeting at UN Headquarters in New York next week for the first time, to pool expertise, resources and ideas to fight back against the growing scourge of international terrorism.
LATEST NEWS
UN Photo/ Hervé Serefio
Restoring government control across Central African Republic is ‘key’ to lasting peace, stability – UN envoy
21 June 2018
Peace and Security
While many positive steps have been taken in the Central African Republic (CAR), progress has been too slow and is continually under threat from “those who seek private gains through violence,” the United Nations envoy on the ground told the Security Council on Thursday, underscoring that restoring government authority is “key”, both now and in the long-term.
UN Photo/Harandane Dicko
Peacekeeping chief highlights challenges facing UN Police
21 June 2018
Peace and Security
Top cops from across the globe are meeting at United Nations Headquarters this week to chart a vision for the police components deployed to UN peacekeeping missions.
UNHCR/Béla Szandelszky
Hungary’s laws on helping vulnerable foreigners are ‘blatantly xenophobic’: UN rights chief
21 June 2018
Human Rights
Hungarian legislation that criminalizes anyone who supports asylum seekers and other vulnerable individuals is “blatantly xenophobic”, “shameful” and “disgraceful”, the UN human rights chief said on Thursday.
UN Photo/Jorge Aramburu
UN chief welcomes ‘positive steps’ towards peace between Eritrea and Ethiopia
21 June 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations has announced its readiness to support Eritrea and Ethiopia following recent peace overtures between the two neighbouring States in the Horn of Africa.
UNIS Vienna
Use space technology to build a better world for all, urges UN chief
20 June 2018
SDGs
Not only has space exploration captured the world’s imagination, it can also help humankind address existential challenges back on earth, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday, in his message to the UN’s key forum on space affairs.
UNICEF/Sebastian Rich
Conflict and climate change challenge sustainable development effort: UN report
20 June 2018
SDGs
Although more people are leading better lives than a decade ago, persistent poverty and hunger, as well as rapid urbanization, are challenging global efforts to create a more just and equitable world, according to a United Nations report launched on Wednesday.
UN News/Vibhu Mishra
From low-earth orbit, ‘envoys’ of humanity join UN space forum
20 June 2018
SDGs
Floating in near zero-gravity, 400 kilometres above the Pacific Ocean and flying at over 28,000 kilometres per hour, the six crew members onboard the International Space Station (ISS) joined the key United Nations forum on outer space affairs via video link on Wednesday, to discuss the importance of working together.
OCHA
Siege of Syria’s eastern Ghouta ‘barbaric and medieval’, says UN Commission of Inquiry
20 June 2018
Human Rights
The siege of eastern Ghouta in war-torn Syria, which lasted more than five years, has been labelled “barbaric and medieval” — “amounting” to war crimes, and crimes against humanity, a high-level UN inquirysaid on Wednesday.
UNHCR/Socrates Baltagiannis
UN agency chiefs issue ‘call to action’ on behalf of refugee children
20 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Protecting refugee children is “a test of our shared humanity,” two top United Nations officials said on Wednesday.
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre
Replacement for United States on Human Rights Council to be elected ‘as soon as possible’
20 June 2018
Human Rights
International reaction to the United States decision to withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council continued on Wednesday with the President of the Geneva-based assembly confirming that the election of a new Member State would take place “as soon as possible” to fill the vacant seat.
LATEST NEWS
UNICEF/Simon Nazer
Challenges remain in DPRK despite 'slight' improvements in health, wellbeing: UNICEF
20 June 2018
Health
The health and wellbeing of women and children in North Korea has improved slightly in recent years but “urgent” challenges remain in rural areas, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said on Wednesday.
Olivia Headon/IOM
UN chief calls for ‘solidarity, compassion and action’ on World Refugee Day
20 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
With more than 68 million people worldwide displaced due to conflict or persecution — roughly equivalent to the population of Thailand— the head of the United Nations has called for unity and solidarity as a first step to support them.
UN Photo/Elma Okic
UN chief hails ‘very important role’ of Human Rights Council, as US withdraws, citing alleged bias
19 June 2018
Human Rights
In response to the withdrawal of the United States on Tuesday from the United Nations body which is designed to promote and protect human rights around the globe, Secretary-General António Guterres said that he would have “much preferred” the US remain.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
‘No steps taken’ so far to end Israel’s illegal settlement activity on Palestinian land – UN envoy
19 June 2018
Peace and Security
A senior United Nations official on Tuesday urged Israel to reverse course over illegal settlement construction on occupied Palestinian land, and for both parties to return to the negotiating table in pursuit of a lasting peace deal.
UNHCR/Markel Redondo
Migrant children at US border have right to protection and ‘be with their families’: UNICEF chief
19 June 2018
Human Rights
Separating children from their families is in no-one’s best interest – the head of UN Children’s Fund UNICEF said on Tuesday – pointing to “heartbreaking” stories of infants who have been reportedly removed from their parents after entering the US from Mexico illegally.
UNIS Vienna
If we can build the International Space Station, ‘we can do anything’ – UN Champion for Space
19 June 2018
SDGs
The sight of Earth, from hundreds of kilometers away in open space while you are tethered only to the International Space Station, is “absolutely amazing”, said Scott Kelly, the UN Champion for Space and former US astronaut, stressing that the world we live on “is our only planet.”
UNICEF/Donna DeCesare
It’s time to ‘eliminate the scourge of conflict-related sexual violence’, urges UN chief
19 June 2018
Human Rights
The effects of conflict-related sexual violence echo across generations, in the form of trauma, stigma, and unwanted pregnancy, said the UN chief on Tuesday, describing the scourge as “a threat to our collective security” and “a stain on our common humanity.”
Audio - 26'33" Playlist
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue/Ilja C. Hendel
Rise in violent conflict shows prevention ‘more necessary than ever’: UN chief
19 June 2018
Peace and Security
With the number of people killed in armed conflict rising tenfold since 2005, preventive action is “more necessary than ever,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday.
NASA/Bill Ingalls
Space science ‘superpowers’ can light the way to success for girls in ‘STEM’ fields, hears UN forum
19 June 2018
Women
On its opening day, a major United Nations forum on the peaceful uses of outer space, was issued a clear challenge to break through the so-called “glass ceiling” that prevents women and girls from achieving their full potential; especially in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Arthur Max/FM. Ministério das Relações Exteriores
Nearly three million more displaced year-on-year, warns refugee agency chief, but solutions are within reach
19 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
The number of people forced to flee their homes last year rose by nearly three million to 68.5 million, the head of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Tuesday, warning that the world’s displacement hotspots “are becoming hotter”.
LATEST NEWS
UN Photo
Hundreds of thousands of lives still lost each year to small arms, UN conference hears
19 June 2018
Peace and Security
Government representatives are meeting at United Nations Headquarters to review global action to address the illegal flow of revolvers, pistols, assault rifles, machine guns and other similar weapons.
UNHCR/Roger Arnold
UN mobilizes in Rohingya camps to support babies born of rape; young mothers face stigma
19 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Despite challenges brought on by the arrival of the monsoon season this month, United Nations agencies in Bangladesh continue to support nearly one million Rohingya refugees, including thousands of victims of sexual violence.
UNICEF/Romenzi
‘Worst devastation I have seen,’ says UN refugee envoy Angelina Jolie, as she visits West Mosul
18 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
After visiting the shattered streets of West Mosul over the weekend, the long-standing United Nations Refugee Agency envoy, Angelina Jolie, said that she had never seen such devastation, in her 17-years of working in the field.
UN News/Elizabeth Scaffidi
For video game addiction, now read official ‘gaming disorder’: World Health Organization
18 June 2018
Health
The UN health agency has for the first time, tagged compulsive video gaming as a mental health condition in its updated classification manual, released on Monday.
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré
UN rights chief slams ‘unconscionable’ US border policy of separating migrant children from parents
18 June 2018
Human Rights
As part of his final global update, the United Nations human rights chief on Monday voiced his deep concern over recently-adopted United States border protection policies that have seen hundreds of migrant children forcibly separated from their parents.
UNICEF/Brian Sokol
FROM THE FIELD: Rohingya babies conceived out of 'incomprehensible brutality'
18 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
A photojournalist has been talking of the “incomprehensible brutality” described to him by Rohingya refugees who are carrying babies after being raped.
Scott Kelly/NASA
Space science now a ‘fundamental pillar’ of 21st century human development: top UN space official
18 June 2018
SDGs
After “relentless” progress in space technology, the focus for the international community must now shift to ensuring that the benefits of space science are available to everyone, everywhere, a senior United Nations official told a major conference on Monday.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
UN chief condemns suspected Boko Haram attacks targeting Eid al-Fitr celebrations in Nigeria
18 June 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned Saturday’s attacks in northeastern Nigeria by suspected Boko Haram insurgents targeting Eid al-Fitr celebrations.
UNICEF/Patricia Esteve
On World Day to Combat Desertification, UN shines spotlight on ‘true value’ of land
17 June 2018
SDGs
Land is not a limitless resource and ignoring its role in our everyday lives threatens food and water supplies, biodiversity and the security of us all, the United Nations agency that fights desertification worldwide has said.
UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
Afghanistan extends ceasefire with Taliban; UN urges both sides to work towards lasting peace
16 June 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the UN mission in Afghanistan welcomed on Saturday the Afghan Government’s extension of the unilateral ceasefire with the Taliban, amid an outpouring of support for the truce from war-weary people all across the country.
LATEST NEWS
Scott Kelly/NASA
UN forum to explore use of outer space to improve lives, protect planet
16 June 2018
SDGs
Marking 50 years since the world first came together to discuss the peaceful uses of outer space, government leaders, policy makers, civil society representatives and space experts will gather at a United Nations forum in Vienna from Monday to explore the future course of global space cooperation for the benefit of humankind.
IFAD
Much more than a ‘lifeline’ for millions of households, remittances can spur global growth, says UN agency
15 June 2018
Economic Development
Not only are remittances a “critical lifeline” for millions globally, the direct benefits of money sent home by migrant workers touch the lives of one in every seven persons on the planet – over one billion people, the United Nations rural development agency has said.
World Bank/Scott Wallace
Heat-resistant crops, ‘green’ infrastructure, can prepare Near East and North Africa to better tackle droughts – UN agency
15 June 2018
Economic Development
Countries in the Near-East and North Africa, where chronic water shortages are sure to worsen due to climate change, must take pro-active steps to become more resilient against droughts, the United Nations agriculture agency said on Friday.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Mali: Presidential elections critical to consolidate democracy, says UN peacekeeping chief
14 June 2018
Peace and Security
Though the past 12 months had been the most encouraging in terms of advancing the peace process in Mali, security challenges still pose a dangerous threat, with civilians and security forces still being attacked, the top United Nations peacekeeping official told the Security Council on Thursday.
UN OCHA/Giles Clarke
UN rushes to deliver aid as key Yemeni port city is ‘shelled and bombarded’
14 June 2018
Peace and Security
As the Yemeni port city of Hodeida continues to come under attack from Saudi-led coalition forces on Thursday, seeking to drive out Houthi rebels who control the city, the United Nations and humanitarian partners are rushing to provide life-saving assistance to thousands of vulnerable families there.
UNAMA/Fraidoon Poya
LETTER FROM AFGHANISTAN: Elections serve up food for thought, for Afghan youth
14 June 2018
Peace and Security
By Philip Smucker
At the newly-established “50/50” fast food restaurant on the tree-lined streets of Herat, in the west of Afghanistan, business is brisk as deliveries are whisked away, on the back of motorbikes to hungry customers across the ancient city.
UNAMA/Najib Haidary
Afghanistan: UN envoy urges further extension of ceasefire with Taliban, as Eid ul-Fitr gets underway
14 June 2018
Peace and Security
Expressing solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, the United Nations envoy in the country has expressed hope that the temporary ceasefires marking the final days of the holy month of Ramadan in the war-battered nation, will lead to the lasting peace that Afghans so badly “want and deserve.”
World Bank/Celine Ferre
Financial abuse of elderly ‘rampant, but invisible’, says UN expert
14 June 2018
Human Rights
Older people are increasingly subject to financial abuse, in many cases by their own family members, a United Nations human rights expert warned on Thursday.
Nimisha Jaiswal/IRIN
UN rights chief calls for international inquiry into Kashmir violations
14 June 2018
Human Rights
Decades of rights violations on both sides of the Line of Control in Kashmir have “claimed or ruined numerous lives” and should be the subject of a high-level international probe, the UN’s human rights chief said on Thursday.
IOM 2018/Ahmed Badr
FROM THE FIELD: Finding refuge in the ‘beautiful game’
13 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Teenage refugees from East Africa have discovered that participating in the ‘beautiful game’ as football is often referred to, can level the playing field and help them to integrate into new homes and new cultures.
LATEST NEWS
UNICEF/Adriane Ohanesian
UNICEF urges all countries to provide ‘Super Dads’ with paid leave
13 June 2018
Women
Almost two-thirds of the world’s children under the age of one live in countries where fathers are not legally entitled to any paid paternity leave, according to a new analysis by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
UN General Assembly urges greater protection for Palestinians, deplores Israel’s ‘excessive’ use of force
13 June 2018
Peace and Security
In an emergency meeting on Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly adopted an Arab-sponsored resolution calling for greater protection for Palestinians, and deploring any use of “excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate” force by the Israeli military against Palestinian civilians, particularly in Gaza.
UNICEF/Pirozzi
‘Much more’ can be done to raise awareness about the plight of persons with albinism: UN chief
13 June 2018
Human Rights
On the international day to raise awareness on albinism – a rare genetic condition that results in the lack of melanin in the body – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for greater solidarity with people living with albinism, so they can live more empowered lives.
Audio - 11' Playlist
UN Photo/Mark Garten
‘True’ peace, requires standing up for human rights, says UN chief Guterres
13 June 2018
Human Rights
Achieving peace involves more than “laying down weapons”, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday, calling for intensified efforts to address the root causes of conflict.
Italian Coastguard/Massimo Sestini
At least 2.5 million migrants were smuggled in 2016, first UN global study shows
13 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
According to the first ever Global Study on Smuggling of Migrants, released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Wednesday, at least 2.5 million migrants were smuggled during the course of 2016.
UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
Terrorism diverts resources from ‘much-needed’ development to ‘costly’ security, warns UN envoy for Central Africa
13 June 2018
Peace and Security
The scourge of terrorism and violent extremism continues to affect all of Central Africa and divert government resources from much-needed development programmes to costly security operations, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Wednesday.
OCHA/Sari Omer
INTERVIEW: Development is the long-term solution to Sudan’s humanitarian crises, outlines top UN relief official
13 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Even though conflict – the major driver of the crisis in Sudan – is subsiding and there is improved access for relief workers, humanitarian assistance “is not the answer” to the challenges plaguing the country, the United Nations top relief official has said.
OCHA/Giles Clarke
Military escalation will have ‘serious consequences’ for Yemeni civilians, warns UN Special Envoy
13 June 2018
Peace and Security
An attempt by a Saudi-led military coalition to take control of the Yemeni port of Hodeida from opposition Houthi forces “will have serious consequences” on an already “dire” situation for millions of civilians, the UN Special Envoy for Yemensaid on Wednesday.
UNDP Madagascar
UN chief welcomes formation of unity government in Madagascar
12 June 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the formation on Monday of a government of national unity in Madagascar led by a non-partisan Prime Minister, as requested by the nation’s leading constitutional court.
UNDP
Prevention is key to ‘breaking the cycle of HIV transmission’, UN chief tells General Assembly
12 June 2018
Health
This year’s United Nations annual debate over how best to battle HIV and AIDS heard that while progress had been made, it remains “uneven and fragile” with many hurdles still to come.
LATEST NEWS
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
UN chief welcomes resolution to 27-year-old disagreement over renaming the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
12 June 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations has welcomed Tuesday’s announcement by the leaders of Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) that 27 years after the dispute began, they have reached a mutual agreement over a new name for the Republic.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
Everyone has 'a moral imperative' to uphold the rights of persons with disabilities, says UN chief
12 June 2018
Health
Cementing and protecting the rights of around 1.5 billion people around the world in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a “moral imperative” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday.
OCHA/Giles Clarke
Assault on key Yemeni port would endanger 300,000 children and ‘choke off’ aid for millions more: UNICEF chief
12 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Any attack on the key Yemeni port of Hodeida would deepen one of the world’s worst malnutrition crises and put the lives of an estimated 300,000 children at risk, said the head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday.
FAO/J. Thompson
Millions of young lives ‘at risk’ says UN labour chief, calling for an end to child labour
12 June 2018
Human Rights
No child under the age of 18 should be toiling in mines, fields, factories and homes, carrying heavy loads or working long hours, the head of the UN labour agency said on Tuesday, marking World Day against Child Labour.
White House
US-North Korea summit ‘an important milestone’ towards denuclearization, says Guterres
12 June 2018
Peace and Security
Tuesday’s historic summit between the leaders of the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been hailed as “an important milestone” by the UN Secretary-General.
UNAMID/Albert Gonzalez Farran
With realities shifting in Darfur, operations on the ground ‘must change’, urges UN official
11 June 2018
Peace and Security
The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Mission in Darfur “must change” in accordance with the shifting realities on the ground, the Organization’s top peacekeeping official said on Monday, highlighting the need to “closely link” the mission’s drawdown to the scaling up of both peacekeeping and development activities.
MINUSCA
Central African Republic: UN chief condemns killing of peacekeeper; the second in a week
11 June 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations chief has strongly condemned Sunday’s attack that killed a peacekeeper in the Central African Republic (CAR); the second ‘blue helmet’ to lose his life there in the space of a week.
PAHO/WHO Photo
Paraguay’s elimination of malaria ‘shows what is possible’ – UN health agency
11 June 2018
Health
Paraguay has successfully eliminated malaria, the United Nations health agency has announced, highlighting that the major milestone offers lessons to other countries aiming to control the mosquito-borne sickness.
CCBRT/Dieter Telemans
FROM THE FIELD: Rehabilitating lives in Tanzania
11 June 2018
Health
A 15-year old girl from the East African country, Tanzania, says an operation to correct a facial disability means that she can “look forward to a future when I am not laughed at.”
UNICEF/Romenzi
UN humanitarian coordinators ‘stepped up to the challenge’ of complex emergencies: 2017 report
11 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The United Nations office that coordinates the global institution’s humanitarian work, successfully tackled the four most complex emergencies it was confronted with last year, according to its annual report released on Monday.
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
US-North Korea summit in Singapore ‘a promising development’ says Guterres
11 June 2018
Peace and Security
The summit between the leaders of the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is “a promising development for global peace and security,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday.
UNICEF/Giovanni Diffidenti
‘Highly explosive’ escalation of conflict and displacement across Syria’s Idlib, says top UN official
11 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The situation inside Syria’s Idlib threatens to become “highly explosive” amid an uptick in conflict between armed groups and a spike in the number of people displaced inside the war-torn country, a top UN aid official said on Monday.
IOM 2018
Rohingya refugee shelters ‘washed away’ in Bangladesh monsoon rains: UN agency
11 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Two days of heavy monsoon rains have caused severe structural damage to camps in Bangladesh hosting one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Monday
Audio - 12'33" Playlist
UN Photo/Violaine Martin (file)
Syria: Guterres concerned over reported attacks in Idlib, calls for ‘full investigation’
10 June 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over airstrikes that reportedly targeted a village in northern Idlib last week, killing dozens – including children.
LATEST NEWS
UN in China
Central Asia bloc has important role in 'peace, stability and prosperity' beyond region, says Deputy UN chief
10 June 2018
Economic Development
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed addressed the Heads of State summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Sunday, stressing that the organization's impact in the political, economic and security realm, extends well beyond the large Eurasian region that its members represent.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
UN chief welcomes Taliban’s temporary truce announcement, encourages all parties to embrace 'Afghan-owned peace'
9 June 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the Taliban’s announcement of a three-day partial ceasefire during the Eid al-Fitr holiday, urging all parties concerned “to seize this opportunity and embrace an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.”
OCHA/Gemma Cortes
UN humanitarian coordinator condemns Central African Republic hospital attack as 'inhuman and unworthy'
9 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Weapon-toting militiamen forced their way into a hospital in the conflict-ridden Central African Republic (CAR) on Saturday; an act that was condemned by the United Nations humanitarian coordinator on the ground, as “an outrageous violation of international humanitarian law.”
G7 Canada/Xavier Dachez
‘We face a global emergency’ over oceans: UN chief sounds the alarm at G7 Summit event
9 June 2018
Climate Change
Unless there is a change of course, the amount of plastic waste in the world’s oceans will outweigh the fish that live in them, by 2050, said the United Nations Secretary-General on Saturday, declaring that the world now faces a “global emergency” over the oceans.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
India-UN fund gets 22 development projects off the ground in first year
8 June 2018
SDGs
An India-United Nations fund aimed at supporting sustainable development for low-income nations marked its first anniversary on Friday, with 22 projects having already been approved in 25 partner countries.
UNICEF/Naftalin
WHO reports ‘very strong progress’ in battling DR Congo Ebola outbreak
8 June 2018
Health
One month after the start of an Ebolaoutbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), United Nations health experts on Friday reported “very strong progress” in the response to the disease.
Photo: ICC-CPI
ICC Appeals Chamber acquits former Congolese Vice President Bemba from war crimes charges
8 June 2018
Law and Crime Prevention
The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC), on Friday, decided to acquit Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo, former Vice President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and head of a rebel group in the country, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
UNICEF/Alessio Romenzi
As Security Council imposes sanctions on six human traffickers in Libya, UN chief calls for more accountability
8 June 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has called for more accountability for human traffickers in Libya, after the UN Security Council on Thursday added six individuals accused of leading smuggling and trafficking networks in the country, to its Sanctions List.
UN Photo/Ilyas Ahmed
From drought to floods in Somalia; displacement and hunger worsen, says UN
8 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
After four consecutive poor rainy seasons that brought Somalia to the brink of famine, the country is now seeing near-record rainfall, and with it, flooding that has already displaced hundreds of thousands of people, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
Germany, Indonesia, South Africa, Dominican Republic, Belgium, elected to Security Council
8 June 2018
Peace and Security
In a single round of voting on Friday, the United Nations General Assembly elected five new non-permanent Members of the Security Council, who will each serve two-year terms on the body that sets the UN’s whole peace and security agenda.
LATEST NEWS
UN Photo/Martine Perret
World must unite against ‘preventable tragedy’ of ocean pollution: UN chief
8 June 2018
Climate Change
From carrying your own water bottle, to volunteering for a local clean-up, everybody needs to do something to stop plastic pollution from getting into the world’s oceans, said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his message for World Oceans Day.
OCHA/Giles Clarke
250,000 people ‘may lose everything - even their lives’ in assault on key Yemeni port city: UN humanitarian coordinator
8 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Any attack on the key port city of Hodeidah in Yemen “will impact hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians” and would entail around 250,000 civilians losing everything - “even their lives” - the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the war-torn country said on Friday.
Saeed Rashid
FROM THE FIELD: Plastic pollution choking world’s oceans
7 June 2018
Climate Change
An underwater photographer’s chance encounter with a starving turtle led to a personal “awakening” about the dangers discarded plastic poses to sea life in the world’s oceans.
UNMISS/Eric Kanalstein
INTERVIEW: Fighting must end in South Sudan or worsening humanitarian crisis cannot be tackled, says UN aid chief
7 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The ongoing conflict in South Sudan must be brought to an end to ease the humanitarian suffering of a steadily growing number of people in the country, the United Nations top relief official underscored after a recent visit there.
Boris Matous/OCHA
Promoting decent work ‘daily challenge’ in fragile countries, UN Labour Summit told
7 June 2018
Economic Development
The Central African Republic (CAR) has called on the United Nations labour agency to provide special assistance to the conflict-torn nation and make it a “pilot-country” for the implementation of a programme to build peace and resilience through job creation.
UN Photo / Omar Abdisalan
‘Somalia at a critical juncture’ says UN’s political chief in her first visit
7 June 2018
Peace and Security
Unity is essential for Somalis to achieve lasting peace and stability, the top United Nations political affairs official said on Thursday during a visit to the Horn of Africa country, which faces numerous challenges, including the establishment of an effective federal governance system and a combat against Al-Shabab insurgents.
UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
UN welcomes temporary ceasefire announcement by Afghan Government; urges Taliban to reciprocate
7 June 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the week-long ceasefire announced by the Government of Afghanistan with the Taliban and called on the militant group to reciprocate the temporary pause.
UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
DPRK should release political prisoners ahead of summit with US – UN expert
7 June 2018
Human Rights
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) should begin to release political prisoners ahead of denuclearization talks with the United States and engage with the United Nations on human rights, a UN expert on the country said on Thursday.
FAO/Giulio Napolitano
Hunger surges amid deadly conflicts, poor weather conditions in many countries – UN agriculture agency
7 June 2018
Climate Change
Despite ample food supplies, persistent conflicts and adverse climate shocks are taking a toll on global food security, according to a new report launched on Thursday by the United Nation’s agriculture agency.
UN Photo/Ilyas Ahmed
Security Council calls for efforts to boost role of young people in peace efforts
6 June 2018
Peace and Security
The international community is being urged to increase the role of young people in negotiating and implementing peace agreements, in line with a resolution adopted unanimously by the Security Council on Wednesday.
LATEST NEWS
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
UN court fully assumes remaining functions of tribunals for Rwanda and former Yugoslavia, officials tell Security Council
6 June 2018
Law and Crime Prevention
Despite challenges and resource constraints, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals is operating without the support of its two predecessors – criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda – and has thus assumed the full scope of their residual functions, the legal body’s President told the Security Council on Wednesday.
UN Photo/Mark Garten (file)
UN chief welcomes regional declaration supporting the people of Nicaragua
6 June 2018
Peace and Security
Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the 5 June declaration of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) “in support of the people of Nicaragua.”
UN News/Vibhu Mishra
Universal access to modern energy is ‘catalyst of inclusivity’ – deputy UN chief
6 June 2018
Economic Development
No single entity is large enough or has all the necessary skillsets to deliver the 2030 Agenda on its own, the United Nations deputy chief told a high-level meeting on the issue of transforming energy access in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
Daniel Gerstle/IRIN
UN Security Council condemns ‘continuous’ ceasefire violations in Ukraine
6 June 2018
Peace and Security
Expressing grave concern over the recent deterioration of the security situation in eastern Ukraine and its “severe impact” on civilians, the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday underlined the need to scale up efforts to support the civilian population affected by the conflict.
UNCTAD/Jan Hoffmann
Uncertainty threatens to hamper investment in developing countries: new UN report
6 June 2018
Economic Development
Financial uncertainty caused by “significant risks” to global trade, is responsible for a sharp fall in international investment flows which could hurt developing countries the most, according to a new UN report, released on Wednesday.
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré
Bangladesh ‘drug-offender’ killings must stop, says UN human rights chief
6 June 2018
Human Rights
The alleged extra-judicial killing of suspected drug offenders must be “immediately halted” and their perpetrators brought to justice, UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Wednesday.
Audio - 3'24" Playlist
UNHCR/Caroline Gluck
UN agencies and Myanmar ink agreement, setting stage for Rohingya return
6 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the understanding reached between UN agencies and Myanmar on creating conditions that would allow hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees to voluntarily and safely return to their homes in the country’s Rakhine province.
Audio - 7'37" Playlist
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Science, technology and innovation crucial to ‘transformative impact’ of Global Goals, UN forum hears
5 June 2018
SDGs
If everyone is to enjoy a future of peace, dignity and opportunity, then science, technology and innovation need to be at the heart of the race to reach the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, a Forum at UN Headquarters heard on Tuesday.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Ecuadorian politician and poet becomes fourth woman to preside over UN General Assembly
5 June 2018
UN Affairs
The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday elected Ecuadorean Foreign Minister María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of its upcoming 73rd session; only the fourth woman to hold that position in the history of the world body, and the first since 2006.
UNIC Tokyo/Takashi Okano
Weeding corruption out of sport an investment in development: UN crime-fighting agency
5 June 2018
Law and Crime Prevention
Sports scandals, including allegations of endemic corruption and the involvement of organized crime, threaten to undermine the sector’s potential to contribute to peace and global development, a senior United Nations official said on Tuesday
LATEST NEWS
UNRIC/Christophe Verhellen
‘Spotlight Initiative’ can make violence against women a thing of the past, says UN deputy chief
5 June 2018
Women
The launch of a new partnership between the United Nations and European Union, is an essential tool to make violence against women and girls “a thing of the past”, said UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed on Tuesday.
UNICEF/Adriana Zehbrauskas
Children ‘as young as one’ involved in US separation of migrant families – UN rights office
5 June 2018
Human Rights
The current policy in the United States of separating “extremely young children” from their asylum-seeker or migrant parents along the country’s southern border “always constitutes a child rights violation”, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday.
UNEP/Cyril Villemain
The world is being ‘swamped’ by harmful plastic waste says UN chief, marking Environment Day
5 June 2018
Climate Change
The world must unite to “beat plastic pollution” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message for World Environment Day on Tuesday, noting that microplastic particles in the ocean, “now outnumber stars in our galaxy”.
UN rights expert chides US government's 'systematic assault' on welfare
4 June 2018
Human Rights
The principal strategy for dealing with extreme poverty in the USA is to “criminalise and stigmatise” those who need assistance, according to a United Nations independent human rights expert, in a statement on Tuesday.
MINUSCA
Guterres strongly denounces latest attack on peacekeepers in Central African Republic
4 June 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned Sunday’s attack that killed a UN peacekeeper from Tanzania and injured seven others while they were patrolling in the west of the Central African Republic (CAR).
UN Photo/Mark Garten
Suicide attack on clerics in Afghanistan condemned by UN
4 June 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations chief António Guterres has condemned Monday’s suicide attack in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, that reportedly killed at least seven religious scholars who had gathered from across the country to promote peace.
UNOHRLLS
UN ‘Tech Bank’ opens in Turkey, to help poor nations ‘leapfrog development challenges’
4 June 2018
SDGs
The United Nations on Monday welcomed a new member of the family, which will help address the development challenges of the world’s poorest countries through science, technology and innovation, while also marking a significant milestone for the whole 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
UN Photo/Violaine Martin (file)
Guatemala: UN chief pledges support for rescue effort after deadly volcano eruption
4 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed his solidarity with the people of Guatemala, and said the Organization stands ready to support rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath of a devastating volcanic eruption on Sunday, in the Central American nation.
UNDP South Sudan/Brian Sokol
‘Social drivers’ must be confronted in fight against tuberculosis says UN chief
4 June 2018
Health
Winning the fight against Tuberculosis requires that “social drivers” of the disease – especially poverty and inequality – are tackled head on, the United Nations Secretary-General said today, urging greater efforts to provide universal health coverage and combat the growing threat of anti-microbial resistance.
UNMISS/Eric Kanalstein
South Sudan suffering on ‘almost unimaginable scale’, warns UN relief chief
4 June 2018
Humanitarian Aid
People are suffering “on an almost unimaginable scale” in South Sudan, the United Nations emergency relief chief said on Monday, adding that he welcomed the announcement by the United States that it is to review the amount of assistance it provides to the war-torn country.
LATEST NEWS
Dean Calma/IAEA
UN agency ready to play 'essential role' in verifying DPRK nuclear programme
4 June 2018
Peace and Security
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) remains ready to play “an essential role” in verifying the status of North Korea’s nuclear programme as international talks aimed at denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula continue, the agency’s chief said on Monday.
@OCHA oPt
UN agencies express outrage over killing of Palestinian volunteer medic in Gaza
4 June 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations officials have expressed their outrage over Friday’s killing by Israeli security forces of a 21-year-old Palestinian volunteer medic who was helping the injured along the Gaza border.
UNICEF/Vishwanathan
Walk, cycle, dance and play – UN health agency recommends new action plan for good health
4 June 2018
Health
One-in-five adults and 80 per cent of adolescents worldwide are not getting enough exercise, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which on Monday launched a new action plan to tackle the situation and promote good health.
UN Photo/Marco Dormino
‘Favour dialogue’ over violence, UN chief urges all parties following clashes in Mali’s capital
2 June 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for “calm and restraint” on Saturday, following violent clashes between demonstrators and riot police in Mali’s capital Bamako.
UNICEF/Rezayee
Half of Afghan children out of school, due to conflict, poverty, discrimination: UNICEF
2 June 2018
Peace and Security
Nearly 3.7 million Afghan children are missing out on school, due to on-going conflict, grinding poverty, and discrimination against girls, according to a new report from the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Security Council fails to adopt competing texts on protection of Palestinian civilians in Gaza
1 June 2018
Peace and Security
The United Nations Security Council on Friday failed to adopt two competing draft resolutions; one produced by Kuwait, in response to the killing of dozens of Palestinian protestors in Gaza, and the other tabled by the United States, which vetoed the initial resolution saying it was “grossly one-sided” against Israel.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
‘They are always in our hearts’ says Guterres, leading remembrance of UN peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice
1 June 2018
Peace and Security
Commemorating the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers at the Organization’s headquarters, in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres paid tribute to the service and sacrifice made by UN “blue helmets” for the cause of peace around the world.
Caroline Gluck/UNHCR
UN agencies and Myanmar lay groundwork for possible Rohingya return
1 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
United Nations agencies and Myanmar have agreed a framework which it is hoped will lead to the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, but only if their “voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable” return from camps in Bangladesh can be guaranteed.
UNHCR/Iason Foounten
UNHCR raises alarm over deadly detention centre escape in Libya
1 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees
More than a dozen people have been killed or wounded by traffickers as they attempted to flee a detention centre in Libya last month, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday, describing it as the “latest horror story” to emerge from the war-torn country.
Álvaro Navarro/Artículo 66
Nicaragua: UN condemns loss of lives in protest-related violence; calls on Government to allow in UN rights monitors
1 June 2018
Human Rights
The United Nations has called on Nicaragua to allow access to the Organization’s human rights arm into the country amid reports that over 100 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in over six weeks of anti-Governments protests.
