UN Photo
Top envoy to Yemen praises ‘flexibility’ of chief negotiators as new UN mission chief is named
31 January 2019
Peace and Security
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen said on Thursday that the main negotiators for the warring sides were continuing to show the “necessary flexibility and good faith” to move forward, despite delays in implementing the agreement marking the first steps towards a lasting peace deal, brokered in Sweden last December.
UN News/Maher Nasser
‘Leaders who sanction hate speech’ encourage citizens to do likewise, UN communications chief tells Holocaust remembrance event
31 January 2019
Human Rights
The Holocaust illustrates how easily “people can move from condoning brutality, to committing genocide” and shows that “leaders who sanction hate speech or make anti-Semitic or xenophobic slurs” are encouraging their own citizens “to do the same”, the UN’s head of Global Communications told leading members of the Jewish community at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday.
© UNHCR/Stephen Ferry
Independent UN rights expert calls for compassion, not sanctions on Venezuela
31 January 2019
Human Rights
The crisis in Venezuela will not be solved by sanctions that “can lead to starvation”, a UN-appointed rights expert said on Thursday. Special Rapporteur Idriss Jazairy, who reports to the Human Rights Council, issued the warning against the background of widespread suffering in the South American country, linked to spiralling economic woes and deep political uncertainty.
©UNICEF/ Syria 2019/ Delil Souleiman
Syria: ‘Violence, displacement’ and cold kill 11 infants ‘in the past two days’
31 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
“Violence, displacement and extremely harsh conditions” in northern and eastern Syria have killed at least 32 children since December – including 11 infants in the past two days, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed on Thursday.
Audio - 5'10" Playlist
NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
Boom in Artificial Intelligence patents, points to ‘quantum leap’ in tech: UN report
31 January 2019
Economic Development
The “upsurge” in patent applications for devices and machines powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the last five years, suggests that it could soon revolutionize all areas of daily life far beyond the tech world, a UN reportsuggested on Thursday.
UNICEF/Ahed Izhiman
Palestinian children’s education deeply impacted by ‘interference’ around West Bank schools, UN warns
30 January 2019
Culture and Education
Alarmed by a high number of reported incidents of interference in or near Palestinian schools in the West Bank since the beginning of the school year in September, the UN called on Wednesday for them to be better-protected from the effects of Israeli occupation.
UN Photo/Omar Abdisalan
‘Open, cordial, and frank discussions’ held over future Somalia-UN relationship
30 January 2019
Peace and Security
Discussions described in a joint statement as “open, cordial and frank”, took place on Wednesday, between Somalia’s top two politicians and the UN political and peacebuilding affairs chief, in the capital Mogadishu.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Security Council unanimously agrees to extend UN Cyprus Mission amid political impasse
30 January 2019
Peace and Security
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has been extended for 6 months, as a result of a Security Council Resolution unanimously adopted on Wednesday. The move comes at a time when reunification talks between the two divided halves of the island are at an impasse, following the collapse of talks in July 2017.
© UNICEF/UN0266988/Watad
UN relief chief urges Security Council to back aid delivery, more funding for millions of Syrians hit by harsh weather
30 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
With people in Syria “suffering a cold, hard winter”, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator on Wednesday appealed for international funding, backed by UN Security Council support for safe aid delivery, to alleviate the conditions faced by millions struggling for survival amidst rain, snowfall and freezing temperatures across the still war-torn nation.
MONUSCO
Mass-graves found of at least 535 killed during ‘organized and planned’ inter-communal attacks in western DR Congo
30 January 2019
Peace and Security
A preliminary UN investigation into a massacre reportedly carried out in western Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last month, reveals that “at least 535 civilians were killed in four attacks”, the UN Mission in the country, MONUSCO, said on Wednesday.
Audio - 6'25" Playlist
© UNHCR/Hereward Holland
‘World’s deadliest sea crossing’ claimed six lives a day in 2018: UN refugee agency
30 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
Six people died every day last year trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe – “the world’s deadliest sea crossing” - the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Wednesday, citing ongoing political deadlock over sea rescue and disembarkation.
© UNICEF/UNI91025/Noorani
Human trafficking cases hit a 13-year record high, new UN report shows
29 January 2019
Law and Crime Prevention
The latest Global Report On Trafficking In Persons, released on Tuesday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at UN headquarters in New York, shows a record-high number of cases detected during 2016, but also the largest recorded conviction rate of traffickers.
WFP/Wissam Nassar
Palestine refugee crisis ‘expanding’; leaving highest number at risk this century across Gaza
29 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
“Alarming and expanding” problems affecting Palestine refugees, risk further destabilizing the Middle East, the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNWRA, said on Tuesday.
Graham Crouch/World Bank
UN lauds special chemistry of the periodic table, kicking off 150th anniversary celebrations
29 January 2019
Culture and Education
On Tuesday, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements at its headquarters in Paris, kicking off a series of events and activities to be held throughout the year, as the world celebrates the 150th anniversary since its creation by Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev.
© UNICEF/UN0248372/Watad
Nearly $4 billion needed to protect 41 million children from conflict and disaster
29 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
Tens of millions of children living through conflict, disaster and other emergencies in dozens of countries urgently need protection, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday, in an appeal for $3.9 billion to support its humanitarian work around the world.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
‘Humiliation was the worst’; Holocaust survivor at UN, asks world to act with ‘empathy and compassion’
28 January 2019
Human Rights
More than seven decades ago in Auschwitz, Jewish teenager Marian Turski felt he “had no name, he had nothing, but a number” tattooed on his body. Speaking on Monday, at the annual Holocaust Memorial Ceremony, at United Nations Headquarters in New York, the 92-year-old called on the world to express renewed “empathy and compassion”.
Audio - 23'31" Playlist
MINUSMA
UN chief of peace operations honours fallen Chadian ‘blue helmets’ serving in northern Mali
28 January 2019
Peace and Security
After 10 Chadian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were killed in a terrorist attack on 20 January, the UN chief of peace operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, went to N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, to pay tribute to them on Monday in a ceremony organised by the Government.
Audio - 5'56" Playlist
UNAMA
Link between conflict and hunger worldwide, ‘all too persistent and deadly’, says new UN report
28 January 2019
Peace and Security
Conflict-driven hunger is getting worse, according to a snapshot of the eight places in the world with the highest number of people in need of emergency food support, and the link between them is “all too persistent and deadly” according to a new report delivered to the UN Security Council on Monday.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Bigotry ‘moving at lightning speed’ Guterres warns, as UN marks the Holocaust
28 January 2019
Human Rights
Amid an “alarming increase” in anti-Semitism, International Holocaust Remembrance Day was commemorated at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday, honouring the memory of some six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust during World War Two, along with many other victims of what the UN chief called “unprecedented, calculated cruelty and horror”.
Audio - 8'32" Playlist
Government Offices of Sweden/Ninni Andersson
Despite setbacks, ‘political will’ to end Yemen war stronger than ever: top UN envoy
28 January 2019
Peace and Security
The ceasefire in Yemen’s crucial port city of Hudaydah is “generally holding” and deadlines have had to be extended, but the UN’s Special Envoy said on Monday that “more than any time in the past” the political will remains to end years of conflict that has left millions on the brink of starvation.
Audio - 13'9" Playlist
© UNHCR/Elisabet Diaz Sanmartin
Solidarity needed to overcome ‘isolated’ attacks on Venezuela refugees, migrants
28 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
Attacks and hate speech against Venezuelans seeking shelter in neighbouring countries should be condemned “with a clear and forceful message of rejection” and solidarity, a top UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and UN migration agency (IOM) official said in a statement on Monday.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
UN chief condemns deadly terrorist attack on church in southern Philippines
27 January 2019
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the deadly terrorist attack on a church in restive southern Philippines early Sunday, and has called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice
Lucas Hallel ASCOM/FUNAI
Guterres says UN stands ready to support Brazil’s search and rescue effort in wake of tragic dam collapse
26 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
Secretary-General António Guterres said on Saturday that the United Nations stands ready to support the Brazilian authorities in the search and emergency relief efforts following the deadly dam collapse and mudslides in vast South American country’s south-eastern region.
Laura Gelbert / UN
Tackling ‘deeply worrying’ global rise in anti-Semitism is a job for all societies everywhere, says UN chief
26 January 2019
Human Rights
Warning that anti-Semitism, the world’s oldest prejudice, has persisted to torment new generations, Secretary-General António Guterres has pledged that the United Nations will always be at the forefront of the fight against all forms of hatred, and work to strengthen efforts to uphold human dignity for all.
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
UN political chief calls for dialogue to ease tensions in Venezuela; Security Council divided over path to end crisis
26 January 2019
Peace and Security
The top UN political official told the Security Council on Saturday that dialogue and cooperation were vital to ending the crisis in Venezuela, but during a contentious debate, Council members disagreed over the appropriate response to mass protests in the South American country and competing claims to the presidency.
© UNHCR/Diego Ibarra Sánchez
UN chief welcomes announcement by Emir of Qatar to allocate $50 million to support Syrian refugees, displaced persons
25 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the announcement by the Emir of Qatar to allocate $50 million to support Syrian refugees and displaced persons affected by the recent severe weather in the Middle East.
UN Photo/Marco Dormino
Two peacekeepers killed in an attack against UN convoy in Mali
25 January 2019
Peace and Security
Two peacekeepers from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were killed on Friday following an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack against a convoy near Douentza, in the Mopti region, central Mali.
UNIC Dhaka/Mohammad Moniruzzaman
Myanmar Government side-lining democratic reform, resorting to military era repression: UN expert
25 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
The human rights situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate, as the civilian government fails to bring about democratic reforms and instead resorts to the kind of repression carried out under previous military regimes, said the UN human rights expert Yanghee Lee, speakingat the end of an 11-day mission to neighbouring Thailand and Bangladesh.
UNDP Somalia/Said Isse
Climate change recognized as ‘threat multiplier’, UN Security Council debates its impact on peace
25 January 2019
Climate Change
As climate change is increasingly recognized as a “threat multiplier” by scientists, political representatives, and civil society across the world, the United Nations Security Council held an open debate on Friday to discuss its concrete impact on peace and security, and focus on tangible ways to diminish the effects of global warming.
Audio - 15'57" Playlist
Audio - 13'42" Playlist
WFP/Badre Bahaji
Alarm over violent attacks on lawmakers, opposition in Malawi, ahead of elections
25 January 2019
Human Rights
In Malawi, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, voiced alarm on Friday over increasing, horrific violence there, linked to upcoming elections.
Audio - 25'21" Playlist
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
UN welcomes Angola’s repeal of anti-gay law, and ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation
25 January 2019
Human Rights
In a move to embrace equality, Angola has decriminalized homosexuality and banned discrimination based on sexual orientation, in a sweeping review of its colonial era penal code, which had stood since independence from Portugal in 1975.
UNICEF/Tomislav Georgiev
UN chief 'commends' leadership of Greece and former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, as name dispute draws to final close
25 January 2019
UN Affairs
The United Nations Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres congratulated the Greek Parliament over its ratification of a name change for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on Friday, and commended the leaders of both countries for signalling the end to a naming dispute that has roiled the region for some 28 years.
© UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo
Venezuela: At least 20 dead, situation could ‘rapidly spiral out of control’ warns UN rights chief
25 January 2019
Human Rights
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet warned on Friday that the situation in Venezuela could “rapidly spiral out of control”, amid ongoing deadly violence and uncertainty linked to Wednesday’s declaration by Juan Guaidó that he had become the country’s interim president.
UN Publications/Steven Bornholtz
‘Stigma plays a big role’ in failure to tackle world opioid crisis, advocate tells UN
24 January 2019
Health
The recognition of drug addiction as a disease was the focus of a panel discussion at United Nations Headquarters on Thursday. “Leaving No One Behind: the Opioid Epidemic as a Global Challenge”, was organized by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to highlight the growing problem of addiction worldwide.
Source: ITU
Environment and health at increasing risk from growing weight of ‘e-waste’
24 January 2019
Climate Change
Around 50 million tonnes of electronic waste, or e-waste, is being thrown away each year, according to a new joint United Nations report – which exceeds the combined weight of all the commercial airliners ever made, or alternatively, enough Eiffel Towers to fill the whole of Manhattan.
UNHCR/Catianne Tijerina
‘Forgotten crisis’ in Cameroon, with attacks on the rise, millions in need of ‘lifesaving assistance’
24 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
Around 4.3 million Cameroonians, mostly women and children, are now in need of lifesaving assistance, the UN announced on Thursday, presenting it’s 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan for the West African country, in coordination with the Government and aid partners.
UNICEF/Pirozzi
‘Education transforms lives’ says UN chief on first-ever International Day
24 January 2019
Culture and Education
Education is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developmentbecause it gives people across the world the skills needed to realize all 17 Global Goals (SDGs), said the UN chief on Thursday, marking the first-ever International Day of Education.
World Economic Forum/Benedikt von Loebell
Guterres in Davos: ‘Dysfunctional’ response to common problems, shows need for effective multilateralism
24 January 2019
UN Affairs
The world’s problems are “more and more integrated” but the response to them is increasingly “fragmented” and “dysfunctional”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday, in an appeal for governments and other partners to respond to people’s grievances and recommit to international cooperation.
© UNICEF/UN0250967/Watson
Extreme weather hit 60 million people in 2018, no part of the world spared
24 January 2019
Climate Change
With some 60 million people affected by extreme weather in 2018, according to a new study, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) called for better management of the issue worldwide, in a statement published on Thursday.
2018 European Union/N. Mazars
UN chief calls on Venezuela’s politicians to ‘avoid escalation’, end suffering of the people
24 January 2019
Peace and Security
Reports of violence and casualties linked to unrest in Venezuela should be investigated transparently and independently, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday, before calling for calm.
IRIN/Kate Holt
‘No country, no region’ can tackle global challenges alone says UN’s Mohammed
23 January 2019
SDGs
Against the backdrop of seemingly endless challenges across the world, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a conference of development-minded partners in Nigeria that “no country, no region” could tackle them alone
UNAMID/Albert Gonzalez Farran
Sudan: Amidst deaths, injuries, imprisonments, UNICEF stresses children’s protection ‘at all times’
23 January 2019
Human Rights
Children are likely among the dead during a month of nationwide protests in Sudan with “scores” of others injured and detained, according to a top UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official, who spelled out that “children should never be targeted nor used or exploited”.
UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
Central African Republic militia leader and football executive, transferred to ICC
23 January 2019
Law and Crime Prevention
Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, the coordinator of a mainly Christian militia faction in the Central African Republic and a senior African football executive, has been transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face accusations of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
© UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova
FROM THE FIELD: Enduring freezing winter in a war zone
23 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
In Ukraine, extreme winter cold is making life harder for thousands of people whose lives have already been torn apart by conflict. Hoping to find safer places to live, families in the region have had to endure a battle for survival, in buildings without heat or electricity.
© UNHCR/Ruben Salgado Escudero
Security Council should ‘nurture’ Colombian consensus against return to violence, top UN official urges
23 January 2019
Peace and Security
Two years after the signing of the historic peace agreement in Colombia and following a recent escalation of violence, the newly-appointed representative of the United Nations in the country, told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that its people have established a “broad consensus” against further conflict, before highlighting key steps to stabilize the nation.
UN Photo/Adam Kane
UN chief urges top digital tech panel to come up with ‘bold, innovative ideas’ for an 'inclusive' future
23 January 2019
Economic Development
Key discussions among global decision-makers and influencers have taken place at the UN in Geneva this week, aiming to limit the growing risk of international cyber-attacks while promoting the advantages of digital technology, amid a call by the UN chief for “bold, innovative ideas”.
UNICEF/Delil Souleiman
Crucial medical supplies airlifted to north-east Syria to meet ‘desperate need’
23 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
In response to the growing health needs of people in north-east Syria, the World Health Organization (WHO) has airlifted urgent medical supplies to the region, for the second time this month.
OCHA/Leni Kinzli
Nigeria: Armed conflict continues to uproot thousands, driving up humanitarian need
22 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
Since November, more than 80,000 Nigerians have been forcibly displaced due to ongoing violence in the north-east, adding to two million people already displaced by violence, or forced across the country’s borders as refugees, the UN humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) said on Tuesday.
Audio - 7'36" Playlist
UNICEF/Adriana Zehbrauskas
New UN bullying report calls for ‘safe, inclusive’ schools for all children
22 January 2019
Human Rights
The emotional and physical pain brought on by bullying can be excruciating, yet this behavior continues to abound in schools globally, according to a new report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that is calling for all children to have access to a "safe, inclusive” learning environment.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Hopes for Palestinian State hit by ‘facts on the ground’ : senior UN official
22 January 2019
Peace and Security
The possibility of establishing a “viable, contiguous Palestinian state” has been “systematically eroded by facts on the ground,” Nickolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council on Tuesday, ahead of the quarterly open debate on the Middle East (Israel/Palestine).
UNDP Guatemala/Fernanda Zelada Rosal
Amending Guatemala ‘reconciliation law’ would lead to unjust amnesty, warns Bachelet
22 January 2019
Human Rights
A bid to give amnesty to all those found guilty of grave human rights crimes during Guatemala’s decades-long civil war, by amending the National Reconciliation Law, could represent a “drastic set-back” to the whole legal system and overall accountability, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet has said.
@ ILO/A. Mirza
‘Countless opportunities’ for new people-centred workplace, but ‘decisive action’ critical
22 January 2019
Economic Development
Unprecedented innovations in the world of work provide “countless opportunities” but unless they are embraced through action, inequality and uncertainty will only widen in the workplace, according to a landmark new International Labour Organization (ILO) report released on Tuesday.
© UNHCR/Anna Camilleri
Mediterranean migrant drownings should spur greater action by European countries, urge UN agencies
22 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
A spate of migrant shipwrecks and rescues in the Mediterranean Sea in recent days is evidence that urgent action is required from European States to address the issue, the UN said on Tuesday
UNICEF/Eyad El Baba
Fuel crisis rapidly draining last ‘coping capacities’ of Palestinians in Gaza
22 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
A worsening fuel crisis in the Gaza Strip enclave is putting patients’ lives at risk with power supplies for operating theaters under constant threat, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
Audio - 8'11" Playlist
UN Photo/Violaine Martin
‘Compelling case’ for urgency around global disarmament, UN-led forum told
21 January 2019
Peace and Security
Michael Møller, head of the UN in Geneva, has warned delegates to the Conference on Disarmament that cyber-security challenges, and the existence of new weapons systems and technologies, are not being sufficiently addressed or reflected in current arms control regimes.
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre
World’s human rights watchdog spotlights Afghanistan, Yemen and 12 others: Here’s the scoop
21 January 2019
Human Rights
The United Nation Human Rights Council (HRC) kicked off its Universal Periodic Review, or UPR, on Monday at the Palais des Nations in Geneva to examine the human rights situation in 14 countries, including Afghanistan and Yemen.
UNICEF/UN022002/Georgiev
Migrants and refugees face higher risk of developing ill-health, says UN report on displaced people in Europe
21 January 2019
Health
European authorities are “struggling” to meet the needs of irregular migrants and refugees who are wrongly accused of spreading sickness among host communities, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday, at the launch of its first report on the subject.
World Economic Forum/Valeriano Di Domenico
Human rights are ‘key’ for economic policymaking says UN expert
21 January 2019
Human Rights
Calling on governments to take human rights obligations into account when designing economic reforms, an independent United Nations rights expert said on Monday that “human rights impact assessments are key to the process”.
UNCTAD/Jan Hoffmann
Global economy to see ‘steady’ growth of three per cent in 2019 despite risks, says UN
21 January 2019
Economic Development
The global economy grew at a “steady” 3.1 per cent last year and similar levels of growth are expected in 2019, but these headline figures mask growth that is uneven and often failing to reach where it is most needed, the UN’s chief economist warned on Monday.
Top envoy to Yemen praises ‘flexibility’ of chief negotiators as new UN mission chief is named
31 January 2019
Peace and Security
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen said on Thursday that the main negotiators for the warring sides were continuing to show the “necessary flexibility and good faith” to move forward, despite delays in implementing the agreement marking the first steps towards a lasting peace deal, brokered in Sweden last December.
UN News/Maher Nasser
‘Leaders who sanction hate speech’ encourage citizens to do likewise, UN communications chief tells Holocaust remembrance event
31 January 2019
Human Rights
The Holocaust illustrates how easily “people can move from condoning brutality, to committing genocide” and shows that “leaders who sanction hate speech or make anti-Semitic or xenophobic slurs” are encouraging their own citizens “to do the same”, the UN’s head of Global Communications told leading members of the Jewish community at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday.
© UNHCR/Stephen Ferry
Independent UN rights expert calls for compassion, not sanctions on Venezuela
31 January 2019
Human Rights
The crisis in Venezuela will not be solved by sanctions that “can lead to starvation”, a UN-appointed rights expert said on Thursday. Special Rapporteur Idriss Jazairy, who reports to the Human Rights Council, issued the warning against the background of widespread suffering in the South American country, linked to spiralling economic woes and deep political uncertainty.
©UNICEF/ Syria 2019/ Delil Souleiman
Syria: ‘Violence, displacement’ and cold kill 11 infants ‘in the past two days’
31 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
“Violence, displacement and extremely harsh conditions” in northern and eastern Syria have killed at least 32 children since December – including 11 infants in the past two days, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed on Thursday.
Audio - 5'10" Playlist
NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
Boom in Artificial Intelligence patents, points to ‘quantum leap’ in tech: UN report
31 January 2019
Economic Development
The “upsurge” in patent applications for devices and machines powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the last five years, suggests that it could soon revolutionize all areas of daily life far beyond the tech world, a UN reportsuggested on Thursday.
UNICEF/Ahed Izhiman
Palestinian children’s education deeply impacted by ‘interference’ around West Bank schools, UN warns
30 January 2019
Culture and Education
Alarmed by a high number of reported incidents of interference in or near Palestinian schools in the West Bank since the beginning of the school year in September, the UN called on Wednesday for them to be better-protected from the effects of Israeli occupation.
UN Photo/Omar Abdisalan
‘Open, cordial, and frank discussions’ held over future Somalia-UN relationship
30 January 2019
Peace and Security
Discussions described in a joint statement as “open, cordial and frank”, took place on Wednesday, between Somalia’s top two politicians and the UN political and peacebuilding affairs chief, in the capital Mogadishu.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Security Council unanimously agrees to extend UN Cyprus Mission amid political impasse
30 January 2019
Peace and Security
The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has been extended for 6 months, as a result of a Security Council Resolution unanimously adopted on Wednesday. The move comes at a time when reunification talks between the two divided halves of the island are at an impasse, following the collapse of talks in July 2017.
© UNICEF/UN0266988/Watad
UN relief chief urges Security Council to back aid delivery, more funding for millions of Syrians hit by harsh weather
30 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
With people in Syria “suffering a cold, hard winter”, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator on Wednesday appealed for international funding, backed by UN Security Council support for safe aid delivery, to alleviate the conditions faced by millions struggling for survival amidst rain, snowfall and freezing temperatures across the still war-torn nation.
MONUSCO
Mass-graves found of at least 535 killed during ‘organized and planned’ inter-communal attacks in western DR Congo
30 January 2019
Peace and Security
A preliminary UN investigation into a massacre reportedly carried out in western Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last month, reveals that “at least 535 civilians were killed in four attacks”, the UN Mission in the country, MONUSCO, said on Wednesday.
Audio - 6'25" Playlist
© UNHCR/Hereward Holland
‘World’s deadliest sea crossing’ claimed six lives a day in 2018: UN refugee agency
30 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
Six people died every day last year trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe – “the world’s deadliest sea crossing” - the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Wednesday, citing ongoing political deadlock over sea rescue and disembarkation.
© UNICEF/UNI91025/Noorani
Human trafficking cases hit a 13-year record high, new UN report shows
29 January 2019
Law and Crime Prevention
The latest Global Report On Trafficking In Persons, released on Tuesday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at UN headquarters in New York, shows a record-high number of cases detected during 2016, but also the largest recorded conviction rate of traffickers.
WFP/Wissam Nassar
Palestine refugee crisis ‘expanding’; leaving highest number at risk this century across Gaza
29 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
“Alarming and expanding” problems affecting Palestine refugees, risk further destabilizing the Middle East, the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNWRA, said on Tuesday.
Graham Crouch/World Bank
UN lauds special chemistry of the periodic table, kicking off 150th anniversary celebrations
29 January 2019
Culture and Education
On Tuesday, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements at its headquarters in Paris, kicking off a series of events and activities to be held throughout the year, as the world celebrates the 150th anniversary since its creation by Russian scientist Dmitri Mendeleev.
© UNICEF/UN0248372/Watad
Nearly $4 billion needed to protect 41 million children from conflict and disaster
29 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
Tens of millions of children living through conflict, disaster and other emergencies in dozens of countries urgently need protection, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday, in an appeal for $3.9 billion to support its humanitarian work around the world.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
‘Humiliation was the worst’; Holocaust survivor at UN, asks world to act with ‘empathy and compassion’
28 January 2019
Human Rights
More than seven decades ago in Auschwitz, Jewish teenager Marian Turski felt he “had no name, he had nothing, but a number” tattooed on his body. Speaking on Monday, at the annual Holocaust Memorial Ceremony, at United Nations Headquarters in New York, the 92-year-old called on the world to express renewed “empathy and compassion”.
Audio - 23'31" Playlist
MINUSMA
UN chief of peace operations honours fallen Chadian ‘blue helmets’ serving in northern Mali
28 January 2019
Peace and Security
After 10 Chadian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were killed in a terrorist attack on 20 January, the UN chief of peace operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, went to N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, to pay tribute to them on Monday in a ceremony organised by the Government.
Audio - 5'56" Playlist
UNAMA
Link between conflict and hunger worldwide, ‘all too persistent and deadly’, says new UN report
28 January 2019
Peace and Security
Conflict-driven hunger is getting worse, according to a snapshot of the eight places in the world with the highest number of people in need of emergency food support, and the link between them is “all too persistent and deadly” according to a new report delivered to the UN Security Council on Monday.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Bigotry ‘moving at lightning speed’ Guterres warns, as UN marks the Holocaust
28 January 2019
Human Rights
Amid an “alarming increase” in anti-Semitism, International Holocaust Remembrance Day was commemorated at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday, honouring the memory of some six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust during World War Two, along with many other victims of what the UN chief called “unprecedented, calculated cruelty and horror”.
Audio - 8'32" Playlist
Government Offices of Sweden/Ninni Andersson
Despite setbacks, ‘political will’ to end Yemen war stronger than ever: top UN envoy
28 January 2019
Peace and Security
The ceasefire in Yemen’s crucial port city of Hudaydah is “generally holding” and deadlines have had to be extended, but the UN’s Special Envoy said on Monday that “more than any time in the past” the political will remains to end years of conflict that has left millions on the brink of starvation.
Audio - 13'9" Playlist
© UNHCR/Elisabet Diaz Sanmartin
Solidarity needed to overcome ‘isolated’ attacks on Venezuela refugees, migrants
28 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
Attacks and hate speech against Venezuelans seeking shelter in neighbouring countries should be condemned “with a clear and forceful message of rejection” and solidarity, a top UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and UN migration agency (IOM) official said in a statement on Monday.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
UN chief condemns deadly terrorist attack on church in southern Philippines
27 January 2019
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the deadly terrorist attack on a church in restive southern Philippines early Sunday, and has called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice
Lucas Hallel ASCOM/FUNAI
Guterres says UN stands ready to support Brazil’s search and rescue effort in wake of tragic dam collapse
26 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
Secretary-General António Guterres said on Saturday that the United Nations stands ready to support the Brazilian authorities in the search and emergency relief efforts following the deadly dam collapse and mudslides in vast South American country’s south-eastern region.
Laura Gelbert / UN
Tackling ‘deeply worrying’ global rise in anti-Semitism is a job for all societies everywhere, says UN chief
26 January 2019
Human Rights
Warning that anti-Semitism, the world’s oldest prejudice, has persisted to torment new generations, Secretary-General António Guterres has pledged that the United Nations will always be at the forefront of the fight against all forms of hatred, and work to strengthen efforts to uphold human dignity for all.
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
UN political chief calls for dialogue to ease tensions in Venezuela; Security Council divided over path to end crisis
26 January 2019
Peace and Security
The top UN political official told the Security Council on Saturday that dialogue and cooperation were vital to ending the crisis in Venezuela, but during a contentious debate, Council members disagreed over the appropriate response to mass protests in the South American country and competing claims to the presidency.
© UNHCR/Diego Ibarra Sánchez
UN chief welcomes announcement by Emir of Qatar to allocate $50 million to support Syrian refugees, displaced persons
25 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the announcement by the Emir of Qatar to allocate $50 million to support Syrian refugees and displaced persons affected by the recent severe weather in the Middle East.
UN Photo/Marco Dormino
Two peacekeepers killed in an attack against UN convoy in Mali
25 January 2019
Peace and Security
Two peacekeepers from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) were killed on Friday following an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack against a convoy near Douentza, in the Mopti region, central Mali.
UNIC Dhaka/Mohammad Moniruzzaman
Myanmar Government side-lining democratic reform, resorting to military era repression: UN expert
25 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
The human rights situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate, as the civilian government fails to bring about democratic reforms and instead resorts to the kind of repression carried out under previous military regimes, said the UN human rights expert Yanghee Lee, speakingat the end of an 11-day mission to neighbouring Thailand and Bangladesh.
UNDP Somalia/Said Isse
Climate change recognized as ‘threat multiplier’, UN Security Council debates its impact on peace
25 January 2019
Climate Change
As climate change is increasingly recognized as a “threat multiplier” by scientists, political representatives, and civil society across the world, the United Nations Security Council held an open debate on Friday to discuss its concrete impact on peace and security, and focus on tangible ways to diminish the effects of global warming.
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WFP/Badre Bahaji
Alarm over violent attacks on lawmakers, opposition in Malawi, ahead of elections
25 January 2019
Human Rights
In Malawi, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, voiced alarm on Friday over increasing, horrific violence there, linked to upcoming elections.
Audio - 25'21" Playlist
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
UN welcomes Angola’s repeal of anti-gay law, and ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation
25 January 2019
Human Rights
In a move to embrace equality, Angola has decriminalized homosexuality and banned discrimination based on sexual orientation, in a sweeping review of its colonial era penal code, which had stood since independence from Portugal in 1975.
UNICEF/Tomislav Georgiev
UN chief 'commends' leadership of Greece and former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, as name dispute draws to final close
25 January 2019
UN Affairs
The United Nations Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres congratulated the Greek Parliament over its ratification of a name change for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on Friday, and commended the leaders of both countries for signalling the end to a naming dispute that has roiled the region for some 28 years.
© UNHCR/Santiago Escobar-Jaramillo
Venezuela: At least 20 dead, situation could ‘rapidly spiral out of control’ warns UN rights chief
25 January 2019
Human Rights
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet warned on Friday that the situation in Venezuela could “rapidly spiral out of control”, amid ongoing deadly violence and uncertainty linked to Wednesday’s declaration by Juan Guaidó that he had become the country’s interim president.
UN Publications/Steven Bornholtz
‘Stigma plays a big role’ in failure to tackle world opioid crisis, advocate tells UN
24 January 2019
Health
The recognition of drug addiction as a disease was the focus of a panel discussion at United Nations Headquarters on Thursday. “Leaving No One Behind: the Opioid Epidemic as a Global Challenge”, was organized by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), to highlight the growing problem of addiction worldwide.
Source: ITU
Environment and health at increasing risk from growing weight of ‘e-waste’
24 January 2019
Climate Change
Around 50 million tonnes of electronic waste, or e-waste, is being thrown away each year, according to a new joint United Nations report – which exceeds the combined weight of all the commercial airliners ever made, or alternatively, enough Eiffel Towers to fill the whole of Manhattan.
UNHCR/Catianne Tijerina
‘Forgotten crisis’ in Cameroon, with attacks on the rise, millions in need of ‘lifesaving assistance’
24 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
Around 4.3 million Cameroonians, mostly women and children, are now in need of lifesaving assistance, the UN announced on Thursday, presenting it’s 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan for the West African country, in coordination with the Government and aid partners.
UNICEF/Pirozzi
‘Education transforms lives’ says UN chief on first-ever International Day
24 January 2019
Culture and Education
Education is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Developmentbecause it gives people across the world the skills needed to realize all 17 Global Goals (SDGs), said the UN chief on Thursday, marking the first-ever International Day of Education.
World Economic Forum/Benedikt von Loebell
Guterres in Davos: ‘Dysfunctional’ response to common problems, shows need for effective multilateralism
24 January 2019
UN Affairs
The world’s problems are “more and more integrated” but the response to them is increasingly “fragmented” and “dysfunctional”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday, in an appeal for governments and other partners to respond to people’s grievances and recommit to international cooperation.
© UNICEF/UN0250967/Watson
Extreme weather hit 60 million people in 2018, no part of the world spared
24 January 2019
Climate Change
With some 60 million people affected by extreme weather in 2018, according to a new study, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) called for better management of the issue worldwide, in a statement published on Thursday.
2018 European Union/N. Mazars
UN chief calls on Venezuela’s politicians to ‘avoid escalation’, end suffering of the people
24 January 2019
Peace and Security
Reports of violence and casualties linked to unrest in Venezuela should be investigated transparently and independently, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday, before calling for calm.
IRIN/Kate Holt
‘No country, no region’ can tackle global challenges alone says UN’s Mohammed
23 January 2019
SDGs
Against the backdrop of seemingly endless challenges across the world, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a conference of development-minded partners in Nigeria that “no country, no region” could tackle them alone
UNAMID/Albert Gonzalez Farran
Sudan: Amidst deaths, injuries, imprisonments, UNICEF stresses children’s protection ‘at all times’
23 January 2019
Human Rights
Children are likely among the dead during a month of nationwide protests in Sudan with “scores” of others injured and detained, according to a top UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official, who spelled out that “children should never be targeted nor used or exploited”.
UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
Central African Republic militia leader and football executive, transferred to ICC
23 January 2019
Law and Crime Prevention
Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, the coordinator of a mainly Christian militia faction in the Central African Republic and a senior African football executive, has been transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face accusations of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
© UNHCR/Anastasia Vlasova
FROM THE FIELD: Enduring freezing winter in a war zone
23 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
In Ukraine, extreme winter cold is making life harder for thousands of people whose lives have already been torn apart by conflict. Hoping to find safer places to live, families in the region have had to endure a battle for survival, in buildings without heat or electricity.
© UNHCR/Ruben Salgado Escudero
Security Council should ‘nurture’ Colombian consensus against return to violence, top UN official urges
23 January 2019
Peace and Security
Two years after the signing of the historic peace agreement in Colombia and following a recent escalation of violence, the newly-appointed representative of the United Nations in the country, told the UN Security Council on Wednesday that its people have established a “broad consensus” against further conflict, before highlighting key steps to stabilize the nation.
UN Photo/Adam Kane
UN chief urges top digital tech panel to come up with ‘bold, innovative ideas’ for an 'inclusive' future
23 January 2019
Economic Development
Key discussions among global decision-makers and influencers have taken place at the UN in Geneva this week, aiming to limit the growing risk of international cyber-attacks while promoting the advantages of digital technology, amid a call by the UN chief for “bold, innovative ideas”.
UNICEF/Delil Souleiman
Crucial medical supplies airlifted to north-east Syria to meet ‘desperate need’
23 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
In response to the growing health needs of people in north-east Syria, the World Health Organization (WHO) has airlifted urgent medical supplies to the region, for the second time this month.
OCHA/Leni Kinzli
Nigeria: Armed conflict continues to uproot thousands, driving up humanitarian need
22 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
Since November, more than 80,000 Nigerians have been forcibly displaced due to ongoing violence in the north-east, adding to two million people already displaced by violence, or forced across the country’s borders as refugees, the UN humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) said on Tuesday.
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UNICEF/Adriana Zehbrauskas
New UN bullying report calls for ‘safe, inclusive’ schools for all children
22 January 2019
Human Rights
The emotional and physical pain brought on by bullying can be excruciating, yet this behavior continues to abound in schools globally, according to a new report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that is calling for all children to have access to a "safe, inclusive” learning environment.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Hopes for Palestinian State hit by ‘facts on the ground’ : senior UN official
22 January 2019
Peace and Security
The possibility of establishing a “viable, contiguous Palestinian state” has been “systematically eroded by facts on the ground,” Nickolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council on Tuesday, ahead of the quarterly open debate on the Middle East (Israel/Palestine).
UNDP Guatemala/Fernanda Zelada Rosal
Amending Guatemala ‘reconciliation law’ would lead to unjust amnesty, warns Bachelet
22 January 2019
Human Rights
A bid to give amnesty to all those found guilty of grave human rights crimes during Guatemala’s decades-long civil war, by amending the National Reconciliation Law, could represent a “drastic set-back” to the whole legal system and overall accountability, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet has said.
@ ILO/A. Mirza
‘Countless opportunities’ for new people-centred workplace, but ‘decisive action’ critical
22 January 2019
Economic Development
Unprecedented innovations in the world of work provide “countless opportunities” but unless they are embraced through action, inequality and uncertainty will only widen in the workplace, according to a landmark new International Labour Organization (ILO) report released on Tuesday.
© UNHCR/Anna Camilleri
Mediterranean migrant drownings should spur greater action by European countries, urge UN agencies
22 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
A spate of migrant shipwrecks and rescues in the Mediterranean Sea in recent days is evidence that urgent action is required from European States to address the issue, the UN said on Tuesday
UNICEF/Eyad El Baba
Fuel crisis rapidly draining last ‘coping capacities’ of Palestinians in Gaza
22 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
A worsening fuel crisis in the Gaza Strip enclave is putting patients’ lives at risk with power supplies for operating theaters under constant threat, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
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UN Photo/Violaine Martin
‘Compelling case’ for urgency around global disarmament, UN-led forum told
21 January 2019
Peace and Security
Michael Møller, head of the UN in Geneva, has warned delegates to the Conference on Disarmament that cyber-security challenges, and the existence of new weapons systems and technologies, are not being sufficiently addressed or reflected in current arms control regimes.
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre
World’s human rights watchdog spotlights Afghanistan, Yemen and 12 others: Here’s the scoop
21 January 2019
Human Rights
The United Nation Human Rights Council (HRC) kicked off its Universal Periodic Review, or UPR, on Monday at the Palais des Nations in Geneva to examine the human rights situation in 14 countries, including Afghanistan and Yemen.
UNICEF/UN022002/Georgiev
Migrants and refugees face higher risk of developing ill-health, says UN report on displaced people in Europe
21 January 2019
Health
European authorities are “struggling” to meet the needs of irregular migrants and refugees who are wrongly accused of spreading sickness among host communities, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday, at the launch of its first report on the subject.
World Economic Forum/Valeriano Di Domenico
Human rights are ‘key’ for economic policymaking says UN expert
21 January 2019
Human Rights
Calling on governments to take human rights obligations into account when designing economic reforms, an independent United Nations rights expert said on Monday that “human rights impact assessments are key to the process”.
UNCTAD/Jan Hoffmann
Global economy to see ‘steady’ growth of three per cent in 2019 despite risks, says UN
21 January 2019
Economic Development
The global economy grew at a “steady” 3.1 per cent last year and similar levels of growth are expected in 2019, but these headline figures mask growth that is uneven and often failing to reach where it is most needed, the UN’s chief economist warned on Monday.
MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko
Ten UN peacekeepers killed in a terrorist attack in northern Mali
20 January 2019
Peace and Security
Ten ‘blue helmets’ from the United Nations Stabilization Mission In Mali (MINUSMA) were killed on Sunday following a complex terrorist attack against the mission’s camp in Aguelhok, in the Kidal region, northern Mali.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Mexico: UN chief saddened by pipeline blast in which dozens were killed
19 January 2019
Peace and Security
The United Nations' Secretary-General, António Guterres, learned with sadness of the deadly explosion of an oil pipeline on Friday in Hidalgo State, Mexico, and extended the UN's assistance to the national authorities, his Spokesman said on Saturday.
© UNHCR/Markel Redondo
Another 170 migrants disappear in shipwrecks, UN agency reiterates call for an end to Mediterranean tragedy
19 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, stated on Saturday that “no effort should be spared” in saving lives at sea, following reports of two new shipwrecks on the Mediterranean Sea, in which some 170 people either died or went missing.
© UNICEF/UN0229016/Sirman
UN rights expert calls for civilian protection as fighting escalates between military and armed group
18 January 2019
Human Rights
Calling on the Myanmar Government to “immediately reverse its decision not to allow access to all humanitarian organizations”, the United Nations expert on human rights in the South-East Asian country said on Friday, that “it’s vital that assistance is able to reach those who have fled violence in the region”.
OCHA/Leni Kinzli
Thousands returning to Nigeria’s restive Borno state ‘at risk’; UN ‘gravely concerned’
18 January 2019
Peace and Security
Amid reports that Cameroon is forcing several thousand Nigerians to return to Borno state in the country’s crisis-gripped north-east, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) deplored the move, saying it has put lives “at risk”.
Iason Athanasiadis/UNSMIL
Libyan authorities must shoulder the burden to support country’s ‘vulnerable’ south
18 January 2019
Economic Development
Despite years of promises to address the “vulnerable heart” of Libya – the country’s south – conditions around its water and oil resource wealth have continued to deteriorate at “an alarming rate”, the United Nations envoy for the country told the Security Council.
© UNHCR/Petterik Wiggers
UN agency chief calls Ethiopia’s revised refugee law ‘one of most progressive’ in Africa
18 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
Ethiopia has revised its existing refugee law, making it easier to obtain work permits, drivers’ licenses and access primary school, a move being hailed by the head of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
‘The best-selling brand today is fear’: UN chief highlights urgent need to address global ‘deficit of trust’
18 January 2019
UN Affairs
Warning against the dangers of widespread fear and mistrust in our planet, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, told journalists on Friday he wants to reaffirm the UN as a “platform for action to repair broken trust in a broken world.”
UN Photo/Violaine Martin
UN rights office calls on Zimbabwe Government to end ‘crackdown’ in response to fuel protests
18 January 2019
Human Rights
In Zimbabwe, violence and the reported use of live ammunition by State security officials against protesters that has led to “a number of deaths” should be investigated thoroughly and transparently by the Government, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday.
UN Women/Sandra Kreutzer
FROM THE FIELD: Free tutorials in Mali, ‘a life-saver’ for Fatouma
17 January 2019
Culture and Education
After fleeing her home in Macina, a small village in central Mali, where she was due to be forced into marriage against her will, 16-year-old Fatouma took shelter with her brother.
World Bank/Dominic Chavez
Car bomb attack on National Police Academy in Colombia, ‘strongly condemned’ by UN
17 January 2019
Peace and Security
A car bomb attack at the National Police Academy in the Colombian capital Bogotá, which reportedly left at least nine dead and dozens injured, has been ‘strongly condemned’ by the United Nations.
UNICEF/Sparks
Iraq: UN demining agency rejects desecration accusations, involving historic Mosul churches
17 January 2019
Peace and Security
The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Iraq issued a statement on Thursday rejecting allegations made earlier this week by a non-profit organization there, alleging that personnel had carried out explosive hazard clearance inside two historic churches in Mosul “in a barbaric and arbitrary manner.”
WFP/Abeer Etefa
Sudan: UN rights chief alarmed over ‘excessive force’, alleged use of live fire against protestors
17 January 2019
Human Rights
The reported use of “excessive force” against demonstrators across Sudan over food and fuel shortages that has led to the deaths of at least 24 people is “deeply worrying”, the UN’s top human rights official, Michelle Bachelet, said on Thursday.
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UN/Elma Okic Edit
Iran: women hunger strikers entitled to medical care, UN rights experts urge
16 January 2019
Human Rights
A group of six independent United Nations rights experts called on Iran Wednesday to urgently provide Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Narges Mohammadi access to appropriate health care, and reiterated calls for their immediate release, as they continue a hunger strike in protest.
© UNHCR/Ley Uwera
Nearly 900 reportedly killed following ‘shocking’ intercommunal attacks in DR Congo
16 January 2019
Human Rights
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said on Wednesday that at least 890 villagers were reportedly killed in the western Democratic Republic of the Congo last month, following brutal inter-communal clashes.
MINUSMA/Photo Marco Dormino
Mali: ‘Dire’ humanitarian situation, ‘grave’ security concerns challenge fragile peace
16 January 2019
Peace and Security
With over 800 schools forced to close due to insecurity, and 2.3 million vulnerable people in need of assistance this year, a top UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday that the humanitarian situation in Mali “remains dire”.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
‘Proving our worth through action’: 5 things Guterres wants the UN to focus on in 2019
16 January 2019
UN Affairs
Despite countless “headwinds” and “ills”, the United Nations has “made a real difference” in 2018 and will need to achieve even more in 2019, as the planet faces “a world of trouble”.
© UNICEF
Yemen: Security Council backs new mission in support of key port city truce
16 January 2019
Peace and Security
The Security Council unanimously voted on Wednesday in favour of deploying up to 75 observers to monitor a fragile ceasefire in Yemen's port city of Hudaydah which went into effect late last month; a lifeline for millions of Yemenis on the verge of starvation.
© UNICEF/UNI154440/Pirozzi
More urgency needed to help increasing numbers ‘locked out’, before 2030, says UN’s Bachelet
16 January 2019
Human Rights
Many countries are failing to protect and promote the interests of all their people – despite pledging to do so in 2016 – the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Wednesday.
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
Advancing multilateralism goes ‘hand-in-hand’ with work of the UN
15 January 2019
SDGs
Revitalizing the United Nations to “strengthen a multilateral rule-based world order” tops a list of priorities the General Assembly President told UN Member States on Tuesday.
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
‘Historic’ moment: Palestine takes reins of UN coalition of developing countries
15 January 2019
Economic Development
Acknowledging “a long road ahead” on the United Nations ambitious agenda, Secretary-General António Guterreswelcomed on Tuesday “the historic leadership of the state of Palestine” as the new Chair of the Group of 77’s (G77).
UN Photo/Mark Garten
UN chief, Security Council, strongly condemn ‘horrible terrorist act’ in Nairobi
15 January 2019
Peace and Security
Following a deadly terrorist attack in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, on Tuesday, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, and the President of the UN General Assembly, María Fernanda Espinosa, condemned the act and said they stand in solidarity with the Kenyan people.
©ICC-CPI
International Criminal Court acquits former president Gbagbo of war crimes in Côte d’Ivoire
15 January 2019
Human Rights
Former President of Côte d'Ivoire Laurent Gbagbo has been cleared of crimes against humanity in Côte d’Ivoire by the International Criminal Court (ICC), it announced on Tuesday.
UNICEF/ Aaref Watad
Thousands of Syrians in ‘life and death’ struggle amid harsh conditions in remote desert camp, UN warns
15 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
Conditions in a makeshift Syrian camp near the border with Jordan are “increasingly desperate” and “have become a matter of life and death”, United Nations officials warned on Tuesday, after at least eight children died there from extreme cold and a lack of medical care.
WFP/Marco Frattini
First aid in six months reaches families in western Yemen, 'timelines' slip over Hudaydah ceasefire talks
15 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
Thousands of families in conflict-affected communities south of the Red Sea port city of Hudaydah in Yemen have received aid for the first time since last July, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.
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UNMIL/Albert Gonzalez Farran
FROM THE FIELD: Liberia boosts efforts to guard against rising seas
14 January 2019
SDGs
With rising sea levels due to climate change already affecting coastal communities in Liberia, there are fears that densely populated parts of the capital Monrovia could be submerged, unless action is taken.
UNHCR/Rafal Kostrzynski
UN refugee agency ‘deeply shocked’ at stabbing death of ‘deeply courageous’ Polish mayor
14 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
The Mayor of the historic port city of Gdansk in Poland, has died in hospital after being stabbed at a televised charity event on Sunday, prompting the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, to issue a statement on Monday praising him as “a deeply courageous, moral leader, who showed the way in helping refugees and migrants to integrate”.
World Bank/Jesus Alfonso
Ahead of street protests, UN rights chief urges Guatemalan Government to respect democratic freedoms
14 January 2019
Human Rights
With demonstrations expected to take place in various Guatemalan cities on Monday and Tuesday, the UN human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, is urging the Guatemalan Government to guarantee freedom of expression and opinion, and the right to peaceful assembly and association.
@ UNICEF/Sebastian Rich
World ‘not yet on track’ to ensure children a better future: UN rights chief
14 January 2019
Human Rights
Some Member States have fallen short of offering a better future to children who continue to die prematurely or fall victim to poverty, trafficking and slavery, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Monday.
UN Photo/Devra Berkowitz
UN welcomes progress in former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia naming dispute
13 January 2019
Peace and Security
The Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the naming dispute between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Matthew Nimetz, has welcomed the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia parliament’s decision to ratify an agreement on a new name for the latter country, following a dispute that has lasted some 28 years.
CICIG
UN anti-corruption body in Guatemala rebuts government’s reasons for expulsion order
12 January 2019
Law and Crime Prevention
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Iván Velásquez, the senior UN official in charge of the International Commission Against Impunity (CICIG) in Guatemela, has responded to the accusations made by the Government to justify its decision to expel the Commission from the country.
MINUJUSTH/Leonora Baumann
Is Haiti better prepared for disasters, 9 years on from the 2010 earthquake?
12 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
Half a capital city destroyed, 220,000 reported dead and 1 million residents displaced. This was the toll of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, which struck on 12 January, 9 years ago.
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UNSMIL
Libya: ‘Substantial civilian casualties’ in Derna, UN humanitarian chief ‘deeply concerned’
11 January 2019
Peace and Security
Increasing hostilities in the oil-rich city of Derna are becoming an increasing source of concern said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya on Friday, following an intensification in fighting which has resulted in “substantial civilian casualties”.
Rahaf Mohammed Al-qunun
Canada grants asylum for Saudi teen who fled family: UNHCR
11 January 2019
Human Rights
Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun’s desperate and ultimately successful bid for asylum in the face of alleged death-threats from her own family, provides a “glimpse into the precarious situation of millions of refugees worldwide” said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on Friday.
© UNHCR/Gordon Welters
FROM THE FIELD: How the smell of fresh bread transformed one refugee life
11 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
Who would imagine that the smell of fresh bread wafting through a bakery could change the course of a young Syrian refugee’s life?
MONUSCO/Alain Likota
DR Congo: days ahead ‘critical’ to ‘historic election process’ Security Council hears
11 January 2019
Peace and Security
With millions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) demonstrating “their commitment to the political process”, the days ahead are “critical” to what has been an “historic election process”, the top UN official in the country told the Security Council on Friday.
@ WFP/Colin Kampschoer
‘Critical test’ for North Korea’s Government as civilian suffering remains rife, warns UN rights expert
11 January 2019
Human Rights
The human rights situation in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – DPRK - remains “extremely serious”, and along with international demands for denuclearization, this constitutes a “a critical test” for the year ahead, a senior UN-appointed expert said on Friday.
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UNICEF/ Aaref Watad
Thousands risk lives fleeing fighting in Syria’s last ISIL stronghold
11 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
North-east Syria is seeing increasing numbers of civilian casualties and large-scale displacement amid intensifying efforts to defeat extremists from ISIL, otherwise known as Da’esh, in Deir-ez-Zor governorate, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday.
MINUSCA
‘Everyone must be on board’ for peace in Central African Republic: UN’s Lacroix
10 January 2019
Peace and Security
The agreement by the Government and armed groups in the Central African Republic to hold talks later this month (CAR) is “an important step to resolve the country’s crisis”, said the UN peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, on Thursday.
© UNHCR/Cynthia Hunter
FROM THE FIELD: One teen's journey from refugee camp to US school principal
10 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
After escaping from two years of captivity at the hands of Mai Mai rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Bertine Bahige was relieved to end up in a UN refugee agency (UNHCR) camp, in faraway Mozambique.
LATEST NEWS
UNICEF/UN0158355/Halldorsson
Storms and snow in Lebanon worsen plight for Syrian refugees
10 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
Storm-force winds and snow across Lebanon have worsened the plight for tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who’ve been forced from their homes by nearly eight years of conflict, a top UN humanitarian official said on Thursday.
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UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
More attacks, ‘persisting security challenges’ threaten progress in West Africa, Sahel
10 January 2019
Peace and Security
A rising number of attacks by extremist groups, using more sophisticated tactics, risk undermining progress in West Africa and the Sahel, the region’s UN envoy told the Security Council on Thursday.
MONUSCO/Alain Likota
‘Refrain from violence’ UN chief urges, as presidential election result is announced in DR Congo
10 January 2019
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appealed for all parties to “refrain from violence” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), following the announcement of the provisional results of the long-delayed presidential election.
MINUSMA/Marco Dormino
THE COMMITTEES: ‘All roads lead to the Fifth’
10 January 2019
Peace and Security
At the United Nations, there is a popular saying – all roads lead to the Fifth – the “Fifth” here is the General Assembly’s main Administrative and Budgetary Committee, where all financial and programme matters concerning the UN system, are discussed. In this feature series on the work of the General Assembly, the UN body made up of all 193 Member States, UN News gives you an inside look at the critical work of the Fifth Committee.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Guatemala: UN anti-corruption body will continue working, as Constitutional Court blocks Government expulsion
9 January 2019
Law and Crime Prevention
Following the Guatemalan Government’s unilateral decision to shut down a long-running UN anti-corruption commission, its spokesperson told UN News on Wednesday that the team is looking at ways to continue to carry out its mandate, hours after the country's highest court ruled against the Government expulsion order.
@ UNICEF/Vlad Sokhin
Armed insurgency in north-east Nigeria ‘has created a humanitarian tragedy’
9 January 2019
Peace and Security
Following an upsurge in violence in north-east Nigeria, which was brought to global attention five years ago with the abduction by Boko Haram extremists of the Chibok schoolgirls, tens of thousands of innocent civilians continue to flee, prompting “grave concern” from the United Nations envoy there.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
‘We cannot lose momentum’ on the road to peace in Yemen, UN envoy warns
9 January 2019
Peace and Security
“The difficult part” of reaching a lasting political settlement in Yemen “is still ahead of us” said the UN Special Envoy on Wednesday, urging the Security Council to support the “speedy implementation” of the fragile ceasefire agreed in and around the crucial port city of Hudaydah, at breakthrough talks in Sweden last month.
UNDP Somalia
Somalia: UN congratulates Puntland region’s newly-elected President
9 January 2019
Peace and Security
The UN’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia, on Wednesday congratulated the newly-elected president of Puntland, Somalia’s semi-autonomous region in the country’s north east.
UNICEF/Ruslana Sirman
Amid troop build-up in Rohingya's home state, UN appeals to Myanmar for peaceful solution
9 January 2019
Peace and Security
Major fighting in Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine state has so far been avoided following clashes between armed separatists and national security forces who are increasing troop numbers there, a top UN humanitarian official there said on Wednesday.
Audio - 6'45" Playlist
@ ILO
100 years on, UN labour agency mission focussed on growing inequality, says Director-General
9 January 2019
UN Affairs
As it celebrates its centenary year, the International Labour Organization (ILO) must help to tackle inequality in the world of work through the efforts of its 180-plus members, said Director-General Guy Ryder on Wednesday.
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© UNICEF/Guy Hubbard
DR Congo: Ebola response returns to full speed despite ‘risky environment’
8 January 2019
Health
Despite a precarious security environment and continuing pockets of mistrust on the part of affected populations, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Tuesday that all Ebola-affected areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) North Kivu Province are now accessible to health workers.
UN Photo/Ryan Brown
Madagascar: UN chief commends leaders, State institutions following ‘historic milestone’ election
8 January 2019
Peace and Security
Following a run-off election for the Presidency of Madagascar which saw former leader Andry Rajoelina declared the winner on Tuesday, the UN chief has commended all those who contributed to the “peaceful and orderly” voting process that began at the end of November.
MINUSMA/Gema Cortes
FROM THE FIELD: 'Hope' on the horizon as UN Peacekeepers push deep into Mali
8 January 2019
Peace and Security
UN peacekeepers in Mali have given what villagers in a remote part of the West African country have called a “real glimmer of hope.”
© UNHCR/Roger Arnold
How to stay in shape and step up support for refugees
8 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
At a time of year when many resolve to get fit, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the huge distances many are forced to cover to escape persecution, in search of a better life far from home.
World Bank/Jesus Alfonso
UN Chief ‘strongly rejects’ Guatemala decision to expel anti-corruption body
8 January 2019
Peace and Security
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has “strongly rejected” the Guatemalan Government’s decision to unilaterally terminate the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), an independent body set up by the UN and Guatemala to investigate illegal security groups and high-level corruption in the country.
MONUSCO/Alain Likota
DR Congo: Restore internet services as 'a matter of urgency', urges UN expert
7 January 2019
Human Rights
More than a week after voters went to the polls to choose a new President in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), results have yet to be announced and all primary telecommunications remain shut down – prompting a UN expert on Monday to urge the authorities to restore internet services as “a matter of urgency”.
UNICEF
Killing of aid worker in Syria part of ‘disturbing trend’
7 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
The abduction and killing of an aid worker last week in Syria’s Idleb region, brings into focus the daily risks faced by humanitarians working in conflict zones, said the Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, in a statement deploring the killing on Monday.
Photo: World Bank
World Bank President steps down, Chief Executive assumes temporary role
7 January 2019
Economic Development
The President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, announced on Monday that he is stepping down, after more than six years in the role. Kristalina Georgieva, CEO of the World Bank CEO, will assume the role of interim President, from 1 February.
Rahaf Mohammed Al-qunun
Saudi woman seeking asylum in Thailand ‘now in a secure place’ says UNHCR
7 January 2019
Human Rights
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Monday that 18-year-old Saudi national Rahaf Mohammed Al-qunun, who had been stranded at Bangkok airport after fleeing her family in Kuwait, saying that she would be killed if forced to return, was “now in a secure place”.
UNODC/Alessandro Scotti
Rising human trafficking takes on ‘horrific dimensions’: almost a third of victims are children
7 January 2019
Human Rights
A new UN report published on Monday shows that human trafficking is on the rise and taking on “horrific dimensions”, with sexual exploitation of victims the main driver. Children now account for 30 per cent of those being trafficked, and far more girls are detected than boys.
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UNSOM
2019 'a critical year' for Somali politics and development says Security Council
6 January 2019
Peace and Security
In the wake of the Somali Government's decision last week to expel the head of the UN's assistance mission, UNSOM, the Security Council on Saturday cautioned that 2019 would be "a critical year" for the east African nation that is reconsituting itself after decades of conflict.
Audio - 19'19" Playlist
OCHA/Otto Bakano
Burkina Faso: Dozens killed in clashes, UN chief condemns attacks
5 January 2019
Peace and Security
More than 40 civilians have been reportedly killed during intercommunal clashes this week in northern Burkina Faso, prompting UN Secretary-General António Guterres to issue a statement on Friday night condemning the violence and “deteriorating security situation” in parts of the West African country.
© UNHCR/@Diego Ibarra Sanchez
FROM THE FIELD: ‘Miraculous’ music made by hearing-impaired children
4 January 2019
Migrants and Refugees
A group of deaf and hard-of-hearing Syrian refugee and local Lebanese children have sung in a choir in Beirut giving a performance that was “nothing short of miraculous,” according to conductor Pascal Khairallah.
UNRWA/Khalil Adwan
Palestinian students ‘compelled to drop dreams because of financial cuts’
4 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
For students attending schools funded by the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees, (UNRWA), uncertainty over the future has become a constant worry, said the agency’s Director of Operations in Gaza, Matthias Schmale.
World Bank/Curt Carnemark
The ‘abuse of food relief in Yemen’ must end now
4 January 2019
Humanitarian Aid
On Friday, the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) demanded that the stealing of food by warring factions in Yemen must stop immediately; and welcomed a statement from Houthi rebel leaders saying that the situation was now under investigation.
UNSOM
UN chief expresses ‘full confidence’ in top Somalia official following Government expulsion
4 January 2019
Peace and Security
The UN Secretary-General said on Friday he “deeply regrets” the Somali Government’s decision to expel his Special Representative in the country, adding that he had “full confidence” in Nicholas Haysom’s abilities and track record as an international civil servant.
UN News/Vibhu Mishra
Rights defenders jailed in Bahrain and UAE should be released unconditionally, UN urges
4 January 2019
Human Rights
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has called for the immediate release of a prominent human rights defender in Bahrain, after the country’s highest court rejected a final appeal for his release on Monday. Nabeel Rajab was jailed in 2016 for tweeting criticism of Saudi Arabia’s airstrikes on Yemen and allegations of torture inside one of Bahrain’s prisons.
World Bank/ Dominic Chavez
Bangladesh elections: Hold those responsible accountable for ‘violent attacks and intimidation’
4 January 2019
Human Rights
Violence and alleged human rights violations in Bangladesh “before, during and after” 30 December elections have prompted the United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) to call on Friday for those responsible to be held to account.
MONUSCO/John Bopengo
DRC ‘calm but tense’ as country awaits presidential election result
4 January 2019
Peace and Security
The post-election environment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is “calm but tense” as the country waits for the results of the presidential poll, the UN Human Rights office (OHCHR) said on Friday.
UN Photo/Laura Jarriel
Khashoggi trial in Saudi Arabia falls short of independent, international probe needed: UN rights chief
4 January 2019
Human Rights
The criminal trial in Saudi Arabia of individuals suspected of being involved in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi does not meet the requirements of an independent and international probe requested by the UN’s top rights official, Michelle Bachelet, her office said on Friday.
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UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
First-ever World Braille Day underscores importance of written language for human rights
4 January 2019
Human Rights
To raise awareness of the importance of Braille for approximately 1.3 billion people living with some form of distance or near vision impairment, on Friday the United Nations is observing the first official World Braille Day.
UNAMA/Eric Kanalstein
Security Council condemns attacks on Afghan security forces which killed at least 27
3 January 2019
Peace and Security
The United Nations Security Council has condemned “in the strongest terms” a series of coordinated attacks aimed at security checkpoints in northern Afghanistan which took place on Monday night, killing at least 27 and wounding dozens of others
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
‘Milestones are clear’ for ‘significant progress’ in Somalia during 2019, Security Council hears
3 January 2019
Peace and Security
Somali Government efforts to build a lasting peace through political reform and transformation have progressed along a “positive trajectory” but everyone involved in the process needs to “pull in the same direction”, the UN Special Representative in the country told the Security Council on Thursday.
© UNICEF/UMichele Sibiloni
Uganda’s Ebola preparedness ‘will go a long way’ says WHO chief
3 January 2019
Health
In the wake of an ongoing Ebola outbreak affecting the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), neighboring Uganda is implementing a series of preventative response measures to keep the deadly disease at bay.
MINUSMA/Gema Cortes
Deadly Mali attack to be investigated by UN rights experts
3 January 2019
Peace and Security
An attack on a village in central Mali earlier this week in which at least 37 civilians died, is to be investigated with the help of United Nations human rights experts, the UN stabilization mission in the country (MINUSMA), announced on Thursday.
UN Women/Carlos Rivera
FROM THE FIELD: Heeding the call for women’s rights around the planet
3 January 2019
Women
Women and activists have been reflecting on the progress made across the world in 2018 in reducing discrimination and inequalities based on gender and what hopes they have for 2019.
UNDP/Slingshot
FROM THE FIELD: Powering up health care in Sub-Saharan Africa
2 January 2019
Health
Solar power is helping make universal healthcare a reality in places where unreliable power supplies regularly affect access to vital services, and can out people’s lives at risk, thanks to support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
UN Photo/Tobin Jones
Attack on UN compound in Somalia may be 'violation of international humanitarian law'
2 January 2019
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned Tuesday’s attacks against the UN compound in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, saying that intentionally attacking UN personnel may constitute "a violation of international humanitarian law.”
UNICEF/UN0269241/Chute
On the first day of 2019, over 395,000 babies to be born worldwide: UNICEF
1 January 2019
Health
As the calendar flips to 2019, about 395,072 babies will be born around the world, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday, adding that a quarter will be born in South Asia alone.
