Jailing of Burundian journalist raises concerns ahead of elections – UN rights office
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:24 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS) The imprisonment of Burundian journalist Bob Rugurika raises serious concerns about the exercise of the freedom of expression in Burundi, particularly ahead of the upcoming elections, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on Friday.
Security Council demands end to Mali violence, urges parties to reach peace deal
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:17 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS) Demanding an immediate end to all hostilities in Mali, the United Nations Security Council on Friday urged Malian parties to “engage with sustained political will and a spirit of compromise†and make the necessary concessions to engage in talks towards a comprehensive, inclusive peace deal that addresses the root causes of the years-long crisis in the country.
Ban joins Arab League Secretary-General in urging donors to honour Gaza pledges
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:14 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS) Expressing deep concern about the situation in Gaza, the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the League of Arab States made an urgent appeal on Friday, asking donors to honour and disburse as soon as possible the financial commitments they made at an October 2014 conference convened to kick-start reconstruction in the war-torn enclave.
South Sudan: As top officials spotlight crisis, UN warns of 'dramatic' decline in food security
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:12 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS) South Sudan is on the brink of a major food insecurity crisis as millions of people remain trapped by the country's ongoing internecine fighting, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned.
UN refugee agency says 'over a million' may already be displaced by eastern Ukraine violence
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:11 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS) Nearly 1 million people may have now been displaced by the conflict in eastern Ukraine, with the recent upsurge in violence causing massive destruction of buildings and infrastructure, the collapse of basic services and a spike in the numbers fleeing fighting, the United Nations refugee agency reported on Friday.
Feb 07, 2015, at 04:07 pm
New York, Feb 7 (IBNS): On the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, marked every year on 6 February, and this year focused on ending the 'medicalization' of the procedure, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on health workers around the world to eliminate what he called a 'deeply harmful' practice.
UN chief appoints new Special Coordinator for Middle East peace
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:32 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday appointed Nickolay Mladenov of Bulgaria as his new Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, the UN Spokesperson's office announced today.
Security Council condemns Boko Haram attacks along Chad-Cameroon border
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:31 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned "in the strongest terms" the escalation of attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram terrorists along the border between Cameroon and Nigeria, including back-to-back attacks this week that killed Chadian and Cameroonian troops, as well as "a sizeable number of civilians."
Sealing borders 'will continue to fail on massive scale,' UN rights expert tells European countries
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:29 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS): Migrants will continue to arrive and stay in Europe "no matter what," so the overall goal should be to ensure they use official channels to enter and stay, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants said today.
UN chief says 'challenging period' in Yemen's political transition must be overcome
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:24 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday urged parties to the Peace and National Partnership Agreement in Yemen overcome the current impasse so the peaceful democratic transition that was launched in 2011 can be fulfilled.
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:23 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS) Despite the efforts of Guinea-Bissau authorities, the situation remains fragile and the country still needs the support of the international community, the top United Nations envoy there told the Security Council today.
In South Sudan, senior UN official says 'no doubt' rights violations are ongoing
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:20 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS): Warring parties in the South Sudan conflict say they are close to signing a peace deal, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Å imonovic, told reporters in Juba on Thursday as he confirmed that while fighting has decreased, rights violations continue in the world's youngest country.
'Last mile in fight against Ebola will be the hardest,' says senior UN relief official
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:19 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS) The international community's mobilization in the global Ebola response has been "very impressive and effective" but efforts to reach zero cases must continue unabated, a top United Nations humanitarian official has confirmed.
In Washington, UN rights chief says atrocities can be prevented through better global leadership
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:17 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS) World leaders too often choose to violate international law and set aside moral principles, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said today, as he warned against "sinking into a state of paralysis" and called for a deeper form of education that equips people with moral courage to act toward one another with responsibility and care.
Development must be built on inclusive policy aligned with people's needs, aspirations - Ban
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:14 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS) Senior United Nations officials on Thursday addressed the Commission for Social Development as it marked the 20th anniversary of the Copenhagen Declaration the outcome of a summit which emphasized, for the first time, the need to put people at the centre of development with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday that the world's current generation is the first able to wipe out extreme poverty and the last that could address the worst impacts of climate change.
New UN sustainability agenda needs low-carbon growth to meet goals, Ban tells Delhi summit
Feb 06, 2015, at 06:13 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS) Speaking via video message to the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) of India, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called for countries to take a low-carbon approach to development in the coming years.
Great Lakes region must unite to stamp out armed groups in DR Congo, urges UN envoy
Feb 06, 2015, at 05:56 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS) Countries must come together to “neutralize all negative forces†terrorizing the population in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region urged on Thursday following meetings with top Rwandan officials to discuss recent peace and security developments in the region.
More than 17 killed in China fire
Feb 06, 2015, at 05:53 pm
Beijing, Feb 6 (IBNS): More than 17 people were killed in a fire in south China's Guangdong Province, media reports said on Friday.
Feb 06, 2015, at 05:51 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS) Concerned by the ongoing political crisis in Somalia and its negative effect on delivery of progress for the Somali people, the United Nations Security Council on Thursday encouraged greater efforts from the country's political leadership – including the President, Prime Minister and Parliament – to work together to quickly establish an inclusive, representative Government.
UN chief 'gravely concerned' as civilian death toll from Ukraine conflict continues to rise
Feb 06, 2015, at 05:49 pm
New York, Feb 6 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced grave concern over the continuing hostilities in eastern Ukraine amid an escalating rebel offensive which has locked civilians in a zone of intense fighting.
Two people died in murder-suicide in South Carolina
Feb 06, 2015, at 05:40 pm
Washington, Feb 6 (IBNS): Two people died in an incident of “isolated†murder-suicide on Thursday at the University of South Carolina, media reports said.
Feb 05, 2015, at 06:11 pm
New York, Feb 5 (IBNS) The United Nations’ top political official said on Wednesday that Burkina Faso’s transitional institutions must continue to respect the aspirations of the Burkinabe people and ensure full respect for human rights and the physical integrity of all citizens.
South Sudan: UN agency warns of catastrophic food shortages if conflict continues
Feb 05, 2015, at 06:10 pm
New York, Feb 5 (IBNS) The ongoing conflict in South Sudan is sharply reducing food supplies and slowing humanitarian access to people in need, the United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF) said on Wednesday , urging warring groups in the country to follow up quickly on the ceasefire deal agreed on Monday.
Security Council condemns death of Spanish peacekeeper in Lebanon
Feb 05, 2015, at 06:08 pm
New York, Feb 5 (IBNS) The United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned the death of Lance Corporal Francisco Javier Soria Toledo of Spain, killed last week while deployed at a UN position in Lebanon along the border with Israel on the "Blue Line."
UN food aid agency condemns ISIL's 'manipulation' of desperately needed food in Syria
Feb 05, 2015, at 06:05 pm
New York, Feb 5 (IBNS) The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is "extremely concerned" about images circulating on social media showing WFP food boxes bearing Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) labels.
UN-hosted aviation safety conference recommends aircraft tracking every 15 minutes
Feb 05, 2015, at 06:03 pm
New York, Feb 5 (IBNS) Member States of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have recommended the adoption of a 15-minute aircraft tracking standard that "will be an important first step in providing a foundation for global flight tracking."
Armed groups to be 'neutralised' says UN DR Congo envoy after massacre near Beni
Feb 05, 2015, at 05:57 pm
New York, Feb 5 (IBNS) The head of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has on Wednesday strongly condemned massacre of civilians that took place in the area of Beni town in the vast country’s restive northeast.
Libya: UN mission condemns attack on oilfield, calls for immediate ceasefire
Feb 05, 2015, at 05:45 pm
New York, Feb 5 (IBNS) The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has strongly condemned the attack carried out by armed groups operating under the Alshuruq Operation in the 'oil crescent' area, causing many deaths and undermining the recent efforts of Libyan leaders to reach a peace pact.
UN Somalia envoy 'excited and worried' about political progress in year ahead
Feb 05, 2015, at 05:32 pm
New York, Feb 5 (IBNS) Underlining the importance of the partnership between the African Union and the United Nations in Somalia, which he called “unique, strong and essential for success,†the top UN official there briefed the Security Council on Wednesday on the challenges lying ahead for the country in 2015.
'It's now or never' for Central African Republic, UN warns urging more support to end crisis
Feb 05, 2015, at 05:30 pm
New York, Feb 5 (IBNS) The Head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Africa, Abdoulaye Dieye, began on Wednesday a week-long visit to the Central African Republic (CAR), calling on international partners to intensify their support for the country's ongoing transition process.