Violence is escalating in Abidjan, the capital of Côte d’Ivoire, as incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo continues to arm youth groups and forces loyal to him. Gbagbo remains steadfast in his refusal to step down after losing last year’s elections to opposition leader Alassane Ouattara. Gbagbo has also reportedly received three attack helicopters from Belarus in [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Governments are being urged by the United Nations refugee chief to help evacuate thousands of refugees and foreigners trapped in Libya.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and United States President Barack Obama are meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C. to discuss the situation in Libya.
The UN Human Rights Council met in Geneva on Monday to consider its next move against Libya. The countries leadership is under fire for its violent crackdown on anti-government protesters. Foreign Ministers from around the world discussed what the political and humanitarian response should be, with most saying Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi must go. Julie [...]
Tens of thousands of migrant workers are trapped in Libya and trying to get home according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. They include thousands of African nationals who say they are being targeted by people who believe they may be mercenaries fighting for the Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi. Libya continues to suffer political unrest [...]
Three attack helicopters from Belarus are reportedly being delivered to the forces of Laurent Gbagbo in Côte d'Ivoire, according to a spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon.
The people of Libya need international support as they try to reorganize a credible alternative to the government of Muammar Qadhafi.
Libyan authorities have come under severe criticism over the on-going violent repression of anti-government demonstrations.
The United Nations says it is ready to support both political and economic transition in Egypt.
A new learning center in the Democratic Republic of Congo city of Bukavu has been set up to educate and empower women and girls who have been sexually abused. City of joy is the brainchild of playwright and women’s activist Eve Ensler, but it’s being run by Congolese women. Julie Walker spoke with Ms. Ensler about the [...]
In Bangladesh, a country where HIV/AIDS are on the rise, the game of cricket along with some of it’s biggest players, are helping girls learn how to protect themselves from the deadly virus. The latest figures available suggest that only 8 percent of girls in the country have comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Julie Walker reports. [...]
Grandmothers in Tilonia, a rural village in India are busy building and repairing solar lanterns, electrifying entire villages. What is even more surprising is that these women are illiterate. They don’t know to read or write and yet, they get the job done. These grandmothers are being trained for six months at the Barefoot College [...]
The UN is celebrating the launch of UN Women – which is being described as a powerful new agency that gives voice to women and girls worldwide with a proposed budget of $500 million dollars. It was established in July by the General Assembly and merges four of the UN bodies that deal with women’s [...]
Braving the rain, pro and anti-Yemeni government demonstrators gathered outside the United Nations in New York holding picket signs and chanting slogans. Like many countries in the Middle East and North Africa, the authorities in Yemen are facing pressure from pro-democracy activists to hand over power. Jocelyne Sambira compiled this report. Duration: 2’06”
The UN Human Rights Council adopts by consensus a resolution on libya condemning the government for the violence against anti-government protesters there and calling for them to immediately stop all attacks on civilians. Julie walker reports. Duration: 2’44″
The United Kingdom says it supports the will of the Libyan people in their attempt to force a peaceful change of regime in the North African country. Over a thousand people have died across Libya as anti-government protestors continue their bid to topple the Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi. There has been criticism that the 15-member [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The United Nations Security Council is due to meet in New York to discuss the political unrest in Libya. There has been criticism that the Security Council has not taken a tough enough stand. The United Kingdom is one of the five permanent members of the council. Daniel Dickinson asked Mark Lyall Grant, the UK [...]
The United Nations Security Council is set to discuss what have been described as the “egregious crimes” committed by the Libyan leadership against its citizens.
Grandmothers in Tilonia, a rural village in India are busy building and repairing solar lanterns, electrifying entire villages. What is even more surprising is that these women are illiterate. They don’t know to read or write and yet, they get the job done. These grandmothers are being trained for six months at the Barefoot College [...]
Fears that Côte d’Ivoire could go back to civil war are mounting as fighting breaks out in different parts of the country.Last year’s presidential elections ended in a political stalemate that has paralyzed the country for three months. A new human rights report says the situation is deteriorating fast and that extra-judicial killings have led [...]
Developing countries should be investing more in young adults in order to help them break out of poverty. In its “2011 State of the World’s Children” report (released on Friday in New York), the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, says adolescence is a “pivot point” at which children may drift back into poverty or become productive [...]
More investment is needed to secure the future of young adolescents and help them break out of poverty.
While the last year had seen significant efforts to improve women’s status around the world – including the landmark creation of the United Nations new gender entity, UN Women – the global report card was decidedly mixed, but investment in girls’ education could propel both economic growth and women’s equality. duration: 2’13″
Women: a weekly 10-minute news magazine that looks at issues affecting women around the world.
The Caribbean Community – CARICOM welcomes the establishment of UN Women. Minister of State for Social Development of The Bahamas, Loretta Butler-Turner expressed the hope that the calls for a new gender architecture over the years would evolve and generate concrete results and change for women worldwide. duration: 3’23″
Ministers and other high-level officials highlighted success stories and outlined national efforts to help women reach their full potential, notably by helping working women achieve a balance with family responsibilities, and encouraging companies to implement family-friendly policies. Barbados’ Minister of Family, Sports and Youth Affairs Senator Irene Sandiford-Garner told the Commission that Barbados’ achievements in [...]
The United Nations must urgently address the challenges of modern peacekeeping, including a severe imbalance in the “division of labour” between troop and financial contributors, and resource shortfalls that left peacekeepers vulnerable to attacks. Jamaica’s Ambassador Raymond Wolfe expressed its regret for those peacekeeping personnel who paid the ultimate price in the cause for peace, [...]
New research by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) shows that reducing air pollutants such as soot and methane will have immediate benefits for climate change and save millions of lives. It says cutting down on non-CO2 pollutants such as “black carbon” – also produced by burning fossil fuels – will not only result in [...]
Up to 50,000 foreign migrant workers are on the move, fleeing violence in Libya according to the International Organization for Migration IOM.
The Libyan government is engaging in mass killings, arbitrary arrests, detention, and torture of anti government protestors, according the UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay.
UN and Africa – a weekly 10-minute radio programme on political, social, economic and other developments related to Africa.
The 21st of February was observed as International Mother Language Day. The day was proclaimed by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999 to promote all the languages of the world. UNESCO also publishes the Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger to raise awareness about the need to safeguard the world’s [...]
Libya could descend into civil war unless the international community steps in.
The continued existence of colonial situations is completely outdated and must be addressed, says Ban Ki-moon.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Concern has been expressed about the use of the crime of encitement against human rights defenders in Cambodia.
Tunisia is emerging from decades of 'denial of dignity' according to the UN Human Rights office.
Fifty-seven Somalis drowned on Sunday, when their boat capsized off the coast of Yemen, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.
In New York, outside the United Nations and not far from the Libyan Mission, demonstrators gathered to demand more be done to protect those in Libya from the deadly violence there. Julie Walker reports. Duration: 2’30” Chanting FREE LIBYA and carrying signs reading the “US & the UN must stop all kinds of support to [...]
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the UN has described the situation in Libya as unpredictable and dangerous. The UN says at least 250 people have been killed in the violent crackdown against protestors and over 8,000 people have fled the country. Violence is being used by the Libyan authorities against demonstrators calling for a regime change. [...]
The International Criminal Court or ICC could be called into to investigate allegations of human rights abuses in Libya, but only if the authorities in the North African country make a request for it to do so. The ICC, was created in 2002 and is a permanent tribunal created to prosecute individuals for genocide, war [...]
In his last appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2009, the Libyan leader, Muammar Qadhafi, gave a typically long, extravagant and controversial speech. He said the Security Council should be re-named the “Terror Council,” because of the way that Council resolutions were used against other countries. He also compared the General Assembly [...]
The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has welcomed the guilty verdicts handed down this week to military personnel for rape and other human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the DRC.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The decision to see justice served in Libya should be taken by the Libyan people, according to Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court or ICC.
International humanitarian agencies are rushing to protect thousands of migrants who are fleeing political unrest in Libya. The International Organization for Migration, IOM says that most of the migrants are from Tunisia who are seeking assistance to return home. There are an estimated 1.5 million migrants from Africa, the Middle East, as well as Asia [...]
Thousands of migrants living in Libya have crossed the border into Tunisia to escape the violence in the North African country, according to the International Organization for Migration, IOM.
In rural Pakistan, many parents were reluctant to send their daughters to school because it was seen as going against local culture. But since last year’s floods ravaged the country, there seems to be a shift in what those parents are now allowing their daughters to do. Jocelyne Sambira has more. Duration: 2’22” SFX girls [...]
The Security Council has condemned violence in Libya and called for steps to address the legitimate demands of the population including through national dialogue.
Pakistan needs to invest more to protect its future and the lives of its people from disasters.
“Goodbye Conflict, Welcome Development” is the motto being embraced by the people of Timor-Leste as they enter the second decade of freedom as a nation.
New Zealand’s second largest city, Christchurch, has declared a state of emergency after being hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in which reportedly 65 people have died.
As protests and violence escalate in Libya, the UN and the international community are calling for restraint on the part of the government there. The UN Secretary-General spoke directly with Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi and urged him to immediately stop the attacks on anti-government demonstrators. Meanwhile the UN Security Council is holding consultations on the [...]
Amid a violent crackdown on protestors in Libya, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed outrage at “disturbing and shocking scenes” of Libyan authorities firing at demonstrators from war planes and helicopters.
Investing in women and girls’ education is essential to a country’s growth and a catalyst for empowering women.
Cancer is an enormous and growing global public health problem, says the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization.
For the first time ever, India, which is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, will host World Environment Day on the 5th of June.
As protests and violence escalate in Libya, there is growing concern over the safety of refugees in the country.
Attacks on anti-government protesters in Libya may amount to crimes against humanity, according to the UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay.
Investing in 10 key sectors can kick-start a transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient ‘green economy’ and also help reduce poverty, says a new UN report.
After years of impunity involving military officers accused of rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo, nine soldiers including a high ranking officer, have been convicted and sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. The mass rape happened on New Year’s Day in the town of Fizi, in South Kivu. Julie Walker spoke with [...]
As Haiti continues to recover from the Earthquake in early 2010, four million children are still suffering from limited access to basic needs. But they are not alone; a hip hop group from a different continent felt their pain and wrote a song to show their solidarity. UN Radio’s Febri Orida reports. Sfx kidz 4 [...]
Nine soldiers including a commanding officer in the Democratic Republic of Congo were convicted in the mass rape of more than 50 women.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon spoke at length with embattled Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, by telephone.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
In 1999, UNESCO, the United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization proclaimed Feb 21 International Mother Language Day.
The four year prison sentence an anti-government protester in Belarus received is being labelled as harsh by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
With the pro-democracy demonstrations continuing in the Middle East and North Africa the UN Secretary-General is continuing to call for restraint on the part of all parties.
Haitians face increased risk of cholera transmission during the upcoming carnival season, unless stringent hygiene measures are put in place, according to the World Health Organizations.
In its new report, UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, proposes a way to change the current resource-depleting, high carbon 'brown’ economy, into a sustainable green one. Gerry Adams has more: Narrator: One point three trillion dollars sounds like a lot of money. But UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, says it amounts to only [...]
February 21 is observed as International Mother Language Day, proclaimed by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999 to promote all the languages of the world. UNESCO also publishes the Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger to raise awareness about the need to safeguard the world’s linguistic diversity. Derrick Mbatha asked [...]
An estimated 3.1 million children under the age of five are to be immunized against polio in Southern Sudan.
UN food experts are calling for more investment in agriculture to offset the soaring food prices and increase the productivity of small farmers.
Forty-eight years ago, US President John F. Kennedy stood before the United Nations General Assembly and delivered a historical speech. In a separate address to the American staff of the United Nations, he praised their important contribution to the advancement of mankind. He also noted the UN’s crucial role in global affairs, going as far as [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
NAR: As Governments around the world mapped out strategies that would truly help reduce the ranks of hundreds of millions of people living in abject poverty, the United Nations Commission for Social Development today heard four anti-poverty experts offer ways to keep the ranks of people living without adequate food, clothing and shelter from swelling. [...]
NAR: Jamaica is of the view that the current emphasis by the Commission on Social development on the emerging issue of social protection is fitting. So says Jamaica’s Director of Social security Denzil Thorpe. He told the commission that is especially so since social protection is a fundamental pillar in any country’s efforts towards implementing [...]
Women: a weekly 10-minute news magazine that looks at issues affecting women around the world.
UN Calling Asia – a weekly magazine programme, in English, that keeps you in touch with UN developments covering Asia and the Pacific.
Disease epidemics are reappearing in Côte d'Ivoire, as the humanitarian situation in the country continues to get worse, according to United Nations agencies.
Former United States Ambassador, Richard Holbrooke, who died in December believed profoundly in the United Nations.
Phosphorus discharge and plastics are polluting the world's oceans and drawing attention on the need for a better managing of global waste, environmental experts say.
UN and Africa – a weekly 10-minute radio programme on political, social, economic and other developments related to Africa.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Women are overrepresented among the world's poor who lack access to basic social services according to Michelle Bachelet, the Executive Director of UN Women.
The Secretary-General is urging authorities in North Africa and the Middle East to exercise restraint and avoid violence when responding to peaceful protests.
Kosovo's financial problems could become the greatest threat to Kosovo's stability, according to Lamberto Zannier, Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
A senior Rwandan rebel officer hiding out in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has surrendered to the United Nations mission in the country, MONUSCO.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The United Nations says it will take a more robust approach to protecting its peacekeepers and civilians in Darfur.
PART I Cancer crisis in developing nations. 2’42” PART II Niger families adopt new practices to improve child health. 4’44” PART III Protecting children affected by armed conflict in Afghanistan. 3’26” Narrated and Produced by: Ambalika Misra duration: 14’30″
PART I Security Council debates links between peace, security and development. 4’40” PART II Asian economies are leading the recovery from global economic slowdown but weaker global growth is still expected. 3’09” PART III Bangladesh: fishermen cope with rough seas. 4’11” Narrated and Produced by: Ambalika Misra duration: 14’30″
The United Nations is proposing a mission to Egypt to asses the country's human rights situation and engage with the new leadership on human rights issues.
Art dealers and collectors should be on the alert for stolen Egyptian artefacts.
The world's largest regional security body, the OSCE, has pledged to work more closely with the United Nations on issues from stabilizing Afghanistan to fighting terrorism and boosting cyber security.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The political turmoil in parts of North Africa and the Middle East is likely to trigger an increase in the number of migrants making the perilous sea journey to Europe, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.
Labour experts warn that without basic investment in health and nutrition, economic growth will not take off.
Children in Afghanistan are being recruited into the army and used as suicide bombers by anti-government groups.
As diplomatic efforts by African leaders to resolve the political crisis in Côte d’Ivoire continue, President Laurent Gbagbo remains at the helm of the West African country. The UN mission in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) is providing security to Alassane Outtara, the recognized winner of the November presidential run-off elections. President Outtara is operating from Golf [...]
Lebanon is marking the sixth anniversary of the terrorist bombing that took the lives of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others on 14 February 2005.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Humanitarian agencies are working to provide assistance to over 2,000 Tunisian migrants who have arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa over the past few days.
Renewed fighting in Southern Sudan between the Southern People’s Liberation Army and the rebel forces of General Athor has resulted in at least 100 casualties.
The UN human rights commissioner is calling on Israel to stop the building of settlements on Palestinian territory.
Ghana is turning to nuclear power to meet its energy demands stemming from a growing economy and industrialization. This comes as the country faces drought and high crude oil prices.
Poverty and a lack of freedom and opportunities are driving instability and conflict in the world’s poorest countries according to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Nine of the 10 least developed countries have experienced conflict in the last 20 years demonstrating the strong linkages between peace, security and development. Gerry Adams reports. Narrator: Countries facing [...]
The president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, has resigned following weeks of protest against his government across the north African country. State television announced that Mr Mubarak had handed over power to the Egyptian armed forces. The announcement came as hundreds of thousands of protestors gathered for an 18th day in a row in Tahir Square [...]
The harmful use of alcohol is causing more deaths globally compared to HIVAIDS, violence or Tuberculosis, according to the World Health Organization.
The World Food Programme (WFP) says it bought a record amount of food commodities from developing countries in 2010.
Under current plans, there will not be enough housing solutions by the end of the year to resolve Haiti’s displacement crisis, says IOM. The problem is particularly acute in the metropolitan area, with limited space and uncertainty over land ownership. IOM Haiti’s Chief of Mission Luca Dall’Oglio, warned that “hundreds of thousands of Haitians are [...]
NARRATOR: Various United Nations agencies met yesterday and today in the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile, where they agreed to work together for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which will take place in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro between 14 [...]
NARRATOR: More than a quarter of a million people were killed by disasters worldwide last year, making 2010 one of the deadliest years in more than a generation. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressing an informal thematic debate in the UN General Assembly on disaster risk reduction, warned that natural disasters could make 2011 as costly [...]
NARRATOR: Haiti can achieve GDP growth of 6-8% over the next decade, if the right public policies are put in place, the national and international private sector become increasingly engaged, and support from the international community is sustained. This is the finding of the World Economic Forum’s report, Private Sector Development in Haiti: Opportunities for [...]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has reiterated his call for a transparent, orderly and peaceful transition in Egypt.
The number of Southern Sudanese returning home is expected to swell to over 800,000 by the end of the year, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
As talks to resolve the Israeli Palestinian conflict continue to stall, the Defence Minister of Israel, Ehud Barak, has said that ultimately both parties will have to meet face to face to deal with core issues.
Global food prices have hit record highs, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) which recently reported that prices for some core staples had surpassed those seen during the 2007-8 food crisis. But what are the causes of this price rise, and how has it affected some of the poorest in the world? [...]
Enabling 30,000 Sahrawis in Western Sahara and other countries to reconnect with their families has been a subject of a meeting in Geneva.
The head of the UN agency that defends press freedom has condemned the murder of an Egyptian journalist.
A suicide bombing that killed and injured numerous people at an army recruitment centre in the north-western city of Mardan has been strongly condemned by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
A radio station in Côte d’Ivoire backed by the United Nations, ONUCI-FM, is continuing to broadcast despite attempts by the Ivorian government to shut it down. The station, the most widely listened to in the nation, has reportedly been jammed by those supporting Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to concede defeat following national elections in November. [...]
UN and Africa – a weekly 10-minute radio programme on political, social, economic and other developments related to Africa.
UN radio broadcasts have been officially banned in Côte d'Ivoire by the government of Laurent Gbagbo, which took to airwaves to make the announcement.
Women who survived the Holocaust were honoured at an observance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the United Nations in New York.
Applications for new international patents have increased in 2010 but Africa’s share is still low. Patents are sole rights granted to inventors for the ownership of their inventions. The latest World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) patent report shows that only South Africa, Egypt and Namibia have made any significant patent applications. Patrick Maigua asked WIPO [...]
Malaria is a leading cause of child mortality in Africa, claiming a life nearly every 30 seconds. It kills one million people every year, and children are at highest risk for severe malarial illness and death during the first five years of life. To win the fight against malaria and reduce the death rate to [...]
The political stalemate in Côte d'Ivoire has to date displaced over 70,000 people according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
As flooding in Sri Lanka continues to worsen, the United Nations is looking towards donor states to continue giving.
Gaza remains in crisis following the Israeli blockade in 2007. Economic sanctions imposed at that time by Israel included restrictions on goods moving in and out of the Palestinian territories, as well as restrictions on the movement of the residents within. The Gaza War of 2008-2009 in which hundreds of Palestinians and 13 Israelis were [...]
Health advocates for the campaign against malaria are calling for the elimination of taxes and tariffs on medicines, bednets and other products that are used to fight the deadly disease.
Declining wages and a worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza due to Israeli restrictions are causing despair among people there.
The success of the Southern Sudan referendum vote on independence has brought Africa's longest civil war to a "definitive end."
Developing countries are being urged to find the political will to invest in disaster risk reduction or DRR programs.
Governments in developing countries need “political will and guts” to invest in disaster risk reduction or DRR programs; that’s according to a senior UN disaster prevention expert. DRR programs aim to prepare countries for disasters and so save lives and money. In 2010, 300,000 people died and a further 200 million were affected by natural [...]
As the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Côte d'Ivoire continues to grow because of post-election violence, aid is flowing to them.
Regional organizations are building blocks for global governance, according to Catherine Ashton, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the European Union.
Malakal airport in Sudan's Upper Nile state which was closed at the end of last week following a number of deadly clashes between Northern and Southern Sudanese soldiers has been reopened.
The defence lawyer for former President Charles Taylor of Liberia has withdrawn from the trial as it enters its closing stages at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague.
While the rainy season continues in some parts of the world, Northern China is experiencing a drought that may threaten wheat production.
The international community is stepping up its response to the flooding in Sri Lanka after more than a million people were forced to flee their homes. This is the second time in only a few weeks that floods have hit the country. Gerry Adams reports: Narrator: The floods have led to widespread destruction of rice [...]
The trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, who is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone is entering its final stages. Mr Taylor is facing an 11 count indictment for the crimes committed by rebels during the civil war in Sierra Leone between November 1996 and February 2002. The rebels [...]
More than 1.2 million people have been affected by flooding in Sri Lanka. The United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA) says at least 14 people have died in this second wave of flooding that began with monsoon rains in December.
Eight Ethiopian asylum seekers have died while attempting to reach South Africa from Mozambique, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
A growing number of people in the West African country of Mali are finally getting electricity under a national energy project. In a country where only 24 percent of Malians had access to electricity, it’s now reaching more rural homes. In Seribala, an agricultural town at the center of the country, a power plant has [...]
A seasonal flu vaccine suspected of causing a rare sleeping disorder amongst children and adolescents will not be withdrawn from the market, according to the World Health Organization.
Illegal armed groups continue to prey on civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, often using rape and other violence against the people there.
98% of Southern Sudanese have chosen independence from their northern neighbours. Those are the final results of a vote on secession that has been qualified as free and fair. The referendum is a crucial step in the Sudan’s 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement which will see Africa’s largest country split in two. It is an important [...]
Social Media Week is underway in key cities around the world including New York.
Southern Sudan has voted overwhelmingly to secede and form its own country.
Heavy rain and flooding in Southern Africa could lead to severe food shortages after large areas of farmland and crops were damaged. In Lesotho, one of the hardest hit countries in the region, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says up to 60 per cent of the harvest has been lost. The FAO [...]
Food shortages could hit southern Africa after large areas of farmland and crops were damaged by heavy rain and flooding.
Armed clashes between Cambodia and Thailand have broken out for a 4th straight day along a disputed border area surrounding an 11th-century Hindu temple.
World leaders are calling for a peaceful transition to democracy in Egypt, but warn that rushing the process could worsen the crisis and destabilize the region.
An international group committed to securing peace in the Middle East and a solution to the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has reiterated its call for stalled negotiations to restart.
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon is calling for more collaboration between the UN and its partners to eradicate sexual violence in conflict. In his view, prevention has helped. Not only is it working in Haiti, but in other troubled areas. Today, in Haiti’s capital Port au Prince, a 200 strong UN Police Unit maintains a permanent [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Female genital mutilation has no health benefit and violates the human rights of girls and women.
Approximately 25,000 people have been displaced by the latest military operations against insurgents in the Mohmand agency of north-west Pakistan's tribal areas, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).
The United Nations is calling for a transparent and impartial investigation into the violent clashes witnessed on the streets of Cairo, Egypt.
UN Calling Asia – a weekly magazine programme, in English, that keeps you in touch with UN developments covering Asia and the Pacific.
Renewed clashes in the Somali capital Mogadishu have left 15 people dead and some 50 injured according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
UN and Africa – a weekly 10-minute radio programme on political, social, economic and other developments related to Africa.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
PART I Bold measures are required for Egypt, says Ban 2’44″ PART II UN high Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay to Egypt: Listen to the demands of the Egyptian people 3’29″ PART III Cote d’Ivoire crisis deepens 3’37″ PART IV $40 million secured for women and children’s health 2’28″ Narrated and Produced by: Ambalika [...]
Somalia, which is already suffering from conflict is "teetering on the brink of a much larger scale disaster" as a result of drought.
The number of Somali pirates who have been arrested and held in custody has reached 750 according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime or UNODC. Maritime and crime experts are meeting in London to discuss how to step up the fight against the increasing number of attacks on ships by Somali pirates [...]
The number of Somali pirates who are being held in custody in 14 countries across the world has reached over 750 according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime or UNODC.
Authorities in Burundi have been urged by the United Nations independent human rights expert in Burundi, Fatsah Ouguergouz, to establish a body to monitor respect for human rights.
Attacks on peaceful protests in Egypt have been strongly condemned by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The forest sector is a very practical investment that can reap rewards for both governments and those living near the forests according to a new report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
A group of prominent personalities and representatives of 40 governments have joined a UN-led visit to the notorious Nazi death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Several children and adolescents in Finland, Iceland and Sweden are reported to be exhibiting a rear sleeping disorder after receiving their seasonal flu vaccinations.
Demonstrators in Egypt have won praise from the United Nations for their courage and peaceful protests.
