The IOM mission in the Dominican Republic this week assisted 589 Haitians living in vulnerable conditions in the mountainous region in the country's southwest to voluntarily return to Haiti. According to the Dominican Office of Statistics, more than 450,000 Haitian nationals live in the Dominican Republic. Many of them live in vulnerable conditions, especially those [...]
The Security Council has strongly condemned the repeated attacks on civilians and the UN Mission (MONUSCO) by the M23 rebels in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In a statement read by the President of the Security Council Ambassador Maria Cristina Perceval of Argentina on Friday, Council members recall that intentional [...]
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says it is planning to take a lead in helping thousands of undocumented migrants expelled from Tanzania. A Tanzanian presidential order issued on 25 July told some 35,000 irregular migrants from Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi to leave Tanzania by 11 August. The agency is discussing with its counterparts in [...]
The United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for AIDS in the Caribbean, Dr Edward Greene was at the UNAIDS Headquarters in Geneva last week for discussions on a new Caribbean initiative with UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. Among the issues discussed, Dr Greene highlighted the new initiative of the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP), lead [...]
The situation in Haiti has been "relatively stable" since the Security Council was last briefed on the situation in the Caribbean country in March, though there is still a stalemate regarding elections. That's what Ambassador Sandra Honoré of Trinidad and Tobago, the head of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), told the Council on [...]
Strong economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region over two decades has helped lift millions of people out of poverty, with middle class jobs now accounting for nearly two-fifths of all employment in the region. However, there's also been an increase in inequality. According to a recently published ILO working paper, there were more than 670 [...]
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is discussing with counterparts in Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi on how to help thousands of undocumented migrants expelled from Tanzania. A Tanzanian presidential order issued on 25 July told some 35,000 irregular migrants from the neighbouring countries to leave Tanzania by 11 August. The migration agency says that [...]
The need for world leaders to take decisive action to reduce poverty and put the world on a sustainable and equitable development path was stressed this week by UNDP Associate Administrator Rebecca Grynspan. Her call came as the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) prepare for their Third International Conference in Samoa. In her opening remarks [...]
UN Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the escalating violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In a statement through his Spokesperson's office, the Secretary-General condemns in particular the indiscriminate shelling by the M23 that caused deaths, injuries and damage among the civilian population in the eastern DRC and in the immediate border [...]
The United Nations food agency is continuing its operations in the Central African Republic despite the deteriorating security situation, according to its spokesperson. The World Food Programme (WFP) is helping thousands of people who have been displaced by increasing violence perpetrated by armed groups in the country. WFP spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs says the security situation [...]
Displaced Haitians have been living in a camp for IDPs, internally displaced persons, since the earthquake devastated their homes and country back in January 2010. Now, at a meeting at the camp, known as “Grace Village” in Carrefour, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, camp residents and representatives of the Haitian organization MOFKA (the Movement of the [...]
Devastating floods have displaced more than 18,000 people with over 1,000 households in South Sudan. United Nations agencies led by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN mission in the country (UNMISS) have already conducted an assessment in the country. They are providing immediate assistance such as food, cover sheets [...]
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has renewed its call for an urgent political solution to be reached to bring the Syrian conflict to an end. IPU President Abdelwahad Radi says the looming threat of external military action can only lead to greater bloodshed in Syria, where already 100,000 people have been killed. He said IPU welcomes [...]
![M23 fighters move along the road towards Goma as Peacekeepers observed gathering of armed people North of the city [MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti] (Photo from file)](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/m23.jpg "Goma")
• The UN has condemned the killing of civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The UN refugee agency(UNHCR) says that at least seven civilians have been killed by shells that landed in residential areas during fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 rebel group around the town of Goma. The UN says that [...]
Syrian men, women, and children in unprecedented numbers crossed into Iraq on foot when the Kurdistan Regional Government opened the Peshkhabour pontoon bridge on the 15th of August. In just one week, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says, over 45-thousand Syrians fleeing the conflict in their country have crossed the bridge into Iraq. UNHCR says [...]
Leaders of Kosovo and Serbia continue to make progress towards implementation of their 19 April agreement, according to the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Kosovo, Farid Zarif. The 15-point agreement, facilitated by the top European Union diplomat, Catherine Ashton, provides for representation of ethnic Serbs in the Central government. The accord also provides for holding [...]
There are no justifiable grounds for further delay in achieving the great goal of having all States ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, allowing it to come into force. That's what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday in a message for the Fourth Observance of the International Day against Nuclear Tests. He said "it [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the killing of a Tanzanian peacekeeper and the wounding of ten others in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday. The peacekeepers serving with MONUSCO, the UN mission in the country, came under fire from the M23 rebels as they supported the Congolese army [...]
The Syrian war is well into its third year. The number of Syrian children forced to flee their homeland has now reached one million, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the UN Children's Agency (UNICEF). The agencies say half of all refugees from the Syria conflict are children. Most of them have arrived [...]
Thousands of people in the Central African Republic have fled to the international airport in the country's capital Bangui to escape violence, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). According UNHCR, armed groups have increased their attacks on civilians in the Boy-Rabe and Boeing neighbourhoods. The agency says that life for civilians in Bangui has [...]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he expects to receive on Saturday a report on the activities of the UN experts investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. Speaking to reporters in Vienna, Austria on Thursday, the Secretary-General Ban reiterated his position that "the use of chemical weapons by anyone, for any reason, [...]
A fresh wave of insecurity and fighting in the Central African Republic capital of Bangui has displaced at least 6,000 people, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. The agency says there has been an increase of attacks on the civilian population by armed groups in the Boy-Rabe and Boeing neighborhoods and is appealing to [...]
The latest escalation of the conflict in Syria has raised the spectre of chemical warfare, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon told a press conference in The Hague on Wednesday. The use of chemical weapons by anyone, for any reason, under any circumstances, would be an atrocious violation of international law, he warned. Gerry Adams reports. Duration: [...]
The team of United Nations experts who are investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria has completed its second day of work, according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The work of the team was interrupted when unidentified snipers opened fire on their convoy on Monday. Secretary-General Ban, who is in The Hague, in [...]
Thanks to combined efforts from governments to the grassroots, important progress has been made in realising the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). That's what Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday in a Freedom Lecture at Leiden University in the Netherlands. The Secretary-General said the proportion of people living in extreme poverty has been halved. Fewer children are [...]
The situation in Haiti has remained relatively calm since March, according to the head of the UN Stabilization Mission in the country (MINUSTAH). In her Briefing to the Security Council on Wednesday, Special representative of the Secretary-General Sandra Honoré of Trinidad and Tobago said there has been a decrease in both civil unrest and major [...]
United Nations officials have called on all parties in Syria to extend their full cooperation to the UN investigation on the alleged use of chemical weapons in the country. The call was made by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Ahmet Üzümcü after their [...]
Any external military action against the Syrian government must have the backing of the UN Security Council, according to Lakhdar Brahimi the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria. Speaking in Geneva, Mr Brahimi said he was opposed to any external military action adding that the war [...]
The killing of civilians during the latest fighting in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been condemned by United Nations officials and agencies. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says that at least seven civilians have been killed by shells that have landed in residential areas during the clashes between the [...]
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) strongly condemns the recent abduction and killing of six civilians in Herat province. According to a UNAMA statement, among the civilians executed were five employees of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a humanitarian non-governmental organization and a local staff member of the National Solidarity Program. IRC is [...]
![Thousands of people flowed from Syria across the Peshkhabour border crossing into Iraq's Dohuk Governorate [UNHCR/G.Gubaeva]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/syrian-refugees-iraq.gif "syrian-refugees-iraq")
Urgent relief items for the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) needed to meet the immediate humanitarian needs of Syrian refugees who have crossed into northern Iraq, have arrived in Erbil, Iraq. The WFP-chartered flight from the United Arab Emirates, carried 340 family tents for UNHCR, part of a generous contribution [...]
![Ake Sellström, head of the UN team investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria. [UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Ake-Sellström.jpg "SG Stakeout")
The UN Chemical Weapons Team on Tuesday postponed its planned investigation of alleged chemical weapons use in a different site in Syria. UN Spokesperson says that following Monday's attack on the UN convoy, a comprehensive assessment determined that the visit should be postponed by one day in order to improve preparedness and safety for the [...]
![A Bedouin child wanders away from his home in al-Hadidiya village in the West Bank, which is now within a closed military zone claimed by the Israeli army. [Photo: IRIN/Phoebe Greenwood]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/05-28-2013bedouin.jpg "05-28-2013bedouin")
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concern about the forced eviction and forcible transfer of Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as a result of a series of demolitions carried out by Israeli authorities in at least six different locations since 19 August 2013. Spokesperson Cecile Pouilly told reporters in [...]
![Syrian Refugees streaming into Kurdistan, Iraq. [UNHCR/G.Gubaeva]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Syrians-Iraq-12.jpg "Syrians-Iraq 12")
Syrian men, women, and children in unprecedented numbers crossed into Iraq on foot when the Kurdistan Regional Government opened the Peshkhabour pontoon bridge on the 15th of August. In just one week, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says over 45-thousand Syrians fleeing the chaos in the country have crossed the bridge into Iraq. UNHCR says [...]
The Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi says the situation inside Syria was increasingly becoming untenable and urged both sides to go to the negotiating table for a political solution. Mr Brahimi says there will be no victory for either side, adding that the [...]
The UN Refugee Agency warned armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo Tuesday that indiscriminate or deliberate attacks against civilians may constitute war crimes. This follows the killing and wounding of a number of civilians in the suburbs of Goma in the east of country over the weekend in fighting between the Congolese army [...]
Despite the progress that the government of Somalia has made in its efforts to consolidate its authority almost a year since its formation, the country still faces many challenges. That's what Nicholas Kay, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia told a meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council in Addis [...]
The alleged chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of the Syrian capital, Damascus, that reportedly killed more than 300 civilians, including many children, is a tragic and horrifying example of how Syrian children are paying the ultimate price in the conflict, according to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The committee says [...]
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has condemned the killing of its staff member by Israeli forces. UNRWA says the staff member was shot dead during an operation by Israeli forces in Qalandiya Refugee Camp in the occupied West Bank on Monday morning. UN spokesperson Farhan Haq has more. "Credible reports [...]
![Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a press conference in Seoul. [UN Photo/Evan Schneider]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SG-SEOUL-13.jpg "Press conference (Venue -- Ministry of Foreign Affairs)")
United Nations experts investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria began their work on Monday although one of their vehicles was shot at, says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. In a note to the press, Secretary-General Ban says that he spoke to the head of the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs, Angela Kane, who [...]
Snipers have opened fire on the convoy of UN inspectors heading to the sites of suspected chemical weapons use, according to the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. Gerry Adams report. Duration: 3’07″
The post Millennium Development Goals agenda is the focus discussions by senior government officials from the Asia-Pacific region meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. Heads of State, ministers and high-level representatives from the region are exploring and identifying the key challenges they need to address in the elaboration of the UN Development Agenda beyond 2015. The year [...]
![Child labourer [ILO Photo]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/child-labour-12.jpg "child labour 12")
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched a training guide to step up the fight against the worst forms of child labour. The ILO says the new tool is aimed at guiding efforts towards the goal of eliminating the worst forms of child labour by 2016. The guide defines the worst forms of child labour [...]
![Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaking at the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Meeting Room in Seoul. [UN Photo/Evan Schneider]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SG-SEOUL-12.jpg "Post-2015 Korea Forum (Venue â Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Meeting Room)")
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has demanded access for the UN Chemical Weapons Investigation Team in Syria. Speaking in Seoul, South Korea on Monday, Mr. Ban said the team on the ground has been working around the clock to respond to the latest reports of alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. Secretary-General Ban stressed that [...]
The United Nations has stressed the need for all sides in the Syrian conflict to extend their cooperation to its team that is investigating alleged use of chemical weapons in the country. A statement issued by the UN Secretary-General's spokesperson on Monday says that UN experts have been deliberately shot at by unidentified snipers. According [...]
The members of the Security Council expressed grave concern over the increased occurrence of conflict and violence and its effect on civilians in South Sudan, in particular a marked deterioration in the security and humanitarian situation in parts of Jonglei. They strongly condemned attacks on civilians and the looting of UN and other international aid [...]
A cargo container carrying trucks, satellite vans and prefabricated building materials left Port au Prince in early July en route to Mali to support the new mission there known as MINUSMA, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. Over 100 containers left filled with light vehicles like Nissan patrols, 19 satellite vans, special [...]
The World Food Programme of the United Nations still needs US$84 million to assist nearly three million people in South Sudan. The Programme is already assisting 1.7 million people but would like to increase those numbers without disrupting on-going programmes. The $84 million appeal includes US$20 million for Jonglei as well as repayment of nearly [...]
I condemn in the strongest possible terms this escalation of violence in Syria, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in remarks Friday to the Diplomatic Corps in South Korea. He said this is a grave challenge to the entire international community – and to our common humanity, especially considering it occurred when the United Nations expert mission [...]
The slave trade reduced millions of human beings to mere chattels and was a crime of universal scope that shook the very foundations of civilization, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said in a message on the occasion of the International Day of the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. She stressed that the significance [...]
Bangladesh has become the world’s fastest growing market for solar home systems, according to the World Bank. It says that solar energy is not only replacing expensive fuels, but also bringing about social change in the country, thus empowering girls and women. "Human river" of Syrians streams into northern Iraq, says UN refugee agency About [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is giving his utmost attention to the tragic situation related to the attacks on the suburbs of Damascus on 21 August. A UN Spokesperson says it is the intention of the Secretary-General to conduct a thorough, impartial and prompt investigation on the reports of the alleged use of chemical weapons during [...]
"The use of chemical weapons during armed conflict is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime, regardless of who the targets or the victims of the attacks are. The warning comes from the Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide, Mr. Adama Dieng, and on the Responsibility to Protect, Ms. Jennifer [...]
Dr. Tererai Trent is a Zimbabwean-American woman who was born of poverty in a rural village in Zimbabwe. Her strong desire to have an education took her to the United States where she eventually got her Phd. Tererai became famous when her life story was featured in a book called "Half the Sky" by author [...]
The ongoing conflict in Syria, which is now in its third year, is causing enormous suffering to the country's children, say two United Nations agencies. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the UN children's agency (UNICEF) nearly three million children have been displaced by the crisis. The two agencies estimate that more than [...]
The Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria says "The Syrian crisis is undoubtedly the biggest threat to peace and security in the world today". Lakhdar Brahimi says "The problem is that the parties that are involved in this civil war, each one of them think that [...]
Health care-associated infections are a major threat to patient safety worldwide and transmission in these settings is mainly from the hands of health-care workers. Dr. Edward Kelly of the World Health Organization (WHO) says a recent study found that in many cases, health workers clean their hands in the proper way only about 50 per [...]
Investing in a low-carbon, resource efficient green economy is fundamental for South Africa's sustained economic growth and well-being. These are the findings of a new study, South African Green Economy Modelling, which says that improving the management of natural resources and investing in the environment could increase South Africa's crop yields by almost a quarter, [...]
![Rupert Colville, Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). [UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Rupert-Colville-12.jpg "Briefing by the Unied Nations Information Service ( UNIS ).")
A decision to annul a conviction and a sentence of flogging, handed down to a 15 year old girl in the Maldives, has been welcomed by the United Nations Human Rights office. The Maldives High Court ruled on Wednesday that the girl, whose stepfather is on trial for raping her, had been wrongly convicted by [...]
The surge in the number of Syrians fleeing into Iraq is continuing, with the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, saying that, since the 15th of August, nearly 42,000 people have crossed Syria's far northeast border into Iraq. Just yesterday, some 2,000 people passed through the Sahela border crossing alone. Adrian Edwards, Spokesperson for UNHCR, says [...]
Nearly 3 million Syrian children have been displaced by the on going crisis in the country, according to United Nations agencies. The UN Refugee agency UNHCR and the UN Children's Fund UNICEF estimate that more than 2 million children have been internally displaced, while another one million children have been forced to flee their homeland [...]
![Lakhdar Brahimi, Joint Special Representative for Syria gives a press conference at the Palais, Geneva. Wednesday 5 June 2013. [UN Photo/Violaine Martin]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/brahimi-123.jpg "Lakhfar Brahimi, Joint Special Representative for Syria, gives a press conference in Geneva")
The Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, has expressed grave concern over the alleged use of chemical weapons in Damascus. Mr Brahimi said the incident was a clear indication of danger the crisis poses not only for the Syrian people but also for the [...]
Sexual and gender-based violence have been pervasive in Somalia, according to the spokesperson for the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Jens Laerke added that during the first half of the year, 800 cases were reported in Mogadishu alone, and the internally displaced Somali women continue to be the most affected. A humanitarian [...]
While the humanitarian situation had improved greatly in Colombia, there was still more to be done, according to John Ging, Operations Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "Colombia has made huge progress in recent years, but many challenges remain," said Mr. Ging. "We as the international community must support [...]
• As unrest continues in Egypt, the UN human rights office is concerned about the acts of violence that happened this week. It says it is "alarmed" at the situation and reiterates its call for human rights officers to go to the country to assess the situation on the ground. Humanitarian agencies operating in Egypt [...]
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has strongly condemned the reported killing of hundreds of civilians – including many women and children — in the Damascus suburbs, and said the allegations that many deaths were the result of the use of chemical weapons must be investigated "as a matter of utmost urgency." [...]
Fish, crustaceans and molluscs – these are some of the aquatic organisms that are being produced through aquaculture. These food products are an important source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. To meet the ever increasing demand for fish consumption, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that aquaculture is the answer that will also [...]
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon remains deeply troubled by the reports of the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. A statement from the UN Spokespersons' office says the Secretary-General believes that the incidents reported Wednesday need to be investigated without delay. Deputy Spokesperson Edouardo del Buey says the Secretary-General has been in touch with world leaders [...]
A 2012 Olympic Gold medalist is being nominated to serve as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Sport from 2013 to 2015. Kazakh boxing champion Serik Sapiyev will be appointed by UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova in a ceremony that will take place in Astana, Kazakhstan on 24 August. The welterweight is being nominated in recognition of [...]
A United Nations independent human rights expert has urged Myanmar to do more to improve the human rights situation in the country. Tomás Ojea Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, says the Asian country is making positive changes to its human rights situation. However, he adds, Myanmar is still [...]
The United Nations is calling for an investigation into the alleged use of chemical weapons in the ongoing conflict in Syria. According to reports, hundreds of people were killed when the deadly weapons were used on Wednesday in the suburbs of Damascus. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says that he was "shocked to hear the reports." [...]
The conclusion of the Presidential elections in Mali is a milestone in restoring peace and democracy in the country, Special envoy for the Sahel Romano Prodi said in a statement on Thursday. He says the successful election process will further contribute to consolidating the democratic process, thus enabling Mali to build a better tomorrow. He [...]
Australia's indefinite detention of 46 recognized refugees on security grounds amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, inflicting serious psychological harm on them, a UN Committee has found after examining their cases. The Geneva-based Human Rights Committee said Australia should release the refugees, who have been held for at least two and a half years, [...]
There is a need to investigate allegations of chemical weapons use in Damascus, Syria as soon as possible, Jan Eliasson told reporters Wednesday following UN Security Council consultations on the subject. The UN Deputy-Secretary-General said no matter what the conclusions are, this is a serious escalation with grave humanitarian and human consequences. Dr. Ake Sellstrom, [...]
"Children must be protected, and those who fail to protect them will be held accountable", the UN children's agency (UNICEF) said in a statement late Wednesday in reaction to reports that chemical weapons were used in the ongoing Syrian conflict resulting in numerous civilians being killed, including children. UNICEF says "The reports of attacks on [...]
![Tomás Ojea Quintana, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar. [UN Photo/Evan Schneider]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Tomás-Ojea-Quintana.jpg "Press conference by Tomas Ojea Quintana, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar.")
Myanmar is making positive changes to its human rights situation, but the lack of genuine reconciliation among the various ethnic groups and the spread of incitement to hatred against religious minority groups, remain critical challenges the country was yet to overcome, according to a United Nations Human Rights expert. Tomás Ojea Quintana, the UN Special [...]
The steady return of normalcy and stability in Somalia is these days demonstrated by the return of the International Football governing body, known by its French acronym, FIFA. During the years of conflict, all FIFA activities and events in Somalia were held in neighbouring countries like Djibouti. However, with the improvement of security in the [...]
Lebanon is seeking to become the first country in the Arab region to adopt an overarching National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management, according to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR. "Lebanon has learnt a great deal from its history of experiencing and dealing with all types of disaster," says Ms. Nathalie Zaarour, the [...]
![Amina J. Mohammed, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning. [UN Photo/Devra Berkowitz]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Amina-J-Mohammed.jpg "CR1")
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for bold action from government and leaders around the world for the achievement of anti-poverty goals and clear progress on sustainability. Mr. Ban has released a key report – ahead of a major meeting of world leaders at UN headquarters on 25 September on what needs to be done [...]
Chemical weapons were allegedly used on Wednesday in Syria in the suburbs of Damascus, according to a statement attributable to the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. Spokesperson Eduardo del Buey told reporters that the Secretary-General was "shocked to hear the reports" and is aware that a number of Member States, the Arab League and [...]
UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos has wrapped up a two-day visit to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, where she took part in events to observe World Humanitarian Day. This year, World Humanitarian Day had special significance in Brazil since 19 August marked the tenth anniversary of the attack on United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, which [...]
Access to clean water and sanitation, and effective water management for irrigation and productive uses are fundamental drivers for poverty reduction, food security, gender equality and overall human development, and must be a center piece of our development efforts. That is one of three key messages delivered by UNDP Associate Administrator Rebecca Greenspan to the [...]
A nutrition program in Mancha, Ethiopia has shown that in the past three years, malnutrition rates for children under the age of five have dropped from 20 percent to five percent. At the same time, severe malnutrition is down from five per cent to around one per cent, according to the UN Children's Agency (UNICEF). [...]
As populations grow, water scarcity and water pollution are likely to intensify, particularly if unsustainable consumption and production patterns continue unabated. That's the message United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivered to a two-day High-level International Conference on Water Cooperation taking place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan this week. One of the driest regions in the world is [...]
“It is time for Latin America to increase its contribution to African development,” the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization told the second Sub-Saharan and Argentinean Agriculture Ministers Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ministers are gathering at the event to reinforce South-South agricultural cooperation between emerging countries. Jose Graziano da Silva said “International cooperation [...]
Water is at the heart of a daily crisis faced by millions of the most vulnerable people in the world —threatening life and livelihoods, peace and human security, according to UNDP Associate Administrator Rebecca Greenspan. She told a High-level International Conference on Water Cooperation in Dushanbe, Tajikistan that around 770 million people worldwide still lack [...]
"Raising awareness of today's crucial humanitarian issues, including the continued need for protection of civilians and aid workers, is one of the best ways we can pay tribute to those who have lost their lives while helping others and reflect the spirit of humanitarian work," UN Humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said as she wrapped up [...]
As populations grow, water scarcity and water pollution are likely to intensify, particularly if unsustainable consumption and production patterns continue unabated. That, according to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a message to a High-level International Conference on Water Cooperation in Dushanbe. The Secretary-General said while the Millennium Development Goals campaign has been successful in many areas, [...]
The head of the United Nations cultural agency expressed grave concern for Egypt's cultural heritage on Monday following reports that a national museum had been looted. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, said the museum, located in the city of Minya, had been looted and several monuments of religious importance in Fayoum and the capital, Cairo [...]
As the violence continues in Egypt, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights remains "alarmed" at the situation and reiterates its call to allow human rights officers to assess the situation on the ground. Humanitarian agencies operating in the country are also concerned but so far, the World Food Programme says its operations [...]
![Syrians who fled across the Peshkhabour border into Kurdistan in northern Iraq walk towards a makeshift reception centre. [UNHCR/G.Gubaeva]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/syrianiniraq.jpg "syrianiniraq")
The Influx of Syrians into Iraq's Kurdistan region continues, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). The agency estimates that the number of the Syrian refugees who have crossed the border since Thursday has now surpassed the 30,000 mark. UNHCR is working with other agencies, including the World Food Programme, the UN Children's Fund [...]
Everyone working aboard a cruise ship, from machine operators to entertainers to hotel staff, is considered a "seafarer" just like the crew of a merchant ship. And as such, their rights are protected under the International Labour Organization's Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, that comes into effect as international law on the 20 August. Patrick Moser [...]
Despite an ever challenging regional environment we are finally observing long awaited movement on the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians in the form of direct negotiations. The view was expressed Tuesday during a briefing to the Security Council on the Situation in the Middle East. Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco expressed the [...]
Heavy monsoon rains in the Philippines, aggravated by Tropical Storm Trami have caused extensive flooding and landslides in 11 provinces in and around the capital Manila, bringing everyday life to a standstill. The one month average rainfall for August was recorded in one day – Monday 19th August. The Government of the Philippines says it's [...]
The World Food Programme (WFP) is concerned about the rise of poverty and food insecurity among the most vulnerable communities in Egypt. This comes amidst continued political uncertainties and a worsening economic situation that the country has faced over the last few months. WFP says it continues to monitor the situation closely and is [...]
The International Labour Organization's Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006) came into force on 20 August 2013, inaugurating a new era of decent work for seafarers and fair competition for shipowners in the global shipping industry. ILO Director-General Guy Ryder calls "on all countries with a maritime interest to ratify – if they have not yet [...]
![Thousands of Syrians streamed across a bridge over the Tigris River, entering Iraq on Thursday. [Photo: UNHCR/G.Gubaeva]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/syria-refugees-iraq.jpg "syria refugees iraq")
The influx of Syrians into Iraq's Kurdistan region continues, with the number of refugees who have crossed the border since Thursday last week now estimated to have surpassed the 30,000 mark, according to the United Nations Refugee agency (UNHCR). A major humanitarian operation is underway in the region, with United Nations aid agencies sending truck [...]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has repeated his call for greater protection for humanitarian workers. Speaking in the Security Council on Monday, World Humanitarian Day, Mr. Ban stated that attacks against aid workers are war crimes. World Humanitarian Day 2013 also marks 10 years since the bombing of UN headquarters in Baghdad in which 22 [...]
Important steps had been taken by the Security Council to implement its commitment to protect civilians, says UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos. Speaking by video-conference from Rio de Janeiro to a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York marking the 10th anniversary of the bombing of the Baghdad Canal Hotel in Iraq, [...]
Sexual and gender- based violence have been pervasive in Somalia, according to the spokesperson for the Office of the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Jens Laerke added that during the first half of the year, 800 cases were reported in Mogadishu alone, and the internally displaced Somali women continue to be the most affected. He [...]
The United Nations on Monday observed World Humanitarian Day to honour the memory of all staff who have made the ultimate sacrifice for peace. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad in which 22 staff members died. Events have been held around the world to raise [...]
The rights of all people who work on vessels will now be protected under international law when the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) comes into effect on Tuesday. The treaty covers all seafarers, including those who work aboard cruise ships. Patrick Moser reports from the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva. Mention the word "seafarer" [...]
With the theme "The World Needs More…" World Humanitarian Day was observed in a ceremony at the United Nations on the 19th of August. The day honours aid workers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. It also commemorates the 19th of August 2003 as the day 22 UN staff members were [...]
More than one million people displaced by insecurity over the past five years in north-western Pakistan will be the beneficiaries of a $10 million allocation from a United Nations humanitarian fund. The money will support food aid, sanitation and hygiene services and emergency primary care in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. In [...]
Nicholas Kay, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Somalia, has expressed grave concern over allegations of rape at a military facility of AMISOM, the African Union Mission in Somalia. He welcomes the announcements by the Somali Government and by AMISOM, of the establishment of an investigation into the allegations of rape made against [...]
![Newly arrived Syrian refugees in Jordan after crossing the border. [Photo: UNHCR/J. Kohler]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/05-24-2013syriarefugees.jpg "05-24-2013syriarefugees")
Close to 20,000 Syrians have crossed the border into northern Iraq since Thursday last week, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). Refugees interviewed by the agency said they were fleeing fighting involving various armed groups and increasing tension in areas of northern Syria including Efrin, Aleppo, Hassake and Qamishly. UNHCR has sent 37 [...]
About 20,000 Syrians have streamed into northern Iraq in the last few days, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). The agency says this is one of the biggest crossings of refugees into a neighbouring country during the Syrian crisis. Many of the refugees are telling UNHCR that they are fleeing fighting involving various armed [...]
![Security Council President Ambassador Maria Cristina Perceval of Argentina. [Photo from file]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/perceval-stakeout.jpg "perceval-stakeout")
The recent presidential elections in Mali are a major step towards the restoration of democratic governance and constitutional order in the country, the Security Council said on Friday. The vote came after more than a year of crisis in Mali, including a military coup, renewed fighting between government forces and Tuareg rebels, and an armed [...]
"Today, people in Latin America and the Caribbean are more empowered than they were 20 years ago," says the Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). Dr. Babatunda Osotimehin says "The region has seen considerable economic growth over the past decade, and social protection programmes in many countries are ensuring that more people, including [...]
![Basil Charles sitting among students. [Photo adapted from the Basil Charles Educational FoundationFacebook page]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Basil-Charles-Educational-Foundation.jpg "Basil Charles Educational Foundation")
When the Mustique Blues Festival started in 1996, one of the major concepts was to use the festival to attract attention and donors to the Basil Charles Educational Foundation. Proceeds from the sale of the companion CD recordings go to the education foundation to better the lives of the people in St Vincent. Basil Charles [...]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the appointment of Peter de Clercq of the Netherlands as his Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), where he will also serve as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative. Gerry Adams has the story. Mr. de Clercq will succeed [...]
August 19, 2013 marks 10 years since the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad was bombed and the UN lost 22 of its staff and humanitarian agency workers. World Humanitarian Day is the day designated by the UN General Assembly to coincide with the anniversary of the Baghdad bombing to pay tribute to all the aid [...]
![Dr. Mark Van Ommeren of the WHO's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. [Photo adapted from UNIFEED]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/unifeed130806f.jpg "unifeed130806f")
Rebuilding after conflict or humanitarian emergencies provides an opportunity to build better health services, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The agency is launching a report on the provision of sustainable, long-term mental health services ahead of World Humanitarian Day, observed on Monday 19 August. It says that humanitarian agencies work hard to help [...]
![Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses a joint press conference with Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine. [UN Photo/Rick Bajornas]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/558662-SG-Travel-15_08_2013-16.51.05.jpg "558662 - SG Travel - 15_08_2013 - 16.51.05")
A viable Palestinian state is long overdue, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon told reporters as he arrived in the Middle East for talks with leaders in Jordan, Palestine and Israel. Ban Ki-Moon met with King Abdullah of Jordan on Wednesday to discuss US Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts to resume negotiations between Israel and the [...]
A Commission of Inquiry on the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will begin public hearings next week aimed at raising awareness of conditions in the country. The three-member panel announced on Friday that hearings will take place in South Korea as the DPRK government has not responded to requests [...]
There's an explosive polio outbreak in Somalia where 105 cases have been confirmed. It has also spread to neighbouring Kenya, with 12 cases confirmed, according to Oliver Rosenbauer, the spokesperson for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. There are three polio-endemic countries worldwide (Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan). Mr. Rosenbauer explained that Somalia and Kenya are not [...]
![Congolese refugees in Uganda. [Photo: UNHCR/L.Beck]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/congo-refugees-uganda.jpg "congo refugees uganda")
Hundreds of Congolese refugees in western Uganda are being relocated from a congested transit centre to the northeastern part of the country, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) announced on Friday. According to the agency, the refugees fled to Uganda in July after the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group attacked Kamango town in the eastern [...]
Thousands of Syrians who streamed into northern Iraq on Thursday are receiving assistance from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and its partners. The agency reports that an initial group of 750 Syrians arrived in the Kurdistan region that day, followed by between 5,000 to 7,000 others. UNHCR says the majority were families consisting of women, [...]
![UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. [UN Photo/Rick Bajornas]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/558676-SG-Travel-16_08_2013-09.21.07.jpg "SG and PM Israel make public statements")
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday called for courage to find a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Ban spoke in Jerusalem at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Secretary-General told reporters that he is in the region to lend strong support to the Middle East peace process. [...]
![Supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi help a man injured in clashes on 27 July 2013 which killed dozens of people. [Photo: Saeed Shahat/IRIN]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/egypt-clashes-12.jpg "egypt clashes 12")
A group of United Nations human rights experts is urging all parties in Egypt to take immediate steps towards political reconciliation. In a statement issued on Friday, the experts, known as Special Rapporteurs, call for restraint and an immediate end to the violence which has killed hundreds of people and injured thousands more. They state [...]
About 800 cases of sexual and gender-based violence have been reported in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, during the first six months of the year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Women and girls who are internally displaced continue to be the most affected. OCHA says rape is often perpetrated [...]
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is urging the authorities in Afghanistan to make every effort to protect the country's women parliamentarians following the abduction of an MP and her children earlier this month. IPU spokesperson Jemini Pandya fears incidents like this could affect women's overall political participation and representation in the country. UNICEF and partners ensure [...]
The United Nations says there are approximately 810 million persons aged 60 years or more in the world in 2012 and by 2050, this number is projected to grow to more than two billion. Asia has more than half, 55 per cent, of the world's older persons, followed by Europe, which accounts for 21 per [...]
Members of the Security Council have stressed the importance of ending violence in Egypt following the killing and wounding of scores of people when security forces moved in to clear sit-ins in Cairo on Wednesday. The Security Council met behind closed doors late on Thursday to hear a briefing by UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson [...]
![UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. [UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/SG-Joaquim-Chissano.jpg "Secretary-General particepates at a Roundtable event.")
The United Nations Secretary-General is urging the international community to seize the moment brought about by the resumption of talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. Speaking in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, Ban Ki-moon expressed appreciation for what he described as "the courageous efforts" of both sides in returning to the negotiating [...]
![Security Council chamber [UN file photo].](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/sc.jpg "Security Council Chamber")
The Security Council has welcomed the final resolution of the dispute between Nigeria and Cameroon over the Bakassi Peninsula. The potentially resource-rich land on the Atlantic coast was a source of tensions between the two countries until the International Court of Justice ruled in 2002 that it is part of Cameroon not Nigeria. Under an [...]
The UN Secretary-General has strongly condemned the deadly car bombing that took place in a neighbourhood in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, on Thursday. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ban Ki-moon says such acts of violence are completely unacceptable and only reinforce the determination of the international community to continue supporting Lebanon's security and stability [...]
![Woman casting her vote in Mali elections. [Photo: UNDP]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/MALI-ELECTIONS-123.jpg "MALI ELECTIONS 123")
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated the authorities and people of Mali for the successful conduct of presidential elections, provisional results of which were announced on Thursday. As Mali awaits confirmation of the results, Mr. Ban has congratulated Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta on his election as President, according to a statement issued by the Secretary-General's spokesperson. [...]
![Drought-stricken area in Namibia. [Photo adapted from UNIFEED]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/drought-namibia.jpg "drought namibia")
• Namibia has been hit by the worst drought in 30 years. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) says over 700,000 people including 109,000 children under the age of five are at risk of malnutrition. In response to the crisis, the agency is scaling up its relief assistance, including nutrition, education and infant feeding activities. [...]
Universal health coverage means that everybody should have access to the health services they need without risk of financial ruin or impoverishment, says Dr. Christopher Dye of the Word Health Organization. WHO on Thursday released a report that says universal health coverage is not a luxury; rather, it is fundamental to the discovery, development and [...]
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, deplores the loss of life in Egypt and she is calling on all in Egypt to seek a way out of the violence that reportedly killed and injured hundreds of demonstrators. Elizabeth Throssell, the spokesperson for the UN Human rights office in Geneva, says there [...]
![UNHCR staff load the relief items for Syrian IDPs from the organization's Dubai global stockpile. [Photo: UNHCR]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/syria-relief-12.jpg "syria relief 12")
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has dispatched its largest shipment of relief items so far this year to people displaced by the crisis in Syria. The agency reports that 33 trucks carrying goods such as blankets, kitchen sets and jerry cans left its global stockpile in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday. [...]
![Supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsy of Egypt demonstrating in Rabaa Al Adaeia Square, Cairo. [Photo from file: IRIN/Saeed Shahat]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/08-14-2013morsysupport.jpg "08-14-2013morsysupport")
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has appealed for urgent talks to save Egypt from further disastrous violence. The call follows Wednesday's reported killings and injuring of hundreds of demonstrators as security forces moved in to clear pro-Muslim Brotherhood sit-ins in Cairo. She notes that there are conflicting reports about the [...]
The future of Egypt is hanging precariously in the balance if violence and confrontation don't give way to compromise and constructive dialogue between all sides in the political divide. This warning has come from the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) amid reports that more than 500 people were killed on Wednesday when security forces used force [...]
The United Nations has updated its plans to address critical humanitarian needs in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for the remainder of 2013. A release from the UN Resident Coordinator for the DPRK says the humanitarian programmes being implemented by five UN agencies in the country remain drastically underfunded. It explains that of [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on countries to continue investing in local research in order to develop a system of universal health coverage tailored to each individual country's situation. In its World Health Report 2013 launched in Beijing, China, on Thursday, WHO says through universal health coverage, countries can help ensure that citizens [...]
The departure of a team of United Nations experts to investigate allegations of the use of chemical weapons in the conflict in Syria is "now eminent." That's according to a statement issued by the Spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General late on Wednesday. It announced that the government of Syria has accepted the modalities essential for [...]
![Internally displaced persons in the Central African Republic [Photo: OCHA/Laura Fultang]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/car.jpg "car")
The members of the Security Council expressed deep concern at the security situation in CAR, characterized by a total breakdown in law and order, and the absence of the rule of law. In a press statement following briefings by top UN officials, the members of the Council stressed that the armed conflict and crisis in [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the agreement between North and South Korea on the reopening of an industrial park run by the two countries. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea reportedly shut down the Kaesong Industrial Complex in April as tensions with its neighbour in the south rose. Following months of negotiations, representatives of [...]
The situation in the Central African Republic is highly volatile the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative to the country told the Security Council on Wednesday. Gerry Adams reports Duration: 4’08″
![Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson [UN Photo/Rick Bajornas]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Jan-Eliasson.jpg "Press conference by the Deputy Secretary-General")
Deputy United Nations Secretary-General Jan Eliasson has welcomed the progress that has been made in providing sanitation and water services for all. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Mr. Eliasson refers to what he calls "quick-win" budget allocations that have been made by governments. He also says that substantial progress has been made in tackling [...]
The United Nations says there are approximately 810 million persons aged 60 years or more in the world in 2012 and by 2050, this number is projected to grow to more than two billion. By then, older persons will outnumber the population of children from birth to 14 years of age for the first time [...]
![Under-Secretary-General Valerie Amos briefing the Security Council (from file) [UN Photo/Rick Bajornas]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/amos-sc-123.jpg "Security Council Meeting on The situation in the Middle East")
The Central African Republic could become a failed state unless action is taken quickly, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator Valerie Amos warned the Security Council on Wednesday. Ms. Amos recently visited the country, where she said the "fragile" new government of national unity is facing considerable challenges such as weapons proliferation, looting and a deteriorating humanitarian [...]
The overall situation in the Central African Republic is "highly volatile and unpredictable, although there has been some progress on the political front." That's what the top United Nations envoy in the country, Babacar Gaye, said during his briefing to the Security Council on Wednesday. The Central African Republic is facing a crisis which started [...]
![Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at a press encounter after meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. [UN Photo/Mark Garten]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SG-PAKISTAN-12.jpg "Secretary General Ban Ki Moon holds Joint stakeout with Prime Minister of Pakistan")
The United Nations will continue to support Pakistan in the fight against terrorism, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told journalists in the country's capital, Islamabad, on Wednesday. He said Pakistan has paid an enormous price in the lives of the thousands of its citizens who have been brutally murdered by the forces of terrorism and extremism. [...]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the violence in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, when security forces used force to clear sit-ins and demonstrations on Wednesday. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the Secretary-General says the United Nations is still gathering precise information about the day's events. However, he adds, it appears that [...]
The UN human Rights Office (OHCHR) has expressed concern over the planned resumption of execution of criminals in the Gaza Strip. Hamas which control Gaza has announced it would resume executing people sentenced to death after the end of the Holy month of Ramadan. UN High Commissioner for Human Right Navi Pillay says she is [...]
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has called on the Hamas authorities in Gaza not to carry out death sentences. The call follows several announcements by the Attorney-General in Gaza that executions of people sentenced to death would take place after the Eid al-Fitr celebrations. Ms. Pillay is appealing to the de [...]
Struggling to survive the severe shortage of food and water, people in Namibia's Kunene region have no choice but to wait out the worst drought in three decades. The UN Children's Agency (UNICEF) says over 700,000 people including 109,000 children under the age of five are at risk of malnutrition. Dianne Penn has more. Duration: [...]
![UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. [UN Photo/Mark Garten]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/ban-stk.jpg "Secretary-General Briefs Media")
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the recent attacks that have killed scores of civilians in Nigeria. According to reports, the attacks in the localities of Mafa and Konduga in Borno State left more than 50 people dead, including worshipers shot to death while praying inside a mosque on Sunday. In a statement [...]
![A man on a flooded street in Sharg al Nil Area, Khartoum. [Photo: Rodraksa/OCHA]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/08-12-sudan-flood.jpg "08-12-sudan-flood")
Heavy floods that have displaced about 150,000 people in Sudan have also disrupted economic activities, says the head of the United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA) in the country. Mark Cutts says that these are the worst floods seen in the Sudanese capital Khartoum since 1988 when the Nile burst its banks. He tells UN Radio [...]
![Internally displaced children in the Central African Republic. [UNHCR/H. Caux]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/CAR-IDP-CHILDREN.jpg "CAR IDP CHILDREN")
The Central African Republic, CAR, has been marked by decades of instability and fighting, according to the United Nations. The situation took a turn for the worse in December of 2012 when rebels known as the Séléka coalition launched a series of attacks, which led to the President being forced to flee and the formation [...]
Heavy flooding in Sudan has left thousands of people in need of relief assistance, according to the United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA). Citing local sources, OCHA says that over 150,000 people have been affected by the floods across nine states in the country. It points out that while it is too early to determine the [...]
![Taung Paw camp in Myanmar's Rakhine state. [Photo: UNOCHA/David Ohana]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/05-01-2013taungpaw.jpg "05-01-2013taungpaw")
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is reiterating its call for peaceful dialogue and confidence building in Myanmar's Rakhine state following recent violent clashes which left one man dead and 10 people injured. The agency reports that the latest incident occurred last Friday following the discovery of a dead body in a creek near a camp [...]
![Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks at the inauguration of the Centre for International Peace and Stability in Islamabad. [UN Photo/Mark Garten]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/558361-SG-Travel-13_08_2013-10.20.23.jpg "Secretary General attends Inauguration of National University of Sciences and Technology")
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has commended Pakistan for its contributions to peacekeeping operations around the world. Mr. Ban, who is on an official visit to the Asian country, spoke at the inauguration of Pakistan's Centre for International Peace and Stability in the capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday. He said Pakistan is "number one" among more than [...]
A UN team investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Syrian crisis will travel to the country "without delay" as soon as the government confirms acceptance of its modalities of work. That information comes from the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General in a note to correspondents issued on Tuesday. It says that over [...]
Authorities in Bangladesh have been urged to secure the immediate release of a prominent human rights defender in the country. The appeal has come from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva which has expressed concern about the arrest of Adilur Rahman Khan. Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the UN High [...]
The humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic remains dire with insecurity hampering access and delivery of much needed relief supplies, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). However UNICEF says its emergency teams have managed in the past few weeks to restart health services in two districts in the centre of the country [...]
Nearly 63,000 refugees from the Central African Republic have fled the country to neighbouring countries since the latest political crisis in the country erupted in December last year, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). Some 40,500 have fled into the Democratic Republic of Congo, while another 13,000 have streamed into Chad. UNHCR says [...]
A senior official of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Monday called for action to address the challenges presented by the growing ageing population around the world. Alejandro Bonilla García, Director of the ILO's Social Protection Department, spoke at a meeting of the United Nations Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing. He said more people are [...]
![Children in Namibia. [Photo: UNICEF Video]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/namibia-children-12.jpg "namibia children 12")
The UN children's agency (UNICEF) is stepping up its support to Namibia which is facing its worst drought in three decades. UNICEF says the activities it is scaling up include nutrition education and infant feeding in the Southern African country where close to 780,000 people have been affected. Local authorities say that all 13 regions [...]
The United Nations on Monday celebrated International Youth Day, focussing on the issue of youth migration. According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, more than 10 percent of the 214 million international migrants are young people, but little is known about their struggles and experiences. Gerry Adams has the story. Duration: 3’10″
The United Nations Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) is helping electoral authorities to speed up the process of ballot counting following Sunday's presidential run-off elections. According to MINUSMA, there were no major incidents during the elections although heavy rains hampered the smooth conduct of voting operations in many parts of the country. Eduardo Del Buey, UN [...]
Each year, migrant workers send more than $450 billion in remittances to their families back home. Half of this amount goes to rural areas where it is often difficult and expensive for the families to collect the money. The Philippines has a large migrant population of more than 10 million of workers who send home [...]
The violence that has killed more than 60 people and injured over 200 others in Iraq reflects the inhuman character of its perpetrators. That's what Gyorgy Busztin, the Deputy Representative of the Secretary-General in Iraq, said following a series of coordinated bombings that targeted shopping areas and parks in the capital, Baghdad. According to reports, [...]
![Jean-Pierre Gonnot of DESA. [UN Photo/Ryan Brown]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/gonnot.jpg "DESA Appoints Monique Coleman as Youth Champion for the International Year of Youth")
Although young people comprise a significant portion of the estimated 27 million migrants worldwide, very little is known about them, says Jean-Pierre Gonnot of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. He was speaking on Monday during a UN meeting on youth migration and development, the theme of this year's International Youth Day, celebrated [...]
United Nations humanitarian agencies and their partners are assessing the needs of thousands of people affected by heavy flooding in Sudan. Citing local sources, the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) says that over 150,000 people have been affected by the floods across eight states in the country. It points out that while it is too early [...]
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has raised concern about what it says is the rapid spread of racist hate speech across borders via the internet and social media networks. The UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri said the problem is compounded by the lack of a universally acceptable definition of what [...]
Many young people around the world leave their home countries in search of work, a better education and a better way of life. How to make the most of a new start in a new country is the focus of this year's International Youth Day, which has as its theme 'Youth Migration: moving development forward'. [...]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on Member States to work to strengthen the rights of indigenous peoples around the world. Mr. Ban spoke at an event in New York on Friday afternoon to mark the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The day this year focused on the importance of honouring treaties, [...]
The United Nations in Mali is assisting electoral authorities in preparations for the second-round of presidential elections in the country. Ahead of Sunday's presidential run off, the UN Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) is helping in getting materials distributed to remote areas in the north. UN spokesperson in New York, Farhan Haq has more. "The [...]
United Nations officials are urging governments around the world to honour the treaties and agreements they have established with indigenous peoples. The call comes on the occasion of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples observed on 9 August. Grand Chief Edward John, the North American Representative to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous [...]
Sixty-eight years ago nuclear bombs fell on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing untold death and destruction. This week’s anniversary is a powerful reminder of the horrors of nuclear weapons. American airmen dropped the bomb they called “Little Boy” on the city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, followed by one code named [...]
The United Nations human rights agency says that it's dismayed that Vietnam has resumed the death penalty with the execution of a 27 year old man by lethal injection early this week. State media reports say that convicted murderer Nguyen Anh Tuan was put to death on Tuesday in a prison in Hanoi, the first [...]
Sexual violence in conflict against women and girls has been an on-going concern of the United Nations. Under the auspices of the United Nations in April of this year, the "Group of 8", a governmental forum for eight of the world's largest economies, made an historic promise to work together to end war-zone rape and [...]
Humanitarian agencies in Syria are responding to a fresh influx of 5,000 internally displaced persons in the western part of the country, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The agency says the people, who include unaccompanied children, single women and elderly people were among the latest to be displaced in the conflict-torn country [...]
August 9 is International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The declaration on the rights of the indigenous peoples was adopted by the UN back in 2007 and Grand Chief Edward John, the North American Representative to the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous issues, was instrumental in its development. Grand Chief John says the right [...]
To mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 9 August 2013, actress and activist Q’Orianka Kilcher has teamed up with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to speak up for the right of the 370 million indigenous peoples across the world to live and work in dignity. Duration: 1'02"
An international team of scientists has found that dromedary camels could be responsible for passing the deadly MERS coronavirus to humans. Mers stands for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. However, the World Health Organization says that it's too soon to reach any definite conclusions from the research. Scientists looked at blood samples taken from livestock animals, [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning of an outbreak of water-borne and vector-borne diseases in Pakistan, which has been hit by floods. The floods, caused by monsoon rains, have killed dozens of people and displaced hundreds of others. Tarik Jasarevic is WHO spokesperson in Geneva. "As water is receding and affecting some other areas, [...]
![Vegetables growing in recycled car tires in the area Ti Savann in Carrefour Feuille, Haiti. [Photo adapted from UNIFEED].](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/haiti-urban-garden.jpg "haiti urban garden")
“Ti Savanne” is a district of Carrefour Feuille in Haiti and it is undergoing a major transformation. It’s becoming greener. For several months now, recycled car tires have become an all too familiar addition to the roofs and gardens of homes where all kinds of vegetables and spices are growing. A project called “Urban agriculture” [...]
The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar is concerned about the ongoing detention of activists who advocate on behalf of communities, for example those facing land confiscation due to mining projects. Tomás Ojea Quintana tells UN Radio the arrests are taking place just as the authorities have been making moves to [...]
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has welcomed a new law to make trafficking in persons a crime in South Africa. The South African President signed the long-awaited Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill on 29 July. IOM says the law can serve as an example for other African countries. Food aid [...]
President Jacob Zuma of South Africa recently signed into law the long-awaited Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has welcomed this development which makes trafficking in persons a crime in South Africa. It says that the new law can serve as an example and encourage other African [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines for professionals providing mental health care to people suffering from trauma and loss. WHO says the work to develop a protocol with the guidelines has been funded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Dr. Mark van Ommeren, Scientist in the WHO Department of Mental Health [...]
Young people have a major role to play in ensuring a sustainable future for all, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a video message to the 12th global Youth Assembly taking place at the UN on Wednesday. Mr. Ban said the clock is ticking on the 2015 deadline to achieve the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals [...]
The situation remains dire for children in Syria and the surrounding countries, says Leila Zerrougi, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. Some 7,000 children under the age of 15 have been killed during the country's more than two-year-old conflict. Ms. Zerrougi recently completed a trip to Syria and the surrounding refugee-receiving [...]
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has welcomed the recent signing into law of a bill to prevent and ban trafficking in persons in South Africa. South African President Jacob Zuma signed the long-awaited Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill on 29 July. IOM spokesperson, Jumbe Omari Jumbe, tells UN Radio that this [...]
Countries need to do more to honour and strengthen their treaties with indigenous peoples, no matter how long ago they were signed. That message comes from UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay in a statement ahead of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, observed on 9 August. Ms. Pillay says these agreements [...]
The Afgoye corridor just West of the Somali capital Mogadishu was once known for being the area with the world’s largest concentration of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), during Somalia’s years of conflict. In 2011, Somali National Army (SNA) backed by African Union Forces in Somalia (AMISOM), pushed the Islamic extremist group al Shabaab out of [...]
A UN human rights expert says his upcoming visit to Myanmar will provide an excellent opportunity to assess how the human rights situation there is evolving as the nation continues its reform agenda. UN Special Rapporteur Tomás Ojea Quintana will be in the South-East Asian country from 11-21 August where he will look at efforts [...]
Sixty-eight child soldiers recruited into the Myanmar armed forces were on Wednesday released back to their families, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). This is the largest release of child soldiers by the country's armed forces under the auspices of a UN – Myanmar Government accord aimed at ensuring the discharge of all [...]
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) remains concerned about the increasingly high number of migrants from the Horn of Africa who are making the treacherous sea journey to Yemen. More than 46,000 people arrived in the country during the first six months of the year, according to agency figures released on Tuesday. UNHCR reports that numbers [...]
The UN human rights office is calling for the prosecution of officials in Thailand responsible for the deaths of over 90 people and injury to thousands of others during political violence in April and May 2010. It is concerned that the amnesty bill being discussed in the Thai Parliament this week, if adopted, could pardon [...]
Maintaining peace and security was at the core of a Security Council debate on cooperation between the UN and regional organizations on Tuesday. "The architects of the United Nations Charter were visionary in foreseeing a world where the UN and regional organizations worked together to prevent, manage and resolve crises," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. [...]
![UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova [UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/554621-ECOSOC-2013-01_07_2013-10.47.31.jpg "Geneva")
Authorities in the Philippines are being urged to do all in their power to bring to justice those behind the recent killings of three journalists in the space of two days. The call comes from Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in a statement on Tuesday. Freelance photojournalist Mario [...]
You cannot help but admire the commitment, dedication, bravery and professionalism of national and international staff members of the United Nations in Afghanistan, says the acting head of the Department of Safety and Security of the United Nations. Kevin Kennedy spent several days in Afghanistan making an assessment of the security needs of UN staff [...]
The United Nations has to work harder with regional and sub-regional organizations to swiftly respond to global crises and prevent outbreaks of conflicts in the long-term. That's what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council on Tuesday as it discussed cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations in maintaining international peace and [...]
More than 70 political prisoners in Myanmar were released from jail in July, a decision in line with President Thein Sein's stated plan to free all prisoners of conscience by the end of the year. While welcoming the move, a UN independent expert on the human rights situation in the country is concerned about the [...]
Since the atomic bomb attacks on two Japanese cities during World War II, the desire of the country's people to totally eliminate nuclear weapons has not let up. That's what Japanese Ambassador Mari Amano told the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Tuesday, the 68th anniversary of the bombing of the city of Hiroshima. [...]
The UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) says it's ready to provide relief assistance to Pakistan, where monsoon rains have reportedly killed close to 60 people and displaced hundreds of others. OCHA says that Pakistani authorities continue rescue and relief activities in the affected areas, particularly Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Singh provinces. Jeans Laerke is OCHA [...]
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) is urging the government of Sudan to renew the work permits for its staff in the Darfur region. The agency says the government of Sudan has ordered 20 international staff to leave the country and declined to give the reasons for not renewing their work permits. According to UNHCR, [...]
The UN Human Rights office (OHCHR) is concerned that new anti-terrorism laws recently passed by the National Assembly of Bahrain may violate international human rights standards. The law on the Protection of Society from Acts of Terrorism recommends increasing the detention period or revoking the citizenship of anyone found guilty of committing or inciting an [...]
The Foreign Ministers of five Latin American countries on Monday met with the UN Secretary-General to express their concerns over reported large-scale surveillance programmes in the region. Representing Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia,Brazil and Uruguay, the ministers also raised the question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), the embargo against Cuba and the situation in Haiti. Following the [...]
The Security Council has condemned the suicide bombing which took place near the Indian consulate in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on Saturday, resulting in multiple civilian deaths and injuries, mostly children. Afghan security personnel were also killed in the attack. In a statement on Monday, Council members stressed the need to bring to justice those who commit, [...]
Three United Nations independent human rights experts are raising alarm over the continuous violence and insecurity in the Central African Republic. In a statement issued on Monday, they say they are seriously concerned about reported killings, torture, arbitrary detention, gender-based violence, enforced disappearances and mob justice in the country. The Central African Republic is recovering [...]
Sixty-eight years ago nuclear bombs fell on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing untold death and destruction. This week's anniversary is a powerful reminder of the horrors of nuclear weapons. American airmen dropped the bomb they called "Little Boy" on the city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, followed by one code named [...]
To kick off International Youth Day celebrated on the 12th of August, young people around the world gathered at the United Nations – in person and via video connectivity – for a global interactive dialogue with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. This day's theme is UN uniting for youth. Today, you will hear excerpts of that [...]
Breastfeeding at work is good for business according to an expert at the International Labour Organization (ILO). Citing results from research, Laura Adatti, the ILO's maternity protection and work-family specialist says that breastfeeding is not an obstacle to productivity. She gives the example of the Department of Power and Water in the United States city [...]
The United Nations is committed to ensuring that young people's voices are reflected in discussions on shaping the future. That's what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told hundreds of youth participating in a global interactive dialogue taking place on Monday in the General Assembly Hall. He cited a global survey which shows young people's concerns include [...]
Technology that makes grocery shopping a breeze is also making it easier for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) to distribute food and relief items to more than 70,000 displaced people in South Sudan. UNHCR says the use of barcode technology means the monthly distribution of food rations at Yida refugee camp now takes four days [...]
A global interactive dialogue opened in the General Assembly on Monday to bring the United Nations closer to the world's young people. Approximately one thousand youth from around the world are taking part in the event, including participants in Africa, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, who are connected via video link. Ahmad [...]
During a forum earlier this year with youth from around the globe, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked the audience if the UN was doing enough for the world's 1.8 billion young people. The answer: A resounding "No!" Ahmad Alhendawi, the recently appointed Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Youth, is working hard to overturn this perception. [...]
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday announced the appointment of Ibrahim Thiaw of Mauritania as Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Mr. Thiaw will succeed Amina Mohamed of Kenya, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her outstanding contribution and exceptional service to UNEP. He brings to [...]
The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations has reached the final stage of the procurement process in relation to the trial use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs, commonly called drones, by its mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo known as MONUSCO. Martin Nesirky, the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General, explains. The selected vendor is [...]
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has launched a global initiative that calls for an end to all forms of violence against children. The initiative seeks to benefit children like Farzana, a schoolgirl from Afghanistan, whose father had arranged for her to marry a much older man. Karishma Vyas reports how a UNICEF-supported programme saved Farzana [...]
UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay is calling for an investigation into the alleged execution of Syrian government soldiers by armed opposition groups in the Khan Al-Assal district in Aleppo. Footage posted online last week shows the killing of dozens of soldiers captured after a battle there in July. The Human Rights chief says [...]
Farmers like Sibiri Kebre depend on rain-fed agriculture to earn a living and feed their families. But the weather patterns in Burkina Faso's Sahel Region have become so unpredictable that the farmers do not know what to expect anymore. To help farmers adapt to these changing weather patterns, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) [...]
![UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus Miklós Haraszti. [Photo: OSCE/Susanna Lööf]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Miklós-Haraszti.jpg "Miklós Haraszti")
A UN independent expert is calling for the immediate release of a human rights defender in Belarus who has been detained for the past two years. Miklós Haraszti, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus, says the detention of Ales Bialiatski is a symbol of the repression against human rights defenders in [...]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Friday called for an investigation to be made into alleged killings by armed groups in Khan Al-Assal, a district in rural Allepo, Syria. Armed opposition groups allegedly executed dozens of government soldiers captured after a battle in July, according to footage taken by opposition forces that [...]
Thousands of Congolese children have fled the recent violence near the town of Kamango in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF. The agency says over 37,000 children are seeking refuge on the Ugandan side of the border, where the humanitarian situation for the newly displaced refugees remains dire. [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) says breast-milk is the best source of nourishment for infants and young children. Although nearly all mothers are physically able to breastfeed, the agency says many are discouraged from doing so because they are misled to believe that infant formula is better for their babies. WHO has released a study [...]
![Troops with the Force Intervention Brigade of MONUSCO during a training session in Sake. [UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/monusco-234.jpg "MONUSCO")
The situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on Thursday was described as calm following the end of a 48 hour ultimatum for rebels to disarm. The ultimatum was established by the UN mission in the country (MONUSCO) to enforce a security zone around the city of Goma, scene of repeated attacks by [...]
State institutions throughout the Central African Republic are "close to collapse," according to United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonović. Šimonović warned on Thursday that the state does not exist outside the capital of Bangui – there is no rule of law, there are no police or social services and the people live [...]
• On 28 July, the citizens of Mali took to the polls to cast their vote in the first round of presidential elections. The recently established UN Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) commended the West African country for the peaceful conduct of the elections, turnout for which was reportedly high across the country. A former [...]
![The Flag of the United Nations. [UN Photo/John Isaac]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/UN-FLAG.jpg "First Phase Digital")
UNMISS, the UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan, welcomes the appointment of a new Cabinet of the Government of the Republic of South Sudan, which was announced on 31 July 2013. The installation of the new, leaner and restructured Cabinet, says the Mission, offers the Government a new opportunity to deliver on key [...]
![MONUSCO Observation Mission on Munigi Hill, Goma. [UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/monusco-123.jpg "Fighting between FARDC and M23 in Kanyaruchinya")
A 48-hour ultimatum given to rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to hand over weapons has expired with no indication that fighting is going on, according to Carlos Araujo, Spokesperson for MONUSCO, the UN Mission in the country. Mr. Araujo said the 48 hour ultimatum was the first time MONUSCO had used [...]
![A mother breastfeeding her child.[Photo: UNICEF/ Giacomo Pirozzi]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/UNICEF-BREASTFEEDING.jpg "UNICEF BREASTFEEDING")
Breastfeeding is the cheapest and most effective life-saver in history, according to UNICEF, the UN Children's Fund. This fact is being highlighted during World Breastfeeding Week, from the 1st to the 7th of August. UNICEF says breastfeeding is the most effective and inexpensive way to save a child's life. UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Geeta Rao [...]
![Marijuana plants. [UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/marijuana-12.jpg "UN Human Security Trust Fund Mission")
A draft law in Uruguay, if adopted, would permit the sale of cannabis herb for non-medical use. The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) is concerned that such a law would go against the provisions of international drug control treaties, in particular the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, to which Uruguay is a party. The [...]
![At age one, Fatima was subjected to female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in her village in Afar Region of Ethiopia which has one of the world's highest prevalence rates. [Photo: UNICEF/Kate Holt]](http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/fgm.jpg "fgm")
Over the past 30 years, governments and civil society have been intensifying efforts to stamp out Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C). A recent report from the UN children's fund (UNICEF) shows that 125 million girls and women have already undergone the process and that 30 million more are at risk. The report draws on data from [...]
Breast-milk is the best source of nourishment for infants and young children, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). But although nearly all mothers are physically able to breastfeed, the agency says many are discouraged from doing so because they are misled to believe that infant formula is better for their babies. Ahead of World [...]
