In commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, dozens of United Nations staff members in New York Headquarters and Tokyo have hand folded a thousand origami cranes.
The Security Council on Friday extended the mandate of the UN-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) by 12 months, until 30 July 2011. In Darfur itself, there are some disturbing incidents involving UNAMID and the internally displaced people that the mission is there to protect. Just before leaving New York to return to his [...]
Thousands of displaced people have gathered around the Community Policing Centre of the joint UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) following violent confrontations which claimed several lives on Thursday.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the entry into force on 1 August of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
The Convention on Cluster Munitions takes effect on Sunday, 1 August 2010, when it becomes binding international law in countries around the world. Gerry Adams reports: Narrator: Thomas Nash of the Cluster Munitions Coalition says the case of a nine year old boy injured in Lebanon is exactly the sort of problem the Convention is [...]
Mankessim is a town in Ghana’s Central Region, about two hour’s drive out of the capital, Accra. At the maze-like market there, located right off the main road, you can get just about anything: fiery red peppers, fresh green okra…and safe sex advice. While in Ghana UN Radio’s Dianne Penn met up with Alberta Amoanooh, [...]
The Horn of Africa is polio-free again, with Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda reporting no cases for more than a year, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
On the eve of World Breastfeeding Week, which starts on Sunday, the World Health Organization (WHO) is reiterating its call on health facilities and health workers to implement ten steps to help mothers breastfeed successfully.
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) is concerned about the reports of continuing deportation of Somali refugees and asylum seekers from Saudi Arabia to Mogadishu.
Continuing rains are obstructing efforts by the humanitarian community to assess the damage caused by floods in Pakistan.
Offices of the joint United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID) throughout Darfur participated in a day-long, clean-up and environmental awareness campaign on Thursday.
Ghana’s Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs has been at the forefront of national efforts to overcome gender inequality. During a recent trip to the country, UN Radio’s Dianne Penn sat down with Patience Opoku, Acting Director for the Department of Women, which is located in the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, to find [...]
Conservation has paid off for Ecuador allowing the Galapagos Islands to be removed from the list of World Heritage sites which the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) considers to be in danger.
People in many African countries can recover from conflict faster
and even have their lives transformed through a revolution in the fight against hunger including greater opportunities to harness the power of markets.
The top UN official involved in the Middle East Peace process has deplored as "unacceptable", Thursday's action by armed Israeli settlers who forcibly took over a building, which is home to nine Palestinian families, in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and The Nippon Foundation of Japan on Thursday officially launched the 2011 UNEP Sasakawa Prize.
The conflict in Darfur remains among the most complex facing the international community, six years after the situation came to the forefront of the Security Council's agenda.
The children of Gaza are attempting to break the world record for kite flying, a record which they set last year. The youngsters recently were visited by filmmaker Matt Harding who has become a sensation on YouTube where he can be seen dancing his signature jig around the world. Matt Harding was invited to join [...]
Thousands of children in Gaza are on Thursday attempting to smash the record they broke last year by flying over 3,000 kites simultaneously.
The government of the Central African Republic has recently authorized humanitarian access to the far north of the country. The region had been a no-go zone for aid agencies since December 2009 because of insecurity and armed groups operating there. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) welcomes the decision as UN Radio’s Yvette Morris in Geneva [...]
Pacific island populations are facing serious health problems.
The United Nations remains deeply concerned about the welfare of a pilot of one of the helicopters of the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) which went missing early this week.
The World Bank and other partners have pledged over $1 billion to help Kyrgyzstan which has faced instability this year.
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday declared that clean water and sanitation is a human right.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the General Assembly's approval on Wednesday of his nominee to head the Office of Internal Oversight Services, Carman Lapointe-Young of Canada.
In Sri Lanka, chemicals are contaminating ground water and threatening people’s health. One researcher is using nature to clean up a man-made problem. United Nations Television visited Kal-pi-TI-ya Peninsula, on the west coast of Sri Lanka, home to the country’s largest shallow aquifer, for the story. NANDAWATHIE: (Sinhala) “There was sediment in the well, and [...]
The African Union has approved an increase in its 6,000-strong force serving in Somalia (AMISOM). The decision was made during the African Union summit, which ended on Tuesday in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The UN envoy for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, attended the summit. I asked him about the outcome. MAHIGA: There will be an additional deployment [...]
The United Nations refugee agency, (UNHCR) in the Central African Republic has regained access to displaced people in desperate need of assistance in the far north of the country.
African leaders meeting in Kampala, Uganda, have decided to send an additional 2,000 troops to the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, known as AMISOM.
The head of the joint United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur (UNAMID) says the peace process in the troubled region of Sudan is "at a critical juncture".
OCHA, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other organizations have launched a revised Flash Appeal for humanitarian assistance for Kyrgyzstan where violence in June erupted, affecting 400,000 people. Gerry Adams asked Gordon Denoon, Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer with OCHA, about the first appeal, which was only 30 percent funded: The initial Flash Appeal [...]
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is expressing deep concern about reports of civilian casualties in Rege, in Helmand Province on 23 July.
It all started innocently enough. Rebecca, a young 15 year old girl from a rural town in South Africa, met a young man on her way to school one day. Soon after, he was calling her everyday and asked her on a date. When she finally caved, and agreed to meet him in town, he [...]
Two German aid workers kidnapped in the Darfur region of Sudan on 22 June were safely released on Tuesday.
One hundred young men and women who are victims of violence by illegal armed groups in the Arauca region of Colombia are receiving support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to learn new skills.
Half a million Haitian children are expected to benefit from the second round of immunization programmes in Haiti, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Humanitarian partners in Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday launched a revised Flash Appeal for $96 million to provide relief assistance the southern regions of the country, where violence in June affected 400,000 people.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on all leaders to intensify efforts towards nuclear disarmament.
UN Under-Secretary-General Kiyo Akasaki delivered a message on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noting that it is vital for the parties to refrain from provocations and seize the opportunity to move forward with direct negotiations. UN Radio’s Donn Bobb spoke with Mr. Akasaki by phone and asked him what message he took at the meeting. [...]
Overcrowded prisons are breeding grounds for AIDS.
Four United Nations agencies and the Red Cross have warned that a major food crisis in West Africa’s Sahel region is threatening the lives of some ten million people, including hundreds of thousands of children.
A United Nations panel of experts dealing with mercenaries is pushing for stronger regulation of private military and security companies.
The process of transition to greater Afghan responsibility and ownership in both security and civilian areas in Afghanistan will be long and challenging.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Advocacy Group, “a collection of superheroes in defeating poverty” as described by the UN Secretary-General, was recently set up to help spur action towards achieving the global anti-poverty goals known as MDGs. Jocelyne Sambira reports. Dr. Akin Adesina, Vice-President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, and member of [...]
Conflict between humans and wild animals has existed since the beginning of time. But the Food and Agriculture Organization reports that it is increasing, particularly in Africa. FAO has released a toolkit on how to deal with marauding baboons, raiding elephants and other four-footed fiends. UN Radio’s Derrick Mbatha spoke on the line to Harare, [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Children in the Gaza Strip have broken the world record for dribbling basketballs, according to the UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees-UNRWA.
Health services in Mogadishu are overburdened as a result of the displacement of people in Somalia, that according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The situation in Yemen remains volatile despite a ceasefire and the new peace agreement between the government and Al-Houti forces to end violence and seek political dialogue.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is a alarmed by the deterioration in the treatment of uprooted Somali civilians both inside Somalia and in neighbouring countries. This follows recent terrorist attacks claimed by Somali insurgents. Yvette Morris reports from Geneva.
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy on Thursday welcomed the creation of a body to protect children in Afghanistan.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the United Nation remains concerned about the humanitarian situation in Yemen where resources are not commensurate with the needs.
Participation by transnational corporations (TNCs) and the strategic use of foreign investment can help developing and transition economies jump-start 'low-carbon’ economic development.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
International assistance is making a difference for Somalis, who are in the grip of one of most complicated humanitarian crises in the world, but more funds are needed to help turn things around. Jocelyne Sambira reports. Duration: 3’27″ NARR: The UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, Mark Bowden told reporters in New York that the UN [...]
Two UN human rights experts are calling on the United States not to forcibly return Guantanamo Bay detainees to countries where they face torture. Their statement follows recent US Supreme Court decisions paving the way to transfer two Algerian detainees from the facility, which is located in Cuba. For more on this, UN Radio’s Yvette [...]
Kosovo’s unilateral secession from Serbia in 2008 did not violate international law, the World Court said on Thursday.
The two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will benefit both Israelis and Palestinians.
The Security Council has called on the government of Guinea-Bissau to take measures to achieve stability in the country and tackle the problem of drug trafficking.
In Haiti a team of local engineers assessing buildings for structural damage following the January earthquake has exceeded its target, according to the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS).
A crop which grows reasonably well in dry areas on degraded soils has the potential to help poor farmers in developing countries, that according to a new report published by two United Nations agencies.
The food crisis caused by drought in the Sahel region is threatening the lives of ten million people.
A top UN official on Wednesday stressed the need for direct talks between Israelis and Palestinian to resolve their conflict.
Somalia is one of the most complicated humanitarian crises.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
An age old custom in South Africa traditionally allowed parents to arrange the marriages of their children in exchange for a bride price or, as it is commonly referred to in South Africa, lobolo. Jocelyne Sambira reports. Duration: 6’00″ Girls, as young as 14, are kidnapped and forced to marry complete strangers who are much [...]
The United Nations and the Justice and Equality Movement of Darfur (JEM) on Wednesday signed an agreement to protect children caught up in the conflict in Darfur.
UNICEF is releasing a report during the 18th International AIDS Conference taking place in Vienna this week on the plight of HIV affected youth in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The report found that only 24 per cent of those in the region who need anti-retroviral treatment receive it, and the stigma associated with HIV [...]
The International Criminal Court for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague on Wednesday ordered the arrest and a partial retrial of former Kosovo premier Ramush Haradinaj for war crimes.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding in Lausanne, Swizterland, to promote healthy lifestyle choices.
Two UN Human Rights experts say the United States should not forcibly send two Guantanamo Bay detainees to Algeria. Yvette Morris reports from Geneva
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres is visiting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda this week to draw attention to the plight of Congo’s displaced people.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has been assisting with the relief and recovery effort following the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. UNEP has a 10-person team in the country, but mostly works through partners who include NGOs, technical institutes and sub-contractors. UN Radio’s Gerry Adams spoke to Andrew Morton, UNEP Programme Manager in Haiti, about [...]
Earlier in the year, conflicts dominated the scene in West Africa from the constitutional crisis in Niger to the mounting tensions in Togo and Guinea in the run-up to elections. West Africa may still be at a crossroads, Ambassador Said Djinnit, the UN envoy West Africa told UN Radio’s Derrick Mbatha, but the situation is [...]
It is not surprising that the majority of countries lagging furthest behind in achieving the Millennium Development Goals-MDG’s are countries emerging from conflict.
The International Conference on Afghanistan marks the true beginning of a very fundamental transition.
There is a massive scaling up of food assistance operations in Niger to feed up to 8 million people who have lost crops and livestock due to a particularly severe drought.
Nigeria continues to attract migrants from West Africa while many skilled Nigerians are leaving the country in search of employment abroad, according to a report released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Viet Nam is making efforts to end the statelessness for over 2,300 former Cambodian refugees many of whom have lived in the country since 1975.
Health care providers, governments and other partners are being urged to include a simple, yet vital, ingredient in the treatment of people living with HIV – good nutrition.
Efforts are being stepped up across Haiti in preparation for a summer of tropical storms and hurricanes.
Security forces in southern Kyrgyzstan have been repeatedly detaining, torturing and ill-treating people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.
Many of Iraq’s humanitarian needs are still not addressed six months after the latest humanitarian action plan for that country was launched, according to the United Nations humanitarian agency.
Millions more will die from HIV and AIDS if ” we keep offering only a jumbled mix of uncoordinated, under-funded and underutilized services, ” in the fight against the HIV pandemic.
The European Union on Monday announced a contribution of two million Euros to support summer games for the children of Gaza run by the United Nations Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
With a new vision on how to beat AIDS, the 18th International AIDS conference opened on Sunday in Vienna, Austria. Attended by thousands of people working in the field of HIV/AIDS, as well as policy makers and people living with HIV, AIDS 2010 is emphasizing the critical link between AIDS and human rights. Bissera Kostova [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says Parliaments’ play key role in advancing development and creating prosperity is particularly important as we approach the 2015 target date for the Millennium Development Goals. Yvette Morris reports from Geneva.
Parliamentarians are “the true backbone of democracy,” according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. His comments came in an address to the Third World Conference of Speakers of Parliament which opened in Geneva on Monday. Dianne Penn has the story. Duration: 4’13″ NARR: The conference is being held by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which works to establish [...]
An underground HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is intensifying at an alarming pace, according to a new report released by the UN Children’s agency on Monday.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has unveiled a toolkit to prevent and mitigate the growing problems of conflict between people and wild animals.
Parliamentarians can play an important role in tackling global issues, including the threat posed by nuclear weapons.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Six months after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake ravaged Port-au-Prince and left some 1.6 million Haitians homeless, less than 2 per cent of the $10 billion pledged to help rebuild the country had been received. That according to the Haitian Government’s Special Envoy to the Secretary-General in a statement to the Economic and Social Council during [...]
Education might be seen as a luxury for refugees, who are also struggling for food and shelter. But education is a basic human right, one that is vital for restoring hope and dignity to people driven from their homes. It is also an important tool to help them get back on their feet and build [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Education remains a key to improved livelihoods, health, civil and political rights, and gender equality, for people around the world. At the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women the international community agreed to ensure, among many objectives, that girls and women have equal and adequate access to education. Since then, some progress has been made, [...]
In November 2009, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1894, which condemns attacks on civilians in armed conflict and calls for all parties to comply with international humanitarian law. But, the key question is whether these positive developments have actually improved the condition of civilians in conflict. In early July, the UN Security Council held [...]
1. Gender experts debate connection between culture and women’s rights. 2. South-South trade offers fresh ideas for African and other developing countries. Narrated and Produced by Zafar Qureshi Duration: 15 minutes
Feature No. 1: In 1967, smallpox threatened 60% of the world’s population. In response, the World Health Organization, WHO, launched an intensified plan to eradicate the disease which was finally achieved in 1980. WHO recently unveiled a statue at its headquarters in Geneva in celebration of the 30th anniversary of this important milestone. Feature No [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
In this programme: Manju Gurung is a Nepali girl who was kidnapped by Maoist forces when she was 13. She was trained as a soldier and was kept in captivity for two years. Escape was the one thing on her mind, but fear held her back.She addressed the UN Security Council during its discussion on [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The 2010 hurricane season is predicted to be one of the wettest on record and the Government of Haiti and the international community are urgently working on disaster preparedness for hurricane prone areas of the country.
African countries should take steps to transform their economies as they emerge from the global recession so that they can grow in stable fashion and are less vulnerable to future downturns.
Heavy rains in June have caused devastating flooding which led to considerable loss of life in West Africa.
Human Rights chief Navi Pillay has welcomed the announcement that Cuba plans to release 52 political detainees
The UN Security Council on Friday deplored a deadly attack which led to the sinking of a South Korean warship- the Cheonan, resulting in the loss of 46 lives.
SOUND: Soundtrack of theme music and child’s voice reciting nursery rhymes: “One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold…” The theme music and child’s voice MIX fade under narration. INTRO: We learn how to count before we can read. After all, the use [...]
Caribbean News Round-Up: a weekly news magazine on developments at the United Nations concerning the Caribbean.
UN Radio begins a special series called “Census – a Signpost on the Road to a Better Future”. Click here to view the multimedia slideshow.
UN Calling Asia – a weekly magazine programme, in English, that keeps you in touch with UN developments covering Asia and the Pacific.
SFX: Soundtrack of theme music and children’s voices reciting nursery rhymes: “One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold…” The theme music and children’s voices MIX fade under narration. INTRO: “Everybody Counts” is the theme of this year’s World Population Day. In 2010 [...]
SOUND: Soundtrack of theme music and child’s voice reciting nursery rhymes: “One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold…” The theme music and child’s voice MIX fade under narration. INTRO: We learn how to count before we can read. After all, the use [...]
SFX: Soundtrack of theme music and children’s voices reciting nursery rhymes: “One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold…” The theme music and children’s voices MIX fade under narration. INTRO: Around the globe some 60 countries are counting heads this year as they [...]
More than 10 percent of children in South Africa are orphans. With the gradual loss of the African kinship care system, children are no longer taken in by the extended family, and most have no access to alternative care structures. So, they end up living alone or with their younger siblings in what is called [...]
World growth is forecast to rise to 4 ½ percent this year, before falling somewhat to 4 ¼ percent in 2011—with the world average masking large differences around the globe.
Six months after the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has moved towards supporting long-term recovery, and building a strong nutritional foundation for the future of all Haitians.
Award-winning actor and filmmaker Edward Norton has been designated a Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, marking the United Nations 2010 International Year of Biodiversity.
Senior UN officials on Wednesday urged the Security Council to do more to protect innocent civilians caught up in armed conflict. They said accountability of perpetrators is key to preventing civilians from being targeted. Bissera Kostova has more on this. NARRATOR: The UN’s humanitarian chief, John Holmes, said the Security Council has played an important [...]
In 1967, smallpox threatened 60% of the world’s population. In response, the World Health Organization launched an intensified plan to eradicate the disease which was achieved in 1980. WHO recently unveiled a statue at its headquarters in Geneva in celebration of the 30th anniversary of this milestone. We hear more from their Veronica Riemer. RIEMER: [...]
UNAIDS has applauded the decision by the Government of Namibia to lift its travel restrictions for people living with HIV and align the country’s legislation with international public health standards.
For too long, the Conference on Disarmament has had failure and frustration as part of its routine.
United Nations agencies are working in the Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to ease the suffering of civilians who fled the recent unrest and have returned to the communities. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has been able to respond in life-saving ways to help Kyrgyz and Uzbek women during the early stages of the unrest and continues [...]
In this edition, the UN Environment Programme, UNEP, held a video-conference linking high school and university students with their peers in Africa and the Middle East. The students discussed climate change, climate justice and the economics of energy during the day-long event, observing World Environment Day. KBR68H interviews UNFPA about a proposal by government to [...]
As water scarcity increases worldwide, several countries are considering desalination – a process which turns seawater into fresh water. Such projects can be powered using nuclear energy and the IAEA operates a programme that offers Member States support in the field of nuclear desalination. IAEA’s Louise Potterton spoke with Ibrahim Khamis, a nuclear engineer, and [...]
Ongoing or recent events and conditions in Kyrgyzstan, Gaza, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere remind us that the protection of civilians remains a huge common challenge.
The Security Council has adopted important measures designed to put civilians first.
After decades of conflict Afghanistan, remains covered with mines. Despite ongoing efforts by UN and Afghan de-miners, nearly 7,000 mines or other hazards are estimated to still be in the ground. Last week, the star of the Oscar-winning film The Hurt Locker visited de-miners in Afghanistan to bring publicity to their work and the resources [...]
While early signs of decline in maternal deaths were promising, they were not sufficient, given the magnitude of what must be achieved.
Nearly 650 million Asians are suffering from hunger and the situation will continue.
The United Nations has moved from being a high-minded aspiration to being a real force for common good.
Education is widely recognized as being key to achieving gender equality. While education opportunities for girls and women have steadily improved over the last decades, some gaps in their equal access to education and employment remain. In preparation for the 55th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Division for the Advancement [...]
The race for World Cup Glory is edging towards its climax in South Africa. As national football teams sweat it out to clinch the coveted prize, a group of volunteers in rural KwaZulu Natal province, are sweating it out to safeguard the lives of present and future generations in their communities. The volunteers are walking [...]
The United Nations has registered its strong objections to protests organized outside UN offices in Colombo Tuesday by a cabinet minister of the Government of Sri Lanka which prevented staff and visitors from entering or leaving the premises.
All States with major space capabilities have a special responsibility to contribute actively to the objective of the peaceful use of outer space and to the prevention of an arms race in outer space and to refrain from actions contrary to that objective and to the relevant existing treaties.
The maximum amount of melamine allowed in powdered infant formula is 1 mg/kg and the amount of chemical allowed in other foods and animal feed is 2.5 mg/kg.
The office of the UN high commissioner for human rights says it has been in contacts with Cuban authorities over the conditions of ailing prisoners.
Many children around the world are forced to work at a young age. In the Philippines, millions of youth between the ages of five and 17 have to work to earn money themselves, either to pay for their own expenses or to help support their families. Nineteen year old Arcy Nino Ortonio spoke to UNICEF [...]
El Nino conditions rapidly dissipated in early May 2010 and cool neutral to weak la Nina conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The UN General Assembly voted unanimously on Friday to create a new UN body tasked with accelerating progress in achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment. Bissera Kostova reports. Duration: 3’15″ NARR: The UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women – to be known as UN Women – is a result of years [...]
More than 10% of children in South Africa are orphans. With the gradual loss of the African kinship care system, children are no longer taken in by the extended family, and most have no access to alternative care structures. So, they end up living alone or with their younger siblings in what are called child-headed [...]
A publication on women and sexual violence was released this week at the United Nations. Called Addressing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: An Analytical Inventory of Peacekeeping Practice, the inventory highlights how UN peacekeeping operations help and protect women. Margot Wallstrom, the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, told UN Radio’s Gerry Adams that the positive [...]
The UN General Assembly was voting Friday to create new entity to accelerate progress in meeting the needs of women and girls worldwide.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, has just released its annual report highlighting new forms of partnerships between Africa and other developing countries. Richard Kozul Wright, Head of the Economic Cooperation and Integration among developing countries uses the term “South-South cooperation” and explains to our colleague, Jocelyne Sambira, what it means. Duration: [...]
An international effort is underway to speed up reconstruction of Haiti’s crucial telecommunications and ICT infrastructure destroyed in the earthquake of 12 January this year.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The UN General Assembly was voting Friday to create new entity to accelerate progress in meeting the needs of women and girls worldwide.
Despite the continuing deterioration in Somalia’s security and humanitarian environment, latest data shows that the flow of refugees into most neighbouring countries has decreased considerably compared to the same period last year.
A new government survey shows malnutrition rates among young children in Niger at emergency levels. Government’s annual child nutrition survey revealed that the global acute malnutrition rate for the whole country had reached 16.7 percent for children under five, compared to 12.3 percent in 2009.
As a region where pockets of significant gun violence exists, the Caribbean attaches importance to all efforts aimed at regulating the manufacture and trade in small arms and light weapons. The view was expressed by Jamaica’s representative Ambassador Raymond Wolfe to the 4th Biennial meeting of States on the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat [...]
Gender equality and the empowerment of women are among the top development goals of the United Nations. But culture and the social norms arising from it play a significant part in how people perceive women’s role in society and can affect the pace at which societies achieve these goals. A recent expert debate at the [...]
Six months after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, thousands of families remain homeless.
The people displaced from southern Kyrgyzstan by ethnic violence that erupted in June in the town of Osh have started coming back from Uzbekistan and from other areas within the country. This is creating a fluid and unpredictable situation, according to UNICEF’s representative in Kyrgyzstan, Jonathan Veitch. He told UN Radio’s Yvette Morris in Geneva [...]
"Laws are important, but they're not sufficient because often traditions are stronger than the implementation of laws."
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Despite the worst recession in generations, Africa was one of only two regions on earth where economic growth was alive last year. The other region was Asia.
Daily distributions of assistance are continuing in southern Kyrgyzstan with supplies boosted by the arrival of a convoy of trucks from neighbouring Uzbekistan carrying UN humanitarian relief for victims of ethnic violence.
The lives of refugee children are worlds apart from those of their peers living in the United States, but a web programme developed by an Iraqi refugee in Syria provides them with a glimpse into each other’s lives. It also teaches the refugee kids English and computer skills. Duration: 4’35″ MUSIC: UP, HOLD UNDER NARRATOR: [...]
Europe is working to make sure countries achieve the eight Millennium Development Goals. That’s the message from Andris Piebalgs , European Union Commissioner for Development, who addressed this week’s High Level Meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council. Dianne Penn caught up with Mr. Piebalgs to find out more about EU-UN cooperation. Duration: 4’13″ [...]
The emphasis of the UN Stabilization mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is on stabilization and consolidating peace.
UN and Africa – a weekly 15-minute radio programme on political, social, economic and other developments related to Africa.
Amid calls for a “desperately needed” road map to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, the Economic and Social Council wrapped up its second Development Cooperation Forum with delegates highlighting the need for an understanding of areas where attaining the targets would have a multiplier effect, whether by investing in women and girls or supporting capacity for domestic resource allocation.
