A global competition for the design of a monument to honour the victims of slavery was launched at the United Nations on Friday. The aim of the permanent monument, to be erected at the UN headquarters in New York, is to remind the world about the violent removal of millions of Africans to the Americas, [...]
Cambodia is "very optimistic" about ending the dispute with Thailand over the temple of Preah Vihear, a UNESCO World Heritage site. That's one of the things the country's Deputy Prime Minister told UN radio during the General Assembly debate. Mr. Hor Namhong also says his country will withdraw its troops from the 11th century Hindu [...]
Authorities in Kosovo have been urged to put in place an effective witness and victim protection system for people involved in war crimes trials. The call has come from the United Nations human rights office in Geneva following the discovery on Wednesday of the body of a key witness in a park in Duisburg, Germany. [...]
The Syrian authorities are being urged to allow a team of UN experts into the country so they can investigate alleged human right abuses. The Human Rights Council in Geneva is awaiting the go-ahead from Syria. The ongoing violence in the country has prompted the Council to create an independent commission of inquiry. Daniel Dickison [...]
The world's newest nation, but also one of the poorest, has made a one million dollar contribution to the crisis-stricken Horn of Africa region. South Sudan says as a regional neighbour it cannot stand by and watch the suffering in Somalia, caused by drought and conflict. Gerry Adams asked Ambassador Majok Guandong of South Sudan's [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The African Union has been urged by the Security Council to increase the number of peacekeepers in Somalia to reach its mandated strength of 12,000. It currently has just over 9,000. The Security Council on Friday authorized the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to continue until the end of October next year. The African [...]
An outbreak of dengue fever is continuing to spread rapidly in Pakistan. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that 125 people have died as a result of the virus, out of the nearly 12,500 reported cases. Dengue fever is a deadly tropical disease caused by the dengue virus and is transmitted by certain kinds of [...]
Thousands of people who were forced to flee their homes following post election violence in Côte d'Ivoire continue to live in poor conditions. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says the number of displaced people has fallen to about 26,000 from its peak of 600,000 during the height of the political conflict between former President [...]
Syrian authorities are being urged to allow independent international human rights experts to visit the country to investigate allegations of human rights violations since the beginning of protests in March. The call has come from Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the head of a three-member commission of inquiry established by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights [...]
Over 80,000 poor households in Zimbabwe are to benefit from a cash transfer programme aimed at helping them meet their immediate needs for food, education and health care. The households will receive at least 25 US dollars per month. The programme which is funded jointly by the government of Zimbabwe, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and [...]
Bahrain has been criticized for jailing medical staff on grounds that they treated civilians injured in anti government protests. The UN Human Rights Office says the trials and the harsh sentences handed down to the doctors and 34 other civilians were beset by irregularities. The sentences which have been handed down by the Bahrain Court [...]
Water and sanitation services in a camp for people made homeless by the earthquake which struck Haiti in January last year have deteriorated due to a lack of funding, according to the UN's humanitarian chief. Over a million and a half people lost their homes in the earthquake in January 2010 and were accommodated [...]
Racism and injustice were a part of Sarah White's everyday life in Mississippi, a southern state in the United States with a history of racial intolerance. But this civil rights activist decided not to tolerate that intolerance. She organized fellow workers and has made great strides against the unfair treatment of Black and poor workers. [...]
The humanitarian needs of many Haitians made homeless by an earthquake are not being met due to a lack of funding, according to the UN's humanitarian chief, Valerie Amos. Around 600,000 people are still living in temporary camps following the January 2010 earthquake, which devastated the Caribbean island. Donors are being asked to make up [...]
Only 120 million Africans are connected to the internet on a continent of about a billion people, according to an industry expert. Over 2,000 people from more than 100 countries are currently attending a UN-backed Internet Governance Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. Anne-Rachel Inne of ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, says that [...]
• Tributes have been paid to the Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Maathai, who has died of cancer at the age of 71. Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga called her "the pillar of the nation". She was the first African woman to receive the honour for her work to protect the environment. Displaced Kenyans [...]
Afghanistan is facing disturbing levels of insecurity and violence in its ongoing transition process, as it assumes greater security responsibility. This was the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's message in his latest report to the Security Council on Thursday. The Secretary-General also voiced deep concern over rising civilian casualties and the effects of the conflict on the [...]
Governments, United Nations agencies and military forces around the world are being urged to work together to fight piracy which is said to be imposing high costs on the shipping industry. The call has come from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which estimates that piracy cost the global economy between $7 and $12 billion a [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Officials in Asia and the Pacific region have been urged by the United Nations to ensure that millions of poor people have access to modern energy services. The call came at a three-day meeting of policy makers from over 15 Asia-Pacific governments and energy experts from around the world. The meeting, which took place in [...]
There is no alternative to a political solution in Afghanistan, according to the top United Nations envoy in the country, Staffan de Mistura. Mr. De Mistura briefed the Security Council on Thursday on the situation in the country which is struggling to establish peace in the face of attacks by Taliban insurgents. He stressed the [...]
Prison sentences for two Rwandan men convicted for their role in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda have been upheld by the International Criminal Court for Rwanda. Ephrem Setako, a Lieutenant Colonel in the old Rwandan army and Yussuf Munyakazi, former landowner and farmer, were convicted and sentenced to 25 years by the court, based in [...]
When is a chair not just a chair? How about when more heads of state have sat on it than any other single chair in the world. The UN has a ceremonial chair for Heads of State and no one else but a head of state can sit on it. The chair has hosted everyone [...]
It's the biggest gathering of world leaders so for journalists who cover global diplomacy, there's nowhere else that quite matches the United Nations General Assembly debate. Two thousand journalists from across the world were in New York for the seven-day-long event, which has just drawn to a close. They have to juggle tight deadlines and [...]
Cambodian authorities have been urged by a United Nations independent expert on human rights to review a draft law that may affect the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country. Surya Subedi briefed the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on the situation of human rights in Cambodia. He said NGOs play an important [...]
The decision by Israeli authorities to approve the construction of new homes for settlers in East Jerusalem undermines prospects of resuming negotiations to resolve the Israeli Palestinian conflict. That's the conclusion of the top United Nations envoy for the Middle East, Robert Serry. Israeli authorities are reported to have approved the construction of over 1,000 [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
750,000 people are at risk of dying from starvation in Somalia, according to a United Nations independent expert on human rights in the Horn of Africa. Shamsul Bari told the Human Rights Council in Geneva, on Wednesday, that the famine situation in Somalia has worsened since his last report six weeks ago. He said the [...]
An application from the State of Palestine for full membership of the United Nations has been formally discussed by the Security Council. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas submitted the application to the Secretary-General of the United Nations last Friday. The Palestinian observer at the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, says the Security Council took two decisions during [...]
The Security Council has been urged to continue to play a leading role in dealing with what has been described as the 'potent threat' of global terrorism. The call has come from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a meeting of the Council's Counter Terrorism Committee on Wednesday. He said after the terrorist attacks of [...]
Did you know that testing your Italian and French vocabulary and general knowledge can help feed a hungry child? That's right; the online game is called FreeRice and its Italian and French versions were launched on Wednesday by the World Food Programme. The concept is simple: for every right answer, players earn 10 grains of rice [...]
Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes of the United Nations General Assembly? No other event brings so many world leaders to one place at the same time than the seven-day-long debate. The head of UN protocol calls it "a political whirlwind of world leaders and their delegations." Desmond Parker also says the [...]
The international community has made enormous progress in dealing with the global terrorist threat, but there's still a long way to go, according to a senior counter-terrorism expert at the United Nations. The Security Council's counter-terrorism committee is meeting at the UN on Wednesday ten years after it adopted a resolution aimed at disrupting terrorist [...]
Russia has called on the United Nations to start preparing for an international convention on energy security in order to support sustainable development . The call was made by the country's Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, in the General Assembly on Tuesday. He said that wider international cooperation is needed to promote development. "Sustainable development requires [...]
Fierce fighting in Sirte in Libya is limiting humanitarian assistance to civilians trapped there, according to the United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA). Forces of the National Transitional Council are moving to take the town as diehard supporters of former Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi continue to resist. There are reports that hundreds of civilians have fled [...]
Authorities in Kenya are being urged to do more to help people who have been made homeless following political violence or forced evictions. Approximately 600,000 people were displaced in Kenya following post-election violence in 2008. Chaloka Beyani, an independent United Nations expert concluded a nine-day visit to the east African country on Tuesday. Mr. Beyani [...]
The Israelis and Palestinians are being urged to give diplomacy a chance in an attempt to find a solution to the ongoing issue of Palestinian statehood. The Palestinians handed in their formal application to become a UN member state last Friday, an application which has to be discussed by the Security Council. Gerry Adams reports. [...]
Israel has been urged to end the demolition of Palestinian properties in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Three UN special rapporteurs said the lack of accountability is encouraging demolitions. Charles Appel reports With at least 387 structures, including residential and agricultural ones destroyed since January this year, the Special Rapporteurs said the demolition of Palestinian [...]
The police barricades in Mid Town New York have come down, FBI officers are no longer patrolling the streets and traffic has returned to normal in the city….that can only mean one thing. The United Nations' annual get-together of world leaders is drawing to a close with presidents and prime ministers now heading home. 193 [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The Palestinian Authority is capable of running a State, according to the head of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe. Mr. Pascoe, briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East on Tuesday. The Council is due to meet on Wednesday to consider an application submitted by Palestinian President Mahmoud [...]
An appeal for $18.3 million has been launched by UN agencies to help refugees fleeing violence in Sudan's Blue Nile state. Up to 35,000 refugees have fled into western Ethiopia following an increase in fighting. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, says it expects the number of people fleeing to increase as hostilities continue in Blue [...]
There is an urgent need for the authorities in Kenya to change the 'deplorable' conditions in which displaced people live in the country. That's the conclusion of Chaloka Beyani, an independent United Nations expert who has just completed a nine-day visit to Kenya. He has been looking into the situation of people displaced for various [...]
A new field hospital has been opened in Dolow along the Somali Ethiopia border to provide medical aid to thousands of Somali refugees fleeing towards the border areas. The hospital will be operated and managed by the World Health Organization, which will also provide medical staff as well as supplies and equipment. Tarik Jasarevic from [...]
Thirty seven developing countries are to receive funding to purchase vaccines against two major childhood diseases. The vaccines are to protect children against severe diarrhoea and pneumonia. Jeffrey Rowland from the GAVI Alliance, a global public-private health initiative, says severe diarrhoea and pneumonia kill over 2.8 million children a year, mostly in Africa. “Rotavirus is the biggest cause [...]
The international community and the UN need to act fast to avert a human catastrophe in the Horn of Africa, where famine has ravaged parts of Somalia and forced hundreds of thousands to flee in search of food. That was the message Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegne delivered to the General Assembly. He [...]
The Security Council is expected to meet on a formal basis on Wednesday to consider the application of the State of Palestine for full membership of the United Nations. Members of the Council have met in private on Monday to discuss the application submitted to the United Nations Secretary-General by Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas last [...]
Investing in least developed countries can contribute to global economic growth, according to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Ban Ki-moon spoke at a meeting of government ministers from the so-called LDCs held in New York on Monday. He said that LDCs face many challenges, such as drought, diseases and land degradation. However, he stressed [...]
The international community has been urged by the Foreign Minister of China to work hard to maintain stability in the face of growing global challenges. Yang Jiechi told the General Assembly on Monday that promoting what he described as 'common development' has become a more important and pressing task than ever before. The Chinese Foreign [...]
The United Nations first met Ishmael Beah as a former child soldier from Sierra Leone who had managed to survive that country's brutal civil war of the 1990s. Since then he has returned to the UN as an author, a UN Goodwill Ambassador and now as an Advocate for Children Affected by War with UNICEF, [...]
The Nobel Peace laureate and environmental campaigner, Wangari Maathai, has been remembered by UN Secretary-General for her role in the United Nations. Ban Ki-moon described Professor Maathai, who passed away on Sunday, as a pioneer in articulating the links between human rights, poverty, environmental protection and security. He said Professor Maathai contributed over many decades [...]
The Libyan authorities have requested the Security Council to unfreeze assets which were blocked by a UN resolution in March this year. The resolution came in response to the violent suppression of the popular uprising in the country by forces loyal to former Libyan leader, Muammar Qadhafi. It is estimated that as much as $110 [...]
Mothers in Laos have a better chance of survival, says the World Bank, if they are able to deliver their babies in safe health facilities with skilled staff. The World Bank is working on improving services for mothers in the country. The Lao People’s Democratic republic, or Laos, a mountainous, landlocked country in Southeast Asia, [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The new Libyan leadership, the National Transitional Council (NTC) has been urged to resume the destruction of chemical weapons in the country. The call came from the head of the UN Department of Political Affairs, Lynn Pascoe, who briefed the Security Council on Monday. Mr. Pascoe said the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons [...]
The formal application by Palestine for full membership of the United Nations is expected to be discussed on Monday by the Security Council. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas submitted the application for statehood to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday last week. Charles Appel reports The discussions will be held in private. Nine votes are needed, [...]
Tributes have been paid to the Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai who has died of cancer at the age of 71. Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga called her "the pillar of the nation". As the first African woman to receive the honour, Wangari Maathai not only championed preservation of the environment but she [...]
The 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner’s first visit to the United Nations since winning the prize coincided with the UN Day for South-South Cooperation. Wangari Maathai of Kenya took the opportunity to explain how her own Green Belt Movement continues to work with those in developing countries. (Duration: 2’54″)
Syrian leaders should be brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face crimes against humanity for using violence against protesting civilians. That's what Botswana's Vice President Mompati Merafhe told the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. He criticized the Security Council for what he said was a 'delay and procrastination' in responding to the [...]
Tributes have been paid to the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Maathai who died on Sunday in Nairobi, Kenya at the age of 71. She was a prominent environmentalist who founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977. The movement has planted more than 30 million trees in Africa and inspired the United Nations Environment Programme [...]
The overall humanitarian situation in Libya is improving except for areas where active fighting is still going on according to the United Nations. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Libya Panos Moumtzis says there has been a marked improvement in the distribution of food, water and access to health services. He says with the capacity of [...]
When you're the president of a smaller country that may not be as well known as the world's super powers, standing out during the annual get-together of world leaders at United Nations General Assembly can be challenging at times. But try telling that to the central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan. It held an event the [...]
The economic and humanitarian situation in Yemen is in a period of "serious deterioration" according to the United Nations Security Council. The 15-member council issued a statement late on Saturday night calling for calm as violence continued in the Gulf country. It said there had been "heightened tensions and continuing violence" following the return on [...]
The UN's top human rights official, Navi Pillay, has welcomed a decision by the Australian Government to allow Australians to choose the gender they wish to be identified as. The decision allows Australians who do not wish to identify themselves as either male or female, or who are transgender or intersex, to choose how they're [...]
All countries should put an end to discrimination against women. That was the message from some of the most powerful women in the world, as they met recently on the margins of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly. The women leaders included US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said it was not [...]
The famine which has been declared in the Horn of Africa country, Somalia, has been described as an "attack on the conscience of mankind". Speaking at a meeting of world leaders at the United Nations on Saturday, the Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila Odinga, said famine was preventable. Three-quarters of a million Somalis currently face [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The people of Zambia have been congratulated by the United Nations Secretary-General for holding peaceful and orderly elections. Zambians went to the polls on 20 September to elect a president and members of parliament. Daniel Dickinson reports. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commended the Electoral Commission of Zambia for its role in managing what he described [...]
The new leader of Haiti says he wants to rebrand his country to attract foreign investment and promote economic development. President Michel Martelly told UN Radio that Haiti is open for business and ready to be reconstructed. He stressed that his goal is to make the poor Caribbean country less dependent on aid. "I want [...]
Thirteen million people in the Horn of Africa region are facing what's been described as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. And it's going to cost another $700 million to provide the people with the assistance they need to survive the effects of both drought and conflict. Daniel Dickinson has more details. Duration: [...]
The international community has been urged to be consistent in dealing with conflicts around the world. The call has come from Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili of Lesotho during his address to the General Assembly on Saturday. He said that some countries continue to face internal or external conflicts but the international community has not [...]
Haiti is open for business and ready to rebuild. That's the message the country's new President delivered to world leaders in New York attending the UN General Assembly. Haiti is still recovering from a massive earthquake in January 2010 which killed 250,000 people and destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure. Haitian President Michel Martelly [...]
The anti-poverty campaigner and musician, Bob Geldof, has blamed what he calls 'a chronic lack of political' leadership for the slow response to help the 13 million people affected by drought and famine in the Horn of Africa. He was speaking at an event held in New York on Saturday to launch a charter supported [...]
Four million Somalis need urgent help to cope with famine and drought ravaging the Horn of Africa. That's what United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told world leaders attending the session of the General Assembly as they met on Saturday to discuss the crisis in the Horn of Africa. The Secretary-General said that $700 million is [...]
Action is needed to prevent the crisis in the Horn of Africa from becoming an even worse famine, according to Valerie Amos, the head of the United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA). Ms. Amos spoke at an event on the margins of the UN General Assembly on Saturday focusing on saving children in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti [...]
World leaders meeting at the United Nations are due to discuss the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa on Saturday. The meeting is expected to underline that more needs to be done to respond to the humanitarian crisis caused by drought, famine and conflict in the region. Charles Appel reports. World leaders and representatives [...]
3.5 billion women and girls around the world still don't fully enjoy their human, economic and social rights, according to the Prime Minister of Sweden. Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told the UN General Assembly on Friday that women do more work than men and produce 50 per cent of food. But, he added, women earn [...]
Palestinians have been urged to make peace with Israel before they are granted statehood. The call came from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his address to the General Assembly on Friday. Earlier, the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas had handed a letter to the UN Secretary-General applying to become a UN member state. Prime Minister [...]
Supplies for trauma and gunshot wounds are being provided by the United Nations health agency in Yemen as fighting continues between forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh and those opposed to his rule. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that over 80 people have been killed and more than 980 others injured in the [...]
The Palestinian National Authority has formally submitted its application to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for full membership of the United Nations. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the General Assembly on Friday that after 63 years of suffering, it is time for the Palestinian people to gain their freedom and independence. "I would like to inform [...]
Authorities in Syria have been urged by the United Nations human rights office to stop reprisals against activists. It says that prominent human rights activists inside and outside Syria are being targeted as the authorities continue their brutal crackdown on protestors in the country. UN human rights spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani, says that in one recent [...]
South Sudan’s new President says his country will not intervene in the dispute going on between South Kordofan and Sudan. South Sudan gained its independence from the North in July and has been trying to reconcile divided communities. President Salva Kiir says he met with US President Barrack Obama to discuss conflict within his [...]
The UN's top human rights official, Navi Pillay, has welcomed a decision by the Australian Government to allow Australians to choose the gender they wish to be identified as. The decision allows Australians who do not wish to identify themselves as either male or female, or who are transgender or intersex, to choose how they're [...]
The international community has been urged to help the newly independent Republic of South Sudan to get out of what has been described as 'the abyss of poverty and deprivation.' The call has come from the country's President Salva Kiir Mayardit during his address to the General Assembly on Friday. President Kiir said his [...]
Diplomats from the United States have staged a walk-out from the UN General Assembly in protest at a speech by the Iranian President. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the US had used the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York 10 years ago as a pretext to attack both Iraq and Afghanistan. Daniel Dickinson [...]
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has delivered his application to become a UN member state. In his address to the General Assembly, he’s expected to plead his case. Later in the day, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu will stand in the same spot, where he will tell world leaders that the only way to statehood is [...]
Foreign governments should "get out of Africa" according to the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe. Speaking after he addressed the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr Mugabe said, to use his words, "outsiders" should not have interfered in the Libyan crisis. One of the main justifications for the United Nations Security Council resolution [...]
Diplomats from the United States have staged a walk-out from the UN General Assembly in protest at a speech by the Iranian President. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the US had used the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York 10 years ago as a pretext to attack both Iraq and Afghanistan. $357 million [...]
Authorities in Burundi are being urged to work with the opposition to stop an escalation of violence and killings. The UN office for Human Rights says a massacre of at least 38 people in the Gitumba region west of the capital Bujumbura was an indication of the increasing level of violence in the country. [...]
"Tremendous" political progress has been made in Somalia over the last month or two according to the senior UN envoy to the country. Speaking ahead of a summit in New York on the future of Somalia, Augustine Mahiga said that the retreat of the Al-Shabaab insurgents from Mogadishu, meant that for the first time the [...]
The new Libya faces enormous challenges but is destined to succeed as it rebuilds after the conflict to overthrow Colonel Muammar Qadhafi. That's the assessment given on Thursday by Ian Martin, the head of the recently established United Nations Support Mission in Libya. Mr Martin said that although fighting is still going on for full [...]
Western Sahara remains the only part of Africa which has not gained independence, according to the President of Tanzania. Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony in north-west Africa, is now disputed by Morocco which claims it and the Polisario Front liberation movement which wants independence. President Jakaya Kikwete told the UN General Assembly on Thursday [...]
• A number of African leaders are in New York this week to participate in this year's session of the General Assembly. Presidents from Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Tanzania give their views on terrorism, piracy, as well as conflict prevention and resolution. Côte d’Ivoire’s President "confident" about country's future • One of the African [...]
Confidence in the future may be in short supply in parts of Africa at the moment, but the President of Côte d’Ivoire, a country recently enduring civil war, says he has plenty of it. President Alassane Ouattara was at the UN General Assembly in New York to address world leaders and to assure them that [...]
Discrimination remains a problem across the world despite a commitment made 10 years ago to make it a thing of the past…that's one of the strong messages coming out of a United Nations conference held on Thursday. A decade ago, a declaration was signed in Durban, in South Africa which aimed to wipe out racism, [...]
The hanging of a teenage boy in Iran has been condemned by four United Nations independent human rights experts. The experts have expressed their outrage at the execution of minors in Iran despite international calls for a moratorium. Charles Appel reports. Seventeen-year old Alireza Molla Soltani was convicted and sentenced to death last month for [...]
More action has been urged by the President of South Africa to redress the injustices caused by slavery, colonialism and apartheid. President Jacob Zuma urged a meeting to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the adoption of an international anti-racism declaration to be open and honest about issues that continue to divide people. He welcomed some [...]
People around the world need to 'work in harmony to promote harmony'…that's the view of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Secretary-General spoke as world leaders gathered in New York to commemorate the 10th anniversary of a declaration against racism and other forms of discrimination and intolerance adopted in Durban, South Africa in 2001. [...]
Political leaders and nuclear experts have been urged to take measures to restore public confidence in nuclear safety shaken by the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan in March this year. The call has come from Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in a video message [...]
One of the biggest issues on the agenda for the 66th United Nations General Assembly is Palestinian statehood. The Palestinians have said they will ask the United Nations to recognize their statehood. Israel has said it wants a Palestinian state, but only through bi-lateral negotiations. It has the backing of the United States. But, many [...]
A Palestinian state is only achievable through dialogue according to the US President, Barack Obama. On Friday, the Palestinian authorities are expected to formally request that the United Nations recognises Palestine as a UN member state. Talks between the Palestinians and Israel on border and security issues broke down a year ago. Speaking to the [...]
Israel does not want statehood for the Palestinians to go through the United Nations, instead the country wants to negotiate directly. This is one of the biggest issues on the agenda for the 66th United Nations General Assembly. Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will address the General Assembly on [...]
The President of South Africa has called for the cessation of hostilities and an end to the NATO aerial bombing in Libya. President Jacob Zuma told the General Assembly that the African Union tried to resolve the crisis peacefully in Libya but its efforts were never given a chance to succeed. He said South Africa [...]
The use of terrorism for political reasons is a serious threat to international peace and security, according to the President of Nigeria. Addressing the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, President Goodluck Jonathan said that there has been an upsurge of terrorist attacks in parts of Nigeria over the past few months. The Nigerian leader vowed [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday the world is in crisis and urged global leaders to take action to save the planet, prevent conflicts, and support Mideast and North African nations in their quest for democracy. In a report to the General Assembly titled "WE THE PEOPLES", the Secretary-General pointed to generational opportunities to shape [...]
Talks to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are at what the Jordanian King has described as 'a dangerous impasse'. King Abdullah II addressed the General Assembly on Wednesday as world leaders continued to express their views on various global issues. He said it is only by establishing a viable Palestinian state and ensuring security and recognition [...]
Rwanda has won the first prize of the 2011 Future Policy Award given to governments that put in place good policies to preserve forests. The prize is awarded by the World Future Council, a UN partner organization, which brings together 50 eminent personalities from around the world. Alexandra Wandel, the Director of the Council made [...]
The United Nations General Assembly got underway in earnest in New York on Wednesday. More than 100 heads of state and government are expected to attend to discuss issues ranging from a Palestinian state to deadly diseases. In the past, the event has been filled with controversial moments, colourful speeches and serious business and this [...]
Chairman of CARICOM Prime Minister Denzil Douglas of St. Kitts-Nevis speaks with UN Radio's Donn Bobb on the outcome of the High-Level Meeting on non-communicable diseases. Duration: 14’05″
World leaders are gathering in New York as the main debating session of the annual General Assembly gets underway. Each country will take the podium to discuss issues of international and national importance. Ahead of the general debate, Ban Ki-Moon laid out his vision of the challenges the world faces. Gerry Adams reports. Duration: 3’08″
World leaders have pledged to take wide-ranging action to prevent millions of deaths from cancer, diabetes, and heart and lung disease by tackling the key causes _ smoking, excessive drinking, lack of exercise and unhealthy diets dominated by fast food. However, the 13-page political declaration approved at the first-ever General Assembly meeting on chronic diseases [...]
Progress is being made in ending conflicts around the world, according to United States President Barack Obama. Addressing the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, President Obama said that pursuing peace in an imperfect world is at the heart of the United Nations. He said that although the world body has averted a third World War, [...]
The President of Brazil has become the first ever woman to open the General Assembly's main annual debate, the so-called general debate. On Wednesday, President Dilma Rousseff told world leaders that women are now occupying the place they deserve in the world. "For the first time in the history of the United Nations, a female [...]
The assassination of the former President of Afghanistan has been strongly condemned by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani was Chairman of the High Peace Council set up by the Afghan president last year to work on a framework for peace with Taliban insurgents. Charles Appel reports: According to reports, Professor Rabbani died [...]
World leaders meeting in New York have been urged by the United Nations Secretary-General to act together to meet the needs of the seven billion global citizens. Ban Ki-moon was speaking to the UN General Assembly on the work of the United Nations before the start of the general debate, the main debating forum. He said [...]
The rising global demand for natural resources is infringing on the rights of indigenous peoples according to a UN Human rights expert. James Anaya the UN expert on the rights of indigenous peoples says with the rapid expansion of mining and exploitation of other natural resources, indigenous peoples were being pushed out of their territories. [...]
The Hollywood actor and UN Messenger of Peace, Michael Douglas, says movies are a good way to reach, to use his words, "isolated" heads of state. According to Mr Douglas, many are avid movie watchers. As a Messenger of Peace he is most interested in disarmament, an issue he believes heads of state should also [...]
As world leaders gather in New York for their annual debate on global issues, the UN Secretary-General's media team is gearing up for another busy period of meetings, debates and interviews. Four-thirty AM starts are not unusual during the General Assembly for the team which is led by the Secretary-General's spokesperson, Martin Nesirky. Hao Cheng [...]
Tennis champion, Serena Williams has become a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Serena Williams, who has won 13 Grand Slams and two Olympics gold medals, will use her popularity to support UNICEF's mission to provide quality education for vulnerable children around the world. Charles Appel reports. Ms Williams will start with UNICEF's [...]
Tanzania has made 'modest' progress in reducing the number of children suffering from malnutrition, according to its President. President Jakaya Kikwete told a meeting on food and nutrition at the UN on Tuesday that, like in many developed countries, malnutrition is a serious problem in Tanzania. He said that one third of children under five [...]
Non-communicable Diseases constitute a major public challenge for all countries, developed and developing alike. And, according to Grenada's Health Minister Anne Peters, Grenada, like many other CARICOM countries, recognizes the growing threat, posed by NCDs on its small, fragile economy and the need to take decisive action to reduce the burden of the disease and [...]
Thousands of families displaced by recent floods in Pakistan's southern Sindh province are getting tents and other emergency aid from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). More than five million people have been affected by this year's floods in Pakistan where the government estimates that over 200,000 families are in need of emergency shelter. UNHCR [...]
The new authorities in Libya have been formally welcomed to the United Nations by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Fighting continues in Libya as the new leadership continues to battle supporters of former Libyan leader Muammar al-Qadhafi. In New York, world leaders have been meeting to discuss the way forward for the North African country. Gerry [...]
Yemen is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster as the conflict continues between forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh and those opposed to his rule, UNICEF is warning. The UN Children's Fund says that four children have been killed and 18 others injured in the latest round of violence in the country. UNICEF [...]
Non-communicable diseases constitute an epidemic in The Bahamas. Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham told a High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases that the epidemic is putting a strain on the country's health system. Minister Hubert Ingraham: In The Bahamas: one half of all public hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from NCDs, with an average length [...]
1. Global economic crisis no excuse not to help the poor, says Ban Ki-moon 2.UNHCR : Surge in Sudanese civilians fleeing to South Sudan 3.World Meteorological Organization says ozone hole over Antartic getting bigger 4.Migrants stranded in Libya to be vetted : IOM 5.Ban Ki-moon : UN best hope for building a safer and just [...]
The world is standing alongside the people of Libya as they build a new democratic order. That's the message delivered by United States President Barack Obama as world leaders gathered at the United Nations to discuss Libya on Tuesday. President Obama said that there are still difficult days ahead as remnants of the old regime [...]
Drylands can play a critical role in fighting poverty and climate change, according to the United Nations Secretary-General. Speaking at a General Assembly high-level meeting on desertification, land degradation and drought on Tuesday, Ban Ki-moon said nurturing the communities that depend on drylands lies at the core of sustainable development. The Secretary-General said that 40 per [...]
Six million hectares of land has been reclaimed in the Sahel region of Africa according to the UN Convention on Desertification (UNCCD). The convention, the focus of a meeting at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, aims to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought. Land reclamation is one of the long-term strategies. [...]
The Belarus government has been accused of serious human rights violations in the aftermath of the December 2010 presidential elections. A report presented to the Human Rights Council accuses the government of violently clamping down on its political opponents as well as torture and denying its citizens basic freedoms. The report says the country's judiciary lacks independence [...]
More than 3,000 Ethiopian migrants are stranded on the Yemeni-Saudi Arabia border, in what have been described as extremely difficult conditions. The International Organization of Migration (IOM) says efforts to evacuate the migrants back to Ethiopia have been hampered by lack of funding and the growing insecurity in Yemen. Despite having survived the perilous journey [...]
Every September, as the General Assembly begins its annual session at the United Nations, New York City beefs up security to ensure that all the world leaders who come to debate world issues are protected. That means more police, more barricades, more people! The result? It's not quite business as usual in the normally placid [...]
Progress is being made in the global effort to improve health services and prevent the deaths of 16 million women and children. That's according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). World leaders are gathering at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday to discuss targets set under the Every Woman, Every Child initiative. The [...]
A global effort to improve health services and prevent the deaths of 16 million women and children is making progress according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The Every Woman, Every Child initiative aims to save lives through the improvement of health services in the world's poorest countries. World leaders are gathering in New [...]
NARRATOR: This is a time for the international community to confront an epidemic that is correctable, reversible and treatable. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines told a high-level meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases that this meeting should not be a culmination of an effort, but merely [...]
NARRATOR: The convening of the hi-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases is a source of special pride, gratitude and accomplishment for Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). That according to President Desire Delano Bouterse of Suriname. Speaking on behalf of the Caribbean community, he said that [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) has welcomed the adoption Monday by the UN General Assembly of the political declaration on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke, chronic respiratory disease and cancer which together kill some 36 million people each year. For the first time, global leaders have [...]
World governments are being urged to act now to stop the increasing incidence of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and obesity. Speaking to the UN General Assembly, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Director-General, Margaret Chan, said ignorance, complacency and inertia should be replaced with awareness, shock and immediate action. Gerry Adams reports. Duration: 2’44″
Hundreds of Libyans arrested by forces loyal to former leader Colonel Muammar Qadhafi are reported to be missing. Fighting continues in Libya as the National Transitional Council pushes to extend its control in a small number of areas where Qadhafi loyalists continue to resist. On Monday, Judge Philippe Kirsch, a member of the International Commission [...]
Beating terrorism requires more than security or law enforcement measures according to the United Nations Secretary-General. Speaking at a meeting of senior government officials in New York on Monday, Ban Ki-moon said that the threat of terrorism remains very present. Mr Ban said the adoption of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in 2006 was a [...]
Non-communicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes are being described as a "slow motion disaster" by the World Health Organization (WHO). As world leaders gathered in New York on Monday, Dr Margaret Chan, the head of WHO urged governments around the world to implement policies to combat noncommunicable diseases. She said these [...]
Over $350 million is needed to provide what's been described as life-saving assistance to more than five million people affected by floods in Pakistan. The appeal has been launched by the United Nations humanitarian office, OCHA, which says Sindh, the worst affected area, is still recovering from last year's floods. Patrick Maigua asked OCHA's Elizabeth Byrs [...]
As Pakistan struggles to cope with devastating monsoon flooding, the United Nations has appealed for over $350 million to provide life saving assistance. The UN Rapid response plan aims to provide food, water, sanitation, health and emergency shelter to the worst hit families for six months. An estimated 5.4 million people have been affected by [...]
The government of Yemen has faced a barrage of criticism by members of the UN Human Rights Council, over the violent crackdown of anti-government protests. Debating a report by the UN Human Rights Office on the situation human rights in Yemen, council members called for an end to attacks on civilians, arbitrary arrests, detention and [...]
So far, almost twelve and a half million people have been affected by severe drought in the Horn of Africa. In Somalia, the drought resulted in nearly four million internally displaced people. The world's largest refugee camp, Dadaab, in neighboring Kenya, has seen its population soar to close to 500,000. To see how the needs [...]
An increase in the manufacture of amphetamine drugs like ecstasy and crystal meth in East Asia is posing a major security risk in the region according to the UN's drugs agency. A United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime or UNODC report on Amphetamine-type stimulants of ATS, reveals that in South-East Asia alone the number [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Climate change tests Bhutan Gross National Happiness Climate change is raising its ugly head and testing what the south Asian country of Bhutan calls it Gross National Happiness. The country has been making remarkable economic and human development gains which are factors that contribute to this notion of happiness. Now, the melting glaciers and changing [...]
Women make up the majority of unpaid workers worldwide. Only 15% of landowners and one in five lawmakers globally are women. More girls are out of school than boys. Violence against women is still widespread. With these facts in mind, the World Bank says it's time to increase women's economic opportunity and their voice in [...]
Women make up the majority of unpaid workers worldwide. Only 15% of landowners and one in five lawmakers globally are women. More girls are out of school than boys. Violence against women is still widespread. With these facts in mind, the World Bank says it's time to increase women's economic opportunity and their voice in [...]
Aid agencies are responding to an appeal by the government of Pakistan to provide assistance to over 5.3 million people affected by floods. UN agencies have been scaling up their response after heavy monsoon rains led to severe flooding and the displacement of thousands of people. The south of the country has been badly affected [...]
The planned evacuation of at least 3,000 Sub Saharan African migrants stranded in the Libyan city of Sebha has been put off amid reports that mercenaries could have taken refuge among the migrants, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Libya’s National Transitional Council is insisting on vetting the migrants before they are evacuated [...]
• The world has made "remarkable gains" in combating malaria in the past ten years, according to the Roll Back Malaria Partnership or RBM Partnership. It says that global action to fight malaria has reduced deaths by more than one third and saved 1.1 million lives in Sub-Saharan Africa. Opinion is divided on the prosecution [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Chad is struggling to cope with a major cholera outbreak which according to the United Nations has killed at least 400 people and infected over 13,000. Despite efforts by government and relief agencies to contain the outbreak, the disease is expected to continue spreading during the on-going rainy season due to a lack of [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Yemen-protest Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured in Yemen as the government continues to use force to quell protests, according to the UN. A report by a UN human rights assessment mission to Yemen says peaceful protests calling for greater freedoms, an end to corruption and respect for rule of law have [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Over 2,600 people have been killed in Syria since the start of pro democracy protests in March, according to the UN Human Rights Office. Speaking at the start of the 18th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay urged governments and leaders in countries going [...]
One in six children in the south of Somalia could die within a matter of weeks unless they receive urgent help. That's the assessment of United Nations agencies which are providing humanitarian aid to Somalis fleeing both drought and conflict in the Horn of Africa country. Nicki Chadwick has more details. WHO campaigns for reduction [...]
Terrorism is one of the most serious threats to peace and security and cannot be justified. That's what the Security Council says in a statement to mark the 10th anniversary of the Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks in the United States in which nearly 3,000 people were killed. The Council stresses that no cause or grievance can [...]
Sub-Saharan Africans in Libya are being attacked by people who want revenge against supporters of Colonel Muammar Qadhafi, according to a senior United Nations official who has just returned from the country. Ian Martin, the UN Special Advisor for Post-conflict Planning, briefed the Security Council on Friday on his recent mission to Libya where he [...]
The joint Africa Union and United Nations mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has been praised for the progress it has made in improving security in the troubled Sudanese region. Darfur has suffered almost a decade of instability following uprisings by rebel groups and retaliation by the Sudanese government. UNAMID was established in 2007 with a mandate [...]
The United States says it will continue to work with the international community to defeat the terrorist network al-Qaeda. United States Ambassador Susan Rice was speaking at a commemoration marking the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks launched by the group in the United States. Ambassador Rice said that the cost of the war against [...]
The victims of the terrorist attacks against the United States on the 11th September 2001 have been remembered at a ceremony at the United Nations in New York. Three thousand people died in attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and a third failed attack in which a hijacked [...]
As humanitarian relief efforts continue in the Horn of Africa, aid agencies are saying that relief assistance will be required well into the new year. The United Nations says the rains that are expected over the next three months will do little to ease the immediate situation which is now affecting over 13 million people. [...]
World governments have been urged by the President of the United Nations General Assembly, to conclude a draft convention on international terrorism. Joseph Deiss, made the call at a ceremony at the General Assembly to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States. Mr. Deiss said he supports [...]
Fighting in the Blue Nile State of Sudan between Sudanese forces and a break-away militia from South Sudan has forced 20,000 people to flee to Ethiopia. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) says many refugees want to remain near the border so they can return home quickly to harvest crops and look after livestock. UNHCR spokesperson, Fatoumata [...]
Up to 70 people have been killed in ethnic and religious violence in Nigeria's 'Middle Belt' region since the beginning of August, according to the United Nations human rights office. The violence is focussed around the city of Jos where Muslim and Christian youths are fighting. Rupert Colville is the spokesman for UN High Commissioner for [...]
One in six children in the south of Somalia could die within a matter of weeks unless they receive urgent help. That's the assessment of United Nations agencies which are providing humanitarian aid to Somalis fleeing both drought and conflict in the Horn of Africa country. Nicki Chadwick has more details. WHO campaigns for reduction [...]
The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in the Horn of Africa has gone up by nearly one million according to the UN Office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA). The 13.3 million, people who need help include over 840,000 refugees. In the mean time humanitarian agencies continue to scale up their [...]
PART I: Scientists urge sustainable wildlife trade. 3'29'' PART II: Bed net distribution rises dramatically as malaria rates go down. 3'13'' PART III: Working for smoke free Bangladesh. 3'13'' PART IV: 25 sites worldwide added to UN World Heritage list. 2'57 Duration: 15'00″ Narrated and Produced by Ambalika Misra
The bombing of the house of a top Pakistani military officer in the south-western city of Quetta on Wednesday has been condemned by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. According to reports, a pair of suicide bombers attacked the house, killing the officer's wife and 22 other people. More than 60 people were wounded in [...]
• Economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is expecting to grow rapidly in 2011. That's according to the UN development and trade agency (UNCTAD). An economist at UNCTAD says African countries should use revenue from commodities exports to diversity their production and develop agriculture. UN offers to assist in Libya's disarmament • Fighting is continuing [...]
Iran's nuclear programme is back under the spotlight following reports of violations of the sanctions imposed by the United Nations. Concerns had been raised by the UN nuclear watchdog which said it was “increasingly concerned” that Iran is working on components for a nuclear weapons programme. Iran has repeatedly stated that its nuclear programme is [...]
The international community is being urged to keep up its assistance to the changes taking place in Libya. In a speech on the final day of his tour to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific island nations, the United Nations Secretary-General said the Libyan people needed continued support in the transition towards democracy. Daniel [...]
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) says it's only a "matter of time", before the fugitive Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi, is arrested. Luis Moreno-Ocampo is asking the international police agency, INTERPOL, to issue a so-called Red Notice to arrest Colonel Qadhafi for the alleged crimes of murder and persecution. The Prosecutor is also [...]
Land degradation is affecting 1.5 billion people around the world, according to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. Luc Gnacadja, the Executive Secretary of the convention, was speaking at a meeting in Rome where experts are warning that pressure on the world's soil resources, as well as land degradation are threatening global food security. Mr. [...]
North Africa is experiencing what the United Nations Secretary-General is calling 'a revolution of hope'. Speaking at the University of Sydney in Australia on Thursday, Ban-Ki moon praised Australia for contributing to the democratic changes taking place in Libya. He delivered his address as opposition fighters in Libya continued their push against forces loyal to [...]
There are still millions of people around the world, especially women and girls who cannot read and write. That's the message of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to mark "International Literacy Day" which is being celebrated on 8 September. Charles Appel reports. The Secretary-General said that in 2009, roughly two thirds of the world's estimated [...]
The number of women in Latin America who choose to have their babies induced is on the increase, a trend which the World Health Organisation (WHO) is trying to reverse. It says around 5% of all low risk pregnancies have the labour induced without medical justification which can often lead to post-natal complications. It recently reviewed [...]
A global organization that seeks to ensure a world in which all children can pursue a quality education has been awarded the UNESCO 2011 Confucius Prize for Literacy. The US-based non-profit Room to Read organisation has published 553 original children's book titles in 25 languages and printed more than 4.1 million books. On International [...]
Libyans are said to be "euphoric" about the change that is happening in their country where opposition fighters have driven forces loyal to Muammar Qadhafi out of the capital, Tripoli. Ian Martin, the United Nations Special Adviser on Post-Conflict Planning has just completed a five-day mission to Libya where he met the new Libyan authorities. [...]
Fighting is continuing in Libya, where rebels are tightening their control over the North African country. The whereabouts of the former Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Qadhafi are uncertain, but that hasn't stopped the United Nations from sending a Senior Advisor to the country to discuss the future of Libya…a future without Colonel Qadhafi. Daniel [...]
"Sustainable development" is a buzz word readily used by governments and civil society across the world. Simply put it's all about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Attaining sustainable development in the face of mounting global economic and political challenges remains an uphill [...]
Respecting the dignity of people with disabilities enhances the human family, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations said on Wednesday. Asha Rose Migiro, was opening a forum on disabilities at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Participants include diplomats and members of civil society organizations devoted to the rights of people with disabilities. [...]
A bomb blast that has reportedly killed 11 people and injured more than 60 others in the Indian High Court in New Delhi, has been condemned by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. According to news reports, the bomb was placed in a case near a security checkpoint where people were queuing for passes on Wednesday. [...]
The prominent British businessman, Sir Richard Branson, has joined a global drive to get countries to remove travel restrictions on people living with HIV. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has called for the worldwide freedom of movement for people with HIV. Endorsing the UNAIDS call, Sir Richard Branson said that everyone should [...]
The President of Syria Bashar al-Assad has not kept his promise to stop using force against peaceful demonstrators, according to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Mr Ban said the international community needs to speak with one voice on the issue of Syria where popular protests continue to be met with violence. Speaking on a visit [...]
Weather experts are forecasting a return to normal or above normal rainfall in drought-hit and famine-affected southern Somalia. However, in its forecast for the September to December season, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says a risk of below normal rainfall remains over northern Somalia and adjoining regions. The agency also points out that the situation [...]
The United Nations has offered to assist Libya in the process of disarmament, weapons collections and registration. That's what Ian Martin, the United Nations Special Advisor for Post-conflict Planning, has said in Tripoli as he concluded a five-day visit to Libya. Mr. Martin, who has been holding talks with members of the National Transitional Council [...]
PART I: 1.2 million opium and heroin addicts in Iran . 3'31'' PART II: Hospitals and schools declared safe heavens for children. 3'20'' PART III: Role of social media grows in India and neighbouring countries. 2'49'' PART IV: Needed proper toilets for 2.6 billion people. 1'54'' Duration: 14'07″ Narrated and Produced by Ambalika Misra
A society without "responsive citizens" is not sustainable according to the head of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme. UNV currently has 8000 volunteers working in peace, development and humanitarian programmes across the world. Flavia Pansieri has been speaking about the role volunteers play in building a just society. She spoke to Patrick Maigua at [...]
Economic recovery in developed countries is losing steam, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In its Trade and Development Report 2011, released on Tuesday, UNCTAD says that after a rapid post-crisis recovery, the world economy is slowing down. The agency says that growth was about 4 per cent in 2010 but [...]
A senior United Nations official is meeting the new Libyan authorities to discuss how to assist Libya in the weeks and months ahead. Ian Martin, the United Nations Special Advisor for Post-conflict Planning, is on a five day visit to Libya for talks with members of the National Transitional Council (NTC). UN Deputy Spokesman, Eduardo [...]
Opposition fighters and pro-Qadhafi forces in the Libyan town of Sebha have been urged by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) not to harm 1,200 migrants who have sought refuge at a transit centre. The IOM says the migrants, who are mainly from Chad, are escaping fighting which has intensified on the outskirts of the [...]
One in six children in the south of Somalia could die within a matter of weeks unless they receive urgent help. That's the assessment of United Nations agencies which are providing humanitarian aid to Somalis fleeing both drought and conflict in the Horn of Africa country. Nicki Chadwick has more details. Duration: 2’42″
Approximately 20,000 refugees from the Blue Nile State of Sudan have fled to western Ethiopia, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) Refugees have been arriving since late last week as fighting broke out between Sudanese government forces and a breakaway militia from South Sudan . UNHCR spokesperson, Fatoumata Lejeune-Kaba says the new arrivals [...]
The world is facing an increasingly complex set of challenges, from democratic changes sweeping North Africa and the Middle East to the global economic crisis and climate change. That's what United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told students at Auckland University in New Zealand on Monday. Mr. Ban said that this year's session of the United [...]
Eight out of ten Somali refugees in Ethiopian camps are under the age of 18, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). UNHCR says that children are suffering the most as a result of the drought in the Horn of Africa. The agency points out that in the Kobe camp 88.6% of the 25,000 [...]
Iran has become the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to phase out medical inhalers which contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer. The inhalers, used to treat asthma and other pulmonary ailments, contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are known to attack the ozone layer. The phasing out of the inhalers by the Iranian government [...]
An undisclosed number of United Nations peacekeepers from Uruguay are being investigated following an incident in Haiti. The United Nations mission, MINUSTAH, has confirmed that an investigation was launched following allegations against the peacekeepers. MINUSTAH has a zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse. Daniel Dickinson asked the mission's spokesperson, Eliane Nabaa, about the alleged [...]
Governments around the world have been urged to step up their efforts to implement policies which promote sustainable development. On Monday, over 2000 civil society representatives adopted a declaration at a United Nations conference in Bonn, Germany, calling for economic, environmental and industrial policies which not only promote development but also guarantee the security of [...]
Over 2000 civil society representatives have adopted a declaration calling on governments to step up their efforts in the implementation of policies which promote sustainable development. The declaration, which was adopted at a United Nations conference in Bonn, Germany, also called for faster adoption of green technologies to reduce the impact of climate change. It [...]
Climate change is posing the most serious threat to the survival of the island of Kiribati and other Pacific nations according to the United Nations Secretary-General. In a joint statement with the President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, Ban Ki-moon said that climate change was undermining efforts to achieve sustainable development in small Pacific island nations. [...]
The United Nations has confirmed that an investigation has been launched following an incident involving Uruguayan UN peacekeepers in Haiti. The UN's mission in the Caribbean island, MINUSTAH, said it was aware of allegations against the peacekeepers, which is being investigated by the Uruguayan defence ministry. MINUSTAH has what it calls a zero tolerance towards [...]
Famine has been declared in a sixth region of Somalia with up to 750,000 people facing starvation over the next four months. That's the stark message from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, (FAO). In Somalia itself, aid agencies have been stepping up humanitarian assistance to an estimated four million people, but it's expected that [...]
Up to 750,000 Somalis face starving to death over the next four months following the declaration of famine in a sixth region of the Horn of Africa country. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said on Monday that famine has spread to Bay region, one of Somalia’s most productive areas. Five other regions [...]
Migration and mobility are not in themselves factors for HIV transmission but the precarious working and living conditions of workers may expose them to the risk, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The long separation from their families, stigma and discrimination, are also factors that increase migrant workers' vulnerability to HIV. Earlier I spoke [...]
In the rural areas of the Gujarat state of India, poor women are being empowered to stand on their own, raising their families and building their houses. This is thanks to the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) which has been fighting for the empowerment of women workers in India since 1972. Recently staff from the economic [...]
Somali women are bearing the brunt of suffering from displacement as they are the ones who flock into spontaneous settlements while the men remain in their areas of origin. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) there are 400,000 displaced people in and around the capital Mogadishu. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres [...]
1. UNICEF & partners build 500 transitional schools in last year's flood stricken areas of south Punjab, Pakistan 2. Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon condemns bomb blast in UN building in Abuja, Nigeria, 3. Desperate Somalis arriving in Yemen in greater numbers 4. UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA says drought crisis in [...]
Women are the unsung heroes when it comes to their role in the global economy. They are the ones producing 80% of our food, and doing most of the menial and low-wage jobs. That's according to Sascha Gabizon, the Executive Director of Women in Europe for a Common Future or WECF. Ms. Gabizon is attending [...]
The Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan continues to recover from the destruction caused by nuclear tests during the era of the Soviet Union. Over 400 nuclear weapons tests were conducted on the site which resulted in the release of radio-active material in the atmosphere. Twenty years ago, Kazakhstan closed the site and is at [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
An immediate and effective presence of the United Nations on the ground in Libya is critical to help vulnerable people affected by the conflict. That's the assessment of the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, Panos Moumtzis, who arrived in the Libyan capital, Tripoli on Thursday. UN Deputy Spokesman, Eduardo Del Buey says Mr. Moumtzis and UN [...]
Seven former senior Bolivian political and military officials have been convicted for killing demonstrators during the 2003 anti-government demonstrations known as "Black October". The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has welcomed the news and is calling on the Bolivian government to ensure that the victims receive reparation. After a trial that [...]
Women are the unsung heroes when it comes to their role in the global economy. They are the ones producing 80 per cent of our food, and doing most of the menial and low-wage jobs. That's according to Sascha Gabizon, the Executive Director of Women in Europe for a Common Future or WECF. Ms. [...]
The international community has been urged by the President of the General Assembly, Joseph Deiss, to ensure the implementation of a treaty banning nuclear tests. The call came as the Assembly on Friday held a special session to mark the International Day against Nuclear tests, officially celebrated on 29 August. Mr. Deiss commended Kazakhstan, which [...]
A school serving Palestinian children is being threatened with demolition in the West Bank community of Khan al Ahmar. The land that the community lives on has been slated for the expansion of an Israeli settlement in the area. Khan Al Ahmar and other Bedouin communities in the area, more than 2,300 people in all, [...]
Some 40,000 refugees from the largest refugee complex in the world, the Dadaab camp in Kenya, are preparing for the new school term, which starts on Monday. The arrival of 154,000 new refugees from Somalia this year, more than half of whom are children, has added to the already pressing needs at Dadaab. Adrian Edwards, [...]
There’s increasing concern for migrants in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, many of whom are too scared to leave their homes to try to find food and water. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says that more and more reports are coming in of migrants in need of assistance and protection. A significant rise in food [...]
Caribbean students were among the best in the Universal Postal Union's 40th International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People. Fifteen-year old Charlee Gittens along with China's 13-year old Wang Sa won gold medals in the competition. Grenada's Jonathan Andrew won the silver and Botswana's Charlene Tlagae won the bronze. The jury also awarded special mentions [...]
Somali children, arriving at refugee camps in Ethiopia, are in increasingly poor health, according to the United Nations refugee agency. UNHCR says that in one camp, one in five newly arrived children is suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Adrian Edwards, Spokesman for UNHCR, says the severity of the situation suggests that malnutrition rates will remain [...]
• "Atrocious" human rights violations are being uncovered in Libya and the UN says it is cause for alarm. About 50,000 people are reported to have disappeared at the hands of pro-Muammar Qadhafi forces. The UN is calling for an investigation. Bombing in Abuja won't deter UN's work in Nigeria • The UN won't be [...]
The world has a chance to learn that moratoriums on testing nuclear weapons are not enough in creating a nuclear weapon-free world. That's what the spokesperson for the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Annika Thunborg said on Thursday. Ms. Thunborg was speaking to reporters in New York to mark 50 [...]
The most immediate challenge facing the international community is to provide humanitarian assistance to Libya, according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Secretary-General is in Paris attending a meeting with world leaders to plan for a Libya without Colonel Muammar Qadhafi. The meeting is taking place as opposition fighters continue to consolidate their gains on [...]
The international community is being urged to rapidly increase aid to displaced Somalis. The call has come from António Guterres, the head of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) who visited the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Wednesday. UNHCR says that for most of the approximately 400,000 displaced people in and around Mogadishu, aid is [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Humanitarian aid workers in Somalia are having enormous difficulties trying to access and assist approximately 400,000 displaced people in and around the capital Mogadishu, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres. Mr. Guterres was recently in the country where he travelled to the towns of Dollo on the border with Ethiopia, and [...]
The Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan continues to recover from the destruction caused by nuclear tests during the era of the Soviet Union. Over 400 nuclear weapons tests were conducted on the site which resulted in the release of radio-active material in the atmosphere. Twenty years ago, Kazakhstan closed the site and is at [...]
Sub-Saharan African migrants remain stranded on the outskirts of the Libyan capital of Tripoli, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The agency says it has not been able to reach many of the migrants as it continues its efforts to organize their safe evacuation. IOM is concerned that the migrants don't have food, [...]
Syrian authorities have been urged by the head of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to stop abuse against journalists. The call comes in the wake of numerous reports of attacks on journalists covering the popular uprising in the country. Derrick Mbatha reports. “The head of UNESCO, Irina Bokova has expressed her concern [...]
