Ongoing violations of child rights highlighted as UN monitoring body opens annual session
Jan 17, 2017, at 01:49 pm
New York, Jan 17 (Just Earth News): Children face the ongoing violations of their rights worldwide, including poverty, violence and discrimination against them, a senior United Nations human rights official told the body that monitors implementation of a global treaty on the matter.
UN envoy in Yemen meeting with President, senior officials to push for greater aid access
Jan 17, 2017, at 01:48 pm
New York, Jan 17 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, is on Monday in Aden, highlighting the need for a truce to allow in humanitarian aid and move along the peace process.
UN Data Forum explores ways to improve and modernize national statistical systems
Jan 17, 2017, at 01:46 pm
New York, Jan 17 (Just Earth News): With the statistical community facing myriad challenges as countries begin to implement the new 15-year global plan for sustainable development, it is imperative to modernize, improve capacity and cooperate at a truly global level, the top United Nations economic and social affairs official told a gathering of more than 1,500 data experts on Monday.
New UN manual aims to address management of violent extremists in prison settings
Jan 17, 2017, at 01:45 pm
New York, Jan 17 (Just Earth News): Highlighting the challenges brought on by and the need to address violent extremism and radicalization in prisons, the United Nations agency mandated to prevent international crime and assist criminal justice reform unveiled a new manual that offers practical advice on managing violent extremist prisoners, disengaging them from violence and facilitating their social reintegration upon release.
UN refugee agency lauds Europe's rescue efforts in Mediterranean amid 'tragic start' to New Year
Jan 17, 2017, at 01:44 pm
New York, Jan 17 (Just Earth News): The United Nations refugee agency praised the Italian Coastguard in coordination with Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, for rescuing some 1,500 people from boats on the Mediterranean struggling in rough weather throughout the weekend.
Killings, rapes in South Sudan continued 'unabated' after July 2016 violence, UN reports
Jan 17, 2017, at 04:45 am
New York, Jan 16 (Just Earth News): Hundreds of people were killed in South Sudan during an outbreak of violence last July and more than 200 people were raped, according to a United Nations report on Monday released which emphasizes the need for accountability and justice for those human rights violations.
'We must not let 2017 repeat tragedies of 2016 for Syria' – top UN aid officials
Jan 17, 2017, at 04:44 am
New York, Jan 16 (Just Earth News): While efforts to fully implement a ceasefire in Syria continue, senior United Nations humanitarian officials on Monday appealed for immediate, unconditional, and safe access to reach the children and families who are still cut off from relief aid across the Middle Eastern country.
Brazil prison violence turns fatal, at least 26 die
Jan 16, 2017, at 06:57 pm
Brasalia, Jan 16 (IBNS)" At least 26 prisoners have died following a riot in Brazil's Alcacuz Penitentiary Centre, a prison near Natal, media reports said.
Turkish plane crashes in Kyrgyzstan, at least 32 dead
Jan 16, 2017, at 05:28 pm
Bishkek, Jan 16 (IBNS): At least 32 people died after a Turkish cargo plane crashed in Kyrgyzstan on Monday morning, media reports said.
UN World Data Forum opens in South Africa to harness power of data for sustainable development
Jan 16, 2017, at 04:57 am
New York, Jan 15 (Just Earth News): The inaugural United Nations World Data Forum kicked off on Sunday in Cape Town, South Africa, with an opening ceremony.
UN mission in South Sudan confirms discussions continuing on deployment of regional protection force
Jan 16, 2017, at 04:56 am
New York, Jan 15 (Just Earth News): The United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan has confirmed that it continues its discussions with the transitional national unity Government on a 4,000-strong regional protection force, which was authorized by the Security Council last August but has yet to be deployed.
-1484413907.jpg "INTERVIEW: “Data and accurate information is and will be for the implementation of Agenda 2030†– UN DESA chief")
Jan 15, 2017, at 04:11 am
New York, Jan 14 (Just Earth News): The first-ever United Nations World Data Forum is set to kick off in Cape Town, South Africa, on 15 January 2017, with the aim of increasing political and resource support for statistical capacity building worldwide.
Jan 14, 2017, at 01:59 pm
New York, Jan 14 (Just Earth News): Noting that the number of children arriving in Italy by themselves via the sea in 2016 more than doubled over the previous year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday called for urgent and special measures to protect them from trafficking, exploitation and abuse.
International conference is ‘watershed moment’ for Cyprus negotiations – UN envoy
Jan 14, 2017, at 01:58 pm
New York, Jan 14 (Just Earth News): Speaking in Geneva a day after the start of a United Nations-supported Conference on Cyprus, a UN advisor said the open and frank exchanges at the meeting’s opening confirmed two things: “first that there are difficult issues to overcome; and second that there is a will to overcome them.â€
FEATURE: Number crunchers in the spotlight ahead of UN World Data Forum
Jan 14, 2017, at 01:57 pm
New York, Jan 14 (Just Earth News): The first-ever United Nations World Data Forum is set to kick off in Cape Town, South Africa, on 15 January 2017, with the aim of increasing political and resource support for statistical capacity building worldwide.
Central African Republic: UN-backed humanitarian plan aims to save 2.2 million lives
Jan 14, 2017, at 01:54 pm
New York, Jan 14 (Just Earth News): The Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and the United Nations humanitarian country team on Friday launched the nearly $400 million response plan for the 2017-2019 period to meet the basic needs of 2.2 million Central Africans.
Amid progress in West Africa and the Sahel, UN envoy warns of region’s political challenges
Jan 14, 2017, at 01:53 pm
New York, Jan 14 (Just Earth News): Briefing the Security Council on the situation in West Africa and the Sahel region, a senior United Nations official cited a “rising tide of democracy†throughout the continent, noting that a number of countries had recently held elections which largely complied with electoral norms and standards, upholding their status a model in the region and beyond.
UN agencies assess dire hygiene, protection needs for women in Syria’s war-ravaged Aleppo
Jan 14, 2017, at 01:51 pm
New York, Jan 14 (Just Earth News): The health, hygiene and protection needs of women and girls displaced in Aleppo are staggering, the United Nations has observed, voicing concern for civilians in the Syrian city that has endured intense fighting for about four years.
Jan 14, 2017, at 01:48 pm
New York, Jan 14 (Just Earth News): A simple bowl of food in Malawi is much more expensive than that same meal in Davos, Switzerland, once adjustments have been made to take into account one’s average daily income, research by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has revealed.
Jan 14, 2017, at 04:58 am
New York, Jan 13 (Just Earth News): The heads of national space agencies, government officials and representatives from the space community worldwide are being challenged to get more women into the aerospace industry.
More must be done to assist, protect freezing refugees and migrants in Europe – UN agency
Jan 14, 2017, at 04:56 am
New York, Jan 13 (Just Earth News): The United Nations refugee agency is urging European authorities to step up support and security for refugees migrants facing harsh winter conditions, particularly amid reports that people have frozen trying to enter or move across Europe.
UN rights chief urges executives gathering in Davos to stand up for rights
Jan 14, 2017, at 04:54 am
New York, Jan 13 (Just Earth News): The top United Nations human rights official on Friday called on business leaders gathering at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in the Swiss town of Davos next week to use their considerable influence to stand up for human rights and prevent rights violations in countries where they operate.
Australian Health Minister quits over entitlements scandal
Jan 13, 2017, at 04:31 pm
Canberra, Jan 13 (IBNS): Australian Health Minister Sussan Ley has stepped down from her post after purchasing an apartment using taxpayers' money, a BBC report said.
9 killed in militant attacks in Syria
Jan 13, 2017, at 03:18 pm
Damascus, Jan 13 (IBNS): At least seven people were killed in an explosion in Syrian city of Damascus on Thursday, media reports said on Friday.
World's jobless to rise amid economic uncertainty, growing inequality – UN labour report
Jan 13, 2017, at 01:58 pm
New York, Jan 13 (Just Earth News): The United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) released its 2017 World Employment and Social Outlook report on Thursday, which finds economic growth trends lagging behind employment needs and predicts both rising unemployment and worsening social inequality throughout 2017.
Jan 13, 2017, at 01:57 pm
New York, Jan 13 (Just Earth News): While the ceasefire in Syria is largely holding, the United Nations envoy for the country cautioned on Thursday that the truce may be under threat as clashes in villages in the Wadi Barada valley has damaged water infrastructure and left more than five million people in and around Damascus facing water shortages.
Humanitarian crisis in Lake Chad Basin 'growing in dramatic fashion,' Security Council told
Jan 13, 2017, at 01:56 pm
New York, Jan 13 (Just Earth News): Briefing the Security Council on Thursday, senior United Nations officials underlined the significant challenges and deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Lake Chad Basin region, including in particular those posed by the militant group, Boko Haram, and urged for sustained support to national and regional security, political and humanitarian action.
Jan 13, 2017, at 01:56 pm
New York, Jan 13 (Just Earth News): Armed fighting over land, water and other natural resources in Sudan's Darfur region continues to put civilians at risk, the top United Nations peacekeeping official told the Security Council on Thursday, calling for long-term solutions that would allow 2.6 million displaced people to return or resettle.
UN agency hails new polio vaccination regimen in South-East Asia that curbs impact on global supply
Jan 13, 2017, at 01:55 pm
New York, Jan 13 (Just Earth News): Amid a global shortage of injectable inactivated polio vaccines (IPV), a new inoculation regimen, employed by governments in the South-East Asian region, involving two fractional vaccine doses – each about a fifth of a full dose – provides the same level of protection against all polioviruses as does one full dose, the United Nations health agency said on Thursday.
Global food prices fall for fifth year in a row, but economic uncertainties remain for 2017 – UN
Jan 13, 2017, at 01:54 pm
New York, Jan 13 (Just Earth News): Data from 2016 reveals that for the fifth year in a row, the prices of food around the world have declined, in some cases 1.5 per cent below 2015 levels, a monthly United Nations report revealed.