At UN conference, top officials urge greater development assistance for landlocked countries
Nov 04, 2014, at 06:25 pm
New York, Nov 4 (IBNS) The international community must aid the world’s landlocked developing countries (LLDC) in pursuing their goals for greater economic development to transition from being landlocked to “landlinked,†Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon advised on Monday, noting that only through comprehensive improvements in trade would such nations be best prepared to tackle the post-2015 agenda.
Boat capsizes off Istanbul, 24 killed
Nov 04, 2014, at 12:05 am
Istanbul, Nov 3 (IBNS): At least 24 people were killed and several others are missing after a boat, reported to be carrying migrants, sank off the north coast of Istanbul.
'Stand up for justice', UN urges on first Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
Nov 03, 2014, at 02:30 am
New York, Nov 2 (IBNS) Protecting the safety of journalists and ensuring that crimes committed against them don't go unpunished is ever-more important in on Sunday's changing times in order to build transparent societies and keep citizens around the world informed, the United Nations said on Sunday marking the first-ever International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
Virgin Spaceflight crash kills 1, Branson vows to continue mission
Nov 02, 2014, at 12:59 am
California, Nov 1 (IBNS) A pilot was killed as Virgin's tourist-carrying Galactic rocket ship crashed on a test flight at California's Mojave Desert in the US on Friday.
Security Council condemns ISIL's murder of Sunni tribesmen in Anbar
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:18 pm
New York, Nov 1 (IBNS) The Security Council this evening strongly condemned the kidnapping and murder by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorists of "scores" of Sunni tribesmen whose bodies were found in mass graves in Anbar province, and once again urged the world to unite in a "common effort" to defeat the group and "stamp out" the violence and hatred it espouses.
Syria: 'Outraged' Security Council condemns ongoing violence targeting civilians
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:16 pm
New York , Nov 1 (IBNS) Outraged by the violence directed against civilians in Syria, including the reported dropping of barrel bombs on a displaced persons camp in the war-torn country’s northern region, which killed dozens of people, the Security Council this evening strongly condemned such acts, and reminded all the parties of their international legal obligations to protect civilians.
UN Mission extracts 30 civilians from airstrip in South Sudan as violence continues
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:15 pm
New York, Nov 1 (IBNS) The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) extracted 30 civilians from the Rubkona airstrip on Thursday and brought them to the Protection of Civilians site in the UN compound, the Secretary-General said Friday.
Wrapping up Kenya visit, UN chief says technology can change future of Africa
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:14 pm
New York, Nov 1 (IBNS) Technology can help fuel Africa's development, facilitate peace and secure the continent's future, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday, as he wrapped up his trip to Kenya with a visit to a technology hub in the country's capital of Nairobi.
Burkina Faso: Ban notes resignation of President, as envoy arrives in crisis-gripped capital
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:12 pm
New York, Nov 1 (IBNS): As his special envoy arrived in Burkina Faso this morning following the country's deteriorating security situation, the Secretary-General noted on Friday the resignation of President Blaise Compaore and continues to follow events there with great concern.
Secretary-General establishes eminent panel to review UN peace operations
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:11 pm
New York, Nov 1 (IBNS): The world is changing and United Nations peace operations must change with it if they are to remain an indispensable and effective tool in promoting international peace and security, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday, announcing a new blue ribbon panel to assess the current and future needs of the Organization’s peacekeeping architecture.
Central African Republic: As violence flares, UN warns of worsening humanitarian conditions
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:10 pm
New York, Nov 1 (IBNS) Fresh fighting in the Central African Republic (CAR) has aggravated the humanitarian situation across the country, UN humanitarian officials warned today, adding that amid the upsurge in violence, aid workers were now facing unprecedented attacks.
Singapore edict criminalizing same-sex relations 'missed opportunity' – UN rights office
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:09 pm
New York, Nov 1 (IBNS) The United Nations human rights office on Friday expressed regret over a recent Singapore Supreme Court ruling to uphold a law criminalizing consensual same-sex relations between adult men, calling the directive a "missed opportunity" to strike down the law.
UN agency accelerates efforts on Nigerian refugee transfer as border insecurity surges
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:08 pm
New York, Nov 1 (IBNS) Despite mounting insecurity in border areas between Cameroon and Nigeria, where thousands of Nigerian refugees have sought refuge in the past weeks after fleeing from insurgent attacks, the UN refugee agency said it was stepping up efforts to continue to expedite their transfer.
UN agency warns Somalia on verge of food crisis, urges uptick in humanitarian funding
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:05 pm
New York, Nov 1 (IBNS) Still reeling from a devastating famine which struck the countryside in 2011, Somalia once again sits on the brink of another humanitarian crisis as a poor rainy season followed by severe bouts of floods threaten local harvests, the United Nations agriculture agency warned on Friday.
On first-ever World Cities Day, UN spotlights need for sustainable urban planning
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:04 pm
New York, Nov 1 (IBNS) As the world's urban areas inevitably expand, growing both in size and in population, they will also need to transition into better planned and better managed environments or risk exacerbating negative trends, the United Nations warned on Friday.
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:34 am
Ouagadougou, Oct 31 (IBNS) Amid protests, Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore has quit his post, media reports said on Friday
Nigeria blast kills above 30 people
Nov 01, 2014, at 03:16 am
Gombe, Oct 31 (IBNS): More than 30 people were killed in a blast at a bus station in Gombe state in north-eastern Nigeria on Friday, media reports said.
UN rights expert urges reversal of UK decision to halt Mediterranean migrant rescues
Oct 31, 2014, at 03:53 pm
New York, Oct 31 (IBNS) The United Nations human rights expert on migrants on Thursday urged British authorities to reconsider a decision not to support search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea, saying allowing people to die at Europe’s borders just because of their administrative status "is appalling."
At UN-backed forum, countries pledge to develop, implement youth policies
Oct 31, 2014, at 03:52 pm
New York, Oct 31 (IBNS)The United Nations-backed Global Forum on Youth Policies, which brought together over 700 participants from over 165 countries, concluded in Azerbaijan on Thursday with the launch of an outcome document pledging to support countries that are in the process of developing and "elevating" national youth policy.
South Sudan: Ban condemns renewed violence between opposing factions
Oct 31, 2014, at 03:47 pm
New York, Oct 31 (IBNS) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged an immediate end of all hostilities in South Sudan amid a renewed outbreak of violence in two towns in the country’s North, the United Nations confirmed on Thursday.
Relief efforts in Syria hampered by lack of access – senior UN humanitarian official
Oct 31, 2014, at 03:44 pm
New York, Oct 31 (IBNS) Escalating fighting, insecurity and a lack of access to deliver critical assistance continue to hamper United Nations efforts to respond to the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria, a top UN relief official said on Thursday.
Ban urges calm, inclusive dialogue as mass protests sweep Burkina Faso capital
Oct 31, 2014, at 03:43 pm
New York, Oct 31 (IBNS) Greatly concerned by the deteriorating security situation in Burkina Faso, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called for an end to the violence and announced that he is dispatching his special envoy for West Africa to the crisis-gripped country.
Asia-Pacific better poised to respond to disasters as experts agree on statistics standards
Oct 31, 2014, at 03:25 pm
New York, Oct 31 (IBNS) Marking a milestone towards better disaster risk management in Asia and the Pacific, a United Nations-backed group of experts agreed this week on core principles for establishing a common basic range of disaster-related statistics.
In Kenya, UN chief kicks off global media campaign to end female genital mutilation
Oct 31, 2014, at 03:23 pm
New York, Oct 31 (IBNS) The practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) must come to a quick end and the global media can play a critical role in making that happen, Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon affirmed on Thursday during his visit to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
South Africa poised to be key player in humanitarian assistance, says UN relief chief
Oct 30, 2014, at 06:46 pm
New York, Oct 30 (IBNS) Learning from the experiences of the Eastern and South Africa region will be vital in global efforts to reform humanitarian action, a top United Nations humanitarian official said on Wednesday in Pretoria, South Africa, at the opening of the regional consultation for Eastern and Southern Africa of the World Humanitarian Summit.
Ban pays tribute to late Zambian President Michael Chilufya Sata
Oct 30, 2014, at 06:43 pm
New York, Oct 30 (IBNS) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid tribute on Wednesday to Zambia’s late President Michael Chilufya Sata, praising his vision for the country and commitment to addressing the needs of Zambia’s poor.
UN Asia-Pacific forum helps foster youth volunteerism to counter unemployment
Oct 30, 2014, at 06:40 pm
New York, Oct 30 (IBNS) The United Nations has helped set up a youth alliance committed to serving their communities through volunteerism in the Asia-Pacific region, where more than 80 million young people of working age are unemployed, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said on Wednesday.
Oct 30, 2014, at 06:37 pm
New York, Oct 30 (IBNS) The ongoing civil war in Syria and its spillover effects continue to inflict a devastating human and humanitarian toll on neighbouring Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan, a senior United Nations relief official said on Wednesday, warning that rising numbers of displaced persons, increasing pressure on refugee hosting countries and dwindling international support left the UN “racing against the clock†to meet the needs on the ground.
'Status quo not viable option' in Jerusalem, UN political chief tells Security Council
Oct 30, 2014, at 06:33 pm
New York, Oct 30 (IBNS) Ongoing tensions in East Jerusalem and the West Bank cannot be separated from the larger reality that remains unresolved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Ban 'deeply troubled' by findings of review of allegations of misreporting by joint Darfur Mission
Oct 30, 2014, at 06:27 pm
New York, Oct 30 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he is “deeply troubled†by the findings of a review conducted into recent allegations that the UN-African Union peacekeeping force in Sudan’s Darfur region intentionally sought to cover up crimes against civilians and peacekeepers.