At General Assembly, European leaders pledge support for UN efforts to resolve crises
Sep 25, 2014, at 02:07 pm
New York, Sept 25 (IBNS) European leaders took the podium on Wednesday on the first day of this year’s annual high-level meeting of the General Assembly to pledge their commitment to United Nations efforts to achieve peace and development across a whole range of issues while highlighting their own specific concerns.
International Criminal Court opens second probe into Central African Republic violence
Sep 25, 2014, at 02:05 pm
New York, Sept 25 (IBNS ) The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced that she is opening a second investigation into the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) with respect to crimes allegedly committed since 2012.
ISIL should be degraded and destroyed: Obama
Sep 25, 2014, at 04:26 am
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) US President Barack Obama on Wednesday addressed the UN General Assembly where he attacked the ISIL and said the militant group should be 'degraded and ultimately destroyed'.
General Assembly President opens annual debate urging leaders to 'make history'
Sep 25, 2014, at 03:16 am
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) As he opened the annual United Nations forum for world leaders on Wednesday, the President of the General Assembly appealed to them to seize this "unprecedented historic" opportunity to improve the livelihoods of all people and set them on a path to achieving sustainable development.
Opening General Assembly debate, Ban urges leadership to move from 'turbulence' to peace
Sep 25, 2014, at 03:15 am
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) Warning that the world's "fasten seat belt" light is illuminated,Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday opened the 69th annual debate of the United Nations General Assembly with a call for decisive leadership at a time when the ghosts of the Cold War have returned and much of the Arab Spring has gone violently wrong.
UN General Assembly's 69th general debate kicks off Wednesday
Sep 24, 2014, at 07:24 pm
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) The United Nations General Assembly’s annual high-level debate officially kicks off Wednesday, but this year, more than 120 leaders have already spent a day focusing on the existential threat of climate change and getting a head start on an agenda dominated by an unprecedented number of challenges facing the world on Tuesday .
Yemen: UN Security Council hails new peace accord, warns against violent disruptions
Sep 24, 2014, at 07:09 pm
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) Welcoming a recent peace pact signed between the Yemeni Government and its opponents, the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday called for its full and immediate implementation, an immediate end to all attacks and threats, and the rapid formation of a new government.
Leaders at UN summit take steps to ensure food security for 9 billion people by 2050
Sep 24, 2014, at 06:52 pm
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) With demand for food set to increase 60 per cent by 2050, world leaders, major corporations and civil society at the United Nations Climate Summit on Tuesday pledged commitments to transform agricultural practices by increasing productivity while reducing carbon emissions.
Hundreds of thousands of Syrian Kurds live in fear of Islamist extremist violence – UN
Sep 24, 2014, at 06:41 pm
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) With 138,000 Syrians having already fled to Turkey from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), United Nations officials on Tuesday voiced grave concern for hundreds of thousands more who remained, living in fear of the sort of persecution perpetrated by ISIL against religious and ethnic minorities elsewhere.
UN experts urge real dialogue with children about their rights, decisions that affect them
Sep 24, 2014, at 06:37 pm
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) A group of United Nations independents experts on Tuesday called on governments to make renewed efforts to ensure that children’s views are heard and taken into account.
On eve of Security Council summit, Ban calls for decisive action against terrorism
Sep 24, 2014, at 06:27 pm
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) Ahead of on Wednesday’s United Nations Security Council summit on foreign terrorist fighters, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for decisive action in support of efforts to confront extremists.
Cross-border attacks force movement of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon – UN agency
Sep 24, 2014, at 06:13 pm
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) The United Nations refugee agency announced on Tuesday that it is stepping up efforts to move some 5,000 Nigerian refugees in Cameroon away from a border town amidst ongoing cross border attacks by insurgents.
Iraq: UN delivers food to over 1 million displaced people; refugee numbers rise sharply
Sep 24, 2014, at 06:09 pm
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) Despite insecurity and the continuous movement of people, the United Nations said on Tuesday it has reached more than one million people uprooted by violence across Iraq with food assistance, while also noting a sharp increase in refugees fleeing into neighbouring Jordan and Turkey.
UN rights office disappointed as Thai court upholds conviction on insulting monarchy
Sep 24, 2014, at 05:56 pm
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) The United Nations human rights office on Tuesday voiced its disappointment at the decision of a court in Thailand to uphold the conviction and sentencing of an editor for publishing articles considered offensive to the monarchy.
Thousands of children at risk of starvation in South Sudan, UNICEF warns
Sep 24, 2014, at 05:03 pm
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) Thousands of children under the age of five are at risk of dying from malnutrition in South Sudan and 1.5 million people will be in crisis and emergency food insecurity levels from September through December, warned the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday .
ISIS releases second video of British hostage
Sep 24, 2014, at 04:51 am
London, Sept 23 (IBNS): The Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Tuesday released a second video of British freelance photographer John Cantlie in less than a week.
DR Congo: Ban says recommitment to peace framework critical to addressing root cause of conflict
Sep 23, 2014, at 06:10 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday said that addressing the root causes of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region requires a recommitment to all national and regional commitments under the agreed-to peace Framework.
Global film industry perpetuates discrimination against women – UN-backed study
Sep 23, 2014, at 06:07 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) Nowhere to be “scene,†women protagonists have less than one-third of all speaking roles in film and are largely absent from powerful positions, according to a United Nations-backed survey released on Monday which argues for the involvement of more female film-makers in the industry, and for greater sensitivity to gender imbalance on screen.
New UN-Arab League pact aims to better protect children affected by armed conflict
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:58 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) The United Nations and the League of Arab States on Monday signed an agreement to strengthen the protection of children affected by armed conflict in the Arab world.
Absence of 'credible political solution' causing severe consequences in Middle East: UN chief
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:55 pm
New York , Sept 23 (IBNS) The absence of a credible political solution is having "severe consequences" on the Middle East, said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on0 Monday as he urged all parties to reverse the negative trend toward hostilities and return to peace talks that tackle the root causes of the crisis.
Ban welcomes release of Turkish hostages seized three months ago in Iraq
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:36 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed the release of a group of Turkish nations held since June by the group, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
Accountability for Israeli, Palestinian rights violations vital for peace – UN official
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:32 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) A senior United Nations official on Monday urged both the Israeli and Palestinian sides to carry out their own investigations into the recent conflict and take steps to ensure accountability for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law that were committed.
Cairo+20: General Assembly reaffirms UN goals on population, development
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:28 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) The international community must renew its pledge to protect women and girls as it strives to improve the dignity of all people and secure the future of the planet, senior United Nations officials told General Assembly on Monday, marking 20 years since a landmark conference that reinforced the principle that people should be at the centre of development.
Success of Indigenous Peoples World Conference 'integral to humanity's progress'-Ban
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:21 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) Opening on Monday the first-ever World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that deliberations and decisions made during the two-day event will reverberate across the world, with concrete impacts on the lives of millions.
PLA must have absolute faith in Communist Party of China: Jinping
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:14 pm
Beijing, Sep 23 (IBNS): Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded “absolute loyalty†from People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s top brass, media reports said.
Yemen: Ban welcomes signing of UN-brokered agreement as step towards peace, stability
Sep 23, 2014, at 05:07 pm
New York, Sept 23(IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling for the implementation “in full, without delay†of a newly-agreed peace deal in Yemen which strives to end violence that has killed and displaced hundreds of people in recent weeks.
Turkish hostages held by IS released
Sep 21, 2014, at 02:52 am
Istanbul, Sept 20 (IBNS): After three months of captivity, several Turkish hostages, who were abducted by Islamist militants form northern Iraq, were released on Saturday, media reports said.
In presidential statement, Security Council condemns attacks against UN Golan force
Sep 20, 2014, at 05:39 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS)Condemning recent hostile acts against United Nations peacekeepers in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) area of operations, the Security Council on Friday demanded that all groups other than UNDOF must abandon all Force positions and the Quneitra crossing point, and return the peacekeepers’ vehicles, weapons and other equipment.
Iraq: Security Council urges international support for Government’s combat against insurgents
Sep 20, 2014, at 05:12 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) The Security Council on Friday strongly condemned attacks by terrorist organizations including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and urged Member States to assist the Iraqi Government’s efforts to combat militants and implement its new political agenda, while the United Nations envoy to the country briefed on the latest developments.
UN human rights office welcomes conditional release of Bahraini rights defender
Sep 20, 2014, at 04:58 pm
New York, Sept 20 (IBNS) The United Nations Human Rights Office on Friday welcomed the conditional release of Bahraini human rights defender Maryam Al-Khawaja, who had been in detention since her arrest at Manama airport on 30 August.