United Nations - CDE News

Rise in reports of fake weight-loss drugs linked to shortage of real thing, WHO says

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday warned that global shortages last year of popular diabetes medicines that are also used for weight loss, such as Novo Nordisk's Ozempic, had…

Read More Here

WHO classifies JN.1 coronavirus strain as ‘variant of interest’

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a "variant of interest", but said it did not pose much threat to public health. "Based on…

Read More Here

UN marks 75 years of human rights declaration in shadow of Gaza

By Emma Farge GENEVA, Dec 11 (Reuters) - The U.N. human rights chief urged countries on Monday to work together to defeat threats such as war and pollution at an…

Read More Here

Russia fails to get re-elected to UN ship agency’s governing council; Malta re-elected

LONDON - Russia on Friday failed to win enough votes for re-election to the United Nation's shipping agency's governing council after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had urged countries not to…

Read More Here

In UN talks for a global plastic treaty, delegates to face off over production limits

By Valerie Volcovici Nov 12 (Reuters) - As the world's nations enter another round of talks this week on creating a first-ever treaty to contain plastic pollution, officials are bracing…

Read More Here

UN chief rejects Israel accusations he justified Hamas attacks

By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS, (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rejected accusations by Israel that, in a statement to the Security Council, he had justified attacks by the…

Read More Here

UN Security Council meets for first time on AI risks

By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS, (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council held its first meeting on artificial intelligence on Tuesday where China said the technology should not become a…

Read More Here

UN food aid deliveries by AI robots could begin next year

AI-powered robotic vehicles could deliver food parcels to conflict and disaster zones by as early as next year in a move aimed to spare the lives of humanitarian workers, a…

Read More Here

UN chief backs idea of global AI watchdog like nuclear agency

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday backed a proposal by some artificial intelligence executives for the creation of an international AI watchdog body like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).Generative…

Read More Here

Five nations elected to U.N. Security Council, but Belarus denied

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations General Assembly elected Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and South Korea to the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday for two-year terms starting on…

Read More Here

U.N. chief urges faster shift to ‘net zero’ after report highlights climate threat

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on rich nations to accelerate their shift to "net zero" emissions on Monday after a new assessment from scientists warned there was little time…

Read More Here

IAEA board backs Grossi’s appointment to second four-year term

VIENNA, March 10 (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog's 35-nation board of governors on Friday backed the reappointment of Argentina's Rafael Grossi to a second four-year term as director general, diplomats at…

Read More Here

Nations secure U.N. global high seas biodiversity pact

By David Stanway March 5 (Reuters) - Negotiators from more than 100 countries completed a U.N. treaty to protect the high seas on Saturday, a long-awaited step that environmental groups…

Read More Here

Invited by Russia, Roger Waters tells UN: Ukraine invasion illegal

UNITED NATIONS, (Reuters) - Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters on Wednesday evening addressed the U.N. Security Council at Russia's invitation, condemning Moscow's invasion of its neighbor as illegal - though…

Read More Here

WHO investigating links between cough syrup deaths, considers advice for parents

he World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating whether there is any connection between manufacturers whose contaminated cough syrups it has linked to the deaths of more than 300 children in three countries,…

Read More Here

U.N. chief to convene ‘no-nonsense’ climate summit in 2023

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will convene a "no-nonsense" climate ambition summit in September next year and warned on Monday that there will be "no room for back-sliders, greenwashers, blame-shifters"…

Read More Here

U.N. publicly rejects Russia’s call for secret vote on Ukraine

The United Nations General Assembly voted on Monday to reject Russia's call for the 193-member body to hold a secret ballot later this week on whether to condemn Moscow's move to…

Read More Here

U.N. refugee boss warns of ‘severe cuts’ without immediate new funding

GENEVA, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The U.N. refugee agency will have to make "severe cuts", increasing the hardships of those who have been driven from their homes, unless it gets…

Read More Here

Nearly 1 million people face starvation in hunger hotspots – U.N. agencies

Nearly one million people in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen are starving or will face starvation this year in the absence of aid, as the global food crisis…

Read More Here

UN showdown looms between Lavrov, West over atrocities in Ukraine

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will face off on Thursday with his Ukrainian and Western counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when…

Read More Here

Macron slams nations staying neutral on Ukraine as ‘complicit’ with Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of a modern day imperialism that was based on the law of the jungle and pleaded on Tuesday for neutral countries to stop being…

Read More Here

World leaders lash Russia over Ukraine invasion, referendum plans

KYIV/UNITED NATIONS, Sept 21 (Reuters) - World leaders meeting at the United Nations in New York denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as Moscow-installed leaders in occupied areas of four Ukrainian…

Read More Here

U.N. General Assembly again overwhelmingly isolates Russia over Ukraine

Almost three-quarters of the U.N. General Assembly demanded aid access and civilian protection in Ukraine on Thursday evening, and criticized Russia for creating a "dire" humanitarian situation after Moscow invaded…

Read More Here

UN to approve plastic treaty roadmap

NAIROBI, March 2 (Reuters) - The United Nations is set to approve a plan to create the world's first ever global plastic pollution treaty on Wednesday, describing it as the most significant…

Read More Here

U.N. General Assembly set to censure Russia over Ukraine invasion

UNITED NATIONS, March 2 (Reuters) - The United Nations General Assembly is set to reprimand Russia on Wednesday over its invasion of Ukraine and demand that Moscow stop fighting and withdraw its…

Read More Here

U.N. Security Council calls rare General Assembly session on Ukraine

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council on Sunday called for a rare emergency special session of the 193-member General Assembly on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which will be held…

Read More Here

U.N. defines Holocaust denial

The United Nations General Assembly agreed on a definition of denial of the Holocaust, when the Nazis killed 6 million Jews during World War Two, and urged social media companies…

Read More Here

Protect the unvaccinated, then offer boosters – WHO

Getting an initial course of COVID-19 vaccines to unprotected groups all over the world should remain a top priority before offering booster shots to vulnerable groups, World Health Organisation (WHO)…

Read More Here

Malaria deaths rise by 69,000 in 2020 due to COVID-19 disruptions, says WHO

Healthcare disruptions linked to the coronavirus pandemic helped malaria kill 69,000 more people in 2020 than the previous year, but a worst-case scenario was averted, the World Health Organization said on Monday.…

Read More Here

U.N. chief names U.S. diplomat to run Libya mediation

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday appointed U.S. diplomat Stephanie Williams to lead mediation efforts in Libya after his special envoy quit just weeks ahead of planned elections in the war-torn country. U.N. special…

Read More Here

WHO says it is not yet clear if Omicron causes more severe disease

GENEVA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday that it is not yet clear if the new Omicron coronavirus variant is more transmissible compared to…

Read More Here

WHO nears consensus on future international pact to prevent pandemics

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is inching closer to a consensus to negotiate an international agreement to prevent future pandemics, although Washington is so far reluctant to make the pact…

Read More Here

WFP warns of countdown to catastrophe as acute hunger reaches new peak

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the number of people teetering on the edge of famine in 43 countries has risen to 45 million, as acute…

Read More Here

WHO confirms that Tedros lone candidate for director-general election in May

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday that its current director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the only candidate nominated for the U.N. agency's elections in May. "WHO can announce…

Read More Here

‘An epidemic’ of coups, U.N. chief laments, urging Security Council to act

U.N. chief Antonio Guterres assailed what he called "an epidemic of coup d'états" and urged the Security Council to act to effectively deter them as the 15-member body prepared to…

Read More Here

U.N. warns world set for 2.7C rise on today’s emissions pledges

Current commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions put the planet on track for an average 2.7 degrees Celsius temperature rise this century, a United Nations report said, in another stark…

Read More Here

UN warns world ‘way off track’ as greenhouse gases soar

GENEVA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Greenhouse gas concentrations hit a new record in 2020, the U.N. weather agency said on Monday, warning that the world was "way off track" to…

Read More Here

WHO-led programme aims to buy antiviral COVID-19 pills for $10

A World Health Organization-led programme to ensure poorer countries get fair access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments aims to secure antiviral drugs for patients with mild symptoms for as little…

Read More Here

Matt Hancock loses UN job just four days after his appointment

Matt Hancock has lost his new job at the United Nations just four days after being appointed, following outrage from figures who condemned the “jaw dropping” decision to appoint him…

Read More Here

UN weather agency warns of water crisis without urgent reforms

Global water resource management is "fragmented and inadequate" and countries should urgently adopt reforms to ramp up financing and boost cooperation on emergency warning systems ahead of a looming crisis,…

Read More Here

WHO’s Tedros wins German backing for second term

BERLIN, Sept 21 (Reuters) - German Health Minister Jens Spahn backed a second term for World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and called on other countries to support the…

Read More Here

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing

The World Health Organization has announced the appointment of Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing. Mr Brown is widely credited…

Read More Here

Are COVID-19 boosters ethical, with half the world waiting for a first shot? A bioethicist weighs in

Nancy S. Jecker Professor of Bioethics and Humanities, School of Medicine, University of Washington Should countries that can afford COVID-19 booster vaccines offer them to residents if scientists recommend them?…

Read More Here

UN chief warns China, US to avoid new Cold War

Warning of a potential new Cold War, the head of the United Nations implored China and the United States to repair their “completely dysfunctional” relationship before problems between the two…

Read More Here

WHO’s Tedros looks set to run unopposed for a second term

The World Health Organization's chief looks set to run unopposed for a second term at the helm as tries to guide the world through its biggest health crisis in a…

Read More Here

World leaders return to U.N. with focus on pandemic, climate

World leaders are returning to the United Nations in New York this week with a focus on boosting efforts to fight both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, which last…

Read More Here

Glasgow climate summit at risk of failure, U.N. chief warns

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said a critical meeting on climate change later this year in Scotland is at risk of failure due to mistrust between developed and developing countries…

Read More Here

U.N. says world likely to miss climate targets despite COVID pause in emissions

ZURICH, Sept 16 (Reuters) - The pace of climate change has not been slowed by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the world remains behind in its battle to cut carbon…

Read More Here

Blinken denies Taliban blocking Americans from leaving Mazar-i-Sharif

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken denied on Tuesday reports that the Taliban had blocked Americans attempting to fly out of of a northern Afghan city, but said the group had not…

Read More Here

UN says basic services in Afghanistan are collapsing

Afghanistan is facing the collapse of basic services and food and other aid is about to run out, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on…

Read More Here

Weather disasters killed 2 million in last 50 years, UN agency WMO says

The number of disasters, such as floods and heatwaves, driven by climate change have increased fivefold over the past 50 years, killing more than 2 million people and costing $3.64…

Read More Here

U.N. rights boss says has credible reports of Taliban executions

Top U.N. human rights official Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday that she had received credible reports of serious violations committed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, including summary executions of civilians and restrictions on women…

Read More Here

Booster COVID-19 shots should be delayed -WHO director-general

-WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that COVID-19 booster shots should be delayed as priority should be given to raising vaccination rates in countries where only 1% or 2% of the…

Read More Here

WHO seeks ‘best minds’ to probe new pathogens that jump from animals to humans

GENEVA, Aug 20 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday it was looking for the greatest scientific minds to advise on investigations into new high-threat pathogens that…

Read More Here

France’s Macron urges UN to act with single voice on Afghanistan

Islamist militants will seek to benefit from the turmoil in Afghanistan, said French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, adding that France would do all it could to ensure Russia, the United States…

Read More Here

Reactions to the ‘Code Red’ U.N. climate science report

Eight years after its last full update on climate science, the United Nations on Monday published a report that delivered even starker warnings about how human-induced climate change is affecting…

Read More Here

U.N. sounds clarion call over ‘irreversible’ climate impacts by humans

The U.N. climate panel sounded a dire warning Monday, saying the world is dangerously close to runaway warming – and that humans are "unequivocally" to blame. Already, greenhouse gas levels…

Read More Here