23

Jan

UN health emergency committee to re-convene on global threat posed by China virus outbreak

Experts convened in Geneva by the World Health Organization (WHO) will meet again on Thursday to determine whether novel coronavirus is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Members of the WHO Emergency Committee deliberated until late on Wednesday evening, as…

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23

Jan

Turkish foreign minister calls for enlarged NATO, Georgia membership

Turkey’s foreign minister called on Thursday for the enlargement of NATO and the addition of Georgia to the organization. “I don’t understand why we have not invited Georgia or we…

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23

Jan

World Court orders Myanmar to take steps to protect Rohingya

The International Court of Justice on Thursday ordered Myanmar to take urgent measures to protect its Muslim Rohingya population from persecution and atrocities and preserve evidence of alleged crimes against…

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22

Jan

UN welcomes Libya peace commitments from Berlin summit

The United Nations Security Council praised the commitment shown by world leaders to support a plan to restore peace in conflict-torn Libya and urged the warring factions to finalize a cease-fire…

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22

Jan

UN human rights ruling could boost climate change asylum claims

The UN Human Rights Committee has determined that countries cannot deport people who have sought asylum due to climate-related threats. The historic ruling marks the first decision by a UN human rights…

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20

Jan

China confirms sharp rise in cases of SARS-like virus across the country

China on Monday reported a mysterious SARS-like virus had spread across the country, including to Beijing, raising concerns as millions begin trips for the Lunar New Year. A third person…

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18

Jan

UNICEF warns ‘dire and untenable’ situation for tens of thousands of children in unrelenting conflict in Libya

The world should not accept the “dire and untenable” situation facing children in wartorn Libya the head of the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said on Friday. “Children in Libya, including…

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17

Jan

WHO warns lack of new antibiotics threatens global efforts to contain drug-resistant infections

Declining private investment and lack of innovation in the development of new antibiotics are undermining efforts to combat drug-resistant infections, says the World Health Organization (WHO). Two new reports reveal…

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15

Jan

UN moves to tackle ‘hidden abuse’ and violence against Europe’s children

Each year, at least 55 million children in Europe suffer some form of physical, sexual, emotional or psychological violence, the UN health agency (WHO) said. And despite the magnitude of…

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15

Jan

UN aviation experts to join Ukraine Airlines Iran crash investigation

Experts from the UN aviation watchdog, ICAO, will support the investigation into the crash of a Ukrainian Passenger plane in Iran on January 8, following an invitation from the Iranian…

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13

Jan

Chinese mystery virus outbreak not spreading at present

An outbreak of pneumonia that has killed one person in China and infected 40 others appears to be linked to a single seafood market in the central city of Wuhan…

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10

Jan

UNHCR issues recommendations for EU to make 2020 year of change for refugee protection

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is calling on the European Union (EU) to make 2020 “the year of change for robust refugee protection”. On Thursday, the agency issued a set…

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10

Jan

Trump proposes NATO expansion into Middle East

President Donald Trump on Thursday proposed expanding NATO's membership to include Middle Eastern nations in light of recent U.S. tensions in the region with Iran. The president's suggestion came one…

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09

Jan

UN warns of surge in terrorist attacks in Sahel and West Africa

The U.N. envoy for West Africa and the Sahel says the region has experienced "a devastating surge in terrorist attacks against civilian and military targets" in recent months. Mohamed Ibn…

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09

Jan

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pledges ‘active engagement’ in further de-escalation efforts

In the wake of an Iranian ballistic missile attack on air bases which house US forces in Iraq, the UN Secretary-General said on Wednesday that he would “continue his active…

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09

Jan

WHO fears China’s mysterious outbreak could be new virus

Chinese state media said on Thursday that an outbreak of more than 50 pneumonia cases in the central city of Wuhan could be caused by a new strain of coronavirus.…

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08

Jan

Spread of polio still an international public health concern

The spread of polio internationally remains a global public health concern, experts meeting in Geneva have concluded. The opinion comes in a statement released on Tuesday following the latest meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the…

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08

Jan

More than 6,000 dead in world’s worst measles outbreak in DR Congo

The number of people killed by a measles epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed 6,000, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. The WHO says the epidemic…

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07

Jan

NATO Secretary General distances himself from Trump

Nato's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said it was imperative Iran did not require a nuclear weapon, in a reaction to Iran's statement that it would pull out of a nuclear…

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06

Jan

NATO to meet over Iran crisis amid ‘menacing escalation’

NATO ambassadors will meet in Brussels on Monday amid ongoing Middle East tensions, three days after the US killing of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani. "The North Atlantic Council will…

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05

Jan

NATO suspends training mission in Iraq

NATO suspended its training mission in Iraq, the alliance said Saturday after a U.S. drone strike killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad. NATO has been advising the Iraqi defense…

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04

Jan

Libya: UNHCR deeply concerned by shelling near Tripoli facility

Shelling near a major facility run by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Thursday, has sparked deep concern for the safety of refugees and asylum seekers…

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04

Jan

Almost 1,300 migrants drowned in Mediterranean in 2019 – IOM

Almost 1,300 migrants drowned in the Mediterranean in 2019, the International Organization for Migration announced. The 1,282 drownings were 44% down on 2018, it said. The number of deaths since…

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04

Jan

UN calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Libya, Haftar announces general mobilization of forces

  The head of the UN urged Saturday an "immediate ceasefire" in war-weary Libya where the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) fights forces affiliated with Gen. Khalifa Haftar.…

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02

Jan

As the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife begins, WHO appeals for countries to invest in nurses and midwives

The world will need an additional nine million nurses and midwives to achieve the commitment of providing all people with access to health care by 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. For this reason, the…

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02

Jan

UN chief ‘deeply concerned’ over North Korea missile tests threat

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he is "deeply concerned" about North Korea's indication on Wednesday that it could resume nuclear and missile tests. The statement comes a day after…

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31

Dec

The Year in Pictures – September: UN 2019 Climate Action Summit

  Greta Thunberg, the 16-years-old climate activist from Sweden, addresses world leaders at the start of the 2019 Climate Action Summit which is held in advance of the General Debate…

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30

Dec

UNICEF: 2019 ends ‘deadly decade’ for children in conflict zones

Millions of children across the world are entering a new decade facing the devastating consequences of violence in conflict zones, UNICEF said on Monday. The United Nations' children's agency has documented 170,000 grave…

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21

Dec

Thousands in Lesotho ‘one step away from famine’ as drought impacts harvests and UN launches flash appeal

Devastating drought in the southern African nation of Lesotho has left more than half a million people facing severe food shortages and tens of thousands “one step away from famine”, UN…

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21

Dec

ICC to conduct official probe into alleged war crimes in Palestine

  Following a “thorough, independent and objective assessment”, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that she plans to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes in…

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20

Dec

United Nations insists that only a political solution can solve Libyan crisis

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) released a statement Friday on social media expressing concern over recent developments in Libya. "UNSMIL regrets the recent developments: military escalation, growing…

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20

Dec

Rights expert welcomes Pope’s decision to lift ‘veil of secrecy’ on child abuse cases

The Vatican must take action to ensure justice for people who were sexually abused by priests during childhood, a UN independent human rights expert said on Thursday. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio issued the charge in a statement welcoming the…

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19

Dec

The UNICEF Photos of the Year 2019

Photos made available by UNICEF showing prize photos of the UNICEF Photo of the Year 2019 which was won by the photo (see above)  titled 'Philippines: Garbage, the Children and…

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19

Dec

WHO reports that for the first time male smoking rates stalled

For years, declines in tobacco use were driven mostly by women and girls. The UN health organization welcomed governments' successful efforts to decrease smoking among men and boys. The number…

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19

Dec

WHO applauds low cost breast cancer medicine move good news for women

More women could soon have access to an affordable version of an expensive life-saving breast cancer treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The UN health agency has prequalified the biosimilar version of the…

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18

Dec

UN probing Canadian lobbying firm’s possible role in Sudanese troop deployment in Libya

A United Nations panel is investigating whether a Canadian lobbying firm has played a “direct role” in the illegal deployment of about 1,000 Sudanese troops to reinforce a Libyan warlord’s…

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18

Dec

UN calls for new approach to ‘refugee crises’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged governments to rise to the task of protecting refugees across the globe amid a growing number of people fleeing their homes for safety.…

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15

Dec

Longest UN climate talks end with no deal on carbon markets

Marathon international climate talks ended Sunday with negotiators postponing until next year a key decision on how to regulate global carbon markets. After two weeks of negotiations in Madrid on…

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13

Dec

Traditional Thai massage added to UNESCO ‘cultural heritage’ list

Thai massage has been added to a prestigious UNESCO heritage list. Nuad Thai is now part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, which features traditions and practices passed across…

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12

Dec

United Nations documents 647 civilian casualties since start of Tripoli offensive

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said it had documented 647 civilian casualties since last April, when Khalifa Haftar's offensive on Tripoli began In a letter by the UN…

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11

Dec

OSCE and UN recommit to strengthening co-operation

The OSCE and the UN Secretariat in New York finalized an agreement to strengthen co-operation on addressing key challenges to international peace and security, and on promoting respect for human…

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11

Dec

Suu Kyi rejects genocide claims in UN court

Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been defending her country against allegations of genocide at the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ). The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is responding…

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11

Dec

Human Rights Day celebrates ‘tremendous activism’ of the world’s young people

Activists, students and UN officials came together on Tuesday to pay tribute to young people’s “tremendous activism” in promoting human rights for everyone. Speaking at UN Headquarters during an event to mark Human Rights Day, the Secretary-General…

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09

Dec

Message from UN Secretary General for International Anti-corruption Day

  International Anti-Corruption Day has been observed annually, on 9 December, since the passage of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption on 31 October 2003 to raise public awareness for…

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07

Dec

Rise in Caribbean children displaced by storms shows climate crisis is a child rights issue: UNICEF

The number of Caribbean children displaced by storms has risen approximately six-fold in the past five years, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals in a new report released on Friday. Catastrophic tropical cyclones…

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06

Dec

In rare legal test, Myanmar faces genocide hearings at The Hague

Lawyers pressing a case against Myanmar for alleged genocide against its Muslim Rohingya minority will next week ask U.N.  judges at The Hague to order immediate action to protect them…

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06

Dec

Brazil could lose its U.N. vote due to debt

Brazil is in danger of losing its vote at the cash-strapped United Nations if it does not pay some of the $400 million it owes by the end of the…

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06

Dec

Measles ‘misinformation campaigns’ through social media having disastrous consequences

Measles deaths and infections in 2019 are set to “substantially exceed” last year’s toll when more than 142,000 people died from the preventable disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.…

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06

Dec

OPEC meeting breaks up without agreement

  A meeting of the OPEC group of major oil-exporting countries broke up late Thursday without agreement on cutting production to head off pressure on prices from abundant reserves and…

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05

Dec

Over 50 persons killed as migrant boat sinks off Mauritania coast

At least 58 people have died after a boat carrying migrants was shipwrecked in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Mauritania, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced. Survivors…

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05

Dec

NATO allies issue strongest warning yet over Russia threat, mention China for first time

NATO allies have used their strongest language yet against Russia, mentioned China for the first time and agreed to a rethink about the future. In a joint declaration, the 29…

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05

Dec

France, Germany and the United Kingdom say Iran has nuclear-capable missiles

France, Germany and the United Kingdom say “Iran’s developments of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles” go against a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on Tehran not to undertake any activity related to…

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04

Dec

Record numbers of people expected to need humanitarian assistance in 2020

A record 168 million people around the world will need humanitarian assistance and protection next year, according to estimates in the UN’s Global Humanitarian Overview. UN emergency relief chief Mark…

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04

Dec

Johnson warns NATO members not to “shy away” from emerging threats

Boris Johnson has warned NATO members they must not "shy away" from discussing emerging threats, after Emmanuel Macron defended his warning that the alliance was suffering from strategic "brain death".…

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04

Dec

OPEC gearing up for deeper oil cuts

OPEC is gearing up to deepen production cuts later this week but still needs to agree with allies such as Russia over details of a deal to support oil prices…

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04

Dec

Macron wants bigger Europe military role in NATO

French President Emmanuel Macron said Europeans should play a greater role within the NATO military alliance in order to be less dependent on the United States. Macron said he wants…

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29

Nov

UN warns Zimbabwe ‘on brink of man-made starvation’

Zimbabwe is on the brink of man-made starvation; a UN official has warned. More than 60% of the country's 14 million people are considered food-insecure, according to the findings. Hyperinflation,…

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