Diplomacy

UN emissions report: World on course for more than 3-degree spike, even if climate commitments are met

Even if countries meet commitments made under the 2015 Paris Agreement, the world is heading for a 3.2 degrees Celsius global temperature rise over pre-industrial levels, leading to even wider-ranging and more destructive climate impacts, warns a report…

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Spike in the number of migrant boats leaving Libya

There’s been a spike in the number of migrant boats leaving Libya’s coastline this week, the UN migration agency, IOM, said on Friday. More than 600 people were discovered in…

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UN Secretary General urges to ‘maximize the positive’ from new technologies, for our digital future

Both positive and negative technological developments are jolting the world at “unprecedented speed”, the UN chief said, underscoring the need to “maximize the benefits…whilst mitigating harms”. "New technologies, and particularly…

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Four in five adolescents failing to exercise for even 60 minutes a day, UN health agency warns

An alarming lack of exercise among adolescents across the world risks seriously compromising their health into adulthood, the UN health agency revealed. In the first study of its kind on…

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UN consensus on strengthening protection of human rights defenders

A Norwegian-led resolution on human rights defenders has been adopted by consensus in the UN Human Rights Committee. ‘At a time when human rights are coming under severe pressure, it…

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World Television Day celebrates an integral part of modern life

Seven decades of United Nations’ work in developing new standards and systems for broadcasting are being celebrated on Thursday, World Television Day, an annual observance that recognizes the medium’s role…

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Photo Story: Universal Children’s Day at the United Nations

Children sit at a delegate table during an event marking the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on annual Universal Children's…

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Libya’s GNA won’t hand Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi to ICC

The Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) has decided not to hand over Saif Gaddafi, son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, to the International Criminal Court (ICC) where he…

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‘Deadliest year yet’: UN warns over migration deaths in Americas

At least 634 migrants have lost their lives in the Americas in 2019 – marking what may be the deadliest year for people on the move there since records began…

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Hate crime victims disadvantaged by gaps between hate crime legislation and implementation, OSCE human rights head says

Marking the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November with the publication of its annual hate crime dataset, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) urges countries…

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UN leads bid for cheaper insulin, expanding access for diabetics worldwide

Overly expensive insulin could be a thing of the past – and life-changing news – for millions of diabetics under a plan launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) on…

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60,000 Young Refugees and Migrants Who Arrived in Italy Alone Need Ongoing Support Through Transition to Adulthood – UN Agencies

The estimated 60,000 young refugees and migrants who arrived in Italy as unaccompanied children between 2014 and 2018, and who have since turned 18, require ongoing support to ensure their successful transition into adulthood, said UNICEF, UNHCR and IOM in a new report…

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Challenging anti-migration narratives focus of event in Brussels

Challenging intolerance and discrimination by raising awareness about the complexity of migrant integration and promoting a human rights-centred approach to migration were the topics of a workshop in Brussels on…

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UN court says it has jurisdiction in Ukraine-Russia case

In a legal victory for Kiev, the United Nations’ highest court ruled Friday that it has jurisdiction in a case brought by Ukraine alleging that Russia breached treaties on terrorist…

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Troop withdrawals in eastern Ukraine to start today

Troop withdrawals in a village in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine will begin on Saturday at 1000 GMT, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said in…

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UN peacekeepers warn of increasing global challenges

Organized crime, breakdowns in law and order, and attacks by extremists, are examples of the challenges faced by UN peacekeepers, the Security Council was told, during a briefing by senior…

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Pompeo says NATO needs to change, or risk becoming obsolete

NATO needs to grow and change or else the alliance runs the risk of becoming obsolete, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday. “Seventy years on NATO now,…

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FAO warns disease slashing global meat output, bananas under watch

A rapid spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) is wiping out pig herds in China, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Thursday, and the killer disease has led to a…

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NATO alliance experiencing brain death, says Macron

President Emmanuel Macron of France has described NATO as "brain dead", stressing what he sees as waning commitment to the transatlantic alliance by its main guarantor, the US. Interviewed by…

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Palestine refugee agency chief resigns amidst mismanagement probe

The Commissioner-General for the UN relief and works agency serving Palestine refugees, UNRWA, resigned on Wednesday, hours after the UN announced preliminary findings of an investigation into misconduct allegations. Outgoing…

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Congolese warlord sentenced to 30 years by ICC

A former Congolese rebel leader has been sentenced to 30 years for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Fighters loyal to Bosco Ntaganda carried out massacres of civilians, said judges…

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ICC Prosecutor renews call for surrendering Saif Gaddafi

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Fatou Bensouda has renewed her call on Libyan authorities to surrender to her office Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, son of late dictator Muammar…

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International community urged to deliver on promise for better future for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Current trends and public pronouncements by some political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina indicate an effort to roll back reforms implemented since the end of the Balkan wars two decades…

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US submits formal notice for withdrawal from Paris climate deal

The United States has formally told the United Nations is it pulling out of the Paris climate accord, a deal that was signed by Donald Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama. Secretary…

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Land migration in Africa twice as deadly as Mediterranean, says UNHCR

While the Mediterranean Sea remains a deadly route for migrants attempting to reach the European Union, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned that the African land journey to…

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World’s biggest trade deal to be delayed to 2020: draft ASEAN statement

The signing of the world's largest trade pact will likely be kicked back to 2020, according to a draft statement by Southeast Asian leaders, delaying a deal craved by China…

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UN says COP25 climate talks will take place in Spain in December

The United Nations global climate meeting next month, known as COP25, will take place in Madrid after previous host Chile canceled at short notice. UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa said…

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Severe food insecurity alert for 45 million people across Southern Africa

Forty-five million people in southern Africa are expected to face severe food insecurity in the next six months as the worst drought in decades continues to bite, the World…

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Photo Story: NATO military exercises in Spain

Two F-18 fighters release flares as they take part in the Ocean Sky military exercises. NATO members the United States, Turkey and Spain are partecipating in the exercises at in…

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IOM Condemns the Killing of Aid Workers Amidst Deteriorating Security Situation in South Sudan

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) condemned in the strongest possible terms the killing of three IOM aid workers on Sunday in fighting between armed groups in Morobo County, South Sudan’s Central Equatoria region. “We are deeply saddened…

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Tributes for ‘role model’ former UN refugee agency chief, Sadako Ogata

The first woman to serve as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, has died in Tokyo at the age of 92, hailed by the UN Secretary-General on Tuesday as…

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Venezuela exodus set to top 5 million

With roughly 5,000 people leaving the country each day, the exodus from Venezuela is expected to reach 5 million in the coming months, UN and EU officials revealed. Addressing…

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Lives at risk if wireless technology demands are not held in check: UN weather watchdog

Amid growing competition for radio wave space due to new wireless technologies, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) called on governments to protect radio frequencies allocated to potentially life-saving weather forecasting services. Earth…

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‘Amid stormy global seas, UN Charter remains our moral anchor’, says Guterres on United Nations Day

In his annual message for UN Day on Thursday, Secretary-General António Guterres issued a reminder of the role the Organization should be playing, focusing on the the real problems of real people,…

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Global eradication of wild poliovirus type 3 declared on World Polio Day

In an historic announcement on World Polio Day, an independent commission of experts concluded that wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) has been eradicated worldwide. Following the eradication of smallpox and…

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NATO chief warns ‘fight against ISIS is not over’

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned on Wednesday that ISIS could revive itself following the US withdrawal in Syria. In a press conference setting the agenda for an upcoming, high-level…

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WHO launches week of action to ban lead paint

Although exposure to lead remains a key global health concern, particularly as it impacts childhood development, only 73 countries have legally binding controls for lead paint, the World Health Organization…

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UN Committee says Ebola in DR Congo still an international public health emergency

The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) officially remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, experts meeting in Geneva said. The World Health Organization…

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Venezuela, Poland and Sudan amongst 14 new Human Rights Council members

There were 14 new members elected to the Human Rights Council this week, following a secret ballot held in the General Assembly Hall in New York. The Council, which meets…

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FAO warns that obesity rates soared due to dramatic global diet shift

Eating food high in starch, sugar, fats and salt; combined with a sedentary lifestyle, is a recipe for soaring global obesity rates, even in countries where many still suffer from…

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Aid agencies scramble to respond to civilian exodus in north-east Syria

With tens of thousands of people fleeing an air and ground offensive in northeast Syria that started last week, aid workers are rushing to provide food, water and medical assistance.…

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IOM Organizes First Humanitarian Charter Flight from Algeria to Niger

This week, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) organized its first flight for voluntary return from the southern Algerian city of Tamanrasset to Niger’s capital, Niamey, carrying 166 Nigerien nationals,…

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UN ends peacekeeping mission in Haiti

Amid ever increasing protests, the last U.N. peacekeepers exit Haiti after 15 years. Making good on a 2017 vote, on Tuesday the UN Security Council ended its 15-year mission to…

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Nobel season ends with Nobel Prize in Economics

Images of (L-R) Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer, winners of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences 2019, are displayed at a news conference at the Royal Swedish Academy…

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WHO gravely concerned about humanitarian situation in northeast Syria

WHO is gravely concerned about the humanitarian health situation in northeast Syria, where up to 200,000 people have been displaced as a result of increased military operations since 9 October,…

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‘Alarming upsurge’ in measles has devastating impact, WHO warns

Measles is staging a devastating comeback in epidemics across the world as the virus exploits dangerous gaps in vaccination coverage, World Health Organization (WHO) experts warned. Speaking after a two-day…

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‘Business as usual’ for oil after Saudi attacks, oversupply looms: IEA

Global oil markets have quickly recovered from attacks on Saudi oil facilities last month and even face oversupply next year as global demand slows, the International Energy Agency said. Saudi…

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Photo Story: Italian Air Force F-35s during NATO Air Policing

A series of photos of the Italian Air Force multirole combat aircraft F-35 during defence operation Air Policing led by NATO in Keflavik Air Base, Iceland. NATO Air Policing is…

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U.N. envoy pushes to stop ‘blatant’ embargo violations in Libya

The U.N. envoy for Libya said he hopes an international conference next month will produce a Security Council resolution committing foreign powers to stopping an escalating proxy war and an…

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Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed wins Nobel Peace Prize

The 2019 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. He was awarded the prize for his efforts to "achieve peace and international cooperation". A peace…

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Nobel Literature prize once more causes controversy

The Nobel committee has once again sparked controversy by choosing Austrian author Peter Handke, who has been accused of being an apologist for Slobodan Milosevic, for the 2019 literature prize.…

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New U.N. refugee data centre inaugurated in Copenhagen

A new UN refugee data centre was inaugurated in the Danish capital Copenhagen. UN chief António Guterres said will improve the way humanitarian agencies support “some of the most dramatically…

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Divided UN fails to agree on Turkey’s Syria offensive

A split UN Security Council on Thursday night failed to agree on Turkey's offensive in northeast Syria, with European members urging a halt to military action. But Syria's ally Russia urged "restraint" and "direct dialogue" between…

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WHO launches first World report on vision

At least 2.2 billion people have vision impairment or blindness, of which over 1 billion cases could have been prevented or have yet to be addressed More than 1 billion…

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Olga Tokarczuk and Peter Handke win Nobel Prize for Literature for 2018 and 2019

Polish author Olga Tokarczuk and Austria's Peter Handke have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Two winners were named - one for 2019 and one for 2018 - because…

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The UN warns 1.7 million people at risk as Turkey invades northern Syria

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, “has called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint,” said a statement released by his spokesperson, emphasizing his concern for the risks posed to civilians by potential military actions in the war-torn…

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UNICEF now accepting cryptocurrency donations

The UN children’s agency UNICEF as of Wednesday, will be able to receive, hold and disburse donations of cryptocurrencies and bitcoin through its newly established Fund, a first for UN…

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