United Nations

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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WHO reports spike in global measles cases

The United Nations' World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday released an update on global measles cases, noting a spike in the number of cases confirmed. The report said some 440,200…

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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United Nations could run out of money in a few weeks

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned the international organisation is running a deficit of $230 million and may run out of money by the end of October. The United…

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