United Nations

UN’s Guterres says that a broad climate ‘movement’ has begun, but there’s a long way to go

When it comes to the climate emergency, “we have a long way to go. But the movement has begun,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared in a widely distributed opinion piece, reaffirming his concern over the threats…

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UN refugee chief calls on EU to restore search-and-rescue operations.

On the sixth anniversary of a shipwreck off the coast of Lampedusa that claimed at least 368 lives, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi called on EU States to…

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74th U.N. General Debate saw only 16 women deliver national statements

Having concluded the High-level segment of the General Assembly, where heads of State or senior officials from 192 of the UN’s 193 Member States discussed the world’s pressing issues, President…

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Winner of UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award 2019 announced

Kyrgyzstan's Azizibek Ashurov, winner of UNHCR's Nansen Refugee Award 2019, at the announcing and introducing the winner of UNHCR's Nansen Refugee Award 2019, during a press conference, at the European…

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U.N. appeals so that countries make ‘digital world’ safer for children

Rising Internet connectivity has the potential to transform children’s lives for the better, but also makes them vulnerable to sexual abuse, online harassment and bullying, recruitment by extremist groups, and…

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For sixth consecutive year, migrant, refugee death toll in Mediterranean tops 1,000 victims

More than 1,000 migrants and refugees have died in the Mediterranean Sea this year, the sixth year in a row that this “bleak milestone” has been reached, the United Nations…

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U.N. expresses ‘serious concerns’ overdue process in Egypt, following mass-arrests

The UN human rights chief has expressed “serious concerns” over reports of a lack of due process, after authorities in Egypt made widespread arrests during protests last week. In a…

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At UN, Modi says India gave world ‘Buddha, not war’

In his address to the UN General Assembly’s general debate on Friday, the Prime Minister of India outlined how the world’s largest democracy has embodied the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)…

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Pakistan’s Khan warns of all-out conflict amid rising tensions over Kashmir

In a fiery address on Friday to the UN General Assembly, Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, warned of an all-out conflict with neighbouring India, saying that there will be a…

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At UN Assembly, China says ‘it will not ever be cowered by threats’

In his address to the UN General Assembly on Friday, the State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China declared that his country will not ever be cowered by threats or…

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Unable to accept its decline, West subverts international law to suit its needs, Russia’s Lavrov tells UN

While crediting the United Nations for preventing ‘World War III’, the Foreign Minister of Russia lamented to the General Assembly on Friday that the number of conflicts on the planet…

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Prime Minister Joseph Muscat addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly

Here under is the speech by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly: We can describe today's world in many ways:…

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Critical WHO supplies arrive in Sudan to manage cholera outbreak

A shipment of 36 tons of cholera treatment medicines and supplies have arrived in Khartoum and are being prepared for distribution as part of the World Health Organization’s response activities…

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‘Childhood is changing, and so must we’, UNICEF declares, as world marks historic convention

Since its adoption 30 years ago, the milestone Convention of the Rights of the Child and its near universal membership has created “unprecedented international solidarity around children’s rights,'' the Secretary-General…

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‘Moral imperative’ to stop threat to media freedom

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, UK Minister for Human Rights, has said that the current crackdown on journalists across the world is a deep-rooted problem, and a rebuke to the rule…

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World leaders adopt landmark declaration on universal health coverage

This week, world leaders adopted a United Nations Political Declaration on universal health coverage, the most comprehensive set of health commitments ever adopted at this level. “This declaration represents…

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At UN, Iran proposes ‘coalition for hope’ to pull Gulf region from ‘edge of collapse’

The Gulf region is “on the edge of collapse”, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told world leaders on Wednesday at the annual high-level segment of the United Nations General Assembly, saying…

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International postal rates overhauled after emergency talks in Geneva

The UN's postal agency has voted unanimously to reform its fees, potentially averting a US withdrawal. The compromise deal was agreed after two days of emergency talks by the Universal…

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Emergency talks to save Universal Postal Union

Emergency talks are being held at the UN this week over threats from the US to withdraw from a 145-year-old postal treaty. The agreement sets rates for sending packages between…

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US President Trump says countries have ‘absolute right’ to protect their borders

The path to peace and a better world “begins at home,” United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, urging countries to look after their own interests on issues like…

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IOM, UNICEF Strengthen Partnership to Respond to Needs of Migrant Children

Children as young as 10 are among Ethiopians leaving for better prospects outside the country, many with their parents’ consent. Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country after Nigeria, accounts…

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Actions not words: what was promised at the UN’s landmark climate summit?

UN Secretary-General warned leaders not to come to his landmark Climate Action Summit with beautiful speeches, but to present concrete plans for cutting harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and strategies for…

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UN Human Rights Council informed that China is killing religious and ethnic minorities and harvesting their organs

The Chinese government is harvesting and selling organs from persecuted religious and ethnic minorities on an industrial scale, the UN Human Rights Council has been told. Speaking at the council’s headquarters in Geneva…

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High-level EU delegation in New York for the 74th United Nations General Assembly

A high-level European Union delegation is in New York for the 74th United Nations General Assembly this week. For the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, the EU will…

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Another warning on climate change as UN Climate Action Summit opens in NY

Ahead of Monday's United Nations Climate Action Summit, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said that signs and impacts of global heating are speeding up. The data, compiled by the World…

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WHO laments Tanzania not sharing information on Ebola

Tanzania is refusing to provide detailed information on suspected Ebola cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said, a rare public rebuke as the region struggles to contain an outbreak already…

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U.N. climate footprint larger than Malta’s

More than 1,000 United Nations employees have called for the global body to reduce its carbon footprint, including through curbs on their own diplomatic perks like business-class flights and travel…

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Two draft resolutions, zero consensus on ceasefire in Syria’s Idlib at UN Security Council

The UN Security Council on Thursday failed to reach consensus on either of two competing resolutions on a cessation of hostilities in Idlib, Syria: the last province in the war-torn nation…

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Number of migrants now growing faster than world population, new UN figures show

The growing number of international migrants has now reached 272 million, outpacing the growth rate of the world’s population, according to new data from the UN’s Department of Economic and…

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UK banks sign up to U.N.-backed responsible banking code

Britain’s banks will implement U.N.-backed “responsible banking” principles being launched next week that will influence lending and company behaviour, British banking trade body UK Finance said. The principles seek to…

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More women and children are surviving today than ever before – UN report

More women and their children are surviving today than ever before, according to new child and maternal mortality estimates released today by United Nations groups led by UNICEF and the…

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UN summits to urge ‘ambition and action’ on climate change, sustainable development: Guterres

There are five key United Nations summits taking place next week to spur action on the climate crisis and other global concerns, which will showcase the UN as a “driver…

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Monsoon destroys Rohingya shelters, sparking record UN emergency food agency response in Bangladesh

Unusually heavy monsoon rains have inundated shelters in refugee camps in southern Bangladesh creating “havoc”, the World Food Programme (WFP) said, as it launched its biggest emergency response of the…

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Around 12 million children may never see a classroom, UNESCO data reveals

New data published by the United Nations cultural agency, reveals that without taking urgent measures, around 12 million young children will never set foot inside a school, with girls facing…

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Kenya joins Ghana and Malawi to roll out landmark malaria vaccine in pilot introduction

The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulated the Government of Kenya for launching the world’s first malaria vaccine today in Homa Bay County, western Kenya. The malaria vaccine pilot programme is…

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UN General Assembly celebrates 20 years of promoting a culture of peace

Just as the greatest global challenges cannot be solved by a single country, peace cannot be pursued in isolation, outgoing UN General Assembly President María Fernanda Espinosa said on Friday.…

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European Commission and World Health Organization join forces to promote the benefits of vaccines

Today, the European Commission and the World Health Organization (WHO) are co-hosting the world's first Global Vaccination Summit in Brussels. The aim is to accelerate global action to stop the…

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UN report on Syria conflict highlights inhumane detention of women and children

As the people of north-west Syria face intensifying violence, tens of thousands of women and children continue to be kept in “inhumane conditions” in a remote camp on the other…

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WHO spotlights stalled effort to close health divide across Europe in new report

Progress on equal access to a healthy life for all, is at a standstill across Europe, a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed, despite their being a clear path to…

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WHO sends life-saving medical supplies to Libya

WHO is delivering urgently-needed medicines and medical supplies to more than 40 primary health care centers and referral hospitals across Libya. The supplies, which are enough to treat 220 000…

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Head of UN body combating desertification appeals to restore land to save the planet, boost the economy

Investing in land restoration could not only help keep our planet healthy, but also be the starting point for resolving some of the biggest issues of our time, the head of the…

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UN gears up emergency food aid for the Bahamas

With initial assessments indicating that some 76,000 people in the parts of the Bahamas worst-affected by Hurricane Dorian need urgent support, the World Food Programme (WFP) is arranging for eight…

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UN health agency welcomes Facebook pledge to stop vaccine misinformation from going viral

The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed Facebook’s pledge to ensure users can separate fact from fiction when it comes to vaccines, across its platforms from Facebook Search, to Groups, Pages and forums. Following…

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Statement by WHO Director-General on Facebook and Instagram and Vaccine Misinformation

The World Health Organization welcomes the commitment by Facebook to ensure that users find facts about vaccines across Instagram, Facebook Search, Groups, Pages and forums where people seek out…

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North Korea tells UN to cut international aid staff

North Korea has told the United Nations to cut the number of international staff it deploys in the country because the world body’s programs have failed “due to the politicization…

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A third of young people polled by UN, report being a victim of online bullying

Around one-in-three young people across 30 countries say they have been bullied online, while one-in-five report that they have skipped school because of it. Those are some of the key…

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UN in renewed bid to restart Cyprus peace talks

United Nations special envoy Jane Holl Lute is in Cyprus, where she is holding separate meetings with the leaders of the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish-occupied north aimed at…

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Russia assumes presidency in UN Security Council

Russia will hold the monthly presidency of the UN Security Council in September, which this year coincides with the opening of the 74th session of the General Assembly on September…

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UNHCR warns more than half of world’s refugee children ‘do not get an education

Refugee children in their millions are missing out on an education, the UN said, in an appeal to host countries to back more inclusive policies to prevent them from “languishing”…

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With ISIS down but not out, continued vigilance is key, UN Security Council told

Despite ISIS’s territorial defeat in Syria, the terrorist group, also known as Da’esh “continues to aspire to global relevance”, the United Nations top counter-terrorism officials warned the Security Council. “It…

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World must stamp out persecution of religious groups, Guterres declares on new UN Day

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for an end to the persecution of religious groups on Thursday, the first ever International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on…

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Lack of funds forces UN to close life-saving aid programmes in Yemen

The United Nations announced that it is being forced to close down several humanitarian programmes in Yemen because money pledged by Member States to pay for them has “failed to materialize”. “We are desperate for the funds that were promised,” said Lise Grande, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen. “When…

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