UN News stories

343 stories found over the past 45 days
General Assembly adds French Polynesia to UN decolonization list

18 May 2013 – The United Nations General Assembly voted on Friday to place French Polynesia back on the UN list of territories that should be decolonized and requested the French Government to “facilitate rapid progress […] towards a self-determination process.”

UN envoy urges ‘uniting for youth’ with first in series of virtual Google+ Hangouts

17 May 2013 – The United Nations special envoy on youth went online today to encourage young people to join the UN’s work, and detailed some of the initiatives he will undertake to work with and for youth.

UN chief appoints head of peacekeeping mission in Mali

17 May 2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appointed Albert Gerard Koenders of the Netherlands as the head of the recently approved United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali.

Eight countries submit action plans to combat illegal trade in elephant ivory – UN

17 May 2013 – Eight countries identified as being the most affected by the illegal trade in elephant ivory have submitted national action plans to the United Nations-backed treaty for the conservation of endangered species containing measures to combat the scourge.

UN human rights chief welcomes signing of Bangladesh work safety accord by major companies

17 May 2013 – The United Nations human rights chief today welcomed the decision of dozens of international companies to sign on to an fire-and-safety agreement in the aftermath of the deadly factory collapse in Bangladesh, while calling for additional actions to overhaul the entire garment sector.

UN presents awards for promoting information technology to improve road safety

17 May 2013 – The President of Switzerland, the chairman of a German engineering company and the President of the International Automobile Federation today were honoured with a United Nations award recognizing their use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) to improve road safety.

UN assesses low damage from weakened Cyclone Mahasen in Bangladesh, Myanmar

17 May 2013 – United Nations agencies and partners are assessing parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar after Tropical Cyclone Mahasen hit land today, weakened and dissipated, leaving behind less damage than originally feared.

UN agency prepositions for Darfur refugees in Chad ahead of rainy season

17 May 2013 – With tens of thousands of Darfur refugees in eastern Chad, the United Nations refugee agency today said it is “in a race against time” to deliver aid before heavy rains cut off access to the group escaping violence linked to tribal conflicts.

UN Security Council condemns temporary detention of peacekeepers, looting in Golan

17 May 2013 – Members of the Security Council have ‘strongly condemned’ the looting of a UN observation post in the Golan Heights and the temporary detention of three peacekeepers, the third such incident in the past two months.

Number of Syrian refugees tops 1.5 million mark, says UN agency

17 May 2013 – The United Nations refugee agency announced today that the number of Syrian civilians who have fled their country to escape conflict has passed the 1.5 million mark, while warning that the widening gap between the needs and resources available is becoming a huge challenge.