UN News stories

23 stories found over the past 45 days
UN chief condemns latest attack on Somali legal system

30 April 2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the killing of Somalia’s Deputy State Attorney, Ahmed Malim Sheikh Nur, expressing deep concern that the recent attacks in Mogadishu seem to be targeting the country’s justice sector.

Ban appoints British diplomat as new UN envoy for Somalia

29 April 2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Nicholas Kay, a diplomat from the United Kingdom, as his new Special Representative for Somalia, it was announced today.

Syria: Ban renews call for on-site access for chemical weapons probe team

29 April 2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today renewed his appeal for unfettered access to Syria for the United Nations team probing the alleged use of chemical weapons during the conflict, as he met in New York with the head of the investigation.

Over 30,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Yemen so far this year – UN agency

26 April 2013 – The United Nations refugee agency said today it has recorded the arrival of over 30,000 refugees and migrants to Yemen this year, the majority of them Ethiopians, with the rest coming from Somalia and a small number of other African countries.

Given challenges still facing Somalia, a UN mission is needed to consolidate peace, official says

25 April 2013 – While the Government of Somalia that emerged from last year’s political transition has advanced measures for stabilization and peace-building, multiple challenges require coherent international assistance, the United Nation’s political chief told the Security Council today, recommending the creation of an in-country UN mission.

UN General Assembly hears calls for greater engagement to help Africa consolidate gains

25 April 2013 – As the General Assembly met today to consider how best to help Africa in its efforts to promote peace and development, top United Nations officials highlighted the gains made so far and called for greater engagement to consolidate progress as well as advance even further.

UN-backed Global Vaccine Summit aims to boost efforts to eliminate polio and other diseases

25 April 2013 – Polio eradication efforts are the focus of the United Nations-backed Global Vaccine Summit which also aims to protect millions of children from diseases like measles and tetanus through inoculations.

Ban meets with UN partners in Washington DC to boost ‘quality and equality’ of education

18 April 2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Envoy for Education Gordon Brown are in Washington DC to meet with international government and development partners on how to accelerate progress towards the United Nations Global Education First Initiative to put every child in school, improve the quality of learning, and foster global citizenship by the end of 2015.

UN expert urges Somalia to strengthen justice system following attacks

17 April 2013 – The Somali Government and international community must continue their efforts to strengthen the East African country’s justice sector in spite of a series attacks on Sunday which killed dozens of civilians including judges and lawyers and injured many more, an independent United Nations human rights expert said today.

Urgent aid needed to help thousands of migrant victims of abuse in Yemen, UN says

16 April 2013 – Thousands of destitute migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia are stranded in northern Yemen in deplorable conditions, victims of gross physical abuse and severe economic and sexual exploitation, a United Nations humanitarian official warned today, calling for urgent action to address their plight.