UN News stories

17 stories found over the past 45 days
UN official encourages Kyrgyzstan to tackle causes of 2010 inter-communal violence

23 May 2013 – A senior United Nations official has encouraged Kyrgyzstan’s efforts to address the causes of the inter-communal violence that erupted in 2010, while stressing that they must be fully in line with human rights standards.

Post-2015 development agenda must focus on equality – UN experts

21 May 2013 – United Nations independent experts today called on countries to ensure the post-2015 development agenda focuses on equality, social protection and accountability, noting that one billion people around the world are still living in poverty.

‘Outraged’ by rising death toll in Syria, General Assembly demands halt to all violence

15 May 2013 – Expressing grave concern at the continuing escalation of violence in Syria, the United Nations General Assembly today adopted a resolution reiterating its call for rapid progress on a political transition, “which represents the best opportunity to resolve the situation […] peacefully.”

Civil society in Russia facing increasingly hostile environment – UN experts

14 May 2013 – Three United Nations independent experts today urged Russian authorities to revise a law that is having “obstructive, intimidating and stigmatizing effects” on the country’s non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

UN experts urge Iranian authorities to free jailed Baha’i community leaders

13 May 2013 – A group of independent United Nations experts today reiterated its call on Iranian authorities for the immediate release of seven Baha’i community leaders imprisoned five years ago this month with 20-year sentences – the longest of any current prisoners of conscience.

Amid growing threats across Africa, UN’s Ban urges ‘holistic approach’ to fight terrorism

13 May 2013 – From the Horn of Africa in the east and across the Sahel to the west, terrorism continues to pose a threat to the continent’s peace, security and development, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today as he warned that Africa was facing a rise in the presence of extremist groups and terrorist entities.

UN honours work of three Iraqi women journalists

09 May 2013 – Three Iraqi women journalists have been selected as the winners of a United Nations contest which seeks to highlight the everyday challenges faced by women living in the Middle Eastern country.

UN rights chief warns Egypt at risk of drifting away from ideals that ignited revolution

08 May 2013 – Expressing concern about key legislative measures being considered by Egyptian authorities, the United Nations human rights chief today urged the Government to take steps to ensure it does not drift further away from the ideals that drove the 2011 revolution in the country.

Syria: Ban and Special Representative welcome US-Russia accord to spur political solution

08 May 2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the Arab League for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, today welcomed the statements by Russia and the United States that they would work together to achieve a political solution to end a conflict that has claimed more than 70,000 lives over the past two years.

Security Council: European security block details priorities for collaboration with UN

07 May 2013 – From stopping the spread of nuclear weapons to countering all forms of human trafficking, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the world's largest regional security grouping, today outlined areas for greater collaboration with the United Nations in its annual address to the Security Council.