18 April 2019 — Help is needed urgently from the international community to help some 2,500 apparently stateless “foreign children” at a camp for the displaced, in north-east Syria, a top UN official said on Thursday.
18 April 2019 — Stress, excessively-long working hours and disease, contribute to the deaths of nearly 2.8 million workers every year, while an additional 374 million people get injured or fall ill because of their jobs, the UN labour agency, ILO, said on Thursday.
17 April 2019 — Heavy shelling overnight on Tuesday which hit a densely-populated neighbourhood of Libya’s capital, Tripoli, was condemned “in the strongest terms” by the head of the UN Mission there, after “scores” of civilians were reportedly killed and injured.
17 April 2019 — Security across the volatile Darfur region of Sudan has deteriorated since last week’s military takeover in Khartoum, the UN Security Council heard on Wednesday, but the peacekeeping mission in Darfur has “remained vigilant” in the face of rising violence.
16 April 2019 — Two-thirds of the largely medieval roof of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris have “gone” after the devastating fire in Paris on Monday evening, but UN cultural experts are standing by to offer help where it is needed in rebuilding the iconic structure.
16 April 2019 — Doctors, journalists, students and farmers are among more than 60,000 Nicaraguans who have fled the country in fear of their lives since anti-Government demonstrations began last April, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said on Tuesday.
15 April 2019 — “Uneven growth, rising debt levels, possible upticks in financial volatility, and heightened global trade tensions” are hampering progress on reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN chief António Guterres told the Forum on Financing for Development on Monday, during what he called “a critical moment” to “accelerate action for sustainable development”.
15 April 2019 — A plan to withdraw forces from front lines in and around the key Yemeni port of Hudaydah has been accepted by pro-Government forces and Houthi rebels, the UN Special Envoy to the country told the Security Council on Monday, warning however that war shows “no sign of abating” elsewhere.
Mother Earth is a common expression for planet earth reflecting the interdependence existing among living species and the planet we inhabit. During the 10th anniversary commemoration of International Mother Earth Day, the 9th Interactive Dialogue of the General Assembly on Harmony with Nature will be held to discuss contributions in ensuring inclusive, equitable and quality education on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, and to inspire societies to reconsider how they interact with the natural world in the context of sustainable development, poverty eradication and climate justice.
English, along with French, is one of the two working languages of the United Nations Secretariat, and one of the Organization's 6 official languages. Because it is so widely spoken, English is often referred to as a "world language", or the lingua franca of the modern era. English Language Day at the UN is celebrated on 23 April, the date traditionally observed as both the birthday and date of death of William Shakespeare. The purpose of the day is to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity, as well as to promote equal use of all 6 official languages throughout the Organization.
Around the world, women have varied access to healthcare services, and hospitals and clinics in many countries are very often under-resourced and understaffed. As varied as the experience of losing a baby may be, around the world, stigma, shame and guilt emerge as common themes. As these first-person accounts shared by the World Health Organization (WHO) show, women who lose their babies are made to feel that they should stay silent about their grief, either because miscarriage and stillbirth are still so common, or because they are perceived to be unavoidable.
Journalists Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone (Myanmar) will share this year’s UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize, following the recommendation an international jury of media professionals. Both laureates are serving seven-year prison sentences. At the time of their arrest in Yangon on 12 December 2017, they were working for the Reuters news agency, reporting on alleged human rights violations in Myanmar’s state of Rakhine. “Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo symbolize their country’s emergence after decades of isolation,” said Wojciech Tochman, President of the Jury.
Celebrated in the last week of April, World Immunization Week aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. Immunization saves millions of lives every year and is widely recognized as one of the world’s most successful and cost-effective health interventions. Yet, there are still nearly 20 million unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children in the world today. The theme of this year’s campaign is Protected Together: #Vaccines Work! The campaign celebrates Vaccine Heroes from around the world who help ensure we are all protected, through the power of vaccines.
Find out more about the Sustainable Development Goals
