The Real United Nations
Across the globe, Model United Nations (Model UN) simulations are popular ways for students to learn more about the UN. But they tend to focus solely on the work of diplomats. That's why the Education Outreach Section of the Department of Public Information (DPI) launched a new interactive lecture series called The Real United Nations – to allow UN staff to share their stories with Model UN participants and explain what they actually do to achieve UN mandates.
Girls worst affected as conflict keeps more than 25 million children out of school – UNICEF
Conflict and violence has driven more than 25 million children between 6 and 15 years old – about 22 per cent of children in that age group – from schools in warzones across 22 countries, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has said.
At no time is education more important than in times of war, Josephine Bourne, the Chief of Education at UNICEF, said in a news release issued today.
Without education, how will children reach their full potential and contribute to the future and stability of their families, communities and economies?
Scale of civilians fleeing Iraq's Mosul 'staggering' – senior UN relief official
Noting that nearly half a million people have fled Mosul since the start of military operations to retake the city from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) terrorists, a senior United Nations humanitarian official in Iraq warned that the scale of the displacement has stretched relief efforts to their operational limits.
Our worst case scenario when the fighting started was that up to one million civilians may flee Mosul. Already, more than 493,000 people have left, leaving almost everything behind, Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, said in a news release issued by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The sheer volume of civilians still fleeing Mosul city is staggering […] we are doing everything we can but this has been a long battle and the assault on the old city hasn't started, she added.
WFP 'outraged and heartbroken' by killing of three workers in South Sudan city
Expressing horror at the killing of three workers contracted by its office in Wau, South Sudan, during violence that wracked the city earlier this week, the United Nations emergency food relief agency has called on the authorities to bring those responsible for the unspeakable violence to justice.
In a news release today, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that the three men – Daniel James, Ecsa Tearp and Ali Elario, all citizens of South Sudan – appeared to have been killed on Monday as they tried to make their way to the UN agency's warehouse, where they worked as porters.
UN refugee agency urges EU States to suspend transfers of asylum-seekers to Hungary
10 April 2017 – Warning that deepening food insecurity in Iraq could leave more than half the population facing unprecedented levels of vulnerability, the United Nations emergency food relief agency today called for improving nutrition awareness and strengthening social safety nets and livelihoods in rural areas, to avoid a hunger crisis in the country.
In its Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis, prepared jointly with the Iraqi Government, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) also underlined the need to improve access to education, especially for girls, as an important component in the fight against hunger.
'Learn the lessons of Rwanda,' says UN chief, calling for a future of tolerance, human rights for all
Marking the twenty-third anniversary of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, during which Hutu and others who opposed the genocide were also killed, United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres today said the only way to honour the memory of the victims is to ensure such events never happen again.
The 1994 genocide in the East African country saw the systematic murder of more than 800,000 people. The vast majority were Tusi, but moderate Hutu, Twa and other groups also suffered during the 100 days of violence.
UN calls for recognizing the rights of people with autism to make their own decisions
Ahead of World Autism Awareness Day, the United Nations today called for recognizing the rights of people with the spectrum neurological condition, which is believed to affect 70 million people around the world.
Let us ensure that we make available the necessary accommodations and support to persons with autism, Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message for the Day.
With access to the support they need and choose, they will be empowered to face the key milestones in every person's life, he added, making decisions such as where and with whom to live, what type of work to pursue and how to manage their personal finances.
Supporting Syrian refugees not only an act 'of generosity' but also of 'enlightened self-interest' – UN chief
28 March 2017 – Visiting the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan that is hosting about 80,000 Syrian refugees, the United Nations chief urged the parties to the conflict in Syria and the countries that have influence over them to realize that the crisis is not only a tragedy for Syrian people but also a threat to regional stability and global security. This is the moment for all countries that are involved, directly or indirectly in the conflict, to put aside their differences and understand […] the common interest from the fact that they are all threatened by the new risk of global terrorism, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters at a press conference at the camp.Solidarity with Syrian refugees is also a way to be able to express our capacity to guarantee global security. It''s not only an act of generosity.
Building peace requires culture, education – message of historic UN Security Council resolution
Univocally condemning unlawful destruction and pillaging of cultural heritage such as religious sites and artefacts, the United Nations Security Council today adopted an historic resolution that is expected to strengthen protections for such heritage during armed conflicts where they are most vulnerable.
The deliberate destruction of heritage […] has become a tactic of war to tear societies over the long term, in a strategy of cultural cleansing, said Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) following the resolution's adoption.
New York City Students' Art and Writing to be exhibited at The Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, together with the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, will open the third annual New York City Scholastic Art & Writing Awards exhibition at The Met's Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education on Friday, March 24, 2017. This special exhibition is free and open to the public during regular Museum hours from March 24 through May 29, 2017.
The 600 original works of art and writing were created by New York City-based Gold Key recipients in the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the United States' most prestigious award and recognition program for creative teenagers. The displayed art works stood out from almost 11,000 entries in 29 categories, submitted by students in grades seven to 12 from more than 300 New York schools.
UN disability rights committee opens with a call to spotlight gender issues
20 March 2017 – The United Nations committee monitoring efforts to protect rights of persons with disabilities today opened its spring session today in Geneva with a call to pay special attention to gender issues.We do urge you to ensure a strong gender basis is built in to your agenda this year, and we urge you to take special care to ensure that the voice and experience of girls and women resonates within your deliberations, the UN's Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kate Gilmore told the 17th session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which runs 12 April.Ms.
A new and improved ECLAC Digital Repository
People now have easier access to find and download Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) publications and official documents. ECLAC has recently improved its two primary digital communication tools — the website http://www.cepal.org/en and the Digital Repository http://repositorio.cepal.org/ The Digital Repository is an online platform that stores 37,000 ECLAC documents related to the development of the Latin America and the Caribbean region, from the first publication of ECLAC in 1948 to the most recent. It is continually updated with improved designs and advanced search features. The latest version of it covers 8,000 authors and 120 collections, with a total of more than 2.5 million pages of historical and current information.
'Unprecedented suffering' for Syrian children in 2016 – UNICEF
13 March 2017 - The suffering of children in war-torn Syria hit rock bottom in 2016 with the highest number of grave violations against them since verification began in 2014, underscored the United Nations children's agency urging all parties to the conflict, those who have influence over them, and anyone who cared about children to find an immediate political solution to end the conflict.
According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), at least 652 children were killed last year – a 20 per cent increase compared to 2015 – 255 among them were killed in or near a school. Maiming and recruitment of children also rose sharply as violence across the country saw a drastic escalation.
Nation-building amid insurgency 'an uphill struggle' for Afghanistan – UN envoy
10 March 2017 – The United Nations envoy for Afghanistan today highlighted both the visible progress the conflict-torn country has made and the challenges lie ahead, urging the Government to redouble efforts while calling for continued international political and financial support.
The Government has to pursue both an inclusive peace process and economic growth against the backdrop of an intensifying insurgency and worsening security, said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in Afghanistan, during a UN Security Council quarterly debate on the situation in that country.
Mr. Yamamoto said that the National Unity Government – almost halfway through its five-year term – has made visible steps forward on anti-corruption, the electoral process and women's economic empowerment.
The Many Languages, One World 2017 contest deadline has been extended
Based on significant participation and strong interest, the Many Languages, One World 2017 contest deadline has been extended.
Submit your essay by 11:59 p.m. EDT on 31 March 2017. To enter the Many Languages, One World 2017 contest, click here.