GENEVA, Switzerland, April 16, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) is meeting in Geneva from 27 April to 15 May 2015 to review the following countries on these dates: France (28-29 Apr), Guatemala (29-30 Apr), Bosnia and Herzegovina (30 Apr-1 May); Sudan (4-5 May); Germany (5-6 May); Denmark (6-7 May)The above are among the 177 States Parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. They are required to submit regular reports to the Committee, which is composed of 18 international independent experts. CERD will also…
Author: apofeed
NEW YORK, April 16, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Secretary-General met on 14 April 2015 with the Minister of Interior of Burundi, H.E. Mr. Edouard Nduwimana. The Secretary-General noted that Burundi owes its progress to the spirit of Arusha and the determination of Burundians to build a peaceful, democratic and prosperous nation. They discussed recent developments ahead of the general elections to be held between May and August this year. The Secretary-General expressed his concern about the rising political tensions in the country and encouraged Burundians to resolve their political differences through dialogue and without resorting to violence. He…
JUBA, South Sudan, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A year after the mass killings of civilians in the oil town of Bentiu in South Sudan, including people sheltering in the hospital where MSF was running an HIV/TB project, the violence and displacement have continued and access to basic healthcare and food remains a problem for people living in rural areas outside the town.Following the fighting, MSF treated over 230 people for gunshot wounds and thousands of the town’s residents fled for their lives to the nearby UN peacekeepers’ base, which swelled from 6,000 people to more than 22,000…
NEW YORK, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is pleased to announce the appointment of Ronald Kayanja of Uganda as the Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Lagos, Nigeria. The Information Centre in Lagos covers Nigeria. Mr. Kayanja assumed his new duties on 1 April 2015.Since November 2011, Mr. Kayanja has held the position of UNESCO Adviser for Communication and Information in West Africa, covering Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo working on media, communication and the use of ICTs for development in those countries. In…
JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — • While 87% of IT decision-makers feel their organization’s perimeter security is effective at keeping out security threats, 30% of IT decision-makers admit their company has fallen victim to a data breach• 33% think unauthorized users are still able to access their networks and 34% are not confident in the security of their organization’s data should a breach occur• 90% of organizations that experienced data breaches suffered negative commercial consequences Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) (http://www.gemalto.com), the world leader in digital security, has today released the latest findings of the 2015 Data…
NEW YORK, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks against the embassies of the Republic of Korea and Morocco in Tripoli, Libya, on 12 and 13 April.The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences to the families of the two Libyans killed in the attacks.The members of the Security Council condemned all acts of violence against diplomatic premises, which endanger innocent lives and seriously impede the normal work of diplomatic representatives and officials.The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism, in all its…
NAIROBI, Kenya, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — U.S. Special Representative for Somalia James P. McAnulty condemns the reprehensible April 14 attack on the Ministry of Education in Mogadishu and reaffirms the United States’ solidarity with the Federal Government of Somalia and its people against terrorist organization al-Shabaab. We commend the timely response of the Somali and AMISOM security forces that saved many lives, and honor those who died fighting to protect the innocent.The cowardly attack by al-Shabaab against the Ministry of Education underscores the terrorists’ fierce and misguided opposition to advancing the professional, educational, and vocational aspirations of…
BANGUI, Central African Republic, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — By the end of 2014, thousands of people living in Kouango area, in southern Central African Republic (CAR), started to cross the Ubangi River looking for safety in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after months of armed clashes in the area between rival militias. More than 20,000 locals fled to DRC and thousands more went to the nearby towns of Bambari and Grimari, north of Kouango. They were all looking for protection after the incessant robberies, killings and burnt houses. While MSF teams in DRC took charge…
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, April 15, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The United Nations in Sierra Leone notes the decision taken by the Government of Sierra Leone to disqualify pregnant schoolgirls from attending school and from sitting school examinations. The United Nations wishes to remind the Government of Sierra Leone that education is a fundamental human right that Sierra Leone has committed itself to uphold. Article 4.1 of Sierra Leone’s Education Act (2004) includes the principle of non-discrimination in accessing education.As a state Party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Sierra Leone has accepted its international obligation…
NEW YORK, April 14, 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ — One year ago, over 276 girls were abducted by Boko Haram from their school in Chibok, Borno State, in north-eastern Nigeria. While some of the girls were fortunate to have escaped, the fate of many still remains unknown. We must never forget the kidnapped Chibok girls, and I will not stop calling for their immediate release and their safe return to their families. Over the past 12 months, Boko Haram intensified its brutal attacks on boys and girls in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. Hundreds of thousands of children have been displaced…