3 March 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the ongoing crisis in Ukraine during a meeting in Geneva today, while deputy United Nations chief Jan Eliasson arrived in Kiev for consultations and the Security Council met in New York to consider the latest developments. Mr. Ban and Mr. Lavrov discussed the importance of de-escalating the situation by engaging in constructive and meaningful dialogue, according to a readout provided by the Secretary-General’s spokesperson. The meeting, which took place on the margins of the opening session of the UN Human Rights Council, comes amiI have repeatedly…
Author: UN News
3 March 2014 – The world’s only multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations today decided to renew an informal working group aimed at reinvigorating discussions which have stalled since the 1990s, a step that the President of the United Nations General Assembly termed “crucial,” as he urged members to follow up with real progress. Addressing the first part of the 2014 session of the UN Conference on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva, John Ashe reminded participants “to stay focused on the bigger picture, overcome your differences and live up to your responsibilities.” Today the CD decided to reestablish an informal working group…
3 March 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today hailed the “crucial” role of United Nations peacekeepers over the past 50 years in preventing a recurrence of fighting between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities in Cyprus, and hoped both sides will continue to strive for a settlement that will unite the Mediterranean island. The UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) was established by the Security Council on 4 March 1964 to contribute to a return to normal conditions following violence and bloodshed between the two communities on the island. “Over the past 50 years, UNFICYP has played a crucial role…
2 March 2014 – The United Nations announced on Sunday that Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson is heading to Ukraine amid the ongoing crisis in the country to get an understanding of the situation on the ground. “Following the Security Council’s consultations and given the developments on the ground in Ukraine, the Secretary-General is dispatching Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson to the country this evening,” a spokesperson for UN chief Ban Ki-moon said in a statement . “While in Ukraine, the Deputy Secretary-General will be personally apprised of the facts on the ground and will subsequently brief the Secretary-General on the next…
5 March 2014 – The United Nations today launched a new phase of support in Sierra Leone with the transitioning of its political mission to a more development-focused UN presence, a sign of the West African nation’s sustained recovery from a brutal civil war and an example to follow for countries still grappling with conflict. “Sierra Leone represents one of the world’s most successful cases of post-conflict recovery, peacekeeping and peacebuilding,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at a press conference alongside Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma in Freetown. “Here we have seen great strides towards peace, stability and long-term development,”…
5 March 2014 – The top United Nations humanitarian official in South sudan is sounding the alarm about the dire situation in the country, warning that the world’s youngest nation could collapse by year’s end if urgent action is not taken to help see its people through the current crisis. “People are crying out for help,” Humanitarian Coordinator Toby Lanzer said in an interview with the UN News Centre. “We’re at a really desperate moment in South Sudan.” Less than three years after South sudan gained independence from Sudan, the fledgling nation has been wracked by a conflict that has…
4 March 2014 – Outbreaks of fresh fighting in South sudan is likely to displace tens of thousands of additional people and is hampering efforts to help children in need, warns the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “We are working to stave off disaster,” said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF’s Director of Emergency Programmes. “People are continuing to flee their homes in the face of fierce fighting and terrible violence.” Nearly 900,000 people – half of them children – have already been forced from their homes as a result of the recent conflict in South Sudan, which achieved its independence in July…
4 March 2014 – How countries plan, build and manage their cities today will determine the outcome of global efforts to achieve a sustainable future, a panel of United Nations and civil society experts said today, calling on the international community to “get cities right” so the impacts of rapid urbanization can be better managed and sustainable development for all can be achieved. “We need a platform for profound debate about the challenges we have in front of us,” said Joan Clos, Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), previewing The City We Need, a document outlining the…
4 March 2014 – Concerned about the escalation of acts of terrorism in north-eastern Nigeria, including along the border with Cameroon, the head of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA) today strongly condemned the latest wave of “unspeakable” violence in the region and demanded an end to attacks targeting innocent civilians. “This unprecedented cycle of violence must stop. The people of Nigeria deserve to live in peace and security,” declared Said Djinnit in a statement issued by UNOWA, in which he deplored the killing over the weekend of some 80 people by unidentified armed groups in Maiduguri, Mainok…
4 March 2014 – The United Nations refugee agency today appealed for increased support to meet the needs of people fleeing the crises in the Central African Republic (CAR) and South Sudan, especially those who have arrived in Chad, Cameroon and Ethiopia. “We are appealing to our partners and the Governments in these countries to help speed support to these populations – which although still relatively small in number are nonetheless in urgent need of assistance,” said Melissa Fleming, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She told a news conference in Geneva that the crises in South…