26 February 2014 – As mali emerges from a 2012 crisis that nearly split the country in half, members of the United Nations Security Council who led the 15-member body’s recent visit to the country emphasized today that any sustainable solution – on the security, political and development fronts – must be agreed and led by Malians themselves. Reporting to the wider Council, Ambassador Gerard Araud, of France, said that one of the most salient lessons the diplomats learned during their 1 to 3 visit to the slowly recovering West African nation was the fact that any lasting political solution…
Author: UN News
26 February 2014 – The United Nations development agency today launched an initiative to promote peace-building and social cohesion among the Central African Republic’s (CAR) strife-riven communities, while also urging donors to fill a $22 million gap to ensure the project fulfills its objectives. “The program aims to help rebuild the social fabric in the Central African Republic, by reducing vulnerabilities in the social, economic and security spheres,” said Kaarina Immonen, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in the capital, Bangui, which has been the scene of inter-communal clashes in recent months, and where the plan was launched. “It…
26 February 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have strongly condemned the brutal slaying on Tuesday of dozens of students at a college in north-eastern Nigeria and voiced the hope that the perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice. According to UNICEF, some 45 children – between the ages of 13 and 17 – were killed in the attack by unidentified gunmen on the Federal Government College of Buni Yadi in Yobe state. The region has been prone to attacks by Islamic militants who have in the past targeted civilians, including students and worshippers,…
25 February 2014 – A United Nations envoy dispatched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon held talks with senior Ukrainian officials in the capital, Kiev, and pledged the world body’s commitment to assist the country as it seeks to emerge from the current crisis. Robert Serry “delivered important messages from the Secretary-General, including that the United Nations stands in solidarity with all citizens of Ukraine,” UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky told reporters in New York. The Secretary-General sent Robert Serry to Kiev as his Senior Advisor to assure all citizens of Ukraine of the UN’s support and also convey that he expects all…
24 February 2014 – “Substantive discussions” started today in the resumed talks aimed at reaching a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, a United Nations spokesperson confirmed, following a meeting today between Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis and his Turkish Cypriot counterpart, Kudret Özersay. “They completed their exchange of views on process and started substantive discussions on issues connected to different chapters,” said the spokesperson for the Secretary General’s Good Offices Mission in Cyprus. The meeting at the UN Protected Area in the capital, Nicosia, comes more than a week after Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader…
24 February 2014 – Amid the rapidly unfolding events in Ukraine, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for an inclusive political process to enable the country to emerge from its current crisis, one which reflects the aspirations of its people and preserves its unity and territorial integrity. “He reiterates his call for non-violence and urges all Ukrainians to express their differences peacefully and through dialogue, and to seek a durable solution through compromise,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement. “He has remained in continual contact with key actors on how to support a peaceful way forward for Ukraine at this…
24 February 2014 – Security in Europe cannot be taken for granted, as illustrated by the political crisis and recent escalation of violence in Ukraine, the head of the world’s largest regional security grouping said today, as he outlined areas for closer cooperation between the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations. “These developments have revealed the need to foster dialogue, re-establish trust, and rebuild bridges both within Ukraine and across the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian region,” said Didier Burkhalter, Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE and President of the Swiss Confederation. In his briefing to the Security…
25 February 2014 – Breaking through clouds of smoke, a United Nations helicopter flying a team of scientists over eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) dipped near the mouth of Nyamuragira, one of Africa’s most active yet least studied volcanoes, which threatens to potentially turn Goma into Pompeii. The expedition, conducted earlier this month, is a different facet of “civilian protection” for the UN Mission in the country, known by its French acronym MONUSCO. It aims to understand if the increasing plume of the volcano is also related to an increase of available volumes of magma at the surface.…
25 February 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged Ugandan authorities to revise or repeal the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, one day after he said it violates basic human rights and endangers lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in the country. “The Secretary-General reiterates that everyone is entitled to enjoy the same basic rights and live a life of worth and dignity without discrimination,” his spokesperson said, adding that this concept is embedded in the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Ugandan Constitution. President Yoweri Museveni yesterday signed into law the bill which calls for a…
25 February 2014 – The United Nations in Libya said ongoing violence there is a violation of human dignity and urged authorities to end instability in the country which runs counter to the values of rule of law and respect for human rights to which Libyans aspire. The UN Mission in the country (UNSMIL) said it has “deep concerns about the continued violence, including assassinations, bombings, kidnappings and attacks in the East and other Libyan areas.” Judges, members of the security forces, activists, civilians and Arab and foreign nationals have all been targeted, as have polling centres and buildings housing…