9 March 2015 – Libyan stakeholders must seize the momentum generated by the on-going political dialogue and bring an end to the country’s instability and insecurity, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said today amid continuing fighting in the North African nation. In a statement released earlier this afternoon, UNSMIL confirmed that Libyan parties involved in the UN-facilitated process had concluded the latest round of three-day talks in Skhirat, Morocco, on 7 March in an effort to address the formation of a government of national unity. At the same time, noted the Mission, efforts to depart from the…
Author: UN News
8 March 2015 – The United Nations today condemned in the strongest terms the attack in mali that killed two Malian children and a Chadian peacekeeper with the UN Mission in the country (MINUSMA) and injured 11 peacekeepers and three civilians. Both the Secretary-General and the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this heinous crime, as well as to the Governments and people of mali and Chad, and to MINUSMA. “The killing of UN peacekeepers and civilian Malians is intolerable and a breach of international humanitarian law,” said a statement released by the…
7 March 2015 – and bulldozing of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud and the Director General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation also stated her outrage at the latest attack. “The destruction of Hatra marks a turning point in the appalling strategy of cultural cleansing underway in Iraq,” said Irina Bokova in a statement released jointly with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) Director General, Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri. “With this latest act of barbarism against Hatra, Daesh [ISIL] shows the contempt in which it holds the history and heritage of Arab people, which had been…
7 March 2015 – The Secretary-General has strongly condemned the deadly attack that took place today in Bamako, Mali, which resulted in the deaths of five civilians and many injuries. Among the dead were two international experts working for the United Nations, Mr. Ban said in a statement released this evening and Mr. Ban joined members of the Security Council in expressing their deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this heinous act and to the Governments of Mali, Belgium, and France. Both Mr. Ban and the Security Council called on the Government of mali to swiftly investigate…
7 March 2015 – The United Nations Security Council has condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack that took place today in Bamako, Mali, which killed five civilians and caused many injuries. Among the dead were personnel of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in mali (MINUSMA) and the European Union and members of the Council expressed their deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this heinous act and to the Governments of Mali, Belgium, and France. Members called on the Government of mali “to swiftly investigate this attack…
4 March 2015 – In eradicating sexual violence related to Colombia’s internal armed conflict, the main challenge now is translating resolve into tangible solutions in communities where the crime continues to occur, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Sexual Violence said at the conclusion of her trip to the Latin American country. “There is a direct correlation between poverty, access to justice, and sexual violence,” Zainab Hawa Bangura said in a statement issued yesterday, emphasizing the need to protect poor and uneducated women and girls who are especially vulnerable. She summarized initiatives undertaken to address conflict-related sexual violence…
6 March 2015 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed profound disappointment after the unsuccessful conclusion of peace talks in South sudan and the failure of President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar to display statesmanship and reach a power-sharing deal. The security situation in the world’s youngest country has deteriorated steadily over the past year since political in-fighting between the two leaders erupted in December 2013. The hostilities subsequently turned into a full-fledged conflict that has sent nearly 100,000 civilians fleeing to bases around the country managed by the UN Missions (UNMISS). Peace talks were being conducted under…
5 March 2015 – Having determined that the situation in Libya remains a threat to international peace and security and acting under Chapter VII of the Charter, the Security Council adopted unanimously today a resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). The Council agreed that the Mission will remain under the leadership of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, and will remain in full accordance with the principles of Libyan national ownership. Under paragraph 6 of Council resolution 2144 (2014) the Mission’s mandate is to support Libyan Government efforts to ensure the transition to…
5 March 2015 – The living conditions of nearly 2 million Palestinians residing in the Gaza Strip have been undermined by the enduring blockade against the enclave, the United Nations humanitarian office reported today. The longstanding restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from Gaza have led to steadily deteriorating living standards for Gaza’s 1.8 million people since the imposition of the Israeli blockade in June 2007. “These restrictions have reduced access to livelihoods, essential services and housing, disrupted family life, and undermined the people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future,” the UN Office for the…
5 March 2015 – The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that it will begin conducting Ebola vaccination trials in Guinea this week, which if found effective, could be the “game-changer to finally end the epidemic” that has affected nearly 24,000 people, mostly in West Africa. “We have worked hard to reach this point,” WHO Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, said in Geneva. “There has been massive mobilization on the part of the affected countries and all partners to accelerate the development and availability of proven interventions,” she continued. “If a vaccine is found effective, it will be the first preventive…