4 August 2014 – The top United Nations relief official in Lebanon today strongly condemned attacks on the Lebanese Armed Forces and the ongoing fighting in and around the city of Arsal, in the northeastern part of the country near its border with Syria. “Those attacks led to the deaths, injury and abduction of soldiers and members of the security forces, and caused civilian fatalities and injuries,” Ross Mountain, the Acting UN Special Coordinator in Lebanon, said through a UN spokesperson in New York. Mr. Mountain added that given the UN’s commitment to the stability and security of Lebanon, it…
Author: UN News
17 July 2014 – Haiti, often cited as one of the least developed countries in the Western Hemisphere, has reached – or nearly reached – several of the Millennium Development Goals ahead of the 2015 deadline, according to a report launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) a month ago. Among other achievements, the country has seen a steady boost in enrollment rates in primary education from 47 per cent in 1993 to nearly 90 per cent, achieving equal participation of boys and girls in education. Haiti has also halved the number of underweight children under the age of…
16 July 2014 – Deeply concerned by the “urgent humanitarian situation” of unaccompanied child migrants from Central America, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for Governments of countries where the children start, continue or finish their journeys, to protect their dignity and human rights. “Unaccompanied minors, including those under seven years of age, are making this dangerous journey, often relying on unscrupulous human smuggling networks that expose them to harm, exploitation and abuse,” Mr. Ban said in a message to the Conference on Unaccompanied Child Migrants, in the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa. The message was delivered by the United Nations Resident Coordinator,…
16 July 2014 – In a first-ever visit to the Dominican Republic, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today addressed the National Congress, saying “one country with dedication and solidarity can move the world,” helping to spur progress in across the three pillars of the UN – development, human rights and peace. “Our world is facing many trials – a warming planet, growing inequality, rising insecurity, terrible upheaval in the Middle East, the Central African Republic and beyond. At the same time, we face a pivotal moment to chart a future of more opportunity, more dignity and more hope for people…
30 July 2014 – As the United Nations “re-hats” some of the African troops currently serving in the Central African Republic to a peacekeeping mission that will take over in mid-September, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced that the current African force commander will remain in charge under the UN flag. Major General Martin Chomu Tumenta has been appointed to head the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), according to a statement from a UN spokesperson. The Major General will take up his appointment when MINUSCA officially takes authority from the African-led International Support Mission in…
30 July 2014 – The United Nations envoy in Somalia welcomed today the agreement stating intent and principles for forming a new regional administration in the central part of the country. “This is another encouraging sign for Somalia’s progress to meet the goals set out in ‘Vision 2016’ and the Provisional Federal Constitution” said the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Nicholas Kay. Under the leadership of the Federal Government, representatives from the region signed a document stating they would work together towards the establishment of a new administration in central Somalia. The ‘Vision 2016 National Conference’ was held in Mogadishu,…
28 July 2014 – The shooting down of a Malaysian Airlines plane over eastern Ukraine may amount to a war crime, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today said today, releasing a new report that details a total breakdown of law and order and a reign of fear and terror inflicted by armed groups in the area. “I would like to stress to all those involved in the conflict, including foreign fighters, that every effort will be made to ensure that anyone committing serious violations of international law, including war crimes, will be brought to justice, no matter…
24 July 2014 – In the wake of recent tragedies, the United Nations refugee agency today called on European countries to take urgent action to stop the rising number of deaths among refugees and migrants attempting to reach the continent by sea. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 260 people have died or been reported missing in the past 10 days after attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea towards Europe. The total number of deaths for this year amounts to more than 800 people, compared with 600 in 2013 and 500 in 2012. “The death…
15 July 2014 – Calling them “the backbone” of Haiti, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today praised national police recruits and the efforts under way to strengthen the rule of law in the country, as he continued his visit to the Caribbean nation. “As I am standing here before so many cadets and police officers, senior police officers, I feel as if I am seeing the brighter future of Haiti,” Mr. Ban said in remarks to the Police Academy and School in Port-au-Prince. More than 1,000 cadets have graduated, including 100 women, Mr. Ban said, adding that “they give us hope that…
30 July 2014 – While Kenyans have rights to safe water and sanitation on paper, it is now time to turn the law into reality for the millions who do not enjoy these fundamental rights, an independent United Nations human rights expert said at the end of her mission to the country. “Kenya is in a critical transitional moment for the provision of water and sanitation,” Catarina de Albuquerque, the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, said in a statement. “Kenya is often invoked as a model at the international level due to the…