28 January 2014 – Following Tunisia’s adoption of a new constitution, the United Nations human rights office today added its voice to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s in encouraging politicians to ensure that the next steps in the country’s democratic transition are conducted in a “peaceful, inclusive and transparent” manner. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called on Tunisian political actors to make certain that the independent institutions established in the constitution are strong and “help promote accountability and the rule of law with full respect for human rights”. These include the National Human Rights Institutions, which…
Author: UN News
27 January 2014 – Côte d’Ivoire is making “good progress” towards lasting peace and stability, but with presidential elections on the horizon, urgent steps need to be taken in security sector reform and national reconciliation, the top United Nations official in the country told the Security Council today. Briefing from Abidjan by video conference, Aïchatou Mindaoudou, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) told the Council that “it is important to work now to put in place the conditions for an environment conducive to peaceful elections” in 2015. The West African country’s stability…
27 January 2014 – Despite significant progress towards peace in the strife-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the international community must keep humanitarian aid flowing into a country where nearly 3 million people, half of them children, are currently displaced, according to the United Nations. “We are united by the goal of responding to the needs of the most vulnerable in the DRC,” UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Deputy Executive Director Yoka Brandt said over the weekend at the end of a high-level joint visit with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and UN refugee agency (UNHCR). “Significant progress towards…
27 January 2014 – Warning that the Central African Republic (CAR) is now at a critical juncture, the United Nations human rights chief today called on the international community to help restore security in the country, including by boosting the peacekeeping effort there. “We simply cannot let the social fabric of this country be torn apart. I call as a matter of utmost urgency upon the international community to strengthen peacekeeping efforts,” said High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. “There is a need to urgently restore security not only in Bangui but also in other parts of the country.…
26 January 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today commended “another historic milestone” in Tunisia’s democratic transition with the adoption of the country’s new constitution. In a statement from his spokesperson, Mr. Ban encouraged Tunisia’s political actors to ensure the next steps of the transition are conducted in a “peaceful, inclusive and transparent manner”. Tunisia’s Parliament today adopted the constitution, the country’s first since massive public demonstrations ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. The actions of Tunisian citizens sparked the wave of popular uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East that became known as the Arab…
25 January 2014 – The Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) today signed a final security agreement that paves the way for a comprehensive peace accord on the island of Mindanao, a move welcomed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. In a statement from his spokesperson, Mr. Ban congratulated the negotiating teams of the Government and the MILF for “their perseverance, courage and commitment in having reached this important milestone in the peace process”. He also commended President Benigno S. Aquino III and the MILF chairman, Murad Ebrahim, for their “vision and leadership throughout this historic peace process”. The…
23 January 2014 – The United Nations human rights and humanitarian chiefs on Thursday voiced deep concern about reports of alarming levels of violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, including the killing of many civilians and a policeman, and called for an immediate investigation by the authorities. The UN has received credible information that, on 9 January, eight Rohingya Muslim men were attacked and killed in Du Chee Yar Tan village by local Rakhine, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a news release. This was followed by a clash on 13 January in the…
22 January 2014 – Reiterating deep concern over continued terrorist attacks and sectarian violence in Pakistan, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today strongly condemned a spate of deadly violence in the country, including the bombing of a market earlier this week in Rawalpindi, and a series of attacks against polio workers. In a statement issued by his spokesman New York, Mr. Ban deplored the bombing at a market in Rawalpindi on 20 January that left at least 13 dead, as well as yesterday’s attack in Baluchistan, Pakistan, on a bus carrying Shia pilgrims returning from Iran, which reportedly killed more…
23 January 2014 – The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), which settles the damage claims of those who suffered losses due to Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait, today made $1.03 billion available to the Government of Kuwait. The latest round of payments brings the total amount of compensation disbursed by the Commission to $44.5 billion for more than 1.5 million successful claims of individuals, corporations, Governments and international organizations, leaving some $7.8 billion remaining to be paid to the only outstanding claim. The claim by the Kuwaiti Government was submitted on behalf of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and awarded $14.7…
23 January 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on Egyptians to mark the third anniversary of their revolution by renewing their commitment to peaceful dialogue and non-violence based on pluralism with political space for all. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, he reiterated the commitment of the United Nations to support the country in building the future for all Egyptians, with dignity, freedom, responsible governance and development that inspired the uprising of 2011, which toppled President Hosni Mubarak nearly three years ago after mass protests. “The Secretary-General believes that one of the central challenges moving forward is pluralism:…
22 January 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today opened a concerted new effort to end the brutal civil war in Syria, urging the Government, the opposition, and representatives of some 40 other countries and regional organizations to seize the historic opportunity to end the bloodshed. “After nearly three painful years of conflict and suffering in Syria, today is a day of fragile but real hope,” he told the opening session of the high-level segment of the United Nations peace conference on Syria in Montreux, Switzerland. “For the first time, the Syrian Government and the Syria opposition, countries of the region,…
22 January 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today congratulated Yemen on successfully concluding nearly year-long talks on which the country’s new constitution will be founded, but warned that obstacles remain and called on citizens to work together towards building a new Yemen. “Yemen has demonstrated to the region that positive change is possible when pursued through dialogue and compromise,” Mr. Ban said in a statement from his spokesperson. He commended the commitment of all political actors to achieve a peaceful transition – particularly the leadership and determination of President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi and the delegates of the Conference – which…
22 January 2014 – Independent United Nations human rights expert today called on the Government of Iran to urgently halt executions, given reports that at least 40 people have been hanged so far this year. “We are dismayed at the continued application of the death penalty with alarming frequency by the authorities, despite repeated calls for Iran to establish a moratorium on executions,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, in a news release from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). He stressed “the inherently cruel, inhuman and degrading nature…
21 January 2014 – Urging restraint amid widespread anti-Government protests in Ukraine, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called today for sustained and inclusive dialogue to defuse tensions in the country. “The violent clashes over the past few days in the centre of Kiev, which reportedly resulted in many people being injured, are very worrying,” said Ms. Pillay. “I appeal to all parties to engage in constructive dialogue to avoid further escalation of the unrest. “The longer they wait, the more difficult it will become to resolve the impasse,” she added. Demonstrators have…
21 January 2014 – The Security Council once again today acknowledged the role of the United Nations regional office in assisting countries in Central Asia to respond to threats and challenges, including terrorism and religious extremism, and reaffirmed the importance of the use of preventive diplomacy and early warning mechanisms to assist in the peaceful settlement of disputes. In a statement to the press, the Council acknowledged the role of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) in assisting those countries, in accordance with its mandate and through regional cooperation, to respond to domestic and…
20 January 2014 – The United Nations agricultural agency today issued a new warning that bird flu viruses are on the rise again in China and urged neighbouring countries to be extra vigilant head of the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities. “FAO [Food and Agricultural Organization] called upon neighbouring countries to remain vigilant in the face of A(H7N9) and other avian influenza viruses, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1,” the UN agency said in a news release from Rome. The number of human infections of H7N9 has considerably increased since late December in East and Southeast China, the UN…
20 January 2014 – United Nations today flew its flags at half-mast in honour of four staff members killed in Friday’s terrorist attack in Kabul, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other senior officials pledging to continue working in active support of Afghans. “As the United Nations mourns this terrorist attack and its victims, we remain committed to work for the peace, stability and development of Afghanistan,” Mr. Ban said in a message delivered by his special representative Jan Kubiš. “We fully support the transition of Afghanistan toward a better future in peace, development and security.” Vadim Nazarov of Russia, Basra…
19 January 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced alarm at the attempt on Sunday by senior members of South Sudan’s Government and army to forcibly enter into the United Nations compound in Bor where civilians are sheltering from the ongoing violence in the country. The UN Mission in South sudan (UNMISS) has been providing protection for nearly 70,000 civilians at its bases, including in Bor in Jonglei state, since conflict erupted in the world’s youngest nation just over a month ago. “The Secretary-General is particularly disturbed that United Nations staff were threatened by South sudan military when they refused to…
19 January 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the validation of the final results of Madagascar’s presidential election, and called on the new administration to reach out to the opposition and to lead the country in the interest of all its citizens. “He calls on all candidates to abide by the ruling of the Special Electoral Court and to channel any complaints peacefully through the established legal avenues,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a statement issued on Saturday. Hery Rajaonarimampianina was reportedly announced the winner of the 20 December presidential run-off by Madagascar’s electoral court on Friday after attaining…
21 January 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Switzerland today on the eve of a United Nations-led conference on ending the nearly three-year-old civil war in Syria, and he immediately held talks with participants from various countries and regional organizations involved, as well with a delegation from the Syrian opposition. Mr. Ban, who will tomorrow open the high-level part of the conference in Montreux, held discussions while still in Geneva with the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, on various aspects of the crisis, including efforts to bring humanitarian relief…