North Korea threatens to reduce US to ‘ashes and darkness’

SEOUL/JAPAN — A North Korean state agency threatened on Thursday to use nuclear weapons to “sink” Japan and reduce the United States to “ashes and darkness” for supporting a U.N. Security Council resolution and sanctions over its latest nuclear test.

The Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, which handles the North’s external ties and propaganda, also called for the breakup of the Security Council, which it called “a tool of evil” made up of “money-bribed” countries that move at the order of the United States.

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On International Day, Ban pays tribute to all those seeking truth and justice

Millions of children in cities face poverty and exclusion – UN report

Hundreds of millions of children in cities across the world are growing up in poverty and enduring deprivation, according to a report unveiled today by the United Nations, spotlighting social exclusion and calling for measures to give the youngsters access to basic services and opportunities for a better future. 

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41395&Cr=children&Cr1=

UN’s global report on youth highlights rising concerns over lack of job prospects

A lack of job opportunities, inadequate education, vulnerable working conditions and insufficient government investment are some of the main concerns of young people around the world, according to a United Nations report on youth published today.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41150&Cr=unemploymnet&Cr1=

UN 'to seek' end to CIA drone raids ...

UN 'to seek' end to CIA drone raids

A senior United Nations official is planning to call on the US to end aerial drone attacks by the Central Intelligence Agency against alleged al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan, according to the New York Times.

Philip Alston, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said on Thursday that he will deliver a report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, arguing that the "life and death power" of drones should be executed by regular armed forces rather than intelligence agencies.

He argues that conventional military forces are more accountable than intelligence agencies for investigating civilian casualties.

"With the defence department you've got maybe not perfect but quite abundant accountability as demonstrated by what happens when a bombing goes wrong in Afghanistan," Alston said.

"The whole process that follows is very open. Whereas if the CIA is doing it, by definition they are not going to answer questions, not provide any information, and not do any follow-up that we know about."

Under international law, soldiers representing conventional militaries are allowed to kill enemy troops in war zones.

'Lawful combatancy'

The government of George Bush, the previous US president, issued a policy manual in 2007 which defined "murder in violation of the laws of war" as killing someone who did not meet "the requirements for lawful combatancy".

These requirements include being part of a regular army or otherwise wearing a uniform.

in depth

According to this definition of murder, CIA drone operators, who do not wear the uniforms of conventional soldiers, could theoretically be considered war criminals and subject to prosecution in Pakistani courts.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/05/20105286939269209.html

Ban welcomes US ratification of nuclear arms reduction treaty signed with R...

Ban welcomes US ratification of nuclear arms reduction treaty signed with Russia

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed today’s vote by the United States Senate to support the ratification of the nuclear arms reduction treaty signed earlier this year by the leaders of Russia and the US.

“This sends a firm and clear message in support of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation,” a statement issued by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said of the action taken by the US on the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (known as the New START Treaty).

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37148&Cr=nuclear&Cr1=

Cultural traditions in China and Croatia put on UN heritage protection list...

Cultural traditions in China and Croatia put on UN heritage protection list

Three cultural elements in China and one in Croatia were today inscribed on the United Nations list of cultural traditions in need of urgent protection at a meeting in Kenya of parties to the international convention designed to preserve the world’s intangible cultural heritage.

Some 400 State delegates, representatives from civil society and observers are attending the 5th session of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, which is being held for the first time in Sub-Saharan Africa.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36757&Cr=heritage&Cr1=

UN-backed Handwashing Day: soap and water saves millions of lives More than...

UN-backed Handwashing Day: soap and water saves millions of lives

More than 200 million schoolchildren, parents, teachers, celebrities and government officials worldwide today lathered up in the third annual United Nations-backed Global Handwashing Day, designed to show how simple soap and water can save millions of lives a year.

Diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory infections kill more than 3.5 million children under the age of five annually, but washing hands with soap and water, especially at critical times after using the toilet and before handling food, helps reduce these diseases by more than 40 per cent and 23 per cent respectively. Yet this simple behaviour is not practiced regularly.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36455&Cr=DIARRHOEA&Cr1=

Possible threat to Earth by asteroids among issues at UN debate on outer sp...

Possible threat to Earth by asteroids among issues at UN debate on outer space

A United Nations working group is currently looking into how the Organization should respond to possible threats to the planet from near-earth objects, such as asteroids, a senior official with the world body said today.

Mazlan Othman, the Director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York that the working group – within the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space – is expected to come up with recommendations which would be presented to the General Assembly for Member States to make a decision on response to near-earth objects.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?Cr1=&NewsID=36449&Cr=general+assembly

General Assembly President warns against marginalization of UN Only the Unit...

General Assembly President warns against marginalization of UN

Only the United Nations has the breadth of membership, the experience and the presence on the ground to effectively represent the world’s people and their interests, General Assembly President Joseph Deiss said today, warning of the risk that the Organization could be overshadowed by other international groups.

“The United Nations has unique legitimacy to play a central role,” Mr. Deiss said in an address to the annual opening of the Assembly’s high-level debate. “With its 192 Member States, our General Assembly is a near universal body and reflects the diversity of situations and interests at stake. It is there to promote the rights of every woman and man on our planet.”

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36083&Cr=DEISS&Cr1=

More States endorse UN protocol on economic and cultural rights

A United Nations treaty designed to empower people to uphold their economic, social and cultural rights edged closer to entering into force today when one country ratified it and two others signed the document.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36114&Cr=treaty&Cr1=

UN officials urge countries to remove criminal sanctions based on sexual ori...

UN officials urge countries to remove criminal sanctions based on sexual orientation

17 September 2010 – Top United Nations officials today appealed to all countries that criminalize people on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity to reform such laws and to ensure the protection of basic human rights for all.

“No doubt deeply-rooted cultural sensitivities can be aroused when we talk about sexual orientation. Social attitudes run deep and take time to change. But cultural considerations should not stand in the way of basic human rights,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35976&Cr=sexual&Cr1=

Ban issues call to world leaders to boost cooperation on development The eco...

Ban issues call to world leaders to boost cooperation on development

The economic downturn has resulted in developed countries failing to meet their aid pledges, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, calling on world leaders to renew their commitment to a global partnership to promote development.

Although official development assistance is at an all-time high, the world is still $20 billion short on pledges made for this year, Mr. Ban told reporters in New York as he launched the 2010 report by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Gap Task Force.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35959&Cr=mdg&Cr1=

UN conference for civil society hears calls for greater support for marginal...

UN conference for civil society hears calls for greater support for marginalized groups

Marginalized groups such as indigenous communities deserve special attention from policy-makers if the world is to achieve the social and economic targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the annual United Nations conference with civil society groups heard today

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35783

UN agency hails move to protect African folklore and traditional knowledge T...

UN agency hails move to protect African folklore and traditional knowledge

The United Nations agency charged with protecting intellectual property worldwide has welcomed the adoption by a number of African States of a new legal instrument that seeks to protect the continent’s traditional knowledge and folklore.

The instrument, adopted earlier this month in Swakopmund, Namibia, by member states of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), is designed to preserve and protect the use of Africa’s diverse knowledge systems and cultures for the continent’s sustainable development.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35786&Cr=intellectual+property&Cr1=

UN spotlights film as a window into indigenous lives On the frozen Arctic, a...

UN spotlights film as a window into indigenous lives

On the frozen Arctic, a hunter in search of seals watches in horror as one of his tribesmen murders another. Then the killer begs him to forget what he saw and help dispose of the body. Andrew Okpeaha MacLean’s short film, the first ever made in the Inupiaq language, asks what constitutes justice in an isolated community where everyone needs each other just to survive.

The 2008 prize-winning film Sikumi (On The Ice) offers an insight into a culture and a people largely unknown to the rest of the world, and it is also one of four films screened today in New York as the United Nations celebrates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35572&Cr=INDIGENOUS&Cr1=

UN 'falling apart' under Ban ...

UN 'falling apart' under Ban

The former head of the

United Nations' internal oversight office body has said that the world body is "falling apart" and becoming irrelevant under the failing leadership of Ban Ki-moon.

The criticism, first reported by the Washington Post news paper on Tuesday, comes as Ban's aides weigh his prospects for a possible second term as secretary-general.

Inga-Britt Ahlenius, the former head of the UN office of internal oversight services [OIOS], said that under Ban's leadership "there is no transparency, there is [a] lack of accountability".

"I regret to say that the [UN] secretariat now is in a process of decay," Ahlenius said in what she described as an "end-of-assignment report," before leaving her job last week.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/07/201072133720492748.html

Development can help nations consolidate peace, top UN officials say Fosteri...

Development can help nations consolidate peace, top UN officials say

Fostering economic development in countries emerging from conflict can only help to promote political and social stability, senior United Nations officials underlined today, stressing the strong ties between poverty eradication and security.

“The devastating effects of conflict on development are evident,” Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told a forum at UN Headquarters in New York hosted by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).

“It is not surprising that the majority of countries lagging furthest behind in achieving the MDGs [Millennium Development Goals] are countries emerging from conflict,” she added, referring to the eight anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline that have been agreed upon by world leaders.

Ms. Migiro noted that reaching a particular development objective could lead to tackling inequalities that trigger conflicts.

“In such cases, shouldn’t national peacebuilding strategies give greater prominence to the MDGs?” she asked.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35362&Cr=mdg&Cr1=

UN honours Nelson Mandela with International Day on 18 July 11 November 200...

UN honours Nelson Mandela with International Day on 18 July

11 November 2009 – The United Nations has declared 18 July “Nelson Mandela International Day” in recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom.

The resolution was adopted yesterday by the 192-member General Assembly to commemorate the Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s long-standing commitment to promoting conflict resolution, race relations, human rights, reconciliation and gender equality.

The Day will be observed annually on 18 July, Mr. Mandela’s birthday, starting in 2010 when the former anti-apartheid leader will turn 92 years old.

By adopting the resolution, the UN expressed its appreciation for a great man who had suffered for the sake of people everywhere, said Assembly President Ali Treki, recognizing Mr. Mandela’s 27-year imprisonment, most of which was spent in the notorious Robben Island detention centre off the coast of Cape Town.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32918&Cr=south+africa&Cr1=

UN gears up for discussions on first-ever arms trade treaty With the first ...

UN gears up for discussions on first-ever arms trade treaty

With the first round of United Nations-backed talks on a global, legally-binding treaty on the import and export of weapons set to kick off next week, the official chairing the discussions said today he hopes that the pact will be concluded in 2012.

The priority given to the question of the weapons trade stretches back decades to the League of Nations, the forerunner to the UN, Ambassador Roberto García Moritán of Argentina, Chair of the Preparatory Committee for the UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), told reporters today.

Currently, 80 per cent of the global trade in conventional weapons is dominated by a handful of countries, but with globalization, new producers are entering the market, with over 100 nations producing some type of weapons.

“So the ATT is an effort to try to put a little bit of predictability into a very complex and sensitive issue,” Mr. García Moritán said at a press conference in New York.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35285&Cr=weapon&Cr1=

Several countries opt to carry out UN-designed jobs initiative Several coun...

Several countries opt to carry out UN-designed jobs initiative

Several countries have volunteered to implement the Global Jobs Pact designed by the United Nations labour agency last year to guide national and international policies to stimulate economic recovery, create jobs and protect working people and their families.

El Salvador and Argentina are the first two countries to seek the assistance of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in formulating socio-economic policies that put social issues at the core of strategies to help countries recover from the global financial crisis, Assane Diop, ILO Executive Director of Social Protection, told reporters in New York.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35261&Cr=ilo&Cr1=

Demolitions, new settlements in East Jerusalem could amount to war crimes –...

Demolitions, new settlements in East Jerusalem could amount to war crimes – UN expert

An independent United Nations expert today urged Israel to prevent further rights violations in East Jerusalem, warning that population transfers in or from occupied territory are war crimes under international law.

Richard Falk, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights on Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, cited in particular the situation of four Palestinians threatened with the loss of their right of residence, as well as the plan by the Mayor of Jerusalem to demolish 22 buildings housing Palestinians in Silwan as part of a redevelopment of the area.

“These actions, if carried out, would violate international law, with certain actions potentially amounting to war crimes under international humanitarian law,” warned Mr. Falk, who reports to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council in an unpaid capacity. 

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35175&Cr=Palestin&Cr1=

Torture remains prevalent in too many countries, UN warns Too many countries...

Torture remains prevalent in too many countries, UN warns

Too many countries are still practising or tolerating “cruel, degrading and illegal” acts of torture, top United Nations officials said today as they pledged the UN's solidarity with the millions of torture victims worldwide.

“The prohibition of torture is absolute and unambiguous,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message marking the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. “Torture cannot be justified under any circumstances whatsoever, whether during a state of war or in response to terrorism, political instability or any other public emergency.”

UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Navi Pillay used her message for the Day to warn that no one suspected of committing torture should be allowed to benefit from an amnesty.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35155&Cr=torture&Cr1=

UN opens new courtroom to try pirate suspects in Kenyan port The United Nat...

UN opens new courtroom to try pirate suspects in Kenyan port

 The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Kenya, the country currently holding the highest number of piracy suspects, today opened a new high-security courtroom to try suspects in the port town of Mombasa.

“Kenya has taken on a heavy burden in dealing with a crime that affects the entire international community,” said John Sandage, Officer-in-Charge of UNODC's Division of Treaty Affairs.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35156&Cr=UNODC&Cr1=

UN human rights experts call on States to ratify treaty on enforced disappe...

UN human rights experts call on States to ratify treaty on enforced disappearances

A United Nations human rights working group today urged Member States to back a global pact aimed at protecting people from enforced disappearances that is just two ratifications shy of the number needed to bring it into force.

The International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances, which was adopted by the General Assembly in 2006, has been signed by 83 countries and ratified by 18 so far.

The UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance wrapped up its latest session today, which took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by calling on “all other States to ratify the convention and accept the State and individual complaint process under the convention.”

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35144&Cr=&Cr1=

UN invites ‘Citizen Ambassadors’ to film anti-poverty goals in action The U...

UN invites ‘Citizen Ambassadors’ to film anti-poverty goals in action

The United Nations launched today a video contest inviting people from around the world, particularly youth, to tell leaders what the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) mean to them by uploading short films on the UN YouTube channel.

“Use your voice as a global citizen to tell world leaders in a short video what you think needs to be done to make this world a better and safer place,” the contest website reads, featuring messages from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassadors Angelique Kidjo and Youssou N’Dour.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35122&Cr=mdg&Cr1=

UN agency adopts first-ever global labour standard on HIV/AIDS Governments, ...

UN agency adopts first-ever global labour standard on HIV/AIDS

Governments, employers and workers meeting at the annual conference of the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) today adopted a new international standard on HIV and AIDS – the first international human rights instrument to focus specifically on the pandemic as a workplace issue.

Among its provisions, the new instrument stresses that measures to address HIV and AIDS in the workplace should be part of national development policies and programmes. It rejects discrimination against workers, job-seekers and applicants on the grounds of real or perceived HIV status, and accords “fundamental priority” to preventing all modes of HIV transmission.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35057&Cr=hiv/aids&Cr1=

Too many businesses neglecting human rights, corruption concerns – UN survey...

Too many businesses neglecting human rights, corruption concerns – UN survey

Corruption and human rights issues continue to be neglected by companies despite ongoing interest in United Nations-led efforts to ensure ethical corporate conduct, according to the findings of a new survey by a global initiative that seeks to foster responsible business practices.

The UN Global Compact surveyed a total of 1,044 businesses in 97 countries, representing nearly 20 per cent of all of the initiative’s participants last year, and the key findings include that while a majority of companies reported implementation of key labour and environment policies, only 31 per cent had done the same for human rights and 32 per cent for corruption.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=35019&Cr=global+compact&Cr1=

Print this article Email this article ShareThis ...

 Print this article  Email this article ShareThis

Partnership with European Union vital to tackling global challenges – UN official

No single entity address all global obstacles, ranging from climate change to hunger, a senior United Nations official said today, underscoring the vital relationship between the world body and the European Union in promoting development.

Presenting the latest report on the partnership between the UN and the EU, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark stressed that “we can do together what we cannot do alone.”

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34982&Cr=european+union&Cr1=

UN backs production of new history syllabus for African students In an effo...

UN backs production of new history syllabus for African students

In an effort to ensure that African youth learn about their common heritage, the United Nations agency responsible for cultural issues said today it is working with historians, education specialists and government representatives to develop a history syllabus for African schools.

The new syllabus is to be based on the book entitled General History of Africa, an eight-volume series written from the African perspective and published by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It will be the first such programme designed for the entire continent.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34980&Cr=unesco&Cr1=

Security Council selects official to assist with Al-Qaida and Taliban sanct...

Security Council selects official to assist with Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions

A Security Council committee overseeing sanctions against the Taliban and Al-Qaida today appointed a Canadian judge to help decide which names of individuals or entities to remove from the committee’s consolidated list of people facing sanctions.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34946&Cr=taliban&Cr1

UN Alliance of Civilizations eyes corporate sector to ease cultural tensions...

UN Alliance of Civilizations eyes corporate sector to ease cultural tensions

The corporate sector has a key role to play in overcoming prejudice among nations, cultures and religions and can draw on the experiences of companies working in different countries and communities, the head of the United Nations-backed Alliance of Civilizations Forum said today.

“Multilateral companies are themselves confronted with that challenge and contribute innovative solutions both within the structure of the companies and in the way they relate to the market environment in their countries,” Marc Scheuer, Director of the Alliance of Civilizations Forum, told journalists in a briefing following last week’s Alliance forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34913

Universal pensions can protect older persons from poverty, says UN expert

It is essential for States to set up social protection measures, such as universal pensions, to protect older persons against poverty, an independent United Nations human rights expert said today.

“Societies are abandoning traditional care practices for older persons, who are left stranded in rapidly increasing numbers,” warned Magdalena Sepúlveda, the UN Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty.

Presenting her report to the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, Ms. Sepúlveda noted that investment in social pensions is crucial to protect the rights of the elderly. 

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34916&Cr=&Cr1=

Domestic inquiries into extrajudicial killings insufficient, UN expert stres...

Domestic inquiries into extrajudicial killings insufficient, UN expert stresses

An independent United Nations human rights expert today stressed the need for international inquiries into serious allegations of extrajudicial executions in cases where national probes have been insufficient, citing examples relating to the Gaza Strip and Sri Lanka.

In many instances, domestic commissions of inquiry had only resulted in “comprehensive impunity,” Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said as he presented his annual report to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council (HRC).

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34905&Cr=alston&Cr1=

Israel joins UN-managed trademark system Israel today formally joined the Un...

Israel joins UN-managed trademark system

Israel today formally joined the United Nations-backed international system which offers trademark owners a cost-effective and easy to access means of protecting and managing their brand names and logos internationally.

Israel becomes the 85th member of the so-called Madrid Protocol for the International Registration of Marks, which is administered by the UN World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The protocol will become operational in Israel on 1 September.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34873&Cr=wipo&Cr1=

UN the only forum for solving global problems – General Assembly President S...

UN the only forum for solving global problems – General Assembly President

Solutions to current challenges facing the international community can only be found through cooperative effort under the auspices of the United Nations, the President of the General Assembly has said.

“The 21st century has witnessed a number of global crises; from the global financial and economic crisis, the escalating food prices to environmental degradation and the increasing prevalence of natural disasters,” said Ali Treki in a speech to the Argentine Parliament in Buenos Aires yesterday.

“The United Nations is the only forum where all nations can collectively work together to achieve durable solutions to these and other challenges,” he said.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34833&Cr=treki&Cr1=

Intercultural dialogue crucial for world peace, Ban tells Security Council

The Security Council today highlighted the vital role of intercultural dialogue in securing global peace, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warning that while the world is growing more connected through migration, trade and technology, it is also growing more apart.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34817&Cr=alliance+of+civilizations&Cr1=

Biodiversity loss brings ecological systems closer to a tipping point, Ban s...

Biodiversity loss brings ecological systems closer to a tipping point, Ban says

Despite repeated global commitments to protect the planet's species and habitats, the variety of life continues to decline at an unprecedented rate, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today, urging action to curb the root causes of biodiversity decline.

“Biodiversity loss is moving ecological systems ever closer to a tipping point beyond which they will no longer be able to fulfil their vital functions,” he said in his message on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity, observed on 22 May.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34779&Cr=Biodiversity&Cr1=

Migiro urges Africa to forge ahead with promoting good governance, human rig...

Migiro urges Africa to forge ahead with promoting good governance, human rights

Africa must keep pressing ahead with promoting good governance, respect for human rights and empowering its own people as it seeks to enhance continental integration, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said today.

It is “clearly understood that Africa’s future is first and foremost for Africans themselves to decide,” she tolda conference in Bologna, Italy.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34770&Cr=africa&Cr1=develop

Secretary-General urges expanded understanding of human security The protect...

Secretary-General urges expanded understanding of human security

The protection and empowerment of people worldwide must form the basis of government actions, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed today as he called on Member States to accept a broadened understanding of the concept of human security.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34765&Cr=human+security&Cr1=

UN experts link World Day for Cultural Diversity with human rights

Defending cultural diversity goes hand in hand with respect for the individual, a group of United Nations independent human rights experts said today as they also warned that cultural diversity should not be used to infringe on human rights.

“Cultural diversity can only thrive in an environment that safeguards fundamental freedoms and human rights,” the group said in a joint statement to mark World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, highlighting the importance of freedom from discrimination and freedom of expression, information and communications.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34759&Cr=cultural+diversity&Cr1=

Remaining non-self-governing territories must have full freedom of choice, ...

Remaining non-self-governing territories must have full freedom of choice, Ban says

The world’s 16 remaining territories that still do not govern themselves must have complete freedom in deciding their future status, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a forum on decolonization today.

“Our common challenge remains the full implementation of the Declaration,” he told the three-day Seminar in Noumea, New Caledonia, referring to the General Assembly’ landmark Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, which this year marks its 50th anniversary.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34740&Cr=pacific&Cr1=

UN official sounds alarm on increasingly global nature of organized crime

UN official sounds alarm on increasingly global nature of organized crime

UN atomic agency a sounding board for countries considering going nuclear T...

UN atomic agency a sounding board for countries considering going nuclear

The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) fans out across the globe to not only ensure that nations are adhering to international pacts on security and other issues, but also to help them decide whether or not to make the leap to nuclear power.

At the start of the five-yearly review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which kicked off last week, the agency’s head, Yukiya Amano, told more than 100 nations taking part at the event in New York that dozens of countries are considering introducing nuclear power to generate electricity.

The right to peacefully use nuclear technology is one of the three pillars of the NPT, which entered into force in 1970.

When asked for assistance by Member States, the IAEA helps them to assess their energy options and weigh all the factors – including the volatility of fossil fuel and uncertainties of climate change – before making the decision to install nuclear power plants.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34669&Cr=nuclear&Cr1=

UN calls on Africa to enhance agriculture in face of climate change Warning...

UN calls on Africa to enhance agriculture in face of climate change

Warning of climate change’s potential to threaten food security in Africa, a new United Nations paper is urging the continent’s countries to take action to develop agriculture and manage natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Higher temperatures and more unpredictable weather could lower crop yields, up to nearly 7 per cent for maize, a staple crop, according to the publication, entitled “Climate Change Implications for Food Security and Natural Resources Management in Africa.”

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34585&Cr=fao&Cr1=climate

UN body urges support for treaty regulating private military, security compa...

UN body urges support for treaty regulating private military, security companies

A United Nations expert body is urging broad support for the creation of a new global treaty to regulate the activities of private military and security contractors, stressing the need for strict control mechanisms for this “highly specific and dangerous trade.”

The five-member UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries, created in 2005, is currently drafting a possible new legally binding instrument that aims to set minimum global standards for States to regulate private military and security companies’ activities at the international level.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34537&Cr=human

UN chief calls on all nations to join International Criminal Court

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on every nation to become a party to the Rome Statute that set up the International Criminal Court (ICC), stressing the vital role played by the institution in ending impunity for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34544&Cr=international+criminal+court&Cr1=

Top UN officials stress importance of freedom of information Marking the ann...

Top UN officials stress importance of freedom of information

Marking the annual World Press Freedom Day, top United Nations officials have called for promoting the universal right to publicly-held information as well as ensuring the safety of all those who work in the media.

“Some journalists risk intimidation, detention and even their lives, simply for exercising their right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas, through any media, and regardless of frontiers,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message for the Day, which is observed worldwide on 3 May.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34570&Cr=press+freedom&Cr1=

Public right to information essential to good governance, Ban stresses

Everyone has a right to information affecting their lives but too often government secrecy and a lack of accountability ensure that the public are deprived of vital facts, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today as he called for a wholesale change in attitudes towards press freedom.

Mr. Ban told a panel discussion being held at United Nations Headquarters in New York to mark the annual World Press Freedom Day that “there is a global trend towards new laws which recognize the universal right to publicly held information.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34536&Cr=journalist&Cr1=

UN-backed study reveals rapid biodiversity loss despite pledge to curb the d...

UN-backed study reveals rapid biodiversity loss despite pledge to curb the decline

 Global biodiversity has been declining alarmingly despite a pledge by world leaders in 2002 to help curb the loss of earthly life forms, a new United Nations-supported study shows.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34557&Cr=biodiversity&Cr1=

Debate on indigenous peoples and forests among highlights of annual UN forum

The relationship between indigenous peoples and forests was among the major issues discussed during a two-week forum at United Nations Headquarters that wrapped up today, with participants voicing concern about the impact on lives and livelihoods of deforestation, extraction activities and large-scale building projects.http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34552&Cr=indigenous&Cr1=

Ban issues call for religious leaders to foster dialogue between cultures Re...

Ban issues call for religious leaders to foster dialogue between cultures

Religious leaders have a vital part to play in promoting dialogue between different cultures and societies at a time when globalization has left many people feeling discontented, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has told an international gathering of leaders.

In a message to the two-day World Summit of Religious Leaders, which concludes today in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, Mr. Ban said that “when we build a culture of understanding and uphold human dignity, we build a better world.”

He noted that “we live in a changing and interconnected world,” where local events can have an impact globally and international events can also have a local impact.

“Globalization continues to transform our societies, bringing gains for many but leaving too many others untouched and discontent. These 21st-century facts compel us to strengthen cooperation – to expand the space for dialogue.”

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34497&Cr=Religion&Cr1=

Ban lauds Jordan’s Queen for children’s book on cross-cultural understanding

A cultural food fight between “gooey” peanut butter and jelly and “icky” hummus sandwiches leads to global acceptance – at least at the grade-school level – in a colourful picture book launched today by Queen Rania of Jordan and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Eminent Advocate for children.

“I commend Her Majesty Queen Rania for her longstanding commitment to raising awareness about the importance of mutual respect and cross-cultural understanding,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the launch of The Sandwich Swap at the UN Bookshop in New York.

http://157.150.195.10/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34499&Cr=children&Cr1=

Cyber-age protection of intellectual property focus of UN agency The global ...

Cyber-age protection of intellectual property focus of UN agency

The global intellectual property system must encourage innovation and creativity around the world and ensure that the benefits are accessible to all while protecting the attendant rights, the top United Nations official in the field said today.

“Rapid innovation and its global adoption has transformed our outlook,” UN World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Francis Gurry said in a message marking this year’s World Intellectual Property Day. “We are now linked – physically, intellectually, socially and culturally – in ways that were impossible to imagine.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34481&Cr=wipo&Cr1=

UN forum on indigenous issues to focus on rights in development processes Ne...

UN forum on indigenous issues to focus on rights in development processes

Nearly 2,000 indigenous representatives from all over the world will gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York on Monday for the start of a two-week meeting aimed at ensuring their full participation in development while preserving their culture and identity.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34395&Cr=&Cr1=

UN officials call for donor support to build memorial to victims of slavery ...

UN officials call for donor support to build memorial to victims of slavery

United Nations officials have called on Member States and private donors to support a trust fund to pay for a permanent memorial at United Nations Headquarters in New York to the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34398&Cr=slave&Cr1=

Top UN officials hail new Russian-US nuclear arms reduction treaty Secretary...

Top UN officials hail new Russian-US nuclear arms reduction treaty

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog have welcomed the new treaty signed today by the leaders of Russia and the United States by which they pledged to slash their nuclear arsenals by a third.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban lauded the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (known as the New START Treaty) as “an important milestone in the international efforts to advance nuclear disarmament and to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons.”

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34306&Cr=nuclear&Cr1=

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES EXACERBATING POVERTY IN AFGHANISTAN, UN REPORT FINDS The...

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES EXACERBATING POVERTY IN AFGHANISTAN, UN REPORT FINDS

The United Nations human rights office is urging that Afghanistan’s poor be at the centre of decision-making processes that affect their lives, after a new report found that rights abuses are exacerbating poverty in the country. 

“Poverty is neither accidental, nor inevitable; it is both a cause and a consequence of a massive human rights deficit,” she added. 

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34239&Cr=afghan&Cr1=

Quality employment key to poverty alleviation, UN official says

Decent employment opportunities are essential for countries to achieve economic growth and alleviate poverty, the head of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said today, stressing the need to create more and better jobs each year.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34157&Cr=undp&Cr1=

Lack of basic services for slum dwellers a form of rights violation – Ban

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today described appalling living conditions in slums as a violation of human rights, saying that helping the urban poor reclaim their rights strengthened societies and stemmed environmental degradation.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34148&Cr=cities&Cr1=

In Middle East, Ban hails 'heroism and quiet courage' of Gazans Visiting Gaz...

In Middle East, Ban hails 'heroism and quiet courage' of Gazans

Visiting Gaza today, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his solidarity with the people of the area, just over one year after the end of the deadly conflict.

“Every day they show heroism and quiet courage and this is an inspiration,” Mr. Ban saidwhile visiting the Khan Younis section of Gaza.

The people of the area, he said, “are striving to provide for their families amid unacceptable, unsustainable conditions.”

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34146

UN chief accepts Pakistan’s request to delay release of report on Bhutto kil...

UN chief accepts Pakistan’s request to delay release of report on Bhutto killing

he presentation of the report of the independent United Nations probe looking into the facts and circumstances of the December 2007 assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, which had been scheduled for today, has been delayed until 15 April at the request of the country’s President.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34244&Cr=pakistan&Cr1=

UN turns to social media to raise awareness about Holocaust The United Natio...

UN turns to social media to raise awareness about Holocaust

The United Nations launched today a Twitter campaign for students in memory of Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager who died in the Holocaust 65 years ago but whose wartime diary has endured to become one of the world’s most widely read books and teaching tools.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34238&Cr=holocaust&Cr1=

Gender stereotypes continue to limit women’s progress, Migiro says Women con...

Gender stereotypes continue to limit women’s progress, Migiro says

Women continue to bear disproportionate responsibility for often unappreciated care-giving work in households and communities, despite significant progress in gender equality and women empowerment during the past 15 years, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro has said.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34232&Cr=gender&Cr1=

UN backs lawmakers' call to do away with travel bans based on HIV status The...

UN backs lawmakers' call to do away with travel bans based on HIV status

The United Nations agency tasked with fighting the spread of HIV has supported a call made by the world’s parliamentarians to lift travel restrictions for people living with the disease.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34233&Cr=hiv&Cr1=aids

UN launches global greenhouse gas emissions calculator The United Nations la...

UN launches global greenhouse gas emissions calculator

The United Nations launched today the first common system of calculating the amount of greenhouse gases produced in a given city and by specific sector or time, allowing cities to compare their performances and analyse differences.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34169&Cr=greenhouse&Cr1=

Ban outlines steps needed to reach development targets Investment reforms an...

Ban outlines steps needed to reach development targets

Investment reforms and international cooperation are among the ingredients necessary to procure the finances needed to push ahead with development in poorer countries, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34166&Cr=mdg&Cr1

Stable commodity prices crucial for revenue for poorer countries – UN official

Limiting fluctuations in the prices of crude oil and other commodities that many developing countries depend on for economic growth is crucial to ensure steady sources of revenue to fund poverty-alleviation programmes, the head of the United Nations trade and development agency said today.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34154&Cr=unctad&Cr1=

Over 200 million escape slums but overall number still rising, UN report finds

While more than 200 million slum dwellers worldwide have escaped their conditions in the past decade, the overall population of slums has swelled by nearly 60 million in the same period, a new United Nations report finds.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34119&Cr=mdg&Cr1

Unsafe water kills more people than war, Ban says on World Day More people d...

Unsafe water kills more people than war, Ban says on World Day

More people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, calling for better protection and sustainable management of one of the Earth’s most precious resources on the occasion of World Water Day.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34150&Cr=water&Cr1

Final push towards biodiversity accord begins at UN meeting in Colombia

After six years of intensive discussions, some 500 delegates have gathered at a United Nations meeting in Cali, Colombia, to hammer out an international agreement on access to the Earth’s genetic resources and the fair and equitable share in benefits from their use.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=34149&Cr=biodiversity&Cr1