[21 April, 2008]

DELEGATION FROM UN PEACEBUILDING COMMISSION BEGINS VISIT TO BURUNDI

New York, Apr 19 2008 6:00PM A delegation from the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, set up to help prevent post-conflict countries from sliding back into war and misrule, travels today to Burundi on a six-day mission to examine how to help the struggling African nation move forward. The eight-member delegation is expected to meet with Burundian Government officials, representatives of regional groups such as the African Union and the Conference on the Great Lakes Region, civil society, women's groups, the media, religious leaders, human rights advocates, members of the private sector and others. In a statement the commission said the team aims to make a first-hand assessment of the situation on the ground by Burundi, where a comprehensive ceasefire agreement was signed in 2006 after years of civil war but sporadic fighting has continued... For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

[14 April, 2008]

SECRETARY-GENERAL SETS OUT FOUR OPTIONS FOR UN MISSION IN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA

New York, Apr 11 2008 7:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has outlined four options for the future of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea including the possibility of axing the mission, because of restrictions imposed by Eritrea on its side of the disputed border. In a special report on UNMEE, released today, Mr. Ban warns that none of the options are ideal as they all bear serious risks and would not resolve the impasse created by the Eritrean restrictions. Ending the mission could result in a return to open hostilities, for example, he says. “Yet the prevailing circumstances seriously limit the available courses of action,” the Secretary-General writes. One option is for the mission to resume unchanged, so long as Eritrea lifts all restrictions, resumes fuel supplies to UNMEE and allows it to perform the tasks envisaged in the cessation of hostilities agreement in 2000 that ended the last border war. A second option is to terminate the mission altogether, while another option would be to deploy a small observer mission to only the border area to try to defuse tensions between the armed forces of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The final option would be to set up liaison offices in the two capitals, Addis Ababa and Asmara, to allow the UN to remain ready to help the parties implement their peace agreement from 2000, including the demarcation of the border... For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

[07 April, 2008]

FINAL UN REPORT BEFORE HISTORIC POLLS IN NEPAL WARNS OF VIOLENCE, INTIMIDATION

New York, Apr 6 2008 9:00PM Momentum continues to build ahead of this Thursday's historic Constituent Assembly elections in Nepal, but violent clashes and acts of intimidation involving supporters of political parties are marring the campaigning, the United Nations says today in its final assessment ahead of the polls. The joint report by the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR-Nepal) finds that while campaigning has been peaceful in many constituencies, in others there have been incidents -- frequent, in some cases -- of election-related violence and intimidation. "The Young Communist League and other Maoist cadres continued to be involved in the largest proportion of these incidents," the report notes, urging the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) to stop the intimidatory behaviour of its members and supporters. "The CPN-M leadership should ensure that its stated readiness to abide by the outcome of the election authenticated through the established procedures is not undermined by contradictory statement," the report recommended... For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

[01 April, 2008]

UN SYSTEM VOWS TO ENSURE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

New York, Mar 30 2008 12:00PM More than 20 United Nations departments, agencies, programmes, and funds have pledged their support to implementing a landmark treaty on the human rights of persons with disabilities, which opened for signature a year ago today. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted by the General Assembly in December 2006 along with its Optional Protocol, is only three ratifications short of the 20 needed to enter into force and become an internationally legally binding document. In a statement issued today, the Inter-Agency Support Group for the Convention vowed to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity as laid out in the Convention... For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

[17 March, 2008]

UN OFFICIAL HOLDS TALKS WITH SERBIA'S KOSOVO MINISTER

New York, Mar 16 2008 6:00PM Meeting with Serbia's Minister for Kosovo, a senior United Nations official today underscored that challenges -- which violate Belgrade's pledges to the Security Council -- to the mandate of the world body's mission, known as UNMIK, must come to an end. The mission welcomed the recent statement by the Serbian Foreign Minister to the Security Council that UNMIK is the exclusive administrative authority in Kosovo and that resolution 1244 is the only legal framework, said Larry Rossin, the Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative, said. "However, this now places responsibility on Belgrade to avoid or avert any action that challenges this authority." In his meeting with Slobodan Samardzic, Mr. Rossin emphasized that last week's attack on and occupation of UNMIK's District Court building in Mitrovica, as well as Serbian Railways continued use of the rail line, are violations of the mission's exclusive mandate. He noted that such moves are at odds with Serbia's direct assurances to the Council... For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

[09 March, 2008]

IRAQ: TOP UN OFFICIAL DEPLORES 'VICIOUS' BOMBING IN BAGHDAD

New York, Mar 8 2008 11:00AM The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq has strongly condemned Thursday's bombing in Baghdad, one of the deadliest attacks in the strife-torn nation in recent months. Staffan de Mistura described the attack in the city's Karrada district as "a wickedly vicious crime committed against the defenseless," according to a statement issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI). The attack reportedly killed around 70 people and wounded over 120 when it struck a crowded shopping area in the Iraqi capital. "This horrifying crime shows the inhumane nature of the perpetrators who will stop at nothing in their quest to further destabilize the country and fan the flames of hatred," he added. The Special Representative extended the UN's condolences to the bereaved families and wishes for full and speedy recovery for the wounded. For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

[03 March, 2008]

WORSENING CONFLICT IN GAZA LEAVES CHILDREN AT PARTICULAR RISK, UNICEF WARNS

New York, Mar 1 2008 6:00PM The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today voiced its deep concern at the escalating conflict in the Gaza Strip, warning both Israel and the Palestinians to "take all feasible measures" to ensure the protection and care of children caught up in the violence. Since the current upsurge in fighting began on Wednesday, at least 17 children from Gaza have been killed and more than 200 others injured, UNICEF said in a statement, quoting figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry. UNICEF noted that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has also expressed his deep concern in recent days at civilian deaths in both Gaza and southern Israel and issued a call for maximum restraint from all sides. "The Convention on the Rights of the Child puts an emphasis on the need to take all feasible measures to ensure protection and care of children who are affected by an armed conflict," the UNICEF statement said. "In addition to being its direct casualties, the terrifying impact of this conflict affects all children. "Children constitute more than half the population of Gaza and are bearing the brunt of the crisis. They are already suffering severely from a series of restrictions, including the blockade on most goods imposed since June 2007." For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

[25 February, 2008]

DESTRUCTION IN WEST DARFUR TOWN SHOCKING, REPORTS UN REFUGEE AGENCY

New York, Feb 22 2008 6:00PM United Nations refugee agency staff participating in a joint assessment of the West Darfur town of Sirba, which came under air and ground attack from the Sudanese Government and allied militia groups earlier this month, say they were shocked at the level of destruction they witnessed. A joint UN humanitarian mission involving the UN High Commissioner for Refugees as well as the World Food Programme, the UN Children’s Fund and Ameerah Haq, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, visited Sirba yesterday, as some locals drift back to the town in the wake of the deadly attack on 8 February. The residents who stayed or returned pleaded with the assessment mission for help in securing their town and nearby villages from further attacks, UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond told reporters today in Geneva. The residents also warned that fleeing across the nearby Chadian border was dangerous because of the continuing conflict in the area and the widespread banditry, and they voiced concern about their compatriots who have been living in eastern Chad since the attacks on Sirba and on the villages of Sileah and Abu Suruj... For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

[18 February, 2008]

KENYA: BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES ADVANCES IN POLITICAL TALKS

New York, Feb 15 2008 6:00PM Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has lauded the progress made towards ending the political crisis that has gripped Kenya since contested elections were held in the East African nation last December. The parties to the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation process, which includes the planned creation of an independent review of the electoral process, announced today that their talks are advancing. In a statement, Mr. Ban said that he “hopes these understandings will contribute immediately to reduced levels of violence in the country,” where some 1,000 people have lost their lives and more than 310,000 others displaced since the December elections in which President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner over opposition leader Raila Odinga. The Secretary-General expressed his concern for the safety of civilians, urging the full respect of human rights in the country and applauding “all those Kenyans who in these trying times have reached out to their neighbours irrespective of ethnic differences.”... For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

[11 February, 2008]

SECRETARY-GENERAL SPEAKS OUT AGAINST RECENT ATTACKS IN WEST DARFUR

New York, Feb 9 2008 7:00PM United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today strongly condemned reported Janjaweed militia attacks supported by Sudanese forces on three towns in West Darfur resulting in the deaths of some 200 people. Abu Suruj, Sirba and Seleia, town north of West Darfur's capital, were the scene of violence on 8 February. Abu Suruj, where thousands of civilians make their home, was burnt to the ground, while the assault on Seleia reportedly included air strikes by the Government. Mr. Ban "stresses that all parties must adhere to international humanitarian law, which prohibits military attacks against civilians," according to a statement issued by his spokesperson. "All parties must urgently cease hostilities, and commit to the political process being led by the Special Envoys of the United Nations and the African Union," he said. In a related development, the UN-African Union (AU) hybrid peacekeeping operation and the Sudanese Government today signed an agreement today which provides the legal framework to allow blue helmets to operate. Rodolph Adada, the UN-AU Joint Special Representative for Darfur, and Deng Alor, Sudanese Foreign Affairs Minister, signed the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in the capital Khartoum... For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

Pages: [<<]  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | Next >>