PEACE VIGIL: UN Headlines Dec 1-31, 2018 from UN News Center: UN should be ‘exemplary’ in defending judicial independence, top Judge tells Security Council 11 December 2018 Law and Crime Preventi...
UN Headlines Dec 1-11, 2018 from UN News Center
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UN should be ‘exemplary’ in defending judicial independence, top Judge tells Security Council
11 December 2018
Law and Crime Prevention
The United Nations should be a role model when it comes to repelling attempts to weaken the rule of law and undermine independent judiciaries around the world, a senior UN judge told the Security Council on Tuesday.
PAHO/WHO Photo
Uzbekistan wins its long fight against malaria, as global rates continue to rise
11 December 2018
Health
Uzbekistan’s success in becoming recognized as a malaria-free country by the World Health Organization (WHO), is an “extraordinary outcome,” said the Executive Director of the Global Fund on Tuesday, a UN-backed partnership to end malaria epidemics.
UNFCCC Secretariat
COP24 negotiations: Why reaching agreement on climate action is so complex
11 December 2018
Climate Change
From Tuesday on, close to 100 Government ministers are due be involved in negotiating a final deal on moving forward with climate action here at the United Nations COP24 conference in Poland. So, what is the goal? To agree a concrete plan to implement the historic 2015 Paris climate deal by mid-century. The stakes are high with numerous different pressure points.
Governments urged to put first ever UN global migration pact in motion, post-Marrakech
11 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
The adoption by more than 160 governments of the first-ever global migration pact is a triumph of multilateralism and highlights the importance of dispelling “myths” and fear-mongering over the issue, said the UN’s senior migration official on Tuesday, bringing the key two-day Marrakech conference to a close.
UN working with both sides, after hidden tunnels confirmed along Lebanon-Israel ‘Blue Line’
11 December 2018
Peace and Security
The head of the United Nations peace mission in Lebanon has urged an end to “rumours and speculations” over tunnels which have been discovered along the UN-drawn “Blue Line” – the border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel.
‘Global sisterhood’ tells perpetrators ‘time is up’ for pandemic of violence
11 December 2018
Women
From #MeToo to #HearMeToo, the fight to end violence against women continues as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Nicole Kidman, joined survivors, activists and other Hollywood celebrities to spotlight the lack of resources that exist to help women push back against violence and abuse.
UNICEF/Romenzi
Bid to raise $5.5 billion for millions of Syrians and their host communities
11 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Some 5.6 million Syrians need help outside the war-torn country and one million of them are children born in exile, UN agencies and partners said on Tuesday, in an appeal for $5.5 billion to cover humanitarian needs for 2019.
Progress made in UN talks to end Yemen war, Envoy lauds ‘positive and serious spirit’
11 December 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations-sponsored political consultations in Sweden, involving the warring parties in the Yemen war, have led to progress “on a number of issues,” said Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy for Yemen, at a press conference on Monday.
UNOCHA/Ghalia Seifo
Major UN aid operation for 650,000 gets underway across Syria-Jordan border
10 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The United Nations began a four-week operation on Sunday, delivering lifesaving assistance to hundreds of thousands of Syrians in desperate need, from across the border in neighbouring Jordan.
UNICEF/Noorani
Iraq: Over 150,000 children endangered by ‘freezing’ temperatures, warns UNICEF
10 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has ramped up efforts to provide warm clothes and life-saving supplies to more than 150,000 displaced children across northern Iraq whose lives are threatened by freezing temperatures.
UN Photo
Worldwide UN family celebrates enduring universal values of human rights
10 December 2018
Human Rights
Across the world, the UN family has been making sure that this year’s Human Rights Day – which falls on Monday, and marks 70 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – succeeds in raising awareness of the principles enshrined in the document, which are as important and relevant today, as they were in 1948.
UN News/Yasmina Guerda
‘Going green’ is good business says private sector at UN’s COP24 climate conference
10 December 2018
Climate Change
Businesses across the world should no longer be viewed solely as greenhouse gas emissions culprits, but more as indispensable partners for climate action, who stand to increase profits from “going green”. That was the key message as the United Nations COP24 climate change conference went into its second week in Katowice, Poland.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
Governments adopt UN global migration pact to help ‘prevent suffering and chaos’
10 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
The Global Compact for Migrationwas adopted on Monday by leading representatives from 164 Governments at an international conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, in an historic move described by UN Chief António Guterres as the creation of a “roadmap to prevent suffering and chaos”.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
In Marrakech, UN chief urges world leaders to ‘breathe life’ into historic global migration pact
9 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Leading Government representatives from more than 150 States have arrived in Marrakech, Morocco, with a view to adopting a ground-breaking UN-led global migration compact which is designed to make the growing phenomenon safer and more dignified for millions on the move.
World Bank/Philip Schuler
The costs of corruption: values, economic development under assault, trillions lost, says Guterres
9 December 2018
SDGs
Every year, trillions of dollars - equivalent to more than five percent of global GDP - are paid in bribes or stolen through corruption, the United Nations reported on the International Day which serves to highlight the pervasive crime, marked this Sunday.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
70 years on, landmark UN human rights document as important as ever
9 December 2018
Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights reaches its 70th anniversary on Monday, a chance to highlight the many important breakthroughs brought about by the landmark UN document, and to remind the world that the human rights of millions are still being violated on a daily basis.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider
‘Complacency is still strong’ over stopping genocide, says top UN adviser
9 December 2018
Peace and Security
The current rise in hate speech, racial tensions and identity-based violence is alarming, the UN Special Adviser on preventing genocide said on Friday, highlighting his concern that ‘complacency is still strong’, when it comes to stopping the mass-killing or extinction of national, ethnic, racial or religious groups.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
Ahead of key UN-backed Marrakech migration conference, youth recount harrowing journeys
8 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Paving the way to the key UN migration conference in Marrakech, Morocco, which it is hoped will agree new measures to make life safer and more dignified for people on the move, UN agencies held a series of side events to highlight the different aspects of migration, paying special attention to the most vulnerable, and the challenges they face on their often perilous journeys.
Audio - 10' Playlist
UNICEF/Marco Dormino
COP24 addresses climate change displacement ahead of crunch migration meeting
8 December 2018
Climate Change
As hundreds of decision-makers are gathering in Marrakech to agree new standards for global migration, the United Nations climate change conference ‘COP24’ is looking at concrete ways to help countries tackle large-scale displacement caused by the impacts of climate change, including water scarcity, flooding, storms and rising sea levels.
Source: Video screen shot
Internet milestone reached, as more than 50 per cent go online: UN telecoms agency
7 December 2018
Economic Development
For the first time, more than half of the world’s population of nearly 8 billion will be using the internet by the end of 2018, the United Nations telecommunications agency announced on Friday.
On flight to sustainable development, ‘leave no country behind’, urges aviation agency
7 December 2018
SDGs
Marking International Civil Aviation Day, the United Nations aviation agency, ICAO, is showcasing the socio-economic benefits and “tremendous” opportunities presented by the global journey towards sustainable development.
FAO/IFAD/WFP/Luis Tato
UN emergency relief fund has ‘never been more critical’: Guterres
7 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
The mission of the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which enables humanitarian responders to deliver life-saving assistance whenever and wherever crises strike, is more critical than ever, said Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, as a key pledging conference got underway at UN Headquarters in New York.
UN News/Matt Wells
COP24: Huge untapped potential in greener construction, says UN environment agency
7 December 2018
Climate Change
Noting some progress in greening the global construction industry, the United Nations environment agency (UNEP) co-released a report on Friday at the COP24climate conference in Katowice, Poland, sounding the alarm on the need for “dramatic action” to reduce the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions.
UNDP Green Commodities Programme
CLIMATE CHANGE FOCUS: The fruits of sustainability and decent work
7 December 2018
Climate Change
Costa Rica’s is taking the lead in promoting the socially-conscious production of pineapples whilst protecting the environment, thanks to a project supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
© World Bank/Wu Zhiyi
Road injuries leading cause of death for the young, despite safety gains: UN report
7 December 2018
Economic Development
Latest statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO reveal that 1.35 million people die on the roads each year, while road traffic injuries are now the leading cause of death among young people, according to new statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Audio - 26'37" Playlist
WFP/Jonathan Dumont
A safer, more dignified journey for all migrants, tops agenda at global conference in Marrakech
7 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
Top politicians and officials from across the world will gather in Marrakech, Morocco this weekend, ahead of a major conference convened by the UN, to formally adopt an all-inclusive, extensive global agreement aimed at making migration safer, and more dignified for all.
Audio - 6'12" Playlist
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
US resolution to condemn activities of Hamas voted down in General Assembly
6 December 2018
Peace and Security
Although a majority of UN Member States voted in favour of a General Assembly resolution put forward by the United States – condemning the activities of Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza – it failed to be adopted on Thursday at UN Headquarters in New York.
MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko
Preventing and resolving conflicts must form ‘backbone’ of collective efforts – UN chief
6 December 2018
Peace and Security
More countries are experiencing violent conflict now than at any time over the past 30 years, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Thursday, underscoring that the world has a responsibility to act “collectively”.
MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko
UN launches new framework to strengthen fight against terrorism
6 December 2018
Peace and Security
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres launched a new Organization-wide framework on Thursday to coordinate efforts across the peace and security, humanitarian, human rights and sustainable development sectors.
UN Photo/Martine Perret
Western Sahara: a 'peaceful solution’ to conflict is possible, says UN envoy
6 December 2018
Peace and Security
The first UN-led talks in six years over the disputed Western Sahara-region concluded on a positive note on Thursday in Geneva, where the Organization’s representative Horst Köhler said that further discussions are planned “in the first quarter of 2019”.
Yemen war: UN chief urges good faith as ‘milestone’ talks get underway in Sweden
6 December 2018
Peace and Security
The Yemeni Government and the Houthi opposition have gathered at United Nations-sponsored political talks, close to the Swedish capital, Stockholm, aimed at ending nearly four years of brutal war in the country.
UN News/Yasmina Guerda
Taking fast road to ‘e-mobility’ central to a sustainable future: COP24
6 December 2018
Climate Change
As the transportation sector continues to be a major culprit in the global rise in temperatures, the urgent need for clean solutions – in particular, powered by electricity or “e-mobility” – is being highlighted at the two-week United Nations climate change conference ‘COP24’ in Katowice, Poland.
Audio - 10'30" Playlist
Giles Clarke/UN OCHA
Yemen war: UN-backed talks to silence the guns begin in Sweden
6 December 2018
Peace and Security
Highly anticipated UN-brokered consultations about substantive talks which could lead to an end to more than three years of brutal conflict across Yemen, have begun in Sweden. Brutal fighting has left the Middle East nation divided between Government and rebel forces, with millions on the brink of famine, and the economy and society in ruins.
UNOG
More than 17,000 children worldwide paint a picture of human rights
5 December 2018
Human Rights
More than 17,000 children from around the globe have drawn pictures depicting their passion for human rights in an international art competition honoring the upcoming 70th anniversary of the ground-breaking Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
UN Photo/Patricia Esteve
Sustainability, peace, security ‘best guarantee against instability’ Guterres to Security Council
5 December 2018
Peace and Security
“Peace and development are indivisible,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Wednesday, encouraging a stronger push along what he dubbed “the peace continuum” as the “best guarantee against instability and insecurity.”
UNDP Tunisia
CLIMATE CHANGE FOCUS: Tunisia coastline in need of climate cash boost
5 December 2018
Climate Change
Efforts to mobilize the cash needed to ensure that climate change does not lead to the irreversible damage of Tunisia’s coastline are being undertaken by the North African country’s government, with the support of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
UN Photo/Martine Perret
First Western Sahara talks at UN in six years, begin in Geneva
5 December 2018
Peace and Security
Talks have begun at the UN on the future of Western Sahara – the first in years – the Organization announced on Wednesday.
FAO/Hkun Lat
Soil pollution ‘jeopardizing’ life on Earth, UN agency warns on World Day
5 December 2018
SDGs
Soil is a “treasure beneath our feet,” essential to human lives and well-being, a senior United Nations official has highlighted, warning, however, that this invaluable resource is under constant threat from the little-understood phenomenon of soil pollution.
WMO/Alfred Lee
COP24: A million lives could be saved by 2050 through climate action, UN health agency reveals
5 December 2018
Climate Change
Taking bold climate action now, could help save a million lives and a lot of money by the middle of the century, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday, launching a special report as part of the ongoing COP24 climate conference in Katowice, Poland.
ILO/Marcel Crozet
Millions more migrant workers, means countries lose ‘most productive part’ of workforce
5 December 2018
Migrants and Refugees
A new study launched on Wednesday by the International Labour Organization (ILO) reveals that the number of migrant workers has jumped by millions, leaving some countries without “the most productive part of their workforce.”
UN Photo/Laura Jarriel
Syrian civilians must be protected amid ISIL executions and airstrikes: Bachelet
5 December 2018
Human Rights
Reports that violent extremists in Syria have executed civilians in the east of the war-torn country have been condemned by the UN’s top rights official, Michelle Bachelet.
Mobile Film Festival
Human rights on film: International festival celebrates mobile phone films for a cause
4 December 2018
Human Rights
In honor of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, marked 10 December, the United Nations has allied with the Mobile Film Festival to host a special edition of its annual international film competition, now in its 14th year.
Audio - 6'21" Playlist
Giles Clarke/ Getty Images Reportage
Trust and support of Iraqis essential for success of UN’s Da’esh terror investigation
4 December 2018
Peace and Security
Delivering a summary of his first report to the Security Council, Special Adviser and head of the UN Investigative Team for Accountability of Da’esh – the Arabic name for the extremist group ISIL which recently held sway over large parts of Iraq and Syria - said that the team can only be effective if it gains the trust of Iraqi society.
World Bank/Kim Eun Yeul
UN expert ‘shocked’ by Egyptian reprisals against human rights defenders she met
4 December 2018
Human Rights
A United Nations independent rights expert has condemned Egyptian Government reprisals, which included housing demolitions and arbitrary arrests, against human rights defenders and others she encountered while visiting the country just over a month ago.
UNEP/Cyril Villemain
Assembly President launches new initiative to purge plastics and purify oceans
4 December 2018
SDGs
The President of the UN General Assembly launched a new global call to action on Tuesday, to help end the scourge of plastic pollution in the ocean.
UNICEF/Aylar Rezayee
Women ‘vital’ to peace efforts and ensuring long-lasting stability in Afghanistan
4 December 2018
Women
As gender-equality advocates discuss how a lasting peace can be secured in Afghanistan, the top UN official in the country has underscored the importance of women’s participation as “vital to ending the conflict and ensuring long-lasting stability.”
IOC/Greg Martin
UN recognises role of sport in achieving sustainable development
4 December 2018
Peace and Security
The power of sport to help make sustainable development a reality and, in particular, the 2030 Agenda – the United Nations’ blueprint to transform the world for the benefit of all – has been explicitly recognized by a General Assembly resolution, adopted at UN Headquarters on Monday.
MDF/M. Hudair
Global aid appeal targets more than 93 million most in need next year
4 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Conflict has pushed tens of millions of people into a situation where they are in urgent need of help, the UN’s relief chief said on Tuesday, in an appeal for funds that could top $25 billion to support life-saving aid projects in over 40 countries next year.
UNFCC Secretariat/James Dowson
Ambition, transformation, active citizenship: COP24 looks to next year’s big UN Climate Change Summit
4 December 2018
Climate Change
With thousands gathered in Katowice, Poland, for the ‘COP24’ meeting to chart the way forward for climate action, United Nations chief António Guterres presentedhis longer-term vision on Tuesday for the 2019 Climate Change Summit.
Audio - 10'30" Playlist
UN News/Desmond Ingham-Brown
‘We need to do more’ to transform the world, deputy UN chief tells African audiences
3 December 2018
SDGs
During her current trip to South Africa, Deputy-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has spoken at several events in Johannesburg, on the importance of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development - the UN’s blueprint to end extreme poverty, fight injustice, and protect the planet, ensuring that no one is left behind.
UN launches Facebook Messenger-powered bot to take on climate change
3 December 2018
Climate Change
As world leaders and decision-makers get to work on mitigating climate change at the COP24 conference in Katowice, Poland, renowned broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough launched a new UN campaign to give individuals their say on the key global issue, via social media.
Giles Clarke/UN OCHA
Evacuation of wounded Yemenis from rebel-held capital may bolster fresh peace talks
3 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
A United Nations chartered aircraft has transported some fifty badly injured Yemenis from the capital Sana’a to hospitals in Muscat, the capital of Oman, for treatment, the UN envoy for the war-torn country has announced.
© UNDP SGP Ukraine/2017
FROM THE FIELD: Persons with disabilities bike towards sustainability
3 December 2018
SDGs
People with disabilities in Ukraine are contributing to the development of a network of environmentally friendly bicycle routes which are helping to protect unique local landscapes.
World Bank/Curt Carnemark
UN agriculture chief urges ‘transformative changes’ to how we eat
3 December 2018
Health
Obesity affects millions of people, and several billion suffer from diseases caused by vitamin- or mineral-deficient diets, known as micronutrient deficiencies, according to the UN agriculture chief, who called on Monday for “transformative changes” to our food systems.
UNMISS Photo
South Sudan: UN condemns ‘brutal’ sexual assaults on roads to Bentiu
3 December 2018
Peace and Security
Senior United Nations officials, including Secretary-General António Guterres have condemned a series of brutal sexual assaults on women and girls, travelling on the road to Bentiu, a town in the north of South Sudan.
UNFCCC Secretariat
Four things the UN chief wants world leaders to know, at key COP24 climate conference opening
3 December 2018
Climate Change
During the UN COP24 Climate Change Conference grand opening on Monday, Secretary-General António Guterres told over 150 world leaders gathered for climate action that “we are in deep trouble” and asked decision-makers to focus on four key things: stepping up climate action, according to a solid plan, with more funding, as a smart investment in the future of the planet.
CCBRT/Dieter Telemans
First-ever UN report on disability and development, illustrates inclusion gaps
3 December 2018
SDGs
The United Nations launched its first-ever flagship report on disability and development on Monday; published by, for, and with, persons with disabilities, in the hopes of fostering more accessible, and disability-inclusive societies.
UN Women Twitter
Black Panther’s ‘General Okoye’ joins the fight against gender-based violence
2 December 2018
Women
Danai Gurira, one of the stars of hit movies “Black Panther” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” in her role as General Okoye, has been named a Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women, lending her name and dedicating her support to gender equality and women’s rights.
UN News/Daniela Gross
Over 40 million people still victims of slavery
2 December 2018
Human Rights
Slavery is still a very real and widespread phenomenon, affecting more than 40 million people worldwide, says the International Labour Organization (ILO), with children making up a quarter of the victims , despite the entry into force of the landmark Forced Labour protocol in 2016.
UNFCCC Secretariat
COP24: green, gender focus, as UN's crucial climate change conference gets underway
2 December 2018
Climate Change
COP24, the two-week 24th conference of the parties of the United Nations Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC), started on Sunday in Katowice, Poland, with a special focus on carbon neutrality and gender equality.
UN chief welcomes G20 commitment to fight climate change
2 December 2018
Economic Development
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has welcomed the declaration released on Saturday at the conclusion of the 2018 G20 meeting of the world’s leading economies, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which reaffirms a commitment to raise ambition in the fight against climate change.
OCHA/Ammar Al-Hajj
Conditions deteriorating alarmingly in Yemen, warns senior UN official
1 December 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Conditions in Yemen have deteriorated alarmingly, and the country is on the “brink of a major catastrophe” said Mark Lowcock – Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator – on returning from his mission to Yemen on Saturday.
UN Photo/Yutaka Nagata
UN chief saddened at news of death of former US President George H.W. Bush
1 December 2018
UN Affairs
In a statement released on Saturday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed his sadness at the news of the death of former US President George Herbert Walker Bush, who died on Friday.
