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Updated: 4 weeks 3 hours ago

COVID-19: WHO says countries can now use one or two courses of the Janssen vaccine

Fri, 10/12/2021 - 17:01
Countries “can now consider” using one or two courses of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, otherwise known as the Johnson & Johnson, or J&J shot, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday. 

Climate change fuels violence and mass displacement in Cameroon 

Fri, 10/12/2021 - 16:33
A flare-up in intercommunal fighting in northern Cameroon has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and brought a halt to aid operations there, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday. 

Human Rights Day: Rebuild trust, expand freedoms, restore equality

Thu, 09/12/2021 - 23:14
Despite significant progress since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) 73 years ago, the COVID pandemic has “fed a frightening rise in inequalities”, and laid bare “many of our failures to consolidate the advances made”, said UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet, in a message marking Human Rights Day.

Afghanistan: Political affairs chief has ‘frank and useful exchanges’ with the Taliban  

Thu, 09/12/2021 - 22:29
The UN’s Political and Peacebuilding Affairs chief, Rosemary DiCarlo, concluded a three-day visit to Afghanistan on Thursday in which she met with senior Taliban representatives, urging them not to “erase” gains made by women and girls across the country in recent years.  

Climate change ‘aggravating factor for terrorism’: UN chief

Thu, 09/12/2021 - 19:21
Environmental degradation enables armed groups to extend their influence and manipulate resources to their advantage, the UN chief told the Security Council on Thursday, highlighting that conflict-prevention initiatives need to factor in climate risks.

‘Genocide remains a very real threat’, Guterres warns 

Thu, 09/12/2021 - 18:47
Genocide “remains a very real threat” around the world, said the UN chief on Thursday, marking the UN International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide, and of the Prevention of this Crime. 

Persecution of parliamentarians reaches ‘all-time high’

Thu, 09/12/2021 - 18:05
Political instability is a key factor behind new data revealed on Thursday which shows that persecution of Members of Parliament (MPs) worldwide, has reached a record high. The annual figures were released by UN partner the Inter-Parliamentary Union, on the eve of Human Rights Day, marked on 10 December.

Vaccine hoarding will prolong COVID warns WHO, as agency mulls early Omicron data

Thu, 09/12/2021 - 16:51
Early laboratory data on the effectiveness of existing vaccines against the Omicron COVID-19 variant is useful, but it is still unclear how effective these will be in treating severely sick patients, a UN health agency panel said on Thursday.

Land and water ecosystems, ‘stressed to a critical point’ 

Thu, 09/12/2021 - 16:28
Land and water resources are “stressed to a critical point”, following significant deterioration over the past decade, according to a major new report released on Thursday by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 

$1.79 billion needed to help Venezuelan refugees and migrants

Thu, 09/12/2021 - 15:18
The increasing needs of refugees and migrants from Venezuela have worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic, say UN rights experts. The number of Venezuelans worldwide who’ve gone on the run has now topped six million, with the vast majority hosted by countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Illegal bets add up to 1.7 trillion dollars each year: new UN report  

Thu, 09/12/2021 - 09:10
Up to $1.7 trillion is estimated to be wagered on illicit betting markets each year, according to a new report released on Thursday by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).  

COVID-19 is biggest threat to child progress in UNICEF’s 75-year history

Thu, 09/12/2021 - 01:05
The COVID-19 pandemic is rolling back progress on key childhood challenges such as poverty, health and access to education, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a new report on Thursday, representing the biggest global crisis for children since the agency was founded 75 years ago. 

UNHCR staff members wounded in DR Congo, UN chief calls for full investigation

Wed, 08/12/2021 - 23:00
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Wednesday expressed outrage over an attack on a convoy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in which one of its vehicles was hit, wounding three staff members

Seven UN peacekeepers killed in latest Mali attack 

Wed, 08/12/2021 - 22:32
On Wednesday morning, seven UN peacekeepers from Togo died and three others were seriously injured when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in the Bandiagara region in central Mali. 

UN hails ‘strong political support’ to boost peacekeepers in the field

Wed, 08/12/2021 - 22:26
A meeting to boost support for UN Peacekeeping ended on Wednesday with 62 countries making new pledges, and advancing existing commitments, to help enhance the performance and impact of these operations worldwide. 

Africa Free Trade Area, likely spur for growth and development 

Wed, 08/12/2021 - 22:00
With productivity-boosting measures, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement could reduce poverty and inequality while spurring sustainable and inclusive growth, according to a report launched on Wednesday by the UN trade and development body, UNCTAD.

Unilateral sanctions particularly harmful to women, children, other vulnerable groups

Wed, 08/12/2021 - 21:39
Women, children and other vulnerable groups are more likely to have their human rights impacted by unilateral sanctions, an independent UN human rights expert alerted on Wednesday.

WHO: Omicron could have ‘major impact’, but no definitive answers yet 

Wed, 08/12/2021 - 19:00
Features of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, including the extent to which it will spread, and the sheer number of mutations, suggest that it could have a major impact on the course of the pandemic, but it’s still too early to say for sure. 

UN Emergency Response Fund provides ‘spark of hope’ for shared humanity

Wed, 08/12/2021 - 18:20
Fast and flexible, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) was set up to promote swift, coordinated action in humanitarian crises, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator told a High-level Pledging Event on Wednesday, adding: “It has more than fulfilled its mission”. 

UN’s truth-teller on racism, xenophobia and intolerance sees signs of hope, amid COVID quagmire and rising hate speech

Wed, 08/12/2021 - 17:42
She is outspoken, candid, and speaks truth to power. She is known to lecture governments and tell them how to improve their track record on xenophobia, racism, racial discrimination, and all forms of intolerance.

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