Month: December 2022
Climate action, one recipe at a time
Crab cakes made with fonio, an ancient West African grain, or Ratatouille prepared with ‘imperfect’ produce to reduce food waste, are only a couple of the over 70 recipes included in the recently launched Cookbook in Support of the United Nations: For People and Planet. The book – created in collaboration with the UN Food and…
Read MoreUN condemns Taliban decision to bar women from universities, calls for ‘immediate’ revocation
In a statement, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also urged the de facto authorities to “reopen girls’ schools beyond the sixth grade and end all measures preventing women and girls from participating fully in daily public life”. Clear and present violation UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk described the ban as “another appalling and…
Read MoreMalawi: Child trafficking and forced labour push thousands to work on tobacco farms
“Despite the abolition of the tenancy system, serious concerns persist in relation to risks of trafficking of children and forced labour”, the experts said. “Countries where tobacco companies are headquartered must strengthen action to prevent trafficking for purposes of child and forced labour”. Working towards this end, the experts have established dialogue with some of…
Read MoreWHO revises recommendations on lifesaving HPV vaccine
A single dose of the vaccine can provide comparable efficacy and protection as a two-dose regimen, the UN agency said, which could result in greater global access to the life-saving drug. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in women, with roughly 604,000 new cases and 342, 000 deaths in 2020. Preventing…
Read MoreIran enriching ‘worrying quantities’ of uranium, in further blow for nuclear deal
Rosemary DiCarlo said that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has reported that Iran intends to install new centrifuges at one of its fuel enrichment plants, and plans to produce more uranium enriched up to 60 per cent, at another. The agency, she continued, estimates that the country now has a total enriched uranium stockpile…
Read MoreAfghanistan: UN envoy highlights need to continue dialogue with Taliban
Briefing ambassadors, the new UN Special Representative in Afghanistan and UNAMA chief, Roza Otunbayeva, highlighted ongoing political and human rights concerns – as well as several positive developments – since the Taliban’s seizure of power in August 2021. “We do not see eye to eye with the Taliban on a number of issues, but the…
Read MoreIran: US sanctions violating human rights of all living there, say UN experts
“Like many countries, Iran has environmental issues. The sanctions not only prevent the Iranian Government from addressing them effectively; they contribute to making the challenges worse,” the group of Special Rapporteurs and the Independent Expert on international solidarity, said in a statement. Tehran pollution, ‘no surprise’ Air pollution is a particular concern and reportedly causing…
Read MoreSomalia: Urgent support needed for rural communities facing famine
However, there is still time to meet the needs of rural communities who are among those most at risk, the UN agency said, adding that large-scale investment in resilience and livelihood support is also required to break the hunger cycle. “Sustained levels of at-scale support will be required well into mid to late 2023, if…
Read MoreGrant to UN Mission in Mali boosts inclusivity for women in peacekeeping
The allocation is from the Elsie Initiative Fund (EIF), which supports women’s meaningful participation in UN peacekeeping overall. The funding comes at a time when three countries that contribute police officers to UN field operations – Nigeria, Senegal and Togo – have committed to increasing and sustaining the deployment of women in Formed Police…
Read MoreUN conference concludes with ‘historic’ deal to protect a third of the world’s biodiversity
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework also aims to cut food waste in half. COP15 was originally set to be held in Kunming, China, in October 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Strengthen the web of life’ The Framework, and its associated package of targets, goals and financing “represents but a first…
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