Month: February 2023
Every two minutes, a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth
According to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO), maternal deaths have either increased or stagnated nearly everywhere, from 223 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, down from 227 in 2015 and 339 in 2000. Unless progress is made on global targets for reducing maternal deaths – most of which are…
Read More‘Time is working against us’, UN chief says, calling for action to end clashes, restore credible Israeli-Palestinian political horizon
“Our immediate priority must be to prevent further escalation, reduce tensions, and restore calm,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at a meeting of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. Against a backdrop of deadly accelerating surges of violence, “sky high” tensions, and a stalled peace process, the Secretary-General…
Read MoreSomalia: UN official underlines need to advance women’s participation in public life
Ms. Gbeho said she has welcomed the Federal Government’s continued commitment to implementing the women, peace, and security agenda, as demonstrated by the launch of a new national action plan on Security Council resolution 1325. The landmark document, adopted more than 20 years ago, reaffirms women’s role in peacebuilding and conflict prevention and resolution. Action…
Read MoreSDG stimulus could unlock $148 billion in debt savings: UNDP
The report – Building blocks out of the crisis: The UN’s SDG Stimulus Plan – was issued ahead of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Bangalore, India, which begins on Friday. UNDP has called for action to protect developing nations from the impact of today’s overlapping crises while also ensuring that…
Read MoreUkraine: deliberate destruction of culture must stop, say rights experts
According to humanitarian workers, at least six people were killed on Tuesday after Russian missiles struck a busy street in the city of Kherson. Most of the victims were standing at a bus stop, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York that day. Identities and shelters targeted The UN-appointed independent rights experts…
Read MoreUN rights chief deplores Ukraine death toll one year after Russian invasion
Matilda Bogner, Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), told journalists in Geneva that the civilian death toll in the southern city of Mariupol – besieged and bombarded by Russian missiles – had been particularly high. “My colleagues interviewed a former prisoner of war, and he was from Mariupol and he…
Read MoreCelebrating the world’s rich ‘linguistic tapestry’, UN officials call for realizing multilingual education on Mother Language Day
Commemorating the world’s languages – all 6,700 of them – since 1999, the Day aims at celebrating ways of showcasing the world’s linguistic tapestry, committing to the preservation of the diversity of languages as a common heritage, and working for quality education – in mother tongues – for all, said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the…
Read MoreLocal elections chance to advance peace in Central African Republic: UN envoy
Special Representative Valentine Rugwabiza reported on recent progress by the Government, including in election preparations and security sector reform. Political engagement with the leaders of armed groups remains essential and is starting to yield modest results, she added, pointing to the dissolution of four armed groups who were signatories to the February 2019 Peace Agreement. …
Read More1.5 million now homeless in Türkiye after quake disaster, warn UN development experts
“This makes this clearly the largest earthquake disaster in Türkiye’s history and perhaps the largest natural disaster the country has ever faced,” said Louisa Vinton, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Türkiye Resident Representative. Two further earthquakes measuring 6.4 and 5.8 on the Richter Scale killed six more on the Türkiye-Syria border on Monday, with “another 294…
Read MoreTop UN officials call on parties to swiftly reduce ‘ominous’ surge in Israeli-Palestinian violence
“We are witnessing a surge in violence, including some of the deadliest incidents in nearly 20 years,” said Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO). “We have seen ominous signs of what awaits if we fail to address the current instability.” Raising concerns that developments on the ground are continuing along…
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