Month: March 2023
Mexico: Guterres calls for ‘thorough investigation’ into deadly migrant centre fire
The blaze at the migrant centre which was reportedly run by Mexico’s National Migration Institute in Ciudad Juarez, began during a protest against imminent deportations on Monday night, according to local officials. There were 68 adult men in total staying at the facility, the Institute reported. News reports said that most of the victims are…
Read MoreDPR Korea: Truth, justice needed amid ‘tragic’ legacy of enforced disappearances
A new report by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) details enforced disappearances and abductions dating back to 1950. Heart-breaking testimony from some 80 victims shows how the crimes have caused long-lasting trauma, said UN rights chief Türk, who added that “entire generations of families have lived with the grief of not knowing the fate of…
Read MoreUN underlines support for Africa’s fight against terrorism
Leaders from across the continent joined ambassadors in examining how to counter terrorism and better prevent violent extremism through stronger cooperation between the UN and regional organizations. The debate was chaired by President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique. The country, which holds the rotating Security Council presidency this month, has been battling a deadly insurgency in…
Read MoreDismantling racism today starts by understanding slavery’s ‘horrific’ past
“It is incumbent on us to fight slavery’s legacy of racism,” the UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. “The most powerful weapon in our arsenal is education, the theme of this year’s commemoration.” Observed on 25 March, the international day commemorates the victims of one of history’s most horrific crimes against humanity that was legalized for…
Read MoreHolistic approach urgent for health of people, animals and environment
The heads of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN-backed World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) have come together in the face of multiple global emergencies – from COVID-19 to Ebola – continued threats of disease spillover between animals and humans, loss of…
Read MoreCosmic crops poised for harvest on Earth
“This is science that could have a real impact on people’s lives in the not-too-distant future, by helping us grow stronger crops and feed more people,” Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said. With the world’s population estimated to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, there is a clear need…
Read MoreLibya: Crimes against humanity committed since 2016 – rights probe
In the case of State security forces, human rights violations were committed to quash dissent and exploit vulnerable migrants, with no justice in sight, according to the latest report, from the Independent Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) on Libya. It documents the “widespread practice” of arbitrary detention, murder, torture, rape, enslavement and enforced disappearance in the country. In addition,…
Read MoreUN Water Conference: ‘we need a renewed sense of action’
On the sidelines of the historic Conference – held at UN Headquarters from 22 to 24 March – the SDG Media Zone is an informal setting for experts and senior officials to discuss a wide range of topics related to water. On the first day of the Conference, Conor Lennon from UN News led a…
Read MoreWorld Tuberculosis Day: WHO ramps up initiative to combat killer disease
On the eve of World Tuberculosis Day, WHO announced that it will expand the scope of a five-year-old initiative in efforts to eradicate one of the world’s top infectious killers by 2030. TB mainly affects the lungs, but it is preventable, treatable and curable. Although deaths have dropped by nearly 40 per cent globally since…
Read MoreHaiti: Amid rising hunger levels, ‘world cannot wait for disaster before it acts’, WFP warns
“Haiti can’t wait,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director for the country. “We cannot wait for the scale of the problem to be expressed in deaths before the world responds, but that is where we are heading.” Half the population – 4.9 million people – are now struggling to access food, according…
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