Month: October 2023
Nobel Peace Prize choice of Narges Mohammadi highlights ‘courage and determination’ of Iranian women
“I think what is absolutely clear is that the women of Iran have been a source of inspiration for the world. We’ve seen their courage and determination in the face of reprisals, intimidation, violence and detention,” Spokesperson Liz Throssell told journalists in Geneva. “This courage, this determination, have been remarkable. They’ve been harassed for what…
Read MoreWorld News in Brief: ‘Horrifying’ attack on Ukrainian village, autonomous weapons ban, Sudan crisis
“The images arriving from the locality, home to just above 300 people, are absolutely horrifying,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown said in a statement issued shortly after the attack. Speaking on behalf of the UN and the humanitarian community, she expressed condolences to the bereaved families. “Our thoughts are also with the people of Ukraine,…
Read More1 in 10 babies worldwide are born preterm, with complications, UN agencies warn
An estimated 13.4 million babies were born early in 2020, with nearly one million dying from preterm complications, UN agencies and partners said in a new report on Thursday. The data is equivalent to around 1 in 10 babies born early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy worldwide. Health experts blame poor maternal health and malnutrition…
Read MoreUN and Red Cross call for restrictions on autonomous weapon systems to protect humanity
“We call on world leaders to launch negotiations of a new legally binding instrument to set clear prohibitions and restrictions on autonomous weapon systems and to conclude such negotiations by 2026,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres and ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said on Thursday. “In the current security landscape, setting clear international red lines will benefit…
Read MoreSudan conflict creates world’s fastest-growing displacement crisis: UN aid official
“The past six months have caused untold suffering in Sudan” and forced more than 5.4 million people from their homes, said Clementine Nkweta-Salami, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan. Speaking to journalists in Geneva, the UN official noted that approximately 30,000 a day have fled fighting, “some fleeing…
Read MoreUN rights office concerned over pre-election violence in Liberia
“We are concerned by reported instances of election-related violence, use of language that could amount to hate speech, and attacks on journalists in Liberia ahead of the general election on 10 October,” said UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson in the country, Seif Magango. Violent clashes Violent clashes between supporters of the opposition Unity Party and…
Read MoreHaiti: Children facing triple threat of insecurity, malnutrition, disease
Over five million Haitians, including a record three million children, need humanitarian support in 2023. Nearly five million are acutely hungry, UNICEF said, adding the dire situation is “terrorizing children and families and destroying livelihoods amid unprecedented hunger, malnutrition and a resurgent cholera epidemic.” Haiti was among the top five countries globally in terms…
Read MoreUN chief reinforces call for multilateral reform, outlines next steps
Other key priorities to emerge were the state of the environment and ensuring responsible use of new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Secretary-General António Guterres added. Against this backdrop, the UN’s visionary Our Common Agenda presents proposals and ideas that can bridge the gap, “between the world as it is and the world as…
Read MoreWorld News in Brief: Water ‘being taken for granted’, global teacher crisis, Nipah in India update
“We must stop taking water for granted,” FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said at the opening of the Rome Water Dialogue, focused on its critical role relating to soils, land, climate change, biodiversity and agriculture. With agriculture accounting for more than 70 per cent of the planet’s freshwater withdrawals, “by increasing efficiency, reducing negative impacts and…
Read MoreGlobal economy a mixed bag, horizon uncertain: UNCTAD
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reported that world economic growth is expected to decelerate from three per cent last year to 2.4 per cent through 2023, with limited signs of a rebound in 2024. These figures underscore the urgent need for reform of the global financial system, more practical policies to…
Read More