Tag: calls
On 70th anniversary of Korean armistice, Guterres calls for renewed dialogue
His message marked the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement that ended the hostilities and established a demilitarized zone, about 240 kilometres long and 4 kilometres wide, as a buffer. The conflict however never officially ended because the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Republic of Korea (more commonly known as North…
Read MoreSudan: UN rights chief calls for probe after 87 bodies found in mass grave
The victims, who included members of the Masalit ethnic community, were allegedly killed last month by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militia, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said, citing credible information. Local people were forced to dispose of the bodies in a mass grave outside the regional capital, El-Geneina , denying those…
Read MoreUN calls for gender equality push, central to SDGs
“Halfway to the 2030 deadline the Sustainable Development Goals are dangerously off track,” he warned. “Gender equality is almost 300 years away. Progress on maternal health and access to family planning has been glacial.” World Population Day is commemorated annually on 11 July and this year’s focus is on unleashing the power of gender equality…
Read MoreUN relief chief calls for continued support for Syria and other crisis regions
The “relief chief” was speaking to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York just as these two separate lifesaving initiatives are set to expire in the coming days. He also voiced concern over gender-based violence in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and noted lack of hope over the crisis in…
Read MoreAt Caribbean Summit, UN chief calls for climate action, debt relief, and urgent aid for Haiti
Haiti The security situation in Haiti “is appalling,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, recalling his recent visit to the fragile nation. He called for swift action at a time when the humanitarian needs are “soaring”. And although “there is not yet the political solution in sight”, the UN chief expressed hope and optimism. “It is…
Read MoreUN rights office calls on France to address ‘deep issues’ of racism in policing
In a statement released in Geneva on Friday, OHCHR Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani expressed concern over the death of 17-year-old Nahel M on Tuesday, after he was shot dead driving away from a traffic stop in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre. According to news reports, at least 875 people were arrested in major cities around the…
Read MoreSudan: OHCHR calls for ‘urgent action’ to end militia attacks on people fleeing El Geneina
The explosion of ethnic violence in Darfur largely by nomadic “Arab” groups in alliance with the RSF who have been battling national army forces for control of the country since mid-April, has led tens of thousands to flee into neighbouring Chad. ‘Horrifying accounts’ In a statement, OHCHR Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said interviews with people fleeing…
Read MoreTop UN official for Africa calls for added action to stop piracy’s spread
Despite gains made in tackling sea-faring criminal groups, “piracy incidents continue to threaten the safety of maritime traffic in the region,” said Martha Pobee, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations. Effective deterrents Since her last briefing on maritime security in November, she said a steady decrease in…
Read MoreGuterres calls for phasing out fossil fuels to avoid climate ‘catastrophe’
“We are hurtling towards disaster, eyes wide open”, he said. “It’s time to wake up and step up.” Mr. Guterres was speaking to journalists at UN Headquarters following a meeting with civil society climate leaders from across the world. ‘Catastrophe’ looms He said limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius is still possible but will…
Read MoreTürk calls for action to enable ‘equal and meaningful’ participation of women in public life
“Patriarchy must be a thing of the past. Our future depends on women and girls being at the table everywhere when decisions are made,” said Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Only 1 in 4 parliamentarians are women “It was only last year that for the first time in history women were…
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