Tag: Nations
Five judges elected to United Nations’ top court
In parallel and independent voting conducted by secret ballot, the Assembly and the Council re-elected one judge who is currently serving, Hilary Charlesworth of Australia. Another justice currently on the bench, Kirill Gevorgian of Russia, was not successful in securing another term. Four new justices were elected: Bogdan-Lucian Aurescu (Romania); Sarah Hull Cleveland (United…
Read MoreAt UN, Horn of Africa nations urge global solidarity and real reform
Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea painted a grim picture of a planet marred by the unforgiving impacts of climate change. They left no room for equivocation: This is an existential crisis that demands immediate, collective action. They highlighted the upcoming COP-28 climate conference in the United Arab Emirates as an unparalleled opportunity for…
Read MoreRoad Safety Week: African nations steer towards reducing deaths
Increasingly grim accident statistics provided the impetus for action, including two bus crashes in Senegal that claimed 62 lives in January. In nearby Côte d’Ivoire, the daily number of fatal road accidents has risen to 46, from just 12 in 2012. In the world’s region most affected by road crashes, sub-Saharan Africa’s fatality rate is…
Read MoreBoost for developing nations as mRNA technology hub moves to the next phase in South Africa
Over 200 international participants working with the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme had their first face-to-face meeting, in a bid to make one of the most revolutionary medical technologies which led the field in vaccine development against COVID-19, more widely and fairly available, in the places where it is most needed. ‘Lifesaving’ breakthrough: Tedros “I am delighted to…
Read MoreReflecting on genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, Guterres urges all nations to stand firm against rising hate, intolerance
“We mourn the more than one million children, women, and men who perished in one hundred days of horror 29 years ago,” António Guterres said in his annual commemorative message on the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. He went on to say that: “We honour the memory…
Read MoreUN human rights chief calls on all nations to abolish death penalty
The biennial panel’s theme is human rights violations relating to the use of the death penalty, in particular with respect to limiting the practice to only the most serious crimes. Promise of the Charter Volker Türk said this is ultimately about the United Nations Charter’s promise of the highest standards of protection of all human…
Read MoreOver 1 billion in 43 nations at risk amid cholera outbreaks, WHO says
Three countries, this week alone, have reported outbreaks, WHO cholera team leader Philippe Barboza told reporters at a press conference on Friday. For the first time, WHO is asking donors for help to fight the outbreaks, he said. Right now, 22 countries across the world are fighting outbreaks of the acute diarrhoeal infection caused by…
Read MoreWHO: Nations step closer to global guides on pandemics, disease outbreaks
The two processes are complementary, guided by the imperative of making the world safer from communicable diseases and ensuring equitable responses to public health threats, said Ashley Bloomfield, former Director-General of Health of New Zealand, who co-chairs the working group on updating the 2005 WHO International Health Regulations, which concluded its latest round of discussions…
Read MoreUN ‘blueprint’ to protect least developed nations amid global slowdown
The Doha Programme of Action, as it’s formally known, has been designed as a roadmap up to 2031, to foster strengthened commitments between the least developed countries and their development partners. “The world is reeling under the cascading impacts of complex, interlocking challenges and structural limitations and constrained fiscal capabilities make least developed countries the…
Read MoreHate speech: Nations fight back
Costa Rica is known for its strong democracy, pro-human rights stance, and deep respect of the rule of law, so it was a shock when the 2018 general elections ushered in an unprecedented polarization of Costa Rican society. Allegra Baiocchi, the UN resident coordinator in Costa Rica, witnessed the unprecedented polarization of society, and the…
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