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Big Banks Muscle In On Microlending?
Contributed by Sean-Paul Kelley This really is an important story that deserves wider coverage. Microlending is very profitable. In the past those profits have always been plowed back into the local community to be used to lift even more... [More]
Guest Post: Stephen Schlesinger
Successive American administrations have had sometimes rocky, sometimes rosy relations with the UN, but one feature which all US governments have universally admired at the UN has been its peacekeeping missions. These undertakings have over the decades prevented the... [More]
New World Food Programme chief takes office
Josette Sheeran, the new chief of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) officially took up her duties yesterday by calling for a renewed commitment to combating hunger. Executive Director Josette Sheeran said "despite enormous efforts by WFP and... [More]
UN Foundation releases climate change report
The United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation) and Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, released today "Confronting Climate Change: Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable," the final report of the Scientific Expert Group on Climate Change and Sustainable Development. The... [More]
One third of all Iraqis live in poverty
A new United Nations-backed study says that one third of today's Iraqi population lives in poverty with more than 5 per cent living in extreme poverty. "Prepared by the Iraqi Central Organization for Statistics and Information Technology with the... [More]
Right now, the House Foreign Affairs Committee is holding an open hearing on "The Future of the United Nations under Ban Ki-Moon" with Tim Wirth, former Senator and current President of the UN Foundation, John Bolton, the former U.S. Perm... [More]
Ban names new top UN officials
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon named four new top officials to his cabinet last week. "Mr. Ban named a United States diplomat as chief political officer, a Chinese veteran of international organizations to head economic and social affairs, a Japanese international... [More]
UN humanitarian agency gives $85 million to under-funded crises
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has announced that approximately $85 million will be used to fund programs in 15 countries for under-funded emergencies. "While each of these allocations represents but a fraction of the... [More]
Beyond Words: Building Will and Capacity to Prevent More Darfurs
Lee Feinstein is senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the author of a new report published by the Council on Foreign Relations, titled, Darfur and Beyond: What Is Needed to Prevent Atrocities. Ban Ki-moon won Washington's... [More]
UN and African Union envoys to conduct joint mission to Sudan
The Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Darfur, along with an African Union (AU) envoy, will travel to Sudan next week in an attempt to revive the stalled peace process. "Jan Eliasson and the AU's Salim Ahmed Salim will travel on... [More]
Ban calls for Bosnian Serb fugitives to be brought to trial
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the United Nations war crimes court in The Hague yesterday, calling for action by Security Council members to bring Bosnian Serb fugitives to trial. "I know that there is a sense of frustration for not being... [More]
Ban and Kenyan leader discuss Sudan and Somalia
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki met in Nairobi this week; their conversation focused on the conflict in Sudan and problems involving Somali refugees. "Mr. Ban and Mr. Kibaki also discussed the partnership between the UN and Kenya,... [More]
BBC News has a short rundown of the history of the conflict in Darfur, Q&A: Sudan's Darfur conflict. For in-depth coverage from the BBC, click here.... [More]
Ban says the DRC needs "peace and stability"
After a two day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the country's problems can only be solved by lasting peace and stability. "By creating such an environment on the political, economic and social levels,... [More]
UNICEF opens first mother-and-child health centre in Indonesia
"The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has completed construction of the first of the 227 mother-and-child health centres it is building in Indonesia's tsunami-devastated Aceh province and earthquake-hit Nias Island." More... [More]
Ban Ki-moon leaves on first foreign trip as UN chief
Yesterday Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon kicked off his first overseas trip since becoming UN chief, meeting in Brussels with European Union (EU) leaders. "The European Union and the United Nations have maintained a very strong partnership and I regard the... [More]
Over 34,000 civilians killed in Iraq in 2006
According to a UN report released yesterday, over 34,000 civilians were killed in Iraq last year, with over 36,000 injured. "In virtually every sphere, and building on earlier reports, the latest study amounts to a litany of abuses ranging... [More]
New SG announces first appointments
Newly-inaugurated Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced his first two appointments yesterday: Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar--who was a special adviser to Kofi Annan--as his chief of staff, and Haitian journalist Michele Montas as his spokeswoman. More appointments are expected in the coming... [More]
New Secretary-General takes office
Ban Ki-moon, a South Korean diplomat, became the United Nations' eighth secretary-general yesterday. At his swearing-in ceremony last month, Ban said, "I will do everything in my power to ensure that our United Nations can live up to its name,... [More]
Attacks Force 71 Aid Staff to Evacuate Darfur Town
"Attacks on Darfur aid workers' compounds in Gereida town have forced the evacuation of 71 staff and severely restricted humanitarian aid reaching the region's largest population of war victims, officials said on Wednesday... U.N. humanitarian coordinator Manuel Aranda Da... [More]
Annan: UN Should Be Judged By Its Many Good Actions
"In his farewell news conference as the world's top diplomat, United Secretary-General Kofi Annan today cited the failure to stop the Iraq war as the worst moment of his 10 years in office and made a fervent appeal that the... [More]
Alice Nah: "Towards a World Without Strangers"
"Today, Dec 18, marks International Migrants Day, a day to celebrate the contribution of migrants to our societies, and to promote their rights and fundamental freedoms across the world. In 2006, there has been increasing attention on the phenomena of... [More]
North Korea Demands End to Sanctions
BBC News: "North Korea says it will not consider halting its nuclear program unless UN sanctions imposed after it tested a nuclear device in October are lifted. The condition was part of the North's tough opening statement as six-nation talks... [More]
UN Launches Massive Humanitarian and Development Appeal for Sudan
"Sudan, including the strife-torn region of Darfur, will require over $1.8 billion dollars to fund humanitarian, recovery and development projects next year, the United Nations said today while launching a joint appeal in Geneva, an amount representing roughly half the... [More]
Ban Ki-Moon to Formally Take UN Helm
Washington Post: "South Korea's Ban Ki-moon formally takes the reins of the United Nations Thursday as the institution grapples with internal reforms, volatility in the Middle East and international standoffs over the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran. Ban,... [More]
UN Rights Council Holds Special Session on Darfur
"Like Mr. Annan, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour deplored the impunity with which human rights abusers are still able to act in the Darfur conflict between Government troops, allied militias and rebel forces, who took up arms... [More]
Kofi Annan: "Global Solidarity is Both Necessary and Possible"
New York Times: "In a speech delivered at the Truman Presidential Museum and Library in Independence, Mo., billed as his last address to an American audience as secretary general, Mr. Annan said, "You Americans did so much, in the... [More]
"On 10 December 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which has become a universal standard for defending and promoting human rights. Every year on 10 December, Human Rights Day marks the adoption... [More]
Ex-Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick Dies
Washington Post: "Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, a conservative political scientist who became the first woman to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, died at her home outside Washington late Thursday, colleagues announced today. She was 80."... [More]
UN Urges Freedoms for Arab Women
BBC: "Discrimination against women is holding back economic and social development across the Arab World, a report by the UN's development agency says.... [More]
Somali Government to Get UN Help
CNN: "The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday authorized an African force to protect Somalia's government against an increasingly powerful Islamic militia, hoping to restore peace and avert a broader conflict in the region. The U.S. resolution, co-sponsored by the council's... [More]
"A ceasefire and political talks must take place in Sudan's Darfur region before an international military force there could guarantee security, the head of U.N. peacekeeping said on Tuesday. Jean-Marie Guehenno said the international community must demand assurances an... [More]
Annan Enhances UN Effort to Counter Ugandan Rebels
"The United Nations plans to become more deeply involved in efforts to end the Lord's Resistance Army's reign of terror in northern Uganda, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Monday. The LRA, which says it wants to rule Uganda according... [More]
John Bolton Resigns as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
"President Bush has accepted the resignation of U.N. Ambassador John Bolton when his recess appointment expires." LINK... [More]
Fighting Contemporary Forms of Slavery
"Marking the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for stepped-up measures to end the practice and to address the entrenched poverty which leaves people vulnerable to enslavement. "Contemporary forms of slavery - from... [More]
UN: AIDS Programs Fail to Reach High-Risk Groups
"Surveillance for the HIV virus is weak in most of the world and prevention and treatment programmes often fail to reach high-risk drug users, homosexuals and sex workers, the World Health Organisation said on Friday. In a message marking... [More]
Annan Calls on Human Rights Council to Strive for Unity
"Mr. Annan said it is crucial that the Council preserves and strengthens what he called its "crown jewel" - the system of Special Procedures, or rapporteurs, independent experts and working groups tasked with examining a specific area of human rights.... [More]
"Ban Ki-moon, who will fill Kofi Annan's shoes at the helm of the United Nations, has been described in the media as "uncharismatic" and a "career diplomat". But a former colleague believes such criticism could not be further from the... [More]
Annan: Wake Up and Take Control of Nuclear Arms Situation
"United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday during a speech at Princeton University that there is an urgent need to confront the danger of nuclear weapons, and both disarmament and nonproliferation must be pursued simultaneously to achieve progress on either... [More]
28 Million AIDS Deaths Could Be Prevented by 2030
"New research says if the world acts now to decisively contain the AIDS pandemic, 28 million lives could be saved by 2030.... AIDS accounts for about 2.8 (m) million deaths every year. But in a paper, two researchers with... [More]
Annan Welcomes Mutual Ceasefire in Gaza Strip
"United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the mutual ceasefire reached in the Gaza Strip at the weekend, but expressed deep concern that Palestinian militants have continued to fire rockets towards civilian targets inside Israel. In a statement released by his... [More]
UN Forces Stall Rebel Advance on East Congo City
"U.N. peacekeepers in Congo on Monday blocked an advance against an eastern city by soldiers loyal to a renegade general as the Supreme Court prepared to deliver its verdict on a contested presidential election result. Indian troops, part of... [More]
UN Finds Mass Graves in DR Congo
BBC: "UN investigators in the Democratic Republic of Congo say they have found mass graves with about 30 bodies in an army camp in the east of the country. The dead included women and children who appeared to have been... [More]
Over 3,700 Civilians Killed in Iraq in October
"The number of Iraqi civilians killed in October reached a new high of 3,709, the influence of armed militias is growing, and torture continues to be rampant despite the Government's commitment to address human rights abuses, according to the latest... [More]
UN Says 39.5 Million People Have HIV
"The global HIV epidemic is growing, leaving an estimated 39.5 million people worldwide infected with the deadly virus, the United Nations said Tuesday. AIDS has claimed 2.9 million lives this year and another 4.3 million people became infected with HIV,... [More]
Annan Calls for Bioweapons Strategy
"Stressing that "the horror of biological weapons is shared by all," United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called for a comprehensive strategy that will tackle the possibility of such arms falling into the hands of terrorists.... Mr. Annan noted... [More]
Experts: UN Climate Pact Unlikely Until After Bush
Reuters: "The United States is the biggest source of greenhouse gases, mainly from burning fossil fuels, and Bush's decision to reject caps under the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol discourages involvement by other big-polluting outsiders such as China and India. After... [More]
Sudan Says It Will Accept UN-African Peace Force in Darfur
"The Sudanese government on Thursday agreed in principle to allow a joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force into the war-stricken Darfur region, reversing its longstanding refusal to let United Nations troops in. The agreement, reached after a day of talks... [More]
"Outrageous Campaign of Bloodshed" Against Reporters in Iraq
"The head of the United Nations body mandated to protect press freedom today deplored the murder of yet one more Iraqi journalist, saying it was vital to bring an end to "the outrageous campaign of bloodshed" against media professionals in... [More]
'Hybrid Force' Planned for Darfur
BBC: "A package of measures, including an enhanced peacekeeping force, aimed at solving the Darfur crisis are to be discussed at UN-led talks in Ethiopia. Plans for a hybrid African Union (AU)-UN force are among proposals being considered after Sudan... [More]
Sri Lanka's Children 'At Risk From All Sides'
"Elements of Sri Lanka's security forces are helping a breakaway rebel group abduct children to fight the separatist Tamil Tigers, while the rebels themselves continue to use child soldiers in their conflict against the Government, a United Nations adviser has... [More]
Human Trafficking Now 'Worse than African Slavery'
CNN: "Human trafficking, including women forced to become prostitutes or minors forced to do child labor, is worse now than the trade in African slaves of past centuries, a top Vatican official said on Tuesday. "This trafficking in human beings... [More]
Lebanon Backs UN Hariri Tribunal
BBC: "Lebanon's cabinet has approved draft UN plans for setting up an international tribunal to try suspects in the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Syria has been implicated in the bombing that killed Mr Hariri in February 2005,... [More]
African Nomads First to Be Wiped Out by Climate Change
"They are dubbed the 'climate canaries' - the people destined to become the first victims of world climate change. And as government ministers sit down in Nairobi at [the] UN Climate Conference, the people most likely to be wiped out... [More]
Two UN Peacekeepers Die in Haiti
"Two Jordanian UN peacekeepers have been shot dead in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, UN officials say. The soldiers are reported to have come under attack near Cite Soleil, a slum where armed street gangs are based." More... [More]
UN Urges End to 'Water Apartheid'
BBC News: "A new report from the United Nations Development Programme has demanded a big increase in spending to provide clean water. The UNDP wants another $4bn a year spent, and says that water has not received the attention... [More]
U.S. Ranked Eighth Best Place to Live
"Norway, Iceland, Australia, Ireland and Sweden rank as the best five countries to live in but Africa's quality of life has plummeted because of AIDS, said a U.N. report released on Thursday. The United States was ranked in eighth place,... [More]
Campaign to Plant a Billion Trees Within a Year
"A campaign to plant a billion trees within a year was launched at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, today in a bid to encourage all sectors of society, from concerned citizens to philanthropic corporations, to... [More]
Panama Wins Seat on UN Security Council
"Panama got 164 votes in the 192-member UN General Assembly, more than the 120 needed to win a two-year term starting Jan. 1 on the UN's most powerful body. Venezuela got 11 votes, Guatemala got 4 and Barbados got 1."... [More]
Global Warming a Threat to World Heritage
"Global warming is threatening archaeological sites from Peru to Egypt as well as natural wonders such as the Caribbean's largest coral reef, a U.N. report said on Tuesday. Heritage sites linked to thousands of years of civilization "may by virtue... [More]
UN Demands Assurances on Sri Lanka Probe
"The United Nations has welcomed a probe by Sri Lanka's government into a series of extrajudicial killings and disappearances amid a new chapter of the island's civil war, but is concerned it could be hampered.... The government announced on Monday... [More]
UN: Africa Needs Help to Avert Climate Change Catastrophe
"Africa could suffer greater effects from global warming than previously feared, the United Nations said yesterday, with the risk of widespread coastal flooding, substantial loss of animal habitat and lower cereal yields all likely in coming decades. In a report... [More]
Annan Condemns Recent Attacks in Darfur Killing Civilians
"Condemning the recent militia attacks in Sudan's strife-torn West Darfur region that killed scores of civilians, reportedly including young children, and forced thousands more to flee, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on all sides to respect humanitarian law... [More]
UN Lays Out Path to Ivory Coast Vote
"The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to shift power from Ivory Coast's president to its prime minister to guide the volatile West African nation to long-delayed elections within a year." More... [More]
Venezuela and Guatemala End Fight for UN Security Council Seat
NYT: "Venezuela and Guatemala agreed Wednesday to withdraw from their race for a seat on the United Nations Security Council and to support Panama as a candidate."... [More]
North Korea Confirms Return to Nuclear Talks
"North Korea said Wednesday that it was returning to nuclear disarmament talks to get access to its frozen overseas bank accounts, a vital source of hard currency.... In Washington, Bush cautiously welcomed Tuesday's deal and thanked the Chinese for brokering... [More]
"Ten years after the 1996 World Food Summit (WFS) in Rome, which promised to reduce the number of undernourished people by half by 2015, there were more hungry people in the developing countries today - 820 million - than... [More]
Annan: Disarming Hizbollah is a 'Key Element'
"While acknowledging that progress has been made over the past two years in reducing foreign influence in Lebanon, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Monday that disarming Hizbollah is a "key element" in ensuring a permanent end to hostilities, and... [More]
UN: Global Warming Gases on Rise Again
"The industrialized world's emissions of greenhouse gases are growing again, despite efforts under the Kyoto Protocol to cap them and stave off global warming, the United Nations reported Monday. Emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases declined in the... [More]
Pronk: Government Still Seeking Military Solution in Darfur
"In his briefing to the United Nations Security Council on Friday, the UN's top official in Sudan, Jan Pronk, highlighted the government's gross violations of the Darfur Peace Agreement and stressed that Sudan was still looking for a military... [More]
UN Humanitarian Chief: Killings Out of Control in Iraq
"The United Nations humanitarian chief said Friday that sectarian killings are "out of control" in Iraq, with about 100 deaths a day and civilians fleeing neighborhoods and towns because of the cycle of Sunni-Shiite reprisal attacks.... [More]
Women Under Attack in Iraq, Afghanistan
"Women are facing increasing violence in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, especially when they speak out publicly to defend women's rights, a senior U.N. official told the U.N. Security Council. Noeleen Heyzer, executive director of the U.N. Development Fund for Women,... [More]
What Does Your Congressional Candidate Think About the UN?
From the Better World Campaign: A majority of Americans believe in a strong United Nations and continue to support active engagement with the UN, according to a recent poll released by the Better World Campaign. So what does your... [More]
UN Expert Sees U.S. Interrogation Law Setting Dangerous Standard
Washington Post: "Washington's new law allowing tough interrogation techniques and military trials for terrorism suspects risks setting a dangerous standard for other countries to follow, a United Nations rights expert said on Friday.... [More]
Security Council Highlights Women's Role in Peace Process
"Highlighting the role played by women in promoting peace in countries emerging from conflict, the United Nations Security Council today stressed it was essential to promote the full participation of women in helping rebuild such societies and also encouraged more... [More]
NATO Bombs Kill Scores of Afghan Civilians
Alertnet: "NATO warplanes killed at least 50 civilians, mostly women and children, in bombing in southern Afghanistan during a major Islamic holiday, local leaders said on Thursday.... Witnesses say 25 homes were razed in 4-5 hours of bombing. The United... [More]
Ban Ki-moon Pledges UN Reforms
IHT: "The next secretary-general of the United Nations pledged Tuesday to restore trust in the world body and enact reforms, speaking on the 61st anniversary of the organization's founding. Ban Ki-moon, South Korea's foreign minister who will assume the top... [More]
"For the tenth and last time as Secretary-General, I offer friends and colleagues around the world my best wishes on United Nations Day. I have spent almost my whole professional life working for the United Nations - so this... [More]
States Still Show a 'Lack of Awareness' Over Torture
UN News: States are still showing a "lack of awareness" over the seriousness of torture, despite the fact they are obligated to criminalize the practice, an independent United Nations expert said today, warning that few cases are ever brought to... [More]
Turner created the UN Foundation 1998 with his historic gift in support of the United Nations. He has said that his gift is an "investment in the future of humanity." On November 10, Ted Turner will answer questions via... [More]
Sudan Orders UN Envoy to Leave Country
NYT: "Sudan's government ordered the chief United Nations envoy out of the country today, saying he was an enemy of the country and its armed forces. Secretary General Kofi Annan said that he was reviewing the letter from the Khartoum... [More]
Poll: U.S. Public Wants Less Emphasis on Military Force, More on Working Through UN
"Americans show a strong preference for Congressional candidates who would seek to increase multilateral cooperation. Seventy-two percent say they would prefer candidates who believe that "the U.S. should do its share in efforts to solve international problems together with other... [More]
UNICEF: Massive Aid Effort Contains Growth of Malnutrition in Darfur
"Despite the deteriorating security situation in Darfur, a new United Nations assessment has found that overall malnutrition levels have mostly stabilized in 2006 and food insecurity has improved slightly thanks to a stronger international response to the suffering in Sudan's... [More]
Annan: Hunger and Poverty Have to Be Tackled Together
"In a week marking both World Poverty Eradication Day and World Food Day, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called for simultaneous action on both issues, warning that it will be impossible to eradicate one blight without the other.... [More]
Millions Around Globe Stand Up Against Poverty
Reuters: "School children in Gaza, cricket fans in India and African church-goers have helped set a Guinness world record for "the largest number of people to 'stand up against poverty,'" U.N. officials said on Tuesday. The record was set... [More]
North Korea: UN Resolution a 'Declaration of War'
CNN: "Blaming the United States for instigating U.N. Security Council sanctions against it, North Korea on Tuesday called the resolution approved over the weekend a "declaration of war." North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by the official... [More]
Turner: "Those Who Want to Weaken the United Nations Are Undermining Our Future"
IHT: "Media mogul Ted Turner sought on Monday to impress upon young Americans the importance of the United Nations, saying those who would weaken the world body are "undermining our future."... [More]
"The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945. The World Food Day and TeleFood theme for 2006 is "Investing... [More]
Kidman Takes on UN Kosovo Envoy Role
"Nicole Kidman is playing a role that has nothing to do with movies, touring Kosovo as a United Nations goodwill ambassador to the tense province.... The actress was named goodwill ambassador of the U.N. Development Fund for Women, or UNIFEM,... [More]
Security Council Backs Sanctions on North Korea
"The Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday to impose strict sanctions on North Korea for its reported nuclear test, overcoming objections from Russia and China by explicitly excluding the threat of military force." More... [More]
A "Steady, Silent Exodus" from Iraq
"Thousands of Iraqis are fleeing the country every day in a "steady, silent exodus" and a spike in sectarian violence has stopped others from returning to their homeland, the U.N. refugee agency said on Friday. More than 50,000 exiled... [More]
Ban Ki-moon Appointed Next UN Secretary-General
"Applauding in acclamation, the United Nations General Assembly today appointed Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea as the world body's next Secretary-General, to succeed Kofi Annan when he steps down on 31 December." More... [More]
Malaria Drug Effective, Safe in Pregnancy - Study
"A cheap and widely available malaria drug is an effective treatment for pregnant women, scientists said on Friday.... Malaria, a parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes, kills more than a million people a year, mostly young children in Africa.... [More]
Annan Launches Peacebuilding Fund
"United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today launched a multi-million dollar Peacebuilding Fund to help war-ravaged countries rebuild state institutions after conflict, and act as a "kick-start" for longer term donor investment in recovery efforts." More... [More]
The UN Secretary-General's Study on Violence against Children is a landmark effort to provide a detailed global picture of the nature, extent and causes of such violence and act to prevent it. The final report will be presented to the... [More]
Women Face Greatest Threat of Violence at Home, Study Finds
NYT: "Violence against women by their live-in spouses or partners is a widespread phenomenon, both in the developed and developing world, as well as in rural and urban areas, the most comprehensive and scientific international study on the topic... [More]
China Urges UN Action on North Korea
BBC: China has called for "appropriate" UN action over North Korea's claim to have carried out a nuclear test on Monday. Beijing - traditionally Pyongyang's closest ally - said it had not ruled out UN sanctions but that military action... [More]
Security Council Proposes Ban Ki-Moon as Secretary-General
"The Security Council today formally chose Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea as its nominee to be the next Secretary-General of the United Nations for a five-year term when incumbent Kofi Annan steps down on 31... [More]
North Korea Claims Nuclear Test
BBC: North Korea says it has carried out its first test of a nuclear weapon. It said the underground test, carried out in defiance of international warnings, was a success and had not resulted in any leak of radiation.... Pyongyang... [More]
UN Warns Afghan Opium Crop to Spur Heroin Deaths
NYT: "The United Nations warned nearly 90 countries including the United States and most of Europe on Thursday to prepare for more deaths from heroin overdoses because of surging opium production in Afghanistan. The 2006 Afghan Opium Survey, published by... [More]
Darfur's Aid Operations in Jeopardy, Warns Annan
"Sudan's war-torn region of Darfur has reached a critical stage, with humanitarian groups at risk of withdrawing or drastically reducing their operations unless security conditions improve rapidly, Secretary-General Kofi Annan warns in his latest report to the Security Council.... [More]
UN Peacekeeping Nearing 100,000 Troops, Civilians
U.N. peacekeeping has surged to 93,000 troops, police and civilian personnel in 18 operations around the world, the most ever in the history of the world body, a U.N. official said on Wednesday. But this figure, which includes nearly 70,000... [More]
UN: Multinational Troops in Lebanon Mandated to Use Force
United Nations peacekeepers deployed in southern Lebanon to act as a buffer between Israel and Hezbollah fighters are authorized to use force to stop "hostile activity" of any kind, the UN said. More... [More]
"Prompted by the magnitude and growing number of emergencies in recent years, WFP has launched a new humanitarian response "Network", with strategic hubs in Africa, Europe, MiddleEast, Asia and Latin America. The Network is designed to meet the escalating... [More]
North Korea Says Nuclear Test Is Set
NYT: "North Korea announced today that it plans to conduct a nuclear test, in a sharp escalation of its standoff with the United States that set off ripples of alarm in Japan and South Korea.... American officials have said that... [More]
Celebrating World Habitat Day 2006
"Cities around the world on Monday marked the 2006 celebration of World Habitat Day, which was launched from the Italian city of Naples. The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October every year to reflect on how... [More]
Senegal: Helping girls make the grade
Alertnet: "As in many villages in West Africa, education is still a distant dream for many girls. The United Nations children's agency (UNICEF) says that in Senegal about 40 percent of girls 7-12 years old lack access to basic education,... [More]
Iraq Civilian Deaths Hit Record in September
The number of Iraqi civilians killed in violence may have jumped to a record high in September, data from the Iraqi government indicated on Sunday.... The United Nations, which adds numbers on hospital deaths from the Health Ministry to the... [More]
UN: Lebanon is Recovering Quickly
"Lebanon is making speedy progress towards recovery after the destructive conflict between Israel and Hizbollah this summer and humanitarian agencies are preparing to close down or transfer their activities to relevant Government authorities or development agencies, the United Nations... [More]
UN Report: 2.6 Billion People Lack Basic Sanitation
Reuters: "Some 2.6 billion people in the world, mainly in Africa and Asia, lack access to basic sanitation, increasing the risk of diarrhea and other diseases fatal to children, said a U.N. report released on Thursday. UNICEF, the U.N. children's... [More]
Girls' Education Vital for Developing World
"More than half of all children who do not go to school are girls. Achieving universal primary education is a Millennium Development Goal and one of UNICEF's primary objectives. At a panel discussion organized by the US Mission to... [More]
UN Atomic Watchdog Calls for Support to Fight Nuclear Terrorism
"The United Nations atomic watchdog agency has called on all Member States to provide political, financial, and technical support to prevent nuclear and radiological terrorism. The call, which also seeks necessary funds for the Nuclear Security Fund, came in... [More]
How to Save Doha with Soybeans
From Salon: "I want to vote for Ted Turner for president ... of the world. Turner gave a speech at the World Trade Organization's Public Forum this morning in Geneva that is equal parts inspiring and enlightening, and cuts right... [More]
UN Agency to Produce New List of Banned Items
"In an effort to further thwart terrorist plots to blow up airliners, the United Nations aviation agency will this week move ahead on producing a new list of prohibited items that passengers cannot bring on board, such as liquid,... [More]
Gunmen Kill Director of Women's Affairs in Afghanistan
"Two gunmen on a motorbike killed the provincial director of Afghanistan's Ministry of Women's Affairs outside her home Monday in apparent retribution for her efforts to help educate women, officials said.... [More]
Sudan Says to Impose Travel Ban on U.S. officials
Reuters: "Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, under international pressure over wartorn Darfur, said on Sunday his government would impose a travel ban on U.S. officials that would confine them to the capital Khartoum.... Sudan is under heavy international pressure to... [More]
What's UN Peacekeeping Doing in Darfur and Lebanon?
Jane Holl Lute: "Not many people know this, but the United Nations' peacekeeping force represents the world's second largest deployed military operational presence in the world.... [More]
UN Envoy: Darfur Peace Accord on Verge of Collapse
"A top United Nations envoy warned on Thursday that the Darfur peace agreement was on the verge of collapse and lambasted the Darfur Ceasefire Commission (CFC), which is responsible for monitoring and implementing the accord. Jan Pronk, the UN... [More]
UN: Nearly 6,600 Iraqi civilians killed in July, August
CNN: "Violence killed nearly 6,600 Iraqi civilians during July and August, while more than 8,000 were wounded, according to a report released Wednesday by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq. More than 20,600 Iraqi civilians have died in attacks so... [More]
Annan: Only Global Action Through UN Will Resolve World's Greatest Challenges
"Countries will only overcome the "three great challenges" of development, security and human rights if they take action together, globally and coordinated through the United Nations, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday in a wide-ranging speech to world leaders gathered... [More]
Wirth: UN at the Center of World Events
Timothy Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation, speaks to Jim Lehrer. AUDIO & TRANSCRIPT... [More]
Iraq on Brink of Civil War, Needs Support, Annan Says
"Iraq is in danger of sliding into civil war and its government and the international community must do more to pull it back from the brink, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said. "The everyday life of Iraqi people... [More]
UN Is Back in the Global Spotlight
NYT: "World leaders gathering for their annual meeting this week will find a new buzz: The United Nations is back in the global spotlight after securing a cease-fire in Lebanon, trying to revive the Middle East peace process and pressing... [More]
China Ups Lebanon Force to 1,000
"China will increase its peacekeeping presence in Lebanon to 1,000 troops, Premier Wen Jiabao has confirmed. The move would make China one of the largest contributors to a strengthened UN force designed to keep the peace." More... [More]
Annan Calls for Renewed Efforts to Restore Ozone Layer
"The latest scientific assessments conducted under the auspices of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) found clear evidence of a reduction in ozone-depleting substances in the lower atmosphere, as well as indications that their destructive... [More]
World Rallies for Peace in Darfur
BBC: "Protesters demanding an end to conflict in Sudan's Darfur region are staging a day of demonstrations around the world.... Seven thousand African Union peacekeeping troops are due to leave Darfur at the end of August, but Khartoum has refused... [More]
George Clooney says the UN is the only place that can address the crisis in Darfur.... [More]
Violence, Insurgency Growing in Iraq, Bolton Tells UN
"Sectarian violence and insurgent attacks increased throughout Iraq over the past three months, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said in the most negative report an American envoy has given to the Security Council since the 2003 invasion. "The... [More]
UN Inspectors Dispute Iran Report By House Panel
Washington Post: "U.N. inspectors investigating Iran's nuclear program angrily complained to the Bush administration and to a Republican congressman yesterday about a recent House committee report on Iran's capabilities, calling parts of the document "outrageous and dishonest" and offering evidence... [More]
Annan: Mideast Leaders View Iraq War as Disaster
"U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said leaders of Middle Eastern nations believe the Iraq war has "been a real disaster" for the region. His comments to reporters on Wednesday came after a two-week trip through the Middle East and on... [More]
Clooney will address UN about Darfur
"George Clooney takes his plea to stop the genocide in Darfur to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday. The actor, who visited Darfur in April with his father, Nick, will address the U.N. in a briefing organized by the... [More]
Air and Sea Traffic to Lebanon Returning to Normal
"With last week's lifting of the Israeli air and sea blockade of Lebanon, the United Nations said today that air and sea traffic had begun returning to levels seen before the month-long conflict, while the UN food agency announced... [More]
9/11 Attacks Were Against 'Humanity Itself'
"Marking five years since the September 11 attacks on the United States, Secretary-General Kofi Annan today said they were directed against "humanity itself," as he urged all Member States to honour the victims of terrorism everywhere by implementing a... [More]
Annan: Sudan's Leaders Could Be Held Responsible for Atrocities
"Sudan insisted yesterday that there would be no security vacuum if African peacekeepers leave Darfur next month. Kofi Annan, the United Nations secretary-general, warned on Friday that Sudan's leaders could be held responsible for atrocities in the troubled western region... [More]
Senate Panel Postpones Vote on Bolton
"A Senate panel postponed a vote scheduled for Thursday on approving John Bolton as U.N. ambassador, a job he has held temporarily since last year when President Bush appointed him over Democratic opposition. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar,... [More]
Preventing Armed Conflicts Requires Broad-Based Effort
"With armed conflicts raging around the world, prevention is too important to be left in the hands of governments alone, senior United Nations officials told the press in New York today on the eve of a General Assembly debate on... [More]
UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond: "With UNHCR's distribution of emergency aid proceeding smoothly, our field teams are now looking at some of the wider problems facing the victims of the war in Lebanon. There are thousands of Lebanese who have... [More]
Annan Plans Mediation for Israel and Hezbollah
NYT: "Secretary General Kofi Annan said Monday that the United Nations would mediate talks on the release of Israeli and Hezbollah prisoners.... Mr. Annan said the talks would be conducted discreetly, with the goal of setting up the "mechanism" to... [More]
"The Sudanese government has dramatically intensified the war in Darfur in a bid to finish off the tenacious, three-year-old rebellion before a U.N. peacekeeping force can deploy there, say analysts, rebels and officials from the African Union monitoring mission.... The... [More]
IHT: "Afghanistan's opium harvest this year has reached the highest levels ever recorded, showing an increase of almost 50 percent from last year, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa, said in Kabul."... [More]
UN Says Safety of Aid Workers in Darfur Needs to Be Ensured
"The United Nations strongly condemned the slaying of an international Red Cross driver in Darfur and demanded factions in the war-torn Sudanese region protect humanitarian workers." More Also: New round of fighting is feared in Darfur - UN votes to... [More]
"The UN post at Naqoura is barely a kilometre from the Israeli border. Beside it is a sleepy fishing harbour used to bring in supplies and reinforcements.... [More]
Survey: Katrina Survivors Find Extra Strength to Avoid Suicide
AP: "A new study finds that very few survivors of Hurricane Katrina contemplated suicide despite the extreme conditions they faced. While the survivors suffered twice as much mental illness as the pre-storm population, they contemplated suicide far less often than... [More]
UN Warns of New Darfur Disaster
BBC: "The UN's most senior humanitarian official has warned that Sudan's Darfur region faces a new humanitarian disaster owing to lack of security. Jan Egeland spoke as the Security Council considered a US and UK plan to send 22,000 UN... [More]
Annan Begins Mideast Tour in Beirut
NYT: "U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Beirut Monday at the start of a Mideast tour to strengthen the cease-fire in Lebanon, saying it was "a very critical time" for the country. During his two-day stay, Annan will meet... [More]
EU Nations to Provide Core of Lebanon Force
"U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Friday European nations would provide the backbone of a 15,000-strong United Nations peace force for Lebanon and he had asked France to lead it." More... [More]
France to Pledge More Troops for Lebanon
Reuters: "France will greatly increase the size of the contingent it is promising for a peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, possibly making it easier to recruit other nations, officials and diplomats said on Thursday.... The United Nations says a strengthened... [More]
Child Workers as Young as 5 or 6 Years Old
NYT: "By the United Nations' latest estimate, more than 49 million sub-Saharan children age 14 and younger worked in 2004, 1.3 million more than at the turn of the century just four years earlier. Their tasks are not merely the... [More]
Annan Calls for an End to Violence in DR Congo
"Repeating his earlier calls for an end to the fighting that erupted in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following Sunday's provisional election results, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has also called for all opposing forces... [More]
UN Permits Wide Use of Force in Lebanon
Reuters: "New rules of engagement for U.N. troops in Lebanon permit soldiers to shoot in self-defense, use force to protect civilians and resist armed attempts to interfere with their duties, a U.N. document says.... [More]
Need for Water Could Double in 50 Years, UN Study Finds
NYT: "More than two billion people already live in regions facing a scarcity of water, and unless the world changes its ways over the next 50 years, the amount of water needed for a rapidly growing population will double, scientists... [More]
Reuters: "Iran, set to reply on Tuesday to an offer by world powers aimed at defusing a nuclear standoff, has insisted it would not stop enriching uranium as they demand by an August 31 deadline to avoid possible sanctions. But... [More]
Lebanon Has 'Urgent' Need for UN force: Bush
"U.S. President George W. Bush says Lebanon needs an international force "as quickly as possible" to safeguard the ceasefire ... The UN-brokered ceasefire resolution, which kicked in on Aug. 14, ended 34 days of cross-border attacks by Israel and Lebanon-based... [More]
Annan Appeals to Iran to Reply Positively to UN-Backed Offer on Nuclear Issue
"The Secretary-General stressed that in a time of acute crisis in the Middle East, progress on the nuclear issue was essential for the stability not only of the region, but the international system itself. "It is time to take steps... [More]
UN Receives Offers of Thousands of Troops for Lebanon Mission
Bloomberg: "Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and Nepal were among nations that offered thousands of troops to a United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon as Israel's military transferred control of 50 percent of the region to the UN. "I think we're... [More]
Sudan May Be Gearing Up for Major Offensive in Darfur
"The Sudanese Government seems to be determined to pursue a major military offensive in strife-torn Darfur, building up its armed forces in the region as the situation there deteriorates ... In a closed-door briefing, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hedi... [More]
Children Slip Through Cracks of AIDS Efforts
NYT: "Efforts to greatly expand antiretroviral treatment for AIDS in poor countries are not reaching a vast majority of children who need it, a World Health Organization official said [in Toronto] on Wednesday. The official, Dr. Kevin M. De... [More]
Congo Donors Fund Elections but Neglect Crisis
Alertnet: "The international community may have funded historic post-war elections in Democratic Republic of Congo but it must do more to counter a humanitarian crisis that kills thousands every week, the U.N. said on Tuesday. Food aid has been cut... [More]
BBC: UN Aims for Advance Lebanon Force
"The UN is trying to get an advance force of peacekeepers into Lebanon in 10-15 days, a senior official has said. The force would be up to 3,500-strong, to be boosted later to the full 15,000 agreed in the UN... [More]
"We're concerned because diarrhoeal diseases are a major killer of children," Edward Carwardine, UNICEF senior communications officer, said. "Forty percent of the collected stool specimens tested positive for cholera - all the more reason to accelerate our response. "South Darfur... [More]
Lebanese Return Home After UN Cease-Fire
"Lebanese, Israeli and U.N. officers met on the border to discuss the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the region, U.N. spokesman Milos Strugar said. The meeting, the first involving... [More]
Israeli Cabinet Approves UN Cease-Fire Deal
Washington Post: "The Israeli cabinet voted Sunday to accept a U.N.-declared cease-fire, even as Israeli military forces and Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon launched some of their most intense barrages of the war in anticipation of the Monday morning deadline.... [More]
Security Council OKs Mideast Peace Deal
AP: "The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution Friday that calls for an end to the war between Israel and Hezbollah, and authorizes 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers to help Lebanese troops take control of south Lebanon as Israel withdraws.... Israeli Prime... [More]
Jay-Z to Dramatize World Water Crisis in MTV Video Diary
"Most young people are unaware" of the world's water crisis, but if they knew about the "staggering numbers" of people affected by lack of clean water, they would be moved to act, Def Jam President and CEO Jay-Z said at... [More]
Annan Pushes for Security Council Resolution on Israel-Lebanon Violence
"United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan is working "very intensely" with Security Council members and key leaders to push for a resolution concerning the situation along the Blue Line separating Israel from Lebanon." [More]... [More]
UN Human Rights Council to Hold Special Session to Discuss Lebanon
"With a quarter of Lebanon's population forced to flee their homes and violence claiming lives daily in the conflict between Hizbollah and Israel, the United Nations Human Rights Council will hold a special session on Friday to discuss the worsening... [More]
World Food Programme in Lebanon
"With almost one in four of Lebanon's 3.8 million population homeless and hostilities continuing, WFP has launched a three-month US$8.9 million emergency operation to feed over 300,000 people, including 50,000 in Syria. The Agency is also the lead UN... [More]
Spike in Killings of Relief Workers in Darfur
"Eight humanitarian workers died in the line of duty during the month of July. In one incident in the Zalinge area of West Darfur, a mob beat three water workers to death, forcing international organizations to suspend activities in... [More]
"The Unified Mission Analysis Centre (UMAC) in UNMIS produces regular reports on the situation in different regions of Sudan regarding human rights, security, humanitarian affairs, development, etc."... [More]
Rice Calls Plan At UN Crucial Step to Peace
Washington Post: "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed Sunday for approval of a draft U.N. resolution calling for a "cessation of hostilities" between Israel and Hezbollah, saying it is a crucial "first step" toward resolving the conflict. Acknowledging that passage... [More]
U.S., France OK UN Mideast Truce Pact
"The United States and France agreed