UN News

• Revealed: danger and squalor for cleaners who remove human waste by hand
  The plight of sanitation workers in the developing world should be addressed urgently, the UN said on Thursday, warning that their rights, health and dignity are at risk.
• Wednesday's Daily Brief: UN bid to aid diabetics, Israel-Gaza attacks, climate change in Nepal, Iraq envoy appeal to MPs
  A recap of Wednesday’s stories in brief: UN leads plan for insulin supply boosts; ‘No justification’ for Gaza border violence; Iraqis paying ‘unthinkable price’ in protests; $1.35 billion needed for Venezuela crisis; Record flooding affects 100,000 Nigerians.
• Iraqis paying an ‘unthinkable price’ to be heard, UN envoy tells politicians in Baghdad 
  Noting that the people of Iraq were at “a critical juncture”, the top UN Envoy in the country told parliamentarians there on Thursday that over the past six weeks, hundreds of thousands have been peacefully voicing their “genuine, legitimate, demands, loud and clear”. 
• Over $39 million earmarked by UN-backed fund to combat effects of climate change in Nepal
  More than $39 million in funding was approved on Wednesday for a project that will build resilience and mitigate the effects of climate change, benefitting nearly one million Nepalis, according to the Board of the UN-backed Green Climate Fund (GCF).
• ‘Harmonized’ plan launched to support millions of Venezuelan refugees and migrants
  A $1.35 billion appeal has been launched to meet the increasing humanitarian needs of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean and to support the communities hosting them.
• UN leads bid for cheaper insulin, expanding access for diabetics worldwide
  Overly expensive insulin could be a thing of the past – and life-changing news – for millions of diabetics under a plan launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday to diversify production globally, just ahead of World Diabetes Day.
• ‘No justification’ for attacks against civilians, UN envoy says on mounting cross-border violence in Gaza
  Following Israel's targeted killing of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader inside Gaza on Tuesday, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process has expressed his growing concern over increasing rocket fire across the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
• Tuesday's Daily Brief: ‘Forgotten’ pneumonia epidemic, experts urge vigilance over Australia wildfires, Ebola vaccine breakthrough 
  A recap of Tuesday’s top stories: Pneumonia number one killer of children; Australia’s wildfires rage on; Ebola vaccine gets green light; new child labour and trafficking study; Malnutrition soars in Latin America and Caribbean; Intellectual Property chief encourages innovation.
• In Bahrain, Global Forum for Entrepreneurs and Investment examines empowerment of women, youth through innovation
  Spotlighting the role of targeted investment and innovation towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with special focus on ‘Harnessing the Potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the Digital Economy,’ the World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum kicked off on Tuesday in the Bahraini capital, Manama.
• UN spotlights ‘explosive’ obesity rates, hunger in Latin America and Caribbean
  Since 1975, adult obesity in Latin America and the Caribbean region has tripled, while one in four are going hungry, according to figures published by the UN on Tuesday. 
• Nairobi summit: Women’s empowerment a ‘game changer’ for sustainable development
  The global goal of a sustainable future for all cannot be achieved until women, girls and young people gain control over their own bodies and lives, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told world leaders meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday.
• Quality education an ‘essential pillar’ of a better future, says UN chief
  Education is an “essential pillar” to achieving the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN chief António Guterres told an audience on Tuesday at the Paris headquarters of UNESCO, the UN Educational, Scientific and Culture Organization, ahead of the agency’s General Conference.
• ‘Forgotten’ pneumonia epidemic kills more children than any other disease
  Pneumonia, an entirely preventable disease, kills more children than any other illness in the world, one child every 39 seconds. But although that statistic is well known, funding to improve survival rates continues to come up short, the UN and partners warned on Tuesday, World Pneumonia Day. 
• UN chief welcomes decision to delay formation of South Sudan unity government
  The UN Secretary-General has welcomed the decision to push back the deadline for the formation of a unity Government in South Sudan.
• Australia wildfires: communities must stay vigilant, urges UN weather agency
  As Australia’s “catastrophic” and deadly wildfire emergency continues, UN weather experts on Tuesday echoed Government warnings for people to remain vigilant in the face of the fast-moving threat and tinderbox conditions.
• Monday’s Daily Brief: Guterres on Bolivia and multilateralism, Syria and Iraq’s displaced, forest initiative, the healing arts
  A recap of Monday’s stories in brief: UN chief spotlights multilateralism at peace forum; Bolivian authorities must uphold safety of citizens; new programme to feed Kenya’s children; experts concerned for detained in Syria and Iraq; UN forest management project fights climate crisis; and, from Warhol to the Wiggles – the role of art in keeping you healthy.
• 25 years on from landmark conference, millions of women and girls still in danger: UN deputy chief
  The UN Deputy Secretary-General has called for gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s rights to be integrated at the heart of global efforts to achieve a sustainable future for all.
• Multilateralism must weather ‘challenges of today and tomorrow’ Guterres tells Paris Peace Forum
  In a speech to the Paris Peace Forum in Paris on Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that to thrive, multilateralism had to adapt, mindful that “conflicts persist, creating suffering and displacement: our world is unsettled”.  He was speaking as commemorations took place in countries across the world, marking the official end of the First World War, in 1918.
• From Prince to Picasso, the arts can be just the tonic, new UN health agency study shows
  From before birth, to the end of life, taking to the dance floor or sketching a still life, can positively affect our health and even prove more cost-effective than conventional medical treatment, the World Health Organisation (WHO) found in a new study published on Monday.
• New UN forestry project bids to help countries meet climate change commitments
  More than two dozen countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America are set to benefit from a UN project to help tackle climate change through better forestry management.
• UN chief calls for Bolivians to ensure credible elections as Morales resigns; protection for diplomatic missions
  United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged all concerned parties in Bolivia to “refrain from violence, reduce tension and exercise maximum restraint” in the wake of the resignation of President Evo Morales earlier on Sunday. 
• Friday’s Daily Brief: Syria war update as talks continue, ‘credible evidence’ Morsi death due to prison conditions, force condemned in Chile protests
  A recap of Friday’s stories in brief: Ongoing upheaval threatens civilians in Syria; ‘Brutal’ prison conditions may have prompted Morsi’s death; Rights experts condemn use of force in Chile protests; ICJ will hear claims by Ukraine; 60,000 youth refugees who travelled alone, in need across Italy. 
• Top UN court will consider Ukraine allegations against Russia of treaty violations
  The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has agreed to hear claims by Ukraine related to the conflict in the east of the country, where Government forces have been fighting mostly pro-Russian separatists, for more than five years.
• Violence can ‘never be the answer’: UN rights experts condemn excessive force during Chile protests
  United Nations human rights experts on Friday condemned the excessive use of force during Chile’s ongoing street protests, and in a statement underscored that violence “can never be the answer to people's social and political demands”.
• Hundreds of thousands of civilians at risk in Syria amid ongoing violence in northeast and northwest
  Almost daily violence targeting built-up areas and health facilities in Syria continues to threaten the lives of civilians there, UN rights experts and humanitarians said on Friday.