UN News

• UN rights chief ‘strongly’ condemns ‘shocking’ mass executions in Saudi Arabia
  Despite repeated appeals by the United Nations human rights system, Saudi Arabia’s decision to go ahead with the beheading of 37 men, drew strong condemnation on Wednesday from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet.
• UN celebrates books as ‘bridges across cultures’
  The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO has long celebrated the power of International Book and Copyright Day, marked on 23 April, but this year, special attention is being paid to the protection of indigenous languages, many of which are threatened with extinction.
• Tuesday’s Daily Brief: sexual violence in conflict, a malaria vaccine trial, updates on Libya, Ebola in DR Congo, Sri Lanka and Mali
  Here are our top stories for this Tuesday: a focus on conflict-related sexual violence at the Security Council, a groundbreaking trial for a malaria vaccine in Malawi, thousands seeking shelter in Libya’s capital as fighting continues, concerns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the attack of an Ebola treatment centre, an update on the death toll of the Sri Lanka attacks, and the Security Council’s condemnation of the killing of peacekeepers in Mali. 
• Protect women’s rights ‘before, during and after conflict’ UN chief tells high-level Security Council debate
  Over the course of the past decade, there has been “a paradigm shift” in understanding the devastating impact of sexual violence in conflict on international peace and security, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council during a high-level debate on Tuesday.
• Libya: Thousands seek shelter in health clinics from Tripoli fighting, UN warns
  Nearly three weeks since fighting began near the Libyan capital Tripoli, the UN health agency warned on Tuesday that “large numbers” of people are sheltering in medical clinics, while civilians continue to be killed or injured, and refugees and migrants remain exposed to clashes.
• New malaria vaccine trial in Malawi marks ‘an innovation milestone', declares UN health agency
  A new vaccine against deadly malaria which has been 30 years in development, was made available for the first time to infants in Malawi on Tuesday, marking an “innovation milestone”, said the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Monday’s Daily Brief: Earth Day, looking for a solution to Libya crisis, focus on indigenous issues, Security Council on Sri Lanka, a high-level visit to Bangladesh
  Top news for Monday include: the celebration of International Mother Earth Day, efforts by the UN to push for a political solution to the Libyan crisis, the opening of the annual Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the UN Security Council's condemnation of the Sri Lanka attacks, and an upcoming UN high-level mission to Bangladesh to highlight the humanitarian needs of Rohingya refugees settled there.
• ‘Do everything in your power to tackle climate change’ UN chief urges on Mother Earth Day
  Marking International Mother Earth Day, the UN on Monday debated how best to build “an equitable and sustainable future” for all, through enhanced education and climate action, on the road to a key international summit on the issue due to take place in September.
• Traditional knowledge at ‘core’ of indigenous heritage, and ‘must be protected’, says UN Forum
  Traditional knowledge is at the core of indigenous identity, culture and heritage around the world, the chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues said at the annual event’s opening day on Monday, stressing that it “must be protected”.
• UN, world leaders, condemn Sri Lanka terrorist attacks targeting churches, hotels, which leave more than 200 dead
  More than 200 have been killed and hundreds injured by a series of explosions inside churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, as Christians gathered for services to celebrate Easter. In a statement, UN chief António Guterres said he was "outraged by the terror attacks" and called for the perpetrators to be "swiftly brought to justice".
• Killing of Egyptian peacekeeper in Mali ‘may constitute war crimes’ Guterres warns, urging ‘swift action’
  An improvised roadside mine which exploded hitting a UN peacekeeping convoy in Mali, killing one ‘blue helmet’ from Egypt, and wounding four others, may constitute a war crime, the UN Chief said on Saturday, as senior UN officials condemned the blast. 
• 5 world-changing ideas: our top picks for World Creativity and Innovation Day
  A low-cost, tiny home that provides everything you need. A boat made of recycled plastic and flip-flops. Vaccine-delivery drones… As the planet marks World Creativity and Innovation Day on Sunday, we’ve selected our favorite ideas to light up the way to a better future for all, across several sectors.
• UN condemns attack on Ebola treatment centre in DR Congo which left doctor dead, two others injured
  The UN has condemned an attack on an Ebola treatment centre in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Friday, which led to the death of a doctor working for the World Health Organization (WHO), and injured two others. 
• More than 3,400 classrooms damaged or destroyed by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, says UN Children’s Fund
  More than 305,000 children in Mozambique are losing out on lessons at school since the devastating floods caused by Cyclone Idai, which struck southeast Africa just over a month ago. 
• As fighting in Libya escalates, so does number of children ‘at imminent risk of injury or death’
  In and around Tripoli, an increasing number of children are “at imminent risk of injury or death” two senior United Nations officials warned on Thursday, citing a surge of aggression in crisis-torn Libya.
• Thursday’s Daily Brief: impact of bad working conditions, Syria and Libya humanitarian news, human rights in Bahrain, families reunified in South Sudan
  Thursday’s top news includes: A new report on the dangerous impact of stressful working conditions; the need to decongest Al Hol camp in Syria; a US$2 million allocation from the UN’s emergency fund to ramp up the humanitarian response in Libya; human rights concerns over a mass terrorism trial in Bahrain; and 6,000 children reunited with their parents and caregivers in South Sudan.
• ‘Foreign children’ in overwhelmed Syrian camp need urgent international help, says top UN official
  Help is needed urgently from the international community to help some 2,500 apparently stateless “foreign children” at a camp for the displaced, in north-east Syria, a top UN official said on Thursday.
• ‘Vaccines are safe’ and save lives, UNICEF declares, launching new #VaccinesWork campaign
  Amid a surge in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Thursday a new social media campaign, emphasizing that “vaccines are safe, and they save lives”.
• Service and Sacrifice: Ugandan 'Blue Helmets' support UN efforts to bring peace to Somalia
  A contingent of 530 Ugandan “Blue Helmets” (63 women, 467 men) is playing a crucial role in the United Nations’ efforts to help bring peace and stability to Somalia. They make up the United Nations Guard Unit (UNGU, that is tasked with protecting UN compounds in Mogadishu in order to assist the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) to carry out their mandate. 
• Stress, overtime, disease, contribute to 2.8 million workers’ deaths per year, reports UN labour agency
  Stress, excessively-long working hours and disease, contribute to the deaths of nearly 2.8 million workers every year, while an additional 374 million people get injured or fall ill because of their jobs, the UN labour agency, ILO, said on Thursday.
• Wednesday’s Daily Brief: Sudan, Libya, Yemen updates, solutions for e-waste, flood response in Iran, online security for children
  At the top of the news agenda on Wednesday: updates on violence in Sudan’s Darfur and in Libya, how e-waste can become an employment opportunity, help for the 2 million affected by floods in Iran, and efforts to make the internet safer for children.
• Libya: Heavy shelling and civilian deaths ‘blatant violation’ of international law - UN envoy 
  Heavy shelling overnight on Tuesday which hit a densely-populated neighbourhood of Libya’s capital, Tripoli, was condemned “in the strongest terms” by the head of the UN Mission there, after “scores” of civilians were reportedly killed and injured.
• Violence on the rise in Darfur following Sudan military takeover, but UN-AU peacekeeping mission maintains ‘robust posture’
  Security across the volatile Darfur region of Sudan has deteriorated since last week’s military takeover in Khartoum, the UN Security Council heard on Wednesday, but the peacekeeping mission in Darfur has “remained vigilant” in the face of rising violence. 
• Progress against torture in Afghan detention centres, but Government needs to do more, says UN report
  Torture is likely still widespread in Afghanistan’s State-run prisons for detainees linked to ongoing conflict there, the UN said on Wednesday, while also noting an “encouraging reduction” in the level of abuse since 2016. 
• Turn toxic e-waste into a source of ‘decent work’, UN labour agency urges 
  A “toxic flood of electric and electronic waste” that is growing by the day across the world, should be urgently converted into a source of decent work, that can also protect populations from its harmful effects, the United Nations labour agency said on Wednesday.