UN News

• Hope for ‘long-elusive progress’ in negotiating peace in eastern Ukraine
  Marking the fifth anniversary of the 2015 Minsk II agreement, the UN political chief told the Security Council on Tuesday, that along with the Minsk Protocol and the Minsk memorandum, it remains “the only agreed framework” for a negotiated, peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
• UN rights experts ‘gravely’ concerned at spike in civilian casualties in north-west Myanmar following internet shutdown
  Independent UN human rights experts on Tuesday voiced grave concern over the killing and displacement of civilians in north-west Myanmar during the intensifying conflict between the military and an armed group, the Arakan Army, amid an information blackout in some parts of Rakhine and Chin states. 
• Polio eradication a UN priority, says Guterres in Pakistan visit
  In one of the last bastions of polio on the planet, millions of children are being given a fighting chance against the paralyzing and potentially fatal disease. 
• As Libya talks resume in Geneva, UN negotiator seeks to overcome sticking points
  Talks to end fighting in Libya have resumed in Geneva, where UN negotiator Ghassan Salamé said that ongoing clashes must end for there to be a chance for progress. 
• ‘Working night and day’, UN health agency seeks to prevent global coronavirus crisis
  As COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, continues to spread, the head of the United Nations health agency said that there is still a chance to prevent a broader global crisis. 
• Pakistan-India crossing is a ‘Corridor of Hope’, UN chief says, wraps up visit with call for interfaith dialogue
  UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday said he had been moved by the show of religious unity he had witnessed in Pakistan after paying visits to a mosque, a Sikh temple and Kartarpur Corridor, the visa-free crossing which allows Sikhs to travel between nearby holy sites on each side of the India-Pakistan border.
• Yemen: Recent uptick in fighting contradicts desire for peace
  A recent escalation in fighting between warring parties in Yemen contradicts their stated desire to peacefully end nearly five years of conflict, UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths said in a briefing to the Security Council on Tuesday. 
• Guterres ‘deeply concerned’ over deadly assault in north-west Cameroon
  The United Nations Secretary-General has extended his deepest condolences to the families of those killed in an attack on a village in north-west Cameroon.
• UN chief calls for immediate ceasefire in Syria’s war-battered north-west
  Alarmed by the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in north-west Syria and the tragic suffering of civilians, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing fight that has displaced more than 900.000 civilians since early December.   
• Iraq: Education access still a challenge in former ISIL-controlled areas
  More than two years after the defeat of ISIL in Iraq, some children in areas formerly controlled by the terrorist group still cannot access school or get the necessary documentation required for enrollment, a UN report published on Monday finds. 
• As north-west Syria violence reaches ‘horrifying’ new level, UN relief chief says ceasefire is only option
  The crisis in north-west Syria has reached a “horrifying new level”, the UN Humanitarian Affairs chief warned on Monday.
• World must ‘step up’, match Pakistan’s compassion for refugees, says UN chief
  Pakistan’s solidarity and compassion for hosting Afghan refugees is a remarkable blueprint that the rest of the world should follow.  
• Amid global ‘learning crisis’, Parliaments can ensure adequate resources for education, says UN Assembly President
  Education is the “great equalizer” and Parliaments have a major role to play in scaling up action to ensure that adequate financial resources are allocated to education, girls’ education and technical and vocational training throughout in national budgetary processes, the President of the UN General Assembly said on Monday.
• Protecting migratory species in a rapidly changing world
  Many animals – including birds, fish and mammals – migrate along set routes in search of food or breeding grounds. How best to protect them in a rapidly changing world is the focus of a major UN wildlife meeting which opened in Gandhinagar, India, on Monday. 
• In Pakistan, Guterres urges world to step up climate action, praises support to Afghan refugees
  UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday began a three-day visit to Pakistan, recognizing the country’s decades of “outstanding generosity and solidarity” as one of the world’s largest hosts of refugees, and highlighting its commitment to climate action.  
• ‘This is a time for facts, not fear,’ says WHO chief as COVID-19 virus spreads
  The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday cautioned against panic over COVID-19 but also urged governments to step up their efforts to prepare for the virus, saying “it’s impossible to predict which direction this epidemic will take.” 
• Holocaust survivors rebuild lives and traditions in Rio de Janeiro
  With millions of people displaced from their homes worldwide, a UN ceremony celebrating Holocaust survivors in Brazil, has provided a stark reminder that throughout the 75 years of the Organization’s existence, the plight of refugees has been an ever-present theme.
• Newly licensed vaccine, ‘milestone in the fight’ against Ebola in Africa, UN health agency
  Four countries in Africa have licensed an Ebola vaccine to “cement hard-fought progress” in keeping their people safe from the deadly disease, the UN health agency said on Friday.
• Database of businesses linked to Israeli settlements ‘important initial step’ towards accountability: rights expert 
  A database of 112 businesses connected to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory has been hailed by an independent human rights expert as “an important initial step towards accountability and the end to impunity”. 
• World Health Organization: Coronavirus must generate ‘solidarity not stigma’
  Investing in preparedness is the smartest way to ensure that the coronavirus and other disease outbreaks are “identified and stopped quickly”, the UN health agency said on Friday.
• Guinea-Bissau: Swearing-in of new President unlikely to bring stability, says UN representative
  Political discord in Guinea-Bissau could hamper the first-ever peaceful transfer of power to a democratically elected leader, the top UN official in the West African country told the Security Council on Friday. 
• Amidst protection challenges, Eastern Route outpaces Mediterranean for people leaving Africa
  A monthly average of 11,500 people traveling from the Horn of Africa to Yemen last year made the so-called Eastern Route the busiest maritime migration path on earth, the UN migration agency said on Friday. 
• Vital Idlib aid deliveries resume after ‘heavy bombing’ - WFP 
  Urgently-needed aid deliveries to embattled civilians in north-west Syria have started again after a day-long break in distributions caused by escalating hostilities, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday. 
• World Urban Forum ends with call for united action to ensure sustainable future for cities and towns
  The premier international gathering on the future of cities wrapped up on Thursday in Abu Dhabi with delegates urging action on all aspects of rapid urbanization, recognizing that an increasingly urbanized world is a ‘transformative force’ that can be harnessed and steered to boost sustainable development.
• Mobile game aims to bridge gap between citizens and leaders on climate action
  Millions of people worldwide will get to share their views on climate action through a UN campaign launched on Thursday aimed at connecting them with Governments and policy makers.