UN News

• Global economy: ‘we must do everything possible’ to avoid global ‘fracture’ caused by US-China tensions, urges Guterres
  Tensions around global trade and technology continue to rise and the international community needs to “do everything possible” to prevent the world being split into two competing spheres, led by the United States and China. 
• Friday's Daily Brief: Afghan mosque killings, Syrians flee violence, South Sudan floods, Ukraine human trafficking, anti-Semitism rises, Guterres on Mozambique poll
  A recap of Friday's main stories: Afghanistan mosque killings condemned by UN chief, Syrian civilians flee violence, thousands affected by flooding in South Sudan, UN migration agency warns of “pervasive” human trafficking in Ukraine, UN expert calls for better education to combat growing anti-Semitism.
• UN Committee says Ebola in DR Congo still an international public health emergency
  The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) officially remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, experts meeting in Geneva said on Friday.
• Anti-Semitism ‘toxic to democracy’, UN expert warns, calling for better education
  To counter anti-Semitism, which is “toxic to democracy” and poses “a threat to all societies if left unaddressed”, countries must invest more in education, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief has warned, speaking at UN headquarters in New York.
• UN human rights office urges Egypt to immediately release detained protestors
  Authorities in Egypt are being urged by the UN human rights office, OHCHR,  to immediately release scores of citizens who have been arrested in connection with recent anti-government demonstrations in several cities.
• Amid ongoing fighting in northeast Syria, hundreds cross Iraqi border in search of safety
  Shelling and clashes in northern Syria on the border with Turkey continue to cause hundreds of people to flee, the UN said on Friday, despite a cessation of hostilities deal between Turkish forces and Syrian-backed Kurdish military. 
• Concerned over Haiti’s political crisis, Guterres promises ‘continuous commitment’
  In the light of on-going instability across Haiti and this week’s transition away from fully-fledged peacekeeping operations, the UN chief on Thursday promised “the continuous commitment” of the Organization “to support the Haitian people on their path to peace and development”.
• Ongoing insecurity in Darfur, despite ‘remarkable developments’ in Sudan: UN peacekeeping chief
  Despite major political developments at a national level, which have led to the establishment of a civilian-led government, the security situation in the Darfur region of Sudan remains unstable, UN peace chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed the Security Council on Thursday.
• Thursday’s Daily Brief: Fragile hope for Yemen, TB and Afghanistan updates, Paris's fresco for sustainable development
  A recap of Thursday’s stories: Hope rises as violence abates in Yemen; TB infections slowdown but not fast enough; civilian casualties in Afghanistan hit record level; thousands paint picture of sustainable development in Paris; labour research finds strategies to tackle poverty.
• Yemen conflict: 'Fragile’ hopes rise, as violence decreases and life-saving humanitarian funding surges
  There are “small signs” of hope for Yemeni civilians caught up in fighting, following a reduction in violence, coupled with a 20 per cent increase in funding for the UN’s humanitarian response, the Security Council heard on Thursday.
• Record-high number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan: UN Report
  Afghanistan has seen record-high levels of civilian casualties in the third quarter of 2019, stemming mainly from the violence between pro- and anti-Government elements, the UN Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMA) revealed in a report published Thursday, which concluded that more must be done to protect the country’s people.
• New labour laws in Qatar benefiting migrant workers a ‘momentous step forward’: ILO
  New legislation in Qatar which will allow foreign workers to freely change jobs and leave the country without the approval of their employers, has been praised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) as “a momentous step forward in upholding the rights of migrant workers.”
• Venezuela, Poland and Sudan amongst 14 new Human Rights Council members
  14 new members were elected to the Human Rights Council on Thursday, following a secret ballot held in the General Assembly Hall in New York.
• Tuberculosis infections declining, but not fast enough among poor, marginalised: UN health agency
  A staggering 1.5 million people died from tuberculosis (TB) last year, the UN health agency said on Thursday, in an appeal for far greater funding and political support to eradicate the curable and preventable disease.
• Ending extreme poverty crucial to sustainable future for all: UN chief
  A sustainable future for all is unlikely unless globalization benefits all children, their families and communities, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, on Thursday.
• Wednesday’s Daily Brief: Soaring obesity rates, sustainable development funding alliance, new UN office to support Haiti
  A recap of Wednesday’s main stories: Poor global diets triggering obesity; cancer incidents expected to rise indicates new 'atlas'; CEOs join UN to tackle SDG funding; New UN Mission launches in Haiti; to blend better into Big Apple life, NYC restaurant gives migrants, refugees and fresh start.
• Business leaders join UN to rev up sustainable development investments
  In a bid to scale up investment efforts to reach sustainable development targets, the Secretary-General on Wednesday convened the first meeting of a new UN-backed corporate alliance to discuss plans for spending on sustainability, likely to be in the trillions of dollars.  
• Ingredients for a new life: how cooking helps refugees and migrants blend in
  On a Friday afternoon, in a small restaurant kitchen in the New York borough of Brooklyn, head chef Alexander Harris is giving instructions to his attentive team, preparing them for the busy evening ahead. So far, the tables are empty, but the small, popular space, with just a handful of tables - and some stools around the bar - will soon be bustling with the evening crowd.
• Obesity rates soar due to dramatic global diet shift, says UN food agency
  Eating food high in starch, sugar, fats and salt; combined with a sedentary lifestyle, is a recipe for soaring global obesity rates, even in countries where many still suffer from hunger. On World Food Day, which falls on Wednesday, the UN’s food agency, FAO, is calling for action to make healthy, sustainable diets affordable and accessible for all.
• Malta: Human rights experts call for justice in case of murdered journalist
  Two years since the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia on the Mediterranean island of Malta, justice has yet to be served for the shocking crime, UN-appointed independent rights experts said on Wednesday.
• UN’s Bachelet addresses progress and setbacks in human rights worldwide
  The world is undeniably facing rising challenges to multilateralism, however work can be done with Member States to strengthen the agreement of the landmark Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN’s top rights official told the committee charged with tackling social, humanitarian and cultural issues, on Tuesday. 
• Election-related violence claims 85 lives in Afghanistan: UN report
  Eighty-five people were killed and another 373 injured during attacks related to the recent presidential election in Afghanistan, a report by the UN Assistance Mission in the country, UNAMA, reveals.
• Tuesday’s Daily Brief: UNICEF child health report, Peacekeeping operations end in Haiti, Syria-Turkey latest, Haitian migrants deported from Bahamas
  A recap of Tuesday’s stories: Millions of children undernourished and overweight says landmark report; Security Council marks transition after 15 years of ‘blue helmets’ in Haiti; violence continues ‘on both sides’ of Syria-Turkey border; UN human rights office raises concerns over deportation of Haitian migrants from the Bahamas; UN migration agency helps migrants in Algeria return to Niger; rural women celebrated on International Day.
• Security Council marks transition from 15 years of UN peacekeeping in Haiti
  Although 15 years of UN peacekeeping in Haiti have drawn to a close, the Organization’s commitment to strengthening and stabilizing the country will continue, the Security Council heard on Tuesday.
• 'Alarmingly high' number of children malnourished worldwide: UNICEF report
  Across the globe, at least one-in-three children under-five are malnourished and not developing properly, UNICEF revealed on Tuesday, in its most comprehensive report on children, food and nutrition in 20 years.