On ‘Girls in ICT Day,’ UN agencies encourage girls, women to seek technology careers
United Nations agencies today introduced thousands of girls and women to careers in coding and robotics as part of its annual ‘International Girls in ICT Day’ celebrations around the world, meant to encourage girls and women to pursue careers in the field of information and communications technology. Secretary-General of the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) […]
Syria: ‘Glimmers of humanity’ overshadowed by brutality of attacks on civilians, says UN aid chief
With fighting intensifying on numerous fronts in Syria over the past months, the top United Nations humanitarian official today urged consolidation of the nationwide ceasefire, most importantly a pause in fighting on the outskirts of Damascus, to enable the delivery of aid. “The Secretary-General has said time and again that there will be no military […]
‘Progress under threat,’ warns UN chief on twentieth anniversary of chemical weapons convention
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that progress made in eliminating the world’s declared stockpiles of chemical weapons is threatened by belligerents in the Middle East. “The recent attack in Syria was a horrific reminder of the stakes,” said Mr. Guterres in a video message to the commemorative ceremony for the 20th anniversary of the […]
Syria: UN aid officials urge end to airstrikes on hospitals
Following reports of airstrikes that damaged hospitals in northern Syria, two senior United Nations humanitarian officials called for an end to such attacks. In a joint statement, Kevin Kennedy, Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, said that “it is completely unacceptable that facilities and people who are trying to save lives are being bombed.” […]
Indigenous peoples are ‘moral compass of humanity,’ special UN General Assembly meeting told
Endorsement of the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples does not equal implementation, speakers told the UN General Assembly today at a special meeting to celebrate the Declaration’s tenth anniversary and renew commitment to its tenets as a vital solution towards attaining a just and sustainable world. Since the […]
Spread of literacy among women highlighted in UNESCO anniversary global review
The increase in reading and writing proficiency among women is a result of the significant up tic in their enrolment and completion of primary education over the last five decades, even as overall funding for adult literacy has remained low, a recently-launched study by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has found. […]