Month: September 2017

International Day of Peace 21 September

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. The theme for 2017 is “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All.” The theme […]

Peace operations ‘not a substitute’ for diplomatic efforts, Security Council told

United Nations peace operations must be deployed in support of – not in place of – active diplomatic efforts, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council today, as he outlined some critical changes necessary to make these missions more effective. “Today we gather to fortify this flagship UN activity,” Mr. Guterres said during an open debate on […]

President of UN General Assembly urges world leaders to engage in working for the people

Opening the annual general debate, the President of the United Nations General Assembly today stressed the need for more work on prevention, a greater focus on people, and keeping promises made to advance prosperity and protect the planet. “We are spending too much time and money reacting to conflicts, and not enough on preventing them,” Miroslav […]

UNICEF scales-up relief for Rohingya facing critical ‘shortages of everything’

Amid an acute shortage of humanitarian supplies for the thousands of Rohingya arriving every day in Bangladesh, having fled violence in Myanmar, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is undertaking a “massive” scale-up of its emergency operations to ensure that those most vulnerable are not endangered further. Up to 400,000 Rohingyas have been sheltering in […]

Abuse, exploitation and trafficking ‘stark reality’ for migrant children trying to reach Europe – UN report

More than 75 per cent of migrant and refugee children trying to reach Europe via the Central Mediterranean route face appalling levels of abuse, exploitation and trafficking, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said, calling on the continent to establish safe and regular pathways for migration. “The stark […]