Month: April 2018

UN encourages Korean leaders to act swiftly on agreements at ‘historic’ summit

  Following Friday’s summit between the leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea, Secretary-General António Guterres and other top officials expressed hope that the two countries would swiftly implement all agreed actions, including ridding the Peninsula of nuclear weapons. “The Secretary-General applauds today’s truly historic summit,” said Mr. Guterres’ […]

UN-EU conference raises $4.4 billion for war-ravaged Syria; leaders underscore need for political solution

  International donors at a United Nations-European Union humanitarian conference pledged nearly $4.4 billion on Wednesday to fund critical aid programmes in war-torn Syria throughout 2018. Gathered in the Belgian capital, Brussels, alongside top officials from over 85 countries and organizations, UN and EU leaders also stressed that the stalled UN-led Syrian political negotiations, known […]

As conditions worsen in Yemen, new UN envoy hopes to rekindle peace talks

  The new United Nations envoy for war-torn Yemen called Tuesday for all parties to the conflict to abandon preconditions and begin negotiations, and said he would offer a new framework for talks within the next two months. “A negotiated political settlement through inclusive intra-Yemeni dialogue is the only way to end the Yemeni conflict […]

Syria: Sustained fighting taking ‘enormous’ toll on civilians, UN aid chief tells Security Council

Despite the Security Council’s demand for cessation of hostilities in Syria, civilians in the war-torn country continue to bear the “enormous” cost of intense military activity by parties to the conflict, the top United Nations relief official said Tuesday. “Since the passage of resolution 2401, the Secretary-General has on many occasions called for its full implementation,” […]

Upswing in global growth won’t last forever; IMF says world must prepare now for leaner times ahead

While the world economy continues to show broad-based momentum, a new report released Tuesday by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is warning that there may be choppy seas ahead, caused by increasing protectionism or tit-for-tat trade wars. “Global growth is projected to soften beyond the next couple of years,” said the report, explaining that: “Once their […]