From ‘strength to strength’ UN-African Union security partnership growing, Security Council hears
The Security Council highlighted the growing partnership on matters of peace and security between the United Nations and African Union (AU) on Wednesday amidst calls to bolster overall effectiveness. “The partnership between the African Union and the United Nations continues to grow from strength to strength”, Hanna Tetteh, Special Representative and Head of […]
FROM THE FIELD: ‘Blue’ finance flows in the Seychelles
Protecting marine areas from over-exploitation and providing the people who have traditionally lived off the sea with a sustainable alternative livelihood does not come cheap, but in the Seychelles, a focus on financial instruments is making that task easier. The Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, is rich in biodiversity. However, years of […]
‘Real change’ involving women in peace and security, still too slow, Guterres tells Security Council
The Women Peace and Security agenda must continue to be “one of the top priorities of the United Nations”, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Tuesday, in an open debate on how best to accelerate change. He spoke of “the sad fact” that the commitment “reflected around this table is not translating into real change around the world”, lamenting, “it […]
Companies ‘failing’ to address offline harm incited by online hate: UN expert
States and companies are “failing” when it comes to combating online hate, the UN independent rights expert, or Special Rapporteur, on freedom of speech and expression said on Monday, ahead of the launch of a landmark report to reinforce legal standards for internet spaces. Cautioning that hate speech runs the risk of being devalued as a term, David Kaye stressed […]
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. Hailed as a ceasefire by some governments and a five-day pause in hostilities by others on Thursday, […]
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. The World Health Organization (WHO) convened its Emergency Committee on the disease which concluded with a call for sustained political commitment and continued cross-border screenings, among other […]