With 1.6 billion people living in inadequate housing, one billion of whom reside in slums and informal settlements, the United Nations is spotlighting affordable homes on today’s World Habitat Day, which also marks the official start of Urban October – a month of worldwide celebrations and citizens’ engagement in urban life worldwide. “While millions of people […]
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the decision by Saudi Arabia to allow women to drive cars in the country. In a tweet, the UN chief noted that ending the restrictions represents an “important step in the right direction.” According to reports, under the new law, women can legally obtain a driving licence without asking a male […]
The United Nations General Assembly wrapped up its 72nd annual general debate today, with its President underscoring prevention of conflicts before they break out, support for UN peacekeeping, sustainable development, and respect for human rights and gender equality among the major priorities raised by the 196 Heads of State, Government and delegations. “You reaffirmed your […]
United Nations officials today hailed the establishment of the Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which will go a long way in addressing one of the major challenges facing the world’s poorest nations. The Bank, to be headquartered in Gebze, Turkey, also marks the achievement of the first target of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable […]
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 […]
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 […]