Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week challenged youth at a UN forum on science, technology and innovation to help the organization bridge the so-called digital divide.
Philip Thigo, a technology and development strategist from Kenya, is already leading the charge. And he believes the UN is woefully absent on Facebook, Twitter and other social media used by young people.
The five countries collectively known as the BRICS continue to rise in global influence, according to a study released this week by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
BRICS stands for Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa, and the study finds foreign direct investment (FDI) both into and out of these countries continues to increase.
Youth leaders took center stage at the UN recently at a forum on youth, science, technology and innovation.
Green City Force from New York City was one youth group in attendance.
It is a service corps that prepares young people from low income backgrounds for sustainable careers, while reducing green-house gas emissions, and building greener cities.
Angie Lacy, Anthony Irvings and Samuel Feliciano, all members of Green City Force, talked to Gerry Adams about the organization.
Duration: 1'26'
It's Easter - a time when Americans buy more than 30 million kilograms of chocolate! But will chocoholics always be able to get their fix?
Cocoa supplies are dwindling and it's predicted that by 2020, chocolate companies will be short of one million tons of cocoa.
To solve this problem, Mars chocolate company has partnered with Indonesian cocoa farmers and IFAD, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, to produce more and better cocoa.
IFAD’s Joanne Levitan has more:
Duration: 4’09”
The security situation in the Central African Republic has improved in recent days, says Amy Martin, Head of OCHA, the UN humanitarian office, in the capital, Bangui.
More people are circulating in town and shops are opening for business. But Ms. Martin says the main concern is restoring essential services, such as water and electricity, to the population.
The relative calm follows fierce fighting and a rebel seizure of the capital earlier this month.
Duration: 4'58"
As Liberia continues to take steps to consolidate peace following the end of civil war a decade ago, a senior official with the UN Peacebuilding Commission is urging the international community not to forget about the country.
Staffan Tillander, chair of the Liberia configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, headed a delegation which travelled to the West African country in February.
Guatemala has the sixth highest malnutrition rates in the world, according to UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, with 49 per cent of children under five chronically malnourished or stunted.
During a recent visit to Totonicapán, outside Guatemala City, Anthony Lake, UNICEF’s Executive Director found that approximately 70% of the children in that community were stunted.
In this report by UNICEF’s Thomas Nybo, Anthony Lake says it is not expensive to help communities help themselves and end this problem of malnutrition.
Mosquito nets for animals? It seems to work, according to a Senior Officer with FAO’s Animal Health Service in Rome.
According to Raffaele Mattioli, the Agency is trying to discover new, simple, environmental friendly tools to help farmers protect their livestock and increase their production. And since mosquito netting is known to ward off disease-carrying insects to protect human health, why shouldn’t it work for animal health?
There are 1.2 billion people in the world between the ages of 15 and 24 -- They are among those most affected by economic, social and environmental challenges, according to ECOSOC, the UN Economic and Social Council.
Focusing on the theme “Innovate your future,” ECOSOC is hosting a one-day event for youth on the 27th of March at the United Nations.
Gerry Adams reports.
Duration: 2'46"
Swedish Professor Ǻke Sellström, an accomplished scientist with a solid background in disarmament and international security, was appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to head the UN fact-finding mission to probe allegations of use of chemical weapons in Syria.
In this telephone interview, UN Radio’s Reem Abaza first asks Professor Sellström when the mission starts.
Duration: 2'49"
