General News

There is a new disturbing trend of ships carrying migrants and desperate people escaping conflict that are abandoned by their pilots on the Mediterranean Sea, according to a UN partner agency.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that smugglers who are based in Turkey take money from people who are mainly from Syria and fewer others from Libya and other countries.

The vessels, which are usually set on autopilot courses towards the Italian coastline, have been termed “Ghost Ships”.

The displacement of millions of cattle as a result of the ongoing conflict in South Sudan is jeopardizing social stability, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The agency warns that as pastoralists use different migratory routes to avoid violence, tensions have developed between them and farming communities.

At the same time, there is concern that cattle diseases may be spread to other areas as a result of this movement of the animals.

Eight United Nations peacekeepers have been injured, three of them seriously, in an attack in Mali.

The vehicle of the eight Nigerian soldiers were travelling and ran over an explosive device on Sunday in the Gao region.

The UN has been supporting the West African country since a coup d'état in early 2012 which continues to breed instability and violence.

More than  30 peacekeepers have died since the mission opened.

Diplomatic efforts are continuing to get the warring parties in Libya to talk to each other instead of fighting.

The North African country has been embroiled in factional fighting since Muammar al-Qhadafi was overthrown in a popular revolt more than three years ago.

The UN Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL), established in 2011 has been supporting the country’s transitional authorities in their efforts to restore stability to the country.

Jocelyne Sambira asked UNSMIL Spokesperson, Samir Ghattas, about reports that talks have been postponed.

The world economy would benefit by boosting women’s participation in the labour force and business, according to an official of the World Bank.

Sarah Iqbal recently participated in a seminar hosted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on this issue.

She says that countries around the world should change their laws to enable women to play their role in the labour market.

Jocelyne Frank sat down with Ms Iqbal who first spoke about the challenges that women face in starting businesses.

The post-2015 global agenda for sustainable development is “on track”, according to the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the UN.

Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar Patriota says he hopes Member States will adopt a series of targets this year, in addition to those approved in 2014.

The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs will replace the anti-poverty goals or MDGs which expire at the end of 2015.

The situation of women in Pakistan is “quite alarming” according to the head of the United Nations development office in the country.

The UN is working to advocate for women’s rights and empowerment, saying ensuring greater equality of women will be critical for Pakistan’s development.

Marc-Andre Franche is the head of the UN Development Programme’s office there.

Daniel Dickinson asked him how the immediate future looks for Pakistani women.

Duration: 3’19”

Elections in Burundi must in the words of the UN special envoy for the East African nation be “dedramatized” and should offer space for people to freely choose their leaders.

Parfait Onanga-Anyanga made the remarks following the closing of the UN political office known as BNUB on Wednesday, which he was in charge of.

A day before, the Burundi army fought an unidentified rebel group near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo or DRC, according to media reports.

Europe can no longer ignore the “worrying” situation regarding the crossing of the Mediterranean by migrants, a Spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned.

A “new trend” has emerged where refugees and migrants are being transported on large cargo ships, notes Ariane Rummery.

A reported 800 people were abandoned on a ship in the Greek waters last week.

Ms Rummery began by describing to Jocelyne Sambira Friday’s rescue on the high seas by the Italian coast guard.

Duration: 3’13’’

The United Nations has become what has been described by a senior UN official as a “people centric” organization as it approaches its 70th anniversary.

The global celebration of the anniversary kicked off on 26 June 2014, to mark the signing of the UN Charter in San Francisco in the United States in 1945.

The sixteen month commemoration will culminate on the 70th anniversary of the entry into force of the Charter on 24 October 2015.