General News

The plight of millions of migrants and refugees worldwide was the focus of a major meeting called by the UN Secretary-General on Wednesday.

Ministers from around the globe came to New York to share their views on what can be done to protect and provide for the staggering number of people who have fled their homes worldwide – while also respecting the delicate needs of those countries hosting the displaced.

Veronica Reeves has the story.

Duration: 2'41"

The American actress, Mira Sorvino, has said she uses her position as a UN Goodwill Ambassador to publicize the “truth” behind the trafficking of women and men.

Ms Sorvino has been at UN headquarters to discuss how criminal justice policies can better reflect the needs of women as part of the newly adopted global development agenda.

The Palestinian flag was raised for the first time at UN headquarters on Wednesday, a symbol of Palestinian determination to live in a fully-independent state.

The UN Secretary General said that it also affirmed the “longstanding commitment” of the United Nations to support their aspirations.

The flag-raising was approved by the UN General Assembly earlier this month, despite the opposition of some countries.

Matthew Wells reports.

Duration: 2'57"

The UN Security Council has met for an extraordinary ministerial-level meeting on Middle Eastern conflicts, on the same day that Russia announced it had conducted its first air strikes in Syria.

In opening the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov informed the Council that at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russia had carried out air strikes aimed at dismantling the terrorist organization, ISIL.

Eradicating hunger worldwide within 15 years can be achieved, according to the Director-General of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

José Graziano da Silva said the central target of the newly-adopted Sustainable Development Goals was a “big move” but only action by individual countries would ensure its success.

Leda Letra asked the Director-General to explain what the target meant for the FAO’s work:

Duration: 1'46"

Refugees fleeing Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, deserve to be treated with dignity not suspicion, said the head of the International Organization for Migration, or IOM.

Speaking before Wednesday’s high-level UN meeting on migration, which is expected to focus on the exodus from the Middle-East to Europe, Director General William Swing, said the inter-governmental organisation was there to help both migrants and host countries cope.

Reem Abaza spoke to Mr Swing and asked him whether Europeans were right to view the current situation as a crisis.

Duration: 5’06”

Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, violates more than their human rights – it creates serious socio-economic challenges and results in lost development and economic opportunities.

That’s according to 12 UN agencies that issued a joint statement Tuesday. The statement highlights the link between human rights abuses against LGBTI people and socio-economic challenges, including health concerns, family issues and lost development.

Defeating terrorism militarily is only the beginning of the global fight against violent extremism, US President Barack Obama said at a UN summit on Tuesday.

Terrorist groups like ISIL in the Middle-East have gained the allegiance of smaller militant groups like Boko Haram, in West Africa in the past year, raising fears that extremism is growing fast.

Leaders from many of the countries directly affected by terrorism spoke at the summit, which took place on the fringe of the General Assembly.

South Sudan’s President has been urged by the UN Secretary-General not to “betray and disappoint” international hopes for peace in his country.

Political infighting in the world’s youngest country has led to the deaths of thousands of people over the past two years.

The recent signing of a peace agreement has renewed hopes for the future.

Dianne Penn reports on a meeting this Tuesday at UN Headquarters in New York aimed at putting South Sudan back on the path to peace and development.

Duration: 3'33"

United Nations peacekeeping operations are unable to keep up with rising demand in a more dangerous world, a summit at UN headquarters heard today.

Convened by President Barack Obama, world leaders gathered on the side-lines of the annual General Debate to promise thousands more troops and specialist personnel.