General News

Making the global tax system fairer and closing loopholes would be a huge benefit to women.

That’s the view of Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International, a confederation dedicated to fighting poverty worldwide.

Speaking at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring Meetings, she said that it was vital to address the economic challenges faced by women and girls.

Although debt levels in East African countries have risen over the past five years, they remain manageable, according to a recent UN report.

However, governments are being reminded that they will have to rely more on their own funds and less on foreign aid if they want to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

That recommendation has been made by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

Negative views about refugees and migrants show disregard for the contributions these people have made to society, celebrated Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said on Friday.

The woman behind novels such as ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ and ‘Americanah,’ in addition to several popular TED Talks, was at the UN to deliver an address at a ceremony marking World Humanitarian Day.

A Syrian mother uprooted by war has a simple request for world leaders: Put yourselves in my place.

Hala Kamil and her four children are at the United Nations this Friday, World Humanitarian Day.

The day honours the aid workers who support the millions of people worldwide who require humanitarian assistance to survive.

Dianne Penn reports.

Duration: 2'46"

Ten years after a cargo ship dumped 500 tonnes of toxic waste around the city of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, residents “remain in the dark” over its effects on their health, according to a group of independent human rights experts.

The vessel, Probo Koala, belonged to an Anglo-Dutch oil trading company called Trafigura which had earlier decided against unloading the waste in the Netherlands because proper disposal was more expensive.

A “piano prodigy” from Jordan will use his musical talents to advocate for some of the world’s most marginalized children, particularly those caught in conflict, violence and poverty.

Zade Dirani was this week appointed Regional Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The pianist and composer said he firmly believes that music is a powerful tool for peace and co-existence.

The UN and its partners are ready to relieve the emergency needs of the most vulnerable people in the world, but safe and unimpeded access is needed.

That’s the message Stephen O’Brien, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, shared in the run-up to World Humanitarian Day (WHD) observed on 19 August.

WHD is an annual reminder of the need to act to alleviate the suffering of people and to honour the humanitarian workers and volunteers who work on the frontline of crises.

Farmers need extra US$45 million to ward off El Niño in Ethiopia

The number of refugee children in detention centres in 12 countries fell by 14 per cent over the past two years, according to a report launched by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The study details achievements made by countries that have adopted a UNHCR strategy aimed at ending the detention of asylum seekers and refugees.

Conflicting allegations over “serious” violations in Kashmir show the need for independent observers to be allowed to access the disputed region, according to the UN human rights office.

India and Pakistan both administer territory in Kashmir, which has been experiencing violent clashes between security forces and protestors since the death of a separatist leader in early July.