General News

The participation of Congolese refugees in the Olympics is a “huge victory”, according to members of their community.

Congolese Judokas Yolande Mabike and Popole Misenga competed on August 10th and were watched by members of the Congolese community who cried and celebrated as Yolande lost and Popole won his first round.

For the first time ever, 10 refugee athletes from four countries were given a chance to compete on the Refugee Olympic team (ROT) in Rio de Janeiro.

A UN fund which supports countries emerging from conflict, needs an extra US$70 million just to keep up with current demand, according to a senior UN official.

The UN Peace Building Commission was established in 2005 to serve post-conflict countries in need of aid, such as Colombia.

In recent years there has been a shift towards so-called “preventative” peacebuilding.

When it comes to the world’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, “we should know a lot more about them.”

That’s the view of Sophia Smith Galer, one of the winners of a multilingual essay contest who came to UN Headquarters in July to attend a global youth forum.

Three-hour daily pauses in the fighting around Aleppo are “not enough” to get life-saving aid in the Syrian city because the logistics are “enormous”.

That’s the reaction of two senior UN officials to the truce proposed by the Russian Federation on Thursday.

Fighting is raging inside Syria’s second city where two million people are living in fear of besiegement.

Jocelyne Sambira reports.

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In Bulgaria, refugees and migrants fleeing conflict and persecution all too often find themselves treated as criminals.

That’s according to the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, who said on Thursday that “xenophobia, Islamophobia and racism are among the most worrying threats” in Europe today.

Zeid said that more effective national leadership was needed to provide “top-down” protection for people on the run, as opposed to criminalizing them.

Moving towards a “permanent ceasefire” between Lebanon and Israel remains the “real challenge” facing the UN’s Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

That’s the view of Major-General Michael Beary, who has just taken over as Force Commander and Head of Mission.

The former Irish Army officer has enjoyed a long military career and was deployed to UNIFIL on three previous occasions: twice in the 1980s and then in 1999.

The Government of Sudan has an obligation to extend greater “economic, social and cultural rights” to the citizens of the troubled Darfur region.

That’s according to Isha Dyfan, chief of the Human Rights Section of the joint UN-African Union Mission in the region,  UNAMID.

Darfuri rebels have been fighting government troops and militia since 2003, and with 2.6 million displaced, around 1.6 million civilians continue to live in camps for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Learning a new language is the “most humanizing thing you can do” for yourself.

That’s according to Rachel Anne Lott, one of the 60 young winners of a multilingual essay contest organized by the United Nations and ELS Educational Services Inc.

In her case, learning Arabic has allowed her to see “through the stereotypes that are often portrayed here in the US”, she explained.

Ms Lott, who is 19 year-old, is studying Arabic and International Relations at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where she has just completed her second year.

The world should “embrace” a new draft agreement on refugees and migrants that will commit countries to take more action over the crisis.

That’s according to UN Special Adviser Karen AbuZayd, who was appointed to work with Member States and officials towards the Outcome Document, agreed this week.

The text agreed by more than 190 countries, will form the basis of the High Level Summit for Refugees and Migrants, due to take place on 19 September at UN Headquarters.

Venezuela is “cracking down” on media workers during a time of economic and political crisis and failing to meet its obligations under international human rights law.

That’s according to David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression.

He said that attacks on journalists and independent media workers have increased at a time when many citizens are finding it extremely difficult to access food and basic services.

Deganit Perez asked Mr Kaye why he was so worried about government treatment of media workers in Venezuela.