The good and bad news have been announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) about drinking water and sanitation.
The good news is that the target of cutting by half the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water has been met well in advance of the 2015 deadline.
The bad news is that 1.1 billion people still don’t have toilets.
Derrick Mbatha reports.
Duration: 3'01"
Thirteen-year-old Molly invites the world into her world, as she chronicles her life in one of Kenya’s poorest slums.
She was given a video camera by the World Food Programme, which asked her to film scenes from her life at home and school.
You can view Molly’s video diary http://www.wfp.org/english/
One of her biggest challenges is access to food, that’s where the WFP comes in.
Molly receives school meals through the United Nations food relief agency.
Japan is hosting a series of free concerts to express its gratitude for the support it got following the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
The first concert organized by Japan’s mission to the UN along with the Japan Foundation in New York is at UN headquarters Monday and there is another Tuesday at Lincoln center.
The concert features Ondekoza, a professional Japanese drumming troupe, along with other musicians from Japan.
The coconut is one of the easiest crops to grow requiring minimal care to thrive, but many rural women farmers are shut out of this lucrative business.
Dr. Sarala Gopalan, who works with women coconut farmers in Southern India says these women need to be recognized, so that they can access valuable resources including technology that makes the job easier.
Dr. Gopalan explains to UN Radio's Chuck Appel how she hopes that the Commission on the Status of Women will help to bring about an attitudinal change in society to include women as coconut farmers.
The tragic memories from last year’s devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan remain, but the rebuilding moves ahead according to the country’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN.
Ambassador Kazuo Kodama says one of the main priorities for Japan is to get people back into their homes and to make sure their emotional needs are taken care of.
He also says the government is working hard to clean up the nuclear spill that resulted from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
Journalists, human rights defenders and students activists world-wide are in dire need of protection.
That’s the finding of the annual report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders.
Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, Margaret Sekaggya said these groups often face assault, arrest and even death threats in efforts to silence them.
Dianne Penn reports.
Duration: 2'30"
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angelique Kidjo gave a special concert at the United Nations dedicated to the global efforts to end Female Genital Mutilation.
Ms. Kidjo says she is passionate about getting African nations to sign a resolution to end the practice.
The Grammy Award Winner is also passionate about the education of girls in Africa.
She spoke to Beng Poblete-Enriquez about the challenges she has faced as a musician and her work as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
Duration: 2'43"
Music superstar Angelique Kidjo recently performed at the United Nations in a concert calling for an end to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
And while Saran Dioubate is not a household name, her voice is equally loud and compelling on this issue.
As a child in her native country, Guinea, Saran and several other little girls from her neighbourhood underwent the practice, which is also known as cutting.
Dianne Penn reports.
Myanmar is making progress in its transition from military rule to a democracy, according to the UN envoy in the region, Vijay Nambiar.
He recently spent five-days in the country where he met with key figures, including President U Thein Sein and opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
But the upcoming parliamentary elections on 1 April will serve as a “critical test” of the government’s commitment, Nambia noted.
Meanwhile, there are still unresolved issues such as peace with ethnic rebel groups, he added.
Child migration is one of the biggest challenges that Asian countries face. That’s according to the newly released report by UNICEF on state of children living in urban areas worldwide.
With Asian economies developing at a rapid pace, and cities exploding, children are on the move either alone or with their parents.
These children often fall through the cracks and are excluded from basic services, UNICEF’s spokesperson Peter Smerdon told Jocelyne Sambira.
Duration: 3'11"
