UN advocate to give voice to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse

Transforming those who have suffered sexual exploitation and abuse perpetrated by UN personnel from victims into survivors, is the goal of the first-ever official appointed to advocate on their behalf.  Jane Connors took up the post of UN Victims’ Rights Advocate in August and undertook her first field visit two months later.  She has already visited the UN’s peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic (CAR), and this week she was in South Sudan.  They are two of the four countries where the majority of cases of sexual exploitation and abuse have occurred.  Ms Connors spoke to Alban Mendes de Leon about the lessons she has learned so far, and her hopes for the future.

UNAIDS official says men critical to ending epidemic

The AIDS epidemic won’t end without addressing worrying trends among men.  That’s the view of Simon Bland, head of the  UNAIDS  office in New York, who says ending the epidemic by 2030 means getting men, who are less likely to access healthcare treatment, onboard with testing and prevention.  In observance of World AIDS Day on 1 December, UNAIDS reported that less than half of men living with HIV are receiving treatment and more like to die of AIDS-related illnesses than women.  Mr Bland spoke with Natalie Hutchison about the social and political dimensions involved in making global progress.

UN conference inspires Nepal award for women in science

A UN-sponsored conference on space and sustainable development has inspired the creation of an award for women scientists in Nepal.  That’s according to Manisha Dwa with the Nepal Astronomical Society, based in the capital, Kathmandu.  Ms Dwa attended the first High Level Forum looking at how the global space sector can contribute to efforts to combat challenges such as climate change.  The event, held last year in Dubai, was jointly organized by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the United Arab Emirates’ Space Agency.  I caught up with Ms Dwa at this year’s forum, which took place in November.

Presenter:  Dianne Penn

Production Assistant: Fatima E. Mendez

Duration: 10'00″