Europe

UNHCR staff member goes through the draft Bill

UN agency hails draft law in Ireland that would speed asylum for refugees

31 January 2008
The United Nations refugee agency has welcomed a draft law in Ireland that would speed up the asylum process for people seeking protection in the country.

UN human rights chief begins visit to Slovenia

30 January 2008
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights arrived today in Slovenia for a two-day official visit in the country that current holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Srgjan Kerim, President of the 62nd session of the General Assembly

General Assembly President, Albanian official discuss Balkan stability

28 January 2008
The need for regional stability in South-Eastern Europe topped the agenda during talks today at United Nations Headquarters in New York between General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim and Albania’s Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha.
Vidoje Blagojevic

Bosnian Serb convicted by UN tribunal to serve jail term in Norway

25 January 2008
A former Bosnian Serb army commander convicted by the United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia over his role in the notorious Srebrenica massacre in 1995 was transferred today to Norway to serve the remainder of his prison sentence.

Misrepresentations fanning fears in Georgian-Abkhaz dispute, says Ban Ki-moon

25 January 2008
Disinformation and misrepresentations is generating tensions between the Georgian and Abkhaz sides in their dispute and the communities on both sides of the ceasefire line should exercise restraint, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a new report to the Security Council.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Davos, Switzerland

At World Economic Forum, Ban Ki-moon pledges action on water resources

24 January 2008
Cautioning that a shortage of water resources could spell increased conflicts in the future, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told participants at the World Economic Forum in Davos today that the United Nations will take action to address the problem in the context of reaching global anti-poverty targets.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses opening of Conference on Disarmament

Secretary-General renews call on States to end disarmament stalemate

23 January 2008
Deeply troubled by the impasse in the work of the world’s only multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today renewed his call to countries to move forward in a spirit of compromise to improve the global security climate.

Greece, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia hold UN-led talks on name

21 January 2008
Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia today held United Nations-led talks over the official name of the latter country and related outstanding issues – the first time such discussions have been held in the region and involved the participation of one of the two nations’ foreign ministers.

Arrests of Balkan war crimes fugitives ‘absolute priority’ – UN prosecutor

16 January 2008
The new prosecutor of the United Nations tribunal judging war crimes committed in the Balkan conflict of the 1990s today appealed to the international community to help bring the four remaining fugitives to justice.

No agreement reached on Kosovo’s future status in Security Council

16 January 2008
The Security Council today discussed the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Kosovo – a Serbian province where ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs and other minorities by nine to one – with no agreement being reached over its future status.