Europe

Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders Dervis Eroglu (right) and Demetris Christofias

Cypriot leaders discuss security issues in UN-sponsored reunification talks

30 March 2011
Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders today discussed internal security aspects in continuing United Nations-sponsored talks that seek to reunify the Mediterranean island, which has been split for almost 50 years.
Dragomir Miloševic

Bosnian Serb convicted by UN war crimes tribunal transferred to Estonia

23 March 2011
A former Bosnian Serb army general convicted of war crimes by the United Nations tribunal set up to judge the worst abuses committed during the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s has been transferred to Estonia to serve out his 29-year jail term for terror, murder and inhumane acts.
City centre in Chisinau, Moldova

Moldova: UN refugee agency uses ATM cards to distribute aid to beneficiaries

23 March 2011
Asylum-seekers in Moldova can, beginning this week, receive their monthly subsistence allowances from the United Nations refugee agency through a debit card system that the agency has initiated to expedite the distribution of the cash support.
Photo: UNEP
UNEP

Sochi’s 2014 Winter Olympics turn green, adopting UN-backed plans

23 March 2011
In the latest teaming of the United Nations environmental agency with major international sports events, the leading partners building the 2014 Winter Olympic venues in the Russian city of Sochi committed themselves today to restore any damage done to a key river basin.
Asylum-seekers on the southern Italian island of Lampedusa (file)

UN calls on Italy to ensure better conditions for Tunisian migrants on Italian island

22 March 2011
The United Nations refugee agency today called on Italian authorities to take urgent action to tackle overcrowding on the remote island of Lampedusa, where the humanitarian situation for the 5,000 mostly Tunisian migrants there is deteriorating.
Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer speaks to press

Cypriot leaders meet again in UN-sponsored talks on reunification

18 March 2011
The Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders met today and continued their discussion on the issue of citizenship, one of the topics on the agenda under the United Nations-sponsored talks seeking the reunification of the Mediterranean island.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) holds press encounter with Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

Ban confers with Spanish leaders on North Africa and other global issues

18 March 2011
The latest developments in the Middle East and North Africa topped the agenda during meetings between Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Spanish leaders when the United Nations chief visited the European country today.

UN rights office calls on Turkey to ensure press freedom after journalists’ arrest

15 March 2011
The United Nations human rights arm today called on Turkey to guarantee freedom of opinion and expression, voicing serious concerns at the recent imprisonment of journalists on charges of involvement in a conspiracy allegedly designed to overthrow the Government.
General Assembly President Joseph Deiss

General Assembly President holds wide-ranging talks with Russian Foreign Minister

9 March 2011
General Assembly President Joseph Deiss held “very constructive and substantial” talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow today on a range of subjects, including United Nations reform and Libya.