Americas

Colombian ratification of nuclear treaty welcomed by Secretary-General

30 January 2008
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed Colombia’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which will enter into force when it becomes law in nine more countries.

UN food agency helping 37,000 flood victims in Bolivia

30 January 2008
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is assisting 37,000 people affected by floods in Bolivia, a spokesperson for the world body announced today.

Caribbean coral reefs under increasing threat, warns UN agency

28 January 2008
Warming temperatures and increasing storms are posing serious threats to Caribbean coral reefs and the people who depend on them for their livelihoods, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said today.

Holocaust remembrance is a call to action, Assembly president says

26 January 2008
The International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust must serve as a global call to action to prevent future carnage, the President of the United Nations General Assembly said today.

Haiti: UN organizes workshop for police to address problem of sexual violence

25 January 2008
United Nations police have trained their Haitian counterparts serving in Jacmel on dealing with sexual crimes as part of a broader campaign to tackle the problem.

Armed groups uproot 2,000 more Colombians, UN refugee agency says

22 January 2008
Some 2,000 people, many of them children, have fled the countryside for refuge in cities and villages after being threatened by irregular armed groups in north-eastern Colombia, the latest victims of long-running conflicts that have uprooted 3 million people overall, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

UNESCO chief pays tribute to Belizean musician, Artist for Peace

22 January 2008
The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today mourned the death of Andy Palacio, a Belizean singer and musician and one of the agency’s Artists for Peace.

New UN-backed drive grants micro-credit to Colombian refugees

18 January 2008
In another move to foster livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of Colombians uprooted by decades of conflict, the United Nations refugee agency has signed an agreement with a Venezuelan bank to grant over $700,000 in micro-credit.

Actor, advocate George Clooney named UN Messenger of Peace

18 January 2008
United States actor, filmmaker and human rights advocate George Clooney has been designated by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, to raise awareness of the world body’s peacekeeping efforts.

Colombian refugees in Ecuador receive small business aid from UN

17 January 2008
The United Nations refugee agency has awarded cash grants to 16 small business ventures in Ecuador under an initiative to nurture the entrepreneurial talents of Colombian refugees and to help them become self-sufficient.