Stressing that the killing of “about three” people, which the President of the Philippines admitted to personally committing while serving as the Mayor of the city of Davao clearly constituted murder, the United Nations human rights chief called on the judicial authorities in the country to uphold the rule of law and investigate the self-professed crimes.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on summary executions urged the Government of the Philippines to lift a series of preconditions it has imposed on her planned visit to investigate the alleged extra-judicial killings of suspected drug dealers, since President Rodrigo Duterte took office.

The United Nations announced today at a meeting of the world’s top agricultural scientists, that in order to achieve world’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of defeating hunger and poverty by 2030, governments and the private sector must increase commitment to agricultural science and technology research.

The Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, said today that the UN is “seriously concerned” by the developing situation in Northern Rakhine state and has called on the security forces to act in accordance with the “rule of law and accepted international norms,” and to exercise caution in avoiding disproportionate responses that could cause violence to civilians.