Asia Pacific

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon delivers the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Lecture

India and UN have ‘indispensable’ partnership, Ban says during visit

30 October 2008
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today highlighted the long-standing relationship between India and the United Nations in areas ranging from peace and security to achieving global anti-poverty goals to sustainable development, as he began a two-day visit to the country.
Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon meets with President Arroyo of the Philippines

Ban highlights benefits of global migration in address to Philippine forum

29 October 2008
International migration could be an effective tool to tackle the current financial crisis, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a summit in the Philippines, stating that the movement of workers across borders can help make economies more efficient and redress economic inequalities.

UN agencies join rescue and relief efforts after deadly earthquake hits Pakistan

29 October 2008
United Nations agencies are taking part in emergency relief efforts in south-west Pakistan, where a powerful earthquake struck early this morning, killing and injuring hundreds of people and leaving many more homeless.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (R) with Foreign Secretary Alberto G. Romulo

Ban lands in Philippines on first leg of four-nation Asia tour

28 October 2008
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived today in the Philippines, the first stop on a four-nation Asia tour that will also take the United Nations chief to India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Myanmar’s post-cyclone recovery efforts focus of UN-backed expert meeting

28 October 2008
Participants at a United Nations-backed meeting that wrapped up today in Bangkok have agreed that the need to “build back better” and a focus on disaster risk reduction should be key elements of the post-Cyclone Nargis recovery process in Myanmar.

Pacific Rim countries stage UN-initiated tsunami warning drill

28 October 2008
More than 20 countries around the Pacific Rim will participate today in a United Nations-initiated tsunami warning scenario, with the aim of increasing preparedness and improving coordination throughout the region of current warning procedures.
UN mission at work in Nepal

Nepalese-driven peace process globally acclaimed, says Ban

28 October 2008
The world has recognized the strides towards peace Nepalis have made, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a new report made public today, commending the parties in the Asian country for their commitment to consolidating democracy.

Right messaging and support for farmers led to drop in Afghan poppy cultivation – UN

27 October 2008
The 20 per cent decrease in Afghan poppy cultivation recorded for this year shows that with the right kinds of messages and support from the Government, farmers and communities will respond and change their behaviours, a senior official with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said today.
UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie

UN Ambassador Angelina Jolie urges greater support for Afghan returnees

24 October 2008
International film star and Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency Angelina Jolie has appealed for greater support for Afghan returnees, particularly as the harsh winter approaches, as she wrapped up her first visit to the strife-torn nation.
UNESCO Director-General, Koïchiro Matsuura

Legislators gather at UN forum to advance education in Asia-Pacific region

24 October 2008
Parliamentarians from across Asia and the Pacific are meeting today at a United Nations gathering in Jakarta to address education needs in the region, which, although experiencing rapid progress since 2000, remains home to nearly 28 million children and over 500 million illiterate adults.