Asia Pacific

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with Mahinda Samarasinghe, Special Envoy of the President of Sri Lanka on Human Rights

Ban stresses importance of accountability as Sri Lanka recovers from civil war

26 October 2011
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reiterated the importance of dealing with accountability issues as Sri Lanka continues to work towards national reconciliation following its long-running civil war.
Soldiers of the Cambodia People Armed Forces (CPAF) are cantoned and demobilized as part of Phase Two of the cease-fire in 1992

Cambodia needs to adopt independent judiciary, democratic pluralism – UN

23 October 2011
Despite progress in the 20 years since the Paris peace agreements ended decades of fighting in Cambodia, much still needs to be done to fulfil the promise of the accords, including instituting an independent judiciary and a fully pluralist democracy, a United Nations expert warned on Sunday.
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.
UNESCO

UNESCO condemns killing of Philippine radio journalist

21 October 2011
The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom today deplored the murder of a radio commentator from the southern Philippines who had campaigned against mining operators and their impact on local indigenous communities.
Humanitarian chief Valerie Amos (right) visits a classroom in a school supported by UNICEF and WFP in Hamhung City, DPRk

As food crisis grips DPR Korea, UN aid chief urges world to not ‘turn our backs’

21 October 2011
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) cannot feed its people for the “foreseeable future,” the United Nations relief chief reported today, urging the world to step up humanitarian support and not “turn our backs” on a population where an estimated six million people now depend on food aid.
More than a million people have been affected due to heavy flooding in Cambodia

UN agencies voice concern at impact of South-East Asian floods on children

21 October 2011
The massive flooding in South-East Asia has taken a heavy toll on the region’s children, United Nations agencies said today, with over 200 already having lost their lives, many due to drowning, and hundreds of thousands at risk of missing school because of damage to infrastructure.
UNDP Administrator Helen Clark (right) with a felt processing entrepreneur who is part of the Enterprise Mongolia project

Natural resource boom in Mongolia an opportunity to alleviate poverty – UN official

21 October 2011
The recent economic growth in Mongolia due to a boom in its mining sector represents an opportunity to reduce poverty in the country, the United Nations development chief Helen Clark said, encouraging the Government to implement long-term sustainable policies that will increase prosperity for all of its citizens.
Patricia O'Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs.
UN Photo/JC McIlwaine

In Cambodia, UN legal chief warns on interference in work of genocide tribunal

20 October 2011
The United Nations legal chief today strongly urged the Cambodian Government to refrain from interfering in any way with the judicial process relating to the United Nations-backed tribunal set up to try those accused of the worst crimes under the notorious Khmer Rouge regime in the late 1970s.
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Tomás Ojea Quintana.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Myanmar must release all remaining political prisoners by year’s end – UN expert

20 October 2011
Myanmar’s new Government must follow up on its release of 200 political prisoners earlier this month by freeing all remaining such detainees by the end of the year, a United Nations human rights expert said today.
Special Rapporteur Marzuki Darusman.
UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras

DPR Korea: UN expert warns of dwindling aid while food crisis remains critical

20 October 2011
Although the food situation in the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) is critical, international assistance is dwindling, a United Nations human rights expert warned today.
Ieng Thirith during her preliminary hearing in August 2011.
ECCC

Khmer Rouge leader with dementia may not be able to participate in UN-backed trial

20 October 2011
One of the Khmer Rouge regime leaders facing genocide and other war crime charges has been diagnosed with dementia and may not be able to participate in court proceedings, the United Nations-backed tribunal in Cambodia heard today.