Asia Pacific

Acting Foreign Minister Mariyam Shakeela of Maldives.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Vulnerable countries that have progressed must not be left out of global agenda, Maldives tells UN

1 October 2013
Tough challenges faced by vulnerable countries, such as small island developing States (SIDS), must be addressed by any future global development agenda, even if progress has been made in boosting the well-being of their people, the Acting Foreign Minister of the Maldives told the General Assembly today.
UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Raquel Rolnik.
UN Photo/Ryan Brown

Construction of massive steel plant in India must be halted immediately – UN experts

1 October 2013
United Nations independent experts today called on Indian authorities to immediately halt the construction of a massive steel plant in the eastern state of Odisha – formerly known as Orissa – which threatens to displace more than 22,000 people Jagatsinghpur District and disrupt the livelihoods of thousands more in the surrounding area.
Pak Kil Yon, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

DPR Korea urges financial support to advance sustainable development

1 October 2013
International efforts towards achieving universally accepted anti-poverty targets have not produced due results, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pak Kil Yon of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) told the United Nations today, urging greater financial resources to reach that goal.
UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai.
UNWTO

Visa reforms could lead to 2.6 million new jobs, UN agency reports

1 October 2013
Visa facilitation could create up to 2.6 million jobs in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies by 2016, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Rashid Meredov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras

Turkmenistan offers to host UN-backed meetings on disarmament, energy, refugees

30 September 2013
Calling for an expanded United Nations role in the world, Turkmenistan today proposed hosting five international meetings next year – on disarmament, energy security, cooperative transport and transit corridors for landlocked countries, desertification, and refugees.
Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia.
UN Photo/Ryan Brown

Greatest threat to Muslim world comes from within, Malaysian leader warns in UN address

28 September 2013
The Malaysian Prime Minister used his address to the United Nations today to call on all peace-loving Muslims around the world to unite against the extremists who are using their religion as an excuse to commit violence, stressing that moderation is the key to winning the battle being waged for the future of Islam.
Khil Raj Regmi, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.
UN Photo/Ryan Brown

Upcoming Constituent Assembly polls vital for Nepal’s peace process, UN told

28 September 2013
Nepal has made the necessary preparations to hold Constituent Assembly elections this November, its representative said at the United Nations today, adding that the polls will be vital for moving forward with the democratic process in the post-conflict nation.
Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of the Republic of India.
UN Photo/Ryan Brown

‘Multilateral efforts must guide our quest for peace and security,’ India tells UN

28 September 2013
At a time when the world faces multiple challenges, the Prime Minister of India today urged a renewed focus on the role of the United Nations as a forum for multilateral action to ensure inclusive growth and development, and to combat terrorism and other “grave” security threats.
Moana Kalosil Carcasses, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu.
UN Photo/Ryan Brown

Vanuatu urges inclusive development, pledges to continue speaking out against colonialism

28 September 2013
Urging inclusive development that left no one on the margins of society, the Prime Minister of Vanuatu today stressed that the United Nations General Assembly is the forum where leaders can “speak their hearts freely” on a range of urgent issues, from collective security to human rights and decolonization.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with Erlan Abdyldayev, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Senior UN officials pledge Organization’s support to Central Asian region

28 September 2013
Top United Nations officials today pledged the Organization’s ongoing support to preventive diplomacy to assist the Central Asian region in tackling persistent and emerging challenges more effectively, with Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson spotlighting terrorism and extremism, poverty, human rights, and environmental issues as areas of special concern.