Asia Pacific

A young girl sleeps surrounded by relatives in their new home, a primary school in Alqosh, Duhok, after fleeing their home in Mosul.
UNHCR/S. Baldwin

UN chief urges Iraq political leaders to form new government

10 August 2014
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on all Iraqi political parties to work towards the formation of a new government that would be able to confront the threat from the armed group, the Islamic State (IS).
UNHCR distributing aid near Duhok in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region.
UNHCR/E. Colt

UN agency chief warns that northern Iraq is facing 'cultural cleansing'

9 August 2014
As United Nations humanitarian agencies and partners are extending aid to hundreds of thousands of families on the run in northern Iraq from armed militants, a senior UN official is calling for an immediate stop to what she termed an “emerging cultural cleansing.”
Head of UNAMA, Ján Kubiš, hosted a press conference with both Afghan presidential candidates, as well as US Secretary of State, John Kerry, in the capital Kabul.
UNAMA/Fardin Waezi

Afghan presidential candidates agree to political deal, UN mission confirms

8 August 2014
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today said that it welcomes a political agreement reached between Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and looks forward to their pledged progress on moving ahead to form a national unity government.
Wide view of delegates attending the 70th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand.
ESCAP

UN Asia-Pacific forum calls for inclusive, job-generating growth to bridge region’s income gap

7 August 2014
With 743 million people in Asia and the Pacific still desperately poor, it is essential that growth be sustainable, inclusive and job-generating, declared the head of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) as it kicked off its Ministerial Segment in Bangkok today.
Inside the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) as guilty verdicts are handed down in the trial of Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan.
ECCC

UN-backed tribunal sentences Khmer Rouge leaders to life in prison

7 August 2014
A United Nations-backed court has found the two most senior surviving leaders of Cambodia's brutal Khmer Rouge regime guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced them to life in prison.
UNESCAP Executive Secretary Shamshad Akhtar launches the Economic and Social Survey for Asia and the Pacific 2014 at a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand.
UNESCAP

Asia-Pacific developing countries see ‘subdued’ growth for third straight year – UN report

6 August 2014
Developing countries in Asia and the Pacific are experiencing yet another year of subdued economic growth, marking the third successive year of growth below 6 per cent, according to the annual flagship publication of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.
Violaine Martin

Japan’s stance on ‘comfort women’ issue violates victims’ rights – UN official

6 August 2014
The United Nations human rights chief today expressed profound regret that Japan has not provided effective redress to victims of wartime sexual slavery leading back to the end of the Second World War.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial.
UNESCO/G. Boccardi

Tragic past of Hiroshima atomic bombing must inspire future free of nuclear weapons – Ban

6 August 2014
Remembering all those who died in the bombing of Hiroshima and, later, Nagasaki, some 69 years ago, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that the atrocious memories of that tragedy must inspire new generations to work towards a world free of nuclear weapons.
Special Representative Ján Kubiš.
UN Photo/Amanda Voisard

Afghanistan: UN envoy extends condolences after deadly attack

5 August 2014
A “tragedy” is how the top United Nations official in Afghanistan summed up an attack on international forces today outside of Kabul in which a man wearing an Afghan military uniform reportedly gunned down at least 15 troops, including a high-ranking officer.
OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.
UN Multimedia

UN rights office urges probe of alleged torture of ‘Red Shirt’ activist

5 August 2014
The United Nations human rights office today called for an independent investigation into the alleged torture of Kritsuda Khunasen, a Thai student activist who was working for a key member of the “Red Shirts” group when she was detained and held in custody for nearly a month.