Asia Pacific

Special Rapporteur on the right to housing Raquel Rolnik.
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

UN human rights experts denounce land-grabbing case in Viet Nam

26 March 2014
A group of United Nations independent human rights experts today called on the Vietnamese Government to “intervene urgently” in a case of forced eviction of the last remaining residents of Con Dau, a small village located on the outskirts of Da Nang city in the centre of the country.
High Commissionner for Human Rights Navi Pillay addresses the 25th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

UN human rights chief presses for investigation into alleged abuses in Sri Lanka war

26 March 2014
Stressing the need to ensure justice and accountability, the United Nations human rights chief today called for the establishment of an independent and credible investigation into alleged violations committed in 2009 during the final phase of the conflict in Sri Lanka.
Aerial view of Malé, the capital of the Maldives.
Nattu

Maldives: UN chief welcomes holding of timely, peaceful parliamentary polls

26 March 2014
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the timely holding of the parliamentary election in the Maldives, which international observers have assessed as peaceful, orderly and well administered.
The Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan (IEC) on 24 March 2014 organized a daylong seminar aimed at encouraging participation in the 5 April 2014 Presidential and Provincial Council elections.
UNAMA/Fardin Waezi

Afghanistan: UN mission condemns attack on election office in Kabul

25 March 2014
The United Nations has condemned today’s deadly attack on an office of the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) in Kabul which comes less than two weeks before the holding of presidential and provincial council polls.
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.
UN Photo/Amanda Voisard

UNESCO chief pays tribute to Afghan journalist killed in hotel attack

24 March 2014
The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom today paid tribute to journalist Sardar Ahmad, one of several people killed during last week’s attack on the Serena Hotel in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Special Representative Ján Kubiš.
UN Photo/Amanda Voisard

Afghanistan: UN strongly condemns deadly assault on Kabul hotel

21 March 2014
The United Nations has strongly condemned last night’s deadly attack on the Serena Hotel in Kabul that has reportedly left nine civilians dead and several more wounded – the latest violence to strike Afghanistan ahead of next month’s elections.
Nicholas Haysom, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan.
UNAMA/Eric Kanalstein

UN strongly condemns deadly suicide attack in northern Afghanistan

18 March 2014
The United Nations strongly condemned a deadly suicide attack that occurred today in the northern Afghan province of Faryab, killing 15 civilians and injuring nearly 50 others.
Credit: OHCHR
OHCHR

UN experts call on Chinese authorities to probe death of prominent human rights lawyer

18 March 2014
A group of independent United Nations experts today urged Chinese authorities to promptly investigate the circumstances leading to the death of prominent human rights lawyer Cao Sun Ly Shunli, who died in the hospital on 14 March.
Michael Kirby, Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea briefs the press.
UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

Head of UN rights probe on DPR Korea urges accountability for ‘unspeakable atrocities’

17 March 2014
Detailing a raft of “unspeakable atrocities” committed in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) “without parallel in the modern world,” the head of a United Nations-mandated probe into the human rights situation there called today on the international community to hold the country to account, including through referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Ján Kubiš, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
UN Photo/Evan Schneider

‘Do not let spoilers deprive you of your future’, UN envoy tells Afghans ahead of polls

17 March 2014
In a personal appeal to the Afghan people less than three weeks before national elections, a senior United Nations envoy today urged all citizens of the nascent democracy to exercise their right to vote and not allow spoilers to deter the holding of peaceful and credible polls.