Global

The Human Rights Council chamber in Geneva.
UN Photo/Elma Okic

In Geneva, UN urges upholding human rights amid rising populism and extremism

27 February 2017
Human Rights

Disregard for human rights is a “disease,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today told the opening session of the UN Human Rights Council, urging Member States to uphold the rights of all people in the face of rising populism and extremism.

UN independent expert Manfred Nowak.
UN Photo/Ryan Brown

INTERVIEW: Governments should think twice before putting children in detention – UN expert Manfred Nowak

17 February 2017
Human Rights

Despite progress in the realization of children’s rights, as set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which entered into force on 2 September 1990, too many commitments remain unfulfilled. This is particularly true for children deprived of liberty, who often remain invisible and forgotten.

A young woman checking her smartphone, Washington DC. , USA.
World Bank/Simone D. McCourtie

Teleworking may seem easier, but it could disrupt your work-life balance – UN reports

15 February 2017
Economic Development

Using smartphones, laptops and other technology to work from home can be a blessing – it does away with rush hour traffic, for example – but it also diminishes personal space and contact with colleagues, according to a new study released today by the United Nations labour agency and a private sector partner, which recommends how to address these work-life disparities.

Ahmad Alhendawi of Jordan was appointed in 2013 by former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as his first-ever Envoy on Youth.
UN Photo

INTERVIEW: ‘It’s time to work with young people, not just for young people’ – outgoing UN Youth Envoy

10 February 2017
SDGs

In his second term in office, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon established the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, subsequently appointing Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi of Jordan as his first-ever Envoy on Youth – the youngest senior official in the history of the Organization.

Pulses and dried fuits on sale at the Esquilino market in Rome, Italy.
FAO/Marco Salustro

'Year of Pulses' closes with call to build on strong momentum among famers, private sector – UN

10 February 2017
Economic Development

Although the International Year of Pulses has helped raise awareness globally of the many benefits of pulses, such as beans, lentils and chickpeas, gains must be further strengthened to achieve the international community's new development goals, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today.

Children released from armed groups in the Central African Republic will stay in a UNICEF-supported transit centre that provides shelter, psychosocial support, education and training in vocational skills while working to reintegrate them with their families.
UNICEF/ Matas

PHOTO FEATURE: Twenty years of protecting children affected by conflict

8 February 2017
Peace and Security

Following an era in which graphic images of child soldiers had become commonplace in the media, the United Nations General Assembly created a mandate dedicated to better protect children affected by armed conflict.

Fatima, 7, sits on a bed in her home in Afar region, Ethiopia. She was subjected to FGM/C when she was 1 year old.
UNICEF/ Holt

PHOTO FEATURE: International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

6 February 2017
SDGs

While the exact number is unknown, at least 200 million girls and women in 30 countries throughout Africa, the Middle East and Asia have been subjected to female genital mutilation, or FGM, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).