UN-Iraq talks slated to resume on 18 April in New York
A United Nations spokesman today confirmed that planned talks between senior Iraqi officials and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan are set to take place in New York from 18 to 19 April.
DR of Congo: Annan condemns deadly attack against Catholic church
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today strongly condemned an attack on a Catholic church in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and called for a speedy investigation into the incident.
Genocide trial of four top Rwandan officers set to start at UN tribunal next week
Four former high-ranking Rwandan military officers, including the alleged mastermind behind the plot to exterminate the country’s Tutsi population in 1994, are set to go on trial next week at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
UN begins latest preparatory session for key forum on sustainable development
As the latest round of preparations for a major United Nations summit on sustainable development got under way today in New York, a senior UN official said the challenge over the next two weeks would be to generate a final text that would reflect the priorities of Member States and is translatable into practical plans.
ILO panel looks at ways to expand benefits of globalization
Meeting just days after the conclusion of a landmark United Nations conference in Mexico that reached important decisions on fighting poverty, officials from around the world gathered in Geneva today to seek ways of making sure that the benefits of globalization are shared equally in all parts of the planet.
East Timor Assembly signs into force first-ever constitution as UN applauds move
After six months of drafting, consultation, and debate, East Timor’s Constituent Assembly today signed into force the territory’s first-ever constitution, a move that was hailed by the top United Nations official in the territory as a “founding act” of a new nation.
Afghan refugees returning in record numbers, UNHCR reports
More than 80,000 Afghans have returned home from Pakistan over the past three weeks – a figure higher than the annual average over the past decade, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which had launched a repatriation assistance programme earlier this month.
Majority of TB sufferers cannot access cure: UN health agency
Less than onethird of tuberculosis sufferers can currently access a cure that represents the best chance for controlling the global TB epidemic, according to a new report from the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO).
Water key resource for development activities, UN says in marking World Water Day
Noting the central role of water in development activities, United Nations officials today observed World Water Day by stressing the need for conservation as well as investment in cooperative activities that would make the valuable resource available to all.
Sierra Leone: Large group of refugees set to return from Guinea via land route
The first convoy of refugees to head back to Sierra Leone by a newly opened land route from Guinea is expected to arrive in their home country on Saturday, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced today.