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As the Syrian crisis passes the tragic 1,000-day mark, the United Nations refugee agency is working hard to meet the “immense needs” of desperate communities there, including across lines in conflict zones and in neighbouring countries, while also bracing for what meteorologists predict could be the region’s harshest winter in a century.

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova and former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Jason Collins today pushed the ball forward on equal rights by adding their voices to the United Nations campaign to counter homophobic violence and discrimination.

Two independent United Nations human rights experts have voiced concern about the fate of Djamel Ameziane, who was recently transferred by the United States from the Guantánamo Bay detention centre to Algeria, from which he fled two decades ago to escape persecution.

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom today voiced grave concern about the safety of journalists in Iraq following the recent murder of two reporters, Adel Mohsen Hussien and Wahdan Al-Hamdani.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed seasoned economist Shamshad Akhtar of Pakistan as the new head of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

The top United Nations official in Somalia today, briefing the Security Council from Mogadishu, said that a comprehensive political, military and development approach is needed to tackle terrorism in the country, where despite challenges, the dawn of a new era is abundantly evident.

Natural resources – which, in many conflict-affected countries, fuel and finance armed groups – can also play a major role in bringing about sustainable peace, the United Nations today reported urging Governments and partners to integrate natural resource management in post-conflict reintegration programmes.

Two independent United Nations human rights experts today urged the Bangladeshi Government to halt the execution of Abdul Quader Mollah, whose death sentence could be carried out as early as tomorrow, amid concerns that he did not receive a fair trial.

A group of independent United Nations human rights experts today called on the Iraqi Government to clarify the whereabouts of seven residents of Camp Ashraf, who were allegedly abducted last September after an attack that left 52 people dead, guarantee their safety and prevent their extradition to Iran.

The Government of Israel has decided to resume the transfer of construction materials for United Nations projects in Gaza, the top UN envoy for the Middle East confirmed today, while stressing the urgency of addressing the shortage of energy and other needs of Palestinians in the territory.