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Following an official visit to Botswana, the UN Special Rapporteur on cultural rights has called on the country to embark on a second phase of nation-building that reflects, builds on and celebrates its cultural diversity, stressing that issues relating to the recognition of communities as tribes must be addressed.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Programme (FAO) is teaming up with a coalition of partner agencies to develop a new data crunching tool to help national governments, development and relief organizations in their efforts to prevent and respond to crises such as animal diseases, plant pests and even conflict.

The world's poorest countries are trapped in an economic vicious circle, which pins them in poverty and must be reversed if new development goals are to be met, according to a newly released report from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The newest outpost of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) became operational today, while a new head of its Guinea office was named and the World Health Organization reported that the number of cases had stabilized in Guinea, had stabilized or declined in Liberia but may still be on rise in Sierra Leone.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the formation of a High-Level Panel to study the scope and functions of a proposed new “technology bank” and dedicated to helping the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) advance out of poverty, the Organization’s spokesperson confirmed today.

Brazil's martial art of Capoeira, Burundi's ritual dance of the royal drum and the preparation of Lavash – a popular flatbread integral to Armenian cuisine – are among the eight elements added today to the United Nations-endorsed list of the world's intangible cultural heritage – part of the world body's ongoing efforts to highlight global diversity and raise awareness of its importance.

Edward Mortimer is an ardent believer in the need to change the way in which the Secretary-General of the United Nations is selected, and he is hopeful that this can happen.

The United Nations Security Council has condemned in the strongest terms the massacres perpetrated against civilians on 20 November near the city of Beni in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as well as the ongoing attacks targeting peacekeepers.

The Security Council today expressed its “profound concern” over the deteriorating situation in Libya and its impact on regional peace and stability, warning of the possibility of sanctions.

Being overweight or obese have become major risk factors for developing cancer, particularly among women and in more developed countries, the specialized cancer agency of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.