Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Major General Abdul Hafiz of Bangladesh as the Force Commander of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Western Sahara (MINURSO).
Top United Nations officials today stressed the need to realize the human right to water and sanitation, stating that it is critical not only to a life of dignity but also to achieving progress in the areas such as poverty reduction, boosting child health and combating diseases.
Allegations of sexual abuse by soldiers serving in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have declined substantially in the past few years, the commander of the force said today, noting that strict measures have been instituted to prevent such misconduct.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today started a one-year countdown clock for next year’s Olympic Games in London, which have been dedicated to the goal of sustainability.
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) today voted to establish a committee of experts on global geospatial information management to coordinate international dialogue on spatial data infrastructures and enhance cooperation in that field.
The top United Nations peacekeeping official today reported that more than 500 troops with the new UN mission in the disputed Abyei area of Sudan have been deployed and both of the contesting sides appear committed to avoiding combat and willing to withdraw in favour of the blue helmets.
In an effort to strengthen protection for human rights defenders across the world, a United Nations independent expert today launched guidelines outlining their rights as enshrined in the UN declaration on the rights of those who defend the human rights of others.
The United Nations refugee agency today condemned Sudan’s deportation of Eritrean asylum-seekers on Monday, saying it was concerned with the increased frequency of such incidents and said they violated both international and Sudanese law.
The political process to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in “profound and persistent” deadlock, a senior United Nations envoy warned today, calling on the parties to work towards a two-State solution and on the international community to help them find a credible way forward.
Some 3.1 million children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been vaccinated against measles in a United Nations-coordinated campaign to combat the disease outbreak which has claimed the lives of 1,145 children since the start of this year.