As the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) prepares for an upcoming global conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, the head of the UN body has stressed the need to leverage ‘soft power’ to curb the rise of violent extremism and prevent conflict.
The third and final session of informal briefings to hear the views of three more candidates for the position of the next United Nations Secretary-General is taking place at UN Headquarters in New York today, focusing on how they would tackle some of the world’s most urgent issues should they be selected to replace current UN chief Ban Ki-moon in January 2017.
Three more candidates for the position of the next United Nations Secretary-General will be heard today, answering questions on how they would promote sustainable development, improve efforts to create peace, protect human rights, and deal with huge humanitarian catastrophes should they be selected to lead the 193-member Organization.
The selection process for a new United Nations Secretary-General, traditionally decided behind closed-doors by a few powerful countries, will for the first time in history involve public discussions with each candidate campaigning for the world’s top diplomatic post.
Like for many of the 21 other women in the project – which is expanding as more choose to break their silence – Silent Tears has been an integral part of Betty’s healing. The exhibition was recently featured during the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), an intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Dubbed by the press as “the man who mends women,” Dr. Mukwege has gained international recognition for his work and earned many prestigious distinctions, including the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights in 2008 and the Sakharov prize in 2014. At 59, he has also been shortlisted several times for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Nearly 350 reported disasters, over 22,000 deaths, 98.6 million people affected, and $66.5 billion in economic damage. That was the devastating toll of disasters worldwide in 2015, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). At the helm of the Geneva-based office is Robert Glasser, an experienced development official who took up his post at the start of this year.
United Nations efforts to enhance international peace and security may grab headlines, but the vast majority of the Organization’s resources are devoted to development, and to advancing the Charter's pledge to "promote higher standards of living, full employment, and conditions of economic and social progress and development."
The 193-member United Nations General Assembly today honoured the memory of former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 93, recalling his legacy in helping the world body find its footing in a new global landscape during the tumultuous early 1990s.
Atefah “Atti” Riazi, the Chief Information Technology Officer of the United Nations, carries the following items in her handbag at all times – a screwdriver set, a Swiss Army knife and an iPhone.
