UN agency hails draft law in Ireland that would speed asylum for refugees
The United Nations refugee agency has welcomed a draft law in Ireland that would speed up the asylum process for people seeking protection in the country.
Guinea: UN gives buildings at refugee camp to Government
Administrative buildings, health centres, water outlets, schools and other basic social services facilities at two camps run by the United Nations refugee agency in Guinea have been handed over to the Government now that most of the residents there have returned to their home countries.
UN agency urges action to address global mangrove loss
With 20 per cent of the world’s mangroves lost since 1980, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has called for urgent action to address the environmental and economic impacts caused by the destruction of these vital coastal forests.
UN-backed project to benefit some 20,000 poor rural families in Burkina Faso
A new United Nations-backed $19 million project in Burkina Faso will help approximately 20,000 poor rural households bolster their crop production and incomes through improved irrigation.
Ban Ki-moon to visit strife-torn Kenya
Warning that violence in Kenya could spiral out of control, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced plans to visit the country, where more than 800 people have already lost their lives in intensifying ethnic clashes triggered by the aftermath of recent elections.
Actor, UN advocate George Clooney urges greater resources for Darfur force
United Nations Messenger of Peace and award-winning actor George Clooney, just back from the war-wracked Darfur region of Sudan, today urged countries to provide peacekeepers serving with the hybrid United Nations-African Union force there enough resources to do their job – “or have the decency to just bring them all home.”
2008 crucial for boosting UN-AU partnership, Ban Ki-moon tells African summit
Noting that collaboration between the United Nations and the African Union has entered a historic phase with the establishment of a joint peacekeeping operation in Darfur, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that the year ahead will be a crucial one for the two bodies as they strive to achieve shared goals.
Senior UN official visits Nepal for human rights assessment
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang kicked off a five-day trip to Nepal today to assess the rights situation in the landlocked South Asian nation.
Some Gaza border crossings re-open to aid trucks, but problems continue – UN
More than 70 trucks were allowed to enter the Gaza Strip from Israel yesterday, but aid supplies inside Gaza are still dwindling, the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) reported today.
UN envoy discusses Myanmar with Indian officials
As part of his ongoing efforts to promote democratic change in Myanmar, the United Nations envoy to the South-East Asian nation today wrapped up consultations in New Delhi with Indian officials, who assured him of their continuing support.