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Hundreds of millions of children in cities across the world are growing up in poverty and enduring deprivation, according to a report unveiled today by the United Nations, spotlighting social exclusion and calling for measures to give the youngsters access to basic services and opportunities for a better future.

Voicing grave concern over reports of mass elephant killings in northern Cameroon, the head of the United Nations-backed convention on endangered species called for effective action to manage and conserve these animals and for the control of trade in elephant ivory.

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with promoting and defending the freedom of the press today condemned the murder of a journalist in India and called on local authorities to undertake a thorough investigation into the killing.

The construction of an open-pit coal mine in Bangladesh could displace hundreds of thousands of people and jeopardize their access to basic needs, a group of United Nations independent human rights experts warned today.

The United Nations human rights chief said today that she is “appalled” at the recent escalation of violence in Syria and called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to end the fighting and assist civilians.

A senior United Nations official and the renowned singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo today urged all UN Member States and communities to outlaw female genital mutilation (FGM) and raise awareness about its harmful effects, especially in African countries where the practice is most prevalent.

Helping marginalized communities and young people experiencing drug problems must be an international priority, the United Nations body tasked with monitoring the production and consumption of narcotics worldwide said today, urging countries to protect these groups so they can be reintegrated into society.

The United Nations political chief today called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to get serious about overcoming the current impasse, noting that the talks begun last month have stalled and the situation on the ground in the West Bank and Gaza remains dangerous.

The United Nations said today it is relocating international staff from its office in the northern province of Kunduz which was attacked this weekend, reportedly by protesters angry over last week’s burning of copies of the Koran by United States soldiers.

As the current session of the main United Nations human rights body began today, senior officials stressed that the Organization’s work in this area is as vital as ever, particularly at a time when men and women worldwide are rising up to demand basic freedoms and a life of dignity.