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Issues of intolerance, prejudice and discrimination worldwide are now so profound that they are threatening to disrupt collective efforts to promote peace and development in the new century, the United Nations chief information and communication official said today.

Global unemployment rose in 2003 to a record of over 185 million, or just over 6 per cent of the labour force, but the worldwide economic recovery in the second half of the year may have helped to improve the situation, the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) says in its annual jobs report, released today.

Marathon world record holder Paul Tergat today joined the United Nations race to defeat global hunger when he was appointed a special ambassador of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), which already feeds more than 15 million children in 64 countries and aims to reach 50 million by 2007.

The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) has launched a nationwide campaign to inform Liberians about the country’s disarmament and rehabilitation programme.

Lack of vitamins and minerals in the diet is damaging the health of 2 billion people – one third of the world’s population - and holding back the economic development of virtually every country in the southern hemisphere despite inexpensive means of prevention, according to a new United Nations report released today.

The United Nations environment agency and several of its partners today launched a new global award to recognize new strategies for the sustainable use of the world’s natural resources.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder today pledged to triple his country's support for the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (HABITAT) to €500,000 (euros) for core funding to the agency.

The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has condemned the brutal murder of a Bangladeshi journalist known for his bold reporting on criminal gangs, drug traffickers and Maoist insurgents.

The United Nations health agency has begun trying to rapidly develop a vaccine against avian influenza - sometimes known as "bird flu" - after an outbreak that has claimed five lives in Hanoi, Viet Nam, in recent weeks.

With some 14 million people worldwide suffering from both HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today issued guidelines to increase collaboration between national TB and HIV/AIDS programmes.