Latest News

The United Nations office overseeing the humanitarian Oil-for-Food programme said today it had so far identified $395 million worth of supplies that are "shippable" within the 45-day timeline adopted last month by the Security Council.

The United Nations General Assembly today confirmed Mark Malloch Brown to a further four-year term as the head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) beginning on 1 July.

A high-level United Nations delegation – including a top envoy of Secretary-General Kofi Annan and representatives of the Security Council – today gathered in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to welcome the creation of a power-sharing local administration that will manage the region until a new post-war national government takes over.

Commending the "proactive" approach taken by its committee monitoring sanctions imposed against Usama bin Laden, the Taliban and Al Qaida, the Security Council today strongly encouraged Member States to submit, whenever they are able, implementation reports on entities and persons subject to the measures because of their links to the group or other terrorist operatives.

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) is set to convene scientists from around the globe to seek a clearer picture of the infectious disease Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the potential of which was still poorly understood, a top UN expert said today.

Following weekend protests by leading jurists in Swaziland who refused to appear before any judges recently appointed by the Government, the top United Nations expert on judicial independence called on authorities in Mbabane to take immediate steps to shore up the country's crumbling judicial system.

While welcoming the progressive efforts of the parties in Côte d'Ivoire towards the formation of a new government, the United Nations Security Council today nevertheless voiced concern for the continuing violence in the country, calling for an immediate end to attacks aimed at undermining the peace and reconciliation process.

To effectively deal with the many tough and frustrating developmental challenges that confront Africa, a United Nations official has said the continent must take urgent steps to harness the power of modern technologies.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan leaves today for Athens where he has been invited to attend the European Conference, and is scheduled to hold high-level talks on a number of issues including developments in Iraq.

Teenage representatives today presented to the United Nations lead drug abuse prevention agency 1.3 million endorsement signatures from over 60 countries in support of the international body’s conventions on drugs.