Asia

Acting UN Special Representative in Timor-Leste Finn Reske-Nielsen

Timor-Leste making good progress despite this year’s challenges, stresses UN envoy

24 December 2008
Timor-Leste has made good progress towards peace and stability after the violent attacks in February that almost claimed the life of its President, a senior United Nations envoy to the tiny South-East Asian nation the world body helped shepherd to independence in 2002 stressed today.

New UN-Japan pact seeks to boost use of space data to reduce disaster risk

12 December 2008
A new agreement between the United Nations and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will enable them to boost their cooperation to use space-based information and services to help reduce the risk of disasters in the Asia-Pacific region.

Rise in mobility across South-East Asia puts millions more at risk for HIV – UN report

13 November 2008
The growing number of people crossing boundaries in South-East Asia searching for economic opportunity puts millions at risk to HIV infection with little or no protection or access to services, according to a United Nations report launched today.
Participants at workshop

UN Asia-Pacific forum focuses on technology for people with disabilities

29 September 2008
The United Nations today kicked off an initiative to improve access to information and communication technology (ICT) for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific, including using a computer keyboard or being able to see information on the Internet – things most people take for granted.
Miroslav Jenca (first from left) and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (centre)

Head of UN preventive diplomacy centre in Central Asia begins work

9 June 2008
The senior United Nations official tasked with the world body’s preventive diplomacy efforts in Central Asia took up his duties today in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan.

Aral Sea problems will only be fixed by regional cooperation, UN stresses

28 May 2008
Resolving the problems caused by the drying out of the Aral Sea, which has shrunk drastically in size in recent decades because of the inefficient use of water resources and climate change, will only happen when the countries of Central Asia work together, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says.

Slovak diplomat set to head UN preventive diplomacy centre in Central Asia

29 April 2008
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has informed the Security Council of his plan to appoint an experienced Slovak diplomat as the head of the new United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA).

UN aids flood victims in Kazakhstan as heavy snows melt

12 March 2008
United Nations units are coming to aid of flood victims in southern Kazakhstan, where heavy rains and rapidly melting snow have displaced more than 13,000 people following Central Asia’s harshest winter in decades.

Harsh Central Asian winter shows need to boost disaster planning – UN agency

28 February 2008
The United Nations agency tasked with minimizing the threat posed by natural disasters today called on governments across Central Asia, which is facing its harshest winter in three decades, to swiftly implement measures so that they are better prepared to deal with the expected floods in the spring.

Asian economies will be able to weather 2008 uncertainties, UN predicts

9 January 2008
The Asia-Pacific region is likely to continue to see strong economic growth this year, despite uncertainties posed by a slowing United States economy, according to a new United Nations report.