Asia

South Asia faces huge challenges to end open defecation

2.5 billion people don’t have access to adequate sanitation and just over one billion still practice open defecation—that's according to the latest United Nations estimates.

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India - the power of pine needles

Millions of people around the world, with no access to electricity, are struggling to lift themselves above the poverty line.

Access to power sources has been identified by the United Nations as a way to boost sustainable development.

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Afghanistan elections “defining moment” in country’s history

The success of elections in Afghanistan will help stabilize the country and instill confidence in the future, according to the UN Special Envoy to Afghanistan, Jan Kubis.

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Indigenous women bid to influence post-2015 development agenda

Indigenous women in Asia should be given a key role in deciding the future path of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, according

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North Korea dismisses human rights report as “fabrication”

North Korea has categorically rejected a report by the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on human rights in the country, dismissing it as mere “fabrication”.

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Pakistani student says education is a powerful tool to bring harmony in society

A Pakistani graduate student says that peace in his country can be promoted through education.

Ibrahim Khan, who comes from North-Western Pakistan, was at United Nations Headquarters recently to participate in an event on “Promoting peace through education”.

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“We may lose the gains we’ve made”: Special Envoy for AIDS in Asia and the Pacific

Bringing the fight against HIV/AIDS to the forefront of development goals on health is one of Prasada Rao’s main goals as the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for AIDS in Asia and the Pacific.

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550 million people food insecure in Asia-Pacific region

The Asia and Pacific region needs to improve its methods of food production or face significant food security problems within the next generation according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, (FAO).

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Dairy cooperatives in Afghanistan help stabilize rural communities

Dairy farmers in Afghanistan are forming cooperatives to not only help them earn money, but also to unite and stabilize communities they live in.

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UN nuclear agency involves public in tackling nuclear emergencies

After the Fukushima Daiichi Accident in 2011, the IAEA initiated a series of meetings on different aspects of preparing and dealing with nuclear incidents and emergencies.

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