UN rights chief urges Belarus to promptly release political detainees

UN rights chief urges Belarus to promptly release political detainees

The report, covering the period between May 2020 and December 2022, draws on interviews with 207 victims and witnesses and an analysis of more than 2,500 items of evidence, including photographs, videos, medical, and court records. ‘Unacceptable picture of impunity’ “Our report paints an unacceptable picture of impunity and the near-total destruction of civic space…

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DPR Korea: UN chief strongly condemns ballistic missile launch

DPR Korea: UN chief strongly condemns ballistic missile launch

Strongly condemning DPRK’s Thursday launch of an intercontinental-range missile, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his calls on Pyongyang to immediately desist from taking any further destabilizing actions. News reports said the missile was fired just hours before the start of a Japan-Republic of Korean summit in Tokyo, on regional security – the first such meeting…

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In Lebanon, UN deputy chief explores first-hand, challenges facing children and persons with special needs

In Lebanon, UN deputy chief explores first-hand, challenges facing children and persons with special needs

She added: “We want to make sure that street children are an issue of the past. That’s what we will be working for day-in and day-out.” Recognizing the unprecedented economic hardship that people in Lebanon are facing and renewing the UN’s commitment to supporting Lebanon to respond to increasing needs, are two main issues addressed…

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Türkiye-Syria quakes: Migration chief hails ‘proud and brave’ citizens of Antakya

Türkiye-Syria quakes: Migration chief hails ‘proud and brave’ citizens of Antakya

“In the ruins of historic Antakya city today, I met proud and brave people whose past has been eradicated, whose present is full of suffering and whose future is uncertain,” said António Vitorino, following a two-day visit to Türkiye, which included meetings with senior Government officials. “I am in awe of IOM colleagues and our many…

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Ukraine: IAEA chief slams ‘complacency’ over stricken Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant

Ukraine: IAEA chief slams ‘complacency’ over stricken Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant

This is the first time the site has lost all power since November 2022 – but the sixth time that all off-site power has been cut since the Russian invasion last February – IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said, in a statement to agency directors. The agency said late on Thursday that power had been restored after 11 tense…

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The LDC graduation pathway must not disrupt overall sustainable development, says UN deputy chief

The LDC graduation pathway must not disrupt overall sustainable development, says UN deputy chief

She was speaking during the Fifth UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5), in Doha, Qatar, where other participants stressed that graduation from LDC category must be sustainable and irreversible.  Speakers argued that the appeal for continued and innovative financing and support measures “has fallen on deaf ears”, as the LDC5 held the last…

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UN rights chief calls for fresh thinking to tackle global challenges

UN rights chief calls for fresh thinking to tackle global challenges

The current human rights landscape is compounded by conflict, discrimination, poverty, shrinking civic spaces, and the emergence of new human rights challenges such as the rise of artificial intelligence and surveillance, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk noted. “Fresh thinking, political leadership, renewed commitments, and dramatically scaled-up financing, with the centrality of human…

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