World News in Brief: ‘Gender apartheid’ in Afghanistan, DR Congo rights abuses, reforestation crucial to climate fight

World News in Brief: ‘Gender apartheid’ in Afghanistan, DR Congo rights abuses, reforestation crucial to climate fight

Key international actors, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan, have used terms such as “gender apartheid” to describe the high levels of discrimination. “Gender apartheid is not merely a theoretical possibility or legal construct, but a real threat and lived reality for millions of women and girls around the…

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Record numbers risking lives to cross dangerous Darien Gap

Americas: Regional cooperation crucial to address migration and forced displacement

UNHCR has renewed its call for a coordinated continental approach to the issue, as underscored during the ministerial meeting on the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, held in Guatemala on Tuesday. New approach  The landmark declaration aims to transform how the region manages migration and is based on the principles of solidarity, responsibility-sharing,…

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Diplomacy and national leadership crucial in preventing war, Security Council hears

Diplomacy and national leadership crucial in preventing war, Security Council hears

Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs told ambassadors at the Security Council that conflict prevention is a cornerstone of the UN’s mission. “Prevention saves lives and safeguards development gains. It is cost effective,” she said. Recalling the Secretary-General’s policy brief on A New Agenda for Peace, Ms. DiCarlo said prevention needed to be…

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Armenia-Azerbaijan: Crucial to have ‘unimpeded passage’ of aid through Lachin Corridor, Security Council hears

Armenia-Azerbaijan: Crucial to have ‘unimpeded passage’ of aid through Lachin Corridor, Security Council hears

Delivering a briefing on the latest situation there, the Director of Operations and Advocacy for humanitarian affairs coordination office, OCHA, made clear that the UN was unable to independently verify information on the movement of people and goods along the corridor “or on the well-being of civilians in the areas where Russian peacekeepers have been…

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International system crucial to countering threat of weapons diversion, Security Council hears

International system crucial to countering threat of weapons diversion, Security Council hears

“Emanating from any arms transfer is the inherent risk of diversion of the equipment to unauthorized end users,” said Izumi Nakamitsu, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. Addressing the Council during the first open meeting of Russia’s month-long presidency – and during which many delegates referenced the ongoing conflict in Ukraine – she emphasized that…

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UN Water Conference: More investment crucial to access water, sanitation, hygiene for all

UN Water Conference: More investment crucial to access water, sanitation, hygiene for all

Some two billion people still have no access to safe drinking water and 3.6 billion, use sanitation services that leave human waste untreated. Access to safe water and sanitation offer a pathway to social and economic progress by supporting community health and productivity. From solutions to actions The world needs to progress four times faster…

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