Welcome to this first ever guest-edited UN News live page. We’re reporting from the opening day of the 17th session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP17) to the game-changing Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Our blogger-in-chief this morning is Nick Herd, an activist, actor and talk show host with Down syndrome…
The world court issued the new order in response to a recent request made by South Africa, which submitted a case in December accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, based on its continuing offensive following Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel which left almost 1,200 dead and more than 240 taken hostage. Since then, more than 32,000…
The Global teacher shortage alert was issued at a meeting on Monday of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education in Johannesburg, South Africa, where the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession announced a new set of recommendations to safeguard future learning for all. Quality education for ‘learning societies’ “Now, more than…
Reading out the order at the Peace Palace in The Hague – in response to allegations of genocide against Israel by South Africa, which Israel denies – ICJ President Joan Donoghue also called for the release of all remaining hostages taken from Israel during the Hamas-led attacks on Israeli communities in which some 1,200 people…
Christian Ritscher, head of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh – otherwise known as the Islamic State group or ISIL – outlined to ambassadors in the Security Council on Monday a comprehensive assessment detailing heinous crimes of sexual violence perpetrated by ISIL fighters during their reign. The report was…
The statement came as the Israeli-imposed deadline for some 1.1 million civilians to leave the northern part of the enclave, ahead of what is expected to be a major advance into Gaza by Israeli ground forces, expired. “UNRWA shelters in Gaza and northern Gaza are no longer safe. This is unprecedented,” said the statement. The…
Eye of the storm SDS are defined as storms caused by intense winds over areas of arid soil that pick up large amounts of ground material in the atmosphere. Approximately two tonnes of sand and dust enter the atmosphere each year, according to the UN Coalition to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). These particles can travel for…
Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council has issued an arrest warrant for a person involved in the heinous crime of burning pages of the Holy Quran in Sweden last week. In a memorandum issued by the Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq, the Ministry of Interior has been asked to immediately inform the Arab and International Police Directorate…
In a statement released in Geneva on Friday, OHCHR Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani expressed concern over the death of 17-year-old Nahel M on Tuesday, after he was shot dead driving away from a traffic stop in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre. According to news reports, at least 875 people were arrested in major cities around the…
Police in London have announced that they will no longer receive emergency calls for mental health incidents. According to the Police Commissioner, after August 31, all types of mental health emergency calls will be banned. The Met Police Commissioner says that London Police need no medical professionals to attend to mental health emergency calls, and…
