China: 'Vocational training' programmes for Tibetans carry risk of forced labour

China: ‘Vocational training’ programmes for Tibetans carry risk of forced labour

“Hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have reportedly been ‘transferred’ from their traditional rural lives to low-skilled and low-paid employment since 2015, through a programme described as voluntary, but in practice their participation has reportedly been coerced,” they said in a statement.  ‘Cultural and political indoctrination’  They noted that the labour transfer programme is facilitated by…

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Regional stability still at risk without ‘increased commitment’ to negotiations: UN Kosovo mission chief

Regional stability still at risk without ‘increased commitment’ to negotiations: UN Kosovo mission chief

UN Special Representative and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission, Caroline Ziadeh, told ambassadors that the most recent Secretary-General’s report on developments in Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 but is not recognized by Serbia, “included serious challenges as well as an important collective effort to bring Belgrade-Pristina relations nearer to stability and normalisation.”…

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190 million children at risk from water-related crises: UNICEF

190 million children at risk from water-related crises: UNICEF

The study, released on Monday ahead of the historic UN Water Conference, reviewed household access to WASH services, the burden of WASH-attributable deaths among children under five, and exposure to climate and environmental hazards, revealing where children face the biggest threat, and where investment in solutions is desperately needed to prevent unnecessary deaths. “Africa is…

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Embrace green tech revolution or risk falling behind, new UN report warns

Embrace green tech revolution or risk falling behind, new UN report warns

“We are at the beginning of a technological revolution based on green technologies,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan said. “This new wave of technological change will have a formidable impact on the global economy.” The 17 frontier technologies covered in UNCTAD’s Technology and Innovation Report 2023 have the potential to create market revenues of more than…

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LDC5: UN conference weighs building resilient agrifood systems in the face of risk and uncertainty

LDC5: UN conference weighs building resilient agrifood systems in the face of risk and uncertainty

Among the many challenges they face, the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) remain hotspots of chronic and acute food insecurity, with an average prevalence of chronic undernourishment of 22.1 per cent, and in some countries, reaching more than 50 per cent.  Despite some progress since 2020, the overall situation has worsened over the past decade due…

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Italy sea rescue law could put more migrant lives at risk: UN rights chief

Italy sea rescue law could put more migrant lives at risk: UN rights chief

“More people in distress will be made to suffer and more lives risk being lost because timely help is not available, if this law is passed,” he said in a statement.  Mr. Türk expressed his serious concerns a day after the Italian Parliament approved legislation that imposes stricter requirements on humanitarian ships which are attempting…

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