UPDATING LIVE: From AI to war zones, UN hosts largest global meeting on disability issues

UPDATING LIVE: From AI to war zones, UN hosts largest global meeting on disability issues

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…

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Gaza: Less than 1 in 2 UN aid convoys allowed into northern zones this month

Gaza: Less than 1 in 2 UN aid convoys allowed into northern zones this month

In its latest update, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that the first two weeks of March saw just 11 out of 24 missions “facilitated” by Israeli authorities. “The rest were either denied or postponed,” OCHA continued, noting that five convoys were refused entry and eight were postponed. “Facilitated missions primarily…

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Desperation intensifies in Gaza amid uncertainty of ‘safe zones’

Desperation intensifies in Gaza amid uncertainty of ‘safe zones’

Speaking from the southern city of Rafah, Dr. Rick Peeperkorn, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, described further bloodshed after the resumption of Israeli bombing last Friday. “The situation is getting worse by the hour,” Dr. Peeperkorn told journalists in Geneva via video link. “I mean…there’s intensified bombing going on all…

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Da’esh and affiliates still a threat in conflict zones, UN counter-terrorism officials report

Da’esh and affiliates still a threat in conflict zones, UN counter-terrorism officials report

Ambassadors were briefed by two senior UN counter-terrorism officials who presented the Secretary-General’s latest report on the group, also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which showed that the threat in non-conflict areas remains low.  “This analytical distinction can obscure what is the complex, context- specific and dynamic nature of how these groups operate and evolve and their impact on international…

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Taliban's decision to convert US military bases into economic zones

Taliban’s decision to convert US military bases into economic zones

Plans to convert military bases in Kabul and Balkh into economic zones will begin soon; Photo: File bill to: Taliban Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has said that they are preparing a plan to convert former foreign military bases across the country into “Special Economic Zones”. According to the international news organization, the…

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ISIL terror threat still high and increasing in conflict zones, Security Council hears

ISIL terror threat still high and increasing in conflict zones, Security Council hears

Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov briefed the Security Council where he presented the latest UN report on the terrorist organization, underlining the need for concerted global action.  Mr. Voronkov began by focusing on the plight of victims and survivors of terrorism worldwide.  “Because beyond the headlines and behind the numbers, there are numerous people and communities who…

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