Convened in the town of Kasane, the Intergovernmental Committee is considering new entries to UNESCO’s Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage and on Tuesday night they unveiled dozens of different entries which have made the cut already, ranging from glass blowing to poncho weaving. The session in Botswana – the latest annual gathering of the committee –…
In a letter to the Council, Mr. Guterres invoked Article 99, contained in Chapter XV of the Charter. This says that the UN chief “may bring to attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion, may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.” In a statement to journalists along with the…
Briefing ambassadors at the Security Council, Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, said that like the previous year, the year 2023 has been devastating for the people of Ukraine. The UN human rights office (OHCHR) has verified 10,065 civilians killed and a further 18,679 injured since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022….
OHCHR issued a statement deploring the latest strike – the fourth since 2017 – which took place in Kaduna state in the north on Tuesday and left at least 80 civilians dead and more than 60 injured. “While we note that the authorities have termed the civilian deaths as accidental, we call on them to…
He called for more support so it can expand and reach its target of $1 billion. Speaking at the annual pledging event for the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Mr. Guterres said it was a clear UN “success story”. “Year after year, CERF demonstrates its unique and irreplaceable role by getting funding quickly to people…
The event, organized by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) and the New York City Mayor’s Office, was a call to action to youth. “Positive change is possible when we unite in action. By being here, you’re responding to the call for action,” Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, told more than 500…
The 2023 United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial also saw new pledges, including of personnel and training, to meet current and future challenges and needs. Peacekeepers serve in the world’s most volatile environments and the threats they face are greater than ever, with rising geopolitical tensions, more complex conflict, and the weaponization of digital tools against them…
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…
Over 60 countries signed up to a so called ‘cooling pledge’ with commitments to reduce the climate impact of the cooling sector, that could also provide “universal access to life-saving cooling, take the pressure off energy grids and save trillions of dollars by 2050.” The cost of keeping cool The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates…
The region has been under the control of opposition Houthi forces since the internationally recognized Government were driven out of the city in 2015. WFP said that despite negotiating with the authorities for nearly a year to provide a more limited aid programme that would reach around 6.5 million in need, versus the current 9.5…
