UN deputy chief reminds Taliban: Islam does not ban women from education 

UN deputy chief reminds Taliban: Islam does not ban women from education 

Traveling with UN Women chief Sima Bahous, and other senior officials, she told journalists on Thursday that she had informed Taliban leaders that a society based on exclusion and repression could never flourish.  The first goal of the visit focused on “solidarity and the importance of women’s rights…with a view to education, secondary and tertiary”.  …

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Crises hindering victim identification: UNODC human trafficking report

Crises hindering victim identification: UNODC human trafficking report

Globally, the number of victims detected fell by 11 per cent in 2020 from the previous year, driven by fewer detections in low and medium-income countries. The number of convictions for trafficking offences also fell by 27 per cent over the same period, accelerating a longer-term trend registered by UNODC since 2017. Sharper decreases were registered…

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Palestinian refugees face hitting ‘rock bottom’, warns UNRWA in $1.6 billion appeal

Palestinian refugees face hitting ‘rock bottom’, warns UNRWA in $1.6 billion appeal

Head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, told journalists in Geneva that competing global crises, and skyrocketing levels of poverty and unemployment among Palestine refugees, have put immense strain on them – and the agency – which started the year some $70 million in arrears. “On the one hand we are asked to deliver public-like services to…

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Top UN body asks what more can be done to stop genocide, atrocity crimes

Top UN body asks what more can be done to stop genocide, atrocity crimes

The UN fears risk of these atrocities is heightened given current global crises that include conflict, soaring food and energy costs, and deepening inequalities and tensions, all exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.  In her opening remarks, ECOSOC President Lachezara Stoeva highlighted how the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, together with global commitment…

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