UN teams up with FIFA at Women’s World Cup in score for gender equality

‘Illegal betting is the number one factor fuelling corruption in sports’, UN conference hears

The discussions at the international anti-corruption conference, convened in Atlanta by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), held between 11 and 15 December, built on the ground-breaking Global Report on Corruption in Sport, produced by the UNODC in 2021, which pointed to a dramatic increase in illegal betting, fuelled by the billions of dollars flowing through…

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World News in Brief: Abused Afghan women face prison, UNICEF global alert, deadly mpox resurfaces in DRC

World News in Brief: Abused Afghan women face prison, UNICEF global alert, deadly mpox resurfaces in DRC

That’s just one of the shocking findings of a new report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which found that instead of filing a formal complaint, many survivors prefer seeking redress through “traditional dispute resolution mechanisms” within the community for fear of the de facto authorities – including “fear of revictimization”. The report says…

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Global Refugee Forum ends with bold pledges, solutions for displaced

Global Refugee Forum ends with bold pledges, solutions for displaced

Speaking at the closing of the Global Refugee Forum, the Secretary-General said that protection and help for these most vulnerable of people, was “an obligation shared by all of humanity”.  He was speaking after three days of intensive activity geared to finding solutions and building partnerships, which saw pledges from multiple stakeholders that have the potential…

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Draw inspiration from human rights advocates worldwide, urges Guterres

Draw inspiration from human rights advocates worldwide, urges Guterres

Speaking at the awards ceremony of the UN Prize in the Field of Human Rights for 2023, Mr. Guterres stressed that rights defenders themselves were in need of greater protection. “The world needs leaders of countries, corporations, political parties, religious and civil organizations and beyond, to speak out against antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, attacks on minority…

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Homicide a bigger killer than armed conflict and terrorism combined

Over 700 a day dying from small arms fire; main ‘weapons of choice’ for criminals and terrorists

That’s according to Izumi Nakamitsu, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, who briefed the Security Council on Friday, quoting the latest figures available. “This is more than 700 people a day, or one person dying from small arms every two minutes”, she said. She added that “small arms and light weapons are the weapons of choice…

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World News in Brief: End e-cigarette boom urges WHO, measles surge in Europe, Central Asia; crisis for kids in Lebanon

World News in Brief: End e-cigarette boom urges WHO, measles surge in Europe, Central Asia; crisis for kids in Lebanon

WHO said that 88 countries have no minimum age at which e-cigarettes can be bought and 74 countries have not implemented any e-cigarette regulations. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries to ramp up prevention measures, saying that “kids are being recruited and trapped at an early age to use e-cigarettes and may get…

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'Desperate, hungry, terrified': Gazans stopping aid trucks in search of food

‘Desperate, hungry, terrified’: Gazans stopping aid trucks in search of food

Speaking later in the day at UN Headquarters, the deputy head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), confirmed that following a food assessment, around half of all Gazans “are starving”, with no idea where their next meal is coming from. Briefing journalists in Geneva uon his return from Rafah governorate, Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of…

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Looming hunger emergency for South Sudanese families fleeing war

South Sudan: No basis for free and fair 2024 elections, warns Haysom

Briefing ambassadors at the UN Security Council, Nicholas Haysom outlined key conditions required by April 2024 for moving ahead, according to the agreed timeline. All in the details These include a new permanent constitutional framework; voter registration details; an election security plan; well trained, equipped, and unified security forces; and a mechanism for resolving disputes…

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