December 07, 2021 No comments
At Seoul meeting, Guterres urges greater support for peacekeeping amid mounting threats
INTERNATIONAL, 7 December 2021, Peace and Security - With the world now facing the highest number of violent conflicts since 1945, Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday urged countries to step up support for UN peacekeeping operations across the globe, and the thousands who serve within them. Mr. Guterres made the appeal in remarks to the opening ceremony of the 2021 Seoul UN Peacekeeping Ministerial, hosted by the Republic of Korea. The two-day event is the latest in a series of meetings held since 2014 aimed at improving UN field operations, stretching from the Western Sahara, to India and Pakistan. New threats and challenges Although there has been a notable increase in support for UN peacekeeping during this period, the Secretary-General said new threats and mounting challenges highlight...
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December 07, 2021 No comments
Bachelet describes ‘disastrous’ human rights situation across Occupied Palestinian Territory
INTERNATIONAL, 7 December 2021, Human Rights - The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, said on Tuesday that the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has become “disastrous”, with severe infringements occurring effecting some four million people. “This clearly also has damaging impact on prospects for peace and sustainable development for Israel, as well as the surrounding region”, she argued. Ms. Bachelet was briefing the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, in Geneva. She argued that, “no matter how long the road has been, ‘never-ending’ cannot be an acceptable description for any situation in which human rights are violated and abused.” “Only an end to the occupation can bring about lasting peace and establish the conditions in which the human rights of all can be fully respected”, she added. Situation in Gaza In...
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December 07, 2021 No comments
Navigating complex peace and security challenges together: Grandi
INTERNATIONAL, 7 December 2021, Migrants and Refugees - Conflict, climate change and COVID-19, have created a perfect storm of challenges facing refugees, displaced people and their hosts, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, told the Security Council on Tuesday. The deadly mix has increased forced displacement and increased hardships, while the climate emergency has fuelled conflict in Sahel, he said. Underlining the importance of putting the climate emergency “front and centre” of Security Council’s agenda, the top UNHCR official noted that "the multilateral system has has probably never been so important", nor so prone to failure. Failure’s many faces Acknowledging instability, insecurity, famine and natural disasters, Mr. Grandi added forced displacement, manipulation and irrational reactions to the list. Among other things, failure compels humanitarians to work in complex and uncertain situations that increase humanitarian...
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December 07, 2021 No comments
Countries with regulations against industrially produced trans fats tripled over the past year
INTERNATIONAL, 7 December 2021, Health - Forty countries now have best-practice trans fat elimination policies in effect, protecting 1.4 billion people from this deadly food compound, according to a report released on Tuesday by the World Health Organization (WHO). Around 940 million people living in high-income countries are protected by these policies, but no one living in low-income countries has the same regulatory protection, so far. Trans fat is an artificial compound that can be found in cakes, cookies, biscuits, packaged foods, cooking oils and spreads. WHO estimates that consumption of these fats cause around 500,000 deaths per year due to coronary heart disease. According to the agency, eliminating this product from the global food supply could save lives and reduces the burden on healthcare by preventing heart attacks. The UN agency has a global goal to eliminate it by 2023. Progress The report notes that, this year alone, best practice policies came into...
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December 07, 2021 No comments
Internet Governance Forum promotes inclusive digital future for all
INTERNATIONAL, 7 December 2021, SDGs - Leveraging the power of the Internet while tackling the risks of cyberspace is the focus of a UN meeting underway in Katowice, Poland, this week. The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) brings together more than 7,000 innovators, big tech executives, young people, ministers and parliamentarians to spur efforts to build an open, secure and free digital future for all. In his video message to the opening session on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke of how the COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the forum’s theme of 'Internet United'. Global cooperation essential The global crisis has highlighted the life-changing power of the Internet, he said, with digital technology enabling millions to work, study and socialize safely online. Yet it has also magnified the digital divide and the dark...
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