Category: Europe

25 July 2024 Health It seems that Europeans don’t want to give up booze. A UN World Health Organization (WHO) report has found that nothing has changed in the continent’s drinking habits. Despite the health risks, Europeans consume an average of 9.2 litres of pure alcohol a year – making them the world’s biggest drinkers.… Continue reading Europe tops the charts for alcohol consumption. WHO calls for urgent action to curb the trend

23 July 2024 Human Rights Independent UN human rights experts said in a statement on Tuesday that the recent prison sentencing of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva send a “threatening message” to all journalists.   On Friday, Mr. Gershkovich was handed a 16-year prison sentence on spying charges in a… Continue reading UN experts condemn sentencing of journalists in Russia

Elizabeth Spehar, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, was speaking during a meeting on UN collaboration with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in maintaining international peace and security. Their members span Europe and Asia and include China, Russia, several former Soviet States, India, Pakistan and Iran. Partnership for peace  Ms. Spehar noted that the founders of the UN recognized the… Continue reading UN stresses value of cooperation with key organizations across Eurasia

9 July 2024 Human Rights The UN human rights chief Volker Türk expressed his outrage on Tuesday at Russia’s latest airstrikes on Ukrainian cities which killed dozens and hit the country’s biggest children’s hospital in the capital Kyiv. Mr. Türk said these “relentless” attacks were deepening the humanitarian crisis in the country, tearing apart infrastructure,… Continue reading UN rights chief calls for end to Ukraine war following latest airstrikes

Released on Wednesday by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), the report explained the hardships civilians faced, including physical and long-term socioeconomic harm. It also emphasised the human rights impact of Russia’s renewed large-scale attacks on critical energy infrastructure in March, the ground offensive in the Kharkiv region in May and other… Continue reading Ukraine: UN report reveals ‘horrific toll’ of Russian attacks

In her final, annual report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Special Rapporteur on the rights situation in Belarus, Anaïs Marin, echoed wider, longstanding concerns from the UN and the international community about a crackdown on democratic freedoms and other serious rights abuses in the country. President Lukashenko, 69, has been in power since 1994 and… Continue reading Belarus is not safe for anyone critical of authorities, warns rights expert

The couple had gone to Maternity Hospital No. 5 in the port city of Odesa in southern Ukraine. The facility is known for its comprehensive maternity care and had earned some local fame as the birthplace of quintuplets. But, just after Ms. Chebotar delivered her baby, an air raid alarm sounded over the city, which… Continue reading Birth in a war zone: Coping amid ongoing attacks in Ukraine

Speaking on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres, UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said the UN and partners were continuing to deliver “critical humanitarian assistance”, focusing on communities on the frontlines, but there is “growing concern about the decrease in humanitarian funding amidst the significant scale of need.” Infrastructure, including homes, hospitals, energy and water systems, continue… Continue reading Ukraine Recovery Conference: UN sounds alarm over humanitarian funding

The attacks occurred in the city’s Novobovarskyi district late on Thursday. At least three people were killed and a further 16 injured, according to media reports. The repeated missile strikes caused significant damage to residential buildings.  They also affected rescue workers rushing to the scene. In a statement issued on Friday, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for… Continue reading Ukraine: Top UN relief official deplores latest deadly strikes in Kharkiv

24 May 2024Humanitarian Aid Civilians in the northeast of Ukraine are experiencing escalated hostilities as Russian armed forces have taken control of several villages, according to testimonies received by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU). The spokesperson for the UN human rights office (OHCHR), Liz Throssell, said that people left the Kharkiv… Continue reading Civilians in Ukraine describe continued Russian attacks in north-eastern regions

“Relentless aerial attacks continue, prolonging and exacerbating an already dire situation,” said UN refugee agency (UNHCR), spokesperson Shabia Mantoo. “More than two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion, regular shelling and attacks continue to claim lives and destroy homes and critical infrastructure across the country.”  Ms. Mantoo noted that in the past week, more than 10,300… Continue reading Ukraine: humanitarian, health needs soar as Kharkiv hostilities intensify

The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence requires media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other nonprofits to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad. It was adopted on Tuesday. The adoption has sparked protests in the capital, Tbilisi, and has been… Continue reading UN rights chief, independent experts denounce Georgia’s new ‘foreign agents’ law

7 May 2024Human Rights The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Russia to end its crackdown on journalists in a statement issued on Tuesday shortly after President Vladmir Putin began a fifth term in office.  Volker Türk said he was concerned by the increasing number of journalists charged, convicted and jailed for their independent reporting, in what… Continue reading Rights chief urges Russia to end crackdown as journalist detentions reach all-time high

2 May 2024Human Rights As protests continue in Georgia over a proposed draft law on curbing foreign influence, UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk on Thursday urged the authorities to shelve the controversial bill and engage in dialogue.  Thousands of people have taken to the streets for days to protest the draft law on transparency… Continue reading UN rights chief urges Georgia to scrap ‘foreign influence’ bill

1 May 2024Health The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased obesity in school-aged children in Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) office for the region said in a new report issued on Wednesday, sounding the alarm for action.  Results from 17 countries showed that boys and girls aged seven to nine spent more time looking… Continue reading Europe: Report highlights direct link between pandemic and childhood obesity

Global perspective Human stories An adult and two children walk past a destroyed apartment block in Borodianka, Ukraine. 26 April 2024Peace and Security As deadly attacks in Ukraine continue, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday that the number of children killed so far this year has increased by nearly 40 per cent compared… Continue reading Ukraine war: UNICEF highlights 40 per cent rise in children killed this year

Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued a joint statement calling on the UK Government to reconsider its plan to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda. This arrangement seeks to shift responsibility for refugee protection, undermining international cooperation, Mr. Grandi added. “The new legislation marks… Continue reading UK’s newly passed ‘Safety in Rwanda’ bill is anything but safe: UN officials

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ian Borg briefed ambassadors during their annual meeting on cooperation between the UN and the regional body, which is comprised of 57 States spanning Europe, Central Asia and North America, representing one billion people.   The Maltese Foreign Minister said OSCE countries and their societies “are confronted with an era of profound uncertainty”, given… Continue reading Ukraine war ‘stark reminder’ of the trials facing multilateralism

Miroslav Jenča, an Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav in the UN Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, warned that the escalation is a direct threat to international security. Affected regions include Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Kharkiv, Odesa, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk. Deadly trend  “We are appalled by the increase in civilian casualties as a result of… Continue reading Russian attacks ‘a daily destructive pattern’ in Ukraine, Security Council hears

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the targeting marked a “major escalation” in the level of danger facing the power plant. It was the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that the ZNPP – Europe’s largest nuclear power plant – has been directly targeted.… Continue reading Attacks on Ukrainian nuclear facilities ‘must cease immediately’: UN atomic watchdog

Over two years since the invasion began, “harrowing stories of human suffering” unfold in the country every day, High Commissioner Türk told the UN Human Rights Council via a video statement, expressing concern that “the world has grown numb to this crisis”. More than 10,500 civilians have been killed, more than 20,000 injured over the past two… Continue reading Ukrainians suffer Russia-imposed ‘violence, intimidation, and coercion’

The 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter was arrested last March in Yekatarinburg on espionage charges and is being held at the infamous Lefortovo prison in Moscow.  Mariana Katzarova, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, and Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression,… Continue reading Russia: Rights experts condemn continued imprisonment of Evan Gershkovich

Based on over 2,300 testimonies from victims and witnesses, the report details measures taken by Russia to impose Russian language, citizenship, laws, court system and education curricula in the occupied areas, while at the same time suppressing expressions of Ukrainian culture and identity, and dismantling its governance and administrative systems. “The actions of the Russian… Continue reading UN report details ‘climate of fear’ in Russian occupied areas of Ukraine

13 March 2024Peace and Security A Russian missile strike on a multi-storey apartment block in central Ukraine that left three dead and around 40 injured on Tuesday has been strongly condemned by the UN’s top aid official in Kyiv, Denise Brown. “I am appalled to know that families were just getting together to have dinner and… Continue reading More casualties in Russia’s war on Ukraine from strike on central city

“They were flying by helicopter from the direction of the cargo airport in Hostomel [north of Bucha]. Then they marched with tanks along Vokzalna Street, crossed the railway and moved in the direction of Kyiv,” says Mykhaylina Skoryk-Shkarivska, founder of the Institute for Sustainable Development of Communities in Bucha and deputy of the Irpin City… Continue reading Ukraine: Bucha and Irpin rise from the ashes of Russian military occupation

22 February 2024Humanitarian Aid Researchers have been deployed to the Middle East and requests issued to meet with Israel officials, said the head of an independent team reviewing the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, briefing reporters at UN Headquarters on Thursday. Appointed by the Secretary-General in early February following Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA employees were… Continue reading Independent review group on UNRWA may request Gaza visit

“Russia’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine, which is about to enter its third year with no end in sight, continues to cause serious and widespread human rights violations, destroying lives and livelihoods,” he said in a statement launching a new report. This month marks not only two years since Moscow’s all out assault, but also 10… Continue reading Ukraine: Report reveals war’s long-term impact which will be felt ‘for generations’

Concluding a 10-day visit to the country, Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem noted that a woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK, and one in four women there will experience some form of domestic violence in her lifetime. “Entrenched patriarchy at almost every level of society, combined with a rise in… Continue reading UK urged to end ‘national threat’ of violence against women and girls

“You cannot legislate facts out of existence,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, calling on the UK Government to reconsider the bill in light of recent reports raising a range of concerns. “It is deeply concerning to carve out one group of people, or people in one particular situation, from the equal protection… Continue reading UK bill to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda ‘undercuts human rights’: UN rights chief

Speaking exclusively to UN News, she said her office had raised repeated concerns over the past months, among them, over Mr. Navalny’s deteriorating health. Arrested in 2021, the 47-year-old anti-corruption activist was serving multiple sentences on charges, including extremism. “It’s very shocking that this happened today less than a month before the Russian presidential election,… Continue reading After Navalny death, independent expert on rights in Russia asks ‘who is next?’

Mr. Navalny, 47, had lost consciousness and could not be revived, according to media reports. “If someone dies in the custody of the State, the presumption is that the State is responsible – a responsibility that can only be rebutted through an impartial, thorough and transparent investigation carried out by an independent body,” said OHCHR… Continue reading Russia: UN human rights office ‘appalled’ at death of Navalny in prison

The experts had previously written to the authorities after receiving information about three cases regarding allegations of sexual abuse of children by their fathers and violations against the mothers who sought to protect them. They found that, according to the allegations, the children were victims of sexual abuse or at high risk of sexual abuse… Continue reading Rights experts urge France to protect children from sexual abuse

18 January 2024Human Rights More than 450,000 children are living in residential care homes across Europe and Central Asia, highlighting that a “painful legacy” of neglect, abuse, exploitation, and psychological trauma is far from over, according to a UNICEF report released on Thursday. The UN Children’s Fund’s investigation, Pathways to Better Protection, reveals that children… Continue reading Over 450,000 children institutionalized across Europe, Central Asia

Delivering his first message of the new year, Dr. Hans Kluge stressed that without vaccines, the death toll on the continent “could have been around four million, possibly even higher.” More than 2.5 million COVID-19 deaths, and 277 million confirmed cases, were reported in the vast WHO European Region, which comprises 53 countries stretching from… Continue reading Europe: 1.4 million lives saved thanks to COVID-19 vaccines

At first glance, one would not notice the tumultuous journey that Shiraz has faced in order to find her place in the world. She is studying programming, and dreams of becoming a heart surgeon. She enjoys belly dancing, with her TikTok videos racking up thousands of views and likes. However, the perceptive observer would notice… Continue reading Trans in Türkiye: The UN ‘breathed life back into my dreams’

2 January 2024Human Rights Major aerial attacks causing widespread death and destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure have rained down on Ukraine in the first days of 2024 due to an intense new Russian offensive. In a statement on Tuesday, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown strongly condemned the assaults targeting mostly cities. “For the people… Continue reading Ukraine: 2024 starts with ‘loss, pain, and anguish’ amid intense Russian strikes

30 November 2023Human Rights UN human rights chief Volker Türk has deplored the decision by Russia’s highest court to outlaw what it called “the international LGBT movement” and brand it as “extremist” – a move he feared could lead to gay and transgender rights groups there being banned outright.  Russia’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld… Continue reading Russia: UN rights chief denounces outlawing of ‘the international LGBT movement’

14 November 2023Peace and Security The top UN humanitarian official in Ukraine has condemned deadly Russian shelling in the southern city of Kherson on Monday.  Dozens of civilians were killed and injured, including a two-month-old girl who was hospitalized for her injuries. A hospital and an ambulance were reportedly struck, with two healthcare workers and… Continue reading Ukraine: UN official ‘utterly outraged’ by brutal attack in Kherson

In a recent interview conducted with UN News, she emphasised the significance of her report and its purpose, holding to account one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. “It is unique that for the first time a large country, one of the ‘big five’ permanent members of the Security Council, was… Continue reading Russians not collectively to blame for Ukraine war: Human rights expert

The report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, published on Friday, follows a study issued in March.   It documents additional indiscriminate attacks with explosive weapons, resulting in deaths, injuries and the destruction and damage of civilian objects. For example, 24 people, mostly women and children, were killed in an attack on… Continue reading Commission of Inquiry finds further evidence of war crimes in Ukraine

13 October 2023Human Rights The UN human rights office, OHCHR, on Friday said it was “deeply concerned” by Russia’s decision to issue arrest warrants against senior judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), following earlier warrants against its Prosecutor and Pre-trial Judges involved in examining potential war crimes in Ukraine.  “We share the concerns expressed… Continue reading International Criminal Court: Russia urged to withdraw arrest warrants for judges

7 October 2023Humanitarian Aid The UN and its partners launched on Saturday an emergency response plan to help 136,000 refugees, appealing for $97 million to respond to urgent needs of those who fled the Karabakh region and their hosts in Armenia. “We call upon the international community to urgently support refugees and their hosts,” said… Continue reading Armenia: UN launches urgent appeal to help refugees fleeing Karabakh

30 September 2023Humanitarian Aid A refugee from Afghanistan who moved to Ukraine two decades ago has been talking about his motivation for supporting the relief effort for people affected by the ongoing war there. Having previously endured conflict in Afghanistan, Ali comprehended the far-reaching implications of large-scale military actions on the lives of civilians.  Immediately… Continue reading First Person: From Afghan refugee to Ukraine aid worker

More than 11,600 unaccompanied children have crossed the Central Mediterranean to Italy so far this year the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday, an increase of 60 per cent compared with last year. The number of arrivals peaked this month on small island of Lampedusa off Italy’s southern coast, with 4,800 people arriving on… Continue reading Mediterranean ‘becoming a cemetery for children and their futures’

“Azerbaijan must also promptly and independently investigate alleged or suspected violations of the right to life reported in the context of its latest military offensive…during which dozens of people, including peacekeepers, were killed,” said, Morris Tidball-Binz, the UN Human Rights Council-appointed Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. Thousands have moved into Armenia from… Continue reading Karabakh: Azerbaijan must ‘guarantee the rights of ethnic Armenians’

26 September 2023UN Affairs The international community must maintain the universality of global multilateral forums and not turn them into “clubs reserved for a few elites…where some are tolerated” if they stay to themselves, a senior Holy See official told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. Real reform of the UN is vital to ensure… Continue reading A ‘club of elites’ will not realise the multilateral future we need, Holy See tells UN Assembly

Members of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that they have documented attacks with explosive weapons on residential buildings, civilian infrastructure and medical institutions, as well as torture and sexual and gender-based violence. Rape allegations Commission Chair Erik Møse provided harrowing details on the findings to the… Continue reading Ukraine: Rape and torture by Russian forces continuing, rights experts report

Sergey Lavrov said power was slipping through the hands of the old order, dominated by Washington, which has long rejected the principle of equality. Americans and Europeans “make all sorts of promises…and then just don’t fulfil them”, he told delegates. Quoting President Vladimir Putin, he said the West was “truly an empire of lies” which… Continue reading Russian Foreign Minister hits out at West’s ‘empire of lies’

Robert Abela told leaders gathered for the UN General Assembly’s annual debate that the voices of all countries – large and small, rich and poor – and of all elements for civil society must be heard and play a role in building and sustaining a better world.  “We must build a new age of security.… Continue reading Don’t turn back the clock, work together and ‘get the future right’, urges Prime Minister of Malta

Mr. Dowden said the so-named AI Safety Summit, set for November, will aim to preempt the risks posed by frontier AI and explore how it can be used for the public good. “AI is the biggest transformation the world has known,” he emphasized, noting that it is going to change everything we do, the way… Continue reading World must pass ‘AI stress test’, UK Deputy PM says, announcing summit

Focusing a large portion of her address to the General Assembly on global hotspots and the situation in Africa, Ms. Colonna said that: “We believe in African solutions to African crises, and we support African regional organizations whenever they request support from their partners,”. In Niger, France thus supports the Economic Community of West African… Continue reading Equality among states is non-negotiable, France says at UN

“Today, the United Nations system is sclerotic and hobbled by hostile forces. We must assume our responsibility. That means being engaged to put multilateral cooperation back on solid ground. For that, we need to: Restore trust. Resolve the most pressing problems. Repair the United Nations system.  Protecting the Charter  Trust and confidence between Member States… Continue reading European Council President says it’s time to put multilateralism back solid ground

The UN’s Special Rapporteur for Russia, Mariana Katzarova, sounded the alarm on what she says is a pattern of suppression of civil and political rights there.  Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Ms. Katzarova voiced grave concerns over mass arbitrary arrests and the “persistent use of torture and ill-treatment.” Clear evidence Citing almost 200… Continue reading Human rights in Russia: ‘Significant deterioration’

20 September 2023UN Affairs Zeljko Komsic, the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, railing against the impact of larger countries’ allegedly selective and exploitative immigration policies, a government defined by ethnic divisions, and the intentional undermining of his nation’s stability by its “western and eastern neighbours.” … Continue reading At UN Assembly, Bosnia and Herzegovina slams ‘foreign influence’ on its institutions

Mr. Christodoulides issued renewed condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and urged member states to live up to the commitments outlined in the UN Charter.  “The horrors of the second world war, which began in Europe and consumed the world, brought nations together. We, assembled here today, must live up to the obligations prescribed in… Continue reading Cyprus President to UN Assembly: ‘Do we have the resolve to make peace our top priority?’

He stated, therefore, that the order of the day is not less but more cooperation among countries. “Today – especially today – we need the courage, creative energy and will to fill in the rifts. Rifts which are deeper than ever.” A multipolar world Chancellor Scholz stated that the modern world no longer revolves around… Continue reading Courage needed to mend today’s global rifts, German leader tells UN Assembly

Kyiv-Pechera Lavra, a historic Eastern Orthodox Christian monastery in Kyiv, Ukraine. (file) 18 September 2023Culture and Education The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added two of Ukraine’s most historic buildings, in Kyiv and Lviv, to its official list of World Heritage sites in danger.   The Ukrainian capital has suffered multiple Russian… Continue reading Ukraine: UN adds historic Kyiv cathedral and monastery to danger list

“I’m in Kyiv, ending a fast-paced visit to IOM operations in Ukraine and Moldova. Sirens awoke me, and I was rushed to a bunker in my hotel. Yes, I was scared, but that’s not why I’m writing this. I now have a glimpse into what millions of Ukrainians, and all of my staff here have… Continue reading First Person: Caught in the crossfire in Ukraine

As of the end of 2022, close to 2,900 people were still being held under the scheme. Unresolved legacy Between 2005 and 2012, English and Welsh courts used the IPP legislation to issue indeterminate sentences to those deemed likely to cause serious public harm, “until they no longer represented such a risk”, said a press… Continue reading UN expert urges immediate review of discredited UK sentencing scheme

30 August 2023Humanitarian Aid The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday called for urgent assistance for children caught up in wildfires in Greece, considered to be the worst Europe has seen since the turn of the century. Fuelled by record temperatures and high winds, the deadly fires that began across the country in July have… Continue reading UNICEF urges support for children, as wildfires rage across Greece

During the visit, Ms. Triggs mentioned that one of the worst shipwrecks in the Mediterranean happened just over a month ago.  Protecting refugee rights  “The Pylos tragedy and the other devastating tragedies in the Mediterranean underscore the primacy of saving lives and protecting the rights of people forced to flee. This was my message to… Continue reading During visit to Greece, UN official calls for enhanced refugee protection

Mr. Kara-Murza, 41, an outspoken critic of the Kremlin and the war in Ukraine, was arbitrarily arrested in Moscow on 11 April 2022. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison a year later on charges of “high treason”, “disseminating false information about the army of the Russian Federation” and participation in an “undesirable organisation”.… Continue reading Russia urged to free opposition leader Kara-Murza amid failing health

The “tragic killing” at the penal colony at Olenivka in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, under temporary Russian military control, occurred overnight on 28 July 2022.   Many of the POWs were Ukrainian soldiers who had surrendered at the stricken Azovstal steel plant in the city of Mariupol. Appeal for justice “The prisoners of war… Continue reading Ukraine: UN rights chief upholds need for justice one year after POW killings

As of Wednesday, 12 July, no human contacts of A(H5N1) positive cats have reported any symptoms, the UN health agency said, adding that the surveillance period for all contacts has now complete. National first There have been previous “sporadic” cases of what is more commonly referred to as the bird flu virus, but the cases… Continue reading ‘Low risk’ for humans, as cats in Poland test positive for avian influenza

A Kyiv resident waits to leave the city with her family, heading towards Lviv. 12 July 2023Humanitarian Aid The continuing lack of accountability for the violations and abuses committed by Russian forces in Ukraine is deeply concerning, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Wednesday.  The High Commissioner told the Human Rights Council in Geneva… Continue reading Türk: Accountability needed for ‘shocking’ violations by Russian forces in Ukraine

Among the exhibit’s visitors were members of the Mothers of Srebrenica, an association that united thousands of people – mothers, sisters, and wives – who have lost loved ones in the massacre in their city. Munira Subašić doesn’t need photographs to remember the tragedy that claimed her husband, son, and 20 other close relatives. “I… Continue reading Mothers of Srebrenica: ‘Sadly, the killing continues in the world…’

Yelena Milashina, who works for the independent investigative news service Novaya Gazeta, was travelling with Alexander Nemov when they were attacked on Monday morning on their way to covering the trial of Zarema Musaeva, the mother of exiled opposition activists who challenged the leader of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov. The experts urged Russia to… Continue reading UN rights experts ‘appalled’ by attack on Russian journalist and lawyer in Chechnya

3 July 2023Humanitarian Aid Animals left behind by their owners following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have been found a new sanctuary, thanks in part to the support of the UN. Local young people in the city of Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine, are teaming up with the UPSHIFT programme, run by the UN Children’s Fund… Continue reading From the Field: Finding a sanctuary for animals in Ukraine

Speaking with UN News one hour after fierce shelling sparked fires across the city, Mr. Rosenfeld said his “Kharkiv is a frontier city” concept is now being sketched out amid the rubble. “Seeing the whole city from the panoramic windows and the smoke from the fire, you understand that our city is proud of itself,… Continue reading Ukraine’s ‘Wild West’: Rebuilding a ‘new’ Kharkiv during an invasion

The Human Impact Assessment (HIA) provides comprehensive insights into how the February 2022 full-scale Russian invasion has affected areas such as living conditions, health, access to education, livelihoods, food security and gender equality. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) led the joint initiative, which was implemented at the request of the Office of the President and… Continue reading Report reveals war’s ‘stark impacts’ on Ukraine society

18 June 2023Humanitarian Aid A senior United Nations relief official said on Sunday that Russia has so far declined requests to help residents of Russian-controlled areas of southern Ukraine impacted by the breach of the Kakhkova dam.  The destruction earlier this month of the Soviet-era dam and hydroelectric plant in an area reportedly under Russian… Continue reading Russia declines UN request for aid access to areas flooded by Ukraine dam breach

Duty to rescue people in distress In a joint statement, refugee agency UNHCR and migration agency IOM, said that the duty to rescue people in distress at sea without delay was a “fundamental” rule of the international maritime law. They underscored that the current approach to Mediterranean Sea crossings – one of the world’s most… Continue reading Mediterranean migrant shipwreck: Swift action needed to prevent new tragedy

On Friday, relief supplies were delivered to vulnerable families in the rural Kherson region close to the front line.  The destruction of the dam on 6 June has impacted water supplies, sanitation and sewage systems, in addition to health services.  Boat deliveries  As part of the aid effort, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and UN… Continue reading Ukraine: 700,000 people affected by water shortages from dam disaster 

12 June 2023Humanitarian Aid Heavy rains and thunderstorms in the area of the Kakhovka dam disaster in southern Ukraine aggravated the humanitarian situation there on Monday, making evacuations and aid distribution harder. That’s the latest from the UN’s aid coordination office (OCHA), which tweeted that the UN and its humanitarian partners have delivered vital supplies,… Continue reading Ukraine: Kakhovka dam aid effort reaches 180,000 people

“We need to focus on an emergency response right now”, he said, highlighting a three-step plan to provide humanitarian assistance to all Ukrainians impacted, who have faced more than one year of war following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. “We need to save people and get them to places where they are safe and… Continue reading UN relief chief outlines three-phase response plan to Ukraine dam disaster

Fulgence Kayishema is alleged to have orchestrated the killing of approximately 2,000 Tutsi refugees at Nyange Catholic Church during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) said in a statement. He was arrested in South Africa on Wednesday in a joint operation between the authorities and the IRMCT Office of the… Continue reading Arrest of top Rwandan genocide fugitive shows ‘justice will be done’

The finding is the result of a survey conducted by the UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland, which also revealed that 53 per cent had considered getting, or had already accessed, mental health support since arriving in the country.  ‘Not a surprise’  “The psychosocial toll of the war in Ukraine is immense so the results… Continue reading Survey reveals war’s ‘immense’ mental health toll on Ukrainian refugee mothers in Poland

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Friday in a statement, that a location near the town of Enerhodar, home of most of the plant’s staff, reportedly came under artillery fire earlier in the day, “in the latest incident indicating an increasingly tense military situation in the area.”  Speculation of military activity  The ZNPP,… Continue reading IAEA warns of ‘increasingly tense military situation’ around Ukraine nuclear plant

11 May 2023Economic Development The UN-brokered Black Sea Initiative, aimed at ensuring the flow of grain, foodstuffs and fertilizer amid global shortages exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, has now allowed the safe export of more than 30 million tonnes, since it first began in July last year. That was the message conveyed by the… Continue reading Black Sea Initiative exports top 30 million tonnes from Ukraine, as talks continue over renewal

“I am deeply concerned about increased bias-motivated incidents of harassment, threats, and violence against LGBT people, including a rampant surge in hate crimes in the UK,” said Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the human rights expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, who completed an official visit to the country on… Continue reading UK: Keep calm and respect diversity, says UN expert

The WHO European Regional Obesity Report 2022, was launched by the spouses of 16 European leaders and Heads of State, in the Croatian capital. Childhood obesity data for WHO’s European Region, paints an alarming picture. Challenging environment “Our children are increasingly growing up in environments that make it very difficult for them to eat well and be active. This is a… Continue reading 1 in 3 children overweight in the European region: WHO report

Alice Edwards, who is officially known as the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, said she was “distressed by the deteriorating state of Mr. Navalny’s health and the apparent lack of satisfactory diagnosis and medical treatment”. ‘A form of torture’ In a statement also backed by six of her fellow… Continue reading Russia must provide ‘urgent and comprehensive’ care to opposition leader Navalny: Rights experts

Looking back on two of the most difficult periods since the plant opened in 1977, Chernobyl employees shared their personal stories with UN News on the International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day. Ground zero Evgeny Yashin was a 40-year-old chemist at the Chernobyl plant when the nuclear power reactor accident unfolded in April 1986, resulting in… Continue reading Chernobyl: Survivors reflect on nuclear accident, Russian occupation

25 April 2023Human Rights The UN human rights office (OHCHR) has called on authorities in Russia and Ukraine to investigate, and publicly condemn recently surfaced audio online, which appears to confirm the summary execution of prisoners of war (POWs), as well as a threat to take no further prisoners on the battlefield. If confirmed, the… Continue reading Rights office calls on Russia and Ukraine to observe rules of war, after alleged POW executions

11 April 2023Humanitarian Aid To help protect the irreplaceable cultural heritage of the earthquake-affected regions of Türkiye, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) has delivered a first shipment of twenty containers to archaeological museums in Hatay and Kahramanmaraş. It marks the start of a wider effort to support the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in protecting… Continue reading Türkiye: Protecting cultural heritage after the earthquakes

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay was in Ukraine to reaffirm support to the population amid the continuing full-scale Russian invasion, which began on 24 February last year.  She visited the capital, Kyiv, and the cities of Odessa and Chernihiv, during the two-day mission, which concluded on Wednesday.   Pillar of peace  “Since the very first days… Continue reading Ukraine seeks UNESCO support for post-war cultural renaissance

Manfred Profazi, who is based in Vienna, Austria, has been touring some of the regions in Ukraine which have been most seriously affected by over 13 months of conflict following Russia’s full-scale invasion. He has told UN News what he’s been seeing across the devastated country and how IOM has provided comfort to people forced… Continue reading First Person: Journeys of resilience across war-torn Ukraine

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner was among officials from across the UN system who participated in an international donors’ conference to support the two countries, held in Brussels on Monday. The UN is “committed to step up and deploy our assets across the development and humanitarian spheres to stand with; and deliver for communities in Türkiye… Continue reading UN underlines commitment to support communities affected by Syria-Turkiye earthquakes

“The contents of the warrants are secret to protect the victims,” said ICC President Piotr Hofmański. “Nevertheless, the judges decided to make the existence of the warrants public, in the interest of justice and to prevent future crimes.” The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II also issued a warrant for the arrest of Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s… Continue reading Russia: International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Putin

17 March 2023Human Rights The UN rights chief on Friday urged Belarus to end the systematic repression of perceived critics and immediately release all detainees held on political grounds, following the release of a new report from his office OHCHR, which concludes gross violations are being committed across the country. The report, covering the period… Continue reading UN rights chief urges Belarus to promptly release political detainees

3 March 2023Human Rights A fresh round of prison sentences announced on Friday in Belarus signal “ongoing repression” in the country, where almost 1,500 people are detained on politically motivated charges, the UN human rights agency says. “The prison sentences delivered today in Belarus against four human rights defenders, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales… Continue reading Newly announced prison terms in Belarus signal ‘ongoing repression’

Denise Brown is the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine. Based in the capital Kyiv, she works alongside around 20 UN agencies with some 2,600 staff, the majority Ukrainians. She spoke to UN News about the challenges of supporting communities in a country at war. “Conditions have been pretty difficult in Ukraine over the… Continue reading Ukraine: ‘Calling it a crisis seems so insignificant compared to everyday reality on the ground’: A UN Resident Coordinator blog

Describing the new laws as a “fundamental feminist achievement”, they said the move was part of an ambitious agenda for social progress. The legislation guarantees and facilitates access to sexual and reproductive rights in the country.  New menstrual leave, abortion laws  The new overarching measures ensure safe and accessible abortions provided by national health agencies.… Continue reading Independent UN experts laud Spain for enacting new feminist laws

Matilda Bogner, Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), told journalists in Geneva that the civilian death toll in the southern city of Mariupol – besieged and bombarded by Russian missiles – had been particularly high.  “My colleagues interviewed a former prisoner of war, and he was from Mariupol and he… Continue reading UN rights chief deplores Ukraine death toll one year after Russian invasion

10 February 2023Human Rights Denmark and Greenland must address the negative impact of a colonial legacy that has led to structural and systemic racial discrimination against the indigenous Inuit community, an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said on Friday.  The development would represent a key measure to tackle past injustices and… Continue reading Rights expert urges Denmark and Greenland to examine colonial legacy’s impact

8 February 2023Humanitarian Aid When Monday’s devastating earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria, killing thousands of people, Olga Borzenkova, a spokesperson for the UN migration agency (IOM), was in Gaziantep, Türkiye, one of the most affected areas. She describes her experience, and the emergency response effort that is underway. “Like hundreds of thousands of other people in South-Eastern Türkiye… Continue reading First Person: Türkiye earthquake – 60 seconds of terror

“Spanish authorities must conduct a full, fair, and effective investigation into these allegations, publish the findings and stop any unlawful interference into the fundamental rights of the Catalan minority activists in Spain,” they said in a statement.  Top leaders arrested  Following the October 2017 independence referendum, Spain arrested leaders of the Catalonian independence movement on charges… Continue reading Spain: Rights experts call for probe into claim Catalan leaders were spied on

Against the backdrop of the ongoing and deadly Russian invasion of Ukraine, the experts urged the IOC to adopt a decision in that direction, and to go further.  Level playing field needed  Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights and Ashwini K.P., Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia… Continue reading UN experts laud International Olympic Committee for considering admission of Russian, Belarusian athletes

“We have serious concerns about impunity and the failure to address racial disparities in the criminal justice system, deaths in police custody, ‘joint enterprise’ convictions, and the dehumanising nature”, of the so-called ‘stop and search’ policing strategy, the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent said in a statement at the end of an official… Continue reading Systemic racism within UK criminal justice system a serious concern: UN human rights experts

In his speech, delivered at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Guterres recalled that, within months, the Nazis had dismantled fundamental constitutional rights and paved the way for totalitarian rule: members of parliament were arrested, freedom of the press was abolished, and the first concentration camp was built, in Dachau. The antisemitism of the Nazis… Continue reading Holocaust remembrance: beware ‘sirens songs of hate’ – UN chief

26 January 2023Human Rights The court order closing down Russia’s oldest human rights organization, the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), is “yet another blow to human rights and civic space in the country”, said a Spokesperson for the UN rights office, OHCHR on Thursday. Maria Hurtado said in a statement that the judgement was just the latest “in… Continue reading Closure of Moscow Helsinki Group, ‘yet another blow to human rights’ in Russia: OHCHR

Dr. Hans Kluge, head of the World Health Organization for Europe, explained that this is because the two variants circulating in China are already present in European countries, according to data provided by the Chinese authorities. “We share the current view of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) that the ongoing surge in… Continue reading COVID in Europe: China’s surge not a cause for concern ‘at this time’ says WHO, as XBB.1.5 virus spreads

A flower is held in peaceful protest against the disputed presidential election in Belarus. 6 January 2023Human Rights The trial of Belarusian rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski is “simply politically motivated” and he should be released, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday. Mr. Bialiatski, a veteran rights campaigner… Continue reading Belarus: Trial of Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski ‘politically motivated’

Speaking in Kyiv, at the end of a four-day official visit, Martin Griffiths described the deadly threat from daily artillery attacks on the southern port city of Kherson. Today, more than 18 million people in Ukraine need humanitarian aid, according to UN humanitarians. Some 7.83 million have fled the country and 6.5 million are internally… Continue reading UN emergency relief chief ends Ukraine visit, pledging solidarity

7 December 2022Human Rights The suffering being experienced by millions of civilians across Ukraine must not become the new normal, the UN human rights chief said on Wednesday. Speaking in the capital, Kyiv, after an official four-day visit to the country, Volker Türk said that the scale of the damage and destruction that he had… Continue reading Ukraine’s suffering must not become new normal, declares UN rights chief

4 December 2022Women Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been described as a crisis for women and girls, with cases of conflict-related sexual violence on the rise. Hrystyna Kit, co-founder of JurFem, the Ukrainian Women Lawyers Association, has found herself pushing forward against a rising tide of gender-based violence. As the Russian invasion erodes the security… Continue reading Fighting conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine

28 November 2022Humanitarian Aid In the south of Ukraine, people have no water, electricity or heat, and food is scarce, the UN Spokesperson said on Monday.  Updating journalists at a regular press briefing, Stéphane Dujarric recounted Humanitarian Coordinator Denise Brown’s visit over the weekend to Kherson and Mykolaiv where she assessed the humanitarian situation, met… Continue reading Ukraine: Heading into winter without heat or water, needs in Mykolaiv are ‘critical’ 

“Millions are being plunged into extreme hardship and appalling conditions of life by these strikes”, he said. “Taken as a whole, this raises serious problems under international humanitarian law, which requires a concrete and direct military advantage for each object attacked”. Racking up casualties According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU),… Continue reading Ukraine: Missile strikes, summary executions highlight importance of international law

19 November 2022Humanitarian Aid Living with fear and the daily threat of death is something that all Ukrainians have had to reckon with since Russia’s invasion of 24 February, and local UN staff are no exception. Viktoriya Hrubas is a Public Information Officer with the UN humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, and she’s been giving her… Continue reading From the Field: In Ukraine, ‘I have grown used to the endless fear’

“Since February, aid workers have provided critical aid and protection services to some 13.5 million people across all regions of Ukraine”, Associate Spokesperson Stéphanie Tremblay told journalists at a regular briefing in New York. She added that more than 4.2 million people have received cash assistance over the past eight months and that markets are… Continue reading Ukraine: UN and partners provide life-saving aid to some 13.5 million

“We have documented many cases where counter-terrorism legislation and other criminal provisions have been used to harass, arrest, detain and convict civil society actors in Türkiye, including Dr. Fincancı, on spurious grounds”, the experts said in a statement. Blurred charges On 26 October, Ms. Fincancı, who helped develop UN reference standards on the investigation and… Continue reading Türkiye: UN experts call for end to harassment of human rights defenders

While visiting the country from 31 October to 4 November, the members of the International Expert Mechanism gathered information on the existing legislative and regulatory measures for tackling racial discrimination. “The collection, publication and analysis of data disaggregated by race or ethnic origin in all aspects of life, especially regarding interactions with law enforcement and… Continue reading Sweden: Step up efforts to fight systemic racism, urge UN experts 

30 October 2022Humanitarian Aid UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep concern at Russia’s decision to suspend its involvement in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal set up to reintroduce vital food and fertilizer exports from Ukraine to the rest of the world. On Sunday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said, in a statement for… Continue reading UN chief ‘deeply concerned’ by stalled Black Sea Grain Initiative

The impact of the war in Ukraine and subsequent economic downturn on child poverty in eastern Europe and Central Asia, warns that ripple effects of the surge could result in a steep rise in school dropouts and infant mortality. Data from 22 countries across the region shows that children are bearing the heaviest burden of… Continue reading Surge in poverty-stricken children in Eastern Europe, Central Asia

12 October 2022Human Rights Finland’s failure to repatriate its own child citizens held for years in camps under life-threating conditions in northeast Syria, is a violation of their rights, the UN Child Rights Committee (CRC) said in a ruling issued on Wednesday.  The CRC published its decision after considering a case filed on behalf of… Continue reading Finland: Rights of Finnish children detained in Syria camps violated

In Russia, nearly 2,400 people have reportedly been arrested for protesting against the Kremlin’s mobilisation call-up to fight in Ukraine, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday.

Ongoing armed attacks by Russia against Ukraine have led to devastating human rights abuses there, according to a new report released on Tuesday by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission for the war-torn country (HRMMU).

The UN chief on Monday issued a statement expressing deep sadness at the death of 15 people, including 11 children, at a school in the Russian city of Izhevsk, following an attack by a lone gunman who killed himself at the scene. Two dozen people were wounded.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, exports of grain from Ukraine, as well as food and fertilizers from Russia, have been significantly hit. The disruption in supplies pushed soaring prices even higher and contributed to a global food crisis. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the United Nations and Türkiye, was set up to… Continue reading The Black Sea Grain Initiative: What it is, and why it’s important for the world

Shelling in the Ukrainian city of Enerhodar is putting the embattled Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) at risk, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned in a statement on Friday. 

The draft resolution, circulated by the United States and Albania, was supported by ten of the fifteen members of the Council, with Russia voting against it. Four members abstained, Brazil, China, Gabon and India. The draft described the so-called referendums held by Russia in the four regions of Ukraine which Moscow now regards as sovereign… Continue reading Russia vetoes Security Council resolution condemning attempted annexation of Ukraine regions

In Russia, nearly 2,400 people have reportedly been arrested for protesting against the Kremlin’s mobilisation call-up to fight in Ukraine, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Tuesday. Arrests have happened in various parts of the country, OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told journalists in Geneva, during a routine briefing. In the Dagestan capital Makhachkala,… Continue reading Russia: Alarm over arrests of military mobilization protesters

Faced with the “inability” of Western countries to negotiate and the Ukrainian Government’s “war against its own people” in the east, Russia had “no choice” but to launch what the Government refers to as its special military operation, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the UN General Assembly on Saturday. The operation launched on 24 February… Continue reading Russia had ‘no choice’ but to launch ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine, Lavrov tells UN

Micheál Martin, the head of the Irish Government, used his General Assembly speech on Thursday to express his frustration at the “Security Council’s failure to act” in tackling a range of peace and security issues. Noting that 2022 is Ireland’s centenary year as a sovereign country, and Mr. Martin pointed out that one of the… Continue reading Irish Taoiseach rails against ‘Security Council’s failure to act’ at UN General Assembly

Addressing the General Assembly for the final time before leaving office, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades on Friday relayed some hard truths about what he saw as shortcomings leading to the “gradual loss of credibility of the United Nations” and called for Member States to generate the political will to reform and modernize the Organization. “How… Continue reading With its credibility waning, UN has no choice but to take ‘bold steps’ to modernize, says Cyprus President

Almost seven months to the day since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, UN-appointed independent human rights investigators said that war crimes have indeed been committed in the conflict. The finding came in the first report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, which was set up in March this year, at the request of Human… Continue reading War crimes have been committed in Ukraine conflict, top UN human rights inquiry reveals

Citing information received, 10 experts issued a joint statement saying that systemic racism in childcare institutions between the 1940s and 1990s, has “resulted in the higher institutionalization rate of children of African and Irish descent”. During their prolonged time there, children were exposed to heightened risk of corporal punishment, sexual, physical and verbal abuse, with… Continue reading Ireland: Rights experts call for redress for 50 years of systemic racism in childcare institutions

Collectively, “we must address…the fundamental imbalances in the world we share,” Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said on Thursday, calling for global “climate solidarity” to support vulnerable countries that have suffered “loss and damage” from climate change. The industrialized world must acknowledge its responsibility to deliver on the climate crisis “and we must listen to… Continue reading Demark rallies wealthy nations to back ‘climate solidarity’, boost financing for hard-hit poor countries

With a full-scale war of aggression under way in Europe, the General Assembly was meeting this year “in a new geopolitical era that demands those who believe in the principles of the United Nations to stand up,” according to Elizabeth Truss, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. “We must fight to defend the ideals of the… Continue reading ‘The story of 2022 is freedom fighting back’ against aggression, UK Prime Minister Truss says in UN speech

“A crime has been committed against Ukraine, and we demand just punishment,” he said in a pre-recorded message to world leaders.   “The crime was committed against our State borders. The crime was committed against the lives of our people. The crime was committed against the dignity of our women and men. The crime was… Continue reading Ukrainian President outlines peace formula that punishes aggression, restores security

The international community cannot stand by as a major power uses violence to expand its borders, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, calling on Member States to uphold the founding purposes and principles of the Organization. “There is no justification whatsoever for Russia’s war of occupation against Ukraine,” Mr.… Continue reading Denouncing Russia’s war in Ukraine, German Chancellor calls for upholding rules-based global order

His wide-ranging speech covered issues such as Türkiye’s humanitarian support to other countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and diplomatic efforts on Ukraine, as well as the need for greater collective action to address global challenges including the ripple effects of the war.   The pandemic sparked supply chain problems which had a heavy impact on the… Continue reading Türkiye: Ukraine grain export deal among UN’s greatest recent accomplishments

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, exports of grain from Ukraine, as well as food and fertilizers from Russia, have been significantly hit. The disruption in supplies pushed soaring prices even higher and contributed to a global food crisis. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the United Nations and Türkiye, was set up to… Continue reading The Black Sea Grain Initiative: What it is, and why it’s important for the world

Reports that mass graves have been discovered in the Ukrainian city of Izyum are to be investigated by UN rights monitors, it’s been announced. The development follows the liberation of eastern areas of Ukraine during the on-going counter-offensive, previously held by Russian or Russian-backed forces. The @UN delivered today food, water, hygiene & shelter kits,… Continue reading Ukraine: UN rights office set to probe ‘mass graves’ in newly liberated east

Matilda Bogner was presenting some of the findings of its latest report to journalists in Geneva, Switzerland.  The conflict is now in its seventh month and her team has corroborated 14,059 civilian casualties to date, with 5,767 people killed and 8,292 injured.  “As we have repeatedly said, we know that actual numbers are likely considerably… Continue reading Ukraine: More than 14,000 casualties to date but ‘actual numbers are likely considerably higher’

In a special report on the situation of people with disabilities in Ukraine, Jonas Ruskus, Vice-Chair of the committee said he was “gravely concerned” about the situation of people with disabilities in the country, since its invasion on 24 February. Mr. Ruskus told a news conference in Geneva that they are being kept in “inhuman conditions” and… Continue reading Ukraine: UN committee ‘gravely concerned’ over treatment of people with disabilities

By suspending former Catalan government and parliament members from public duties prior to them being convicted, following the independence referendum back in 2017, Spain violated their political rights, the UN Human Rights Committee said in a statement published on Wednesday. The findings by the group of independent human rights experts were published after revision of… Continue reading Spain: Former Catalan Parliament leaders’ political rights violated, say UN experts

UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet on Thursday urged Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to end the country’s war against Ukraine, while also calling for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to be immediately demilitarized. Speaking to journalists in Geneva just days before her term as High Commissioner for Human Rights comes to an end, Ms. Bachelet… Continue reading Russia’s war with Ukraine needs to end, UN’s Bachelet urges Vladimir Putin

Matilda Bogner, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, called for greater efforts to spare and protect civilians.  The Mission has been in the country since 2014, when it began work documenting violations in the east stemming from the fighting between Government forces and pro-Russian separatists. Ms. Bogner said the resulting escalation… Continue reading Ukraine: UN agencies deliver food, health and other support amid fighting

Mr. Guterres flew into Istanbul on Saturday morning from Chisinau, Moldova – where he was hosted for a working dinner with President Maia Sandu the previous evening – and boarded a pilot boat in the Sea of Marmara, where he sailed next to the M/V Brave Commander, the World Food Programme (WFP) ship which picked… Continue reading UN chief ends Europe trip with visit to ‘vessels of hope’

Speaking at a press conference alongside Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to visit “again during such a difficult period”.  Despite that the Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed a few weeks ago, the UN chief reiterated that “there is no solution to the global food crisis without ensuring full global… Continue reading Grain deal ‘victory for diplomacy,’ UN chief tells journalists in Ukraine

Secretary-General António Guterres arrived on Wednesday to Lviv, the largest city in Western Ukraine. “Tomorrow, he will join President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a meeting hosted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine,” UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq told a regular press briefing in New York. “He will go on to visit Odesa and then Istanbul… Continue reading UN chief pays second call on Ukraine, will visit grain-exporting Black Sea Port

“The terrible tragedy of war highlights historic policy choices made in the past that badly affect children with disabilities,” the Special Rapporteurs said. The independent experts flagged that “Ukraine faces the daunting task of reinventing many of its social and economic systems when this war is finally brought to an end”. Raising the alarm The… Continue reading Children with disabilities disproportionately impacted by war in Ukraine 

“The war increases levels of stress in pregnant women, which leads to an increase in the number of premature births reported,” Herve Verhoosel, Spokesperson for global health agency Unitaid, told journalists at a regular WHO press briefing.    The war in #Ukraine has increased the number of premature births. Premature babies are more likely to suffer… Continue reading More breathing devices needed for premature babies born in Ukraine 

While the Russian military advance in eastern Ukraine continues to escalate, the UN refugee agency, UNCHR, on Thursday warned that the winter months are very likely to be extremely harsh on millions of people affected by the war. Since the Russian invasion on 24 February, more than 11.5 million people have had to flee their… Continue reading Ukraine struggling now, but winter will be even worse: UNHCR chief

Presenting her annual report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Anaïs Marin, Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Belarus, pointed to Government policies that have systematically tightened legislation and restricted civil and political rights. She said it was a trend that has continued in the two years since the UN rights office,… Continue reading Belarus ‘engulfed in fear’, Human Rights Council hears

The four-day mission marked the first visit by a UN human rights High Commissioner in more than two decades, and she noted that some of the same rights challenges from that era persist today. Ms. Bachelet hailed an “unprecedented ruling” handed down this week, sentencing three people for incitement to hatred for singing songs threatening violence.… Continue reading Bosnia and Herzegovina: UN rights chief urges leaders to ‘turn the page on rhetoric’

The Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov who auctioned off his gold medal to raise money for child refugees on Monday, has told UN News that the record-breaking sale of $103.5 million proved that “sometimes humanity can come together, and show solidarity”. The editor in chief of the independent Russian news service, Novaya Gazeta –… Continue reading Ukraine: Russian Nobel winner praises UNICEF as ‘excellent’ choice to distribute $103.5 million auction proceeds

Amin Awad, UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine, confirmed that the Organization was making every effort to secure the release of grain stuck in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Equally important for the world’s farmers is a secure supply of fertilizer from Russia, a major world producer. Leading the discussions are top UN officials Martin Griffiths –… Continue reading Ukraine: After 100 days of war, UN works to free up vital food and fertilizer exports

Amin Awad was appointed the UN Crisis Coordinator in Ukraine by Secretary-General António Guterres in February, following the Russian attack on the country. Marking 100 days since the 24 February Russian invasion of Ukraine, UN News spoke exclusively and in-depth to Mr. Awad, who explained what the UN is doing to try to end the… Continue reading Interview: ‘Any way you look at it, wars are evil’, UN Ukraine Crisis chief

The World Health Organization (WHO) is working closely with European countries where cases of the rare viral disease monkeypox have been reported, the UN agency said on Friday. Monkeypox occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa, but outbreaks have emerged in other parts of the world in recent days. Symptoms include fever,… Continue reading Europe: WHO supporting countries affected by rare monkeypox outbreak

On 7 May, UK health authorities notified WHO of the confirmed case in an individual who had recently returned to the country from Nigeria.  Monkeypox is a viral disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa.  It is occasionally exported to other regions.  Modes of transmission  The monkeypox virus is… Continue reading Minimal risk of monkeypox transmission in UK following confirmed case

Amid a mounting number of reports and testimonies pointing to possible war crimes in Ukraine particularly in areas controlled until recently by Russian forces, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said that the pattern of abuses continued to be caused “by the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas, such as shelling from heavy artillery,… Continue reading Russia in spotlight over Ukraine atrocities as Human Rights Council meets

Almost 76 days since Russia invaded Ukraine, countless civilians remain caught up in the horror and destruction of war, UN rights investigators said on Tuesday.  The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine confirmed that more than 3,380 civilians have been killed since 24 February, and over 3,680 injured.  “We heard about snipers on roofs… Continue reading Ukraine: UN rights office probe spotlights harrowing plight of civilians  

Mr. Griffiths was addressing the International Donor Conference for Ukraine in Warsaw. Co-hosted by Poland and Sweden, in cooperation with the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council. The conference raised a reported $6.5 billion. According to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, more than 5.7 million people have now fled across Ukraine’s borders… Continue reading 7.7 million people displaced inside Ukraine, warns UN relief chief, as aid conference raises $6.5 billion

Journalists in Ukraine have been targeted and continue to face unprecedented dangers carrying out their work in the wake of the Russian invasion, top independent rights experts said on Wednesday. The alert from UN-appointed independent rights experts, including the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, cited “numerous reports” that journalists have been “targeted, tortured, kidnapped, attacked and killed,… Continue reading Ukraine: Journalists targeted and in danger, warn top rights experts

 Nearly two thirds of adults, 59 per cent, and almost one in three children – 29 per cent of boys and 27 per cent of girls – is either overweight or obese, the study has revealed.  Being chronically overweight and obesity are among the leading causes of death and disability in Europe.  Estimates suggest they… Continue reading WHO warns of worsening obesity ‘epidemic’ in Europe

Eleven mainly European countries have now reported salmonella food poisoning, linked to popular “Kinder” chocolate products produced in Belgium, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday. The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that there have been more than 150 suspected cases of salmonellosis – from Belgium to the US – after United Kingdom regulators… Continue reading Kinder brand chocolates now linked to salmonella poisoning in 11 countries

Martin Griffiths was in Bucha and in Irpin, both located outside the capital, Kyiv, accompanied by the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Olha Stefanishyna.  Mass graves and destruction  The relief chief described the visit as “horrifying”, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, speaking during his daily briefing in New York.  “He saw a mass grave with bodies… Continue reading Ukraine: UN relief chief joins call for probe after ‘horrifying’ visit to Bucha

The Football for Ukraine Emergency Appeal, #football4Ukraine, is led by the two UN agencies, together with six leading footballers – three of whom are former refugees – aiming to raise funds to help those on the run, inside and outside wartorn Ukraine.  Football stars and Goodwill Ambassadors The video-appeal includes players from across the English… Continue reading World football goes for goal, in aid of Ukraine

“Since 2014 [when Russian annexed Crimea, and the conflict in the east of the country began], 3.4 million people in the Donbas region of south-eastern Ukraine have needed health-related humanitarian assistance. In addition, when I started working here, the measles outbreak in the country was the second largest in the world, before our team helped… Continue reading First Person: Coping with Ukraine’s health crisis

Law ‘crystal clear’ 3.1 million people have now fled Ukraine. As more and more seek safety, our Assistant High Commissioner for Operations @RaoufMazou addressed the UN Security Council. “We can and must do more to support and we must do it now.” pic.twitter.com/x7pzkWRPZE — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) March 17, 2022 “Civilians are… Continue reading Ukraine: Magnitude of civilian casualties demands investigation and accountability, Security Council hears

Almost one child per second in Ukraine is becoming a refugee of the war, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday, as the total number of people who have now fled the country since the Russian invasion began, passed three million. “We have now reached three million mark in terms of movements of people out of Ukraine… Continue reading Ukraine war creating a child refugee almost every second: UNICEF

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, 31 attacks on health care have been documented by the World Health Organization. These incidents have killed and injured civilians, as well as destroyed facilities and ambulances, disrupting access to essential health services. “Today, we call for an immediate cessation of all attacks on health care in Ukraine. These horrific attacks… Continue reading To attack babies is ‘an act of unconscionable cruelty’: UN top officials urge end to attacks on health care in Ukraine

The recent adoption by Russia of a punitive “fake war news” law is an alarming move by the Government to gag and blindfold an entire population, independent UN human rights experts said on Friday. The same law introduces penalties for “discrediting” and “calling for obstruction” of the use of the Russian armed forces. The maximum… Continue reading UN rights experts raise alarm over Russia’s ‘choking’ media clampdown at home

The Belarusian Government’s continuing crackdown on political opponents, civil society, journalists and lawyers has seen the fundamental human rights of tens of thousands violated, with no sign of any of the perpetrators being held accountable, the UN rights office, OHCHR, reported on Wednesday. The report details the findings of OHCHR’s examination of the human right situation in Belarus, mandated… Continue reading Belarus: UN report reveals extent of violations in human rights crackdown

In a resolution adopted on Friday, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva agreed to establish a commission to investigate violations committed during Russia’s military attack on Ukraine.  Thirty-two countries voted in favour of the resolution, which was presented by Ukraine.  Russia and Eritrea voted against it, while 13 nations abstained.  #HRC49 | The @UN🇺🇳… Continue reading Human Rights Council to establish Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine

The development in Geneva echoed the concern of the Security Council, which on Sunday called for an emergency session of the General Assembly on the crisis.  Addressing the Human Rights Council, Ukraine Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, outlined the death and suffering caused, as talks were under way at the Belorussian border between Ukraine and Russia .  The… Continue reading Clampdowns in Russia signal ‘a State that fears the power of human rights’ – Guterres 

Secretary-General António Guterres has announced that the UN will launch an appeal to fund its humanitarian operations in Ukraine, amid reports on Saturday of casualties and people fleeing their homes to seek safety as Russian military operations in the country intensify. A readout issued by a UN spokesperson said that Mr. Guterres had spoken on… Continue reading UN to launch appeal to fund humanitarian operations in Ukraine

France has violated the rights of French children detained for years in camps in northeast Syria by failing to repatriate them, the UN Child Rights Committee said in findings issued on Thursday.  The Committee had considered three cases filed by a group of French nationals whose grandchildren, nieces and nephews are currently being held in… Continue reading France violated rights of French children detained in Syrian camps

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) top official in Europe on Tuesday called on governments and health authorities to “closely examine” why there is low demand and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines, as an “Omicron tidal wave” slams countries in the east of the region. Over the past two weeks, cases of the virus have more than… Continue reading Concern over low vaccination rates as ‘Omicron tidal wave’ floods Eastern Europe, Central Asia

The new WHO report sets out for the first time the scale of childhood cancer inequalities in the European Region and examines the patterns that emerge at national and regional levels surrounding the disease. “Childhood cancer inequalities in the WHO European Region” was launched on International Childhood Cancer Day marked each 15 February, and it… Continue reading WHO alert over childhood cancer inequalities in Europe

Two children – Illia, 15, and Afina, 9 – have shared how although they do not bear any physical scars from the war, now in its eighth year, mortar shells and shrapnel have left them with invisible wounds that are nonetheless painful.  “My life has changed a lot,” said Illia. “If it hadn’t been for… Continue reading Ukraine conflict affecting children’s mental health: UNICEF

Urgent action is required to assist and protect some 400 Vietnamese migrant workers who were allegedly trafficked to Serbia, experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said on Friday.  Eight companies, including Vietnamese labour recruitment agencies and Chinese construction firms registered in Serbia, have reportedly been implicated in serious human rights abuses, they said,… Continue reading Urgent action needed to protect Vietnamese workers trafficked to Serbia

Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in neighbouring Serbia, must condemn and refrain from any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday.  Spokesperson Liz Throssell said OHCHR was deeply concerned by recent incidents in both countries which saw individuals glorify atrocity crimes and convicted war criminals,… Continue reading UN rights office warns against rising hate speech in Western Balkans

At least 31 people lost their lives in three separate shipwrecks over the course of four days last week in the Aegean Sea, and an unknown number are still missing, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday.   According to the UN agency, between 21 and 24 December more than 160 people were rescued by Greece’s Hellenic… Continue reading Three separate shipwrecks leave dozens dead and more missing 

France should consider the economic and development benefits of partnership with people of African descent, the head of a Working Group appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said in a statement on Monday.  Dominique Day, chairperson of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, was speaking in the wake of its visit… Continue reading Rights experts hear how ‘racialized gatekeeping’ impacts development in France

In a message on Thursday, WHO Regional Director Hans Kluge urged Europeans to “be smart, be kind, be safe this holiday season.”  The COVID-19 threat remains high across the continent, which was already the epicentre of the pandemic even before the emergence of the new Omicron variant.   Use the tools  “My message to the… Continue reading COVID-19: WHO urges Europeans to be smart and safe this holiday season

The UN Human Rights Council heard on Wednesday that fundamental freedoms in Ukraine have been squeezed in Government-controlled areas, as well as across the contact line in eastern territories, held by mainly pro-Russian separatists.  Addressing the Council in Geneva amid steadily increasing international tensions over Ukraine, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, said… Continue reading Fundamental freedoms squeezed in Ukraine, Human Rights Council hears

Following armed conflict from1991 to 1994 in Croatia and the rest of former Yugoslavia, that triggered increased radicalization and hate speech, an independent UN human rights expert urged the authorities on Thursday to redouble efforts towards full justice for victims and survivors. “It is important that the Government gives an unequivocal sign to society and… Continue reading Croatia: Decades after Balkan wars, UN expert urges new push for justice

While women in Belarus overall are being denied rights and freedoms, female political activists are subjected to enforced disappearances, torture, ill-treatment and exile, an independent UN human rights expert told the General Assembly on Tuesday. “The Government’s efforts to promote some rights of women at a policy level are rarely translated into concrete advancement of… Continue reading Women under fire in Belarus, activists tortured and exiled – UN expert

Tensions over vehicle licence plates and anti-smuggling operations, between authorities in Kosovo and Serbia, in recent weeks, may contribute to unravelling “steady but fragile progress made in rebuilding trust among communities” in Kosovo and Serbia.   The warning came from Special Representative and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Zahir Tanin, in a briefing to the Security Council on Friday.   “[These events] are of deep concern… Continue reading Recent Kosovo-Serbia tensions could ‘unravel steady but fragile progress’ 

“We have a collective responsibility in maintaining international peace and security.  We have a shared responsibility in tackling today’s major challenges and we have a responsibility to individually each uphold the values that unite us,” he said in a pre-recorded message. “For France, this is what this historic period of turbulence that we’re experiencing calls… Continue reading France focuses on responsibility and solidarity in the face of global challenges

Looking back over the first four days of the high-level week, the Ireland’s Prime Minister said a series of alarms have sounded in the Hall of the General Assembly: for conflict, for COVID, for climate.   “We have heard the alarms. Now we must respond,” said Micheál Martin. “I believe that this is what the General Assembly, our Assembly of Nations, was created to do. Our purpose, our obligation.”  For the… Continue reading Alarm bells are ringing over conflict, COVID and climate, ‘now we must respond’, Ireland tells UN Assembly 

Cyprus has been divided for more than four decades, and leaders from its Greek and Turkish communities last met in 2019 at an UN-facilitated conference in Berlin.  He stressed that there is only one plan: to reach a settlement on the basis of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality, as set out in relevant UN Security Council resolutions and in line with the… Continue reading Cyprus President determined to get negotiation with Turkey process back on track

In his speech to the high-level debate at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared that it is time for mankind to grow up and take responsibility for the damage we are inflicting on the planet. The human species, said Mr. Johnson, is nearing the end of the adolescent phase… Continue reading ‘The adolescence of humanity is coming to an end’, declares UK Prime Minister

“All of them call for a coordinated response. All of them underline why we need international cooperation. We need to remind ourselves of our collective strength,” she said in a pre-recorded message.  Remembering that “the United Nations was born out of crisis”, she said “crises have the potential to increase unity and resolve” and the world “must harness the… Continue reading International community must harness momentum created by triple crises and act, says Norway

The President of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid, lauded the world’s embrace of online services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday, in her high-level General Debate speech at the 76th United Nations General Assembly session. Ms. Kaljulaid said that, although many conversations on digital development have been curtailed, online events have continued to provide solutions… Continue reading ‘Through the tears, solutions for a better society have sprung up’: Estonian President

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and migration agency IOM, called on Tuesday for an immediate investigation into the deaths of four people near the border between Poland and Belarus, due to causes yet to be determined.   In a joint statement, the agencies expressed their condolences to the families of the deceased, all of whose nationalities have yet to be confirmed, although two of the victims… Continue reading UN agencies shocked by deaths near Belarus-Poland border 

Migrants are facing “dire conditions” at the European Union-Belarus border, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Monday.  Reports of cross-border pushbacks and lack of adequate asylum access for those seeking international protections, shelter and assistance, were “particularly alarming”, according to the UN agency. Many migrants have been stranded at the EU-Belarus border in… Continue reading IOM concerned for migrants facing ‘dire conditions’ at EU-Belarus border

Former Judge Baltasar Garzón of the Spanish National Court was suspended in 2010 and criminally prosecuted and tried in 2012 for alleged willful abuse of power in two cases of major political significance at the national level. In the first case, Mr. Garzón assumed jurisdiction to investigate enforced disappearances during the Civil War and the dictatorship of General… Continue reading Trials of former Spanish judge lack independence, impartiality: landmark case

Two independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday expressed serious concern over a United Kingdom plan to end prosecutions for grave violations committed during the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland, long known as “the Troubles”.  The move was announced by Brandon Lewis, UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, in July,… Continue reading UK plan thwarts access to truth over Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’

Hande Toycan, who is Turkish-Cypriot, and Flora Hadjigeorgiou, a Greek-Cypriot, are among the many women who partner with the UN on the Mediterranean island to strengthen engagement, equality and stability.  A shared bond  Ms. Toycan was born and raised in the northern city of Famagusta, and still lives there.  She is a member of the… Continue reading Cyprus communities weaving closer ties through UN-backed project

The Security Council said in a statement released on Friday that settling any part of the abandoned Cypriot suburb of Varosha, “by people other than its inhabitants, is “inadmissible”.  The presidential statement approved by all 15 Security Council members, upheld that “no actions should be carried out in relation to Varosha, that are not in accordance with its resolutions”.  “The Security Council condemns the… Continue reading Security Council calls for ‘immediate reversal’ of Turkish and Turkish Cypriot decision on Varosha 

Survivors of a massacre of mainly Muslims in the former Yugoslavia, and people associated with the perpetrators of what has become known as the Srebrenica genocide, have been telling their stories in a new exhibition by the United Nations, released 26 years after the events took place. Some 8,000 boys and men were killed by… Continue reading FROM THE FIELD: A genocide timeline; Srebrenica massacre remembered

Although a new European Union (EU) climate initiative unveiled on Wednesday could change global trade patterns to favour countries where production is relatively carbon efficient, its value in mitigating climate change will likely be limited, the UN trade and development agency, UNCTAD, has warned.  The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) comes into force in 2023 as part of new measures to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, including… Continue reading EU urged to consider impact of new climate mechanism on developing countries

Belarus has witnessed an unprecedented human rights crisis over the past year, the independent expert appointed to monitor the country said on Monday, calling on authorities to immediately end their policy of repression and fully respect the legitimate aspirations of their people. Belarus has witnessed an unprecedented human rights crisis over the past year, the… Continue reading Belarus: ‘Full-scale assault’ ongoing against civil society amid massive human rights violations

Along with Alpha and Beta, Delta is fuelling an aggressive third wave across Africa, with case numbers climbing faster than all earlier peaks, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).  WHO experts warned on Thursday that the numbers have increased for six consecutive weeks, up by 25% last week, reaching 202,000 positive cases. Deaths also… Continue reading Delta variant drives Africa COVID threat to ‘whole new level´: WHO warns; ‘dominant’ in Europe by August

The European Union (EU) must use its leverage to ensure people everywhere have access to COVID-19 vaccines, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday.  In a wide-ranging multilingual speech to the European Parliament in Brussels, the UN chief underscored the need to ramp up vaccinations globally.  “The pandemic is causing more deaths today than a… Continue reading UN chief urges European Parliament to support COVID vaccines for all

Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said that without “global cooperation based on agreed rules” we risk “the law of the jungle, where problems don’t get solved”.  “Every day we see the cost of the absence of multilateral action: reduced access to vaccines, insufficient climate action, peace and security crises… Continue reading Security Council urged to bring multilateralism ‘alive’, to tackle serious global challenges