Uncategorized Archives - Page 3 of 203

UN rights chief in historic meeting in Syria’s with caretaker authority in Damascus

·January 16, 2025·2 min read

Speaking from Damascus after meeting the leader of the caretaker authorities, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, Mr. Türk said that he had been “assured…of the importance of respect for human rights for all Syrians and all different components of Syrian society”. Syria’s de facto leader – who spearheaded the lightning overthrow of Bashar...

Guterres hails Gaza ceasefire deal as ‘critical first step’

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·January 16, 2025·5 min read

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters, António Guterres commended mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States for their dedicated efforts in brokering the agreement. “Their unwavering commitment to finding a diplomatic solution has been critical in achieving this breakthrough,” he said. He called on all relevant parties to uphold their...

Guterres highlights ‘hope through action’ for 2025, amid continuing turmoil

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·January 15, 2025·3 min read

In his traditional new year address to the General Assembly setting out his key priorities for the global organization, the UN chief acknowledged the “turmoil of our world” and conceded that “it is understandable to get overwhelmed”. Nonetheless, Mr. Guterres urged delegates to “never lose sight of progress and potential”,...

Iran: UN experts alarmed as Supreme Court upholds death sentence of Kurdish woman activist

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·January 15, 2025·1 min read

“The charges against Ms. Pakhshan Azizi do not meet the threshold of ‘most serious crimes’ required by international law for the death penalty,” the Human Rights Council-appointed experts stated. “Her death sentence constitutes a serious violation of international human rights law.” Solitary confinement Ms. Azizi was arrested in Tehran on...

Syria emergency: Four children a day killed or injured by leftover explosives

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·January 15, 2025·1 min read

icardo Pires, UNICEF Communication Manager for Emergencies, told journalists from Damascus that in the last nine years, at least 422,000 incidents involving unexploded ordnance – or UXO – were reported in 14 governorates across Syria, “with half estimated to have ended in tragic child casualties”. “Girls and boys in the...

World News in Brief: North Gaza under siege, aid to millions in Syria, tensions in Mozambique

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·January 15, 2025·2 min read

In his daily briefing in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists that there have been significant casualties reported in Jabalia al Balad and Khan Younis. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities continue to deny UN-led efforts to reach people with vital assistance, he told correspondents. North Gaza The Israeli siege of...

Haiti: spiralling gang violence has left more than one million displaced

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·January 14, 2025·2 min read

Latest data from the International Organization for Migration indicates that more than one million people have been displaced across Haiti so far, up from the 315,000 recorded on 20 December 2023. “The most concrete data we have is that around 1,041,000 people are currently living in displacement in Haiti. Most...

Humanitarians continue to call for Israel to facilitate aid delivery in Gaza

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·January 14, 2025·1 min read

Israeli authorities continue to deny UN-led efforts to reach Palestinians with vital aid, the agency said, noting that only seven out of 22 UN planned humanitarian movements on Sunday were facilitated. Of this number, six were denied outright, five were impeded, and four were cancelled due to security and logistical...

Guterres to conduct solidarity visit to Lebanon

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·January 14, 2025·2 min read

Mr. Guterres will meet Lebanese political leaders. He is also expected to travel to the south to see the UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, and express his support and thanks for the work they have been doing in very challenging circumstances. Congratulation call UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General spoke...

‘Human rights defenders are key to conflict resolution,’ says Türk

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·January 14, 2025·1 min read

For many workers, defending human rights is not just a job, but a calling. As he noted, many “work out of a deep sense of service to others, and a desire to make a meaningful impact.” From conflict zones to post-war societies, they provide crucial support to detainees and victims...

Al Jazeera ban must be lifted, rights experts urge Palestinian Authority

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·January 13, 2025·2 min read

The development comes one week after a court in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank ordered the closure of several Al Jazeera websites. A Palestinian Authority ministerial committee had earlier justified the enforced closure of the media company’s office in the West Bank, accusing it of broadcasting “inciting” material, “misinformation,...

New era of crisis for children, as global conflicts intensify and inequality worsens

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·January 13, 2025·4 min read

At the beginning of each year, UNICEF looks ahead to the risks that children are likely to face and suggests ways to reduce the potential harm. The latest report, Prospects for Children 2025: Building Resilient Systems for Children’s Futures, demands strengthening national systems that are designed to mitigate the impacts of...