The United Nations refugee chief today warned of a sharply worsening humanitarian situation in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State, where humanitarian agencies have been coping with a sudden increase in refugees arriving from a state in neighboring Sudan.
“This is a dramatic change in an already difficult humanitarian situation,” the UN Hugh Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, said in a news release.
The Human Rights Council adopted a resolution this morning on Syria, with 41 votes in favor, 3 against (China, Russia, and Cuba) and 2 abstentions (Ecuador and Uganda). The resolution strongly condemns the use of force against civilians and requests that the commission of inquiry conduct an unfettered investigation into the events in Houla. It also requests that joint special envoy Kofi Annan brief the Council at the 20th session later this month.
Today marks the annual World No Tobacco Day. Top UN officials called on governments around the world to promote resistance against tobacco, which kills over 6 million people every year. WHO’s theme for this year’s World No Tobacco Day is “tobacco industry interference,” which focuses on exposing the tobacco industry and its products.
World leaders were attending the NATO Summit in Chicago today to discuss how to complete the NATO-led International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, and how to show their continued commitment to the Afghan people beyond that date.The Secertary-General told the meeting that he had come to the NATO Summit with one overriding message: that the United Nations will continue to support the Afghan Government to the maximum of its ability.
UN atomic watchdog chief Yukiya Amano and top aides will travelto Tehran on Sunday for talks with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, a few days before Iran and world powers meet in Baghdad to discuss the broader nuclear dispute. News of the rare visit came as Western diplomats said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran were making headway towards a framework deal on how to tackle concerns about Iran’s atomic activity.
The U.N. Security Council has called on Sudan and South Sudan to reach an agreement on the status of the disputed, oil-rich Abyei border region and extended the U.N. security force’s mission there by six months. The council passed a resolution Thursday calling the situation a serious security threat and demanding the creation of a jointly administered Abyei police force.
The top United Nations refugee official today voiced his alarm at new inflows of refugees into Rwanda and Uganda, fleeing fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). More than 8,200 refugees have crossed from DRC into Rwanda since 27 April, according to staff of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). These are in addition to the 55,000 Congolese refugees that Rwanda is already hosting.
Partnerships and development cooperation among countries will play a key role in accelerating sustainable development, the Secretary-General of the UN Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20), Sha Zukang said today, stressing that assistance will need to focus on helping developing countries find longer-term solutions to eradicate poverty and transition into a green economy.The two-day Australia High-Level Symposium, “Shaping a Sustainable Future – Partners in Development Cooperation,” which began today, seeks to facilitate an informal dialogue on development cooperation among high-level policymakers, multilateral and civil society organizations, philanthropic foundations and the private sector.
