Rights Group Urges EU Action on Refugee Crisis

“Drowning at sea or freezing in a Balkan field can never be acceptable forms of border control,” said Human Rights Watch’s (HRW) Associate Europe and Central Asia Director Judith Sunderland, while urging Europe to take appropriate and urgent action on the refugee crisis.

Feed Syrian Refugees With One Click

A new app to help feed Syrian refugee children with one simple click has been launched by the World Food Programme (WFP).

Burundi at Dangerous Tipping Point, Warns UN

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the increased human rights violations in Burundi and threatening sanctions against those responsible.

African Markets Growing, But Still Face Obstacles

Africa’s private sector is rapidly growing and is contributing to economic growth and development, according to global business leaders who attended the recent Frontier 100 Forum of the Initiative for Global Development (IGD).

Linking Private & Public Arms for Sustainable Development

A thriving private sector is an essential precondition to improving income and employment prospects and thus key to achieving sustainable development on the ground and in areas most affected by poverty. In the words of the UN Secretary General, “The United Nations and business need each other. We need your innovation, your initiative, your technological prowess. But business also needs the United Nations. In a very real sense, the work of the United Nations can be viewed as seeking to create the idea enabling environment within which business can thrive.”

Global Drug Policy Needs Re-Thinking

Global drug policy must be renewed with human rights in mind, UN University (UNU) said in a new report, leading up to the 2016 General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) next April.

New 40-Nation Survey Reinforces Risks of Climate Change

A survey conducted in 40 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Western world has reinforced the lingering fear that climate change poses a serious challenge to humankind.

An Ageing World Population Raises Serious Concerns

Human beings are born, live and grow old. But recent global trends on a growing ageing population are raising serious concerns among governments worldwide.

End Growing Child Statelessness, Says UNHCR

A stateless child is born somewhere in the world every 10 minutes, and the issue of statelessness is only growing, according to a new report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Ending Corruption is Crucial for SDGs

“To achieve the sustainable development agenda, we must end corruption and bribery”, said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at one of the world’s largest anti-corruption conferences in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Haider Rizvi: a Rebel Who Battled Many Causes

Haider Rizvi, who spent nearly 20 years as a reporter for IPS covering the United Nations, died October 29 in Lahore, Pakistan, his home country.

NYC Marathon Runs Predictable Course– African Runners Up Front

The annual New York city marathon, described as the world’s biggest with over 50,000 runners , ran its predictable course -- dominated by athletes, both men and women, primarily from Africa who took most of the first five places after a grueling 26.2 miles of long-distance running.

WHO Calls for Action to Prevent Youth Violence

Approximately 200,000 youth are murdered every year, making homicide the fourth leading cause of death among young people around the world, according to a new study by the Geneva-based World Health Organisation (WHO).

Rotary to Honour Six “Global Women of Action”

Rotary will honour six women members of Rotary clubs from around the world during the 2015 Rotary Day at the United Nations.

Asia-Pacific Most Disaster-Prone Region, Says New Study

Asia-Pacific is the world’s most disaster prone region and its disaster risk is likely to increase without necessary action, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) said in a new report released here.

Air Strikes on Hospital in Yemen Under Fire

The bombing of a Yemeni hospital, run by Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF), has been described as a “war crime” – and triggered a wave of protests and outright condemnation.

Southeast Asia Faces its Own Refugee Crisis

As monsoons end, sailing season begins in Southeast Asia as thousands of refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh undertake treacherous boat journeys to escape persecution and marginalization, Amnesty International (AI) reported.

Pollutants Must Be Reduced to Deter Climate Change & Bad Health

There is an urgent need to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) which contribute to climate change and ill-health, says the World Health Organization (WHO) in its new report.

MDGs on Maternal and Child Survival Left “Unfulfilled,” says Countdown to 2015

Though maternal and child survival have improved significantly during the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) era, its corresponding goals remain mostly unfulfilled, according to a new study by ‘Countdown to 2015’.

Slow Progress in Gender Equality, Report Reveals

Although the status of women has improved in many areas over the last 20 years, progress continues to be slow, according to the UN’s Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) which launched the World’s Women Report.

Urbanisation May Be “Biggest Challenge” for Asia-Pacific, New Report Says

By 2018, more than half of Asia-Pacific’s population is expected to live in urban areas, making it the biggest challenge facing the region’s governments and cities, says a new study.