WFP Airdrops Food in South Sudan

A lack of access and a desperate need to deliver food to starving people in remote areas of South Sudan has forced the World Food Programme (WFP) to initiate food airdrops.

U.N. Envoy to Afghanistan on Election Hopes & Challenges

With the Afghan election date set for April 5, 2014, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ján Kubiš, outlined his expectations as well as his concerns for a successful democratic process in the country.

Honour Killings Take Heavy Toll on Women & Girls

As hundreds of women gathered at the United Nations headquarters for the 58th annual Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a screening of the award-winning documentary "Honor Killings" last week raised more than a few eyebrows, and a heated debate on religion, culture and tradition.

Libyan Women Speak Up For Constitutional Rights

As is the case in many parts of the Middle East, women in Libya are facing disillusionment in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.

East Harlem Explosion Kills Eight & Devastates Neighbourhood

A huge explosion in East Harlem killed at least eight and devastated several buildings in the neighborhood. 

Anti-Gay Law Will be Overturned Say Uganda’s Campaigners

Human rights campaigners who filed a recent legal petition against Uganda’s draconian anti-gay law believe that they have a compelling case for its nullification.

Buildings Collapse Following Explosion in Harlem

An East Harlem neighbourhood was shaken Wednesday morning when an explosion erupted and two buildings collapsed on 116th street and Park Avenue in New York City (NYC).

Egyptian Women Victims of Cultural Traditions

Although indicators relating to women have improved over the years, they still remain large differences between men and women in literacy and schooling, the labor force and unemployment, and political participation.

UNESCO on Gender Imbalance in Global Education

In order to go to school, Sarah, a girl living in rural Ethiopia, escaped the village and an arranged marriage at 14, returning to her home at age 23, when she could finally enter a classroom again. In a conversation with a youth advocate for education, named Chernor Bah, Sarah asked, “Why does it have to be so hard for me, just because I’m a girl?” Sarah used to be one of the 100 million women, mostly from least developed countries (LDCs), who could not read.

UNFPA Joins World Bank Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Great Lakes Region

The United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) and the World Bank are partnering to oversee strategies to address gender based violence through the lens of education, capacity building and economic growth.

Women’s Empowerment Via Technology and Free Media

“New technologies can be powerful multipliers for human rights and empowerment; but this doesn’t happen by itself. It requires strong frameworks and policies,“ said Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

As Crimea Referendum Nears, Tensions Rise

With the referendum on Crimea only days away, the sense of emergency at the United Nations, over the impact a vote could have on the already volatile crisis in Ukraine, has continued to rise.

Experts say Military Intervention Reveals Putin’s Greatest Fears

Russian military forces pushed into Ukraine, because Russian President Vladimir Putin believes his own conspiracy theories. This was the hypothesis of experts from a variety of fields, who met at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) in New York Monday.

UN High Representative Calls for Women’s Issues to be Treated as Human Issues

In its continued effort to highlight the achievements of women, United Nations Women for Peace (UNWFP), in partnership with United Nations Alliance of Civilization (UNAOC), convened Friday the ‘March in March’, an annual awards luncheon and rally to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Honouring the Custodians of the Land, on International Women’s Day

Every year, on March 8, the United Nations and its member states -- which collectively comprise the vast majority of the world’s population -- observe International Women’s Day.

Women Empowerment Via Ethical Fashion

“Women entrepreneurs reinvest about 90 percent of their revenues back to their community, compared to 40 percent for men,” Arancha Gonzalez, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC), said Thursday.

As Tensions Flare, OPCW Indicates Positive Developments

Tensions over the Ukraine crisis dampened the positive brief on the removal of Syria’s chemical weapons, made to the UN Security Council by Sigrid Kaag, the Special Coordinator of the Joint Mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

UNRWA Aid to Yarmouk Repeatedly Thwarted

Despite the absence of access in recent days, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) continues to press for a security agreement in Yarmouk, which would support more comprehensive aid distribution to the starving population.

Security Council Holds Second Emergency Meeting on Ukraine

The United States and Russia openly clashed at a Security Council meeting Monday focusing on the ongoing crisis in politically-troubled Ukraine.

South Sudan and CAR: People on the Run in their Own Lands

South Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR) have become the sites of some of the worst refugee and internally displaced person (IDP) situations Africa has ever seen, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said Tuesday.

“The Power of Collaboration” – Women Aim for Leadership Roles through Dialogue

Last September, , IMPACT Leadership 21, an organisation geared towards promoting the visibility of women in leadership roles called for the appointment of a woman as the next UN Secretary-General, a first in the history of the world body.