9 months 2 weeks ago
REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE
03 November 2020
Bi-Weekly Briefing
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
Universal Periodic Reviews
Alessandra Vellucci, on behalf of the Human Rights Council, said that the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review Working Group had begun its 36th session yesterday in the Assembly Hall. Under the circumstances, and given the latest COVID-19 measures, most speakers were participating via video…
9 months 2 weeks ago
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‘Super typhoon’ Goni: Towns cut off as COVID-19 impacts response
03 November 2020
“Super storm” Typhoon Goni has left several towns inaccessible and destroyed thousands of homes in the Philippines, the UN humanitarian wing has said, adding that relief efforts have been complicated by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Bicol region – where typhoon Goni made its landfall on Sunday – currently has some 425 active COVID-19 cases and the risk of transmission remains high,…
9 months 2 weeks ago
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UN expert urges Myanmar not to undermine ‘very lifeblood of democracy’ ahead of polls
03 November 2020
An independent UN human rights expert has called on the Government and military of Myanmar to stop persecuting opposition supporters, including journalists and student protesters, ahead of next week’s general elections.
Thomas Andrews, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said that the Government has set a “laudable standard” for the…
9 months 2 weeks ago
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UN chief condemns deadly attacks in Austrian capital Vienna
03 November 2020
The UN Secretary-General has strongly condemned the violent attacks in the Austrian capital, Vienna, which left at least two people dead and several others wounded.
According to media reports, gunmen opened fire Monday evening (local time) at multiple locations in central Vienna. One of the victims was killed at the scene of the shootings, while a second died of their injuries. At least fourteen…
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Protect children and relief workers caught up in conflict, urges UN rights envoy
02 November 2020
Indiscriminate attacks on education and health facilities during armed conflict is having a “dramatic impact” on children and humanitarian personnel, the UN envoy for Children and Armed Conflict said on Monday.
Special Representative Virginia Gamba stated that “once again children paying the highest price and the COVID-19 pandemic has put an additional burden on them, their…
9 months 2 weeks ago
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Member States urged to step up funding for UN peacebuilding initiatives
02 November 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues its relentless global assault, the UN Secretary-General has urged countries not to let up on their support for peace efforts in conflict-affected countries.
António Guterres made the appeal in a message to the annual meeting of the UN Peacebuilding Commission held online on Monday.
“I call on every Member State to make a voluntary contribution to…
9 months 2 weeks ago
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Second recent attack on Kabul school draws Guterres’ strong condemnation
02 November 2020
The UN chief strongly condemned the “horrific attack” on Monday at Kabul University in Afghanistan.
In a statement issued through his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his “deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured”.
Secretary-General @antonioguterres strongly condemns today’s…
9 months 2 weeks ago
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‘If we invest in health systems, we can bring this virus under control’ – WHO chief
02 November 2020
Health systems and global preparedness are not only an investment in the future but “the foundation of our response” to today’s COVID-19 health crisis, the head of the UN’s health agency said on Monday.
“Public health is more than medicine and science and it is bigger than any individual and there is hope that if we invest in health systems…we can bring this virus under…
9 months 2 weeks ago
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UN rights chief warns of possible war crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
02 November 2020
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned of possible war crimes in the ongoing fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.
Michelle Bachelet on Monday expressed alarm at continuing indiscriminate attacks in populated areas in and around the border region, in contravention of international humanitarian law, despite a recent…
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Vast majority of crimes against journalists yet to be resolved: UNESCO
02 November 2020
Even though 2020 saw a “slight decrease” in the rate of impunity for crimes against journalists, 87 per cent of such cases worldwide were still not resolved, UNESCO, the UN agency tasked with defending press freedom, has reported.
According to the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity, a report by the Director-General of UNESCO, only 13 per cent of cases globally involving…
