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Myanmar: UN office expresses ‘strong concern’ at use of force against demonstrators
09 February 2021
The United Nations in Myanmar has voiced strong concerns over Tuesday’s reported use of force by security forces against demonstrators protesting the military takeover and arrests of elected leaders and politicians.
“I call on the security forces to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression”, Ola…
6 months 1 week ago
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UN chief welcomes Colombia’s ‘act of solidarity’ with 1.7 million Venezuelans
09 February 2021
The United Nations Secretary-General, on Monday, applauded the announcement by the President of Colombia that the country will provide temporary protection to all Venezuelans in its territory.
The measure announced by Iván Duque Márquez earlier in the day, granted “Temporary Protections Status” to about 1.7 million Venezuelans for ten years, many of whom lacked regular status,…
6 months 1 week ago
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Ethiopia: Government approves ‘first step’ towards Tigray emergency assistance
08 February 2021
UN agencies have received approval from the Ethiopian Government for 25 international staff to provide humanitarian assistance inside the country’s conflict-torn Tigray region, the UN Spokesperson said on Monday.
“This clearance is a first step towards ensuring that aid workers in Tigray can deliver and ramp up the response given the rapidly rising needs in the region”,…
6 months 1 week ago
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New COVID-19 variants raise questions around vaccines, WHO says
08 February 2021
The emergence of new coronavirus variants has raised major questions around whether currently available vaccines will be effective against them, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was speaking one day after South Africa announced it was temporarily suspending rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after a relatively small…
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Guterres welcomes US decision to re-engage with the Human Rights Council
08 February 2021
The UN Secretary-General has welcomed a commitment from the new US administration to “re-engage immediately and robustly” with the Human Rights Council, following the withdrawal of the United States from the multilateral body nearly three years ago.
“The Biden administration has re-committed the United States to a foreign policy centered on democracy, human rights, and equality”,…
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‘Unknown number’ of foreign nationals have died in squalid Syrian camps, say rights experts
08 February 2021
“An unknown number” of foreign nationals have died while being detained in squalid camps in Syria’s northeast, senior UN-appointed independent rights experts said on Monday.
Citing concerns for the wives and children of extremists who have been detained in these “squalid” camps in northeast Syria, 57 unnamed countries have been urged to repatriate their nationals…
6 months 1 week ago
Human Rights Council to Hold Special Session on “the Human Rights Implications of the Crisis in Myanmar” on 12 February
08 February 2021
Press Release
The Human Rights Council will hold a special session on “the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar” on Friday, 12 February. The special session will take place in a mainly virtual format starting 10 a.m. from the Assembly Hall of the Palais des Nations.
The decision was taken to hold the special session after a joint request by the United Kingdom and the European Union, which has been supported by 45 States so far. The request said the special session was needed because of “the importance and urgency of the…
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Social development key pillar for ‘sustainable and resilient’ world – Commission hears
08 February 2021
As coronavirus vaccines provide a glimmer of optimism around the world, a high-level UN official said on Monday that it was “painful to witness” the dashed hopes of most people in the Global South who have little chance of receiving an inoculation anytime soon.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is a stark reminder of the key role social development plays in protecting people’s…
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2021 a ‘crucial year’ for climate change, UN chief tells Member States
08 February 2021
The world is far from achieving agreed goals to reduce global warming in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the UN Secretary-General warned on Monday in his ongoing bid to secure greater commitment to averting climate catastrophe.
António Guterres was speaking to Member States meeting as part of the preparations towards the latest annual UN climate conference, known as…
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SPOTLIGHT – Entry into force of treaty banning nuclear weapons shows progress is possible
08 February 2021
Hiroshima after the impact of a nuclear bomb
The first multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty in more than two decades entered into force on 22 January, 90 days after the fiftieth State, Honduras, deposited its instrument of ratification with the UN Secretary-General.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) filled a major void. Nuclear arms were the only mass destruction weapons…
