US Envoy to UN Haley Announces Resignation
VOA News/Steve Herman WHITE HOUSE — Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is resigning. "It has been an honor of a lifetime," said Haley, sitting alongside President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, where on Tuesday they announced her pending departure. "I'm not leaving until the end of the year." "We will miss you," Trump said to Haley. "You have done a fantastic job." Thanking Haley for her service, Trump characterized the diplomat as "very special to me" and someone whom he had teamed with and "solved a lot of problems," citing, in particular, issues with Iran and North…
Geneva Possibly Re-emerging as Global ‘Peace Capital’
Lisa Schlein December 28, 2015 GENEVA—The Swiss city of Geneva may be on course to re-emerge as the “peace capital” of the world next year, a position it held in the final two decades of the last peace activities planned for 2015 at European headquarters in Geneva. In the 1980s, Geneva was abuzz with bilateral nuclear arms control talks. The city hosted President Ronald Reagan and his Soviet counterpart, Mikhail Gorbachev. Other peace activities included efforts to bring long-running wars in Afghanistan and Lebanon to an end. This photo shows former President Ronald Reagan at his first meeting with former…
Activists Seek Better Conditions for North Korean Migrant Laborers
Brian Padden December 23, 2015 SEOUL—A human rights organization in Seoul that has been documenting the harsh conditions imposed on North Korean migrant laborers appealed Wednesday to host countries to intervene to protect the worker's Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) says more than 50,000 North Korean workers are sent overseas to about 20 nations, including China, Russia, Mongolia, Malaysia, as well as countries in the Middle East and Africa. Life overseas still tough NKDB researchers have documented systematic abuse suffered by North Korean migrant laborers, who are being forced to work 12-hour days. Most are in construction,…
Nigeria President Unhappy with Ebola Stigmatization
Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday condemned the stigmatization of Nigerians travelling abroad, due to the recent outbreak of Ebola in the country. In a meeting with David Nabarro, Special Envoy of Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, Jonathan said there was no justification for such stigmatization, since his administration has made significant efforts to contain the disease. He specifically expressed concern about actions at the Youth Olympics in China. “President Jonathan pointed out that it is unfortunate that there have been attempts by some countries to stigmatize Nigerians when they travel abroad,” said presidentials spokesman Reuben Abati. “When our youth team went…
UN Announces Afghan Vote Audit Delay
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN—Afghanistan's representative told President Hamid Karzai on Thursday that the audit of a disputed election would not be finished by Sept. 2, when Karzai had hoped to see a new leader inaugurated. The United Nations is supervising the audit of votes from a run-off ballot between the two candidates, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani. Both men have claimed victory in an election meant to mark the country's first democratic transfer of power. The envoy to Afghanistan, Jan Kubiš, told President Hamid Karzai in Kabul Thursday that the election audit - effectively, a recount of ballots cast more than two…
IPCC Warns Climate Change Will Damage Food Production in South America
The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned of the likely decline in the food production in South America due to climate change, and said other risks such as increased droughts and floods. Thus concludes the report presented in Yokohama (Tokyo) and produced by about 500 scientific experts and political representatives, which examines current knowledge about climate change and the impact of this process on man and nature in different regions of the world. It is "one of the more extensive scientific history reports" which includes "strong evidence from all disciplines", he said to present the document at a…
Luxury Hotel Attacked In Kabul
Men armed with guns entered the Serena Hotel on Thursday in the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul. The five-star hotel, located near the Presidential Palace and other government offices, is very popular among foreigners. The police said that at least two shots were heard. Afghan special forces also entered the hotel, which is now surrounded by security forces. The hotel is currently home to UN officials who are in the country to monitor the elections of the next month.
Philippines: UN agency pledges long-term support for typhoon-stricken farmers, fishers
Noting the positive results of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) response programme in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan, the agency’s chief today committed to long-term support for farming and fishing communities, earlier today during a visit to the region. Four months after the landfall of a typhoon that claimed over 6,000 lives and displaced millions, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva is traveling with Filipino Secretary of Agriculture Proceso Alcala, and FAO Philippines Permanent Representative Ambassador Virgilio Reyes, personally distributing bags of fertilizer and tools to affected farmers and fishermen. "We are committed to ensure that affected…
Unicef Declares 2013 the Worst Year for Syrian Children
The past year has been the worst for million children in Syria in terms of humanitarian issues, said Tuesday the UN fund for children and childhood, Unicef. This figure, which is twice that reported a year ago, including nearly one million children who are trapped in places besieged by armies, without access to food and medical care. Another data provided by UNICEF is that most refugee children start working at an early age and some girls are forced to marry because of financial issues. The report also warns that if the same situation is allowed for another 12 months, it…
UN Wants to Prevent Genocide in Central African Republic
Sectarian fighting began after a coup that brought to power the first Muslim president. The chief investigator for the United Nations for the Central African Republic said it hopes to prevent genocide in that country. Bernard Acho Muna added that the international community should not wait until genocide is committed but to ensure that those who encourage hatred are judged. The UN team will travel to the capital, Bangui, on Monday night. In December, the Security Council decided to launch an investigation into human rights violations committed in the Central African Republic. Around 650,000 people have been displaced in that…