News

The United Nations counter-terrorism panel dealing with Al-Qaida strengthened its work and cooperation with related UN bodies to more urgently address the evolving threats posed by the network in Mali, the Sahel and Somalia, the chairmen of the group today told the UN Security Council.

The international community must act to stop the conflict in Syria and ensure those responsible for human rights violations are held accountable, the United Nations human rights chief said today following reports of massacres in Baniyas, as well as displacement of civilians due to military build-up in Qusayr.

Alexander Downer, UN advisor for Cyprus, will meet with leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities later this month in order to push for a resumption of negotiations for a solution to the decades-old Cyprus problem.

The upcoming elections in the Maldives represent an important opportunity to move forward with its democratic transition, a senior United Nations official has stressed, local media reported here on Friday.

The mandate of the United Nations political mission in Guinea-Bissau, which last year underwent a military coup, should be adjusted to support a two-phase process for the full restoration of constitutional order and medium-term stability in the country, according to a report by Ban Ki-moon presented to the Security Council today.

Ban Ki-moon is urging all eligible Pakistanis to peacefully take part in the country’s upcoming elections while also expressing concern about the recent wave of violence and attacks aimed at disrupting preparations for the 11 May polls.

Syria is ready to receive a UN team to investigate claims of the use of chemical weapons in the country's conflict, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad told AFP on Thursday.

Three Iraqi women journalists have been selected as the winners of a United Nations contest which seeks to highlight the everyday challenges faced by women living in the Middle Eastern country.

World food prices rose for a second straight month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today said, while global production of coarse grains could set a new record this year with strong growth also projected for global wheat and rice production.

Syria’s state media quoted a statement by the foreign ministry saying Damascus was convinced by the “the firm Russian stance which is based on the U.N. principles of non-interference in internal affairs or the threat to use force against the safety of any state”.