omar ashraf

The new UN human rights chief ended his first country visit on Wednesday explaining that he had chosen Sudan to “bring a strong message” that human rights must “be at the core” of its transition away from military rule to democracy. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk told journalists at a press conference […]

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday launched a new climate financing initiative designed to help countries address current and growing impacts of the climate crisis, and better cope with disasters. “We know more climate disasters are in the making. We just do not know where or when they will hit”, said Karin Hulshof, UNICEF […]

On ‘Women and Water’ Day at COP27, the power of women as key drivers of climate solutions, and the crucial impact that the climate crisis is having on our water supply took centre stage in Sharm el-Sheikh. Meanwhile, the negotiations on the conference outcome continued, with UN officials calling for ‘building bridges’ to deliver on […]

A UN Human Rights Council-appointed probe into alleged rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem, and Israel, wrapped up a week of public hearings in Geneva on Friday that included testimony on the killing of veteran US-Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. The session – mandated by the Human Rights Council – […]

Next week, the world’s population is due to reach eight billion, which the UN chief is describing as “a testament to scientific breakthroughs and improvements in nutrition, public health and sanitation”. “But as our human family grows larger, it is also growing more divided”, warned Secretary-General António Guterres in an editorial penned ahead of the […]

The growth of terrorism is a major threat to international peace and security, currently felt most keenly in Africa, the deputy UN chief told the Security Council on Thursday. “Terrorists and violent extremists including Da’esh, Al-Qaida and their affiliates have exploited instability and conflict to increase their activities and intensify attacks across the continent”, Amina […]