UN

June 16, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on Luol Deng being selected as the 2008 recipient of the UN Refugee Agency's Humanitarian of the Year Award:

"I want to congratulate Luol Deng on being honored with this award. In a world rife with conflict, one of our most important obligations is to look after the innocent victims of war, including those who are forced to flee their homes as refugees - and few understand this better than Luol.

"His dedication to bringing hope to millions of children living as refugees in Sudan and around the world is an inspiration, as is Luol's own life itself. Both on and off the court, Luol sets a standard of excellence and service that all Americans can look to for inspiration."    » read more »

15 June 2008 -- "Omar, a 69-year-old refugee from Baghdad, said he will die a 'slow death' if assistance is stopped. He and his family have depended on food and medical assistance since they fled to Syria in 2006." – UNHCR, May 2008.

Iraq remains one of the most dangerous places in the world. Its refugee crisis is worsening. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, an estimated 4.7 million have been displaced both within and outside Iraq and for many the situation is desperate.    » read more »

15 June 2008 -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says Saudi Arabia will increase its oil production next month by 200,000 barrels a day.

Mr. Ban says he learned of the Saudi plan to raise oil output again from Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia already increased its oil production by 300,000 barrels a day this month, compared to May, to meet growing demand from customers. The additional increase would raise total Saudi production to nine-point-seven million barrels a day.

Mr. Ban was speaking after a visit to the Saudi city of Jeddah, where he met Saturday with Saudi King Abdullah. The U.N. chief says they discussed global concerns about the rising price of oil and its impact on the cost of food.    » read more »

09 June 2008 -- U.N. helicopters are delivering aid to Burma's Irrawaddy Delta Monday for the first time, bringing supplies to people struggling to survive since Cyclone Nargis devastated the region May 3.

A World Food Program spokesman said boats have been delivering some aid to villages cut off by flooding, but helicopters are much more efficient.

Cyclone Nargis damage, Burma: Photo by Ground Report (CC)

He said the U.N. is sending four more helicopters to Burma this week, bringing the total to 10.    » read more »

30 May 2008 -- Delegates from 111 countries have formally adopted a comprehensive ban on cluster bombs.

The treaty comes at the close of a 12-day meeting Friday in Dublin and bans the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster bombs. It requires signatories to destroy their stocks within eight years and to assist in clearing contaminated areas.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the development and urged all countries to sign the pact without delay.

The United States - one of the world's largest cluster bomb makers - opposes a ban. It boycotted the Dublin conference, along with Israel, Russia, China, India and Pakistan.    » read more »

May 27, 2008 -- Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s message for World Environment Day 2008, to be observed on 5 June:

Addiction is a terrible thing. It consumes and controls us, makes us deny important truths and blinds us to the consequences of our actions. Our world is in the grip of a dangerous carbon habit.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon Meets Earthquake Rescuers, China: UN Photo/Evan Schneider    » read more »

United Nations relief officials say nearly a million people across Southern Africa have suffered damaging effects from recent floods, cyclones and heavy rains.

The officials say severe weather that began last October has disrupted the lives of about 987,000 people.

They say Madagascar has been hardest hit, with more than 332,000 people affected by several cyclones and floods.

The floods and cyclones have destroyed homes, roads and crops across the region. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says many families are living in temporary shelters, while others have lost their cattle and livelihoods.

The U.N. says the worst weather is over for another year, but problems could persist through the end of April.    » read more »

16 March 2008 -- The United Nations Environment Program says the world's glaciers are shrinking at record rates and many could disappear within decades, in a troubling sign of global climate change.

The U.N. agency said Sunday that glaciers shrank by an average of 1.5 meters in 2006, up from just over half a meter in 2005. The agency says further ice loss could have dramatic consequences, particularly in Asia where millions of people depend on seasonal melt water from the Himalayas.    » read more »

Ruthless Insurgency, Fragile Government Institutions, Massive Illegal Drug Economy

Head of Peacekeeping Says United Nations Mission Does Not Need Additional Powers, but, in Face of Evolving Situation, Mandate Must Be Sharpened    » read more »

Message For World Water Day

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on World Water Day, to be observed on 22 March:

This year, World Water Day coincides with the International Year of Sanitation, challenging us to spur action on a crisis affecting more than one out of three people on the planet.

Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of the abysmal sanitation conditions endured by some 2.6 billion people globally. That adds up to an unconscionable 1.5 million young lives cut short by a cause we know well how to prevent.    » read more »

Washington, D.C.—The world spent 228 times as much on its militaries in 2006 as it did on U.N. peacekeeping operations, according to the latest Vital Signs Update from the Worldwatch Institute. United Nations peacekeeping operations around the world between July 2007 and June 2008 are expected to run to $7 billion—substantially higher than the record $5.6 billion spent in 2006–07. Yet world military budgets stood at a staggering $1,232 billion in 2006.    » read more »

12 February 2008 -- The United Nations has appealed for $265 million in humanitarian aid for Iraqis this year.

The appeal Tuesday is aimed at providing emergency relief in such areas as food, water, education, sanitation, protection, housing and shelter, and health and nutrition.

The U.N. hopes some of the aid will focus on immediate relief for newly displaced people who cannot access their food rations. An estimated 4 million Iraqis are in need of food assistance.    » read more »

11 February 2008 -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened a two-day conference on addressing climate change Monday at the United Nations, urging international action this year on the issue. Some 100 countries are participating in the debate, along with members of the private sector, civil society and individuals from around the world.    » read more »

30 January 2008 -- The United Nations estimates there are more than a quarter million children worldwide who are being drawn into armed conflict as child soldiers. Internally displaced children living in camps are at special risk.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warns in his annual report to the Security Council that internal displacement and the recruitment of children as soldiers are closely linked. Refugee and IDP camps are prime recruiting grounds due to the concentration of vulnerable children in them.    » read more »

27 January 2008 -- Veteran British diplomat Paddy Ashdown has withdrawn his name from consideration as the new United Nations envoy to Afghanistan.

In a statement Sunday, Ashdown said the job can be done effectively only with the clear support of the Afghan government, and he does not believe such necessary support exists.

Afghan officials have indicated they favor British NATO Commander General John McColl for the post, which is expected to coordinate U.N., NATO and European Union efforts in the country.    » read more »