Category: Europe

Pierre Vauthier is the chief of office for the FAO in Ukraine. He told UN News how the FAO team in the country – around 100 staff members, mostly Ukrainian specialists in agriculture-related areas – was dispersed throughout the country, in often difficult working conditions. “One of the difficulties we faced, once the war began, was that many of our… Read More

This is the first time the site has lost all power since November 2022 – but the sixth time that all off-site power has been cut since the Russian invasion last February – IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said, in a statement to agency directors. The agency said late on Thursday that power had been restored after 11 tense hours of being completely disconnected. … Read More

The report on children’s rights is the first of its kind to bring together existing data and analysis for all countries in the region, while highlighting critical data gaps that need to be filled.  Data deficit  UNICEF Regional Director Afshan Khan said the war in Ukraine, the pandemic, climate change and the current economic and energy crisis have plunged many… Read More

If adopted, the new bill would deny the right to seek refugee protection to people arriving irregularly in the UK, such as those risking their lives to cross the English Channel in small boats. Instead, these asylum-seekers would face detention and deportation, without having their individual circumstances examined. “This would be a clear breach of the Refugee Convention and would… Read More

António Guterres expressed “deep solidarity” with all of those who have become victims of the full-scale Russian invasion of February last year. Violation of the Charter “The position of the United Nations, which I have consistently expressed, is crystal clear: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a violation of the UN Charter and international law”, declared the UN chief. He reiterated… Read More

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, tens of thousands of people have been killed and maimed on Ukrainian soil, many Ukrainian cities have been reduced to rubble, and their inhabitants forced to flee; UN investigations have found evidence of war crimes. Throughout the year, UN staff have continued to provide humanitarian assistance, despite fleeing to bomb… Read More

“The prison sentences delivered today in Belarus against four human rights defenders, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, are deeply troubling and indicative of the ongoing repression in the country,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, OHCHR. UN human rights chief Volker Türk has called for an end to the persecution of human rights defenders… Read More

Raising concerns over such continuous reports of revisionism concerning atrocity crimes perpetrated during the three-year-long conflict that began in 1992, she also pointed to recent incidents reported following a decision to amend the Law on the Center for the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial and Cemetery for the Victims of the 1995 Genocide. “The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia determined conclusively… Read More

The members of the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries also called for greater oversight by the Government as well as stronger integration of human rights in domestic policies.  “Armenia stands out in its efforts to integrate the 1989 UN Convention on Mercenaries in its domestic legislation, specifically in Article 147 of the Criminal Code which provides for… Read More

“Every person searching for a better life deserves safety and dignity,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. “We need safe, legal routes for migrants and refugees.” The UN refugee agency (UNCHR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in a joint statement, expressed condolences for the victims and called on countries to increase resources and capabilities to effectively meet their responsibilities.… Read More