Category: Pacific

“We will continue to work together to maintain international attention on the Rohingya crisis and to shift from short-term critical interventions, to a more sustained and stable support”, said the closing statement from co-hosts the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), the European Union (EU), United Kingdom and United States. ??? ??? ??? ????????? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ????? 3 ????? ???… Read More

In a statement, the independent rights experts called for an end to a crackdown on peaceful protests. “The imposition of a state of emergency is the latest in a series of draconian measures aimed at stifling peaceful demonstrations and criminalizing dissenting voices”, they said.   Urging authorities to allow students, human rights defenders and others to protest in a peaceful manner, the UN experts called for demonstrators to “be allowed to… Read More

The UN labour agency highlighted that in the first half of 2020, Asian imports had dropped by up to 70 per cent. Moreover, as of September, almost half of all garment supply chain jobs, were dependent on consumers living in countries where lockdown conditions were being most tightly imposed, leading to plummeting retail sales. The COVID-19 crisis has hit the… Read More

António Guterres underscored the importance of working together to address pressing issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate response and rising geopolitical tensions.   I have appealed for an immediate global ceasefire to focus on the one true fight: the battle against #COVID19. The Security Council has joined this call. We need to step up our efforts. The clock is… Read More

Michelle Bachelet issued a statement calling on the Government of India to safeguard the rights of human rights defenders and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), expressing regret at legal constraints faced by NGOs, including by the application of laws that her Office (OHCHR) perceives to be problematic.  Foreign Contribution Regulation Act  Ms. Bachelet cited as worrying the use of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), which a number of UN human rights bodies have also said is vaguely… Read More

In Thailand, as elsewhere in the world, the private sector has an essential role in addressing poverty and inequality, promoting sustainability, and working collectively to build a better world, despite the challenges of COVID-19. © IOM Thailand/Jidapa Khoonsins United Nations Resident Coordinator in Thailand Gita Sabharwal (left) visits the northeast of the country in July 2020. The United Nations and… Read More

The need for social protection safety nets has been further highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a new report, launched on Thursday.  “Comprehensive social protection creates the foundation for healthy societies and vibrant economies,” Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of… Read More

The two boys were killed in a crossfire between Myanmar’s military, known as the Tatmadaw, and the separatist Arakan Army. The incident occurred on 5 October in Buthidaung township – a hotspot for army abuses against children for non-combat purposes, since mid-2019, the UN agencies said in a statement, on Wednesday.   The children were part of a group of around… Read More

There are also reports that 200 people have been killed or injured.  As thousands of families flee #Helmand fighting, Taliban & ANSF urged to take all feasible measures to protect civilians, inc. safe paths for those wishing to leave area. UN teams working to verify casualty reports & advocating with parties to stop all civilian harm. #Afghanistan — UNAMA News… Read More

“I was concerned that I might get infected. Everyone was afraid,” says 32-year-old World Health Organization (WHO) data collector Myat Mon Yee. Since March, Ms. Mon Yee, a computer studies graduate from South Dagon Township in Yangon, has been working at the South Okkalapa Hospital in the former capital. The hospital was planned as the Women’s and Children’s Hospital but… Read More