Category: Pacific

Gathered virtually at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s thirty-fifth Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific, governments, civil society organizations and the private sector highlighted the importance of innovation, solidarity, coherence and partnerships among and within countries.  Big data, digital economy and mobile technology will help producers achieve such transformations, Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General said on Friday, the… Read More

The experts said they are seriously concerned for the life of Idris Khattak – an activist who worked on a number of reports on disappearances in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas – as he has not had contact with the outside world since he was taken into custody by Pakistani Military Intelligence on 13 November 2019.  On 16 June 2020,… Read More

High stakes  “The stakes could not be higher”, said Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), describing the intra-Afghan talks as a historic moment in the country’s history, as she briefed the Security Council on Thursday.    The conflict, which has raged for four decades, continues to kill hundreds of… Read More

“Despite a new wave which began on 25 July which Viet Nam is now also in the process of bringing under effective control, it is globally recognized that Viet Nam demonstrated one of the world’s most successful responses to the COVID-19 pandemic between January  and April 16. After that date, no cases of local transmission were recorded for 99 consecutive… Read More

According to James Rodehaver, Senior Human Rights Officer based in the OHCHR South-East Asia Regional Office, three years after the violence that forced over 700,000 Rohingyas from their homes in northern Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh, “conditions inside the country have deteriorated and little has been done to create viable conditions for their safe return.”  Meanwhile, a new conflict has flared… Read More

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the Secretary-General said the UN will continue to stand in solidarity with all those affected by the crisis, and that it is committed to working with all stakeholders, including regional actors, towards a future of sustainable development, human rights and peace in Myanmar.  Mr. Guterres called for greater urgency to the crisis by… Read More

According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), almost all refugees remain entirely dependent on food assistance to survive.   “The availability of foods in camps, outside of WFP assistance, has been shrinking and prices rising,” Elisabeth Byrs, a spokesperson for the UN agency, told a media briefing on Tuesday.  Disrupted supply chains due to COVID-19 lockdown measures are also affecting… Read More

Eli Hobbs is the Chief Pilot for Jack Harter Helicopters based on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. He spoke to UN News as part of the International Labour Organization’s photography project “Dignity at Work: The American Experience”. “When Hawaii went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the middle of March, our activities were totally shut down. Obviously, tourists… Read More

Dennis Chimenya In an interview with UN News, Mr. Chimenya, who leads UNICEF’s communications activities, outlines the problems that he and his colleagues face in raising awareness of the crucial health benefits of polio vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic. “As a young boy growing up in Malawi, I remember being impressed by the positive impact and influence that radio had… Read More

“The COVID-19 pandemic has added additional complexities,” UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic told journalists the regular news briefing in Geneva. 3️⃣ years of exile 3️⃣ years of resilience 3️⃣ years of generosity from their hosts The world must not forget the Rohingya people. We must protect their dignity and their hope. pic.twitter.com/hxEmld2atH — UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) August 21,… Read More