Category: Pacific

Close to eight million people have been displaced by the disaster and the UN along with the authorities and partners have continued to race to reach affected populations with desperately needed relief items. Southern Sindh province is still in crisis, with many areas still under water. To date, more than 1,500 people have been killed, including 552 children. “We don’t… Read More

Mahsa Amini was arrested a week ago by Iran’s “morality police” in Teheran. The 22-year-old, whose Kurdish name is Jhina – fell into a coma shortly after collapsing at a detention centre, and died three days later, officially of a heart attack. In Geneva, Spokesperson for the UN rights office OHCHR, Ravina Shamdasani, said that there was also deep concern… Read More

According to news reports, helicopter gunships together with troops under the command of the ruling Junta, opened fire last Friday on the temple school in Let Yet Kone, in the Sagaing Region of northern Myanmar. The military reportedly said that it had launched the attack on insurgents which they claim were hiding in the school. February 2021 coup Myanmar has… Read More

In a strong personal appeal, the UN Secretary-General tweeted on Sunday that the past 12 months represented “a year of lost knowledge and opportunity that they will never get back”. Sunday marks one year since girls were banned from attending high school in Afghanistan. A year of lost knowledge and opportunity that they will never get back. Girls belong in… Read More

At the opening of the Global South-South Development Expo 2022, Secretary-General António Guterres encouraged through a video message, collaboration among countries and communities to build a sustainable future for all. “It is important that Southern-led development solutions are shared far and wide,” he said, underlining the need for cooperation among developing countries as well as with developed nations in addressing shared… Read More

The Geneva-based body was briefed by Nicholas Koumjian, Head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), who presented its latest report.  The Mechanism was established by the Council to collect and preserve evidence of the most serious international crimes in the country.  Lack of accountability  Mr. Koumjian began by pointing out that it has been five years since the… Read More

The UN chief landed in Sindh province before flying over some of the worst-affected areas on his way to Balochistan, where he met with local residents, some of whom were directly impacted by the floods. Many had lost their loved ones, homes and everything they owned, amid the near continuous monsoon rainfall, flash flooding, and rain-induced landslides that have pummeled… Read More

Chinese black pigs, by Bryson John Cheng/ Unsplash The Access and Benefit-Sharing project (ABS), which is working in Yunnan, Hunan, and Guangxi provinces, is also designed to prevent biopiracy, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and traditional knowledge. Remote and less-developed regions, which are frequently endowed with rich natural resources and long traditions of agriculture, are expected to benefit from… Read More

Pakistan has been inundated with near continuous monsoon rainfall, flash flooding, and rain-induced landslides since mid-June, causing widespread devastation and casualties affecting millions of people across the South Asian country. Upon his arrival, Mr. Guterres was briefed on the latest developments and the Pakistan-led response by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, as well as other… Read More