Learning about slave trade history contributes to fairer societies: UNESCO Knowledge about the transatlantic slave trade is critical to building freer societies today. That's the message from the head of the UN's educational and cultural organization, UNESCO, for the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, celebrated annually on 23 [...]

Thousands of Iraqi women and girls who survived rape and other sexual violence committed by extremists should receive care, protection and justice. Furthermore, children born to them as a result of such violence should not face a life of discrimination and abuse. The appeal was made in a report launched this week by the UN [...]

Appeal for justice for Iraqi rape survivors Thousands of Iraqi women and girls who survived rape and other sexual violence committed by extremists should receive care, protection and justice. Furthermore, children born to them as a result of such violence should not face a life of discrimination and abuse. The appeal was made in a [...]

A slave uprising in the Caribbean nearly 300 years ago represents a symbolic victory for human rights and freedom. That's according to the UN educational and cultural organization, UNESCO, which celebrates the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition annually on 23 August. The day commemorates the anniversary of the [...]

UN appoints first Victims' Rights Advocate The United Nations has appointed an advocate for victims of sexual exploitation and abuse. Jane Connors of Australia will be the first person to hold the position, the global organization announced on Wednesday. She is currently the International Advocacy Director for Law and Policy with Amnesty International in Geneva, [...]

It is important to look at migration in Libya "not just as an internal problem, but as a regional issue." That's according to Maria do Valle Ribeiro, deputy head of the UN mission in the country, UNSMIL. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) recently reported that the North African country was the preferred "jumping-off point" for [...]

Listen to a bulletin of news and features from the United Nations, with Dianne Penn and Jocelyne Sambira. In today’s programme: concern for civilians caught in the fight to retake the Iraqi city of Telafar; and a senior UN official in Libya explains why migration and human trafficking continues to be a major challenge there [...]

UN agencies in Iraq are gearing up to help thousands of civilians expected to flee the city of Telafar. The northern city has been under the control of the terrorist group ISIL, also known as Daesh, for the past three years. The Iraqi military have launched an operation to retake Telafar and surrounding communities from [...]

Senior UN official calls for re-commitment to two-State solution The recent crisis in Jerusalem has highlighted the need for a clear re-commitment by Israelis and Palestinians to ending occupation and realizing a two-State solution, the UN Security Council heard on Tuesday. Ambassadors were briefed by the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Miroslav Jenca, who [...]

A leading war surgeon has spoken of the increasing risks associated with saving lives in combat zones and the need for governments to "muster the courage" to protect humanitarians. Dr Marco Baldan, who's worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in numerous conflicts including most recently Yemen, was speaking at the UN [...]