Gambia transition "clear evidence" of "preventive" diplomacy in action The peaceful transition of power in the Gambia to President Adama Barrow is "clear evidence" that "preventive diplomacy" works. That's according to Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Head of the UN’s Office for West Africa and the Sahel, who was a key figure in resolving the political crisis [...]

Stigma around sexuality in young people can hinder conversations with policy makers, but young people have a "right to participate" in decisions about their sexual health, a youth advocate says. Hayley Gleeson is coordinator of ACT!2015, a global youth-driven initiative that calls for government accountability around HIV and encourages solidarity between youth organizations working with [...]

Spur African development by focusing on successes, not crises: UN Secretary-General If Africa is to achieve sustainable development, then more emphasis should be placed on its successes, not crises, UN Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres told reporters in New York in his first major press conference. The UN chief, fresh from the African Union (AU) Summit in [...]

Women should be able to "leapfrog" into evolving world of work The world of work is changing and women should be empowered to "leapfrog" into high-tech or green jobs in the future, the Deputy-Executive Director of UN Women has said. Lakshmi Puri shared this message with delegates at a multi-stakeholder forum on "Women's Economic Empowerment [...]

More than 6,000 FARC fighters heading to camps for civilian transition More than 6,000 members of the FARC rebel group in Colombia are gathering in UN-monitored zones in order to begin the transition to civilian life. Some men and women made the journey at the weekend using 36 different routes, in 14 different areas of [...]

4 dead following attack on UN monitoring team near Nigeria-Cameroon border Four people have been killed during an attack by unknown assailants on a UN monitoring team, close to the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. One independent contractor, three Nigerian nationals, and a Cameroonian died, and others were injured, when the team came under fire [...]

Israeli settlement expansion could be "obstacle" to peace The decision by the Israeli government to approve the building of more than 5,000 new housing units on land in the occupied West Bank, could be an "obstacle" to peace. That's according to a statement issued by the Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, issued on Wednesday. [...]

Listen to a bulletin of news and features from the United Nations, with Dianne Penn and Matthew Wells In today's programme: the UN chief calls for more focus on Africa's success to help spur sustainable development on the continent And stability and security are top concerns for displaced people in Wau, South Sudan

If Africa is to achieve sustainable development, then more emphasis should be placed on its successes, not crises, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters in New York on Wednesday. The UN chief, fresh from the African Union (AU) Summit in Ethiopia, also addressed issues such as the recent suspension of the refugee programme in the [...]

Airdrops to besieged Syrian city of Deir-ez-Zour resume: WFP Life-saving aid deliveries have restarted to the besieged Syrian city of Deir ez Zour, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday. Airdrops had to be halted more than two weeks ago amid renewed clashes between Government forces and ISIL extremists, who control the city. The [...]