Cambodia urged to release human rights defenders The Cambodian Government is being called on to immediately release five human rights defenders who have been detained since May 2016. The appeal has been made by two UN independent experts whose respective mandates cover the human rights situation in the country and the issue of arbitrary [...]

The attack on the Dayax hotel in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Wednesday has been described by the UN there as a "desperate attempt" by Al Shabaab extremists to disrupt the electoral process. Joseph Contreras, the Spokesperson for the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, UNSOM, said the terrorist group's "continual resort to violent tactics [...]

Listen to a bulletin of news and features from United Nations, with Jocelyne Sambira and Dianne Penn. In today's programme the UN in Somalia condemns today's terror attack in Mogadishu, calling it a "desperate attempt" to disrupt the electoral process; And more private investment will provide a "better future" for rural people.

Inclusive peace requires a "bottom-to-top" approach, a Nigerian peace activist said on the margins of a UN high-level dialogue on sustaining peace for all. Joy Onyesoh, President of the International League for Peace and Freedom, helps train and build the capacity of women in local communities to prevent conflict and promote peace. She also works [...]

Improving mental health across the world is one of the "foundations" for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). That's the view of Dessima Williams, Special Adviser for Implementation of the SDGs in the office of the President of the General Assembly, who spoke at a meeting about tackling mental illness on Wednesday. The event at [...]

Young people are affected by corruption in "unique ways" and adults have a responsibility to teach them how to "play by the rules." That's the view of Sergejus Muravjovas who runs Transparency International Lithuania and a panellist at the recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank's annual meetings. He founded an anti-corruption school for [...]

750,000 Iraqis feared at risk in Mosul Three quarters of a million people are feared to be at risk in the Iraqi city of Mosul 100 days into a government-led attempt to drive out ISIL fighters. The warning comes from the UN Human Rights Office, OHCHR, and follows reports that civilians have been targeted by [...]

Investing in education, finding decent jobs for young people and promoting social cohesion are just some of things that can be done to make the world safer, more resilient and sustainable. That's what UN Secretary-General, Antรณnio Guterres, told members of the General Assembly at a high-level dialogue on Tuesday, on how the 2030 Agenda for [...]

Civilians living in the western part of the Iraqi city of Mosul are at a "much higher risk" of being killed or injured as the offensive to fully liberate the city continues. That's according to Lise Grande, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, speaking exactly 100 days since the military operation to retake Mosul began. [...]

More than US$ 8 billion worth of aid is needed to help millions of desperately vulnerable Syrians in 2017, UN agency chiefs said on Tuesday. Introducing the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan in Helsinki, Finland, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien said that their suffering continues "unabated". UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, meanwhile, [...]