One young woman from the United States has been telling the UN what it takes in her view, to become a civic leader. Hariella Lawson, 17, says that the key is being open to any opportunities that may arise. The New Jersey native was at UN headquarters in New York, talking about how girls [...]

  Abuse of human rights is a measure of poverty Poverty is not simply measured by inadequate income, but also by a range of other elements including the denial or abuse of fundamental human rights. That's according to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message to mark the annual International Day for the Eradication [...]

Climate change will make it even more expensive for the world's poorest people to afford food, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). A warmer world means the availability of crops, livestock and fisheries will also be affected, thus disrupting the lives of millions of people employed in these industries. The findings come [...]

"Strong" new building codes are one of the ways that Ecuador is aiming to "build back better", six months on from an earthquake which killed more than 650 people. That's according to Diego Zorilla, the UN Development Programme's Resident Coordinator in the South American country, which is working with the government to promote new building [...]

People are throwing away so much that it's having a negative impact on the climate, a representative from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization  has warned. When the squandered food breaks down, it emits greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), a pollutant that is warming the Earth. According to the FAO about 1.3 billion tons [...]

Muslim women are often stigmatized in the media and seen as having no "equal rights", according to a girls' rights activist who recently spoke at the UN. Urooba Abid, a high school student from New York, has been advocating women empowerment in local Islamic communities. Religion is "not to blame", as stereotypes are more often [...]

Invest in smallholder farmers otherwise "this talk of zero hunger is just talk," the head of a UN specialized agency focusing on agricultural development has urged. The Zero Hunger Challenge launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2012, is a global movement to end hunger, eliminate all forms of malnutrition and build inclusive and sustainable food [...]

Appeal for calm in Central African Republic amid escalating violence A deadly escalation of violence in Central African Republic has prompted the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) to appeal for restraint. The call follows a spate of recent incidents in the north of the country, where a transitional government is in place, after years of [...]

Listen to a bulletin of news and features from United Nations Radio, with Jocelyne Sambira and Dianne Penn. Urbanization has "huge potential and also huge risks" the head of UN-Habitat warns ahead of a global summit in Quito, Ecuador to discuss the future of cities; And; A Nigerian activist who helped launch the "Bring Back [...]

Many young fighters belonging to the extremist Boko Haram group can be convinced to return to their communities "with the right approach". That's what Hamsatu Allamin, negotiator and peacemaker from the town of Maiduguru in Nigeria, said when asked about the possibility of reintegrating them. During the rise of the militant group, and after witnessing [...]