April 12, 2021 No comments
UK armed forces bill would limit war crimes accountability: UN rights chief
INTERNATIONAL, 12 April 2021, Human Rights - Legislation under consideration in the UK regarding armed forces personnel could limit accountability for war crimes if it is passed in its current form, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said on Monday. In a statement, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged Parliament to heed warnings that the proposed new Overseas Operations Bill risks undermining key human rights obligations that lawmakers have previously agreed to. “As currently drafted, the Bill would make it substantially less likely that UK service members on overseas operations would be held accountable for serious human rights violations amounting to international crimes”, the High Commissioner said. Shielded from probes The Bill could shield military personnel operating abroad “from due accountability for acts of torture or other serious international crimes”,...
Read more
April 12, 2021 No comments
First ever human space flight signalled 'new era for humanity'
INTERNATIONAL, 12 April 2021, SDGs - The United Nations is marking the International Day of Human Space Flight on Monday, celebrating the achievements of astronauts who are “stretching the boundaries” of where civilization can go, beyond the stratosphere. Observed annually on 12 April, the International Day commemorates the date in 1961 when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin carried out the first ever human space flight, opening the way for space exploration for the benefit of all humanity. In a message, Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA), said that 60 years ago, “a new era for humanity began – with sky no longer the limit”. “Astronauts are envoys of humankind in outer space, embodying talent, skills, and bravery; and stretching the boundaries of what we can...
Read more
April 11, 2021 No comments
Somalia: ‘Prioritize the national interest’ international partners urge, as political stalemate continues
INTERNATIONAL, 11 April 2021, Peace and Security - The UN and international partners working to support a lasting peace and democratic election process across Somalia, said on Sunday that they were highly concerned by the current situation there, calling on Somali leaders to “prioritize the national interest” and resolve their political impasse. The African Union (AU), the European Union (EU); African regional trade bloc, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD,) and the United Nations, met on Friday, “in light of the gravity of the ongoing political stalemate in Somalia over the holding of delayed elections, and the continuing impasse in dialogue between the Federal Government and some Federal Member State leaders”, said a joint communique released following discussions. The deadline for holding fresh parliamentary elections...
Read more
April 11, 2021 No comments
FROM THE FIELD: providing hope for those living with HIV in Yemen
INTERNATIONAL, 11 April 2021, Health - Living with HIV in Yemen, a country mired in a seemingly interminable conflict, is particularly challenging, with medical supplies hard to come by, and only around half of all health facilities fully operational. Dr Nasser Qassem Sami, the head of the ART site in Aden, Yemen, which provides care services and medicine to people living with HIV, by IOM/Majed M. After conflict broke out in Yemen, the UN migration agency, IOM-supported specialized ART (Advances in Retroviral Therapy) clinic in Aden city was barely able to provide care for people living with AIDS. This situation continued for nearly three years, until IOM received an urgent request to restore the site. Working with partners, the migration agency was able to rehabilitate the...
Read more
April 10, 2021 No comments
FROM THE FIELD: Solar energy powers COVID-19 treatment
INTERNATIONAL, 10 April 2021, Climate and Environment, In some of the poorest parts of the world, where there is no access to a reliable electricity grid, the UN is equipping hundreds of health facilities with solar technologies, allowing them to avoid power outages and save lives. A technician checks solar panels on the roof of the Medical Stores Limited warehouse in downtown Lusaka, Zambia., by UNDP/Karin Schermbucker Formerly dependent on costly and polluting diesel generators, which often do not provide sufficient electricity, over 900 health facilities, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa, have been provided with equipment such as solar rooftops and batteries. It has given them access to clean, affordable and reliable electricity, while saving money which can be re-invested in health services. The health facilities...
Read more
