Tag Archives: UN

An investigator for the U.N. Human Rights Council urged member states on Thursday to pressure Saudi Arabia to free women activists before a G20 nations summit which Riyadh will be hosting in November. At least a dozen prominent women’s rights activists were arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2018 as it …

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Wednesday that U.S. and partner forces seized a boat in June carrying Iranian weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen as he renewed his call for the U.N. Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Iran. “The Security Council must extend the …

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan will agree a deal to fill the giant Blue Nile dam in two to three weeks, following mediation by the African Union to broker a deal to end a decade-long dispute over water supplies. Tortuous negotiations over the years have left the two nations and their …

The U.N. human rights office on Friday regretted the impact that U.S. sanctions authorised by President Donald Trump may have on trials and investigations under way at the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying its independence must be protected. Trump on Thursday authorized U.S. economic and travel sanctions against employees of …

Israel must face consequences if it annexes land in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Tuesday, pointing to possible European sanctions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to extend sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank, territory Israel took …

Thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to extend sovereignty over parts of the occupied West Bank, de-facto annexation of land that the Palestinians seek for a state. Protesting in face masks and keeping their distance from each other under new coronavirus restrictions, the demonstrators …

The U.N. refugee agency said on Tuesday its work in Yemen was near a “potential breaking point” as coronavirus spreads in the war-damaged country, with rising numbers of families resorting to begging, child labour and marrying of children. Around 80 percent of Yemen’s malnourished population relies on humanitarian assistance, making …

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani threatened a “crushing response” on Wednesday if the United States goes ahead with plans to extend an embargo on Iranian trade of conventional arms, which the United Nations is set to lift later this year. Under Iran’s deal with world powers to accept limits to its …

Iran dismissed as “illegitimate” efforts by the United States to extend the U.N. Security Council arms embargo on Tehran, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday. “Iran is not seeking to exit the 2015 nuclear deal with six powers … America’s move is illegitimate and our reaction will be …

The Global Compact Network of Lebanon (GCNL) launched a new campaign “الليرة بتشبع” in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) Wednesday to support a two-month crowd-funding campaign. The campaign led by the private sector in Lebanon is in support of the National Poverty Targeting Program (NPTP). The NPTP is …

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi group in Yemen carried out several air strikes on Monday on the capital Sanaa, witnesses said. A number of sensitive sites including the presidential palace compound, a military school and an air base close to Sanaa airport were hit, and loud explosions were heard …

Istanbul prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday it had prepared an indictment against 20 suspects over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, including the former deputy head of Saudi Arabia’s general intelligence and a former royal adviser. Khashoggi’s killing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 caused a …

Dubai – “Refugee and other vulnerable children have the human right to a good education”, said Rudayna Abdo the founder of Thaki a social impact non-profit association. Abdo and her dedicated team are calling on companies in the UAE to donate their used laptops for reuse “It makes a huge difference to …

Israel’s prime minister on Sunday hailed what he called efforts by friendly states to stop the International Criminal Court opening an investigation into alleged war crimes against Palestinians. The court’s chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in December there was enough evidence for an investigation into thousands of killings – but …

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Aden on Sunday in support of the Yemeni government after southern separatists effectively took over the port city, fracturing the alliance that had been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi movement. The infighting, which broke out on Aug. 8 to control the port city which serves as …

Turkey will send an observation team to China’s Xinjiang region, the Turkish foreign minister said on Tuesday after discussing the situation of Uighur Turks with his Chinese counterpart. China has faced growing international opprobrium for setting up what it calls vocation training centers to combat extremism in Xinjiang, home to …

Saudi Arabia on Thursday defended signing a letter along with 36 other countries in support of China’s policies in its western region of Xinjiang, where the United Nations says at least 1 million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained. China has been widely condemned for setting up detention …

A new team established by the global chemical weapons watchdog to attribute blame for the use of banned munitions in Syria will investigate nine alleged attacks during the country’s civil war, including in the town of Douma, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters. The Organisation for the Prohibition of …

Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, yesterday met with Jan Kubis, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed a number of issues of mutual concern. Dr. Gargash and the UN official also discussed …

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has received the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is currently visiting the UAE for the Abu Dhabi Climate Meeting that kicked-off on Sunday. More than 1,000 world-renowned political …

In implementation to the directives of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), the Council organises a humanitarian initiative to collect toys for Yemeni children. Reem Abdullah …

Obaid Salem Al Za’abi, UAE Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Other International Organisations in Geneva, delivered the UAE’s speech before the Human Rights Council’s interactive dialogue with Special Rapporteurs on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and on the right to education, which was held as part of the …

The UAE mission in Geneva took part in a panel discussion, held as part of the humanitarian affairs segment of the United Nations, UN, Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, titled, “Oslo Conference Outcomes on Ending Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Humanitarian Crises”. Sexual and gender-based violence is one of the …

Mariam Hareb Almheiri, Minister of State for Food Security, has reiterated the UAE’s commitment, through its relentless efforts and its ambitious National Food Security Strategy, to remain on top of all food security developments and issues around the world. “The UAE is working to establish the basic fundamentals for its …

The U.N. investigator into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Wednesday called on countries to invoke universal jurisdiction for what she called the international crime and make arrests if responsibility of individuals is proven. Agnes Callamard, U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, asked if universal jurisdiction meant potential …

With its programme of conservation of the pre-Islamic temple at the 2,000 year old archaeological site of ed-Dur now completed, the Department of Tourism and Antiquities of Umm Al Qaiwain is now keen to have the temple and the whole area of ed-Dur inscribed on the World Heritage list of …

Earlier this week, Dr. Sultan Al Remeithi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders, reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to combating hate speech across all mediums and safeguarding religious sites in meetings with senior UN officials. “This year, the world witnessed an increase in horrifying terrorist attacks on places of …

The United Arab Emirates has successfully delivered its central objectives for the first UN-HABITAT assembly in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. The UN-Habitat Assembly took place 27th to 30th May and convened all UN Member States, as the world’s highest-level decision-making body on sustainable urbanisation. Under the theme, ‘Innovation for a …

This is an interview conducted by Emad El-Din AyshaBy with the Indian analyst and editor of International Affairs Review, Aditi Bhaduri on the Pakistani- Indian recent clashes: The Levant News: What is the Indian position now? Does it want escalation of the hostilities? What does India want from Pakistan that …

The United Nations is ready to play a supervisory role in managing Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodeidah, U.N. spokesman Rheal LeBlanc said. LeBlanc’s statement, made at a briefing with reporters in Geneva, came as the U.N. special envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, arrived in Hodeidah, the focus of the …

The United States said it would oppose on Friday for the first time an annual resolution at the United Nations calling on Israel to rescind its authority in the occupied Golan Heights, drawing praise from Israeli officials. The Golan Heights form a buffer between Israel and Syria of about 1,200 …

The Trump administration hopes that the U.S.-backed fight against Islamic State in its last foothold in northeastern Syria will end within months but American forces will remain to ensure the “enduring defeat” of the militant group, a top U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday. Ambassador James Jeffrey, the U.S. special representative …

Yemeni forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition inched closer to the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Sunday as they battled Iranian-aligned Houthi fighters entrenched there, local military sources and residents said on Sunday. The coalition has deployed thousands of troops to retake Hodeidah, a vital entry point for …

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al­Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, today announced that the UAE will contribute US$1.5 million annually for the period 2019 to 2021, cumulatively amounting to US$4.5 million, to fund the projects carried out by the Global Green Growth Institute, GGGI. The announcement was made at the GGGI’s Assembly …

The General Assembly on Tuesday voted by an overwhelming majority to temporarily grant the “State of Palestine” additional rights and privileges, allowing it to head the biggest bloc of developing countries at the United Nations. A whopping 146 states voted in favor of Resolution A/73/L.5, while only three countries — the …

She was one of the few Trump administration officials to leave on her own terms and with reputation intact. And yet that hasn’t stopped outgoing United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley from joining a growing list of White House officials criticizing the boss on the way out the door. At a …

United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley will leave at the end of the year, the latest departure from President Donald Trump’s national security circle. Trump and Haley announced her exit plan on Tuesday morning — just under a month before the critical midterm elections on Nov. 6. The former South Carolina …

Updated 8 a.m. ET Monday President Trump’s administration has begun pressing Israel to embrace the idea of a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is insisting on something less. Netanyahu spoke with NPR after Trump spoke in favor of a two-state solution while visiting the United Nations last week. …

Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov took aim at President Trump in an address to the General Assembly on Friday, using quotes by former President Harry Truman. Lavrov did not mention Mr. Trump by name, but the attack was the most blistering in years. First in an address to the General Assembly and …

Clandestine nuclear dumping. Concealing atomic material near a rug-cleaning plant. Lying to international partners. Accusing Iran of all of the above, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu fired a new salvo Thursday in his campaign to prove that Tehran can’t be trusted and poses a massive threat to international security. In response, …

For the first time since taking office, President Donald Trump endorsed a two-state solution as the best way to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians as he met Wednesday at the U.N. with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump told reporters that he believes that two states — …

A team from Yemen’s Al Houthis on Thursday failed to leave for UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva, although an Arab coalition fighting them gave the go-ahead for their plane to depart. The Geneva consultations, aimed at restarting Yemen’s long-stalled peace process, had been originally scheduled to start on Thursday. But …

The UN Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to renew for another year the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. The measure backing the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) calls on the Lebanese government to boost its naval capabilities, with the ultimate aim of drawing down …

In a stinging diplomatic defeat for Israel, the world’s largest international police organization on Wednesday accepted the “State of Palestine” as a full member. At Interpol’s annual General Assembly in Beijing, the Palestinians’ membership bid was accepted with 75 counties voting yes, 24 voting no, and 34 abstaining. Israel fiercely …