On Tuesday, 29 May, the United Nations will commemorate the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. Today, more than 96,000 uniformed personnel from 124 troop- and-police-contributing countries serve under the blue flag, alongside more than 15,000 international and national civilian staff and nearly 1,600 United Nations Volunteers.
Britain will remain a “very important pillar” of the United Nations after Brexit, the organization's secretary general has said. Antonio Guterres’s comments appear to contradict the fears of some opponents of Brexit that the UK’s withdrawal from the EU might throw into question its position as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, alongside the US, Russia, China and France.
On World Press Freedom Day, United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres made a brief statement saying ”a free press is essential for peace, justice and human rights for all. It is crucial to building transparent and democratic societies and keeping those in power accountable. It is vital for sustainable development.
Venezuela is seeking a “practical and satisfying” solution to its border dispute with Guyana even as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country has already filed its application to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague on the matter.
The International Trade Unions Congress, ITUC, has called on the United Nations to abandon unilateral pay cuts on UN staff, as well as other changes to employment conditions that would mean different pay rates for the same job and could lead to discrimination, especially against women returning to UN service after taking extended time out for family reasons.
We are at a pivotal moment for women’s rights. The historical and structural inequalities that have allowed oppression and discrimination to flourish are being exposed like never before. From Latin America to Europe to Asia, on social media, on film sets, on the factory floor and in the streets, women are calling for lasting change and zero tolerance for sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination of all kinds.
United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres has referred the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In a statement which was published on the UN’s website on Tuesday, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General stated that Mr Guterres has fulfilled the responsibility that has fallen to him within the framework set by his predecessor in December 2016, and has chosen the International Court of Justice as the means to be used for the solution of the controversy.
Israel has said it will join the US in pulling out of the UN's cultural organization Unesco, after US officials cited “anti-Israel bias”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the US decision as “brave and moral,” a statement said.
The International Day of Democracy, 15 September, is an opportunity to recommit to a world defined by values enshrined in the United Nations Charter: peace, justice, respect, human rights, tolerance and solidarity. Yet in many societies around the world, there is a crisis of faith. Globalization and technological progress have lifted many out of poverty, but have also contributed to inequality and instability.
Highly concerned that recent developments in Venezuela could lead to further escalation of tensions and hamper a peaceful solution to the crisis, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres again on Tuesday urged the Government and the opposition to relaunch negotiations for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.