NEW YORK - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked former U.S. President Bill Clinton to coordinate international aid efforts on Haiti.  Mr. Ban said Wednesday that he hoped Mr. Clinton, who he appointed as his Special Envoy for Haiti last May, would rally international assistance for the earthquake-stricken country. 
Mr. Ban said President Clinton would be […]

GENEVA - The United Nations refugee agency reports thousands of civilians continue to flee their homes in northern Yemen as fighting between government troops and Al Houti rebel forces enters a fifth month. The UNHCR says the situation in Saada province remains particularly tense as more people arrive there.
The U.N. refugee agency reports clashes have […]

LONDON - The U.N. Panel on Climate Change says it will investigate claims that leading climate change scientists suppressed or manipulated data. The accusation came after emails leaked from a British university were posted on the Internet.
Climate change proponents say the leak was intended to derail talks at next week’s Copenhagen Conference.
The head of the […]

NEW YORK - The United Nations secretary-general marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities by welcoming music star Stevie Wonder as the organization’s newest Messenger of Peace. 
But amidst the festivities, the message was clear - about 10 percent of the world’s population suffers from some type of disability and they often encounter many disadvantages.
U.N. […]

NEW YORK - The United Nations says it will temporarily relocate at least 600 of its international staff members in Afghanistan because of security concerns. 
A U.N. spokesman says the organization has decided to move about half of its 1,100 international staff in Afghanistan to more secure locations inside and outside the country.
Last week, Taliban gunmen […]

NEW YORK - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says world leaders are not likely to agree to a new climate change pact at next month’s summit in Copenhagen.

Mr. Ban spoke in London Tuesday as African nations walked out of pre-summit U.N. climate talks in Barcelona, Spain. He told reporters that heads of state at the […]

HANOI - Hundreds of public health experts have gathered in Hanoi, Vietnam to talk about how to link public health and human rights. The right to health is affirmed in numerous United Nations agreements. But ideas about public health and human rights often come into conflict, particularly when it comes to activity than many governments […]

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings says the use of armed unmanned aircraft by the United States to hunt down terrorists could be a violation of international law. Philip Alston said Tuesday that Washington must explain how it is sure the United States is not killing people indiscriminately with these aircraft.
U.S. […]

UNITED NATIONS - Afghanistan’s foreign minister told the United Nations General Assembly that his government welcomes the assessment from the U.S. and NATO commander in his country that more troops are needed to fight the Taliban.
Meanwhile, as the annual debate continued on Monday, ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya addressed delegates by mobile telephone from the […]

GENEVA - The United Nations refugee agency says a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Saada city in northern Yemen. The UNHCR and other aid agencies are repeating their call for the opening of humanitarian corridors so they can assist thousands of people who are trapped inside the city because of fierce fighting between al-Houthi forces […]

NEW YORK - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid tribute to the growing number of aid workers who are being killed each year, as he inaugurated the first observance of World Humanitarian Day. 
Mr. Ban placed a floral wreath before a memorial plaque in the U.N. lobby and then observed a minute of silence to honor […]

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council has imposed sanctions on 10 additional entities and individuals linked to North Korea’s nuclear or ballistic missile development programs. It has also banned the transfer to or from North Korea of two types of goods that could be used in those programs.

North Korea Sanctions Committee chair, Fazli […]

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council on Monday condemned North Korea’s most recent missile launches as violations of council resolutions, and demanded that Pyongyang comply fully with its international obligations.
The Council President for the month of July, Ugandan Ambassador Ruhakana Rugunda, read a statement from the Council condemning Saturday’s launch of seven ballistic missiles […]

NEW YORK - The United Nations secretary-general has appointed a three-person commission to investigate the circumstances of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in December 2007. The commission will begin its work on July 1.
In February, the government of Pakistan asked U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to establish an international commission to investigate Mrs. Bhutto’s […]

UNITED NATIONS - Iraq’s U.N. Ambassador told the Security Council Thursday that his government hopes to reduce or cancel the remaining $25.5 billion it owes Kuwait in compensation for Saddam Hussein’s 1990 invasion.
Ambassador Hamid al-Bayati says his government has already paid more than $27 billion in compensation and needs the remaining funds owed to […]

UNITED NATIONS - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton made his debut at United Nations headquarters on Monday as the world body’s new special envoy for Haiti.  Mr. Clinton has a long-time interest in the Caribbean island nation.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he chose former President Clinton as his special envoy for Haiti because of the […]

NEW YORK - With 18 operations on four continents, United Nations peacekeepers are in greater demand than ever. As the U.N. recruits more officers to staff those operations, it is also trying to attract females, especially in countries where gender plays a central role in peacekeeping efforts.
UN increasing female peacekeepers 
The U.N. deploys peacekeepers around the […]

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council has expanded sanctions against North Korea in response to the country’s recent underground nuclear test.
The 15-member body voted unanimously Friday to approve a resolution condemning North Korea’s tests.  The new resolution includes provisions for inspecting cargo coming out of North Korea, a total ban on weapons exports from […]

NEW YORK - Seven world powers on Wednesday agreed on a draft U.N. Security Council resolution to expand sanctions against North Korea for its recent underground nuclear test and a barrage of missile tests.
The draft resolution condemns North Korea’s tests as a violation of previous U.N. resolutions and imposes additional sanctions, including cargo inspections, a […]

NEW YORK - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has named former U.S. President Bill Clinton as his special envoy to Haiti.

The secretary-general said Tuesday he is confident that Mr. Clinton will bring energy, dynamism and focus to the task of mobilizing international support for Haiti’s economic recovery and reconstruction.  

A statement issued through Mr. Clinton’s […]

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council sanctions committee has called for a freeze of assets of three North Korean companies it says are involved in the arms trade, as well as updating a lengthy list of items that North Korea will now be prohibited from either importing or exporting. The action comes three weeks […]

UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations Security Council is set to adopt a unanimous statement as early as Monday, condemning North Korea’s rocket launch last Sunday and ordering it to comply with existing council resolutions or face further sanctions.  
In a rare Saturday session of the 15-member Security Council, diplomats were presented a draft statement […]

GENEVA - U.N. human rights investigators are launching a year-long global investigation into secret places of detention. They note the use of such facilities has increased since the global war on terror was declared after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States. The investigators say their probe will look at so-called rendition […]

UNITED NATIONS - UN member states met informally on Thursday to begin talks on key issues of reforming the body’s powerful Security Council. Many countries want to see the 15-member council expanded to include broader regional representation and additional permanent members.  
The subject of Security Council reform and expansion is not new.  It has been […]