Myanmar begins defence in landmark genocide case at UN World Court

Addressing judges in The Hague, Ko Ko Hlaing, speaking as Myanmar’s agent, said his country fully recognizes the importance of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide but firmly denies breaching its obligations under international law. “A finding of genocide would place an indelible stain on my country and […]

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Potential turning point for Gaza as peace plan enters second phase: UN envoy

Ramiz Alakbarov warned that risks of violence escalating again remain high, while the situation in the occupied West Bank continues to deteriorate. The Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process said he was addressing ambassadors “at a moment of both profound opportunity and considerable risk,” pointing to cautious diplomatic progress on Gaza alongside […]

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‘Alarming’ increase in use of death penalty last year, despite global trend towards abolition

The UN advocates for the universal abolition of the death penalty. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by 175 countries, protects the right to life and stipulates that, for countries that have not abolished capital punishment, it be imposed only for the ‘most serious crimes’ in exceptional cases.  OHCHR said the sharp increase in capital […]

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WFP warns Sudan food aid could run out in March

The UN agency has reached 10 million vulnerable people with food, cash and nutrition assistance since the conflict began and continues to deliver aid to an average of four million people monthly, including in previously hard to reach areas in the Darfur and the Kordofan regions as well as Khartoum and Al Jazira states.  However, “these hard-earned gains now risk being […]

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Cold and dark: UN rights chief condemns Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid

Volker Türk said he was outraged by renewed overnight attacks that knocked out power and heating in major cities – including Kyiv and Odesa – as temperatures plunged well below zero and civilians bear the brunt of what he described as unlawful assaults on civilian infrastructure. He said the Russian strikes “can only be described […]

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World News in Brief: IOM warning for Sudan returnees, Nipah virus alert for India, food security in Afghanistan

They did so despite extensive damage to housing, basic services, vital infrastructure, and an uncertain future.  The highest number of returns were recorded in Khartoum State, where more than 1.3 million people have made the journey home, followed by nearby Aj Jazirah State, according to IOM’s latest data. Pockets of security IOM says the number […]

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Aid cuts push millions in West and Central Africa deeper into hunger

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) issued the warning on Friday, citing latest analysis from the food security framework Cadre Harmonisé, the regional equivalent of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) that uses a one to five scale – with five spelling catastrophe/famine – to inform response.  It projects that 13 million children are also expected to suffer from malnutrition this year while over three million people will […]

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UN strongly condemns demolition of UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem

Responding to the dramatic development, head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees Philippe Lazzarini described it as an “unprecedented attack” against the UN, whose premises are protected under international law. The move represents “a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law, including of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, […]

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UN Assembly president defends multilateralism, UN Charter in Davos

Speaking at the session Who Brokers Trust Now? at the World Economic Forum, Annalena Baerbock warned that multilateral institutions – long seen as the brokers of global trust – are under unprecedented strain as conflicts multiply and respect for international law erodes. “Who brokers trust?” she asked. “In ordinary times, there would be a simple […]

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