16 July 2015
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said: ‘As Europe debates the best way to deal with the rising crisis on the Mediterranean, we must be clear: most of the people arriving by sea in Europe are refugees, seeking protection from war and persecution. (more…)
11 June 2015
The latest report of the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, entitled ‘Future of the AIDS response: building on past achievements and accelerating progress to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030’ was welcomed by member states at the sixty-ninth session of the General Assembly. (more…)
12 May 2015
The Mediterranean migrant crisis calls for collective action focused on the immediate need to save lives or else it will represent ‘a moral failure of the first order’, one that undermines international law and security, Peter Sutherland, the UN Special Representative for International Migration warned. (more…)
11 May 2015
In the wake of migrant boat crises in the Mediterranean the European Commission has proposed a controversial Union-wide immigration policy. The proposal, which is set to launch on 13 May 2015, seeks to impose a quota system on the 28 member states requiring them to share the burden of ‘persons in clear need of international protection’ and ‘ensure a fair and balanced participation of all member states to this common effort’. The policy document lays down binding rules establishing a regime of refugee sharing among the member states based on a ‘key’. The system, drafted by EU Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos, determines the proportion of refugees each state is obliged to accept based on criteria ranging from rates of unemployment to national wealth. (more…)
Source: The Guardian | EU plans migrant quotas forcing states to 'share' burden
28 April 2015
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the global community to unite and take action to address the root causes of the migrant crisis. (more…)
Source: UN News Centre | Aboard Italian navy ship, Ban urges collective action to ease plight of migrants crossing Mediterranean
Source: UNSG | Statement | Secretary-General’s remarks on board the Italian naval ship the San Giusto | Sicily, Italy, 27 April 2015
Source: UN News Centre | Mediterranean crisis: UN welcomes EU measures on migrants, urges more comprehensive action