Tag Archives: UN
8 July 2014
On 3 July, at a two-day conference in Accra, the capital of Ghana, West African countries and international health organizations adopted a new common strategy to fight the Ebola epidemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus has killed at least 467 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia since February 2014. (more…)
Source: Reuters | West African authorities adopt common strategy to fight Ebola
23 May 2014
On 16 May, the United Nations and the European Union entered into an agreement to finance the restoration of the cultural heritage in Timbuktu, which was destroyed by armed groups after clashes in 2012 between the Malian Government forces and Tuareg rebels. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will coordinate the restoration project and train local personnel in order to ensure enduring preservation. The EU will contribute to the restoration by providing 500,000 euros. The heritage project will be directed in collaboration with the Malian Ministry of Culture, Higher Education and Scientific Research. The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) will provide logistical aid. (more…)
Source: UN News Centre | Mali: UN, European Union team up to restore Timbuktu’s cultural heritage
20 May 2014
A report of the Office of Internal Oversight Services on the implementation of mandates to protect civilians in United Nations peacekeeping operations found that ‘peacekeeping missions with protection of civilians mandates focus on prevention and mitigation activities and force is almost never used to protect civilians under attack’. (para. 79) (more…)
Source: UNGA | UN Doc A/68/787 | Report on the activities of the Office of Internal Oversight Services | 7 March 2014
Source: Reuters | U.N. study finds peacekeepers avoid using force to protect civilians
24 April 2014
On 23 April, the Chinese Foreign Ministry informed Reuters that it was investigating reports that a chlorine canister with the name of China’s largest arms producer, Norinco, on it was shown in a video that presumably documents a chlorine bomb attack in Syria earlier this month. Reuters reported that it could not verify the authenticity of the video, which was uploaded by opposition activists. On the basis of the characteristics of several attacks in Syria this month, analysts believe that a coordinated chlorine bomb campaign is taking place, with growing evidence that it is carried out by the Syrian government. (more…)
Source: Reuters | China says probing reports Chinese chlorine used in Syria attack