Latest news on the Asia-Pacific region from the United Nations
- The military in Myanmar has turned on citizens and is putting the nation’s future at risk, the UN Special Envoy for the country warned on Friday in a statement issued on the eve of the annual celebration of Armed Forces Day.
- The independent UN Special Rapporteur investigating human rights in Myanmar has called on the international community to hold an “emergency” summit of all stakeholders, including the parliamentarians who were democratically elected prior to February’s military coup.
- The United Nations’ top relief official on Wednesday released $14 million in emergency funding to provide life-saving assistance to thousands of Rohingya refugee families, after a massive fire ripped through the Kutupalong camp in southern Bangladesh, earlier this week.
- The United Nations Human Rights Council has been given a mandate to collect and preserve information and evidence of crimes related to Sri Lanka's 37-year long civil war that ended in 2009.
- Amidst a period of “heightened intensity”, the UN Special Representative told the Security Council on Tuesday that the killing, displacement and suffering of the Afghan people “must end now”.
- Confronting major setbacks due to the coronavirus pandemic, countries in Asia and the Pacific “must now seize the moment” to rebuild and recover better together, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General said on Tuesday.
- UN teams assisting tens of thousands of refugees, after massive fire rips through camp in BangladeshUnited Nations humanitarian personnel are on the ground evacuating tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees, after a devastating fire tore through the Kutupalong camp, in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the world’s largest refugee camp.
- Tea garden workers in Bangladesh, who are mainly women, are one of the most marginalized groups in the country, with limited access to education for their children and prone to dire health risks. A programme supported by the UN’s Joint SDG Fund, which funds initiatives focused on sustainable development, aims to boost social protection for these works, helping them access their rights and improve their life prospects.
- What can African countries learn from China’s success in lifting millions out of poverty? UN Resident Coordinator in China Siddharth Chatterjee, formerly the Resident Coordinator in Kenya, considers how China’s admirable rise can provide valuable lessons for developing nations looking to improve livelihoods for their citizens.
- Security forces in Myanmar have reportedly occupied more than 60 schools and university campuses across the country, marking a further escalation of the crisis, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday. In a statement issued later in the day, the UN Secretary-General condemned the "continuing brutal violence" being directed at peaceful protesters as the death toll mounts.
- The United Nations Secretary-General on Wednesday announced the appointment of seasoned mediator Jean Arnault as his new Personal Envoy on Afghanistan and Regional Issues, reflecting the Organization’s continued commitment to the peaceful resolution to the decades-long conflict in the country.
- United Nations independent human rights experts on Thursday called on Iran to immediately release Iranian-Swedish academic Ahmadreza Djalali, reported to be in a “near death” condition after months of prolonged solitary confinement.
- The UN Special Envoy for Myanmar continues her work towards engaging with officials in the country nearly two months after the military coup, the global Organization said on Thursday.