Latest news on the Asia-Pacific region from the United Nations
- The UN Secretary-General said on Tuesday that he was “closely monitoring” the situation in the Kyrgyz Republic, where protests erupted a day earlier in the aftermath of Sunday’s parliamentary elections.
- The top UN rights official has called on Iran to release imprisoned human rights defenders, lawyers and political prisoners, citing deep concerns over their situation and heightened risk of contracting COVID-19.
- School closures in Myanmar resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have affected millions of students. The UN is working with the country’s authorities to ensure that the education system is made more resilient, and children’s schooling is protected as much as possible.
- The United Nations has strongly condemned Saturday’s suicide attack on a government building in Nangarhar province, eastern Afghanistan, and underlined that the perpetrators must be brought to justice.
- An ambitious plan to make one of the world’s largest and most complex railway networks a net zero carbon emitter by 2030 is moving full steam ahead, although without the steam, thanks, in part, to support from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
- Chief executives of 110 companies in Thailand on Wednesday, have signed up to a new set of UN principles on women’s economic empowerment, pledging to improve gender equality in the boardroom, equal pay for equal work, and safer and more inclusive workplaces.
- There is no vaccine against climate change, the Permanent Representative of New Zealand told the UN General Assembly debate on Tuesday, noting that now more than ever, the international community must “step up, collectively and in the common interest.”
- Bilateral cooperation is the only way to effectively resolve the repatriation issue between Myanmar and Bangladesh, the Minister of the Office of the State Counsellor of Myanmar, told the UN General Assembly.
- An independent UN human rights expert has voiced concern over an Indian Supreme Court order to evict up to 250,000 people living in shacks along railway tracks in the capital, Delhi, warning that such a move could violate the country’s obligations under key international rights treaties.
- The Prime Minister of Bangladesh has called for stronger international action to help Rohingya refugees in the country to return to neighbouring Myanmar.
- The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, declared that United Nations reform is “the need of the hour”, as he addressed world leaders in a video address to the General Debate of the General Assembly, on Saturday.
- The COVID-19 pandemic is a “litmus test” of the faith in multilateralism and unity among nations, the Prime Minister of Thailand told world leaders gathered virtually at the UN General Assembly, urging every country to renew their trust in international cooperation.
- The global pandemic has put at risk hard-earned development achievements, the Prime Minister of Nepal told world leaders gathered virtually on Friday for the UN General Assembly, adding that the ones most affected are the smaller and more vulnerable countries.