Nations challenged to restore land fertility from desert landscapes
Farming, logging, mining and other human activities add to climate impacts on land, costing up to 17% of global GDP.
United Nations
Founded at the end of World War II, the New York-based United Nations is an international organization with 193 member nations. It began with 50 nations meeting at San Francisco in 1945 to maintain international peace and security. Over two months, the U.N. Charter was created as the basis for the organization's hope of preventing another world war. Founding members Britain, China, France, the Soviet Union and the United States took permanent veto-wielding seats on the powerful Security Council.
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U.N. rights chief wary of nationalism interfering with global cooperation
A warning that sovereignty and national borders are being invoked to prevent human rights issues from being addressed.
UNICEF poll finds widespread online bullying of children affects school
The 170,000 young people polled were split over whether to blame governments, companies or other young people.
U.N. panel ties Western nations to human rights abuses in Yemen
Human rights experts cited a 'pervasive lack of accountability' in the Saudi-led alliance backed by Western governments.
U.N. calls for peace and justice in Yemen after airstrikes hit compound
First responders struggled to reach the scene where some survivors were believed to still be trapped under the rubble.
No school for 3.7 million refugee children as financing falls short
Little more than 60% of all refugee children are able to go to primary schools, versus 90% among all children globally.
CITES tightens rules to protect wildlife trade on dozens of species
The summit is held once every three years to examine protections for wild animals and plants traded internationally.
G-7 allies in turmoil over trade and climate as Trump takes hard line
The summit in France was overshadowed by fears of an escalating trade war between the United States and China.
U.N. health agency urges more extensive study of microplastics
Oceans, landfills and public spaces are filling with degraded bits and pieces of bottles, toys and other plastic pollution.
World leaders urged to adopt binding treaty protecting high seas
The treaty aims to strengthen protections for international waters beyond the jurisdiction of coastal nations.
New accord to protect defenders of environment and human rights
The aim is to better support advocates and to hold perpetrators of violence and intimidation accountable.
U.N.'s most powerful panel formally takes up Kashmir after half-century
Prodded by China and Pakistan, the U.N. Security Council held a closed-door discussion on the Indian-controlled region.
Oxfam's Winnie Byanyima of Uganda to serve as the next head of UNAIDS
The activist, mechanical engineer and ex-parliamentarian is set to replace UNAIDS' embattled leader Michel Sidibé.
For humanitarians, the Geneva Conventions at 70 are a call to duty
To mark the anniversary, diplomats planned to discuss the strengths and weakness of international humanitarian law.
WFP to quadruple food aid in 4 countries hammered by drought
The U.N. food agency plans to offer food assistance to 700,000 people in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Youth climate movement decides strategy at Swiss-hosted summit
Their demands call for supporting developing nations, paying for cleaner technologies, and pressuring wealthy nations.