UN News Centre

Over 140 governments meeting at a United Nations forum in Geneva have agreed to a global, legally-binding treaty to address mercury, a notorious heavy metal with significant health and environmental effects. The Minamata Convention on Mercury – named after a city in Japan where serious health damage occurred as a… »

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today issued a passionate call to countries to advance disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, as well as illegal arms, stressing that Member States should not delay on this issue. “Delay comes with a high price tag. The longer we procrastinate, the greater the… »

14 January 2013 – The total number of Syrians seeking refuge in camps in Turkey from the ever-worsening violence of their country’s civil war has risen to over 153,300 persons, the United Nations refugee agency reported today. “This is about a 3 per cent increase since the year-end figures of… »

14 January 2013 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon again called on Israel today to withdraw new settlement plans for East Jerusalem while stressing that protests over the plans, as well as reactions to them, must remain peaceful, noting that they had been largely non-violent so far. “The Secretary-General… »

The United Nations has recognized a Brazilian Dominican friar, Frei Betto, with a leading international prize for his “exceptional contribution” to building a universal culture of peace, social justice and human rights in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),… »