In a statement, the dozen experts said representatives from the Russian-owned mercenary outfit had been “offering pardons for criminal sentences to prisoners who join the group and take part in the war in Ukraine, as well as a monthly payment to their relatives”. The experts – members of the Working Group on the use of Mercenaries, the Working Group
Read MoreRussia announced earlier that it would agree to a 60-day extension, which is half the number of days agreed when it first expired in November. The UN-brokered deal also endorsed by Türkiye in Istanbul – which includes a Memorandum of Understanding between Russia and the UN to facilitate fertiliser exports – has allowed the exports of 24
Read MorePierre Vauthier is the chief of office for the FAO in Ukraine. He told UN News how the FAO team in the country – around 100 staff members, mostly Ukrainian specialists in agriculture-related areas – was dispersed throughout the country, in often difficult working conditions. “One of the difficulties we faced, once the war began,
Read MoreThis is the first time the site has lost all power since November 2022 – but the sixth time that all off-site power has been cut since the Russian invasion last February – IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said, in a statement to agency directors. The agency said late on Thursday that power had been restored after 11 tense
Read MoreThe report on children’s rights is the first of its kind to bring together existing data and analysis for all countries in the region, while highlighting critical data gaps that need to be filled. Data deficit UNICEF Regional Director Afshan Khan said the war in Ukraine, the pandemic, climate change and the current economic and
Read MoreAntónio Guterres expressed “deep solidarity” with all of those who have become victims of the full-scale Russian invasion of February last year. Violation of the Charter “The position of the United Nations, which I have consistently expressed, is crystal clear: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a violation of the UN Charter and international law”, declared
Read MoreIf adopted, the new bill would deny the right to seek refugee protection to people arriving irregularly in the UK, such as those risking their lives to cross the English Channel in small boats. Instead, these asylum-seekers would face detention and deportation, without having their individual circumstances examined. “This would be a clear breach of
Read MoreSince the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, tens of thousands of people have been killed and maimed on Ukrainian soil, many Ukrainian cities have been reduced to rubble, and their inhabitants forced to flee; UN investigations have found evidence of war crimes. Throughout the year, UN staff have continued to provide humanitarian
Read More“The prison sentences delivered today in Belarus against four human rights defenders, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, are deeply troubling and indicative of the ongoing repression in the country,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, OHCHR. UN human rights chief Volker Türk has called for an end to the
Read MoreThe members of the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries also called for greater oversight by the Government as well as stronger integration of human rights in domestic policies. “Armenia stands out in its efforts to integrate the 1989 UN Convention on Mercenaries in its domestic legislation, specifically in Article 147 of the
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