Latest news on the Asia-Pacific region from the United Nations
- Kornelia Icha has never gone hungry or got close to starvation. Very few people do in Indonesia with its fertile soil and tropical climate. But, until a recent intervention by the National Food Agency, her diet consisted mostly of rice, corn, onions and the occasional meat dish.
- The UN’s top human rights official on Friday raised alarm over the escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state between junta and opposition forces amid reports of the military regime forcing members of the minority Muslim Rohingya community to join their ranks.
- Despite facing formidable challenges, women-owned and run businesses in Afghanistan continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience, serving as vital pillars of economic stability and hope amidst adversity, a new UN report has found.
- The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has warned that poverty is surging and the middle class in Myanmar is “disappearing” amidst worsening insecurity and conflict.
- Sharp divisions emerged on Thursday as the General Assembly debated Russia’s veto on the Security Council which blocked renewal of the sanctions panel that monitors the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear weapon and missile programmes.
- The ongoing escalation of the conflict in Myanmar, more than three years after the military takeover, is severely affecting people across the country, with spillover effects in the region, two senior UN officials told the Security Council on Thursday.
- Working abroad can be a way for Indonesians to earn much more than they could at home, and provide for their families. However, for some the journey can turn into a nightmare, with long hours, wages withheld, and abuse. The UN is working closely with the government to help bring trafficked workers home.
- When the landfill in Osaki, in the southwest of Japan, reached capacity, an incinerator was the logical next step. Instead, the town decided to get serious about recycling. Ahead of International Zero Waste day, marked on 30 March, Kasumi Fujita, a town councillor committed to Osaki’s low waste policies, tells UN News what inspired her.
- A 12-year-girl who was allegedly raped repeatedly by her stepfather has been described by Madagascar’s Chief Inspector of Police as “courageous” after she came forward to tell her story during an information session on gender-based violence supported by the United Nations.
- Some 70 million hectares of forest are affected by fires each year, causing huge environmental and economic damage. On the International Day of Forests, marked on 21 March, we look at how an innovative UN-led initiative in Indonesia is dramatically reducing forest fires, saving livelihoods and cutting harmful emissions.
- The UN’s deputy human rights chief on Wednesday underscored the need to ensure accountability for ongoing serious violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), stressing that it would also benefit long-term peace and security across the region.
- The accelerated adoption of a national security bill in Hong Kong represents “a regressive step” for human rights there, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday.
- The UN independent human rights expert on Myanmar called on the international community on Tuesday to take strong, coordinated action to protect civilians from ongoing atrocities committed by the military junta’s forces.
