In progress at UNHQ

As Media Seminar on Middle East Peace Opens in Budapest, UN Communications Chief Cites Small but Vibrant People-to-People Movement between Israelis, Palestinians

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BUDAPEST, 12 July — Welcoming journalists and creators of fiction, theatre and music this morning to a seminar in Budapest, Hungary, on the media’s vital role in resolving the Middle East conflict, the United Nations communications Chief called on them to further utilize their talents to help counter narratives of “fear, hostility and violence” that reified the standstill in the peace process.

‘For Those Facing Mass Rape and Violence, the Slow Pace of Global Deliberations Offers No Relief’, Secretary-General Cautions in General Assembly Debate

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The United Nations and its partners sought to ensure that the history of the twenty-first century was the first “not to be written in the blood of innocents”, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said as the General Assembly convened an interactive thematic debate on the role of regional and subregional arrangements in implementing the responsibility to protect.

Impact of Journalism, Social Media, Arts in Resolving Middle East Conflict Explored as International Seminar Closes in Budapest, Hungary

PAL/2145-PI/1993
BUDAPEST, 13 July — As the International Media Seminar on Middle East Peace closed in Budapest, Hungary, today, top Hungarian and United Nations officials urged media creators to reach out to individuals in the region to foster a climate conducive to peace, following two final panels that explored the role of journalism, social media and the arts in that effort.

Costa Rica Hails Election of Female President, Adoption of Gender-Equality Policy as Women’s Anti-Discrimination Committee Considers Its Report

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Costa Rica’s adoption of a gender-equality policy and the election of its first female President in 2010 were landmark events that would allow women more economic autonomy, political participation and social protection, all of which were essential to overcoming entrenched discriminatory barriers, the country’s delegation said today while presenting its combined fifth and sixth periodic reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

‘Like Any Newborn, South Sudan Needs Help,’ Secretary-General Says, Moments After Security Council Recommends Country’s Admission to United Nations

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Hailing the recent independence of the Republic of South Sudan following decades of civil war, the Security Council today pledged its continued support to the poverty stricken country — which ranks at the bottom of nearly all human development indicators — just moments after recommending to the General Assembly that the world’s newest nation be admitted as a member of the United Nations.

Independent Audit Advisory Committee Holds Fifteenth Session, 11-13 July

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The Independent Audit Advisory Committee of the United Nations (IAAC) held its fifteenth session from 11 to 13 July. The session, which was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, was presided over by the Chairman, David M. Walker. All the other members of the IAAC, namely John Muwanga (Vice-Chairman), Vadim V. Dubinkin, Vinod Rai and Adrian P. Strachan, were in attendance.