Nigeria issues call at UN for reinforced fight against illicit small arms trade

There is an urgent need for a rejuvenated fight against trafficking in small arms, a top Nigerian official said at the General Assembly today, stressing the ties between that trade and piracy and oil smuggling in the Niger Delta.

Dialogue vital to resolving Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, Armenia tells UN

The ongoing dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is part of Azerbaijan’s territory but is occupied by Armenian forces, could be settled as long as both sides refrain from taking action that hampers the peace process, Armenia’s Foreign Minister told the General Assembly today.

Cote d’Ivoire: UN assisting in delivery of electoral materials for long-awaited polls

The United Nations mission in Côte d’Ivoire has begun preparing for the delivery of electoral materials across the country ahead of the long-awaited presidential polls, which were to have been held as far back as 2005, and are now slated for 29 November.

Report: Saudis give Israel green light to attack Iran nuclear site

INTELLIGENCE chief Sir John Scarlett has been told that Saudi Arabia is ready to allow Israel to bomb Iran’s new nuclear site.

 

The head of MI6 discussed the issue in London with Mossad chief Meir Dagan and Saudi officials after British intelligence officers helped to uncover the plant, in the side of a mountain near the ancient city of Qom.

 

Global economic turmoil has cemented bonds between poorer nations, UN hears

The strengthening of ties between developing countries has been one of the few positive consequences of the global economic meltdown, the leaders of two Caribbean nations told the General Assembly today.

Time to act to combat global hunger is now, Ireland tells UN debate

The fact that one billion people on the planet suffer from hunger represents a collective failure by the international community, Ireland told the General Assembly today, stressing that the time to act together to eradicate this scourge is now.

Ban outlines steps to boost ‘strategic’ UN-African Union peacekeeping partnership

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has outlined steps to boost the African Union’s capacity to successfully carry out United Nations-authorized peacekeeping operations, including helping the regional body in the areas of finance, logistics and human resources.

UN partners with African initiative to slash numbers of starving on the continent

With over three million children dying from hunger around the world every year and child mortality rates rising in Africa, the United Nations food agency today announced a new partnership to expand efforts in the fight against malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa.

Haiti: UN peacekeeping mission condemns shooting of judge

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTHA) today condemned “in the strongest terms” an armed attack wounding a judge from the small Caribbean country in an attempt to undermine justice.

Africa must have full Security Council representation - DR Congo tells Assembly

The Security Council must be fully reformed and enlarged to include a proper African representation, particularly since two thirds of the issues it addresses concern the continent, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) told the General Assembly today.