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WFP said millions are on the brink of starvation around the world

Nobel-winning WFP says 270m people face starvation

Around 270 million people worldwide stand on the brink of starvation, the head of the United Nations' World Food Programme said as he received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the organisation.

World • 10 Dec 20

An Ethiopian family rests in a makeshift shelter in Sudan after fleeing conflict in Tigray

'Bleak milestone' as 80m people displaced - UN

Despite calls for ceasefires and compassion amid the Covid-19 pandemic, violence and persecution have continued to force people from their homes, with record numbers now displaced, the UN has said.

World • 09 Dec 20

At least 98,000 children under the age of five are at "high risk of dying" unless they receive urgent treatment (File photo)

Child malnutrition soars in war-torn Yemen - UN

Malnutrition among young children has soared to the highest levels ever recorded in parts of war-torn Yemen, according to the United Nations.

World • 27 Oct 20

The UN said that the treaty has been ratified by a 50th country, allowing the text to come into force after 90 days

Treaty banning nuclear weapons to enter into force

An international treaty banning nuclear weapons has been ratified by a 50th country, the UN has said, allowing the "historic" text to enter into force after 90 days.

World • 25 Oct 20

Xi Jinping's address to the UN followed Donald Trump's

Trump uses UN to hit out at China, Xi urges cooperation

US President Donald Trump used the UN General Assembly to attack China's handling of the coronavirus pandemic today, saying it must be held accountable for having "unleashed this plague onto the world".

World • 22 Sep 20

'Digital diplomacy' at the UN General Assembly

The annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, which begins today in New York, usually involves a long convoy of limousines on the streets of Manhattan as world leaders and their entourages congregate to discuss the world's problems.

World • 22 Sep 20

All statements have been pre-recorded and will be broadcast in the General Assembly hall

We must work together, says Guterres at UN anniversary

World leaders are coming together, virtually, today to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, as the deadly coronavirus pandemic challenges the effectiveness and solidarity of the 193-member world body.

World • 21 Sep 20

The UN warned that man-made activity had already severely degraded three quarters of land on Earth

World missing all targets to save nature - UN

Countries are set to miss all of the targets they set themselves a decade ago to preserve nature and save Earth's vital biodiversity, the United Nations has said.

World • 15 Sep 20

The troops were due to arrive home last month but were delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak

115 Irish troops arrive home from Lebanon

More than 100 Irish peacekeeping troops have arrived back from Lebanon after their return was delayed last month due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Ireland • 22 Jun 20

Figures for the number of people displaced have been rising since 2012

Record 79.5m people displaced, 1% of humanity - UN

Nearly 80 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to violence and persecution, marking a near-doubling of global displacement in a decade, the UN said.

World • 18 Jun 20

Votes were cast at the UN headquarters in New York

Ireland wins seat on United Nations Security Council

Ireland has won a seat for a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council.

World • 18 Jun 20

The new system will see UN ambassadors cast their ballots at different time slots at the UN headquarters in New York

Rules agreed ahead of Ireland's Security Council bid

The United Nations has agreed new procedures for next month's Security Council vote.

Ireland • 30 May 20

The first troops arrive in Ireland on 21 June with a second contingent returning eight days later.

Peacekeepers' families welcome June return date

After weeks of uncertainty, soldiers and their families have welcomed the news that Irish peacekeeping troops currently in Lebanon will return home towards the end of June.

Ireland • 22 May 20

Antonio Guterres told a news conference that the international community was divided

UN chief says world powers divided and lack leadership

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has lamented a lack of leadership by world powers and a divided international community in the fight against the coronavirus.

Coronavirus • 01 May 20

Global coronavirus death toll passes 200,000

Global deaths linked to the coronavirus have now passed 200,000, while confirmed cases of the virus are expected to hit three million in coming days.

Coronavirus • 25 Apr 20

Members of the South Sudanese Ministry of Health Rapid Response Team prepare to take a sample from a woman at her home in Juba, South Sudan

Number of people suffering acute hunger could double

The Covid-19 pandemic could almost double the number of people suffering acute hunger in the world, pushing it to more than a quarter of a billion by the end of 2020 according to the United Nations World Food Programme.

World • 22 Apr 20

The resolution calls for strengthening the 'scientific international co-operation necessary to combat Covid-19'

UN call for 'equitable' access to any Covid-19 vaccine

The 193 members of the United Nations General Assembly have adopted a resolution calling for "equitable, efficient and timely" access to any future vaccines developed to fight coronavirus.

Coronavirus • 21 Apr 20

Antonio Guterres comments were stark in relation to the fallout from coronavirus

'We are at war with a virus' - UN chief warns

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that a global recession "is a near certainty" and that "we are at war with a virus".

World • 19 Mar 20

Students take part in a protest to mark 2019 International Women's Day in Madrid

9 in 10 of all people hold bias against women - study

Nearly 90% of the world's population - of every gender - holds some prejudice against women, according to a UN study published today ahead of International Women's Day.

World • 06 Mar 20

Javier Perez de Cuellar played a crucial role in ending the Iran-Iraq war, securing the release of American hostages held in Lebanon and in peace agreements in Cambodia and El Salvador

Former UN chief Javier Perez de Cuellar dies aged 100

Former UN chief Javier Perez de Cuellar, who was known for his peace-making efforts including brokering a ceasefire in the Iran-Iraq war, has died in his native Peru, aged 100, his son said.

World • 05 Mar 20

The flights from Sanaa will go to Amman in Jordan and Cairo in Egypt

'Glimmer of hope' as evacuation flights leave Yemen

Yemeni children in critical need of medical care were evacuated from the rebel-held capital Sanaa, in what the United Nations hopes will be the first of more mercy flights from the war-torn country.

World • 03 Feb 20

France remains the world's most visited nation with 89 million arrivals

Global tourism growth slowed in 2019 - UN

Global tourism slowed in 2019 due to a cooling world economy, especially in Europe and Asia where uncertainties linked to Brexit and protests in Hong Kong also weighed, the United Nation's tourism agency said.

Business • 21 Jan 20

Aung San Suu Kyi leaving the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague

Suu Kyi rejects genocide claims at top UN court

Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has rejected allegations of genocide against Myanmar in the UN's top court, despite admitting the army may have used excessive force against Rohingya Muslims.

World • 11 Dec 19

The initiative is the idea of Dr Laura Kehoe, a sustainability researcher at the University of Oxford

Green Santa wants to know what children want for planet

A 'Green Santa' will be in Dublin this weekend to listen to what children want for the planet this Christmas.

Environment • 29 Nov 19

A photo made available by the Iran Atomic Energy Organization reportedly shows the inside of the Fordow nuclear facility

European nations warn Iran over nuclear actions

France, Britain and Germany have said they would consider a dispute resolution mechanism enshrined in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that could lead to United Nations sanctions being reimposed for recent breaches of the pact.

World • 11 Nov 19