News headlines in June 2023, page 14

NEW YORK, Jun 14 (IPS) - As we head into June, we will commemorate a number of important international days that call for much-needed support to protect refugees, end child labour, stop sexual violence in conflict and ensure human rights for the innocent children victims of aggression.

The UN Secretary-General said on Wednesday he was horrified at the news of dozens more deaths in the Mediterranean after an overloaded boat reportedly capsized and sank off the coast of Greece.

Social justice must underpin the global transition to more just and sustainable jobs for all, UN Secretary-Antonio Guterres said in a video message to the opening of the World of Work Summit in Geneva on Wednesday.

An activist who wants to highlight the challenges and opportunities for people living with Down syndrome has told UN News how he wants the voices of people with disabilities to be heard “louder and louder” around the world.

In the face of rising hatred worldwide, both on and offline, faith leaders are vital allies in the quest for global peace, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a briefing to the Security Council on Wednesday.

Urgent action is needed to end gender-based bias in public and political life against women which remain deeply entrenched around the world, said the UN human rights chief on Wednesday.

DENVER, Colorado, USA, Jun 14 (IPS) - June 16 marks the International Day of the African Child, a day commemorating student uprisings in Soweto Township, South Africa, in 1976. The day is meant to honor the brave students who stood against a system of violence and oppression, raising their voices for equality as human beings and for the right to learn in their native languages at school.

PESHAWAR, Jun 13 (IPS) - A warning by the UN that Pakistan may face acute food insecurity in the coming months should serve as a wake-up call for the government to focus on the flood-hit areas where the people still live without shelter, medication, and proper food, analysts say.

The full-scale war in Ukraine, alongside other conflict and climate-driven upheaval, meant more people than ever remained uprooted from their homes last year, heightening the urgency for immediate, collective action to alleviate the global crisis, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has raised the spectre of ethnic violence and crimes against humanity, senior UN officials warned on Tuesday. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was deeply concerned about the increasing ethnic dimension, and appalled at reports of large scale violence in Darfur.