Nations challenged to restore land fertility from desert landscapes
Farming, logging, mining and other human activities add to climate impacts on land, costing up to 17% of global GDP.
John Heilprin
Award-winning U.N.-accredited journalist, with 30+ years on four continents, almost half of it for AP in Washington, New York and Geneva.
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Geneva
UNICEF poll finds widespread online bullying of children affects school
The 170,000 young people polled were split over whether to blame governments, companies or other young people.
U.N. panel ties Western nations to human rights abuses in Yemen
Human rights experts cited a 'pervasive lack of accountability' in the Saudi-led alliance backed by Western governments.
U.N. calls for peace and justice in Yemen after airstrikes hit compound
First responders struggled to reach the scene where some survivors were believed to still be trapped under the rubble.
Treaty to fight match-fixing in sports takes effect with European backing
Under the legally binding Macolin treaty, a special committee will be set up to create procedural rules and a mandate.
CITES tightens rules to protect wildlife trade on dozens of species
The summit is held once every three years to examine protections for wild animals and plants traded internationally.
G-7 allies in turmoil over trade and climate as Trump takes hard line
The summit in France was overshadowed by fears of an escalating trade war between the United States and China.
U.N. health agency urges more extensive study of microplastics
Oceans, landfills and public spaces are filling with degraded bits and pieces of bottles, toys and other plastic pollution.
World leaders urged to adopt binding treaty protecting high seas
The proposed global treaty is intended to strengthen marine protections for international waters that are beyond the 200 nautical mile (370 kilometer) jurisdiction of coastal nations.
New accord to protect defenders of environment and human rights
The aim is to establish better networks of support worldwide for advocates and raise the pressure for perpetrators of violence and intimidation to be held accountable.
U.N.'s most powerful panel formally takes up Kashmir after half-century
Prodded by China and Pakistan, the U.N. Security Council held a closed-door discussion on the Indian-controlled region.
Oxfam's Winnie Byanyima of Uganda to serve as the next head of UNAIDS
The activist, mechanical engineer and ex-parliamentarian is set to replace UNAIDS' embattled leader Michel Sidibé.
For humanitarians, the Geneva Conventions at 70 are a call to duty
To mark the anniversary, diplomats planned to discuss the strengths and weakness of international humanitarian law.
WFP to quadruple food aid in 4 countries hammered by drought
The U.N. food agency plans to offer food assistance to 700,000 people in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Youth climate movement decides strategy at Swiss-hosted summit
Their demands call for supporting developing nations, paying for cleaner technologies, and pressuring wealthy nations.
Climate report urges change in human diet to improve land use
The IPCC shows how overconsumption and ill treatment of animals, forests and plants is making global warming worse.