News (Consolidated) - UNSOM

KABUL - Afghan media rights activists have joined United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in voicing their concerns over the rise in the number of journalists being killed, as the first-ever International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is marked worldwide today.“In a…

KABUL - Senior United Nations officials in Afghanistan welcomed the passing of legislation earlier this week by the Afghan Lower House of Parliament to criminalize underage recruitment in the Afghan National Security Forces as a significant step forward in protecting the rights of Afghan children…

KABUL - Afghanistan registered record levels of opium poppy cultivation this year, with the illicit crop being cultivated in an estimated 224,000 hectares of land, according to a United Nations-backed survey released in the Afghan capital, Kabul, today.Findings from the ‘ Afghanistan Opium Survey…

KABUL - The United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Rashida Manjoo, spoke to members of the media at a Kabul press conference, detailing her assessment of the situation of Afghan women following a weeklong investigative trip to the country. At the end of the visit, which took Ms…

KABUL - The United Nations’ top envoy for Afghanistan lauded the Afghan people and authorities for their tenacity in successfully completing the peaceful and democratic transfer of power this year, as well as for their vision for the future of the country.“Let’s understand how big an achievement…

KABUL - Afghanistan launched its first-ever gender-based violence (GBV) treatment protocol for healthcare providers to ensure “quality care” for victims.Outlined in a joint statement from the Afghan Ministry of Public Health and United Nations agencies, the protocol details procedures for healthcare…

KABUL - The United Nations in Afghanistan is committed to providing long-term support to the country through and beyond this period of critical transition, said the UN’s top official in Kabul.In addition to conducting a broad range of services in the country, the world body will use its offices to…

KABUL - A United Nations-backed high-level anti-corruption body today said that over 1.2 million jeribs of land (approx. 240,000 hectares) in Afghanistan were usurped by “powerful individuals,” particularly those who had significant influence in the government during the past decade.“Unless there is…

KABUL - The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemns in the strongest terms yesterday’s suicide attack in Yahyakhail district in the south-eastern province of Paktika.On 23 November, a suicide attacker detonated an improvised explosive device in a sports field killing at…

“Be a Champion: Prevent Violence and Discrimination against Women and Girls in Afghanistan” KABUL - Today marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW), followed by 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. The Day is commemorated around the world giving…

KABUL - Nationwide television and radio debates have spotlighted the critical importance of protecting women and girls from violence, as well as the requirement for authorities to meet their legal obligations.The roundtable debates, backed by the United Nations, involved scholars, religious leaders…

KABUL - Representatives from civil society groups across Afghanistan today issued a set of recommendations to the government, ahead of the London Conference, to maintain and build upon the country’s achievements in democratic reform, human rights, rule of law and economic development.“The…