Borrell: EU and the UN are Natural Partners who have been working Hand in Hand for Peace
On 24 October, the European Union turns blue to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. We celebrate a moment that turned the course of history: when…
Mechanism: Through ad hoc Tribunals, the UN immensely strengthened International Justice
As Principals of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), we are proud to join the international community in marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Charter of the…
Obesity significantly increases Chances of severe Outcomes for COVID-19 Patients
Obesity can significantly increase the chances of severe outcomes for patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). To raise awareness of this linkage and to discuss the latest academic research of…
Mechanism launches Lectures on International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
Judge Carmel Agius, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), on Friday launched the second cycle of the Mechanism’s Inter-University Video Lecture Programme (Programme) by delivering…
World Health Organization approved antigen-based Rapid Diagnostic Tests
The roll-out of new, World Health Organization (WHO) approved antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests for the novel coronavirus in Africa will significantly boost testing capacity and marks a game-changer in…
President Agius updated the UN General Assembly on Judicial Developments in Mladic and Stanisic Cases
President Carmel Agius today presented the eighth Annual Report of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism) to the United Nations General Assembly. The President commenced by congratulating…
IMF: A Tentative Global Economic Recovery is underway
”A tentative global economic recovery is underway, supported by extraordinary macroeconomic policy responses. But the recovery is partial, uneven, and marked by significant uncertainty, with the pandemic continuing to…
Call on UN Member States to support the Resolution on a Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty
Today, on the World and European Day Against the Death Penalty, the European Union and the Council of Europe reaffirm their opposition to the use of capital…
COVID-19 Pandemic is increasing Demand for Mental Health Services
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide while the demand for mental health is increasing, according to a new WHO…
International Monetary Fund approved Tranche of Debt Service Relief for 28 Member Countries
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved on October 2, 2020 a second six-month tranche of debt service relief for 28 member countries under the Catastrophe…
Small and medium-sized Enterprises are handicapped by limited Access to Credit
Small and medium-sized enterprises dominate the business landscape in the Middle East and North Africa region. These enterprises account for more than 90 percent of the region’s businesses and,…
IMF: Field of Economics has been far from immune from Discrimination and Racism
"The recent widespread protests in the United States and across the world against police brutality and systemic racism have stirred our collective conscience. As staff working in a multilateral…
Around 14% of COVID-19 Cases reported to WHO are among Health Workers
The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on governments and health care leaders to address persistent threats to the health and safety of health workers and patients. “The COVID-19 pandemic…
Single European Sky: for a more sustainable and resilient air traffic management
Today, the European Commission is proposing an upgrade of the Single European Sky regulatory framework which comes on the heels of the European Green Deal. The objective is to…
Michel: The Challenges of the Future are not exactly the same as those of 1945
”Seventy-five years of the Charter of the United Nations. But rather than looking back, I want to look forward 75 years, to 2095. My youngest daughter, Lucie, will be…
The Commission signs Second Contract to ensure Access to a potential Vaccine
Today, a second contract with a pharmaceutical company entered into force following the contract’s formal signature between Sanofi-GSK and the Commission. The contract will allow all EU Member States…
Commission calls on Member States to develop joint Approach to 5G Rollout
Today, the Commission takes further steps in the Digital Decade agenda to strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty, as announced by President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union address on Wednesday. The…
EU works on Enhancing the Capabilities of WB Preparedness for and Response to Radiological Emergency
Although having no operational nuclear power plants at their territory, Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) could nevertheless be affected by nuclear releases…
Shutdown of Economy in April due to COVID-19 has had a higher cost for Women than Men
Japan’s voluntary month-and-a-half shutdown of the economy in April due to COVID-19 has had a higher cost for women than men. A key reason: a “guilt gap” between women…
EBRD and Women 20 call on G20 Members to mainstream Gender Equality
G20 Leaders should put women at the heart of all immediate and long-term post-Covid-19 recovery efforts, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Women 20 (W20), the…
Number of Global under-five Deaths dropped to its lowest Point
The number of global under-five deaths dropped to its lowest point on record in 2019 – down to 5.2 million from 12.5 million in 1990, according to new mortality estimates released…
EBRD to boost Raiffeisen Bank Albania’s lending capacity
Businesses in Albania will have better access to finance thanks to a risk-sharing facility of up to €50 million signed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)…
ODIHR opens limited Election Observation Mission in Kyrgyzstan
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened a limited election observation mission (LEOM) for the 4 October parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan, following an invitation…
Pljevlja’s Former Head Imam Documents Hate Vandalism in Northern Montenegro on Facebook
The former head imam in Pljevlja, Montenegro has been sharing photographs this week depicting anti-Bosniak vandalism on his Facebook account amid incidences of attack on Bosniaks in the…
The Pandemic is straining Economic and Social fault lines: the only remedy is international Cooperation
An infected passenger flies from Wuhan to Milan, a computer virus invades an internet connection, subprime defaults in the US Midwest trigger a global economic crisis. The super-spreaders of…
IMF elects New Director of the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department
Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), announced today her intention to name Ms. Ceyla Pazarbasioglu as Director of the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department.…
172 Countries engaged in Discussions to potentially participate in COVAX
172 economies are now engaged in discussions to potentially participate in COVAX, a global initiative aimed at working with vaccine manufacturers to provide countries worldwide equitable access to safe…
Commission decides to register ‘Right to Cure’ Initiative
Today, the European Commission decided to register a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘Right to Cure’. The organisers of the ECI call on the Union ‘to put public health…
Islamic New Year marked by fireworks in Sarajevo (Video)
With the sunset on Wednesday evening, a New Year 1442 started. According to Takvim of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 1st Muharram of 1442 is August 20,…
Commission proposes to extend 2020 European Capitals of Culture into 2021
Due to the effects of the coronavirus crisis, the European Commission has today proposed to give Rijeka (Croatia) and Galway (Ireland) the possibility to extend their year as 2020…
European Commission reaches first Agreement on a potential Vaccine
Today, the European Commission has reached a first agreement with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to purchase a potential vaccine against COVID-19 as well as to donate to lower and…
COVID-19 Pandemic has heightened the Importance of stronger Governance
Corruption, the abuse of public office for private gain, is about more than wasted money: it erodes the social contract and corrodes the government’s ability to help grow…
Transparency makes Central Banks more Effective and Trusted
The role and mandates of central banks have become broader and more complex since the 2008 global financial crisis. The unconventional nature and growing scale of interventions (as seen again…
Plane carrying WHO trauma and surgical supplies arrives in Beirut, Lebanon
A plane carrying 20 tonnes of WHO health supplies has landed in Beirut, Lebanon, to support the treatment of patients injured by the massive blast that occurred in the…
European Union response to promote International Security and Stability in Cyberspace
"The European Union and its member states have repeatedly signalled their concern and denounced malicious behaviour in cyberspace. Such behaviour is unacceptable as it undermines international security and…
Trafficking in Human beings remains a scourge and grave Concern
On the occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons today, high-level OSCE officials have highlighted the need to redouble efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly against the backdrop…
International Community representatives commend the adoption of the Law on Peaceful Assembly by the Brcko District Assembly
"We, the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Office of the High Representative, Delegation of the European Union to BiH and EU Special Representative in BiH and US…
New UNDP Platform BOOST will use Social Impact Innovation to tackle COVID-19 Challenges
To tackle the long-term effects of Covid-19, UNDP Europe and Central Asia is launching BOOST, a regional acceleration program for social impact innovation. It will support emerging solutions in…
WHO joins forces with 17 central European countries to step up tailored COVID-19 response
A joint task force has been established by WHO/Europe and the Central European Initiative (CEI) to respond to COVID-19 and step up regional coordination to mitigate the impact…
IMF Executive Board Approves a Temporary Increase in Annual Access Limits to Financial Support
On July 13, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a temporary increase in the annual limits on overall access to resources in the General Resources…
New COVID-19 Law Lab to provide vital Support for the Global COVID-19 Response
Launching today, the COVID-19 Law Lab initiative gathers and shares legal documents from over 190 countries across the world to help states establish and implement strong legal frameworks to…
COVID-19 Pandemic threatens to wide the Gender Gaps that persist despite 30 Years of Progress
The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to roll back gains in women’s economic opportunities, widening gender gaps that persist despite 30 years of progress. Well-designed policies to foster recovery can mitigate the…
Dominant Currencies and the Limits of Exchange Rate Flexibility
Faced with an unprecedented shock of collapsing global demand and commodity prices, capital outflows, major supply chain disruptions and a generalized drop in global trade, many emerging markets and…
IMF Managing Director Urges Further Action to Secure a Resilient Recovery
Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement today at the conclusion of the virtual meeting of the Group of 20 (G20)…
More than 150 Countries engaged in COVID-19 Vaccine global access Facility
Seventy-five countries have submitted expressions of interest to protect their populations and those of other nations through joining the COVAX Facility, a mechanism designed to guarantee rapid, fair and…
Amnesty International Researchers recorded Reports of Strikes for Unsafe Working Conditions in 31 Countries
Health workers reported serious shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) in nearly all of the 63 countries and territories surveyed by Amnesty International. This includes countries which may yet…
Croatia completes Corridor Vc Motorway with EBRD Loan
Croatia is taking a major step towards deepening its European integration with the completion of its part of the Pan-European Corridor Vc motorway, thanks to a loan of up…
International Criminal Justice is more important than ever
The three Principals of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), President Carmel Agius, Prosecutor Serge Brammertz, and Registrar Abubacarr Tambadou issued the following statement to mark International…
Alfred Kammer appointed as IMF’s Director of the European Department
Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), announced today her intention to appoint Mr. Alfred Kammer as Director of the European Department. Mr. Kammer succeeds…
European Union adopts new Priorities 2020-2022 for its Cooperation with the Council of Europe
In the context of widespread challenges to human rights, democracy and the rule of law, the European Union is determined to maintain its leading role in the promotion of…
