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UN Forces in South Sudan Fail to Protect Civilians
October 19, 2016
A report from the US-based Center for Civilians in Conflict says that UN peacekeepers in South Sudan abandoned their posts and refused to come to the aid of nearby civilians, including aid workers, whom military forces targeted with physical and sexual assault.
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UN Identifies Right to Housing in City Centers
October 18, 2016
In advance of the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development in Ecuador, a group of UN officials affirmed their view that "adequate housing" is a "universal human right" and that national and municipal urban development policies should focus on providing affordable housing in the physical center of cities.
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UN Agency: "Ageist" Policies Harm Health
October 18, 2016
The UN's World Health Organization has released a new study blaming discrimination against people based on their age - including by "depicting older people as frail, dependent, and out of touch in the media" and mandatory retirement ages - for health problems in older adults.
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Academics Warn of "Flexible" Language in UN Climate Deal
October 18, 2016
Reporting the findings of their study on the impacts of "flexible" versus "firm" language in international treaties, academics Katerina Linos and Tom Pegram warn of the absence of firm language in the UN climate pact set to enter into force this year on "climate resilience" in developing countries.
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World Bank Links Economic Equality Agenda with SDGs
October 18, 2016
A recently published World Bank study targets economic inequality as an obstacle to the reduction of extreme poverty around the world and proposes policies such as cash redistribution and progressive taxation to "boost shared prosperity" as part of efforts to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals for the year 2030.