Girls around the world still face threats posed by gender-based violence online, in school, at home and in their communities, and harmful practices such as child marriage, female genital mutilation, sexual exploitation and human trafficking persist in many regions, a UNICEF report says. "While the world has mustered political will to send girls to school, it has come up embarrassingly short on equipping them with skills and support they need not only to shape their own destinies, but to live in safety and dignity," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore says.

The United Nations is mourning the death of former UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar, who headed the organization from 1982 to 1991 and is credited with helping achieve peace between Iraq and Iran in 1988. Perez de Cuellar had celebrated his 100th birthday in January.

World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has cautioned that not enough countries are taking decisive action to identify and contain cases of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 100,000 people in at least 80 countries. UNESCO warns the outbreak is disrupting the education of nearly 300 million children, and has announced a meeting to address the issue next week.

Nine out of 10 people -- including women -- are biased against women in the areas of politics, economics, education, violence or reproductive rights, according to the United Nations Development Programme's first Gender Social Norms Index. Pedro Conceicao, director of the UNDP's human development report office, notes the data indicates that global progress toward women's rights is being eroded.

Moldova this week became the fourth country to submit a new, more aggressive climate action plan to the United Nations, joining the Marshall Islands, Suriname and Norway. The country has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 70% by 2030, but says with support, it could reduce emissions by as much as 88%.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's requests for access to suspected nuclear sites in Iran have no legal basis and the country is not obligated to honor them, officials in Iran have said in response to an IAEA report suggesting the country has nearly tripled its uranium stores in recent months. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged members of the United Nations Security Council to renew an arms embargo on Iran in response.

"We Should Be Thanking Our Lucky Stars for the World Health Organization Right Now"

"Bad laws and policies that violate the human rights of women and girls must be overturned," said @Winnie_Byanyima at the launch of the new UNAIDS report on women, adolescent girls and HIV.

@UNAIDS