UNITED NATIONS, Oct 24 (IPS) - Oct. 24 is not just another day on the calendar. It is United Nations Day, an excellent time to take note of one of the accomplishments the world body has achieved in its 72-year history.

YANGON, Oct 24 (IPS) - In a quiet street, the sound of children's voices can be heard from an open window. They are reciting verses of the Koran in unison. The small Islamic school lays hidden in a walled neighborhood where only Muslims live. This is an island of tranquility in Mandalay, the second-largest city of predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.

GENEVA, Oct 24 (IPS) - In commemoration of the 2017 United Nations Day, the Chairman of the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue H. E. Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassim called for enhancing the role of the United Nations to address issues related to the promotion of peace and security as a platform for collaboration and the advancement of human rights.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 24 (IPS) - 24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.

In his message to the world the UN Secretary General, Mr Antonio Guterres remarked, "When we achieve human rights and human dignity for all people – they will build a peaceful, sustainable and just world".

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 23 (IPS) - As the crisis in Myanmar reaches unprecedented levels, frustration is at its peak as the international community remains slow to respond and act cohesively.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 23 (IPS) - Fashion is not a sector that exists in a vacuum. In fact, the fashion industry is not unlike any other key economic drivers; it is a key component of a global economy and certainly an important sector to consider when thinking about the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 23 (IPS) - Some parts of Kenya are reeling from the effects of probably the worst drought in the last 20 years. With nearly 3.4 million people food insecure, Kenya's food security prognosis looks gloomy, with climate change and natural resource depletion set to pose even greater risks in the long term.

ROME, Oct 21 (IPS) - The Austrian elections show clearly that media have given up on contextualising events. To do that, calls for a warning about Europe's future, as a vehicle of European values is required. Europe has been weakened by all the recent elections, with the notable exception of France. Common to all, France included, were some clear trends, that we will hastily, and therefore maybe imperfectly, examine.

PARANAITA, Brazil, Oct 21 (IPS) - The burning down of the local forest, on Jun. 29, 1979, was the first step towards the creation of the city of Paranaita, in a municipality that is now trying to shed its reputation as a major deforester of Brazil's Amazon rainforest and has named itself "the energy capital."