UN

As reported by local media, two pregnant women and children were amongst those slain in ambush and retaliatory attacks in the Tagali Local Level Government (LLG) area of the Tari-Pori District, in Hela Province.

Louisa Wall made the comment at the launch of a new book examining New Zealand's position on West Papua.

In her book See No Evil: New Zealand's betrayal of the people of West Papua, author Maire Leadbeater criticises successive governments for failing to support Papuan rights.

Ms Wall said the book offers telling insights on how Papuans had no say in their homeland's incorporation into Indonesia in the 1960s.

This follows the announcement by the Government of Papua New Guinea confirming circulation of the virus.

The UN, along with government authorities, has surveyed the area, collected samples and carried out laboratory tests.

“Today, as the Government declares polio outbreak as national public health emergency, WHO will provide all the necessary technical, material and logistical support to ensure that measures are in place to urgently stop this outbreak and prevent further children from lifelong polio paralysis,” said Dr Luo Dapeng, WHO Representative in Papua New Guinea.

The statement follows a visit to Pyongyang by Jeffrey Feltman, the highest-level trip by a UN official to the isolated nation in six years.

North Korea says it has agreed to regular communication with the UN.

Tensions over the North's weapons programme were raised further after a fresh ballistic missile test last week.

North Korea said it was its most advanced missile yet, capable of reaching the continental US.

The test was the latest in a series of nuclear and missile tests conducted in defiance of UN sanctions.

They signed off a document stating that the flow of plastic into the ocean must be stopped.

Scientists welcomed the statement, but were unhappy the agreement was only based in principle, with no firm targets or timetables.

Ministers say it's a milestone because it shows governments, industry and the public that a major change is needed.

Vidar Helgesen, Norway's Environment Minister, has been leading the UN debate on plastic pollution.

About 400 refugees are still refusing to leave the former detention centre on the Papua New Guinea island after it was closed at the end of October when essential services were cut.

The deputy regional representative of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), Nai Jit Lam, said Australia remained responsible for the refugees and should engage them in constructive dialogue.

"This is a man-made and entirely preventable humanitarian crisis. It is a damning indictment of a policy meant to avoid Australia's international obligations," the UNHCR added.

“We urge the governments of Australia and Papua New Guinea to uphold their obligations under international human rights and refugee laws to respect the basic human rights of all persons concerned,” the team says in a statement.

It is reported that UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is monitoring the situation on the ground on Manus Island, and have found that: 

The pro-independence FLNKS movement has told the UN decolonisation committee that problems persist with the Noumea Accord which is the territory's roadmap to next year's self-determination referendum.

Speaking to the committee, a FLNKS delegate Mickael Forrest said the Accord was not respected in a number of ways.

Mr Forrest also said the use of natural resources was not profiting the local population.

The petition, presented by the independence leader Benny Wenda on Tuesday, asked the UN to appoint a special representative to investigate abuses and to put West Papua back on the decolonisation agenda.

But the UN decolonisation committee says the West Papua cause is outside its mandate, which extends only to the 17 states identified by the UN as "non-self-governing territories."

The committee's chair and Venezuela's representative to the UN, Rafael Ramírez, says he had received no formal petition document, and his office had been "manipulated" for political purposes.

The petition, presented by the independence leader Benny Wenda on Tuesday, asked the UN to appoint a special representative to investigate abuses and to put West Papua back on the decolonisation agenda.

But the UN decolonisation committee says the West Papua cause is outside its mandate, which extends only to the 17 states identified by the UN as "non-self governing territories."

The committee's chair and Venezuela's representative to the UN, Rafael Ramírez, says he had received no formal petition document, and his office had been "manipulated" for political purposes.