Civil rights organisations and national leaders are expressing alarm at a United Nations General Assembly resolution that demands respect for religion but which critics say has been used to justify suppression of religious minorities.

A number of key African civil society organisations have come together with church development campaigners at the close of the United Nations climate change talks, to demand billions in compensation for the impacts of global warming.

Peace groups and religious bodies have offered a cautious welcome for a voluntary United Nations agreement on small arms that they hope will be a step towards curbing the dangerous trade in illicit weapons.

The dramatic rise over the past twelve months in global food prices poses a threat to the very poorest and to humanity as a whole, says a new specialist report from the UN - which is seeking to coordinate global action.

Zimbabwean women have told the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva they are watching a "silent genocide" unfurl in their country, as President Mugabe's reign of terror against all opposition continues apace.

Land degradation intensifies agricultural economic losses, disorganizes local and regional food markets, and causes social and political instability. To combat it there is an increasing push towards sustainable agriculture - the ability of a farm to produce food indefinitely, without causing irreversible damage to ecosystem health. And now there are lots of creative ways you can help support this work from giving a can of worms to a Bolivian farmer through to helping create a farming conservation plot in Zimbabwe.

The World Association of Newspapers and the World Editors Forum have condemned what they say is the UN Human Rights Council's repeated efforts to undermine freedom of expression in the name of protecting religious sensibilities.

The plea "Give us this day our daily bread" needs to be heard by political leaders meeting in Rome on the global food crisis, says Jean Blaylock, looking at the response of world church representatives.

Church-backed Philippine human rights activists have reiterated their call on the UN Human Rights Council to "keep pursuing our government to stop the extra-judicial killings and other human rights violations".

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of Cape Town have spoken to Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, asking for help for churches in Zimbabwe as well as mediation and monitoring.