GENEVA, Switzerland—Nearly 23,000 people fleeing turmoil in Nicaragua have sought asylum in neighboring Costa Rica, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday, as it announced a beefed up presence in the region.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s Christiana Figueres nominated for UN secretary-general

The Tico Times -

If elected, Figueres would be the first woman and the second Latin American, after Peru’s Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, to lead the U.N.

Global

President Solís wants fewer words, more action from UN Security Council

The Tico Times -

Costa Rica's Solís: "The council’s focus on conflict prevention is inadequate, and, when it does take action, it often comes too late.”

Environment and Wildlife

President Solís tells world leaders Costa Rica is a model of sustainable development

The Tico Times -

President Solís -- saying that Costa Rica is a country with sustainable development "in its DNA” -- urged other nations to realign their spending away from militarization and towards the 2030 Agenda Development Goals.

Crime

UN peacekeepers routinely trade sex for goods

The Tico Times -

UNITED NATIONS – U.N. peacekeepers routinely trade sex for money, jewelry, cellphones and other items in countries where they are deployed in clear violation of U.N. rules, according to a draft U.N. report. A third of allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by U.N. personnel involve a minor under 18.