United Nations: Liberia's emergence from decades of civil war made the United Nations' annual list of forgotten stories, with Congo, the plight of asylum seekers, and Somalia's security vacuum also getting mentions.
With the election of Africa's first democratically elected female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia faces an "obstacle-strewn road" from years of war toward peace, the United Nations said.
The list is meant to draw public and media attention to issues that never made the spotlight, or focus on some elements of popular topics that did not attract much interest. The issues are not ranked according to their significance over one another.
"The media and the UN share an interest in getting information about what is happening in our world to the public," Shashi Tharoor, undersecretary-general for public information, said in a statement.
"But journalists are often inundated with stories, all competing for their and the public's attention," Tharoor said.
Other topics that made the list were the plight of children caught in Nepal's decade-long battle with Maoist rebels, and efforts to help rebuild the lives of hundreds of thousands of people left homeless and impoverished after the 2005 earthquake in India and Pakistan.
The list, released every year since 2004, also sought to bring more attention to Ivory Coast, where hate messages over the media have fueled new tensions and could jeopardize October elections.
It said the world must not ignore the daunting humanitarian challenges that face Congo even as governments praise its push toward elections later this year.
On asylum seekers, the UN sought to draw attention to the dual concerns of security and a rising number of migrants.
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"The institution of asylum finds itself in need of protection as the line gets blurred between victims who flee persecution and migrants who seek economic opportunity," the list said.
The United Nations list of 10 forgotten stories. They are not ranked according to significance.
1. Liberia : Development challenges top agenda as the nation recovers from years of civil strife.
2. Lost in migration: Asylum seekers face challenges amid efforts to stem flows of illegal migrants.
3. Democratic Republic of Congo: As the country moves boldly towards historic vote, humanitarian concerns continue to demand attention
4. Nepal's hidden tragedy: Children caught in the conflict
5. Somalia: Security vacuum compounding effects of drought
6. Protracted refugee situations: Millions caught in limbo, with no solutions in sight
7. South Asian earthquake: Relief effort saves lives, stems losses, but reconstruction tasks loom large
8. Behind bars, beyond justice: An untold story of children in conflict with the law.
9. From water wars to bridges of cooperation: Exploring the peace-building potential of a shared resource
10. Ivory Coast: A strike away from igniting violence amidst a faltering peace process
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