By Jayant Menon* MANILA (IDN) – The world has seen a number of unexpected electoral outcomes lately; the most widely reported being Brexit in Europe and the election of President Donald Trump in the United States. But the ouster of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government in Malaysia was not only unexpected; it was amazing. […]
Sustainable Development Now at the Heart of the UN
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – The United Nations General Assembly has approved a landmark consensus resolution, which Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed assures will allow the world body to transform a “cacophony” of efforts under way to make sustainable development a reality into a “symphony”. Secretary-General António Guterres has described the plan as “the […]
Why 79 ACP Countries and EU Must Enter Into New Partnership
By Robert Johnson BRUSSELS | LOMÉ (ACP-IDN) – The Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA) between the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of 79 States and 28 European Union (EU) members expires on February 29, 2020. Formal negotiations for a successor Agreement should commence by August 2018. With a view to underpinning preparations and execution of […]
107 ACP-EU Countries Walk The Talk On Global Governance
By Robert Johnson BRUSSELS | LOMÉ (ACP | IDN) – African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the European Union will walk the talk on global governance by organising joint activities during United Nations conferences this year, according to co-presidents of the Joint ACP-EU Council of Ministers. The Council issued a joint declaration reaffirming its […]
Mamadou and Ramatoulaye Opt Out Of Migrating To Europe
Following is the text of an epilogue in Chapter 6, titled ‘recommendations and conclusions’ of Economic Development in Africa Report 2018: Migration for Structural Transformation, published on June 1, 2018 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). – The Editor. GENEVA (IDN | UNCTAD) – The news on the radio about Libya […]
Grassroots India Beginning To Beat Plastic Pollution
By Sudha Ramachandran BANGALORE (IDN) – A 32-year-old Rajeswari Singh launched on a six-week marathon mission on World Earth Day setting out to walk some 1,100 kilometres from Vadodara in western India to reach New Delhi on World Environment Day on June 5, spreading a simple message ‘Stop using plastic’, and accentuating it by forgoing […]
New Disarmament Agenda Recognizes CTBT’s Intrinsic Role
Viewpoint by Izumi Nakamitsu The author is High Representative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). Following are extensive excerpts from her keynote speech on May 25, 2018 at the High Level Session of the Second Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) Science Diplomacy Symposium from May 21-June 1, 2018 in Vienna. – The Editor. […]
What Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Legacy Means For CTBTO
Viewpoint by Marzhan Nurzhan The CTBTO Youth Group (CYG) holds its second international conference in Kazakh capital city Astana from August 28-30, 2018. The author is a CYG member from Kazakhstan, a convener of Abolition 2000 Youth Network and a PNND Coordinator for CIS countries. This article first appeared in The Astana Times on May […]
World Peace Eludes, Nuclear Armageddon Looms
Viewpoint by Somar Wijayadasa* NEW YORK (IDN) – Lately, we have seen a barrage of international conflicts that have severely undermined the United Nations efforts to maintain peace and security. The British Prime Minister Theresa May – in total disregard for the noble British norm “innocent until proven guilty” – rushed to accuse Russia of trying to poison […]
Gambia Ex-President Tied to 2005 Murders of Refugees
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | ACCRA (IDN) – Strong evidence has been gathered linking the former president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, to the murder of 44 West African migrants mostly from Ghana by operatives of the ex-president. The sole survivor of the mass killing, also from Ghana, promised himself not […]