GLOBAL ISSUES – Page 178 – IDN-InDepthNews

HUMAN RIGHTS2015-10-042023-07-10

UN’s Human Rights Judgements Tend to be Selective

By Kalinga Seneviratne* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

SINGAPORE (IDN) – Making a statement during its latest session in Geneva, UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein lamented that many of their member states do not tolerate criticism and scrutiny and there is an increasing trend of governments moving to restrict and persecute voices of civil society.

“I, together with many of my colleagues at the office, feel exhausted and angry,” Zeid said. “Exhausted, because the system is barely able to cope, given the resources available to it, while human misery accelerates . . . And angry, because it seems that little that we say will change this. Unless we change dramatically in how we think and behave as international actors.”

ARMAMENTS2015-09-302023-07-10

Kazakh and Japan Go ‘Aggressive’ for Entry into Force of Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty

By Fabíola Ortiz | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – “We will be working very aggressively to achieve the goal of making the world nuclear free by 2045,” when the United Nations will mark its 100th birthday, declared Erlan Idrissov, Foreign Minister of the Central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT2015-09-292023-07-10

An Upbeat UN Report Stresses Need of Funds to Spur Africa’s Development

By J Nastranis | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

NEW YORK (IDN) – A new report released after the adoption of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is quite upbeat about Africa’s development prospects, but expresses serious reservations on several counts. “Having made encouraging progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), African countries have the opportunity” to use the SDGs “to tackle remaining challenges and achieve a development breakthrough,” says the report.

PLANET EARTH2015-09-282023-07-10

Finishing the Unfinished Business with Sustainable Development Goals

By Fabíola Ortiz | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are all about “finishing the unfinished business” of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), says Amina Mohammed, special adviser to the UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon on post-2015 development planning.

PLANET EARTH2015-09-252023-07-10

It’s Not Just Kudos For Sustainable Development Goals

By J R Nastranis | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

NEW YORK (IDN) – The 193-Member United Nations General Assembly formally adopted on September 25 the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with a set of what the UN called “bold” new Global Goals. These have however received a mixed response.

GLOBAL ISSUES2015-09-242023-07-10

Ten Facts About SDGs and Illicit Financial Flows

WASHINGON (IDN) – The Global Financial Integrity (GFI), a non-profit, research and advisory organization, has highlighted ten stark facts about Sustainable Development Goals and illicit financial flows out of developing countries.

It pointed out in a media release that the scourge that illicit financial flows (IFFs) inflict upon poverty alleviation efforts has become well known and is addressed in the Sustainable Development Goals agenda (target 16.4).

In reaction to the new global commitments, Global Financial Integrity (GFI) President Raymond Baker said “we applaud this important step to curtail the torrent of money streaming out of developing economies.”

GLOBAL ISSUES2015-09-242023-07-10

Foreign Ministers to Call For an End to All Nuclear Testing

VIENNA (IDN) – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will open a ministerial-level conference on September 29 to promote the entry into force the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), the Treaty that bans all nuclear explosive testing. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan and Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov of Kazakhstan will chair the so-called Article XIV conference, named […]

PLANET EARTH2015-09-202023-07-10

UN Urges Global Partnership on Road to Sustainability

By J R Nastranis | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

NEW YORK (IDN) – A new United Nations report has identified persistent gaps in official development assistance (ODA) and insufficient access to markets, affordable medicines and new technologies as impediments to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and highlighted the need for a rejuvenation of the global partnership to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Climate Change2015-09-172023-07-10

Groups Urge Coordinated Communications Initiatives on Climate Change

By Rodrigo Pérez | IDN-InDepthNews Report

QUITO (IDN) – A group of major international organisations has issued a call for strong and coordinated communications initiatives to support action on climate change.

The UN-backed Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme (REEEP) and Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) together with the Overseas Development Institute, Climate and Development Knowledge Network and dozens more are backing the launch of the ‘Climate Knowledge Brokers’ Manifesto’, which lists the key principles for communicating climate change effectively and so precipitating a step change in society’s response to the climate crisis.

GLOBAL ISSUES2015-09-142023-07-10

Sri Lanka: Voters’ Expectations Yet to be Fulfilled

By Kalinga Seneviratne* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

SINGAPORE (IDN) – The U.S., UK and the international media have hailed the August 18 election results in Sri Lanka as a victory for democracy, but the looser may well turn out to be the voters of Sri Lanka. The political comedy that has taken place in the island republic in the aftermath of the election, exposes yet again the deficiencies of the democracy gospel that is unable to stamp out embedded corruption in the system.