By Ramesh Jaura | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
BERLIN | GENEVA (IDN) – Ahead of a landmark United Nations climate conference beginning on November 30 in Paris, two international organizations are warning that unless appropriate steps are taken, the planet would become “more dangerous and inhospitable for future generations” and poverty stretch its wings further by 2030.
By Rodney Reynolds | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – When the world’s major nuclear powers express their support for nuclear disarmament, their political rhetoric usually fails to match their actions – even as they continue to modernize their arsenals. Undeterred, the UN’s Committee on Disarmament and International Security (also known as the First Committee) traditionally adopts a cluster of over 15-20 resolutions every year – mostly on arms control and nuclear disarmament.
This year there was one significant exception: the U.S., Britain and France, three of the world’s major nuclear powers, opted to abstain on a resolution, spearheaded by Japan every year, on united action towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons. All three countries voted in favour of the resolution last year, with U.S. and Britain as co-sponsors. But this year both countries were missing in action – much to the disappointment of Japan, a key Western ally.
By Jayantha Dhanapala* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
NAGASAKI (IDN) – The recent Nagasaki Pugwash Conference coincided with many significant anniversaries in the history of global peace and security – on this occasion with strong links to the host country, Japan.
– It was the 70th anniversary of the United Nations Organization, which underpins the prevailing global system of peace and security with its Charter and the framework of norms and values it upholds;
– It was the 60th anniversary of the Pugwash bedrock document and surely one of the earliest formulations of the “Humanitarian Pledge” of today – the 1955 London Manifesto of the Pugwash founding fathers Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell – one of whose co-signatories was Professor Hideki Yukawa, the Nobel Physics Laureate from Kyoto University, Japan;
– And it was the 20th anniversary of the award of the Nobel Peace Prize jointly to Pugwash and to one of its founders Sir Joseph Rotblat three months after the Pugwash Conference was held in Hiroshima in that year.
By Suresh Jaura* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
TORONTO (IDN | INPS) – ‘Real Change’ as promised in the election campaign has come to Canada with Justin Pierre James Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party, taking over as 23rd Prime Minister of Canada.
Justin is the eldest son of the 15th Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau, prompting observers to describe him as the first in Canada’s political destiny. Born December 25, 1971, he is the second youngest Prime Minister in Canadian history after Joe Clark who headed the government from June 1979 to March 1980.
The Liberal Party bagged majority mandate winning 184 seats in the 42nd Federal election on October 19. This was an impressive win for the party under Justin Trudeau, who was elected in April 2013 as leader of the third party in Canada. In 2011 election, the Liberals had the worst showing in its history with 19 percent of the popular vote and 34 seats.
By INPS* | IDN-InDepthNews Report
TOKYO (IDN) – The Pugwash Conference, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995, has urged all nuclear weapon states to abandon nuclear-weapon system modernization programmes, and spend the billions of dollars earmarked for those programs on minimizing nuclear risks, preventing accidental launches and cyber attacks, and promoting disarmament.
By Alissa Akins* | IDN-InDepthNews Viewpoint
WASHINGTON (IDN | GMF) – As refugees continue to arrive across Europe, non-entry point cities of Europe and the United States should consider proactively adopting measures to attract migrants to their communities as part of a long-term inclusion strategy.
Far from looking at resettled refugees as a burden on limited government resources, communities should instead see migrants as an external stimulus to the economy with high potential to fill labour market gaps and provide new employment opportunities.
Ultimately, the vast majority of migrants stay in the country to which they originally fled and less than 1% are resettled in third countries. This gives cities time to craft policies to welcome refugees into their communities and grow stronger, more inclusive economies.
By J C Suresh | IDN-InDepthNews Report
WASHINGTON (IDN) – The United States is “strongly committed to the prosperity, sovereignty, stability, and security of the five Central Asian countries as well as a vision of regional economic connectivity through its New Silk Road initiative,” says the Office of the Spokesperson of the U.S. State Department.
By Kalinga Seneviratne* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
The guidance note on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Financing of Terrorism helps charities familiarize themselves with how they may protect themselves from potential abuse related to money laundering or terrorist activities.
SINGAPORE (IDN) – Over the centuries, all great religious leaders and philosophers, including Jesus Christ, have drawn attention to the evils of excessive greed and taught honesty and integrity to overcome it. The guilty verdict by a Singaporean court in October, convicting six leaders of a large Christian Evangelical Church in a 36 million U.S. dollar fraud case, has raised question marks on whether so-called Mega Churches with thousands of devout followers generously donating to their coffers are a business or a religion?
By Jeffrey Moyo | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
HARARE (IDN) – Nuclear disarmament is a non-issue in Southern Africa. Because no African country possesses nuclear weapons. In fact the 38-nation African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (ANWFZ) Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Pelindaba, signed in 1996, established a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Africa. The treaty came into effect on July 15, 2009.
By Jaya Ramachandran | IDN-InDepthNews Report
BERLIN | PARIS (IDN) – Uruguay has become the 10th member country in Latin America and the Caribbean to join a group of 50 OECD and non-OECD countries that are already members of the Development Centre of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Explaining the accession, a press release said, Uruguay’s structural characteristics, development experience and challenges offer rich opportunities for knowledge sharing among the Centre’s member countries.
Since its banking and financial crisis in 2002, it added, Uruguay has made remarkable progress. Stable macroeconomic policies and a favourable external environment permitted brisk growth and the financing of social policies, yielding the longest period of economic growth in decades.
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