Viewpoint by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana The writer is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). BANGKOK (IDN) — The growing number and share of older persons in Asia and the Pacific represent success stories of declining fertility and increasing longevity; the result of […]
Africa Needs to Do a Lot More to Combat Gender Discrimination and Violence
Interview with ProHumane Afrique International’s Executive Director MOSCOW (IDN) — Globally, violence against women and girls persists. Besides, there are all kinds of gender discrimination. Some governments are steadily making efforts to eradicate violence and discrimination using legislation, and supporting public platforms devoted to discussing these. In this interview with Kester Kenn Klomegah* of IDN-InDepthNews, […]
Foreign Policy: Sri Lanka and South Asia and the Conundrum to Resolve
By A. L. A. Azeez* COLOMBO (IDN) — Whenever the foreign policy of the government of Sri Lanka is explained, the familiar refrains that are bandied around are ‘non-alignment’ and ‘neutrality’. No other South Asian country today has the burden of clarifying its foreign policy in terms of such ideals or any other as much […]
Security Challenges We Face Are Climate and Disease, World Leaders Need to Rise Up
By Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama Fiji Islands Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama is the current Chair of the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum. Addressing the UN General Assembly virtually on September 25, he called on the global community to embrace Fiji’s vision of a better, greener, bluer and safer future for humanity. SUVA (IDN) — The United […]
Pandemic Raises Stakes for Success of The SDGs — Private Sector Collaboration Crucial
Viewpoint by Tina Nybo Jensen* AMSTERDAM (IDN) — In this Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we hear much about how organizations, countries and individuals are stepping up their efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda. Despite this, the reality is that the pace of action has not been quick enough, and we […]
Afghanistan: The Great Game or a Tumbling Dice on the Road to Ruin
Viewpoint by Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. and Jainendra Karn Manish Uprety is an ex-diplomat & ALCAP’s Special Adviser for Asia & Africa and Jainendra Karn is a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of IDN-InDepth News. New […]
Tough Going for Sri Lanka in Geneva
Viewpoint by Neville de Silva A veteran Sri Lankan journalist, Neville de Silva was Assistant Editor of the Hong Kong Standard before working in London for Gemini News Service. Later he was Deputy Chief-of-Mission in Bangkok and Deputy High Commissioner in London. LONDON (IDN) — Thankfully it was only a verbal update on Sri Lanka […]
The Koran Is Partly on the Side of Islamic Fundamentalists
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) — What do we in the West know about Islam? Perhaps more than we did before 9/11 but not much. Now the US and NATO have withdrawn from Afghanistan we are again reminded how little we understand about Islamic fundamentalism and how its adherents justify their beliefs, not […]
UN Urged to Declare a Global Peace Education Day
By Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury Following is the text of Inaugural Keynote Address by Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the United Nations and Founder of The Global Movement for The Culture of Peace (GMCoP), at the First Annual Peace Education Day Conference organized virtually by The Unity Foundation and Peace […]
Sri Lanka’s Valorous Battle Against a Separatist Insurgency
Viewpoint by Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne The writer is former Chief of Defence Staff and Retired from the Sri Lanka Navy COLOMBO (IDN) — The month of August 2006, fifteen years ago was a very eventful month for Sri Lanka Navy. I was the Commandant of Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA) and Flag Officer Naval […]