Viewpoint by Anuradha Mittal The writer is the founder and executive director of the Oakland Institute. SAN FRANCISCO (IDN) – As Dr. Agnes Kalibata arrived in Rome on February 10, 2020 to meet with Dr. QU Dongyu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), her appointment as the UN Secretary-General Guterres’ Special Envoy […]
Sri Lanka at a Juncture of Transition From Separatist Terrorism to Era of Reconciliation
Viewpoint by Ambassador Kshenuka Senewiratne, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations NEW YORK (IDN) — Sri Lanka is presently at a juncture of transition after near three decades of brutal separatist terrorism, to an era of reconciliation and sustaining the hard won peace. Sri Lanka’s engagement today is in keeping with the […]
Slavery Not a Crime in Almost Half of the World’s Countries
Viewpoint by Katarina Schwarz and Jean Allain, with Andrea Nicholson* NOTTINGHAM (IDN) – “Slavery is illegal everywhere.” So said the New York Times, repeated at the World Economic Forum, and used as a mantra of advocacy for over 40 years. The truth of this statement has been taken for granted for decades. Yet our new […]
Kazakh Roadmap for LLDCs as 2020-2021 Chair
By Ambassador Kairat Umarov Kazakhstan assumed the chairmanship of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) on 8 January for the period 2020-2021. The following are extensive excerpts from the statement of LLDC Chair Ambassador Kairat Umarov, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations in New York, at the First 2020 Meeting of the […]
Economic Growth Is Not The B-All and End-All In The Third World
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) – Do we know how to end poverty in the Third World? Do we know why some economies expand and others don’t? Not really. There is no clear formula for growth. The two Nobel economics prize winners of last year, the husband and wife team of Abhijit Banerjee […]
COP26 Will Be the Litmus Test of The Paris Agreement
COP25 Ignored Demands for Climate Justice Viewpoint by Mary Church* EDINBURGH (IDN) – The outcomes of the longest ever meeting in the history of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – the COP25 negotiations in Madrid – have failed to reflect the urgency of the crisis or any grasp of the real solutions […]
Looking Forward to Scotland’s Return to EU Membership
Viewpoint by Nicola Sturgeon The following are extensive excerpts from the address of Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the European Policy Centre, a leading Brussels-based think tank, on February 10. She was in Brussels for a series of engagements to make Scotland’s voice heard in Europe. BRUSSELS (IDN) – This is the first time […]
Australia’s Exceptional Vulnerability to Climate Change
Viewpoint by Andrew Walter* MELBOURNE (IDN) — The bushfires now ravaging Australia’s flora, fauna and rural communities on an unprecedented scale underline the country’s exceptional vulnerability to global heating and its strong interest in global climate change mitigation and adaptation. Decarbonisation should be taken as an economic opportunity and it could elevate Australia’s leading role […]
Towards a Constitutional Crisis: Scotland and Britain After the General Election
Viewpoint by Michael Keating* ABERDEEN (IDN) – Choppy waters lie ahead for both defending and defeating the union that is the United Kingdom, with Scotland and England having diverged sharply in their choices at the recent general election (December 2019). Campaigns in both countries focused on Brexit but in Scotland equal prominence was given to […]
2020 Priorities and the Work of the United Nations
Viewpoint by António Guterres The following are extensive excerpts from the UN Secretary-General’s remarks to the General Assembly on 22 January on his priorities in 2020. NEW YORK (IDN) – 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. I draw tremendous strength from all that we represent and all that we have achieved together. […]