Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Before there was Brexit there was Amexit when the Americans in 1776 decided to revolt against Britain’s King George and unilaterally secede to establish their own independent republic. In retrospect it was a strangely negative thing to do and one that took a long time to put […]
Upholding International Humanitarian Law in Times of Armed Violence
Viewpoint by Rene Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens GENEVA (IDN) – The entry of Turkish troops into what they call a “safe zone” on the frontier of Turkey and northeast Syria and especially the actions of Turkish-backed Syrian militias has raised in a dramatic way the issue of respect of international humanitarian law. Regular […]
UN Chief Lauds ‘Quantum Leap’ on Multiple Issues in ASEAN-UN Relations
Secretary-General António Guterres’ Press Encounter Following are extensive extracts from UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ press encounter on 3 November 2019 following the ASEAN-UN Summit. BANGKOK (IDN-INPS) – I am extremely happy with the UN ASEAN summit. Two years ago, I asked for a quantum leap in relations between ASEAN and the UN and we can, […]
Do Everything Possible to Avert ‘Great Fracture’
Viewpoint by António Guterres Following are extensive extracts from UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ opening remarks for the 10th ASEAN-UN summit in Bangkok on 3 November 2019. ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations comprising ten countries in Southeast Asia – Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Thailand is […]
Opportunity Beckons as Asia Reemerges as the World’s Dominant Economic Power
Viewpoint by Dr Palitha Kohona The writer is former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, and former Foreign Secretary. It has been said that in the 19th century, the world was Europeanized. In the 20th century, it was Americanized. Now, it is being Asianized. Sri Lanka has another opportunity, through […]
How Reparations Can Help Eradicate Poverty and Secure SDGs
Viewpoint by Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. and Jainendra Karn * NEW DELHI (IDN) – Dealing with numbers can take a toll and might make one seek fulfillment in other spheres. No wonder the most influential poet of the last Century penned The Waste Land in 1922 when he was dutifully employed with the foreign transactions department […]
Bring Women at the Peace Table, Build from the Grassroots to the Tree Tops
“Some people change when they see the light; others when they feel the heat”. – Caroline Schoeder, former U.S. Congress member Viewpoint by Rene Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens GENEVA (IDN) – The UN Security Council Resolution 1325 of 2000 is a commitment to work resolutely toward greater protection of women and girls in […]
The Afghans Have to Find Their Own Way
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – It’s the most repeated maxim in all the reportage on the war in Afghanistan: “The Americans have the watches, we, the Taliban, have the time.” “Play it again, Sam” was said in “Casablanca”. It should be played, said and listened to in Kabul and Washington today. This […]
Ample Reasons Why the West’s Break with Russia Must End
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – It’s time overdue for the West to make up with Russia. The contretemps over Ukraine, now played out over five years, is too long. As the world goes it doesn’t deserve so much attention. Ukraine in land mass may be a big country but its population is […]
The Sochi Summit and the Pride of Africa
Viewpoint by Kester Kenn Klomegah MOSCOW (IDN) – After nearly three decades of extremely low political, economic and cultural engagement, Russia is indeed returning to Africa. For obvious reasons, Russia’s relations with Africa turned extremely worse as some diplomatic representations were unexpectedly cut, all cultural centers closed, and many projects were suspended. Of course, relations […]