Viewpoint by Izumi Nakamitsu The following are extensive excerpts from a statement by Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) at a side event on October 18, 2018, organized by the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the United Nations on Consolidating and Enhancing Cooperation among Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones. – The Editor NEW YORK […]
China Lacking a Clear Strategy for Overseas Investments
Viewpoint by Xie Ping The author is professor at the PBC School of Finance, Tsinghua University and is former executive vice president of China Investment Corporation. This article first appeared on October 8, 2018 in EastAsiaForum. BEIJING (IDN-INPS) – China has become one of the world’s biggest investors. The explosive growth of its outward investment […]
India’s Free Trade Woes in the Face of Deteriorating Balance
Viewpoint by Biswajit Dhar The author is Professor at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University. This article first appeared on October 9, 2018 in EastAsiaForum. NEW DELHI (IDN-INPS) – Leaders at the sixth Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Ministerial Meeting in August 2018 appear to have taken […]
A Provocative and Inspiring Look at the Future of Humanity
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – “Suppose aliens existed, and that some had been watching our planet for its entire forty-five million centuries, what would they have seen? Over most of that vast time-span, Earth’s appearance altered very gradually. Continents drifted; ice-cover waxed and waned; successive species emerged, evolved and became extinct. But […]
Trust Deficit Disorder Jeopardising Sustainable Development
By António Guterres The following are extensive extracts from UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to finance ministers and central bank governors at the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) in Bali, Indonesia, on October 13, 2018. Stressing that the meeting was taking place “at a time of enormous uncertainty”, he cautioned that high debts in […]
Creating A World Where We All Feel Secure
Viewpoint by Samir Somaiya The author is President of the Institute on the study of Indology and inter-religious dialogue ‘Somaiya Vidyavihar’. The following is the text of his remarks at the two-day Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions on October 10, 2018 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, with the key topic […]
Faith Communities Play A Vital Role in Ensuring Human Security
Viewpoint by Hirotsugu Terasaki The author is Vice President, Director General of International Bureau, Peace and Global Issues, United Nations Liaison Offices, Soka Gakkai. The following is the text of his remarks at the opening session of the two-day Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions on October 10, 2018 in Astana, the […]
Kazakh President Urges Religious Leaders to Help Resolve ‘Civilizational’ Problems
Viewpoint by Nursultan Nazarbayev The author is the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Following are extensive excerpts from his opening address to the two-day Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions on October 10, 2018 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. He shared with religious leaders “a vision of the areas that […]
Trump Impossible to Deal with Though He Gets Things Done
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – What do we have to truly fear about President Donald Trump? Early October he pulled off the successful re-negotiation of the North America Free Trade area. Pundits thought, with Canada refusing to bend, it couldn’t happen. Maybe the deal now leans more in America’s direction but Trump […]
On ‘Socialism with Chinese Characteristics’ – or Harmony and the Seeds of Conflict
Viewpoint by Michele Nobile* This is the fourth of a four-part series. Click here for Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. ROME (IDN) – Since 2004-2005, the CCP has set itself the task of “building a harmonious society”. The internal harmony of China presupposes the discipline of farmers and the working class within the […]