By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | 23 November (IDN) — President-elect Donald Trump has picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental lawyer, prominent Kennedy political family member, and activist who became a leading figure among vaccine sceptics. He is expected to be a critical prop for Trump’s policies. Four years ago, as the US recorded a daily […]
Improving Cities — from Space
By Ladislav Charouz and Kareff Rafisura* BANGKOK | 2 November 2024 (IDN) — Despite offering a range of opportunities, urbanisation poses a set of unique challenges to sustainable development. The rapid expansion of cities often results in the growth of informal settlements, with East and South-East Asia being home to 370 million people living in […]
Developing Countries Need 1.4 trillion US Dollar for Social Protection by 2030
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | NEW YORK | 28 October 2024 (IDN) — As the international community girds up its loins for next year’s Second World Summit for Social Development, the UN has warned that more than 4 billion people worldwide lack any social protection. Only 47 per cent of the global population is estimated […]
One Billion US Dollar Committed to the UN Health Organization
By Jutta Wolf BERLIN | 14 October 2024 (IDN) — European countries, foundations and others have committed to provide nearly US$ 700 million new funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) and another US$ in 300 million in reaffirmed commitments. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the Director-General of The UN health body. This powerful support […]
Workspaces Have Evolved. So must our Approach to Mental Health for the Workforce
By Heidi Kar, Amy West, Kyra Beneke* WALTHAM, Massachusetts, USA | 9 October 2024 (IDN) — We have witnessed enormous changes in how and where we work since COVID-19. Prior to this, the workplace predominantly focused on corporate, in-person desk jobs, not virtual spaces and remote work from a laptop at a kitchen table or home […]
The Role of Land & Soil in Achieving UN’s Global Sustainable Development Goals
By Dr Shibu Thomas* SPRINGFIELD, New Jersey, USA | 5 October2024 (IDN) — The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030 highlight the interconnectedness of global challenges and provide a framework for promoting peace and prosperity for people and the planet, both now and in the future. Genuine sustainability requires long-term, comprehensive approaches, with […]
India To Host the World Music Peace Concert on UN Day 2024 in New Delhi
By Dr. Mohan Bhulanie* NEW DELHI | 3 October 2024 (IDN) — From Woodstock, Knebworth, Live Aid to the Global Citizen Festival to end poverty, music has united people to bring hope and harmony. It is also a wonderful medium to raise awareness about the noble ideals of the United Nations in a powerful and […]
Child Survival Award to Honour the Legendary Jim Grant
By Kul Chandra Gautam The writer is a former UN assistant secretary general and deputy executive director of UNICEF. KATHMANDU | 26 September 2024 (IDN) — Ever since UNICEF’s legendary Executive Director Jim Grant passed away in January 1995, I have had a dream that UNICEF, ideally, or some other organization, would establish a prestigious […]
Digital Revolution Can Unleash Health Revolution
It Can Avert 74 Percent of Global Deaths Annually By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | NEW YORK | 23 September 2024 (IDN) — Smoking, boozing, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity trigger the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases. These noncommunicable dieses (NCDs) are responsible for over 74 percent of global deaths annually, […]
Would Bangladesh Take Stronger Positions to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance at UN Meet?
By Shobha Shukla* LONDON | NEW DELHI | 17 September 2024 (IDN) — Bangladesh has taken strong positions to prevent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the past. We urge the new leadership in Bangladesh to take stronger positions at the upcoming UN meeting of world leaders on 26 September 2024 on AMR and advance more concrete […]