By Philipp Jahn and Gerrit Kurtz* This article was first published in the Journal of the International Politics and Society, issued by the German Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s Brussels office. KHARTOUM (IDN) — April 11, 2019 was a day of great emotion in Khartoum. At noon, the then-Vice President Ibn Auf announced the arrest of President Omar al-Bashir. […]
The Destruction of the World Heritage Sinharaja Forest
An OPEN LETTER to UNESCO, IUCN and WCPA By Somar Wijayadasa* NEW YORK (IDN) — As a former staff member of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) from 1978 to 1995, and as a Sri Lankan, I write this OPEN LETTER to UNESCO, to the International Union for the Conservation of Forests […]
Nepal Is Closely Following the Fourth Industrial Revolution Under Way
Viewpoint by Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. and Jainendra Karn* KATHMANDU (IDN) — In December 2020, Dr. Leonel Fernández Reyna, former president of the Dominican Republic and President of Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo, presented his vision about “The global and regional challenges of the 4.0 world,” where he highlighted the need to facilitate access to technology […]
The Menace of Human Trafficking—A Canadian Perspective
Viewpoint by Anusha Jaura-Sindhwani* Human trafficking is one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets endorsed by the international community in 2015. Goal 8.7 aims at “immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms […]
The Global Pandemic Is Intensifying and Widening Inequality
By David Amaglobeli, Vitor Gaspar, and Paolo Mauro* This article was first published on April 1 with the title Giving Everyone a Fair Shot. It is also available in عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский WASHINGTON, DC (IDN | IMF Blog) — The COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying the vicious circle of inequality. To break […]
President Biden Repeals Trump Sanctions on the Criminal Court
By Jessica Corbett* Common Dreams first published this report on April 2, 2021. WASHINGTON, D.C. (IDN) — Progressives in Congress and human rights organizations on April 2 welcomed the Biden administration’s repeal of sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) imposed under former President Donald Trump in a bid to pressure the Hague-based tribunal to […]
UN Striving to Ensure Media and Information Literacy
By Ramu Damodaran The writer is Chief, United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) hosted in the Department of Global Communications. This OpEd was first published in the latest #WhyWeCare. It highlights efforts of the UN to combat the “infodemic” — misinformation or disinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic that is having a disastrous social and economic impact […]
A Robust Blueprint Emerges from the UN’s Largest Gathering on Women’s Rights
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK (IDN) — The largest gathering on women’s rights has decided to contribute to accelerating the pace of progress to ensure women’s full participation and leadership at all levels of decision-making in executive, legislative and judicial branches of government and the public sector. It also appreciates that temporary special measures, such […]
UN Campaigns to Make Vaccines a Global Public Good
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) — New research has cautioned against the growing trend towards “vaccine nationalism” where countries prioritize their own vaccine needs. The study warns that in monopolizing the supply of vaccines against the Covid-19 pandemic, wealthy nations are threatening economic destruction which will hit affluent countries nearly as hard as those […]
Toddler’s Death Highlights Perils of Crossing the Atlantic
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — The sight of refugees clinging to leaking boats, barely floating in frigid waters, or worse, washing up lifelessly on sandy shores, almost fails to shock after these images repeat over and over, year after year. But consciences were re-awakened when a two-year toddler from Mali […]