Viewpoint by Roseline Orwa * BONDO, Kenya (IDN) – COVID-19, the deadly pandemic that has upended our world, is also, according to a new report, “a widow-making machine”. The emerging scientific evidence that many more men than women are dying from COVID-19 shows that the coronavirus crisis is creating new widows even as global economic […]
Arab Women’s Organizations Join the UN Chief Urging a Global Ceasefire in the Face Of COVID-19
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK (IDN) – In a joint statement, ninety-one women’s organizations from Iraq, Libya, Palestine, Syria and Yemen have joined a global appeal issued by UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the outset of the pandemic. On March 23, Guterres urged warring parties across the world to lay down their weapons in support of the bigger […]
UN Helps Conserve Migratory Waterbirds and Protect Biodiversity in 119 Countries
“Now Is the Time to Invest in and Step Up Action for Nature” By Rita Joshi BONN (IDN) – At least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent of the needs of the poor are derived from biological resources. These include diversity within species, between species, and between ecosystems. The richer […]
South African Leader Condemns Latest Surge of Violence Against Women
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Calling it a “dark and shameful week,” South African president Cyril Ramaphosa denounced the latest surge in violence against women, including the murder of a woman eight months pregnant. “Gender-based violence thrives in a climate of silence,” he said. “By looking the other way because […]
Women in The Pacific Confront the Dual Impact of a Pandemic and A Tropical Cyclone
By UN Women NEW YORK (IDN) – Although the Pacific has largely been spared by the spread of the disease relative to other regions around the world – with Fiji hardest hit of the six countries the UN Women’s Ending Violence Against Women and Girls programme works in, at 18 confirmed cases – all of […]
US Protests Unmask The ‘Torch-Bearer’ Of Human Rights
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) – “The United States (US) has always taken pride in calling itself the ‘Land of the Free’ and appointed itself to be the global cop to punish others who violate human rights. … It has poked its nose in the affairs of almost all countries, all the time presenting itself […]
COVID-19 A Threat to Great Apes, Closely Related to Humans
Ramesh Jaura Talks to Ian Redmond A tropical field British biologist and conservationist Ian Redmond has served as Ambassador for the UN Year of the Gorilla in 2009 and for the UNEP Convention on Migratory Species since 2010. BERLIN | LONDON (IDN) – The fact that ecosystems and human health intersect has been repeatedly emphasized […]
Nine Countries’ UN Missions Concerned About Impact of COVID-19 on Migrants
A Joint Statement of Solidarity Initiated By Radwan Jakeem NEW YORK (IDN) – Nine Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York have expressed concern about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on migrants, and initiated a joint statement requesting endorsement by representatives of all other countries accredited to the UN Headquarters. Once finalized, […]
New Africa Digital Hub to Offer Quick, Factual Information On COVID-19
By Carla McKirdy This report by Carla McKirdy first appeared in Africa Renewal, a magazine published by the United Nations in New York. The writer is Associate Information Management Officer at the United Nations, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. ADDIS ABABA (IDN) – As part of a coordinated approach to strengthen developing countries’ responses to COVID-19, as […]
UN Discusses the Challenges of Combating COVID-19 Pandemic and Silencing the Guns in Africa
By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) – In opening remarks to the Africa Dialogue Series on “COVID-19 and Silencing the Guns in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: “The pandemic has exposed the fragility of our societies. It is a global problem that demands a coordinated global response built on unity […]