By Rodney Reynolds NEW YORK | 16 May 2024 (IDN) — A United Nations report expects a sustained rebound in tourism to improve the economic prospects for small island developing States (SIDS), leading to GDP growth from 2.4 per cent in 2023 to 3.3 per cent in 2024. However, SIDS remain vulnerable to spikes in […]
Latin America and the Caribbean: Initiative to Empower Young People in Arms Control, Peacebuilding
By Rodney Reynolds NEW YORK | 15 May 24 (IDN) — The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) has launched the first edition of GenerAcción Paz: building dreams, disarming violence (GenerAcción Paz: armando sueños, desarmando la violencia), which aspires to empower young people to create […]
UN Report Faults Misinformation and Politicisation of Migration
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA | DHAKA | 13 May 2024 (IDN) — Migration is an intrinsic part of human history, but it is often overshadowed by sensationalised narratives and headlines that contradict reality. “Most migration is regular, safe, and regionally focused, directly linked to opportunities and livelihoods,” says the UN migration agency IOM agency. “Yet, […]
Bad Weather and Poor Harvests Devastating Cocoa Crop in Ghana
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 13 May 2024 (IDN) — Everyone or almost everyone loves chocolate, making it imperative to follow Ghana’s production shortfall and similar problems in the Ivory Coast. These shortfalls have fuelled historic surges in cocoa prices, forcing customers to shell out more for familiar chocolate bars and […]
Lawyer Defies President of Tunisia as He Cracks Down on Free Speech
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 12 May 2024 (IDN) — Authorities in Tunisia are tightening a noose around the necks of its citizens, persecuting those who criticize the government and jailing dozens of Tunisians on dubious and political charges. A slender country wedged between Libya and Algeria; Tunisia faces a severe […]
Kenya Hosts the first-ever UN Civil Society Conference
By Devendra Kamarajan NAIROBI | 12 May 2025 (IDN) — ‘Meaningful participation’ and ‘inclusion’ were the catchwords at a two-day UN conference in Nairobi, Kenya, ahead of the Summit of the Future, which will bring delegations from all over the globe to the UN Headquarters in New York in September. The first-ever UN civil society […]
When Nuclear Waste is an Asset, not a Burden
By Lucy Ashton This article was issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). VIENNA | 10 May 2024 (IDN) — What if the high-level nuclear waste generated by nuclear power plants could fuel a circular economy in the energy sector? Fast neutron reactors operating in a closed fuel cycle could make that happen. Fast […]
Is China Grabbing the South China Sea?
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 8 May 2024 (IDN) — Napoleon warned us that China was a sleeping giant best left, undisturbed. No longer. As is clear from the visit of President Xi Jinping to France this week, the giant is well awake, even happy to pay a ceremonial visit to Napoleon’s tomb, affirming […]
The Palestinian Case: Applying to be a Member of the UN
UN Security Council Report BERLIN | NEW YORK | 8 May 2024 (IDN) — On 18 April, the US vetoed a draft Security Council resolution that would have recommended that “the State of Palestine be admitted to membership in the United Nations”. Twelve Council members voted in favour of the draft resolution, while two abstained […]
UNODC Launches New Action to Combat Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling
By Aurora Weiss VIENNA | 8 May 2024 (IDN) — Human trafficking and migrant smuggling are multi-billion-dollar businesses that have changed dramatically in recent years. Financial crises, armed conflicts, and forced displacement, catalysed by the pandemic, have strained justice systems, significantly reducing investigations, prosecutions, victim identification, and protection. In 2020 alone, the number of detected […]