By Reinhard Jacobsen BRUSSELS | 10 April 2025 (IDN) — The two-day Second UN Tourism Africa & The Americas Summit, which concluded on 10 April in Livingstone, Zambia, has outlined concrete plans for achieving shared goals, focused on innovation, Technical Cooperation, enhanced connectivity, tourism investments and tourist confidence through security. According to UN Tourism, both […]
Sewing Sustainability: The High Atlas Foundation’s Zero-Waste Initiative
By Bryn Galumbeck* MARRAKECH, Morocco | 1 April 2025 (IDN) — On 30 March, which marked the third annual International Day of Zero Waste, the international community recognized the urgent need to transform waste management and promote sustainable consumption and production. This year’s theme, Towards Zero Waste in Fashion and Textiles, highlights the pressing environmental […]
The Disability Sector Needs Bigger Voices
By Simone Galimberti* KATHMANDU, Nepal | 30 March 2025 (IDN) — If there is a realm that struggles to get attention and is always at risk of being left out of the most important conversations at the international level, it is disability. And yet, undeterred and determined to create lasting change, thousands of disabilities, experts, […]
Is Climate Science the Next Power Source for Renewable Energy?
By Laura Quinones NEW YORK | 27 March 2025 (IDN) — As solar, wind, and hydropower expand, scientists say integrating climate data and forecasting is key to making renewable systems stronger. The race toward renewable energy is accelerating. And for all the looming challenges of the climate crisis, signs of progress are clear: Solar panels […]
Mind Your Language: The Battle for Linguistic Diversity in AI
By Fabrice Robinet NEW YORK | 27 March 2025 (IDN) — For two years, one international organization under the umbrella of the UN has been leading a relentless campaign in the corridors of global digital diplomacy. Its mission? To bring linguistic diversity to English-dominated artificial intelligence. With his signature geeky glasses and TED-Talk-style headset, Sundar […]
Trump Catapults the Global Order into ‘Unknown Unknowns’
By Partha Chatterjee* NEW DELHI | 25 March 2025 (IDN) — The world used to be a familiar place, but then along came Donald Trump. Since the end of World War II, people around the world have come to expect certain things, and certain ways of doing things. It’s not that the world has not […]
Our Divided World: Insights of a Former Diplomat
Jayantha Kottage* Reviews Somar Wijayadasa’s Memoirs CANBERRA, Australia | 22 March 2025 (IDN) — “History repeats itself, but in such a cunning disguise that we never detect the resemblance until the damage is done”, Sydney J Harris Somar Wijayadasa’s memoirs, “Our Divided World: My View from The United Nations” provide a reflective account of global […]
UN Chief Visits World’s Largest Refugee Camp with Bad News from Trump
By Jan Servaes BANGKOK, Thailand | 22 March 2025 (IDN) — UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Bangladesh from March 13 to 16. His visit came at a critical time as Bangladesh grapples with both internal and external challenges aimed at thwarting the historic reforms introduced by the interim government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. […]
Urgent Need to Avert Sinking into a Debt-Driven Development Crisis
By Rebeca Grynspan The writer is the Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The following are extensive excerpts from her Statement to 14th session of the three-day International Debt Management Conference on 17 March 2025. GENEVA, Switzerland | 21 March 2025 (IDN) — The Romans had a god named Janus—the deity of thresholds, beginnings, […]
Global Trade in Flux: Navigating Policy Volatility and Structural Shifts
BY UN DESA NEW YORK | 20 March 2025 (IDN) — International trade is once again in the spotlight. A new Monthly Briefing from UN DESA examines the evolving dynamics, offering insights into both the risks and potential opportunities ahead. Structural shifts in global trade Global trade is undergoing profound changes, with globalization evolving along […]