By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK | 20 March 2024 (IDN)—When the last International Conference on Small Island Developing States was held in 2014, there was no COVID-19 pandemic and no global economic recession and much fewer geopolitical tensions. The climate emergency, while present, had not reached the heights it has today. This year, as the […]
The Origin of COVID-19 and US Responsibility
By Jeffrey D. Sachs* This article was published in Common Dreams and is being republished with the author’s permission. A US-funded laboratory origin of COVID-19 would constitute the most significant case of governmental gross negligence in history. The people of the world deserve transparency and factual answers to vital questions. NEW YORK | 18 March […]
UN Health Agency Warns of Imminent Famine in Gaza
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA | 18 March 2024 (IDN) — The situation in Gaza is catastrophic, and northern Gaza faces imminent famine. According to the latest analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) partnership released today, the rest of the Strip is also at risk. Over a million people are expected to face […]
Record Number of Syrians Need Aid After 13 Years of War
By Bernhard Schell CAIRO | 17 March 2024 (IDN) — “There are currently more Syrians in need of aid than any other time since the war began,” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. “An entire generation has been born into war, knowing nothing but insecurity and deprivation, and facing shock […]
Is There a Way Out of Nuclear Stalemate?
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | 16 March 2024 (IDN) — Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has entered its third year. President Vladimir Putin has been threatening the use of nuclear weapons. Republican Presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, doubled down his threat and appeared to invite Putin to invade any NATO member failing to meet […]
Papua New Guinea Ratifies CTBT, Advancing Treaty Universalisation in Pacific
NEW YORK | 16 March 2024 (IDN | CTBTO) — Papua New Guinea has become the 178th State to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). As a State Party to both the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Treaty of Rarotonga, Papua New Guinea had already committed to fulfilling the core […]
Multilateral Development Banks Play Crucial Role in Financing Global Public Goods
By José Antonio Ocampo and Karla Daniela González, Columbia University This article was first published in the 2023/2024 UNDP Human Development Report – Breaking the Gridlock: Reimagining cooperation in a polarized world –on 13 March 2024. NEW YORK | 14 March 2024 (IDN) — There is broad-based agreement among the United Nations and the Group […]
‘The Patriarchy May Be Pushing Back, But So Are We’, UN Chief Tells CSW68
By UN News NEW YORK | 14 March 2024 (IDN) — Women’s rights are under attack, and governments must act to reverse that dangerous trend, the UN chief told at his annual town hall event with civil society activists on 13 March, as the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) session continued its first […]
UN Commission Asked to Focus on “Horrific Violence” Against Women in Tigray War
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK | 12 March 2024 (IDN)— Julia Duncan-Cassell, Former Liberian Minister of Gender and President of the Brussels-based European External Programme with Africa (EPA), has highlighted the urgent need for action regarding the proliferation of conflict-related sexual violence in an Open Letter to the 68th annual Commission on the Status of […]
Russia Must Withdraw Unconditionally from Ukraine
By Stavros Lambrinidis The author is Head of the European Union‘s Delegation to the United Nations, at the UN Security Council. Following are extensive excerpts from his Statement to the UN Security Council on 8 March 2024. NEW YORK | 10 March 2024 (IDN) — When the UN Secretary-General visited Kyiv in 2022, Russian missiles […]