By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 18 July 2023 (IDN) — As the United Nations continues to debate the positive and negative effects of artificial intelligence (AI), Secretary-General António Guterres laid down the two extremes: the potential benefits of AI to the world economy, running into trillions of dollars, and the devastation it could cause humanity—if […]
UN: One of the World’s Most Multilingual Organizations
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 17 July 2023 (IDN) — When Egypt’s onetime Foreign Minister Boutros Boutros-Ghali was running for the post of UN Secretary-General in late 1991, he had to contend with the candidature of Bernard Chidzero, then foreign minister of Zimbabwe. As the campaign began to intensify, Boutros-Ghali recounted a brief encounter with […]
Integrating Refugee Students: The Model of a Portuguese University
By UN Academic Impact (UNAI) NEW YORK. 14 July 2023 (IDN) — Some eight years ago, the flow of persons needing international protection to the European continent increased significantly, and many asylum seekers and refugees were in the typical higher education age range. In light of this situation, the University of Coimbra (UC), a member […]
Sustainable Development Goals in Peril
By J Nastranis NEW YORK. 13 July 2023 (IDN) — Failure to redouble global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals—the promise of a better world for all —may fuel greater political instability, upend economies and lead to irreversible damage to the natural environment, according to The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023: Special Edition. World leaders made […]
The Ukraine War and Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN. 13 July 2023 (IDN) — Ahead of first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) from 31 July to 11 August 2023 in Vienna, the Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons, Abolition 2000 has warned of increasing […]
Civil Society Groups Concerned Over Implementation of Paris Agreement
By Rita Joshi BONN | NEW DELHI 11 July 2023 (IDN) — More than 125 civil society groups have expressed concerns that big polluters continue emitting under the cover of deceiving net zero claims while communities and ecosystems across the world suffer immensely. They see an urgent need for real, deep, and urgent emission reductions in line […]
Myanmar: As ASEAN Crumbles, Western Sanctions Are Starting to Bite
By Jan Servaes* BRUSSELS 10 July 2023 (IDN) — According to a World Bank report released at the end of June, Myanmar’s economy stabilized in the first half of 2023. But this isn’t exactly good news, as the report points out that the economy is still lagging far behind that of the region. GDP growth of 3 […]
US Rejoins UNESCO Abandoned During Trump Presidency
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK 4 July 2023 (IDN) — After an absence of four years, the UN will return to UNESCO, a global cultural and education body that contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information.
UN told France has ‘Robbed’ Kanaks of New Caledonian Independence
By David Robie* This article was issued by the Asia Pacific Report and is being republished with their permission. AUCKLAND, New Zealand, 15 June 2023 (IDN) — New Caledonia’s Kanak national liberation movement has told the UN Decolonization Committee that France has “robbed” the indigenous people of their independence and has appealed for help.
UN Plans a Code of Conduct to Monitor AI & Prevent Abuses
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, 13 June 2023 (IDN) — The widespread proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI)—and its CHATBOT search engine—has prompted the United Nations to propose a “set of guardrails” to prevent abuses and disinformation. The motive is to help governments with guidelines that “promote facts, while exposing conspiracies and lies, and safeguarding freedom […]