Viewpoint by Sergio Duarte The writer is a former High Representative of the United Nations for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), and President of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. NEW YORK (IDN) — The Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) takes place in a volatile and unpredictable international […]
Bringing the Benefits and Peace of Space to Humanity
A new UNOOSA head is to be appointed soon By Aurora Weiss VIENNA (IDN) — Legend has it that a young Isaac Newton was sitting beneath an apple tree contemplating the mysterious universe. Suddenly —”boink!”—an apple unexpectedly hit him on the head. He experienced his “aha moment!”. In a flash of light, he understood that […]
UN Chief Underlines “the Power of Partnerships Across Generations”
By Radwan Jakeem NEW YORK (IDN) — Celebrated every year on August 12, the theme of this year’s International Youth Day is “Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages”, which UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted, reminds us of “a basic truth” that “we need people of all ages, young and old alike, to join […]
UN Group Urges Support to Most Vulnerable Countries
By Jamshed Baruah GENEVA (IDN) — The UN Secretary-General’s Global Crisis Response Group (GCRG) on Food, Energy and Finance points out that skyrocketing energy prices are compounding an existential cost-of-living crisis for hundreds of millions of people. In fact, as the war in Ukraine continues to rage, the rising energy costs may cost many developing […]
All Stakeholders Have a Role to Play in Ridding the World of Chemical Weapons
Viewpoint by Fernando Arias This article was published in the UN Chronicle and is being republished with their permission. THE HAGUE (IDN) — On 29 April this year, we marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and […]
CARICOM’s Policy “Coordination”: Successes, Failures and Limitations
By Reinhard Jacobsen BRUSSELS (IDN) — The Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Secretary-General Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti has called for unified positions by the 79-member grouping ahead of several international meetings, namely, the 77th United Nations General Assembly in September, the World Health Summit 2022 in Germany in October as well as […]
‘Asian Century’ Won’t Come Until Global Governance Becomes More Inclusiv
Viewpoint by Dawei Wang, Economist, UNCTAD This article was first issued by China Daily and republished by UNCTAD. GENEVA (IDN) — Claims that the “Asian century” has arrived or is set to begin frequently appear in the media and public fora. For example, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated during the 2018 Asian Infrastructure Investment […]
Rise in World Population Derails UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The UN’s 17 heavily-promoted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have long been undermined by the three-year-old Covid-19 pandemic and the devastation caused to the world economy by the after-effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. But now a third factor is threatening to derail the implementation […]
Conflict Zones as Magnets for Synthetic Drug Production
Growing Capacity to Manufacture Amphetamine in Ukraine By Aurora Weiss VIENNA (IDN) — Nearly 284 million people aged 15-64 used drugs worldwide in 2020, a 26 per cent increase over the previous decade. Young people are using more drugs, with use levels today in many countries higher than those of the previous generation, notes the […]
War in Ukraine Raises Global Shipping Costs, Stifles Trade
Jaya Ramachandran with UNCTAD Report GENEVA (IDN) — UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says the war in Ukraine is stifling trade and logistics of the country and the Black Sea region, increasing global vessel demand and the cost of shipping around the world. In a report entitled “Maritime trade disrupted: The war in […]