By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – In the midst of multiple crises compounded by paucity of funds threatening the very functioning of the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres has announced plans emphasizing the vital significance of the world body. Commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations in 2020, he said, will feature […]
Cities Decide to Wage Battle Against Climate Change
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK (IDN) – The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said that climate change is “the battle of my life”. The fact is that it’s a battle we are all fighting. The battle is taking place particularly in cities. The very basis of urban life is threatened: by rising sea levels, extreme […]
Financing Gap of Trillions of Dollars to Achieve 17 SDGs
By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) – Although significant progress has been made since the adoption of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda in 2015, recent data confirm that the world is not on track to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This includes the slow pace at which the financing gap for the […]
World Leaders to Focus on Climate Action in September
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – Issues such as highlighting how governments, civil society and individuals can take action on climate, sharing updates on the Sustainable Development Goals, and celebrating outstanding figures whose actions have had a transformative positive impact on the environment will take centre stage when world leaders gather in New York […]
Women and Girls Severely Impacted by Crises
Many Work in Some of the Most Dangerous Corners of the Globe By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) – An unprecedented number of people are living through humanitarian crises today. Armed conflict, natural disaster, disease and violent persecution have forced more than 70 million people from their homes, notes UN Women. While women and […]
28 Corporations Pledge to Curbing Temperature Rise to 1.5°C
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – In the run-up to the UN Climate Action Summit on September 23, twenty-eight leading companies have responded to a call-to-action campaign and committed themselves to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels with a view to reaching net-zero emissions by no later than 2050. In doing […]
Top UN Economic and Social Body Has a New Head with an Ambitious Agenda
By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) – Norway’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Mona Juul, has taken over from Rhonda King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines the presidency of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), who chaired the recently-concluded High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable […]
UN Condemns Israeli Destruction of Palestinian Homes
By Sean Buchanan NEW YORK (IDN) – Calling it “not compatible with Israel’s “obligations under international humanitarian law”, the United Nations has condemned Israel’s demolition July 22 of 70 homes in an East Jerusalem neighbourhood under the control of the Palestinian Authority. Israel’s Supreme Court has reportedly ruled that the houses in the Palestinian community […]
UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Remain Largely in Limbo
By Shanta Roy NEW YORK (IDN) – When a High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) concluded its four-day ministerial meeting assessing the current status of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one irrefutable fact stood out: despite “encouraging progress”, many of the goals were lagging far behind in their implementation since they were adopted by the […]
New Data Illuminates Inequalities Among the Poor Worldwide
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK (IDN) – A new report released at the UN High-Level Political Forum challenges the traditional concept of poverty and sheds light on the number of people experiencing poverty at regional, national and subnational levels, and reveals inequalities across countries and among the poor themselves. Findings from the 2019 global Multidimensional […]