By Justus Wanzala NAIROBI (IDN) – Global gross domestic product has doubled since 1970, enabling immense progress, and lifting of billions of people out of poverty. At the same time, this economic growth has been fueled by a relentless demand for natural resources. At no point in time nor at any level of income, has […]
U.S. Threats Against International Criminal Court Under Fire
By Shanta Roy NEW YORK (IDN) – The U.S. threat to penalize and impose economic sanctions against judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) – if they bring charges of war crimes against American troops in Afghanistan – has sparked an avalanche of criticisms from human rights groups, think tanks and civil society organizations (CSOs). […]
Japan Funds UNIDO Projects in 9 Countries with $5.8 Million
By Reinhardt Jacobsen VIENNA (IDN) – Japan will contribute more than US$5.8 million for sustainable development projects in Ethiopia, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, South Sudan, the State of Palestine and Syria. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has welcomed an official announcement to this effect. “We thank the Government of Japan for the […]
India Competes with China for FAO Leadership
By Jaya Ramachandran ROME (IDN) – India is pitted against China for the coveted post of the Director-General of the Rome-based FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations that works in over 130 countries worldwide and leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Ramesh Chand of the policy commission of the […]
‘Think Equal, Build Smart, Innovate for Change’ on International Women’s Day
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK (IDN) – UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has stressed the need for “transformative shifts, integrated approaches and new solutions” to achieve gender equality, as envisaged in Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals, the road map for a sustainable future by 2030. “Current trajectories show existing interventions do not […]
Powerful Grassroots Movements Boost Hope for Human Rights, Says UN Chief
By Jamshed Baruah GENEVA (IDN) – People’s rights are under fire “in many parts of the globe,” but there is no need to lose hope, because powerful grassroots movements for social justice have made great strides, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres. While the Human Rights Council was the “epicentre” for dialogue and cooperation on […]
UN Fights Back but Not Immune to Cyberattacks
By Erol Avdovic This article is the second in a series of WebPublicaPress Online Magazine’s analyses being published by IDN-InDepthNews, flagship of the International Press Syndicate. UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – When in United Nations headquarters, be careful what you say over your phone or communicate in your e-mails. The chances are you are being listened to, read or […]
Bangkok Meeting Reviews Programme of Action for LLDCs
By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK | BANGKOK (IDN) – Lack of territorial access to the sea, isolation and remoteness from world markets impose constraints on trade competitiveness of the 32 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and their overall socio-economic development. In addition to the geographical impediments, LLDCs face challenges linked to high trade and transport […]
UN Chief Careful Not to Finger Point Any Of The P-5
By Erol Avdovic This article is the first in a series of WebPublicaPress Online Magazine’s analyses being published by IDN-InDepthNews, flagship of the International Press Syndicate. UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – Where there is no leadership and vision, the people perish – it’s an old saying in different languages around the world. “The first responsibility of […]
International Year Kicks Off To Protect Indigenous Languages
By UN DESA Voice NEW YORK (IDN) – Languages play a crucial role in our daily lives. They also make up our unique cultural identities. Yet, of the about 6,700 languages spoken in the world today, 40 percent are at risk of disappearing. Most of them are indigenous languages. And when a language dies, it […]